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E-invoicing or electronic invoicing is the process of generating, sending, receiving, and storing invoices digitally. In contrast with traditional invoicing, which eliminates the need for sending paper invoices or PDF files via email, e-invoicing employs structured data formats such as XML (Extensible Markup Language) to streamline and automate the invoicing process.

Traditional invoicing methods typically involve creating an invoice in a word processor or accounting software, converting it to a PDF, and emailing it to the recipient. While this approach, is more efficient than paper-based invoicing, it still requires manual data entry and processing at the receiving end. 

However, with an e-invoicing solution that leverages structured data formats, the recipient’s accounting systems can seamlessly integrate, eliminating the need for manual data entry, reducing errors, and accelerating the overall invoicing process

How Does E-invoicing Work? 

E-invoicing works by transmitting invoices as XML files that contain structured data, which can be directly received and processed by the recipient’s accounting software. Often, these XML files have embedded PDFs to provide a human-readable version of the invoice for reference. The process typically involves the following steps:

1. Invoice Generation: The supplier creates an invoice using their e-invoicing software. This software generates an XML file with all the necessary invoice details, like line items, prices, tax information, and payment terms. A PDF version of the invoice is also embedded within the XML file for easy viewing.
2. Sending the Invoice: The XML file is sent to the recipient’s e-invoicing mailbox. This can be done through various secure transmission methods, such as EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), API (Application Programming Interface), or other e-invoicing networks.
3. Receiving the Invoice: Upon receiving the invoice, the XML file is automatically processed by the recipient’s e-invoicing system. The structured data within the XML file is extracted and integrated into the recipient’s accounting software, updating accounts payable records instantly.
4. Instant Availability: Because the invoice data is sent in a structured format, it is immediately available for processing upon receipt. There is no need for manual data entry, which significantly reduces the risk of errors and speeds up the payment cycle.

The instant availability of invoice data is one of the key advantages of e-invoicing. It enables businesses to automate their invoicing workflows, improve accuracy, and ensure timely payments. Additionally, e-invoicing provides greater visibility into the invoicing process, allowing both suppliers and buyers to track the status of invoices in real time. This enhanced transparency fosters better financial management and stronger business relationships.

Key Benefits of Switching to E-invoicing

Improved Efficiency

Switching to e-invoicing significantly enhances efficiency by automating workflows like invoice processing, eliminating the need for manual data entry, which is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. With e-invoicing, invoices are generated, sent, received, and processed electronically, allowing for quicker and more accurate handling of invoice data.

Cost Savings

E-invoicing offers substantial cost savings compared to traditional paper or email/PDF invoicing methods. The expenses related to printing, postage, and physical storage of paper invoices are removed. Additionally, the reduced need for manual processing translates to lower labor costs. Businesses can reinvest these savings into other critical areas of their operations.

Enhanced Accuracy and Compliance

One of the key advantages of e-invoicing is the minimization of human errors. Since data is transmitted in a structured, electronic format, the likelihood of errors during data entry is greatly reduced. Furthermore, e-invoicing helps ensure compliance with various tax regulations and industry standards by automating the application of the correct tax codes and maintaining accurate records.

Faster Payment Cycles

E-invoicing accelerates the entire invoicing process, from invoice generation to payment. Automating invoice approval workflows allows for quicker approval times, leading to faster payments. This improved speed not only enhances cash flow management but also strengthens supplier relationships by ensuring timely payments.

Better Data Management

With e-invoicing, businesses can access invoice data in real time, facilitating better data management and analytics. This immediate access to accurate and up-to-date information enables more informed decision-making and improves financial reporting. Enhanced data management capabilities also support more effective audit processes and compliance monitoring.

Environmental Benefits

E-invoicing contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing paper usage and waste. By transitioning to electronic invoices, businesses can support their corporate sustainability goals and demonstrate their commitment to environmentally responsible practices. This reduction in paper consumption also aligns with broader efforts to reduce the carbon footprint and promote greener business operations.

What Challenges Come with Implementing E-invoicing?

