Setting up a business is a big undertaking and sometimes not having the knowledge of how to set up a company website gets left until much later in the process. In fact, managing a sustainable website for your business is really about understanding the stages of generating one and the options available. 

E-commerce covers a broad sweep of industries, encompassing any transactions or business that is conducted online or via the internet. This includes banking, real estate contracts, and much else. Retail, of course, makes up a large proportion of these transactions, with people buying and selling everything from second-hand clothes to groceries to antique furniture. Here are some of the expected trends of e-commerce in 2019 and beyond.

Retail and E-Commerce Become One
The retail industry will merge with e-commerce. Retail transactions are expected to comprise almost one-fifth of ecommerce business in the near future and there is scope for this number to swell even more as any differences between the two industries blur away to nothing.

Convenient Delivery

This means that traditional shopping – with patrons visiting premises and choosing from the stock on offer – will decrease. Any suppliers wanting to remain with a predominantly physical presence will find themselves suffering as customers turn to what is more convenient. Even shops like convenience stores who rely on gaining custom out of hours and at weekends, might find themselves struggling as delivery times shorten – some deliveries can already happen within hours of ordering – and people use their devices to order that much-needed milk or bread.

Ethical Concerns

There is a hesitation at present in the growth of online, in part, due to ethical concerns over the treatment of workers and the growing introduction of robots over manpower: driving down costs to management but forcing people either out of work or into long hours in dangerous warehouses. If these large companies can overcome their labour issues, then the convenience of shopping online and having your purchases delivered to your home is sure to win over the public once more.

Pop-Up to the Future

Where a physical presence is needed, there is a growing provision of multi-function spaces – large premises that can be hired for a day or a month in order for events to be held. Whether they are pop-up offerings, promotional or celebratory events, while the real business continues uninterrupted thanks to the online presence that allows people to do their shopping first thing in the morning, just before bed, or even at 3am on a sleepless night.

Insta-commerce

Finally, social commerce is on the rise. Almost everyone has heard of influencers, Instagrammers or YouTubers who promote products or lifestyles to their thousands of followers. This trend began with pap-shots of celebs or royals in certain dresses or clothing items that then sold out within minutes. The trend is increasingly being monetised by social media savants who seize on popular culture and trends to instantly decree changes in tastes and styles.

This insta-culture can be worrisome as there is little in the way of regulation so far, but it is a very visible platform and any unsafe claims (extreme eating regimens, Gwyneth Paltrow's notorious jade egg, or encouragement to perform dangerous stunts or trespass on private property) are usually called out promptly.

The overall trend for e-commerce is a shift away from trust in large impersonal corporations and towards companies that have a recognisable 'face' attached to them. A good social media presence and prompt responses to queries and issues all help to establish a business as offering good customer service and being generally trustworthy.

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An ever-increasing amount of entrepreneurs are recognising the benefits of working from home and more and more people are looking for ways to take their small businesses online. With such a wide variety of online e-commerce platforms to choose from, where does one start?

Finding the right e-commerce platform for your business is a critical decision that can make or break your online sales experience. Many e-commerce businesses got their start on complicated platforms that can be cumbersome to use and may require specialist knowledge to run effectively. Shopify is a simple and effective e-commerce platform that comes with built-in tools that make it easy to perform a Magento migration without losing any of your functionality or sales data.

Why Is Adding An E-Commerce Platform To Your Website So Important? 

Consumerism has appeared to increase in recent times. Technology has indeed made the world a small global village because you can shop online for certain goods regardless of geographical location. The use of the internet, therefore, offers you with a wider selection of goods and services. It also offers you many opportunities that will enable you to save the pounds. Here are tips on how to save money when shopping online.

We all like a bargain don't we, whether that is grabbing a designer coat in the January sales or getting reduced bread in the supermarket. I mean how many of us can resist a bargain?

If you like shopping on eBay, there is a tool that you may find useful to grab those amazing bargains - Bidkit. Bidkit is a website and also an app that makes searching on eBay so much easier. 



On the left-hand side of the website, are the important sections. 



