A great overview of tablet e-commerce usage during the 2012 holiday season – an infograph created by Shop Pad
Included metrics are:
Enjoy!
Dealing with tax rates is by far one of the most tedious parts of running a store. Thanks to Hara Partners, Rand McNally can no longer punish its employees by making them research and implement tax policy manually By setting up a connection to their staging environment and installing the Magento Sales Tax module, created by CCH (Salestax.com), directly into the Rand McNally Magento store we have proudly eliminated that form of torture.
Rand McNally has been in the navigation business for over one hundred years. In the last decade they have established themselves as the premier navigation tool in the commercial industry. Their Magento based store at RandMcNally.com is a major destination for companies and consumers looking to improve their navigating capabilities. Since Rand McNally customers come from all corners of the United States a simple and automatic sales tax calculation software is a crucial tool for streamlining the Rand McNally business model. The Magento Sales Tax Module is the ideal tool. Utilizing an extensive and constantly updated system of sales taxes from all over the country, the Sales Tax Module is able to appropriately obtain and implement sales tax figures from every region automatically.
Automating the sales tax was no easy task. Testing various case scenarios was an essential part of our integration. Because tax rates vary wildly based on geographic location it was very important to make sure that business would go smoothly for Rand McNally with no interference from a particularly complicated tax. Finally we were able to implement all this complexity into the Magento configuration parameters so that Rand McNally can easily adjust to any situation without having to hire additional people to change the code.
If you are interested in eliminating your sales tax headaches and would like to know more about Magento Sales Tax Module integration for your Magento store contact us at harapartners.com!
Cuddl Duds, a Komar brand, asked Hara Partners to help with your Bluecherry Magento Integration. Cuddl Duds uses BlueCherry as their primary inventory/warehouse management system but because it was separate from their Magento store Cuddl employees had to keep track of both systems manually.
Cuddl Duds is a casual fashion brand geared towards colder climates. It promotes functional fashion, keeping it’s customers warm and stylish in every season. Because of the layering nature of its products, Cuddl Duds has a very specialized BlueCherry inventory tracking system which required careful integration into its online store.
Our skilled coders were able to merge both systems into a unified structure, removing the need for manual input and streamlining the purchase process. Thanks to the Magento Bluecherry integration, Cuddl Duds is free to keep us warm without breaking out in cold sweat every time an order needs to be processed.
Any time information is entered by hand there is a possibility of mistakes which can cost time and money. Taking away that responsibility from people prevents human error and leads to better business. Automation and efficiency go hand in hand and Hara Partners’ Magento Bluecherry integration is the Purell keeping it bug-free.
Looking to improve efficiency in your online business? Learn more about our Magento Bluecherry Integration at harapartners.com.
Hara Partners, a leading provider of Magento-based design and development solutions for e-commerce brands, officially announced a strategic partnership with Computop, a preeminent global payment services provider. Together, the two companies will benefit from one another’s superior industry architecture to better serve both clients and customers.
Proven experts in website design and development, Hara Partners’ team is committed to furthering Computop’s U.S. presence with competitive functionality and a robust Magento platform. As the payment gateway of choice for clients seeking to penetrate both core and emerging global markets, Computop offers secure multichannel transactions, fraud prevention management, and full international compliance.
“The paramount benefit of our partnership is a worldwide solution for our clients’ e-commerce websites,” said Shaun Harmen, Project Manager and Sales Engineer at Hara Partners. “All the marketing in the world is only so effective if you can’t accept payment from every corner of the globe. Computop brings most local payment methods to the global stage.”
“Hara Partners delivers robust e-commerce websites for their clients, and together we can help businesses take their e-commerce initiatives to the next level,” said Ralf Gladis, CEO of Computop, Inc. “We look forward to jointly helping businesses drive growth not only domestically but also on a global scale.”
About Hara Partners
Hara Partners, founded in 2006, provides industry-leading, innovative, and cost-effective web solutions based on Magento, the e-commerce platform trusted by the world’s leading brands. From concept to execution to ongoing support, Hara Partners secures clients’ bottom-line revenue growth and profitability via customized website development and design. As of mid-2012, HP has served 250+ Magento-based stores in a variety of capacities—content, photography, video, development, consulting, IT services, hosting, etc.—all out of one hand. Based in NYC and entirely in-house, Hara Partners crafts a growth strategy with each client to refine the brand, look, and feel. Specialties include custom modules, integrations, and customized digital identity-building. They adhere to industry best practices and open standards, minimizing costs to facilitate future enhancements. Whether it’s online stores or complex database solutions, their experts translate business needs into a powerful, flexible web presence.
About Computop
Computop is a leading global payment service provider (PSP) offering compliant and secure e-commerce, Point of Sale (PoS), m-commerce, and Mail Order and Telephone Order (MOTO). The company, founded in 1997, is headquartered in Bamberg, Germany with local teams in the U.S., UK, and China. Computop processes transactions totaling $7B+ annually for 2,000+ large international merchants spanning such industries as retail, travel, and gaming. Global customers include C&A, Fossil, Metro Cash & Carry, Samsung, and TUI. In order to provide a complete, multichannel solution for merchants, Computop has a robust partner and global banking portfolio providing merchants with a seamless and secure transaction process.
Cue Blocks created an infograph resembling a shoots and ladder like board game, which is a 91 point e-commerce checklist, or as they call it the “Holy Grail of Ecommerce Optimization”
A hot new trend in the E-marketplace is the establishment of a physical presence in the real world, also called Omni Shopping. E-tailers from Etsy to Tesco have been hopping on the bandwagon trying to get their products out to the rest of the population that doesn’t shop exclusively at their computer. How does your online store meet this Magento omni shopping reality?