While the benefits of e-invoicing are clear, transitioning to this system can present several challenges including initial setup costs and system integration are common concerns. Businesses may need to invest in new software or upgrade their existing systems to accommodate e-invoicing capabilities.

Additionally, integrating e-invoicing with current accounting and ERP systems can be complex and may require technical expertise. However, some best practices can be implemented to ease the transition. 

E-invoicing Best Practices

Implementing e-invoicing can significantly streamline business operations, improve cash flow, and reduce errors. Here are some best practices for e-invoicing:

Adopt a Standard Format

• Standardization: Use a standardized invoice format such as UBL (Universal Business Language) or PEPPOL BIS. This ensures compatibility with various accounting and ERP systems.
• Compliance: Ensure that the format complies with regional and international regulations.

Ensure Data Accuracy

• Validation: Implement data validation checks to ensure accuracy before sending invoices. This includes verifying customer details, invoice amounts, and item descriptions.
• Automated Checks: Use automated systems to cross-check invoices against purchase orders and delivery receipts.

Integrate with ERP and Accounting Systems

• Seamless Integration: Integrate an e-invoicing solution with your ERP or accounting systems to streamline the invoicing process.
• Real-time Updates: Ensure that the systems provide real-time updates to maintain accurate financial records.

Secure Transmission

• Encryption: Use encryption to protect invoice data during transmission.
• Authentication: Implement authentication mechanisms such as digital signatures to verify the sender’s identity and ensure data integrity.

Compliance with Legal and Tax Requirements

• Legal Framework: Adhere to local and international e-invoicing regulations, including tax reporting requirements.
• Audit Trails: Maintain detailed audit trails to provide transparency and support compliance audits.

Conclusion

Switching to e-invoicing offers numerous advantages, including improved efficiency, cost savings, enhanced accuracy and compliance, faster payment cycles, better data management, and environmental benefits. Adopting best practices can help you successfully implement e-invoicing and unlock its full potential.

Featured image by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash

The post From Paper to Digital: The Benefits of Switching to E-invoicing appeared first on noupe.

In my experience of building and supporting UX teams, most of them are significantly under-resourced. In fact, the term “team” can often be a stretch, with many user experience professionals finding themselves alone in their roles.

Typically, there are way more projects that impact the user experience than the team can realistically work on. Consequently, most UX teams are in a constant state of firefighting and achieve relatively little in improving the overall experience.

We can complain about being under-resourced as much as we want, but the truth is that our teams are unlikely to grow to a size where we have sufficient staff to address every detail of the experience. Therefore, in this post, I want to step back and reconsider the role of user experience professionals and how UX teams can best improve the user experience of an organization.

What Is The Role Of A UX Professional?

There is a danger that as UX professionals, we focus too much on the tools of our trade rather than the desired outcome.

In other words, we tend to think that our role involves activities such as:

• Prototyping
• User research
• Interface design
• Testing with users

But these are merely the means to an end, not the end goal itself. These activities are also time-consuming and resource-intensive, potentially monopolizing the attention of a small UX team.

Our true role is to improve the user experience as they interact with our organization’s digital channels.

The ultimate goal for a UX team should be to tangibly enhance the customer experience, rather than solely focusing on executing design artifacts.

This reframing of our role opens up new possibilities for how we can best serve our organizations and their customers. Instead of solely focusing on the tactical activities of UX, we must proactively identify the most impactful opportunities to enhance the overall customer experience.

Changing How We Approach Our Role

If our goal is to elevate the customer experience, rather than solely executing UX activities, we need to change how we approach our role, especially in under-resourced teams.

To maximize our impact, we must shift from a tactical, project-based mindset to a more strategic, leadership-oriented one.

We need to become experience evangelists who can influence the broader organization and inspire others to prioritize and champion user experience improvements across the business.

As I help shape UX teams in organizations, I achieve this by focusing on four critical areas:

• The creation of shared resources,
• The provision of training,
• The offering of consultative services and
• The building of community.

Let’s explore these in turn.

