Get Connect News

Remove shadows on product images

sales@getconnect.co.za (Get Connect Admin) — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:38:43 GMT

How to get a white background on product images using GIMP

To start its important to get the best photo possible with good lighting and correct settings. Here are a few tips on taking those photos using a digital camera or smart phone:

1) Place your images on a big piece of white background, poster sheet or anything that is big enough and has a clean white appearance.

2) If possible always use a tripod or similar quick fix so that the camera is stationary

3) Lighting, natural is usually best so no need for fancy light boxes ect. Try find a spot in your garden that is not to sunny (ie under tree could work well.) Take your photos early morning or ate afternoon so that there is not too much sunlight.

4) Set your cameras white balance so that the images are a bit brighter and thereby enhances the white on the image.

5) Experiment with the settings and location to make sure you get the perfect photo.

Now if you do not already have GIMP you will need to download it > https://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Watch the video below for further instructions:

Focus on Continental Butchery

sales@getconnect.co.za (Get Connect Admin) — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 03:46:33 GMT

Focus on Continental Butchery's New Website and Online Ordering Portal
www.continentalbutchery.co.za

About Continental Butchery

Established in 1971 by the Meyer Family, Continental Butchery has grown to become a landmark butchery in Port Elizabeth. In 2012 Elana van Rooyen was given the opportunity by Mr Meyer to purchase Continental Butchery. Being someone who thrives on a challenge and eager to learn and master the age old production of specialised German products, Elana jumped at the opportunity and has grown the business into the success it is today..................

Website Solutions built into Website

Interactive Blog for Special, News and most importantly....good onsite search engine optimisation for organic search

Our very own Media Hub Solution - Posts to social media and turns the website into the hub where visitors convert ordering customers

Online Ordering Portal through Get Chow - allows ordering through Geo-fencing with real time order accepting

Special Order Form

Mailchimp Intergration

Social Media Intergration

Menu and Catalogue pages

Slider Hero Banner

and much more.....check it out at www.continentalbutchery.co.za

Get Chow Online Ordering Portal - View Live Ordering

Our Favourite CRM - Pipedrive

sales@getconnect.co.za (Get Connect Admin) — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 04:11:48 GMT

Pipedrive is a web-based Sales CRM and pipeline management solution that enables businesses to plan their sales activities and monitor deals.

Test Pipedrive FREE on their 30 day trial

Built using activity-based selling methodology, Pipedrive streamlines every action involved in converting a potential deal into a successful sale. As a cloud-based application, the solution can be accessed from anywhere 24x7 using any web browser or dedicated mobile apps.

Pipedrive provides sales personnel full visibility of different sales pipelines. A robust interface displays the progress stages for each deal with the complete details for next actionable items. The activity & goal feature allows users to track the pending activities in each pipeline. Pipedrive also offers custom sales reporting tools to monitor individual and team level targets, analyze sales data and generate visual reports.

Pipedrive's mailing system seamlessly integrates with multiple email service providers including Outlook, Gmail and Yahoo. Users can send and receive emails from multiple accounts using their Pipedrive account. The solution also integrates with various leading CRM tools to transfer contact details, communication history and other information across applications. Apart from these, the solution also integrates with Google Maps, MailChimp, Trello and Zapier.

Test Pipedrive

FREE on their 30 day trial

Focus on Hodad's

sales@getconnect.co.za (Get Connect Admin) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 05:15:19 GMT

Take a look at Hodad's Street Food Done Good
www.hodads.co.za , a website build by Get Connect

Hodads was established in 2014 and is now located in central Edenvale. It all started with a tiny shop and two staff members and has since relocated and grown to a staff of 12+. They are a local burger joint with a passion for great food and known for our quick service

Big Savings

As the world changes to a more digital economy, where even your food is now ordered via your device, Hodads recognise the need to adapt to the new normal. Using their website and food ordering system through Get Chow they are able to keep operations in-house thereby drastically reducing 3rd party commissions with the likes of MrD and Uber Eats (who by the way charge in excess of 20% commission per order.)

