#mobile earning app 2021

[gootarts]

as of 8/3, the most recently updated version of this post is here (it's a reblog of this exact post with more info added)

as a lot of you know, limbus company recently fired its CG illustrator for being a feminist, at 11 pm, via phone call, after a bunch of misogynists walked into the office earlier that day and demanded she be fired. on top of this, as per korean fans, her firing went against labor laws---in korea, you must have your dismissal in writing.

the korean fandom on twitter is, understandably, going scorched earth on project moon due to this. there's a lot currently going on to protest the decision, so i'm posting a list here of what's going on for those who want to limit their time on elon musk's $44 billion midlife crisis impulse purchase website (if you are on twitter, domuk is a good person to follow, as they translate important updates to english). a lot of the links are in korean, but generally they play nicely with machine translators. this should be current as of 8/2.

Statements condemning the decision have been issued by The Gyeonggi Youth Union and IT Union.

A press conference at the Gyeonggido Assembly will occur on 8/3, with lawmakers of the Gyeonggi province (where Project Moon is based) in attendance. This appears driven by the leader of the Gyeonggi Youth Union.

The vice chairman of the IT union--who has a good amount of experience with labor negotiations like these--has expressed strong support for the artist and is working to get media coverage due to the ongoing feminist witch hunts in the gaming industry. Project Moon isn't union to my knowledge, but he's noted that he's taken on nonunion companies such as Netmarble (largest mobile game dev in South Korea) by getting the issue in front of the National Assembly (Korea's congress).

Articles on the incident published in The Daily Labor News, Korean Daily, multiple articles on Hankyoreh (one of which made it to the print edition), and other news outlets.

Segments about the termination on the MBN 7 o' clock news and MBC's morning news

Comments by Youth Union leaders about looking into a loan made to Project Moon via Devsisters Ventures, a venture capital firm. Tax money from Gyeonggi province was invested in Devsisters in 2017, and in 2021, Devsisters gave money to Project Moon. The Gyeonggi Youth Union is asking why hard-earned tax money was indirectly given to a company who violates ESG (environmental, social and governance) principles.

Almost nonstop signage truck protests outside Project Moon's physical office during business hours until 8/22 or the company makes a statement. This occurs alongside a coordinated hashtag campaign to get the issue trending on Twitter in Korea. The signage campaign was crowd-funded in about 3 hours.

A full boycott of the Limbus Company app, on both mobile and PC (steam) platforms. Overseas fans are highly encouraged to participate, regardless if whether they're F2P or not. Not opening the app at all is arguably the biggest thing any one person can do to protest the decision, as the app logs the number of accounts that log on daily. For a new gacha such as Limbus, a high number of F2P daily active users, but a small number of paying users is often preferable to having a smaller userbase but more paying users. If the company sees the number of daily users remain stable, they will likely decide to wait out any backlash rather than apologize.

Digging up verified reviews from previous employees regarding the company's poor management practices

Due to the firing, the Leviathan artist has posted about poor working conditions when making the story. As per a bilingual speaker, they were working on a storyboard revision, and thought 'if I ran into the street right now and got hit by a car and died, I wouldn't have to keep working.' They contacted Project Moon because they didn't want their work to be like that, and proposed changes to serialization/reduction in amount of work per picture/to build up a buffer of finished images (they did not have any buffer while working on Leviathan to my knowledge). They were shut out, and had to suck it up and accept the situation.

Hamhampangpang has a 'shrine' section of the restaurant for fans to leave fan-created merch and other items. They also allow the fans to take this merch back if they can prove it's theirs. Fans are now doing just that.

To boost all of the above, a large number of Korean fanartists with thousands of followers have deleted their works and/or converted their accounts from fanart accounts to accounts supporting the protests. Many of them are bilingual, and they're where I got the majority of this information.

[note 1: there's a targeted english-language disinformation campaign by the website that started the hate mob. i have read the artist's tweets with machine translation, and they're talked about in the second hankyoreh article linked above: nowhere does she express any transphobic or similarly awful beliefs. likewise, be wary of any claims that she supported anything whose description makes you raise eyebrows--those claims are likely in reference to megalia, a korean feminist movement. for information on that, i'd recommend the NPR/BBC articles below and this google drive link of english-language scholarly papers on them. for the love of god don't get your information about a feminist movement from guys going on witch hunts for feminists.]

[note 2: i've seen a couple people argue that the firing was for the physical safety of the employees, citing the kyoani incident in japan. as per this korean fan, most fans there strongly do not believe this was the case. we have english-translated transcripts of the meeting between the mob and project moon; the threats the mob was making were to......brand project moon as a feminist company online. yes, really. male korean gamers aren't normal about feminism, and there's been an ongoing witch hunt for feminists in the industry since about 2016, something you see noted in both the labor union statements. both NPR and the BBC this phenomenon to gamergate, and i'd say it's a pretty apt comparison.]

let me know if anything needs correction or if anything should be added.

[cindylouwho-2]

Etsy Fourth Quarter Earnings 2023 - Still Banking on Improving Marketplace Sales, But Not Revealing Many Plans

Slide 23 from Etsy's 4th quarter 2023 earning report, © Etsy. it shows what percentage of sales each major category has, with performance in the quarter.

Etsy’s fourth quarter results for 2023 were as uninspiring as expected, but despite revealing few plans, the corporation is convinced it can increase gross marketplace sales through its gifting and other initiatives. There was a lot of interesting information for shop owners, though, so let’s get right to it. 

First, here are the resources that you should read/watch yourself, if you want to know more:

the press release

transcript of the conference call

slides from the conference call

video of the call (click on “Webcast” under “Latest Quarterly Results”)

my summaries of the fourth quarter 2022, and the third quarter 2023 for comparison

Then, the basic numbers (covering October to December 2023, compared to the same period in 2022):

Sales on Etsy were $3.6 billion, down 1.4% year over year

Total sales for all 3 marketplaces (Etsy, Reverb, and Depop) were $4.0 billion, down 0.7%. [Elo7 was officially sold in mid August; its numbers were still included in the comparison totals of 2022]

Etsy’s revenue (including all 3 sites) was $842.3 million, up 4.3%

Seller service revenue was up 9.4% to $226.5 million, while marketplace revenue was up 2.6% to $615.8 million

Net income was $83.3 million, down 24% (mostly due to the layoff costs of $27 million in the quarter)

Active buyers on Etsy alone stand at 92 million, a third consecutive all-time high

Active sellers on Etsy alone are now 7 million, the fourth large jump in a row compared to the previous quarter; numbers had been stagnant through the end of 2021 and all of 2022 [Note that “active” means one charge or transaction in the past 12 months; many “active” shops currently have nothing for sale.]

Sales where the buyer and/or the seller was not in the United States were 45%, up from 44% last year, but down from 47% in the previous quarter

Sales on mobile are 68%, up from 67% last year [this includes both the buyer app and mobile browsers]

As always, I am reporting what Etsy’s representatives said in the main text, with my commentary in square brackets.

Etsy Search

At the moment, Etsy’s search algorithms aim to show shoppers things they are most likely to buy. They are currently working on changing that to showing what buyers are most likely to love after the purchase. They refer to items that consistently get high reviews, have good photography, and whose shop owner provides good customer service, has quality return policies and ships on time, as “quality” items, or, “the best stuff.” 

This is all a work in progress, so search may not change drastically any time soon. Past calls and interviews have related this to the increase in Etsy Picks assigned in the past few months; they plan on using those Picks to train the algorithm to find “quality”, especially quality photos. The items staff identify as “quality” convert twice as well as other listings, so there is obvious benefit to Etsy showing them higher up in search results. 

Etsy has added some of the features in its “neural ranking model” to non-US searches; previously it was only in the US searches. 

Advertising

Offsite Ad spending was down 4% in the quarter vs. 2022, in part due to competition bidding higher than Etsy thought was worthwhile. At the time of the call, that spending was back to normal. Per slide 21, money from Offsite Ads fees covered about 35% of what Etsy spent on the ads during the quarter. 

CEO Josh Silverman explained why the performance marketing (Offsite Ads) spend can be unpredictable.

“So performance is dynamic on a, really, hour-to-hour basis depending on the ROI we're seeing on every dollar we're spending. And we've got pretty sophisticated algorithms that work on, is this bid -- is this click worth this much right now and how much should we bid. And so to the extent that CPCs rise, we naturally pull back, or to the extent that CPCs lower, we naturally lean in. The other thing, by the way, it's not just CPCs, it's also conversion rates. So in times when people are really budget constrained, we see them actually -- we see conversion rate across the industry go down. We see people comparison shop a lot more. And so we are looking at all of that. And not humans, but machines using AI are looking at a very sophisticated way of what's happening with conversion rate right now, what's happening with CPCs right now.”

Etsy also does testing twice a year where they stop running ad such as Google Shopping ads in part of the country, and then compare with the areas still advertising to see if the buyer still would have bought. Silverman admitted that the data shows “often the answer may be yes.”

Overall marketing costs went up 7% in the year. 

The Gifting Initiative

Etsy is now aiming to brand itself as the place to go to buy gifts. Gift Mode is just the start of this campaign. Their surveys report that more than half of US gift giving is based on personal occasions that occur year round, such as birthdays, or “just because”. People in the US spend an average of $1600 a year on gifts, but Etsy’s US buyers only average $38 spent per year on gifts from Etsy. They estimate that less than half of Etsy buyers in 2023 used the site to buy at least one gift. There is obviously an opportunity to do better. 

The percentage of US residents thinking of Etsy as a good place to buy a gift is now down to 10%. [Previously, the company reported it was 12%, and I commented last quarter that I’d like to see a more recent survey to judge if they have used this knowledge to improve. 

“Only 12% of buyers will name Etsy top of mind as the place to shop for gifts.” They don’t seem to have any updated numbers showing how they’ve been improving that situation. [It’s time to go after that “enormous opportunity”, Josh!]”

So despite wanting to grab a bigger gifting share before now, Etsy has managed to lose ground. This is my biggest fear about the gift push: the market was there before now, and Etsy’s own research demonstrated that. Are they only going all in now that they have run out of other ideas?] 

There were 6 million visits to Gift Mode in the first 2 weeks. [I am not really impressed, given that they promoted it very heavily, and I was personally responsible for over 100 of those visits while researching my Gift Mode blog post.]

Other plans to bring in buyers

Silverman stated “[o]ur focus will be to make Etsy even more Etsy”, and to differentiate the marketplace from sites that sell everyday needs. The following quote deserves to be read in full:

“Most other players are competing head-to-head to sell the exact same merchandise, focused on selling at $0.02 cheaper or shipping it two hours faster, and this has resulted in the commoditization of the entire experience. But that's just not Etsy.”

[This seemed to be a completely unironically-intended comment, with no recognition of the fact that he actually discussed speeding up shipping times in the same presentation, nor of the well-known fact that so much on Etsy these days can usually be bought cheaper on Aliexpress or Shein.]

He also said that the “special” aspect of Etsy is what sometimes holds the site back, as buyers might consider Etsy limited to specific items, or might “worry about the post-purchase experience”. Bringing people back more often is a goal. [They’ve been saying that for years now, though.]