The Creation Of Resources

It is important for any UX team to demonstrate its value to the organization. One way to achieve this is by creating a set of tangible resources that can be utilized by others throughout the organization.

Therefore, when creating a new UX team, I initially focus on establishing a core set of resources that provide value and leave an impressive impression.

Some of the resources I typically focus on producing include:

• User Experience Playbook
  An online learning resource featuring articles, guides, and cheatsheets that cover topics ranging from conducting surveys to performing AB testing.
• Design System
  A set of user interface components that can be used by teams to quickly prototype ideas and fast-track their development projects.
• Recommended Supplier List
  A list of UX specialists that have been vetted by the team, so departments can be confident in hiring them if they want help improving the user experience.
• User Research Assets
  A collection of personas, journey maps, and data on user behavior for each of the most common audiences that the organization interacts with.

These resources need to be viewed as living services that your UX team supports and refines over time. Note as well that these resources include educational elements. The importance of education and training cannot be overstated.

The Provision Of Training

By providing training and educational resources, your UX team can empower and upskill the broader organization, enabling them to better prioritize and champion user experience improvements. This approach effectively extends the team’s reach beyond its limited internal headcount, seeking to turn everybody into user experience practitioners.

This training provision should include a blend of ‘live’ learning and self-learning materials, with a greater focus on the latter since it can be created once and updated periodically.

Most of the self-learning content will be integrated into the playbook and will either be custom-created by your UX team (when specific to your organization) or purchased (when more generic).

In addition to this self-learning content, the team can also offer longer workshops, lunchtime inspirational presentations, and possibly even in-house conferences.

Of course, the devil can be in the details when it comes to the user experience, so colleagues across the organization will also need individual support.

The Offering Of Consultative Services

Although your UX team may not have the capacity to work directly on every customer experience initiative, you can provide consultative services to guide and support other teams. This strategic approach enables your UX team to have a more significant impact by empowering and upskilling the broader organization, rather than solely concentrating on executing design artifacts.

Services I tend to offer include:

• UX reviews
  A chance for those running digital services to ask a UX professional to review their existing services and identify areas for improvement.
• UX discovery
  A chance for those considering developing a digital service to get it assessed based on whether there is a user need.
• Workshop facilitation
  Your UX team could offer a range of UX workshops to help colleagues understand user needs better or formulate project ideas through design thinking.
• Consultancy clinics
  Regular timeslots where those with questions about UX can “drop in” and talk with a UX expert.

But it is important that your UX team limits their involvement and resists the urge to get deeply involved in the execution of every project. Their role is to be an advisor, not an implementer.

Through the provision of these consultative services, your UX team will start identifying individuals across the organization who value user experience and recognize its importance to some degree. The ultimate goal is to transform these individuals into advocates for UX, a process that can be facilitated by establishing a UX community within your organization.

Building A UX Community

Building a UX community within the organization can amplify the impact of your UX team’s efforts and create a cohesive culture focused on customer experience. This community can serve as a network of champions and advocates for user experience, helping spread awareness and best practices throughout the organization.

Begin by creating a mailing list or a Teams/Slack channel. Using these platforms, your UX team can exchange best practices, tips, and success stories. Additionally, you can interact with the community by posing questions, creating challenges, and organizing group activities.

For example, your UX team could facilitate the creation of design principles by the community, which could then be promoted organization-wide. The team could also nurture a sense of friendly competition by encouraging community members to rate their digital services against the System Usability Scale or another metric.

The goal is to keep UX advocates engaged and advocating for UX within their teams, with a continual focus on growing the group and bringing more people into the fold.

Finally, this community can be rewarded for their contributions. For example, they could have priority access to services or early access to educational programs. Anything to make them feel like they are a part of something special.

An Approach Not Without Its Challenges

I understand that many of my suggestions may seem unattainable. Undoubtedly, you are deeply immersed in day-to-day project tasks and troubleshooting. I acknowledge that it is much easier to establish this model when starting from a blank canvas. However, it is possible to transition an existing UX team from tactical project work to UX leadership.

