Even if you're not planning on selling online, a well-crafted site is essential for any business.

Have you ever said the following: My business is very small, just me and two employees, and our product really can't be sold online. Do I really need a website?

That is one of the most frequently asked questions of the digital business age. Even if your business is small and sells products or services you don't think can be sold online, you should have a website!

Don't be too quick to dismiss your product as one that can't be sold online. Nowadays, there's very little that can't be sold over the internet. More than 20 million shoppers are now online, purchasing everything from books to computers to cars to real estate to jet airplanes to natural gas to you name it. If you can imagine it, someone will figure out how to sell it online.

The point to be made here is that you should at the very least have a presence on the web so that customers, potential employees, business partners and perhaps even investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and the products or services you have to offer.

But, it's not enough that you just have a website. You must have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase, your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression. If your site looks like it was designed by a bunch of colour-blind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.

One of the great things about the internet is that it has levelled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression. With a well-designed site, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true. Many big company websites are so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility.

When it comes to benefiting from a website, company size does not matter. It doesn’t matter if you're a one-man show or a 10,000-employee corporate giant; if you don't have a website, you're losing business to other companies that do.

Here's the exception to the rule: It's better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your site speaks volumes about your business.

Your website is an important part of your business. Make sure you treat it as such.

THE BUSINESS PROBLEM

- Your current Website has grown organically over time, and while it is very useful, it is far from perfect.
- The content is out-of-date or inaccurate, it’s hard to find things, updating the site is complex, and the appearance is becoming dated.
- You have lost track of all the pages on the site, and by having all the changes made by your skilled webmaster, the updates are piling up in their in-tray.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

There are a wide range of business benefits that can be obtained by implementing a CMS, including:

- faster turnaround time for changes
- The ability to update and change your content anytime using a web browser
- greater consistency
- improved site navigation
- increased site flexibility
- increased security
- reduced duplication of information
- reduced site maintenance costs
- The CMS has built-in search capability
- Room to grow - Easily add forums and other community building features, set up RSS feeds for your growing content, have users subscribe to newsletters, and much more

Beyond these, the greatest benefit the CMS can provide is to support your business goals and strategies.

For example, the CMS can help to improve sales, increase user satisfaction, or assist in communicating with the public.

THE FUNCTIONALITY OF A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO SEVERAL MAIN CATEGORIES

- content creation
- content management
- publishing
- presentation

CONTENT CREATION

-  A content management system is an easy-to-use authoring environment, designed to work like Word. This provides a non-technical way of creating new pages or updating content, without having to know any HTML.
- It allows you to manage the structure of the site. That is, where the pages go, and how they are linked together.
- It provides a web-based authoring environment, which further simplifies implementation, and allows content updating to be done remotely.

CONTENT MANAGEMENT

- You can keep track of all the versions of a page, and who changed what and when.
- Ensuring that each user can only change the section of the site they are responsible for.
- Integration with existing information sources and IT systems.

PUBLISHING

- Information can be published out to either the website or intranet.
- It allows the same content to be published to multiple sites.
- CMS lets the graphic designers and web developers specify the appearance that is applied by the system.
- It helps ensure that the pages are consistent across the entire site, and enable a very high standard of appearance.
- You can concentrate on writing the content, by leaving the look of the site entirely to the CMS.
- Fully automates the publishing of your site

PRESENTATION

 
- the CMS will build the site navigation for you,
- Supported by multiple browsers, or users with accessibility issues. The CMS can be used to make your site dynamic and interactive, thereby enhancing the site’s impact.

Electronic Commerce or e-commerce is the trade of products and services by means of the Internet or other computer networks. E-commerce follows the same basic principles as traditional commerce that is, buyers and sellers come together to swap commodities for money.

But rather than conducting business in the traditional way in shopping stores or through mail order catalogs and telephone operators — in e-commerce buyers and sellers transact business over networked computers.
E-commerce offers buyers maximum convenience. They can visit the web sites of multiple vendors round the clock a day to compare prices and make purchases, without having to leave their homes or offices from around the globe. In some cases, consumers can immediately obtain a product or service, such as an electronic book, a music file, or computer software, by downloading it over the Internet.