The company is currently doing buyer loyalty program research, but gave no further details. He also cited “shortening our estimated delivery dates this year by at least 2 days” as something that buyers should like, but it is unclear to me reading this if the work done last year (the year discussed in this call) already shaved 2 days off of delivery dates, or if the statement is this year’s goal. I think it is the latter [but the only ways to do that are to improve the accuracy of their tools - and I am not sure that they are currently 2 days longer than reality on average - or to pressure sellers to ship faster. Since Etsy is once again updating shop settings to add weekends to shop processing times without notifying us, I guess we can assume the latter? UPDATE (Mar 19): Silverman clarified at a recent talk that "we think we can cut shipping times on Etsy by at least two days this year."]

Other things sellers need to know

Etsy Ads now involve some localization outside of the US, which increased conversion rates. [If your ad performance changed in non-US countries during the quarter, this is the most likely reason.]

Neither sales or Etsy’s revenue are expected to increase until the second quarter, and they expect revenue to grow faster than sales this year. [Revenue is almost certain to increase, as the corporation has been surveying sellers on what they would be willing to pay more for.]

“In 2023, we removed approximately 140% more listings for violations of our Handmade Policy than in 2022.” [No word on how many of them were removed erroneously, though, as we know the “Temu” bots pulled a lot of truly handmade items that had photos stolen and listed on other sites.]

Silverman promised “innovation planned to improve the predictability of shipping costs for both buyers and sellers”, but provided no details. [I am not sure what would make my personal costs more predictable, given they change every single week with Canada Post’s fuel surcharge right now. Is it going to be forcing people to use Etsy Labels with calculated shipping? Or is this more calculated shipping options for countries outside of the US, and for new carriers? Restricting the amount a listing can charge for shipping? I really have no idea, but I hope all those people they hired for “fulfillment” jobs a few years back are coming up with something that is actually useful.] 

Miscellaneous

Depop had a decent quarter in sales and revenue. 

Reverb sales were flat. “The Reverb team made some organizational changes late in the year” which are expected to be profitable [i.e., they laid off over 30 people in October].

The Etsy layoffs in December were referred to by CFO Rachel Glaser as “our recent workforce realignment”. [At least she didn’t call those former employees churn.] The call provided no details on the restructuring they previously said would be done by the end of this quarter. 

October sales were not good, but November and December improved. January “was a little bumpy.”

Outside of the US, sales in Germany were mostly steady, while the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria improved.

The upcoming $15 fee for newly-opened shops will largely go to paying the costs of the technology for vetting sellers; it is not expected to result in much profit. 

My thoughts: this is going to be a rough year for many Etsy sellers

As I discussed last quarter, Etsy’s upper brass didn't seem to think they were responsible for the lackluster sales performance of their marketplace, and this quarter that extended to not admitting they overhired since early 2022, and not acknowledging that Etsy’s reputation as a gift site actually dropped over the past few years. The last one is particularly galling. Why keep talking about how there was great room for improvement in Etsy brand recognition for gift buyers and then fail to improve even a tiny bit? What were these folks doing the past 2 years? 

It’s clear they think bravado will get them through this, including the bold move of claiming everything will improve in the second quarter and throughout the year without revealing any real details. No wonder the stock dropped yet again. 

That said, they likely have some reasons for thinking that revenue will pick up at least, if not sales. As mentioned above, they have been extensively surveying sellers about raising fees and/or charging us for things we currently get for free (or mostly do not want). Possible downsides for Etsy include the fact that the Indie Sellers Guild and the Artisans Cooperative (among others) are likely to get more negative press for Etsy if fees are raised yet again, just as happened in 2022. It does not help that Etsy didn’t really follow through on improved services the last time they raised fees. 

And the more I think about the comment on shipping costs, the more I believe they are considering making Etsy Labels compulsory for at least some in the US, with set shipping charges sellers won’t be able to change. Bonanza did this last year, charging its US sellers $2 per order extra if they didn’t use Bonanza labels and didn’t get an exemption from the program. Most Etsy sellers using the labels and being forced to show that price as the shipping cost for buyers is the only way I can think of making shipping prices more predictable for buyers, other than capping shipping charges outright (and that sounds like a nightmare to implement). eBay does it, though. Am I missing something? [UPDATE Mar. 5, 2024: Etsy is surveying buyers about how much they like cheap shipping.]

Perhaps more importantly, the planned search changes have the potential to disrupt the status quo a great deal. We know that Etsy frequently takes a lot longer to develop these types of technologies than they expect, so it may not happen this year, but the work on promoting “quality” listings will continue, and that is already affecting some shops that used to do better in Etsy search. Do everything you can to make sure your images are "high-quality". If you rely on internal search to get most of your Etsy sales, this is a very good time to follow my usual advice and diversify your traffic sources. 

Etsy’s branding pivot to being the place to get gifts could also have a big impact on some shops and categories, if it is successful - and that is a big “if”. I’m not thoroughly convinced Etsy can manage this change in consumer consciousness, considering that the site’s reputation continues to be hammered by controversies around scams and non-handmade items. Kitkats, anyone? 

Many other comments do not bode well for most shop owners: a continuing push for discounting, emphasis on faster shipping times, and financial restrictions/impositions on “newly-opened” shops all indicate that traffic may flow away from small business owners who choose not to comply, or are unable to comply. 

Last quarter I said “[d]on’t be surprised if there are major site changes in 2024”, and I appear to have been correct. But really, anyone reading these reports over the past few years could have seen it coming.

Stay well informed, everyone! It’s the best weapon we have.

Reminder that you can sign up to receive my Tumblr and website blog posts via email.

UPDATED March 19, 2024

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC Writer of the Month: liaromancewriter

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is @liaromancewriter ! We hope you will enjoy learning more about her and her work below! The writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Quick Links: 

Tumblr blog: liaromancewriter Tumblr Masterlist Maxenna Masterlist

Tumblr Blog: 

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? 

Lia or Mal. Both are my nicknames in real life, depending on who’s calling, so I respond to either.

1- When did you start playing Choices? What's the first book you played? 

I first downloaded Choices in August 2020 after being bombarded with its ads on another game. I figured I'll try it and see what it was about. My average track record for mobile games is 2-3 months, and then I get bored and delete the app. That didn't happen here because I quickly realized it's not a game but a library of fiction books in all genres. Two and a half years later, I'm still here reading Choices.

The first book I played (read?) was The Royal Romance. I believe it pre-loaded when I opened the app the first time. I fell in love with the Prince (who I named Aiden as it's my favorite boy name) from the first moment. To this day, I think the first two TRR books are the most romantic stories on Choices. 

Incidentally, I started playing Open Heart at the same time, but mostly to earn diamonds for TRR since medical stories weren’t really my thing (that’s changed now obviously). But Ethan Ramsey was equally irresistible and I had a hard time saving my diamonds when romancing the two.

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I didn't know there was something called a Choices fandom, so it's very happenstance. Unofficially, I joined in November 2020 as a silent reader and didn't have a Tumblr account. Officially, I created my Tumblr account on December 7 and started becoming more active in January 2021. 

I had just finished Open Heart: Second Year and then Platinum (for the fourth time), and was feeling adrift. I was obsessed with Raleigh Carrera and googled him out of curiosity to see what might be out there. I came across fics posted on AO3 and then Tumblr. 

Then, I googled Ethan Ramsey as I was missing OH and just wanted to get lost in that world again. I came across a plethora of fanfics, mostly on Tumblr. I originally started reading them on my mobile browser and still have masterlist pages bookmarked (in order) on Safari for @lem-20 (the first OH writer I read and followed because her pfp match my book sprite), @jamespotterthefirst and @starrystarrytrouble. 

I didn't know fanfiction was a thing, so I was a bit baffled by all of it initially. The more I read, the more I loved the interpretations others were bringing to the story. I was also generally impressed by writers unafraid to write and post their work for the world to read, and that inspired me to want to publish my original stories online.   

3- How did you pick your url name? 

My original intent with Tumblr was to publish my original romantic fiction novel, Happy Ever After. And, maybe in the future write and post more original romance short stories as an exercise to rediscover my fiction voice. 

When I was creating the account, I blanked on what to call it. In a burst of "just pick a username already", I named my blog liaromancewriter to represent my nickname (Lia) and the type of stories I would be posting (romance). 

By the way, my desired account name initially was hopelessromantic, but it was taken. When I was setting up the blog headline and description, I decided to go with The Hopeful Romantic because the phrasing best embodied my perspective of soulmates and happy ever afters.

4- Go back to your archive and tell us about the first post on your Choices blog. 

My first Choices fandom post was a reblog game response on January 11. All posts on my blog before that were chapters of Happy Ever After.

5- How long have you been writing fanfiction?

I published my first ever fanfic, First Impressions, on February 15, 2021. So, about 22 months.

6- What is your favorite Choices book to write about?

I only write for Open Heart, so I would say it remains my favorite as I keep coming up with stories for this extended universe I’ve created for my pairings.

7- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it or would you change anything about it?

The first fic I submitted to CFWC was Me Before You on April 5, 2021. I think I’d only heard about this blog in March of that year and didn’t know that anyone could submit. 

It’s very much an introspective piece, showing Ethan’s inner thoughts, and Cassie's too. I love writing descriptive stories about what people are thinking and feeling. It’s when my writing is the strongest.

I still like that story. Having said that, the middle of this fic drags a little, so I’d probably want to tighten that up. I also hadn't fully developed my headcanon for their relationship yet. Anyone who reads my work knows that it's like a TV series where everything is connected, and the plot continues along a specific timeline, even if one-shots are posted at different times of the year. 

So the timeline inside the story doesn't quite sync up perfectly with the rest, but I've learnt to let it go....somewhat. 😂

8- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Can I pick two? I’m picking two, one for each of my pairings. At this stage, they’re both equal OTPs anyway.

Ethan & Cassie: Come Undone

Max & Sienna: Unforgettable

9- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but could use a little more love?

I know that notes aren't everything since there are many silent readers out there. But it's the only metric Tumblr allows writers to use. So, this answer is solely based on that.

It’s not a fic, but a series. The original Maxenna series, Then There Was You, was incredibly popular both in terms of notes and comments and in attracting new readers despite the fact that I wrote it after the series had already ended, and it was a side character (Sienna) and an OC (Max). I’m forever grateful because it’s an original story in every sense of the word, with some nods/references to canon. Despite the fact that it’s Sienna, she’s an OC, too, since we don’t know too much about her in canon.

For the second part of this question, I thought Seeing Red would have been more popular. It's angsty, and has Ethan’s relationship with Louise, Cassie and Ethan fighting (somewhat). So, it was surprising it didn't get as many notes. But then, I also wrote it in 2022, and the fandom isn't what it used to be. So that could be one reason.

10- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why? 

Fluff...absolutely 100% fluff. Anyone who knows me for five seconds knows that I'm all about finding and keeping your soulmate. Real life is hard, the fictional world doesn't have to be.