The key to success lies in establishing a new, clear mandate for the group, rather than having it defined by past expectations. This new mandate needs to be supported by senior management, which means securing their buy-in and understanding of the broader value that user experience can provide to the organization.

I tend to approach this by suggesting that your UX team be redefined as a center of excellence (CoE). A CoE refers to a team or department that develops specialized expertise in a particular area and then disseminates that knowledge throughout the organization.

This term is familiar to management and helps shift management and colleague thinking away from viewing the team as UX implementors to a leadership role. Alongside this new definition, I also seek to establish new objectives and key performance indicators with management.

These new objectives should focus on education and empowerment, not implementation. When it comes to key performance indicators, they should revolve around the organization’s understanding of UX, overall user satisfaction, and productivity metrics, rather than the success or failure of individual projects.

It is not an easy shift to make, but if you do it successfully, your UX team can evolve into a powerful force for driving customer-centric innovation throughout the organization.

The world of design and creativity has always been a dynamic and evolving landscape, constantly influenced by cultural shifts, technological advancements, and societal changes. 

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have emerged as transformative forces, promising to revolutionize how we approach design and creativity. From automating repetitive tasks to generating novel ideas, these technologies are reshaping the boundaries of what is possible in the creative industries. 

This blog post will explore how AI and ML are set to redefine design and creativity, highlighting their potential, challenges, and the exciting future that lies ahead.

The Current Landscape of AI and ML in Design

AI and ML have already made significant inroads into various aspects of design. Tools like Adobe Sensei and Canva’s Magic Resize leverage AI to enhance user experience, streamline workflows, and offer creative suggestions. These technologies enable designers to focus more on conceptual and strategic aspects by automating routine and repetitive tasks. For instance, AI-powered design tools can generate multiple design variations in seconds, allowing designers to choose and refine the best options rather than starting from scratch.

Moreover, AI is becoming adept at understanding and predicting design trends. By analyzing vast amounts of data from social media, market reports, and previous design works, AI can identify emerging trends and provide insights into what might resonate with audiences shortly. This predictive capability helps designers stay ahead of the curve and create more relevant and impactful designs.

Enhancing Creativity with AI

Source

AI’s potential to enhance human creativity is one of its most exciting prospects. Contrary to the fear that AI might replace human designers, it is more likely to serve as a powerful tool that augments human creativity. AI can assist in generating ideas, offering suggestions that designers might not have considered. 

• For example, tools like Runway ML and DeepArt use neural networks to create unique visual styles and effects, inspiring designers to experiment with new aesthetics and techniques.

Additionally, AI can facilitate collaborative creativity. Platforms like Google’s DeepDream allow users to create surreal and abstract art by leveraging neural networks. Such tools can bring together artists, designers, and technologists to co-create, pushing the boundaries of traditional design and exploring new artistic frontiers.

Personalized Design Experiences

Personalization is becoming increasingly important in today’s digital age, where consumers expect tailored experiences. AI and ML are pivotal in delivering personalized design experiences at scale. By analyzing user data, AI can create personalized content, recommendations, and interfaces that cater to individual preferences and behaviors.

• For example, Netflix uses AI to design personalized thumbnails for each user, enhancing engagement and satisfaction. Similarly, e-commerce platforms like Amazon employ AI to personalize product recommendations and website layouts, improving user experience and conversion rates. 

This level of personalization would be impossible to achieve manually, but with AI, it becomes feasible and efficient.

AI-Driven Creative Tools

The rise of AI-driven creative tools is democratizing design, making it accessible to a broader audience. These tools empower non-designers to create professional-quality designs without extensive training or expertise. 

• Canva, for example, leverages AI to simplify the design process, enabling users to create stunning graphics with minimal effort.

AI-driven tools like GPT-4 by OpenAI are also revolutionizing content creation. These tools can generate text, suggest improvements, and even write entire articles, assisting writers and content creators in their work. The integration of AI in creative tools is fostering a more inclusive creative ecosystem where anyone can participate and contribute.