For sellers, e-commerce offers a way to cut costs and expand their markets. They do not need to build, staff, or maintain a physical store or print and distribute mail order catalogs. Automated order tracking and billing systems cut additional labor costs, and if the product or service can be downloaded then e-commerce firms have no distribution costs involved. Because the products can be sold over the global Internet, sellers have the potential to market their products or services globally and are not limited by the physical location of a store. Internet technologies also permit sellers to track the interests and preferences of their customers with the customer’s permission and then use this information to build an ongoing relationship with the customer by customizing products and services to meet the customer’s needs.

E-commerce however has some drawbacks. Consumers are hesitant to buy some products online. Online furniture businesses, for example, have failed for the most part because customers want to test the comfort of an expensive item such as a sofa before they purchase it. Many people also consider shopping a social experience. For instance, they may enjoy going to a store or a shopping mall with friends or family, an experience that they cannot duplicate online. Consumers also need to be reassured that credit card transactions are secure and that their privacy is respected.

In the existence of these few disadvantages e-commerce has opened new horizons to versatile the modern age. It puts away time, energies, labor and money.

South Africa has a wide range of ecommerce sites and with the launch of *PayPal in South Africa and more internet penetration into the market, we are likely to see a rise in ecommerce sites in the near future.

There are four factors that will affect the rise in ecommerce in South Africa:

• Launch of PayPal in South Africa:

PayPal enables South Africans to sell to PayPal’s global customer base of more than 81 million active accounts in 190 markets around the world and move the proceeds to their FNB accounts. In a nutshell, this service will allow South African based online stores to trade in their currency at ease.

 
• Rise in online retail sales:

According to AfricaOnline, “online retail sales surpassed the R1 billion mark for the first time (in 2008), according to internet researcher Arthur Goldstuck, who predicted that it will grow a further 20%” in 2009.

 • Internet penetration in South Africa:

“Internet usage in South Africa has exceeded the 5 million milestone or 10% penetration rate in the country” says Goldstuck (2010).

 
• Internet Speed:

“The arrival of Neotel’s Seacom submarine fibre-optic cable will increase South African broadband access a staggering 40 times, making internet access cheaper and internet shopping more comfortable”, AfricaOnline (2009).

All of the factors above will play a significant role in getting people exposed to online shopping. The one question that is left unanswered is how quickly the general population will accept the increase and popularity of online shopping and part with giving out their credit card details. How soon will consumers trust online shopping and the security?

*Paypal is an international company offering an online payment system. It is a system used on the Internet which allows you to buy directly from a website and transfer money between yourself and someone else via email or between merchant (South Africa is the 190th country to get paypal accounts).

So what is a credit card payment gateway?

A payment gateway in essence allows you to do a credit card transaction from your website. The most common use for payment gateways are for the following types of websites:
-  Online shops / E-commerce shops
-  Subscription / Forum websites
From a technical aspect, developers such as ourselves would “integrate” or “emerge” a client’s website with the payment gateway to ensure that a credit card transaction can be processed and suitable information on the transaction is captured for future reference for both client, payment gateway and purchaser.

What to consider when choosing a payment gateway:

Merchant Account or Not?
Merchant accounts are often more likely to be available with clients who have a certain income being processed per month and the criteria for this would vary from the various banks.
Certain gateways are available for those with a merchant accounts and other gateways are available for those companies / individuals without merchants accounts e.g. small business owners, small transactional type websites, start up businesses or the individual on the street.

Payment Structures and Fees
Each payment gateway has their own payment / fee structure. Most have a monthly fee and then take a percentage per transaction. In some cases, once you have processed a certain amount, the transaction percentage can be decreased to make it more profitable for you, the client.
So, one of the most important things to check on, is the fee structures and workout which one will best suit your budget and needs.