One of the most obvious ways to reach this demographic is to open storefronts. Advances in technology have rendered inventory space at the physical locations obsolete which helps keep the rents on space low and the consumer turnaround high.
A more innovative idea involves the use of interactive posters or as they are known in the e-business world, “shopping walls”. These posters are plastered to walls in high traffic pedestrian areas and allow consumers to shop using augmented reality and their cellphones. By launching the appropriate app and pointing their phones at the products they are interested in, shoppers can purchase everything they want just by stopping at one of these “walls”.
Kinetic is also getting in on the action. The X-box device uses innovative software which can recognize people in a physical space and translate their actions on to a digital world. Keytree has used this technology to create a virtual store in people’s living rooms. An almost Star-Treckian vibe is induced in this groundbreaking take on online shopping. Shoppers can physically grab virtual items and place them in their cart as they “walk” around this virtual space.
Hara Partners is keeping a close watch on these consumer experiences and will be implementing the most successful technologies in the near future. Keep up with our blog and see where we take things for our customers, it’s going to be quite a trip!
Monetate posted this beautiful infograph on marketing data and identifying actionable data. The post covers:
Enjoy!
NetSuite’s recent purchase of Retail Anywhere affords the ERP software giant considerably greater scope in the Small and Medium Business (SMB) retail market. The move plays into NetSuite’s strategy of capitalizing on the booming vertical of retail businesses with up to 500 outlets. Key executives retain leadership under NetSuite’s aegis, leveraging their e-commerce expertise to drive cross-channel sales. All told, it’s a farsighted maneuver that aptly secures a competitive stance for NetSuite against a crowd of established retail ERP providers.
Several key customer-facing issues and logistical concerns motivated the acquisition. Tangible benefits include:
Long story short, NetSuite’s acquisition of Retail Anywhere portends healthy growth for its scalable business solutions. Together with its partners, NetSuite can now present a complete, actionable picture in multiple retail markets. Eventually, an increasingly sophisticated customer base could provide the resources and incentive to broaden into deep supply chain operations. In the meantime, with Retail Anywhere incorporated into the SuiteCommerce platform, NetSuite becomes a natural solution for fully integrated, globally compatible online retail.
QuickBooks carries quite a bit of authority as the entrenched financial software-of-choice for businesses everywhere. Indeed, it makes perfect sense for many small or emerging companies: it’s affordable, reliable, and reasonably flexible. But it struggles to handle the needs of evolving, expanding businesses, which is precisely the time that business management software should kick into high gear. Enter the cloud—more specifically, the world’s leading cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system, NetSuite.
NetSuite delivers the streamlined, end-to-end software capacity that growing companies need, outflanking QuickBooks in process automation, data entry, and numerous other fronts. And it’s all transparently available for performance analysis via built-in tracking tools. In a head-to-head Quickbooks vs. NetSuite match, the victor quickly becomes apparent.
Let’s break down the benefits into five practical areas:
NetSuite does QuickBooks one better in terms of data gathering and application. The versatile toolkit eliminates manual entry, replaces cumbersome spreadsheets, and easily distributes appropriate output to component applications.
NetSuite’s global fluency—linguistic, monetary, or regulatory—stands ready to support your company’s expansion efforts when the time is ripe. Whether you’re integrating acquired companies, penetrating new markets, or launching subsidiaries, you can expect rapid, educated transition services.
Informed decision-making is predicated on real-time business data feeds. NetSuite’s feature-rich dashboard, customizable by employee and department, equips you with company-wide figures to facilitate timely analysis in a fast-paced environment.
You shouldn’t have to manually update data across isolated applications—that’s a waste of time and resources better applied elsewhere. NetSuite encompasses engaging e-commerce CRM, back-office accounting, self-service portals for partners, and a host of auxiliary utilities for a comprehensive ERP system. It sets the standard for business management with accurate, synchronized data streams for your entire enterprise.
Because they’re secured in the cloud, all of your business insights are accessible on a 24/7 basis. Plus, you can retrieve info and reports from anywhere, even on the road.
As you can see, NetSuite leaves no stone unturned. By cultivating our relationship with NetSuite, we at Hara Partners can now offer NetSuite ERP integration for your Magento platform. Get in touch with us to learn more about NetSuite’s expanded capabilities for e-commerce retailers.
Now’s the time to explore what your website could be with Magento’s top-tier e-commerce solution, Enterprise Edition. For a limited time, we’ll leverage our status as a Magento Solutions Partner to thoroughly evaluate your business goals and current site in the context of Magento upgrade compatibility. We’ll provide a rundown of benefits and a clear-cut, expert roadmap on how to port your site to the Enterprise environment.
So why go Enterprise? Here are some highlights:
In addition to Enterprise Edition’s naturally robust performance, we’ll work with Magento to deliver matchless support for any issues that may arise. That means you’ll have more time to do what you do best while we handle the kinks.
Full-page caching comes built-in, so your repeat customers consistently see near-instantaneous page loads, even during peak traffic periods. Watch your conversion rate skyrocket.
Curtail abandonment with tailored email campaigns, reminding customers why they came to your site in the first place.
We’d be glad to go through any or all of Magento Enterprise’s features with you to identify which would benefit your e-commerce platform the most. It’s all about broader out-of-the-box functionality, intuitive management tools, and a streamlined feel on both the front and back end. Please note that this is a time-sensitive offer—act now to take advantage of this rare opportunity and secure your Magento upgrade today!
We also offer an in-depth, deep-code Magento Health Check for line-by-line code analysis and site-wide auditing purposes. If you’re frustrated with your site’s speed, responsiveness, or interactivity, contact us today for a Magento Health Check estimate.