The Role of Machine Learning in Design Innovation

Machine learning, a subset of AI, is particularly influential in driving design innovation. By learning from vast datasets, ML algorithms can identify patterns, generate insights, and make data-driven decisions. This capability is invaluable in the design process, where understanding user behavior, preferences, and trends is crucial.

• For example, ML algorithms can analyze user interactions with a website or app, providing designers with insights into how to improve usability and user experience. 

This iterative feedback loop enables designers to continuously refine and optimize their designs based on real user data, leading to more effective and user-centric solutions.

Furthermore, ML can be used to create generative designs, where algorithms generate design options based on specific parameters and constraints. This approach is widely used in architecture and industrial design, where complex requirements and specifications need to be met. Generative design not only accelerates the design process but also opens up new possibilities for innovation and creativity.

Ethical Considerations and Challenges

While the potential of AI and ML in design and creativity is immense, it also raises important ethical considerations and challenges. One of the primary concerns is the potential loss of human touch and authenticity in design. As AI-generated designs become more prevalent, there is a risk that creativity could become homogenized, lacking the unique perspectives and emotional depth that human designers bring.

There is also the issue of bias in AI algorithms, which presents another significant challenge. Due to the fact that AI systems learn from existing data, they can perpetuate biases that are already present in that data. This can lead to discriminatory or exclusionary design outcomes, which is particularly problematic in areas like facial recognition and user interface design. Ensuring that AI and ML systems are trained on diverse and representative datasets is crucial to mitigate these risks.

The Future of Design and Creativity with AI

Source

The future of design and creativity with AI and ML is incredibly promising. As these technologies continue to evolve, they will unlock new levels of innovation and creative potential. We can expect to see more sophisticated AI-driven design tools that offer even greater levels of customization, personalization, and automation.

AI and ML will also play a pivotal role in shaping the future of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR). These technologies are already transforming how we experience and interact with digital content, and AI will enhance their capabilities even further. 

• For example, AI can create more realistic and immersive virtual environments, improving user experience and expanding the possibilities for creative expression.

Moreover, the integration of AI in design education and training will equip the next generation of designers with the skills and knowledge to leverage these technologies effectively. As AI becomes an integral part of the design toolkit, designers will need to understand how to work with AI, harness its capabilities, and navigate its limitations.

Conclusion

AI and machine learning are set to reshape the landscape of design and creativity in profound ways. By automating repetitive tasks, enhancing creativity, enabling personalization, and driving innovation, these technologies are empowering designers to push the boundaries of what is possible. 

However, it is essential to address the ethical considerations and challenges that come with the adoption of AI in design. By doing so, we can ensure that the future of design and creativity is not only technologically advanced but also inclusive, authentic, and human-centered. The next frontier of design is here, and it is powered by AI and machine learning.

Featured Image by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

The post The Next Frontier: How AI and Machine Learning Will Reshape Design and Creativity appeared first on noupe.

This post came up following a conversation I had with Emilio Cobos — a senior developer at Mozilla and member of the CSSWG — about the last CSSWG group meeting. I wanted to know what he thought were the most exciting and interesting topics discussed at their last meeting, and with 2024 packed with so many new or coming flashy things like masonry layout, if() conditionals, anchor positioning, view transitions, and whatnot, I thought his answers had to be among them.

He admitted that my list of highlights was accurate on what is mainstream in the community, especially from an author’s point of view. However, and to my surprise, his favorite discussion was on something completely different: an inaccuracy on how the letter-spacing property is rendered across browsers. It’s a flaw so ingrained on the web that browsers have been ignoring the CSS specification for years and that can’t be easily solved by a lack of better options and compatibility issues.

Emilios’s answer makes sense — he works on Gecko and rendering fonts is an art in itself. Still, I didn’t get what the problem is exactly, why he finds it so interesting, and even why it exists in the first place since letter-spacing is a property as old as CSS. It wasn’t until I went into the letter-spacing rabbit hole that I understood how amazingly complex the issue gets and I hope to get you as interested as I did in this (not so) simple property.