I grew up reading fairytales and love Hallmark movies. When I discovered romance books in uni, I fell in love with the journey of two people falling in love and finding their happy ever after. I also enjoy writing about relationships; while there are angsty moments in those, it's the resolution of finding your way to the light that makes me happy. Happy Endings Guaranteed is my motto. 

11- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

I bring parts of myself to all my characters. In real life, I'm more like Ethan and Max; the professional and personal elements in their personalities are based on me and my experiences. 

Cassie's ambition and determination to prove herself are pure me. That's why even in canon, I never gave a thought to why a Junior Fellow was qualified to head the Diagnostics Team. I was running my own department by the time I was 30. It's all about seizing opportunities even if you don't think you're ready. You learn on the job and eventually make it your own.

One other observation is that I’m a champion researcher and accuracy is important to me. So, when I write I bring that accuracy and plausability to all scenarios. My Google history will attest to that. 😝

12- What element of writing do you struggle with most?

I struggle with writing common, every day body gestures without repeating myself. I can visualize the scene in my head like someone wrapping their arms around the other or framing their lover’s face between their hands. But I don’t always know how to write it well or at least have more diversity in the words/expressions that I use. 

13- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

No. I don't do WIPs. Sometimes I'm not happy with a fic, so I'll write the first draft but not publish it for a while. I'll do/write other things and then come back to start editing the fic until it works. Candy Thieves and Postcard Memories are two good examples of that.

I do have a document with about 20+ possible story ideas, but some of those are random thoughts that might or might not have a story in them.

14- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first? 

Absolutely! I mostly share my Wattpad account with them rather than Tumblr as the former can be easier to navigate for novice readers. But my close friends have my Tumblr blog link. 

I always ask them to read Happy Ever After (original work) first since it’s mine and doesn’t require knowledge of canon. But for fanfiction, I tell people to start at the top of my masterlist and work their way down. This way, they’ll get to meet my characters from the beginning and go on the journey with them, even if they’ve never read canon. 

15 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?

I’m mostly influenced by published authors with Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz and Julie Garwood leading the pack. I love how Nora does scene setting and descriptions, and shows relationships between people (romantic and platonic); my approach to storytelling is largely influenced by her. 

Jayne Ann Krentz does a great job of writing spunky heroines who aren’t afraid to take chances, no matter if it’s a modern setting, paranormal or historical. While Julie Garwood’s novels are fluffy with wonderfully memorable characters especially the LI. Aiden Madison remains my perfect guy to this day and I wish he was real. 🥰

I do want to give a shoutout to @jamespotterthefirst whose edits and text fics showed me that there’s another interesting way to tell a story than writing prose. I live in hope she will finish her First Year Pictagram series (hint, hint, Bree 😉)

16- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series? 

Maxenna’s original series would make a great Hallmark movie/series. As a student of Hallmark’s formula, I think it has all the elements including a slow burn, delayed first kiss, love declaration closer to the end, swoonworthy proposal and wedding, and of course family.

17- Do you write original stories? 

Absolutely, but maybe not as much recently (unless you count Maxenna). I’ve already talked about Happy Ever After here. I have 2 other completed manuscripts that I hope to do something with one day.

18 -  What other hobbies do you have?

I don’t have a ton of free time, so what I do have is reserved for reading books (my first love). Other than that, I watch a lot of cooking shows on Food Network. At the end of a long and busy day, there’s something very soothing about watching other people cook/work. 

19 - What’s your favorite emoji? 

😂

[webcallon]

What is binance and types of trading & how to make money from it

Homecryptocurrency

What is binance and types of trading & how to make money from it

bywebcallon-March 09, 2023

0

 what is binance

Binance is a global cryptocurrency exchange that was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao, a former software developer at Bloomberg Tradebook. It has quickly become one of the most popular exchanges in the world due to its wide range of features and user-friendly interface. Binance is headquartered in Malta and has offices in various countries around the world.

One of the key features of Binance is its vast selection of cryptocurrencies. It currently supports over 500 different coins and tokens, making it one of the most comprehensive exchanges in the market. This allows users to access a wide range of investment opportunities and diversify their portfolio across different cryptocurrencies.

Binance also offers a variety of trading options, including spot trading, margin trading, and futures trading. Spot trading involves buying and selling cryptocurrencies for immediate delivery, while margin trading allows users to trade with borrowed funds, giving them the opportunity to increase their profits or losses. Futures trading involves trading contracts that allow traders to speculate on the price of a cryptocurrency at a future date.

In addition to trading, Binance offers a range of other services, including staking, savings, and lending. Staking involves holding cryptocurrencies in a wallet to support the network and earn rewards. Savings allows users to earn interest on their cryptocurrency holdings, while lending allows them to earn interest by lending their cryptocurrency to other users.

Binance also has its own cryptocurrency, Binance Coin (BNB), which can be used to pay for trading fees on the platform. BNB has become one of the most popular cryptocurrencies in the market, with a market capitalization of over $40 billion.

One of the key strengths of Binance is its security measures. The platform uses a variety of security features to protect user funds, including two-factor authentication, SSL encryption, and cold storage. Binance also has a Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) that provides an extra layer of protection in case of security breaches or other unexpected events.

Another advantage of Binance is its user-friendly interface. The platform is designed to be easy to use, even for beginners, and offers a range of educational resources to help users learn about cryptocurrencies and trading. Binance also has a mobile app that allows users to trade and manage their portfolio on the go.

Despite its many strengths, Binance has faced some challenges in recent years. In 2019, the platform suffered a security breach that resulted in the theft of over $40 million worth of cryptocurrency. Binance responded quickly to the breach and was able to recover the stolen funds, but it highlighted the need for strong security measures in the cryptocurrency industry.

Binance has also faced regulatory scrutiny in some countries, including the United States and Japan. In 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK banned Binance from operating in the country, citing concerns about its compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. Binance has since made efforts to improve its AML policies and has been working to address regulatory concerns in other countries.

In conclusion, Binance is a comprehensive and user-friendly cryptocurrency exchange that offers a wide range of trading options and services. Its vast selection of cryptocurrencies, security measures, and educational resources make it an attractive choice for both beginner and experienced traders. However, like any cryptocurrency exchange, it also faces challenges and risks, including security breaches and regulatory scrutiny. As with any investment, it is important for users to do their own research and carefully consider the risks before investing in cryptocurrencies.

Binance has grown rapidly since its launch in 2017 and has become one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. According to CoinMarketCap, Binance is currently ranked as the 4th largest exchange by trading volume, with a 24-hour trading volume of over $12 billion at the time of writing.

Binance has also expanded its offerings beyond just cryptocurrency trading. In 2020, the exchange launched Binance Card, a debit card that allows users to spend their cryptocurrency holdings at merchants that accept Visa. Binance has also launched its own blockchain, Binance Chain, which is designed to facilitate the issuance and trading of digital assets.

Binance has also been active in the cryptocurrency industry through its various initiatives and investments. In 2019, the exchange launched Binance Labs, a blockchain incubator that invests in early-stage blockchain projects. Binance has also invested in other blockchain companies and projects, including Polkadot, Terra, and Oasis Labs.

Another notable feature of Binance is its customer support. The platform offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and social media, which has earned it a reputation for being responsive and helpful. Binance also has a large community of users and supporters, with over 3 million followers on Twitter and over 2 million members in its official Telegram group.

In terms of fees, Binance is known for having some of the lowest trading fees in the industry. The platform charges a flat fee of 0.1% for spot trading and 0.04% for futures trading, with further discounts available for users who hold BNB. Binance also has a referral program that allows users to earn commission by referring new users to the platform.

Overall, Binance is a popular and well-established cryptocurrency exchange that offers a wide range of features and services for traders and investors. While it faces some challenges and risks, it has demonstrated a commitment to security, innovation, and customer support that has earned it a loyal following in the cryptocurrency community.

Binance has a strong focus on innovation and has been at the forefront of developing new products and features in the cryptocurrency space. In 2020, the exchange launched Binance Smart Chain, a blockchain platform that enables the creation of decentralized applications (dApps) and the execution of smart contracts. Binance Smart Chain has gained significant traction in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, with a growing number of dApps being built on the platform.

Binance has also been active in the crypto lending space. In 2019, the exchange launched Binance Lending, a platform that allows users to lend their cryptocurrency holdings to other users and earn interest. Binance Lending has since expanded to offer a range of lending products, including flexible and fixed-term loans.

In addition to its lending platform, Binance has also launched a peer-to-peer (P2P) trading platform. P2P trading allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly with each other, without the need for a centralized exchange. This can be particularly useful in countries where cryptocurrency exchanges are restricted or banned.

Binance has also been actively involved in promoting cryptocurrency adoption and education. The exchange has launched a range of educational resources, including articles, videos, and webinars, to help users learn about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Binance has also launched several initiatives aimed at promoting cryptocurrency adoption, such as the Binance Charity Foundation, which uses blockchain technology to facilitate charitable donations.

One area where Binance has faced criticism is in its listing process for new cryptocurrencies. Some critics have accused the exchange of prioritizing profit over due diligence, leading to the listing of some questionable cryptocurrencies. Binance has responded by implementing stricter listing requirements and conducting more thorough due diligence on new listings.

Overall, Binance is a dynamic and innovative cryptocurrency exchange that has become a major player in the industry. While it faces some challenges and criticisms, it has demonstrated a commitment to security, innovation, and customer support that has helped it attract a large and loyal user base.

Binance has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, making it an attractive option for both novice and experienced traders. The platform also offers a range of advanced trading tools, such as advanced charting, technical analysis, and trading indicators. These tools allow traders to conduct detailed analysis and make informed trading decisions.

Binance also offers a range of order types, including limit orders, market orders, stop-limit orders, and trailing stop orders. These order types allow traders to execute their trades with greater precision and control.

Another feature of Binance is its margin trading platform. Margin trading allows users to trade with borrowed funds, enabling them to increase their potential profits (as well as their potential losses). Binance offers up to 125x leverage on select cryptocurrencies, which can be particularly attractive to experienced traders.

Binance also offers a range of security features to protect its users' funds and personal information. These include two-factor authentication (2FA), anti-phishing measures, and SSL encryption. Binance also has a Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) that acts as an emergency insurance fund in the event of a security breach or hack.

Finally, Binance has a wide range of supported cryptocurrencies, including many of the most popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, as well as a range of smaller and emerging cryptocurrencies. This makes it a one-stop-shop for users who want to trade a variety of cryptocurrencies on a single platform.

Overall, Binance offers a wide range of features and services that make it a popular and well-regarded cryptocurrency exchange. While it is not without its challenges and criticisms, it has demonstrated a commitment to innovation, security, and customer support that has helped it become a major player in the industry.

Types of trading in binance

Binance offers several types of trading for its users, including:

Spot Trading: This is the most common type of trading on Binance. In spot trading, users buy and sell cryptocurrencies at the current market price. The user's order is matched with an existing order on the exchange's order book.

Margin Trading: Binance offers margin trading, which allows users to trade with borrowed funds. This means users can increase their profits (as well as their losses) by trading with leverage. Binance offers up to 125x leverage on select cryptocurrencies.