Payment Processing & Fraud
Although not necessarily that important, it’s worth finding out how long the money is held for by the payment gateway before it gets transferred across to your bank account. This can sometime affect certain companies who need to ship things immediately.
In addition, one must check the protection you have against fraud and processing that potentially could happen. You want to know what protection you do / don’t have, so make sure to ask.

SSL
SSL standards for “Secure Sockets Layer” and basically ensures your data is secure when capturing your information. Most payment gateways take care of the SSL on their side and the purchasers generally have to capture their credit card details on the payment gateway’s site. In some cases though, a payment gateway may require the purchaser to capture credit card information on the client / your website therefore you will require SSL to be implemented on your website. SSL can be identified by https:// in the website address and a certificate which is usually displayed at the bottom of your browser. This also adds to the purchasers experience whereby they feel they can purchase online securely and safely.

Credit Cards Accepted
Make sure that the credit cards accepted by the payment gateway are the credit cards that you think / assume will be most used. If you target market, for example, are people in the United States, you want to ensure people can purchase with American Express cards. Other examples of cards to consider are The Diners Club and Discovery cards.
Make sure you look into whether additional transaction fees are incurred if accepting these particular cards.

Who to Use

There are a number of payment gateways in South Africa, listed below is the top payment gateways we recommend:

PayPal
Probably the most well-known of the lot, PayPal, has recently partnered up with FNB(Fist National Bank), and has launched in South Africa. Read more about Paypal in South Africa

Iveri
Iveri is offered by Nedbank. For this particular gateway, SSL on your website will be required as credit card capturing is done on the client’s website opposed to on Nedbank / Iveri’s side. No merchant account is required in order to use this particular gateway.
Visit http://www.iveri.co.za for more information.

Paygate
Paygate is very well known as it’s used by companies who have a merchant account with the banks. Paygate has been around since 1996 and is therefore being used extensively on websites around the country. Credit cards accepted include Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Diners Club. Credit card capturing takes place on Paygate’s website, therefore no SSL is specifically required on your / client’s website.
Visit http://www.paygate.co.za for more information.

VCS
VCS has also become increasingly popular over the last few years. You require a merchant account to use VCS and no SSL as the credit card info is captured on the VCS website. Credit cards accepted include Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Diners Club.
Visit http://www.vcs.co.za for more information.

Pricetag
Pricetag has been running for approximately 9 years and from our experience has been used with small business / new businesses. Depending on how one chooses to integrate with Pricetag, SSL may be required – you will need to speak to your developers to ensure you know the best way forward. No merchant account is required to use Pricetag.

MyGate
Another payment gateway that requires you having a merchant account is MyGate. MyGate has a few offerings that range from the standard online payment gateway facility PLUS the following features:
• Recurring Billing which can be useful for monthly and annual subscription based websites.
• Debit Card processing
• Credit card fraud detection services
Other services are currently being developed.
Visit http://www.mygate.co.za for more information.

Bluepearl Design has been rewarded for its continuous good service and excellent quality of design by being assigned projects by major South African brands.

We are currently working with MTN Traveller, Cipla Med, Vitaderm, Western Province Motor Club and Walden House, an upmarket guest house based in Cape Town.

In every project we undertake, no matter how big the client, we always aim to please, to deliver above and beyond clients expectations and in so doing so, we have built a solid reputation.

Please have a look at our testimonials page.

This festive season Bluepearl Design has decided to lower our prices for that final end of year push.  We will be open during the festive period even though most businesses will be closing down.  Therefore we will continue to work on your projects even though you are away on holiday.  By the time you get back into the office, you will have a brand new website. :)

For example, our very popular 5 page static website we are doing for R4 000.00 instead of the usual R5 000.00.  You can also get a full Content Management System website for R7 500.00 instead of the usual R9 000.00.

We are also offering lower prices on E-commerce websites, Flash design and our once off Search Engine Optimisation packages.  Be sure to email us with your enquiry.

Don’t forget our referral system that pays 15% commission on any referral that turns into a sale.  A great way to earn some extra cash for those expensive Christmas presents.

Consumers are turning to the Internet to cut shopping costs. This is according to a study by the consumer division of Neotel, the second national fixed-line telecoms network operator.