Local Deals, allow you to search for items within a 50-mile radius via postcode. This is a great idea for collection only bargains, often those items that are too big, awkward or valuable to post like bikes, cars and fragile items. You can sort the results by nearest to you, ending soonest or newly listed. Perfect for picking up that second-hand car or vintage china.




Spelling Mistakes. Did you know that there are an enormous array of items on eBay that never reach a high bid because the item is spelt wrong? The Spelling Mistakes section on BidKit helps you use this to your advantage. For example, you may find a Swarovski Crystal necklace, a Tag Heuer watch or Converse trainers for the kids that are listed incorrectly, with a spelling mistake in the brand's name. BidKit allows you to input the keyword and then it will find you misspellings you can use to save you money.




Daily Deals allows you to browse eBay daily deals whilst Unwanted Gifts and Unwanted Prizes searches through these sections for you. A minimum and maximum prize are useful as well as optional keywords.




Like New is a great category as it allows you to search for those items newly listed and tagged 'like new' or 'worn once'. When you are looking for an item that is in super condition but you still want to save the pennies this category is invaluable. Maybe you want to buy that designer handbag but don't have the cash to pay for a brand new one then this is the category for you. 




New Buy It Now lets you search for items that have only just been listed whilst Zero Bids shows you items that have, you guessed it, zero bids. This last category is brilliant when you haven't got the time to wait until the end of the auction, as you can see what's ending soonest too. Being able to search for these newly listed in the Like New category means you can be the first to nab a bargain. 




Nighttime Auction allows you to search for items that finish when most people are asleep. You can search for items finishing 1am to 7am so it's a great way of finding that must have item when most people won't be on eBay. 




Penny Auctions allows you to find auctions that are currently listed as 1p with free p & p whilst Zero Bids allows you to search for items with no bids.



Lastly, Expensive Auctions lets you search for the most expensive auctions on eBay. Did you know that there are a number of villas for sale as well as luxury cars? I found a house for £610,000 and a Porsche 911 for £65,000. 

Bidkit is available from the website online and with the Bidkit app available for IOS so you can bid on the go. It's simple to use, free of charge and of course, it could also save you a fortune! If you are looking for a bargain, check out the website, you have nothing to lose and you could have much to gain. 

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What to buy the person who has everything? It's a time old dilemma and one that never seems to get any easier. Maybe you have a friend that is difficult to buy for or maybe someone in your family has everything they need. When it comes to present time you spend ages wracking your brains and resort to the same old boring presents.


Here is where Slick Shoppa can help. Slick Shoppa was set up by Adam Bigham, after being frustrated spending hours online looking for presents for his difficult to buy for father. He identified that there were a lot of great products out there that don't reach the top of the search engines and could see a gap in the market for someone to do the searching for him and come up with some original ideas. Ideas for gifts that weren't sponsored but gifts that were just perfect and also well priced.

How the website works is that you register and submit a request, then genuine humans do all the hard work for you and find that perfect gift. The best part of the service is... it's completely free.

So I put it to the test.



First, you register for the site. Then you log in with your details.







The next step is to submit a new request and fill in a few details. Then you sit back and wait for an email from the company with their recommendations.

Rather than use fancy algorithms they use real people to do the hard work, finding that just so gift for the best price.

I was recommended:-

1. A vintage brooch by Rock My Vintage

2. A diamante gold vermeil pendant by Eternal Collection

3. A blue woven scarf by Joules





If you thought they have great recommendations or weren't exactly what you needed you can leave feedback. You can also ask for ideas as well.


So what did I think of the recommendations you may wonder? Now my mum would never wear a brooch or a scarf but they were spot on with the necklace they choose for her as it is exactly her style. I think the more specific you are the better results you will get. All the recommendations were under budget and I liked the fact that wrote the reasons why they choose each item. They also noted if there was a sale on or special deals on the item.

Could the service be improved? I think slightly more specific questions could help with the matching process, specifically lifestyle, such as hobbies and interests, and sense of style. My mum loves high fashion and has a style that I would describe as fun, but I wouldn't describe her as elegant (sorry mum!), so she wouldn't wear a scarf or vintage brooch. Adam and his team are looking to make the questions more specific to the type of present but until then I would recommend being as detailed as possible.