Futures Trading: Binance also offers futures trading, which allows users to trade cryptocurrencies at a predetermined price at a future date. This type of trading is typically used by more experienced traders who want to hedge against price fluctuations.

Options Trading: Binance also offers options trading, which allows users to buy and sell options contracts based on the price of an underlying cryptocurrency. Options trading can be used for hedging, speculation, or generating income.

OTC Trading: Binance also offers over-the-counter (OTC) trading for large volume trades. This type of trading is typically used by institutional investors or high-net-worth individuals who want to avoid affecting the market price of a cryptocurrency.

Leveraged Tokens: Binance offers leveraged tokens that allow users to gain exposure to the price movements of cryptocurrencies without having to manage their own leveraged positions. Leveraged tokens can be bought and sold on Binance like any other cryptocurrency.

Staking: Binance offers staking services for select cryptocurrencies. Staking involves holding a certain cryptocurrency in a wallet for a certain period of time to earn rewards. Binance offers staking rewards to users who hold certain cryptocurrencies on the exchange.

Binance Launchpad: Binance Launchpad is a platform that allows users to participate in initial coin offerings (ICOs) and other token sales. Binance Launchpad offers users the opportunity to invest in promising new blockchain projects before they are available on other exchanges.

Binance Savings: Binance Savings allows users to earn interest on their cryptocurrency holdings. Users can deposit their cryptocurrencies into Binance Savings and earn interest on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Binance Pool: Binance Pool is a mining pool that allows users to mine cryptocurrencies and earn rewards. Binance Pool supports several cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Overall, Binance offers a wide range of trading options and services that cater to the needs of different users. Whether you're interested in spot trading, margin trading, futures trading, options trading, or staking, you can find a trading type that suits your needs on Binance.

how to make money from binance

There are several ways to make money from Binance. Here are some strategies that you can consider:

Trading: Trading cryptocurrencies on Binance can be a profitable way to make money. You can buy low and sell high to make a profit. Binance offers a wide range of trading types, including spot trading, margin trading, and futures trading, which can help you maximize your profits.

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[allthebrazilianpolitics]

São Paulo launches its own app to compete with Uber

Today, the city of São Paulo launched MobizapSP, an app-based ride-hailing service that will compete directly with Uber, Didi Chuxing’s 99, and other platforms. The launch is one of the outcomes of a 2021 inquiry in the state legislature.

The platform was developed for the local government by CSX Inovação, and operates “fairer rates” for partner drivers, according to the city’s mobility and traffic secretary, Ricardo Teixeira.

MobizapSP will not have any dynamic pricing, making it clearer to drivers what they will earn.

Continue reading.

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Digital Wallets, Real Threats: The Dark Side of Mobile Payments in India

Imagine paying for your chai with a simple tap of your phone. Convenient, right? Now imagine that same tap exposing your entire financial history. Welcome to the world of mobile payment privacy breaches – the hidden cost of digital convenience in India's booming fintech landscape.

Why I'm Losing Sleep Over This

As a digital innovation enthusiast, I'm both excited and concerned about India's mobile payment revolution. It's democratizing finance and driving financial inclusion, but it's also creating a treasure trove of sensitive data that's catching the eye of cybercriminals. It's like carrying your entire bank in your pocket – convenient, but oh so risky!

The Mobile Money Tsunami

India's love affair with mobile payments is reaching fever pitch:

Digital payments in India hit 8,840 crore transactions in FY 2021-22 (RBI, 2022).

UPI transactions alone crossed 9.36 billion in volume and ₹10.25 trillion in value in May 2023 (NPCI, 2023).

That's a lot of digital money changing hands – and a lot of data up for grabs!

The Sneaky Ways Your Transactions Betray You

How are these seemingly secure apps leaving you vulnerable? Let's follow the money trail:

Phishing on Steroids: Fake payment apps that look eerily real.

Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Intercepting your data mid-transaction.

Malware Mayhem: Sneaky software that steals your credentials.

QR Code Quagmire: Scanning your way into a hacker's trap.

Who's Paying the Price?

When mobile payment privacy is compromised, the ripple effects are far-reaching:

Users: Your financial data and hard-earned money are at risk.

Businesses: Customer trust evaporates faster than you can say "digital India."

Banks and Fintech Companies: Reputational damage and regulatory nightmares await.

The Regulatory Tightrope

India's regulators are trying to keep up, but it's like chasing a bullet train on foot:

The RBI's guidelines on digital payments security are evolving, but implementation lags.

The proposed Personal Data Protection Bill aims to address fintech privacy, but it's still in the pipeline.

It's a bit like trying to build a railway track while the train is already moving!

Safeguarding Your Digital Rupees

Don't worry, you don't need to go back to carrying cash! Here's how to keep your digital money safe:

Stick to official apps – no matter how tempting that "special offer" looks.

Enable biometric authentication – your fingerprint is harder to fake than a password.

Use a separate bank account for digital transactions – limit your exposure.

Be wary of public Wi-Fi – that free internet could cost you dearly.

Keep your apps updated – those pesky updates often patch security holes.

The Bottom Line

As India races towards a cashless future, we need to make sure we're not leaving our financial privacy behind. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and remember – in the world of mobile payments, convenience should never come at the cost of security.

So, the next time you tap to pay, take a moment to appreciate the technology – and then double-check your privacy settings!

Stay safe, stay smart, and maybe think twice before linking your entire life to that shiny new payment app!

[techahead-software-blog]

SaaS Application Development: Everything a Startup Needs to Know

Have you seen how big tech giants in the market are the leaders of SaaS app development? Have you seen how they created a product from the issues people or other businesses are facing and converted it into their business, earning millions and billions of dollars?

Investing in a SaaS application development for your business can be your next huge move.

Don’t believe it?

Adobe Inc., Salesforce Inc., and Intuit Inc. are each valued at over $100 billion in market capitalization. Companies like Snowflake, Autodesk, and Workday also have market caps exceeding $35 billion. These SaaS companies saw substantial revenue in 2021.

Investing in SaaS application development is a smart move. The SaaS market is growing at an impressive annual rate of 18%, creating new opportunities for startups looking to develop cloud-based solutions for businesses and consumers.

With the rise of smartphones, SaaS is also expanding into mobile apps, making it a billion-dollar industry. If you're planning to start a SaaS company, you're in luck. This article will provide a guide to developing SaaS applications.

What is a SaaS Application?

SaaS is a Software-as-a-Service based application or software that works on cloud technology. It allows users to connect and use the SaaS application over the internet through a web browser. To put it in a nutshell, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a web or mobile application hosted on a cloud server and allows users to access it from any device and location. 

Examples of SaaS applications

Salesforce

Canva

Dropbox

Microsoft Office 365

Google Suite

Slack

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

What is SaaS Application Development?

SaaS development is the process of creating Software-as-a-Service applications for web, or mobile platforms. It involves the design, development, testing, and deployment of the SaaS application on the cloud server.  

How is the SaaS application development can be different from Web application?

In principle, all SaaS applications are either desktop software or web applications. However, not all web apps and software are SaaS. To get a clear understanding see the below table

SaaS Application

Web Application

Work on a cloud-based server

It is hosted on a web domain server, not on a cloud

Doesn’t need IT infrastructure

Works from a remote server

Based on software licensing and delivery model

Built on a web user interface

The server supports multi-user access

Can’t handle large multi-user access

Generate revenue from the services offered

Can’t offer multiple services

Market Overview of SaaS Application

Since SaaS has been running in the market for a very long time. It has been primarily built for web platforms. But, with the rapid disruption of mobile app usage. Mobile devices have become a highly profitable platform for SaaS businesses.

Whether it is B2B or B2C, every person prefers mobile apps for accessing or browsing anything online. Software-as-a-service applications are mostly developed to work as web applications. 

However, since businesses and consumers are adopting the mobile-first approach, the rise of mobile Software as a service application is coming into trend. Here are the latest market reports that highlight how big the market of mobile SaaS applications is and how it is growing tremendously. 

According to Strategy Analytics, the global Mobile SaaS market grew significantly, reaching $37.9 billion in 2021, up from $20.9 billion in 2016, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7% over that period. The report also highlights that the corporate mobile SaaS sector alone is expected to hit $7.4 billion in 2022.

This growth clearly shows that SaaS (Software as a Service) is no longer limited to web platforms—it’s expanding rapidly into mobile.

So, if you're considering building a SaaS application today, you now have two key platforms to focus on: web and mobile. With mobile apps gaining traction across various industries, experts recommend that now is an ideal time to invest in developing mobile SaaS applications. Doing so could give aspiring SaaS businesses an early edge in this emerging market.

Benefits of SaaS Application Development

SaaS applications offer significant advantages for both business owners and users. As a SaaS startup, you don’t need a large budget or extensive resources to create a complex app. With the help of cloud computing, you can easily develop and deploy your SaaS application on cloud servers.

One of the key benefits of SaaS applications is that they allow users to access online services instantly, from any device, while also cutting down on costs. Here are some of the top reasons why investing in SaaS application development is a smart move.

Quick Deployment

The SaaS model makes deployment fast and efficient. Instead of having to install the software on individual devices, it can be accessed directly through web browsers. This eliminates worries about compatibility or installation problems.

As a result, businesses can quickly start using the latest SaaS software, saving time compared to traditional methods.

Minimal Initial Investment

SaaS comes with very low upfront costs, depending on the SaaS development services you choose. The pay-as-you-go model makes it easier for businesses to form partnerships and only commit to a SaaS plan as their business grows.

This is one of the main reasons why SaaS development is becoming so popular among businesses of all sizes. This approach also helps minimize the risk of major financial losses.

Better Scalability

Developing software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications gives providers more flexibility and scalability. Since SaaS runs on scalable cloud platforms, it's easy to connect with other apps. If your customers need a new feature or service, you can quickly add it by integrating the right APIs.

SaaS apps also help businesses grow by providing better user analytics. You can track user behavior and offer them personalized options. For example, if you have a data storage app like Dropbox, you can start with a free plan and later offer a premium service for purchase.

Cost-efficient Solutions

SaaS runs on cloud servers, making it easy to deploy and launch. Providers don’t need to build a large IT infrastructure. They just create the SaaS application and deploy it to the cloud. Users can access the software at any time without needing to install it on their devices. This saves both time and effort and lowers software maintenance costs.

Reduce Operational Cost

SaaS offers a cost-effective solution by reducing the workload and expenses for your IT team. With the cloud-based model, you don’t have to worry about regular maintenance, backups, or updates. 

A reliable application development service provider handles all these tasks, including keeping hardware in good shape, preventing downtime, managing software updates, and even training and hiring staff. 

This lets your team focus on important business activities, leading to better productivity and growth.

Smooth Integration

People used to worry that older systems might not work well with SaaS and could cause problems for users. However, these concerns have been resolved because SaaS applications have proven to integrate smoothly with existing software.

SaaS includes built-in APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and integration points that connect different solutions easily. This has made businesses more willing to adopt SaaS, seeing its value in combining various software products seamlessly.

Automatic Updates

Keeping software up-to-date can be tough for IT teams, but Software as a Service (SaaS) makes it easier with automatic updates. This ensures businesses always have the latest version of their software. 