The company advises people to shop online because by doing so they could save an average of 20%.  It said that, with the latest security technology and encryption techniques, websites were becoming fraud-proof.

Online retailing in South Africa is growing at about 35% a year.

"The Internet not only allows you to harness global information but also conduct commerce with the click of a button."

The Neotel study identified several areas in which substantial cost savings could be made by shopping online. These include:

•    Driving: costs include the amount of petrol spent sitting in traffic, as well as vehicle wear and tear;
•    Time: the most basic shopping trip could cost more than an hour
•    Impulse buys: magazines, chocolates and other small items are strategically placed to tempt customers;
•    Grocery shopping: with 24-hour delivery time for some suppliers, a shopper can get the exact amounts of items wanted and save a day;
•    Banking: the Internet is open 24 hours a day and saves a potentially dangerous trip to an ATM.

Julie Tomlinson, director of mobile business at Sybase SA, said South Africa was the fourth-largest user of mobile Internet services.

She said that, as the network infrastructure in Africa advanced, e-commerce would be used by more people at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale.

Source: The Times
By: Zweli Mokgata

If you have any questions, be sure to email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Often clients call me not sure of what is required in order to get their website off the ground.  In this article I will give you a breakdown of what will be required from the client in order to get started.  We at Bluepearl Design understand that websites and all that goes with it can be overwhelming.

Below is a check list of the web designers requirements:

1.    We will require a logo
2.    We will require website content and wording
3.    We will require direction in terms of design
4.    We will require FTP details in order to make your website visible on the internet
5.    Keywords in order for us to list you on Search Engines

If you don’t have a logo, we can design one for you.  A logo sets the standard for your corporate Identity and the website is often based on the logo design.  Your logo is your identity and should be designed by a professional.

Writing the content for your website is perhaps the most difficult task you will have to face.  There are specialists out there who do this, however clients are often not willing to pay.  However in our experience, a badly worded website can be as damaging as no website at all.  Using a professional is always advised.

FTP details are simply the username and password, provided by your web hosting company.  We need these details in order to upload your website to the World Wide Web.

Without Search Engine Optimisation your website is practically invisible.  You need to optimise your website in order for your potential clients to find you.

All of the above services we offer.

In saying this we are offering a starter pack, for start up businesses, which includes the following at a discounted rate:

1.    Logo Design
2.    5 page website with contact form
3.    Domain name registration and free hosting for a year
4.    Content writing for website
5.    Search Engine Optimisation setup

All this for only R9990.00. 

The above is also available without logo design and content writing.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I received a call last month from a company stating that they could guarantee me the top ranking on Google for the services my company offered.  Well this immediately grabbed my attention because they clearly had not even had a look to see what our services are, if they did they would have noticed we did exactly what they were doing, or what they were attempting to do. The second thing that grabbed my attention was the fact that they could guarantee me the top ranking on Google.  The third thing they mentioned that I found extremely unsettling was the fact they proclaimed to be a Google certified company.  

Firstly you cannot guarantee the top ranking on Google as you never know what your competitors are doing or spending when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation. In order to be above your competitors, you essentially need to spend more than they do.  What these companies are often guaranteeing is a top ranking on your sponsored links on the right.  This is called pay per click, and yes you might be there once every so often as it works on a rotation basis.  So it depends on what budget you have set. The higher your budget, the more often you will appear on the right.  First prize on Google search results however is the main column and this does take time and effort.

The fact that they claimed to be Google Certified company is enough to get them in very deep water.  This is essentially fraud and companies have been prosecuted for this.  Key aspects to look out for when a company claims to be Google Certified are:

1.    On their website they must have a Google Certified logo.  
2.    This logo must link to their Google Certificate which is not hosted on their website
3.    You can use this link to search whether they are Google certified, https://adwords.google.com/professionals/search/. There are only a handful of companies in South Africa that are Google Certified.

If any of the above is unclear or you have experienced a similar incident, please contact us.  We are trying to put an end to this as its tarnishing our industry and these companies need to be stopped.