What’s letter spacing?

The question seems simple: letter spacing is the space between letters. Hooray! That was easy, for humans. For a computer, the question of how to render the space between letters has a lot more nuance. A human just writes the next letter without putting in much thought. Computers, on the other hand, need a strategy on how to render that space: should they add the full space at the beginning of the letter, at the end, or halve it and add it on both sides of the letter? Should it work differently from left-to-right (LTR) languages, like English, to right-to-left (RTL) like Hebrew? These questions are crucial since choosing one as a standard shapes how text measurement and line breaks work across the web.

Which of the three strategies is used on the web? Depends on who you ask. The implementation in the CSS specifications completely differs from what the browsers do, and there is even incompatibility between browsers rendering engines, like Gecko (Firefox), Blink (Chrome, Brave, Opera, etc.), and WebKit (Safari).

What the CSS spec says

Let’s backpedal a bit and first know how the spec says letter spacing should work. At the time of writing, letter-spacing:

Specifies additional spacing between typographic character units. Values may be negative, but there may be implementation-dependent limits.

The formal specification has more juice to it, but this one gives us enough to understand how the CSS spec wants letter-spacing to behave. The keyword is between, meaning that the letter spacing should only affect the space between characters. I know, sounds pretty obvious.

So, as the example given on the spec, the following HTML:

<p>a<span>bb</span>c</p>

…with this CSS:

p {
  letter-spacing: 1em;
}

span {
  letter-spacing: 2em;
}

…should give an equal space between the two “b” letters:

However, if we run the same code on any browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, or Safari), we’ll see the spacing isn’t contained between the “b” letters, but also at the end of the complete word.

What browsers do

I thought it was normal for letter-spacing to attach spacing at the end of a character and didn’t know the spec said otherwise. However, if you think about it, the current behavior does seem off… it’s just that we’re simply used to it.

Why would browsers not follow the spec on this one?

As we saw before, letter spacing isn’t straightforward for computers since they must stick to a strategy for where spacing is applied. In the case of browsers, the standard has been to apply an individual space at the end of each character, ignoring if that space goes beyond the full word. It may have not been the best choice, but it’s what the web has leaned into, and changing it now would result in all kinds of text and layout shifts across the web.

This leaves a space at the end of elements with bigger letter spacing, which is somewhat acceptable for LTR text, but it leaves a hole at the beginning of the text in an RTL writing mode.

The issue is more obvious with centered text, where the ending space pushes the text away from the element’s dead center. You’ve probably had to add padding on the opposite side of an element to make up for any letter-spacing you’ve applied to the text at least one time, like on a button.

As you can see, the blue highlight creates a symmetrical pyramid which our text sadly doesn’t follow.

What’s worse, the “end of each character” means something different to browsers, particularly when working in an RTL writing mode. Chrome and Safari (Blink/WebKit) say the end of a character is always on the right-hand side. Firefox (Gecko), on the other hand, adds space to the “reading” end — which in Hebrew and Arabic is the left-hand side. See the difference yourself:

Can this be fixed?

The first thought that comes to mind is to simply follow what the spec says and trim the unnecessary space at the ending character, but this (anti) solution brings compatibility risks that are simply too big to even consider; text measurement and line breaks would change, possibly causing breakage on lots of websites. Pages that have removed that extra space with workarounds probably did it by offsetting the element’s padding/margin, which means changing the behavior as it currently stands makes those offsets obsolete or breaking.

There are two real options for how letter-spacing can be fixed: reworking how the space is distributed around the character or allowing developers an option to choose where we want the ending space.

Option 1: Reworking the space distribution

The first option would be to change the current letter-spacing definition so it says something like this:

Specifies additional spacing applied to each typographic character unit except those with zero advance. The additional spacing is divided equally between the inline-start and -end sides of the typographic character unit. Values may be negative, but there may be implementation-dependent limits.

Simply put, instead of browsers applying the additional space at the end of the character, they would divide it equally at the start and end, and the result is symmetrical text. This would also change text measurements and line breaks, albeit to a lesser degree.