With SaaS handling updates on its own, companies can focus more on what they do best. This hands-off process boosts efficiency and frees up time and resources for more important tasks.

Effortless Marketing Through Free Trial

SaaS is known for its smooth marketing strategy, especially by offering free trials. This allows potential users to try out the software before making a decision, helping them appreciate and trust the product. 

The "nothing to lose" approach is great for showing the software's value and building customer confidence. Additionally, SaaS providers offer flexible subscription plans that fit different business needs and budgets, making it easier for users to engage with and adopt the software, which benefits both the providers and their clients.

Wide User Accessibility

SaaS applications can be accessed from any device with web browsing capabilities, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. This is beneficial for both SaaS providers and customers.

Providers can reach users on any device, while customers can use the service from any computer or mobile device. With the growing popularity of mobile apps, many consumers and businesses now prefer using SaaS on their phones. This is why new SaaS startups are investing in custom app development for better mobile access.

Robust Security and Privacy

SaaS applications are excellent when it comes to security and privacy. They use SSL and TLS encryption to keep data safe from unauthorized access and protect user information.

Since SaaS apps run on cloud services, all data is stored on secure cloud servers, which are protected from cyber-attacks. These servers are managed by the company providing the SaaS.

You can trust SaaS providers with your data security and privacy. Big names like AWS, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle offer SaaS with strong cloud infrastructure and IT resources to keep your data safe. 

Now that you know the benefits, let’s take a closer look at them.

Who May Benefit From the Use of SaaS App Development?

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a flexible solution that serves everyone from individuals to large companies across various industries. Small businesses and start-ups benefit greatly from SaaS because it is affordable and scalable. They can use powerful software without needing to invest heavily in licenses or infrastructure, helping them compete with larger companies.

Individuals and freelancers also gain from SaaS’s flexibility and easy access. They can use tools that boost productivity, manage projects, and support creative work, all from any device or location with an internet connection.

In specialized fields like healthcare, education, finance, and e-commerce, SaaS offers solutions designed for specific needs. For example, healthcare workers use electronic health records (EHR) systems, educators use online learning platforms, and e-commerce businesses use SaaS for inventory and customer management.

Overall, SaaS’s strength lies in its ability to meet diverse needs with a subscription-based model, easy access, and regular updates. This makes it a valuable tool for anyone needing cost-effective, efficient, and scalable software.

SaaS Application Development Process

SaaS Ideation and Validation

SaaS app development process is a complex with a broad scope. It’s essential to have a clear vision of the SaaS product you want to create. A SaaS application can offer various services, so start by defining your SaaS concept. 

Conduct thorough research into the SaaS market and gather insights from top market statistics sources to understand current demand. Given the large and competitive nature of the SaaS industry, it’s crucial to come up with a unique and effective product idea.

For the best results, consult a professional SaaS development company to assist with conceptualizing and developing your SaaS solution. Once you have your concept, validate it by examining its technical requirements and considering user feedback.

UX/UI Design

This phase is crucial for you. SaaS applications include various features to deliver services. If users find your SaaS app difficult or uncomfortable to use, they may leave. So, the UI/UX design of SaaS apps is very important.

To design a user-friendly SaaS application, start by creating a wireframe and prototype. This will give you a clear picture of your app. You can also look at popular SaaS apps for UI/UX design ideas.

Development and Testing

This is where the real work begins. At this stage, developers start coding and programming to turn your SaaS product into a live platform. Once the development is complete, they will test the application and perform quality checks.

You need to pay close attention here. If you’re developing a web-based SaaS app, make sure it works well on desktop computers. If you're creating a mobile SaaS app, ensure it performs smoothly on both Android and iOS devices.

Launch and Maintenance

Once your SaaS product is ready, you need to deploy and launch it online. You can use platforms like GitHub, AWS Code Commit, or other cloud services for this process. Launching a SaaS app involves technical steps.

Maintenance and Scaling

SaaS application development doesn’t stop after the initial build. In reality, the work continues afterward. SaaS is dynamic and flexible, so you need to regularly monitor its performance. This means having a solid plan for maintenance and growth.

With the growing competition in the SaaS market, it's important to keep an eye on user behavior and market trends. For example, you might need to add new features, update old versions, and provide consistent customer support.

Since the competition in the SaaS business is continuously growing due to digital transformation, you have to keep a watch on user behavior and market trends. For example, adding new features, updating old versions, providing consistent customer support, etc. 

Challenges in SaaS Application Development

Integration of APIs and Third-Party Services

A common challenge in SaaS development is integrating third-party services, especially for online payments. If your SaaS app needs a payment system, you'll have to integrate services like PayPal, QuickPay, Stripe, Skrill, or Braintree. This can be a complicated process because it involves working with their APIs and following their documentation.

To handle this challenge, you should carefully review the API documentation and understand how APIs work. The best approach is to hire a professional SaaS development company to handle these integrations for you.

Zero Downtime 

SaaS applications need regular monitoring and maintenance. One challenge you might face is downtime during updates. When your SaaS is being updated or maintained, users might lose access to the services, which can be very inconvenient for them. They rely on your SaaS for their business, so any downtime can lead to financial losses and might make them look for alternatives.

To avoid this problem, you should aim for zero downtime during updates. Instead of just notifying users about downtime in advance, use a blue-green deployment strategy. This involves running two versions of your app: the old version (Blue) and the new version (Green). During maintenance, you can switch users to the older version temporarily so they can continue using your service without interruption.

Ensuring Data Security and Privacy

SaaS applications handle a lot of sensitive data about your business and customers. A security breach could lead to major data loss and privacy issues, so it’s crucial to have strong data protection measures.

You also need to make sure your SaaS app complies with various data protection regulations and laws, like GDPR and HIPAA. If your app doesn’t meet these legal standards, you could face legal consequences.

To avoid these problems, choose a SaaS development service that understands GDPR and HIPAA requirements. Make sure their developers use SSL and TLS encryption to secure communication between users and servers.

Managing Subscription Lifecycle

SaaS incorporates many features and services to offer. Your customers might need to change their plans while using your services. For example,

Use trial version

Subscribe

Unsubscribe

Cancel

Upgrade 

And to serve your customer’s change requests, you need to constantly work on managing the subscription lifecycle. Plus, you have to manage the data of your subscriber list. Managing all these things could be a challenge for you. 

How to overcome this challenge: There are two solutions to this problem. Either you can create your subscription system or integrate external APIs. 

How Much Does it Cost to Develop a SaaS Application?

On average, developing a SaaS application costs between $50,000 and $300,000 or more. The exact cost depends on factors like the complexity of the app, API integrations, and the hourly rate of developers.

At TechAhead, we offer pricing based on either hourly rates or project costs, depending on the needs of a full-stack SaaS product. We’ve provided cost-effective solutions for startups, typically ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.

The final cost of developing a SaaS application mainly depends on the type of app you want to create. Below, we’ve listed the costs for developing popular types of SaaS applications.

Types of SaaS

Average Cost with Basic SaaS Features

Example

Project Management

$75,000+

Trello, Basecamp

Email Marketing

$60,000+

Mailchimp, Campaigner

CRM

$60,000+

Salesforce, SAP

ERP

$110,000+

NetSuite, abas ERP

Marketing

$90,000+

HubSpot CRM, Hootsuite

Accounting

$70,000+

Sage Intact, Zoho Expense

DIY Website Builder

$130,000+

Wix, Squarespace

Conclusion

SaaS is like creating a virtual company. It allows you to connect with millions and billions of users around the globe. This means, your SaaS product has a large size of target audience and business scope. From big to small, every level of SaaS company has achieved great success by providing innovative and problem-solving software-as-a-service to their customers. 

Hence, investing in SaaS application development is an assured success. But, to ensure your SaaS product also achieves the same success and generates big revenue, you should try to develop your SaaS product under an expert SaaS application development company. 

How TechAhead Can Help You Build Your SaaS Product?

TechAhead is a top-rated software development company with a team of skilled professionals and the latest technology to create any type of SaaS application for your business.

We offer top-notch SaaS development services for both web and mobile platforms. Our experienced developers and designers are experts in building web and mobile SaaS applications.

If you have any questions about your SaaS project, just schedule a call to talk with our experts.

Just Schedule a Call and Speak with Our Experts

Source URL: https://www.techaheadcorp.com/blog/saas-application-development-everything-a-startup-needs-to-know/

[kickstartvtr]

Kickstartvtr: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

KickstartVTR helps you with all of your bank tasks. The KVR app makes it simple and easy to start an account, get a loan, or handle your money. Keep track of your money with quick online services and helpful help. Perfect for beginners looking to bring their vision to life.

How to Start Earning with KVR Step 1: Understand the Basics of KickstartVTR Kickstart Vision to Reality Private Limited can help you make your business ideas come true. To make your idea come true, our team gives you expert advice, planning tools , and project management help. When you start a business or make a new product , KVR gives you the tools you need to get known quickly. People will be more interested in your site and more likely to visit it if the tools you use are easy to use.

Our Vision: Our vision is to revolutionize gig jobs digitally for the next billion people, And mission to revolutionize the global gig economy and empower gig workers by making it simpler to get gig jobs.

Project Management: Tools that help you organize tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.

Community Support: A group of people with similar interests who can share thoughts and support each other.

Step 2: Why Choose KVR Full financial services for people and companies, including banking, planning, and support. Our team is committed to giving you the best service and coming up with new ideas. Your needs come first, and we work hard to make sure you're happy. If you want great results and a dedication to greatness, choose KVR.

Timely Payouts: Your money reaches your bank account every Day.

Be your own Boss: Flexible work timings and zero target pressure.

Getting more money: No earning limits, Perform better daily and earn more daily.

Effective Sales Partners: 50k+ sales partners have earned ₹5 Cr in 4 years. Join it!

Step 3: KVR Services Kickstartvtr has all the main banking services, like personal and business accounts, digital banking, financial planning, and customer service. Like Paytm, Tide, pies, loans, a credit card, and more.

Personal Banking: Accounts, loans, and investment options to manage your finances.

Business Banking: Services to support business accounts, loans, and financial management.

Digital Banking: Convenient online and mobile banking for easy access to your accounts.

Planning your finances: Giving you tools and tips to help you plan your business and money.

Step 4: How to Start Earning Money with KVR Starting to earn money is easier than you might think. Whether you're looking for a side hustle, a full-time job, or passive income, there are plenty of opportunities available.

Start Earning: Start earning with KVR by referring financial products and helping others make informed financial decisions while earning commissions on every successful referral.

Working Projects: Tide, Paytm (QR, Sounbox, Health Saathi, Demat), Pice, Upstock, Angle One, Incred, Cashe, Credit Cards.

Daily Earn: Daily you can earn up to INR 2,000

KVR Application: The best online earning app, offering opportunities to earn up to Rs. 5 lakh monthly through the sale of IT and financial products. Refer your friends & You can earn a 10% referral bonus of their total (up to ₹500 per referral).