Online Menu and Ordering

Get Chow a division of Get Connect lets you take control with a free branded online ordering system, built just for you. Get Chow allows customers to place orders directly from your website, social media profiles, and custom-built food ordering apps.

Features included in the new Hodads website:

Online Menu Ordering Integration via www.getchow.co.za
Google Maps - Click for Directions
Click to call on Mobile
Video Hero Image
Responsive Build
Social Media Integration - Follow buttons and Instagram Feed
PWA - Progressive Web App (Prompts mobile to download your website as an app)

Plans and Pricing requirements for the Hodads build:

Get Connect Custom Build Plan - View Details
Get Connect Basic Hosting Package - View Details

Facebook Feed Widget

sales@getconnect.co.za (Get Connect Admin) — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 04:56:12 GMT

Boost engagement of your website visitors with Facebook Feed Widget

Why do I need the Facebook Feed?

Higher engagement. Higher conversion.

Increase your website visitors engagement

Attract your website visitors with stunning Facebook feed and spark their interest to make them stay informed and engaged.

Turn them into your Facebook followers

Use your website traffic as one more chance to draw new followers to your Facebook page and stay closer to your target audience.

Strengthen your brand reputation

Your activity on Facebook and high social approval increase brand credibility and enhance reputation among potential customers.

Media Hub

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 11:52:53 GMT

Turn your website into a hub and keep your audience engaged with our Media Hub Solution

Why I need the Media Hub Solution?

Higher engagement. Higher Conversion

Blog updates to social feeds

Attract your website visitors with Facebook and Twitter feed updates and spark their interest to make them stay informed and engaged.

Send newsletters

Automatically send newsletter updates about your new blog posts to your Mailchimp subscribers and stay closer to your target audience.

Strengthen your brand reputation

Your blog activity creates SEO content for search and increases brand credibility with an enhanced reputation among potential customers.

What makes the Media Hub Solution special?

Monetize your social audiences

Why constantly send customers to your social media pages when you need them (to convert to sales) on your website?

The Media Hub solution helps you use your website as a hub for your social media and is great for search engine optimization. Make all roads lead to your website... not Rome.

With the Media Hub Solution we will:

1. Integrate your Blog posts

A posts created and published on your blog will automatically be sent as a campaign in Mailchimp.

2. Update Facebook Feed

A post created in your blog will automatically be posted on your Facebook business profile.

3. Update Twitter Feed

A post created in your blog will automatically be posted on your Twitter feed business profile.

4. Create an Instagram Post

A post created in your blog will automatically be posted on your Instagram feed business profile.

Gift Cards In The Online Store

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 08:48:57 GMT

Add digital gift cards to your online stores and make it simple for visitors to buy a present, even if they don’t find exactly what they want.

This way you can boost sales & stimulate growth in your store

Gift Cards - Always in Season!

Gift cards are a great addition to your online stores. Here are just a few of the benefits:

Suitable for every type of store. Gift cards are a perfect solution for every type of offering: from clothing and toy stores to salons, bakeries, and more.
Grow sales . In most cases, people who receive a gift card spend MORE than their value. So they are truly a win-win offering for your stores.
Reduce lost opportunities . If an item is out of stock, offering a gift card in its place is a great way of securing the sale until the item comes back in stock.
Attract new customers . When your customers buy gift cards for others, they introduce your store to a new audience that may turn into loyal customers.

Enabling Gift Cards is Easy

Gift cards are available with Advanced and Unlimited store plans.

To enable them in your store right now, go to Manage Store > Catalog > Gift Cards.

Focus on DeeJPowell.co.za

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 10:24:28 GMT

DeeJPowell.co.za Website Build

About the Build of www.deejpowell.co.za

Requirements:

eCommerce Store with checkout using Payfast in South Africa

Pages - Home, About, Blog, Contact

Mailchimp Newsletter Integration

Blog - with ability to self manage

Duration:

Website build started on February 7 and went live on February 26 2020, for a total of 12 working days.