Now text that is center-aligned text is correctly aligned to the center:

Option 2: Allowing developers an option to choose

Even if the offset is halved, it could still bring breaking layout shifts to pages which to some is still (rightfully) unacceptable. It’s a dilemma: most pages need, or at least would benefit, from leaving letter-spacing as-is, while new pages would enjoy symmetrical letter spacing. Luckily, we could do both by giving developers the option to choose how the space is applied to characters. The syntax is anybody’s guess, but we could have a new property to choose where to place the spacing:

letter-spacing-justify: [ before | after | left | right | between | around];

Each value represents where the space should be added, taking into account the text direction:

• before: the spacing is added at the beginning of the letter, following the direction of the language.
• after: the spacing is added at the end of the letter, following the direction of the language.
• left: the spacing is added at the left of the letter, ignoring the direction of the language.
• right: the spacing is added at the right of the letter, ignoring the direction of the language.
• between: the spacing is added between characters, following the spec.
• around: the spacing is divided around the letter.

Logically, the current behavior would be the default to not break anything and letter-spacing would become a shorthand for both properties (length and placing).

letter-spacing: 1px before;
letter-spacing: 1px right;
letter-spacing: 1px around;

letter-spacing: 1px;
/* same as: */
letter-spacing: 1px before;

What about a third option?

And, of course, the third option is to leave things as they are. I’d say this is unlikely since the CSSWG resolved to take action on the issue, and they’ll probably choose the second option if I had to bet the nickel in my pocket on it.

Now you know letter-spacing is broken… and we have to live with it, at least for the time being. But there are options that may help correct the problem down the road.

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Letter Spacing is Broken and There’s Nothing We Can Do About It… Maybe originally published on CSS-Tricks, which is part of the DigitalOcean family. You should get the newsletter.

Unlike text, podcasts use voice to create a more personal connection with your audience. That’s why podcasts have become a must for anyone looking to establish themselves as industry leaders. Being recognized as one of the leading experts in your field isn’t just about prestige—it’s about building trust with colleagues and prospects alike. When you’re one of the go-to experts for answers and guidance, you are more likely to find new opportunities and partnerships. Podcasts offer the perfect platform for you to share your professional insights and showcase your success stories. So, keep reading to find out how podcasts can help establish yourself as one of the leading thought leaders in your industry.

Why Podcasts Are Effective for Building Brand Authority

Podcasts are intimate. When a listener hits play, it can feel like having a one-on-one conversation with you, the podcaster. That level of engagement is special. It builds trust and credibility in a way that other mediums just can’t match. Plus, podcasts give you the opportunity to broadcast your expertise on a regular basis. Each episode is a chance to dive deep into your topic and prove that you really know what you are talking about.

And then there’s reach. Podcasts allow you to tap into a targeted audience that’s actively seeking out content in your niche. These are the people who are most likely to become your customers, clients, or loyal followers!

Podcasts are also cost-effective. Unlike video or other forms of content, you don’t need a large budget to create an interesting podcast. All you need is a microphone, some basic recording software, and a passion for your subject matter. That means you can start building your brand authority during the first stages of growth.

How to Use Podcasts to Establish Thought Leadership

After getting some clarity into how podcasts can help you build your credibility, let’s now take a look at how you to actually create them to establish yourself as a thought leader. The first step is to choose topics that truly matter to you and your audience. Don’t just go for clickbait, trending topics, or rehash the same ideas from another expert. Dig into the issues that matter and into the challenges that your listeners may be facing.

Next, bring in some heavy hitters. Invite other thought leaders to share their insights on your podcast. Not only does this add value for your listeners, but it also shows that you’re connected and respected in your field. When you show that you are acquainted with the best and most well-known experts, it elevates your own authority.

The key is not to repeat exactly what everyone else is saying. Thought leadership is having your own authentic perspective. Share your own stories, experiences, and ideas that challenge the status quo and make people think. Don’t be afraid to go against the norm or take a stand on controversial issues. That’s what will make you stand out from the crowd.