Step 5: About KVR With the goal of giving all Indian workers the right to be able to find work , KVR is going after one of the biggest gig economy areas in the north. Together with the help of more than 75,000 gig workers, we were able to finish more than 2 million jobs in 2021. We work with many Fortune 500 companies, such as Amazon, Flipkart, Jio, Tata , Paytm, PhonePe, BharatPe, and Zepto. The main office of our company is in Noida, India. On the other hand, we have offices in Delhi, Bareli, Lucknow, Kanpur, Indore, Hapur, and Moradabad, so we are present all over the country.

Manage Your Tasks: You can keep track of what you've done and plan your tasks with KickstartVTR.

Stay on Schedule: If you need to adjust your timeline, that's okay—just make sure you update your plan.

Step 6: Get Support from the Community One of the best parts of KickstartVTR is the community of people who are all working toward their own goals. Connecting with others can give you new ideas, feedback, and the motivation to keep going.

Feedback and Reviews: Receive constructive feedback on your work or ideas to improve and grow.

Learning and Development: Participate in workshops, webinars, and discussions to enhance your skills.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with others in your field to share knowledge and opportunities.

Conclusion  KickstartVTR can help you create your ideas. Following these simple steps will assist you in making plans, setting goals, and having faith in your actions. If you want to start a business, work on an artistic project, or set personal goals, Kickstartvtr has the tools and tools you need to get things done. Right now , begin to learn how Kickstart can assist you in reaching your targets.

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[vijay01]

What are the top 10 trending fantasy cricket mobile apps in India?

In India, cricket is more than simply a game. It’s a lifestyle, a passion, and a way to connect with other aficionados. Thanks to the popularity of fantasy cricket, cricket enthusiasts can now develop their passion for the game even further by managing players, building their own virtual teams, and participating in online leagues against other enthusiasts. 

In India, there are a number of fantasy cricket applications that satisfy fans’ requirements and give them an engaging experience. Here, we’ll highlight some of the top fantasy gaming apps for cricket in India, emphasizing their standout features, usability, and exhilarating gameplay. 

Fantasy Cricket Apps Market Size in India

The size of the fantasy sports market in India is estimated to be Rs 13 crore in 2021 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32% from 2022 to 2032, reaching approximately Rs X crore. With almost 13 million users, India has emerged as the largest fantasy sports market in the world. 

While cricket currently dominates the Indian fantasy sports market, other sports like volleyball, kabaddi, hockey, and football are gaining traction and may eventually overtake cricket in terms of market share. However, over the next four years, fantasy cricket is predicted to increase at a 30% CAGR and continue to be the leading source of revenue for the fantasy sports sector. 

What are the top 10 trending fantasy cricket mobile apps in India?

Here, we present the top 10 trending fantasy cricket mobile apps in India. These fantasy sports apps provide diverse fantasy cricket experiences, catering to the interests and preferences of millions of sports enthusiasts across India.

Vision11

Vision 11, developed by Fantasy Sports Vision11 Private Limited stands out as India’s leading fantasy sports app, with a primary focus on cricket. It serves as a comprehensive sports management platform, empowering Indian sports enthusiasts to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. With a user base of over 20 million, Vision11 facilitates daily winnings exceeding 20 crores.

Vision11 is a top 10 fantasy cricket app that offers new users a sign-up bonus of Rs. 100 upon registration and allows payments directly to bank accounts. Users can also earn a referral bonus of Rs. 100 for each new member they bring onboard. The app ensures user convenience with a minimum withdrawal amount set at Rs. 100, making it accessible and rewarding for all fantasy cricket enthusiasts across India.

Dream 11

Dream11 stands as a powerhouse in the fantasy sports realm, boasting a colossal user base of over 220 million players globally. This platform offers enthusiasts the opportunity to engage deeply in fantasy versions of popular sports such as cricket, football, kabaddi, basketball, and hockey, among others. Founded by Dream Sports, a pioneering sports technology company in India,.

Dream11 is a top fantasy app in India that has strategically partnered with major national and international sports organizations, as well as prominent cricket personalities. These partnerships not only amplify fan interaction but also cement Dream11's position as a leader in delivering immersive and engaging fantasy sports experiences on a global scale.

BalleBaazi

BalleBaazi is highly recommended for fantasy cricket enthusiasts, particularly newcomers seeking a premier gaming experience. Renowned for its advanced features, this platform is one of the best sports fantasy apps in India that excels at delivering a top-tier fantasy experience. Endorsed by cricket legend Yuvraj Singh, BalleBaazi enjoys enhanced credibility and widespread appeal among users. It offers a generous sign-up bonus of Rs. 50, facilitating easy entry into the game.

Players benefit from convenient payment options like bank transfers and the Paytm wallet, ensuring seamless transactions. With a Rs. 50 referral bonus and a minimum withdrawal amount of Rs. 200, BalleBaazi provides a rewarding and user-friendly environment. Its robust features and user satisfaction make it a standout choice, as reflected in its positive ratings across fantasy gaming platforms.

My11 Circle

My11 Circle, managed by Play Games 24x7 Pvt. Ltd., is among the best fantasy apps tailored for passionate cricket fans eager to showcase their knowledge and strategic skills. This app allows users to create up to six teams per match, offering extensive options for team composition, caption selections, and predictions for standout players and optimal bowling pairs. 

Users not only participate in a variety of contests to challenge others but also have the option to create custom contests to compete with friends and family. With an impressive user rating of 4.3 out of 5, My11 Circle boasts a substantial user base exceeding 4 crore players. It has distributed over ₹500 crore in prizes, underscoring its stature as a top choice in the competitive world of fantasy sports.

MPL Fantasy

Founded in 2018 in Bengaluru, India, Mobile Premier League (MPL) has emerged as a leading online gaming platform offering a diverse range of over 60 games. These include board games, sports simulations, fantasy sports, puzzles, and casual games, catering to a broad audience of gamers. MPL's fantasy cricket app stands out for its realistic gaming experience, accessible for free on both iOS and Android devices (versions 5.1 and above). 

It enables users to participate in fantasy leagues for cricket, football, and basketball, providing real-time updates and smooth gameplay. MPL has solidified its appeal among sports enthusiasts through strategic partnerships with major leagues such as the NBA and Pro Kabaddi League, further enhancing its credibility and user engagement in the fantasy sports arena.

Gamezy

Gamezy is the best fantasy sports app in India, dedicated to transforming the fantasy cricket experience into something more rewarding and immersive. They emphasize creating a platform where everyone can win, whether they are new to fantasy sports or seasoned professionals. Gamezy is committed to providing a secure environment with RNG-certified gaming, ensuring 100% safe transactions, and safeguarding user data and identity privacy.

Their platform welcomes users with a generous sign-up bonus of Rs 12,000 and offers substantial earning opportunities through referrals, with users earning up to Rs 12,516 per friend referred. Gamezy also features unlimited earning potential through various missions, enhancing both the learning curve and entertainment value for all fantasy cricket enthusiasts.

Halaplay

HalaPlay stands out as a premier Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) platform catering to both serious and casual sports enthusiasts. It offers quick, simple, and engaging cash-based games where users can create teams, join leagues, and compete for cash prizes after every game—not just at the end of a season.

The platform's mission is to enhance sports fan engagement and boost viewership by making matches more compelling for users. HalaPlay features various leagues across cricket, football, and Kabaddi, leveraging advanced data analytics and machine learning to assist users in drafting teams, analyzing their gameplay patterns, and enhancing their fantasy sports skills.

Real11

Real11 has established itself as a leading fantasy sports platform in India, celebrated for its credibility and reliability among cricket, football, and kabaddi enthusiasts. It offers a robust platform where sports fans can engage in skill-based gaming to earn substantial rewards. The platform's rapid growth is fueled by its expanding user base, providing fans ample opportunities to showcase their fantasy sports acumen and compete for significant prizes.

Innovation is at the core of Real11's strategy, as evidenced by its introduction of 'Opinion and Trading', a segment that engages users in knowledge-based gaming. Here, participants answer straightforward questions about ongoing events to earn rewards. With over 9 million downloads, Real11 hosts more than 250 daily contests, with daily winnings surpassing ₹1 crore, ensuring an engaging and lucrative experience for all users.

Paytm first games

Since its inception in 2009, Paytm has solidified its position as a leading payments platform in India. Leveraging its trusted brand, Paytm has ventured into the realm of gaming with First Games, emerging as a premier destination for money games including fantasy sports and rummy. Whether you're a fan of Indian rummy seeking to play online or looking for the excitement of fantasy cricket, First Games offers an innovative app that caters to both interests. 

It provides the thrill of playing ultimate rummy with opportunities to win real cash, seamlessly integrated with the excitement of fantasy sports. With First Games, users can enjoy a perfect blend of online rummy card games and the immersive experience of fantasy sports. 

Howzat

Since its inception in 2018, Howzat has rapidly emerged as one of India’s premier fantasy sports platforms. Managed by Junglee Games India Pvt. Ltd. Howzat provides sports enthusiasts with an interactive platform to actively engage in their favorite sports and compete for real-money prizes based on their sports knowledge and skills.

Boasting a nationwide user base exceeding 10 million players, Howzat maintains an impressive 4.5-star average rating from its dedicated community. The platform features a diverse array of major sports, exciting contests, and substantial winnings, ensuring a secure and enjoyable gaming experience with its steadfast commitment to 100% safety and security.

Conclusion 

The above-provided details and information talk about the top 10 trending fantasy cricket mobile apps in India. Whether through innovative features, trusted gameplay, or extensive user bases, these apps continue to shape and define the fantasy sports experience for millions across the country. If you are a business looking for a perfect development partner for your app, this is the best choice. 

FAQs

What is a fantasy sports app?

A fantasy sports app is a platform where users create virtual teams using real-life athletes. These teams earn points depending on the real-life performances of the athletes during actual games. 

How do I get started with a fantasy sports app?

Begin by signing up and creating an account. You can link your social media profiles for quick registration. Once registered, you can join or create leagues, draft your team, and start participating in contests.  Begin by signing up and creating an account. You can link your social media profiles for quick registration. Once registered, you can join or create leagues, draft your team, and start participating in contests. 

How are points calculated in fantasy sports?

Points are awarded based on the real0-life performance of the athletes on your fantasy team. Each sport has its own scoring system, which is outlined in the app. 

Are fantasy sports apps legal in India?

Yes, fantasy sports are considered a game of skill and are legal in most parts of India. However, regulations may vary by state, so it's best to check local laws.

[cindylouwho-2]

Etsy Third Quarter Earnings 2023 - It's the Economy, Not Upper Management's Fault (Apparently)

Slide 12 from Etsy's 3rd Q earnings call, © Etsy; they are definitely going all out to let US buyers know about the Purchase Protection changes.

Etsy's third quarter 2023 didn't show any real sales growth, and upper management is projecting an even weaker holiday season. However, economic issues and geopolitical instability bore the brunt of the blame, along with ecommerce competition that is spending too much money on ads (compared to Etsy, of course). The top brass doesn't think it has made any big mistakes, and surprisingly, didn't announce any new ideas to get things moving again, largely repeating what's been said for the past year or more.