This website is hosted on the Get Connect Standard CMS Plan

About the Author

Dee has been passionate about the English language since she was a toddler, loving the discovery of new words on a daily basis. This is a love affair that has never dwindled, and found its expression against both historical and social settings. She loves to explore the journeys of her characters who, whilst having lives of their own share so much in common with each other and all of us. She has bravely forged ahead with a tell-all memoir covering a couple of aspects of an adventurous and risk-filled life, with the hope and desire that her experiences will benefit other younger women. Her love of the bush, South Africa's wildlife and history are reflected in these five books, with more to follow.

Dee (I) has(have) extended her(my) practical knowledge of the bush by becoming a qualified Field Guide. She (I) has done her(my) certification with FGASA – the Field Guides Association of South Africa, and has had extensive experience entertaining international visitors on tours and stays into the bush.

Lead-Generating Business Tools

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 12:24:47 GMT

F E A T U R E S

Lead-Generating Business Tools

The power of the web comes from being able to put everything your customers need right at their fingertips. Our websites are designed to do just two things: increase convenience for your customers and sales for your business.

Click to Call

Convert customers in an instant by letting them contact with just the push of a button directly from your site.

Google Maps

Make it easy for people to find their way to your door, while also ranking better in local search results for even more leads.

Yelp Reviews

Let your reviews stand out to build instant loyalty and help turn visitors into customers.

Blogging

Build your community and show off your expertise by sharing valuable content with your visitors.

Contact Forms

Give your customers more than one way to get in touch by adding an optimized contact form.

Online Schedulin g

Let your visitors easily book an appointment right from your website.

How can we help you with your next website project?

Payment gateways you can use in South Africa

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 13:42:31 GMT

South African payment methods integrated into eCommerce with Get Connect

These are the payment methods that you have to set up in your store if your are from South Africa.

Payfast - https://www.payfast.co.za
PayGate - https://www.paygate.co.za
Network Merchants - https://www.nmi.com
2Checkout - https://www.2checkout.com
Mobipaid - https://mobipaid.com
Zapper - https://www.zapper.com/merchant
Paypal - https://www.paypal.com
Bank Transfer - Manual method

Where's my money? Or, how do I receive payments?

When you're buying something in a retail store, the payment is clear: you give cash or your card to the seller who charges you on the spot.

What about online stores? "How can I get my money?" is a question you may be asking yourself when thinking of opening such a shop with our platform. We say, "It's easy, as well."

With our platform, you will run a robust online store that is built right into your site pages, and we provide different ways to accept payments, starting from wire transfers to credit cards. This article will shed light on how it all works and what to do to receive payments.

From the beginning...

How do customers make purchases on my site?

Let's split the purchasing process into several steps:

Jim browses your catalog, adds some items to the bag, and goes to checkout (opens his bag and clicks the 'Checkout' button).
He submits a shipping address (if the items are shipped) and picks a shipping method.
Jim chooses a payment method and submits his billing address.
He completes the order.

Step #4 can be divided into more steps, and differs depending on what payment method is chosen. We will break it down later, but for now we're concentrating on general information about payment methods.

What is a payment method?

So you've got your first order. You're contemplating its details in your control panel at the Sales page. And here comes The Question, "Where did the money go?". The first thing you should know is that we don't store or transfer the money to you. Rather, we serve as a go-between in processing payments: we keep your customers' order data and provide you with tools to arrange payments and manage the orders. Payment methods are ways your customers will send you the money for your goods. Generally every online store can support two types of payment methods: online and offline.

Online payment means that the funds are transferred to you (to your payment account) immediately when the customer confirms the payment.

Offline payment implies that the money is transferred later since the customer is supposed to arrange the transfer offline; for example, go to a nearby bank to transfer the money (that would be bank/wire transfer payment method), or you should give the customer a call to agree on the payment ("Phone order" payment method), or customer will give cash to the courier, etc.

Let's go into detail on each method type.

Online payment methods

The process of receiving money for your sales via an online payment method involves three parties:

your online store
the payment gateway: a special system, located outside your store but connected to it on a programming level, that processes your customers' credit cards (or e.g. PayPal accounts) and does charging
your merchant account at the payment gateway connected to your bank account.

To put it simply, your store connects to the payment gateway, transmits the order details, the payment gateway processes the customer's credit card and transfers the money to your merchant account. Then you can withdraw the funds to your bank account and pay your bills or go on vacation.

