April 2020 Summaries

Shippo is a shipping software that enhances the shipping experience for customers by offering professional-grade services and significant discounts from major carriers like USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL. It simplifies the process for Webflow Ecommerce users by providing seamless integration that automatically syncs orders with the Shippo account, updates the dashboard, and marks orders as fulfilled once a shipping label is purchased. The software allows for quick creation and purchase of shipping labels with a pay-as-you-go pricing model, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shippo offered a free trial period to support merchants.

Webflow collections function as simple databases with the ability to link to other collections using reference fields, allowing for intricate designs and displays. Previously, displaying linked references like authors in blog posts was confined to individual collection template pages, but a recent update now allows for up to five nested items, such as categories or image thumbnails, to be displayed in a list format. This enhancement offers creative possibilities, such as showing whether Taco Bell locations have drive-thrus or indicating dietary restrictions for meals, with Webflow University providing guidance on effectively using nested collections. This feature enables more versatile and complex data presentations, as demonstrated by examples like Freshly's dietary badges and Billie's skincare ingredients.

Webflow's Ecommerce manager introduces a new discounts section that allows businesses to create and activate percentage or amount-based discount codes, enhancing their marketing strategies by incentivizing customer purchases. This feature is designed to be user-friendly, enabling businesses to creatively set discount codes and incorporate them into the checkout process by dragging and dropping the Discounts element onto their page. The ability to offer discounts is a proven method to generate interest and drive sales, especially significant as businesses face economic challenges and heightened online competition. Additionally, Webflow supports small businesses by offering a free three-month subscription to their Standard Ecommerce plan, assisting them in navigating uncertain times.

Webflow, a web design tool focused on making web development visual, acknowledges its past shortcomings in adhering to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and is committed to improving accessibility in web content creation. While emphasizing the importance of web standards like CSS and HTML5, Webflow admits that its default components have not always been fully accessible, requiring users to write custom code for features like keyboard navigation. The company recognizes accessibility as a moral imperative and aims to educate its largely non-developer user base on accessible design principles. Recent updates include enhancements to HTML5 tagging with captions, more prominent alt attribute fields for images, support for object-fit and object-position as alternatives to background images, and accessible prebuilt layouts. These initiatives are part of Webflow's broader mission to produce accessible content and empower all users to create inclusive digital experiences.

Webflow has introduced three new breakpoints for larger devices, expanding the design customization options for screens of 1280px, 1440px, and 1920px, which complement the existing four breakpoints. This update enhances the flexibility for designers to tailor their projects to accommodate various screen sizes, bringing the total to seven distinct breakpoints. The new large device breakpoints allow styles to be applied specifically to screens 1280px wide and above, 1440px wide and above, and 1920px wide and above, in addition to the previously established breakpoints for desktop, tablet, mobile landscape, and mobile portrait devices. This change follows earlier updates, such as the ability to resize the Designer canvas, reflecting Webflow’s ongoing commitment to improving design capabilities and project responsiveness across different devices.

No-code tools are revolutionizing the way individuals and companies approach web development, allowing them to build web applications and businesses without traditional coding skills. Turtle, a platform created by Vlad Lokshin, exemplifies this shift by combining project management and freelance development into a single entity, offering features similar to Asana, Trello, Slack, Upwork, and Toptal. Turtle utilizes Webflow and Typeform to create a seamless experience for both freelance developers and companies seeking to hire them, demonstrating how these no-code tools can empower users to achieve their goals. By integrating Typeform’s personalized data collection capabilities with Webflow’s website building platform, Turtle has developed a robust application process, highlighting the increasing importance of user experience in customer interactions. This approach not only lowers the barrier to entry for creators but also fosters innovation in the digital landscape.

In response to the challenges faced by small businesses during tough economic times, an initiative is offering a free 3-month subscription to a Standard Ecommerce plan, allowing businesses to create websites and enhance online monetization. The program includes three free website templates tailored to different sectors, such as retail, restaurants, and local service providers, each designed to facilitate adaptations like online sales, takeout models, or virtual services. These templates, donated by industry professionals, are part of a broader effort to support local communities, along with comprehensive blog posts detailing strategies to boost sales and marketing. Additionally, the initiative connects businesses with a community of experts in web design, development, marketing, and branding, encouraging digital service professionals to offer their expertise and help businesses remain viable. This collective effort emphasizes community support and collaboration, aiming to provide practical solutions and opportunities for local businesses to navigate the economic challenges posed by decreased physical interactions.

The evolution of the internet since the 1990s has radically transformed commerce, allowing businesses to sell goods online, thus expanding their market reach beyond physical limitations. Companies like eBay and Amazon have pioneered this shift, enabling even small businesses to sell to a global audience. With the growing need for brick-and-mortar retailers to establish an online presence, the competitive nature of ecommerce necessitates effective marketing and branding strategies. The text offers various marketing ideas for small businesses to enhance their online revenue, such as creating an ecommerce website, recovering abandoned carts, selling gift cards, and setting up pre-order systems. It also emphasizes the importance of content marketing through platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and blogs to attract and engage customers. By utilizing these strategies, retailers can improve customer acquisition and retention while concurrently building a recognizable brand in the digital marketplace.

Starting and running a restaurant, café, or eatery is challenging yet rewarding, with the key to success lying in differentiating oneself and building a loyal customer base. Embracing marketing strategies is crucial for standing out, such as adopting a takeout model through popular delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash, which cater to the growing demand for convenience. Establishing an online presence through a well-designed website, coupled with a strategic social media approach, enhances brand visibility and engages potential customers. Additionally, creating a blog can amplify content marketing efforts by sharing unique stories and recipes, while partnering with publications and leveraging influencer marketing can further boost awareness. Restaurants can diversify revenue streams by selling digital and physical products, such as recipe books and branded merchandise, and by strategically using gift cards, coupons, and email newsletters to drive customer engagement and revenue. Finally, creating profiles on restaurant discovery and review apps like Yelp and TripAdvisor helps harness social proof to attract new patrons.