I think the Slick Shoppa site can certainly save you time and money. It also gave me a killer recommendation at a great price from a company I would never have found normally. Although not entirely perfect, it is a work in progress and it's free so what do you have to lose!

Recommended.

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I don't like to waste money so If I am doing any form of online shopping I always look out for a voucher code like The White Company promo codes you can get from My Favourite Voucher Codes.

My Favourite Voucher Codes have over 10,000 live codes and coupons to use to save you money. From food and drink voucher codes to toys and games coupons, from jewellery and accessories codes to cinema, tours and events coupons. Something for everyone really. 

The White Company promo codes range from 15% off online orders and free standard delivery to 20% off online orders when you spend £100. The codes change as and when there are good deals on and it's always worth checking out the site when you are about to make a purchase.

These are my favourite items from The White Company at the moment.



This Beaumont statement bed with contemporary lines is beautifully made and would make a stunning centrepiece to a bedroom. I really love the simplicity of the metal work canopy, and the neutral colours of the room decoration.


For some everyday luxury why not treat yourself to this cashmere rib cardigan? I really adore the waterfall design of this cashmere cardigan which flows beautifully and can be easily layered over almost anything. Cashmere is warm and super soft too. A great investment for Autumn/Winter.

Finding fashion on the high street to fit your own unique curves can be so frustrating. Size guides vary so much. In one store you maybe a 14, in another a 16. I know in my experience brands geared towards teenagers and younger adults like Topshop for example have smaller sizes than brands geared towards older ladies like Marks and Spencer. It can be so disheartening picking up your regular size in a different store to normal and finding it is too tight. Standard sizes also don't appear to exist any more, and over the years sizes appear to be getting bigger. This is where Sizestyler comes in.

Sizestyler is a website that aims to take the stress out of finding the correct size for you, from your personalised measurements, when comparing various fashion brands.



It is quick and easy to use the site.

1. Measure Up




Firstly sign up to the website, via email, Facebook or Twitter. This will allow you to create an account and put your measurements into their software.
This information is kept safe and secure and not shared with anyone. If you are not sure how to measure their helpful tips will guide you.

2. Show My Sizes




Next click on the Show My Sizes icon and the website will check your measurements across the brands. This is especially useful for leg length I feel. They filter out anything that won't fit.

3. Pick Your Favourite Brands



Personalise your search results by using their My Favourite Brands section.

Once you have picked these filtering is easy just click on the My Brands icon which also allows you to rank your favourites brands in order too.

4. Shop

Once you have done all this you can now shop easily from hundreds of brands with size recommendations matched to you. The process of using the site is FREE but, and I say this tongue in cheek, they cannot be held responsible for what you buy when you find your ideal size! 

The products can be filtered by price, brand, discount and colour.


As you can see from the image above, the website suggests sizes based on your measurements. Clicking on the item will take you to the website of that brand and that's it. 

You can also click on a 'Sales Alert' or 'Back In Stock Alert' too, and the website will email you. Very handy indeed to snap up the best bargains! 




So why don't you sign up, get your measuring tape out and go shopping with your own personal shopper - Sizestyler?

Tell me, do you find your size is different with different brands? Would you use a website like this?

* A sponsored post, all words and opinions are my own

Have you ever wanted to buy that key designer piece to make a difference to your wardrobe? Want to splash the cash but not sure where to shop? Want the best in true designer fashion online in their own 'boutique space' ? Try Avenue 32.


Avenue 32 are an online luxury 'Shopping Neighbourhood'. Think Bond Street, think Mayfair, think luxury, think fashion.
 
With a wide selection of designer clothing, bags, shoes and accessories and with an eye on the ever-changing fashion world,  they have curated a selection of 100 of today's most exciting established and emerging designers. 

With designer like Temperley London, Derek Lam and J.W.Anderson you know you will always have the choice of the freshest cutting edge designers around.


* This is a sponsored post