That doesn't mean we didn't learn anything new, though, so let's dive into the aspects that will most interest sellers. In portions where I am reporting on what was said or posted, I will put my personal commentary in square brackets to separate it out.

First, here are the resources that you should read/watch yourself, if you want to know more:

the press release

transcript of the conference call

slides from the conference call

video of the call (click on “Webcast” under “Latest Quarterly Results”)

my summaries of the third quarter 2022, and the second quarter 2023 for comparison

Second, the basic numbers (covering July to September 2023, compared to the same period in 2022):

Sales on Etsy were $2.7 billion, up 1% 

Total sales for all 4 marketplaces (Etsy, Reverb, Depop, Elo7) were $3.0 billion, up 1.2%. [Elo7 was officially sold in mid August, meaning it was only included for half of the quarter]

Etsy’s revenue (including all 4 sites) was $636.3 million, up 7%

Seller service revenue was up 16.2% to $175.4 million, while marketplace revenue was up 3.9% to $460.9 million

Net Income was $87.9 million, up almost $1 billion due to the loss taken on Depop in the third quarter of 2022

Active buyers on Etsy alone stand at 91.6 million, a second consecutive all-time high

Active sellers on Etsy alone are 6.7 million, the third large jump in a row compared to the previous quarter; numbers had been stagnant through the end of 2021 and all of 2022 [Note that “active” means one charge or transaction in the past 12 months; many “active” shops currently have nothing for sale.]

Sales where the buyer and/or the seller was not in the United States were 47%, up from 43% last year, but most Etsy buyers are still in the US

Sales on mobile are now at 68%, up from 67% last year [this includes both the buyer app and mobile browsers]

The Economy, Pricing & the Consumer Appetite for Discounts

As you may have heard, the economy is not great, especially for lower-income households, and that affects certain products more than others. CEO Josh Silverman actually stated "the volatile macro climate is going to make it challenging for us to grow this quarter." Strikingly, both VP of Investor Relations Deb Wasser and CFO Rachel Glaser urged people to buy their holiday gifts on Etsy [which hit me as a bit desperate during an earnings call!]

However, households in US areas that average above $100,000 in yearly income are actually spending more on Etsy, and the top 10% of US households (by income) spent 20% more on Etsy this quarter than last year. Glaser pointed to this as evidence Etsy was doing fine, all things considered, and a better economy would once again lead to more growth. [That's a fair take based on that evidence; Etsy certainly is doing better than some other ecommerce marketplaces right now.] Is there an overarching plan if the economy doesn't improve? Investors weren't let in on any such plans during this call.

Despite all of this, sales were actually up a bit each month of the third quarter, while dropping in October. Glaser stated this matched US ecommerce trends. Non-US countries were up 7% this quarter, including the UK, Germany and France, continuing the trend of bigger international growth.

"In this economy, we are seeing that mass merchants who sell essentials and whose brands stand for low prices and deep discounts are generally gaining e-commerce share broadly at the expense of most others." Hence, as I pointed out last quarter, Etsy is leaning into discounting and stressing affordability to try to drive sales. This includes at least 3 approaches:

offering discounts paid by Etsy, such as the "GET5" coupon and the $10 off of $40 orders promotion. The former drove orders and paid for itself; the latter did not. They will continue to test these types of offers.

promoting sales that sellers already run, such as through links on the home page and through emails. [This would seem to include the lengthy holiday sale that Etsy is pushing, with at least 25% off.]

giving sellers more data on pricing, including when and how to put items on sale. They touted the [mostly useless] pricing tool as part of this plan, since "our sellers don't have pricing departments, giving them insights into things like how best to price each item and how or when to use promotions. So we need to be the ones to provide those insights and be their advocates."

They also talked a lot about the fact regular Etsy prices can be affordable. [It may be difficult to convincingly present that position to prospective buyers. Spinning shopping on Etsy as buying direct from the maker with no "middlemen" is a bit rich, considering Etsy is the middleman, taking an ever-larger cut in the past few years, through fee increases, Offsite Ads charges we didn't have to pay before 2020, and ever-increasing margins on Etsy Ads.]

In short, consumers are very price conscious right now, and Etsy is aiming to provide them with what they want.

Search - Branching The Biggest and Most Generic Queries

As they have been discussing for a few years now, one of Etsy's biggest goals for search is to better narrow down large searches, which currently produce an overwhelming number of results [a fact not helped by the continuing growth in seller numbers and Etsy adding items to results that don't have the search terms anywhere.]

They are now happy with the relevance of large searches - "[w]e've made a ton of progress on relevance" - [even though smaller searches can be quite poor, as I discussed last quarter], so they aren't going to focus on that as much going forward. Instead, they are finally testing better ways to offer multiple branches from large searches, or "open-ended head query items" [head searches are the opposite of long tail searches, so this is only being done in a small percentage of the total unique queries overall].

Here is the example given in the call, from a test ran recently:

Slide 6 from Etsy's 3rd Q earnings call, © Etsy; shows a test on breaking down a generic search into more specific ones.

This version had multiple rows of top items in specific narrower searches, before the full search results appeared further down the page, which led to a lot of scrolling. However, I am not seeing that version of the test any more when I check. I am seeing this one instead:

Search for "tree" on Etsy, November 3, 2023.

Note that the normal search results are much higher up the page with this one, plus you can see the 4 different options to narrow the results down without having to scroll. While the 4 sub-topics look like they might be categories, clicking on them simply leads to a search using all of the terms, i.e., a search for "tree home decor" instead of a search for "tree" filtered to the Home Decor category.

Note that Etsy plans that these options will ideally include personalization and contextualization, and are also likely to feature more "quality" items [which so far seems to mean items that have the Etsy's Pick badge in other areas, even though that hasn't happened in this type of test, or at least not that I have seen up until now].

Other changes in search mentioned include "utilizing ML [machine learning] models designed to determine the visual appeal of items and incorporating that information into our search algorithms." [It's hard to say how far they have gotten in testing that versus using it across the site; often these types of musings during calls turn out to be works in progress instead of live algorithm factors. I am trying to formulate a few tests on this, though, so stay tuned!]

Enforcing Etsy Policies To Entice More Shoppers

Etsy is finally aware of the negative image it has in some circles, and is making a big deal out of how it is now enforcing the rules and removing more handmade violations. "Handmade policy takedowns are up over 120% for the third quarter" sounds great [but they didn't mention that the overwhelming majority of their takedowns - roughly 95% - are wrong, and that innocent sellers' businesses are damaged when this happens.]

Because the job of cleaning up handmade violations is so overwhelming to program bots for, they are now approaching it by trying to deactivate the most visible items first, and claim that "we've nearly cut in half the percentage of visits where a buyer comes across a violating listing." [This explains the glut of long-time sellers complaining that their best sellers have been deactivated for handmade violations. Etsy is going for the items with good quality scores first, and as I have noted, they do a poor job of distinguishing real violations from legitimate listings. Aiming to remove non-handmade items from the biggest searches etc. first is a good idea, but you would need competent programing and quick human review to do this fairly and effectively, and Etsy has neither. By the way, despite promising in late September to review all handmade bot flags within 48 hours or reinstate them, and to deindex listings from search rather than deactivate them entirely, they are still not doing that.]

One of the investment group reps said they had seen an improvement in enforcement, and asked how much it was affecting sales. Silverman replied "I'm also proud to say that we are seeing no deleterious effect to GMS from that. People don't come to Etsy wanting mass-produced product, and we're finding that as we do even more to suppress those listings on the site, the site experience only gets better." [In other news, I am not at all proud to say that the packaged snack seller who is violating Etsy's gift basket policy by selling mass-produced foods in cardboard boxes is still on Etsy, and is now a Star Seller, despite me reporting them twice in 2 1/2 years. Since the corporation isn't removing this stuff - which sells well - I am not surprised that the gross marketplace sales have not been affected yet.]

Purchase Protection and On-Time Delivery Guarantees

As shown at the top of this post, Etsy's recent changes to the Purchase Protection Plan - officially stating that eligible orders arriving after the last estimated delivery date will be fully refunded after a case is opened - are a key part of the holiday marketing plan in the United States only, even though the policy applies worldwide.

Slide 9 notes that over 98% of orders were delivered on time in the US last holiday season [but of course sellers could enter their own custom delivery windows then, which is no longer possible in the US or the UK]. The slide did not note if that included items where tracking doesn't always get updated on Etsy, such as envelopes with Pitney-Bowes labels, or services Etsy doesn't program the tracking for. Were those part of the late items, or were they not included at all? We just do not know.

[Remember, if your order qualifies for seller protection, Etsy is the one who pays the refund, not you. They've been doing this for over a year now. Of course, some countries and classes of items are less likely to quality for seller protection, largely due to shipping and tracking differences. Review how seller protection works if you are concerned.]

Advertising

One of the most interesting parts of the call was both Silverman and Glaser blaming Temu and Shein for running massive ad campaigns that were not sustainable if they wanted to be profitable. They explicitly stated Etsy may reduce the spending on Offsite Ads if the other companies are driving bids up higher than they are worth, and also said they are increasing paid social media as one way to compensate. [So if you rely on sales from Offsite Ads, watch those number in the next few months.]

Overall, Etsy spent more on marketing/advertising this quarter than the previous year, up 9% to $161 million. As part of that, new commercials will come out in the UK and the US for the holidays, while Etsy tried TV commercials in Austria and Switzerland during the quarter.

"Etsy Ads was the primary driver of [services revenue] strength as we optimized our XWalk functionality to better value potential listing conversion and pricing into our ad ranking system." [Since I don't use Etsy Ads any more, I can't test this at all. They've previously said they incorporated listing prices into the search algorithm, but my testing demonstrated little effect. This is something I will test in search again.]

Miscellaneous

Etsy alone has added nearly 1 million sellers over 3 quarters after that number being relatively flat for a year, and Silverman says they've done nothing to go after those new folks. More people selling on Etsy was attributed to economic factors [but I suspect AI availability is also involved, as the tutorials for setting up an AI-generated shop on Etsy are all over the web now. Note this increase means that while gross marketplace sales have been roughly flat this year, the average amount per seller has dropped.]

Etsy spent around $1 million covering the October bills of sellers affected by war in Israel and Gaza.

Depop had an excellent quarter; "GMS and revenue both grew double digits on a year-over-year basis with growth in active buyers sparked by strong new buyer growth in the U.S." Reverb was down a bit, but kept ahead of other musical instrument businesses.

Silverman has mentioned that Etsy isn't the first place many people think to shop for certain types of items over several different calls now. For example, "Only 12% of buyers will name Etsy top of mind as the place to shop for gifts." They don't seem to have any updated numbers showing how they've been improving that situation. [It's time to go after that "enormous opportunity", Josh!]

I wish I could report there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but just waiting for the economy to improve is probably not the best way to increase sales. Yes, economic factors are a big part of Etsy's sales stagnation, and Etsy is doing better than many of its competitors, but they are going to have to present some new plans soon if they expect to keep investors happy.

Don't be surprised if there are major site changes in 2024, because this can't continue.