Online payment methods can be narrowed down to 2 options:

accepting credit/debit cards
PayPal, a leading payment processor in US presently. To provide credit card payment option, you should choose a payment gateway through which your funds will be processed. So our next question is...

What payment gateway should I choose for my store?

Choosing a payment gateway means to choosing a company (payment processor) who meets the following criteria:

They accept payments in your region (i.e. where you live or run your business) and allow paying with your currency. It could be a company working solely in your country like PayPal, etc).
Their services meet your business requirements.
Their plans and prices suit your budget. Most of the payment systems apply transaction fees. To learn exact fees, you should contact customer service of the payment company that you're considering. Below you will see a full list of payment gateways that are already connected with our platform.

What online payment methods can I use for my store?

Here is a list of all online payment methods that work in our platform. With all these methods, you don't have to do any programming as they're already programmed in our system.

American Express
Authorize.Net SIM
Bancomer/eGlobal (Mexican payment gateway)
Beanstream (Hosted Payment Form)
Boleto Online
ClickAndBuy
DengiOnline
DIBS
e-Path / manual credit card processing
First Data Global Gateway e4
iDEAL (via Mollie)
Innovate Payments
iPay88
MOLPay
Moneris SELECTplus (Hosted Paypage, Canadian accounts)
MultiSafepay ( iDEAL, credit cards, Giropay, DIRECTebanking, etc)
Network Merchants
Nochex
PagSeguro UOL
PayJunction
PayLeap
PayOnline System
PayPal Standard, PayPal Express Checkout, PayPal Advanced, PayPal PayFlow Link, PayPal Payments Pro Hosted (UK)
PaySto
Paytrail (former Suomen Verkkomaksut Oy)
PayU India
QIWI
Realex Payments / Global Iris
Robokassa (Webmoney, Yandex.Money, etc)
Sage Pay (Form integration)
Stripe
Swipe HQ
Virtual Cart Services
2Checkout
Any payment gateway that can emulate Authorize.Net API

What do I need to start accepting credit cards?

Open a bank account where you will transfer the money from your purchases.
Find a payment company/processor from the list above.
Create an account with the chosen company.
Configure the payment method in your online store according to instructions from our knowledgebase.
Make sure it works properly. A recommended way would be to create a test product, e.g., $0.01 and try to buy it as a usual customer. If the payment is setup correctly, your order will be recorded in Accepted status in your website control panel.

Next we will elaborate on the offline payment method type.

Offline payment methods

Offline payment methods are payment options that don't require customers to submit a credit card or any other real-time transactions. You may want to use those options if you want money to change hands after placing orders rather than at checkout. For example, such a workflow would fit your business processes if your customers are supposed to pay via offline bank transfer (wire transfer) - in such a case, at checkout a customer gets all the necessary information, such as your bank account details and total order cost, and then makes the actual payment.

Offline payment workflow

When an offline payment is used, no actual payment is supposed to take place at checkout. Instead, a customer is informed of how to transfer money to a seller and how to make contact after the payment. They go through all checkout steps and place an order by pressing the 'Place order' button. After that, the customer sees the order confirmation page, the order is saved in your store, and email notifications are sent. Instantly, it becomes visible in your control panel along with all necessary details about the customer and ordered items.

Such orders get a "Queued" status, which indicates that the order was placed successfully, but you haven't received any funds yet. Again, in case of using an offline payment method, a customer isn't charged at the checkout, nothing asks them to submit a credit card payment or any other real-time payment transaction in your store. The payment itself is expected to be done outside the platform after the order is placed. As soon as the customer pays for it and you receive the money, you can change the order status to 'Accepted' and ship the ordered items to the customer.

Supported offline payment options

By means of our built-in offline payment options, you can set up any offline payment in your store. There are three offline methods types, which all work the same way described above except for the details they ask the customer to fill in. You can base your store's offline payment methods on them. They are listed below:

Offline basic

When this payment method is used, a customer is not asked for any payment details at checkout apart from the standard address form. You can use Offline basic for any custom offline payment option you want. For example, it can be used for setting up the following payment methods in your store:

Wire transfer
Cash on delivery
Phone ordering
Fax ordering
Money ordering

Offline check

With 'Offline check' payment options, a customer is asked for a check Owner's full name, Checking account number and Bank routing number. You can use this option for any kind of check payments you like, including personal and business checks.

Purchase order

This type of offline payment allows your customers to buy your items using a purchase order. A customer is asked for a PO number, Company name, Buyer's full name and Job position at checkout.

Setting up an offline payment option in your store

Open your control panel and navigate to System settings → Payment → Payment methods.
Choose one of the existing offline payment options in the list (they all have 'Offline Basic', 'Offline Check' or 'Purchase Order' in the payment processor column).
If there isn't an offline payment option you'd like to use, just select the existing 'Offline basic' option (you will be able to customize it) .
Name the option as you want (e.g. Cash on delivery) - for that, click on the payment method name and put the wording you like.
(Optionally) set instructions for the customer that are displayed at checkout upon selecting this payment method. In order to do that, click the 'Instructions for Customer' link and enter instruction text.
Enable the payment method by clicking the 'Enable' link in the right column.
Save the changes.

Want more information on our eCommerce Solutions? Contact Us

Focus on Faldolog

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 12:57:03 GMT

Faldolog.com
A custom website build by Get Connect Website Design for a cash handling equipment business, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with a world wide foot print.

About Faldolog

Faldolog specializes in the manufacture and sourcing of high wear parts for cash handling equipment as well as machine blades. We provide suitable replacement parts when you require quality at an affordable price.

We supply high quality machine blades to all industries.

Website Solutions built into Website

Product Catalog

Quotation Lead Capturing System

Newsletter Sign Up

Research and Development Contact Form

Blog Functionality

Site wide search

Like what you see? Contact Us for your website solution today.

On The Go Editing

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 11:27:36 GMT

When it’s Time to Go, Keep Editing.

With our new editing service, you now can edit your site from the convenience of your mobile device.

No matter if you're here or there, feel free to keep going… and keep editing too.

Edit on the Run

Have to run? No problem. You can access our editor’s dashboard, edit your content, preview changes, and republish all from your mobile device.

Pick Your Pics

Add pictures directly to your site from your phone, or select images from our gallery. Feel free to add, sort, and edit your pics anytime, anywhere.

Rework Your Widgets

Your frequently used widgets are editable too and you won’t have to stay put to edit them. Just use your mobile device to change images, text, and more.

Track Your Stats

Keep up on your site visits, page views, and events like clicks to call while you’re out and about. You can also generate weekly or monthly stat reports to send out via email.

Touch Friendly Design

Your fingertips are all you need. Our whole editor is designed to be touch friendly, intuitive, and easy to use.

Get Connect News

Remove shadows on product images

How to get a white background on product images using GIMP

Focus on Continental Butchery

Focus on Continental Butchery's New Website and Online Ordering Portal www.continentalbutchery.co.za

Our Favourite CRM - Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a web-based Sales CRM and pipeline management solution that enables businesses to plan their sales activities and monitor deals.

Focus on Hodad's

Take a look at Hodad's Street Food Done Good www.hodads.co.za , a website build by Get Connect

Facebook Feed Widget

Boost engagement of your website visitors with Facebook Feed Widget

Media Hub

Turn your website into a hub and keep your audience engaged with our Media Hub Solution

Gift Cards In The Online Store

Focus on DeeJPowell.co.za

DeeJPowell.co.za Website Build

Lead-Generating Business Tools

Lead-Generating Business Tools

Payment gateways you can use in South Africa

South African payment methods integrated into eCommerce with Get Connect

Focus on Faldolog

Faldolog.com A custom website build by Get Connect Website Design for a cash handling equipment business, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with a world wide foot print.

On The Go Editing

When it’s Time to Go, Keep Editing.

Focus on Continental Butchery's New Website and Online Ordering Portal
www.continentalbutchery.co.za

Take a look at Hodad's Street Food Done Good
www.hodads.co.za , a website build by Get Connect

Faldolog.com
A custom website build by Get Connect Website Design for a cash handling equipment business, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with a world wide foot print.