[karanchadda]

Increase in the Use of Android Development

Android is still one of the world's most popular mobile operating systems, and there is a great demand for skilled Android developers. Android developers can earn a good living and have a rewarding career. 

According to Statista research from the second quarter of 2021, consumers downloaded over 7.9 million apps from the Apple Store and 28 billion apps from Google Play. AI (Artificial Intelligence) will be crucial in creating Android mobile apps. 

The worldwide AI market is expected to be worth $70.94 billion by 2023. Android app development can use blockchain technology to create decentralized apps that provide speed, privacy, transparency, and performance, among other benefits. 

Android apps that use Blockchain technology, such as Ethereum, will improve operations and preserve data. Another profitable app development trend for 2022 is incorporating 5G technology into Android app development. 

Given the number of internet platforms and websites now available to identify qualified software developers, it is simple for employers to hire Android developers. Toptal, Arc, Gun .io, Fiverr, Upwork, and other similar sites are excellent places to find Android engineers. 

know more -

[forgottenbones]

Douyin was launched by ByteDance in September 2016, originally under the name A.me, before rebranding to Douyin (抖音) in December 2016. Douyin was developed in 200 days and within a year had 100 million users, with more than one billion videos viewed every day.

While TikTok and Douyin share a similar user interface, the platforms operate separately. Douyin includes an in-video search feature that can search by people's faces for more videos of them, along with other features such as buying, booking hotels, and making geo-tagged reviews.

ByteDance planned on Douyin expanding overseas. The founder of ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, stated that "China is home to only one-fifth of Internet users globally. If we don't expand on a global scale, we are bound to lose to peers eyeing the four-fifths. So, going global is a must."

The app was launched as TikTok in the international market in September 2017. On 23 January 2018, the TikTok app ranked first among free application downloads on app stores in Thailand and other countries. TikTok has been downloaded more than 130 million times in the United States and has reached 2 billion downloads worldwide, according to data from mobile research firm Sensor Tower (those numbers exclude Android users in China).

In the United States, celebrities, including Jimmy Fallon and Tony Hawk, began using the app in 2018. Other celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Will Smith, and Justin Bieber joined TikTok as well as many others. In January 2019, TikTok allowed creators to embed merchandise sale links into their videos.

On 3 September 2019, TikTok and the U.S. National Football League (NFL) announced a multi-year partnership. The agreement occurred just two days before the NFL's 100th season kick-off at Soldier Field, where TikTok hosted activities for fans in honor of the deal. The partnership entails the launch of an official NFL TikTok account, which is to bring about new marketing opportunities such as sponsored videos and hashtag challenges. In July 2020, TikTok, excluding Douyin, reported close to 800 million monthly active users worldwide after less than four years of existence.

In May 2021, TikTok appointed Shou Zi Chew as their new CEO who assumed the position from interim CEO Vanessa Pappas, following the resignation of Kevin A. Mayer on 27 August 2020. In September 2021, TikTok reported that it had reached 1 billion users. In 2021, TikTok earned $4 billion in advertising revenue.

In October 2022, TikTok was reported to be planning an expansion into the e-commerce market in the US, following the launch of TikTok Shop in the United Kingdom. The company posted job listings for staff for a series of order fulfillment centers in the US and is reportedly planning to start the new live shopping business before the end of the year. The Financial Times reported that TikTok will launch a video gaming channel, but the report was denied in a statement to Digiday, with TikTok instead aiming to be a social hub for the gaming community.

According to data from app analytics group Sensor Tower, advertising on TikTok in the US grew by 11% in March 2023, with companies including Pepsi, DoorDash, Amazon and Apple among the top spenders. According to estimates from research group Insider Intelligence, TikTok is projected to generate $14.15 billion in revenue in 2023, up from $9.89 billion in 2022.

On March 8, 2024, President Joe Biden said he would sign into law a bill forcing ByteDance to divest TikTok within 180 days. The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously, 50-0, to advance the bill on March 7, 2024. ByteDance launched a congressional lobbying campaign mobilizing TikTok users in response.

On 9 November 2017, TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, spent nearly $1 billion to purchase musical.ly, a startup headquartered in Shanghai with an overseas office in Santa Monica, California, U.S. Musical.ly was a social media video platform that allowed users to create short lip-sync and comedy videos, initially released in August 2014. TikTok merged with musical.ly on 2 August 2018 with existing accounts and data consolidated into one app, keeping the title TikTok. This ended musical.ly and made TikTok a worldwide app, excluding China, since China already had Douyin.

TikTok

[feetpiclovers]

Donal Bisht is an Indian actress known for her work in Hindi television. Bisht is best known for her role as Sharanya Bisht in the drama series Ek Deewana Tha aired on Sony TV. Her famous roles include Ishika Patel in the Indian television show Roop – Mard Ka Naya Swaroop.

She also participated in the reality TV show Bigg Boss 15 as a contestant in 2021. Bisht also ranked 18 in Times Most Desirable Women on TV. Donal Bisht's feet pics are also famous on the internet because her fans love them.

Many foot lovers are out there and some of her fans are also foot lovers so they search for Donal Bisht's feet pics. You can also view Donal Bisht's feet pics if you have a sexual interest in feet. If you are interested in feet other than Donal Bisht feet pics you can search them on the internet. I suggest the best platform which is FeetFinder which is a feet-specific platform for people interested in buying, selling, or viewing feet pics.

Buyers have several options and tools to search for their desired feet on the FeetFinder. You can search through filters, albums, and categories. You can adjust filters according to your needs for specific searches. This is the easiest platform that anyone can search and buy feet pics easily.

Don’t try to search the FeetFinder app because it's unavailable and you can use it on your mobile browser. The structure of its website is user-friendly and you can use it in your mobile browser.

If you are looking for an online side hustle, selling on FeetFinder is the best thing to make money online. You might have questions, is FeetFinder legit? Yes, FeetFinder is a perfect place to sell feet pics legitimately.

FeetFinder is the safest place to explore your foot fetishism or sell foot pics. Anyone can sell feet pics and become a professional feet model. This is a perfect side hustle for stay-at-home moms and college students who want to earn money in flexible time. FeetFinder is for everyone interested in feet and others can sell foot pictures to earn money. Many Instafeet sellers are also switching to FeetFinder to earn successfully.

You can get buyers on FeetFinder because potential buyers prefer buying on this platform. So you must start earning on this renowned platform, join FeetFinder!

Continue talking about Donal Bisht's feet pics, life, and career.

[enterprisewired]

Block Reports $66 Million Bitcoin Profit in Q4 2023 as Cash App Soars

Jack Dorsey’s Fintech Firm Experiences 90% YoY Increase

Block, the fintech company led by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, has announced a remarkable $66 million in bitcoin gross profit from Bitcoin sales through its Cash App in the last quarter of 2023. This reflects a substantial 90% increase compared to the same period the previous year. The company’s Q4 2023 earnings report, released on Thursday, triggered a surge in the stock price of NASDAQ: SQ, rising 12.35% in after-hours trading from $67.96 to $76.10.

Bitcoin Revenue and Bitcoin Gross Profit Surge

Block’s report detailed a total Bitcoin revenue of $2.52 billion, showing a significant 37% YoY increase. The surge in Bitcoin revenue and Bitcoin gross profit was attributed to the rise in the average market price of Bitcoin and gains from the price appreciation of Block’s Bitcoin inventory during the quarter. Block had previously invested $50 million and $170 million in Bitcoin in late 2020 and early 2021, respectively. By the end of 2023, the company held 8,038 Bitcoins, valued at around $340 million, which has since surpassed $400 million, resulting in a $207 million gain.

Mobile Cash App’s Impact

A considerable portion of Bitcoin sales occurred through smartphones, with the mobile Cash App generating $205 million in Bitcoin gross profit and $9.50 billion in Bitcoin revenue for 2023. This represents a 31% and 34% YoY increase, respectively. Jack Dorsey emphasized the importance of easy, connected banking features that foster trust, positioning Cash App as a reliable and dependable platform for financial transactions.

Financial Growth and Future Outlook

For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, Block’s revenues surged to $9,498,302, showcasing a robust 33.54% growth compared to the previous year’s $7,112,856. While 2022 saw a decline of 28.96% in revenues compared to 2021, the recent financial results indicate a positive trajectory for the company. Block’s focus on the Cash App, highlighted in their Q3 2023 report, contributed significantly to their impressive performance.

AI’s Role in Future Financial Services

During the earnings call, Jack Dorsey highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of financial services. He emphasized the impact of AI on learning, faster shipping, error correction, and staying ahead of the market. Dorsey sees AI as a tool that enhances creativity and integrates complex systems efficiently, reflecting the company’s commitment to embracing technological advancements in the financial sector.

Curious to learn more? Explore our articles on Enterprise Wired

[speedyposts]

Block becomes the latest fintech to lay off workers

Block, the fintech company whose subsidiaries include Square, Cash App and Afterpay, is laying off staff at a tumultuous time for tech industry workers.

That’s according to an internal memo from CEO Jack Dorsey, obtained first by Business Insider, which states that “the growth of [Block] has far outpaced the growth of … business and revenue.”

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The layoffs were executed this morning and affected staff in the Cash App, foundational and Square arms of Block. Reportedly, around 1,000 people — or 10% of Block’s headcount — were impacted.

“We decided it would be better to do at once rather than arbitrarily space them out, which didn’t seem fair to the individuals or to the company,” said Dorsey in the note to Block staff. “When we know we need to take an action, we want to take it immediately, rather than let things linger on forever.”

The firings don’t come as a total surprise. Block said in an earnings call last year that it would reduce its headcount from 13,000 in the Q3 2023 to an “absolute cap” of 12,000 by the end of this year.

But they add to a sense of malaise in the fintech and broader tech sector, which has seen tens of thousands of workers let go in the past few weeks.

Just today, PayPal said it would fire some 2,500 people, or 9% of the company. Last week, Brex, the expense management startup, laid off 282, or 20% of its staff. And Treasure Financial, a platform offering cash management software for businesses, let 14 employees go, leaving the company with about a third of its former workforce.

Block’s suffered a difficult, downward-trending year and change.

Revenues from Cash App, the peer-to-peer payments service, have declined steeply. Meanwhile, the buy now, pay later service Afterpay, which Block acquired in 2021 for $29 billion, has posted serious losses. Block’s Bitcoin revenue has fallen corresponding with the fall in the price of the cryptocurrency last year (although that’s recovered recently). And Square faces growing competition on multiple fronts, including from Fiserv’s Clover, Toast and Stripe.

Investors are displeased. Square stock retreated around 30% from January 2023 to October as Block founder Dorsey took the reigns from ex-Square head Alyssa Henry.

Block’s recent attempts to reinvigorate business include adding generative AI features to Square, acquiring music-focused fintech startup Hifi and launching a self-custody Bitcoin wallet, Bitkey, in the form of a mobile app and hardware storage.

Block reported $5.62 billion in revenue for the third quarter of 2023, with $44 million in profit on its Bitcoin holdings.

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How to Get AdSense Approval Quickly a Personal Journey to Monetizing a Niche Blog

I will share my personal journey of getting AdSense approval quickly for my blog focused on the SME

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