Lastly, try to be consistent. If you want to be seen as a true authority, you can’t just publish a few episodes and then forget about it. You need to commit to a regular publishing schedule and stick to it, no matter what. That consistency shows your audience that you’re reliable, dedicated, and truly passionate about your industry.

Strategies for Maximizing the Impact of Your Podcast

Creating a great podcast is one thing, but getting people to actually listen to it is another! If you want your show to have an impact, you need to focus on promotion and engagement.

You must optimize your podcast for search. Use relevant keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags so that your ideal listeners can easily find you. Make sure your podcast is listed in all the major directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Then, you’ll need to promote your podcast as much as possible. Share new episodes on social media, feature them in your newsletter, and even embed them on your website. The more places you can showcase your podcast, the more likely people are to discover and listen to it.

But don’t stop there! You can also encourage your listeners to engage with your show. Ask for feedback, questions, and topic suggestions. Respond to all comments and reviews. Your objective should be to build a community around your podcast, not only to make it more enjoyable for your listeners but also to help spread the word and attract new subscribers.

And finally, don’t let all that great content go to waste. Repurpose your podcast episodes into blog posts, social media snippets, infographics, and even video content. This way, you can reach even more people and reinforce your brand authority across multiple channels, saving you time and effort.

Measuring the Success of Your Podcast

Creating a successful podcast isn’t just about putting out great content. You also need to track your results and measure your impact over time. The first and most important step is to monitor your download numbers and listener growth. Are more people tuning in to your show each month? That’s a sure sign that your podcast is resonating and your audience is growing.

Paying attention to engagement is also key. Are people leaving comments on your episodes, sharing them on social media, or reaching out to you directly? That kind of interaction shows that your content is making an impression on your listeners.

And, don’t forget about the bottom line. Is your podcast helping you achieve your broader business goals? Whether you’re looking to generate leads, drive conversions, or simply build brand awareness, make sure you’re tracking those metrics and tying them back to your podcast episodes.

Best Practices for Creating an Authoritative Podcast

So, what separates a truly authoritative podcast from all the rest? There are a few best practices to keep in mind:

• Invest in quality. Your podcast is a direct reflection of your brand, so make sure to invest in recording equipment, learn how to edit your audio, and put some real thought into your show’s structure and flow.
• Develop a strong brand voice. Your podcast should sound like an authentic extension of your brand, not some generic show. Infuse your personality, your values, and your unique perspective into every episode.
• Collaborate with others. Featuring guests and partnering with other experts in your field is a great way to add value for your listeners while also expanding your own network.
• Always provide value. At the end of the day, your podcast needs to be truly useful for your target audience. Pack each episode with actionable tips, unique perspectives, and concrete takeaways that your listeners can put into practice right away.

The Future of Podcasting and Brand Authority

Podcasting has come a long way in recent years, but this is still just the beginning. As more and more people discover the power of on-demand audio content, the medium is only going to keep growing.

Emerging technologies like AI and dynamic ad insertion will allow for even more personalized and engaging listening experiences. And as brands continue to invest in podcasting as a way to build authority and connect with their audiences, we’ll see even more innovative and creative podcasts emerge.

But one thing is clear: podcasting is not just a trend. It’s a proven, effective way to build authentic relationships with your audience and establish your brand as a thought leader in your field.

Building a Podcast Summary Repository

To maximize the reach and impact of your podcast, consider creating a repository of podcast summaries. This not only helps with SEO but also makes your content more accessible to a wider audience. Here’s how you can go about it:

1. Create Episode Summaries: After each podcast episode, write a detailed summary highlighting the key points discussed. Include timestamps for important segments to make it easier for listeners to find specific information.
2. Use Keywords Strategically: Incorporate relevant keywords naturally into your summaries to boost search engine visibility. This helps new listeners find your podcast when searching for topics you cover.
3. Provide Additional Resources: Link to any resources mentioned in the episode, such as articles, books, or tools. This adds a ton of value for your listeners.
4. Encourage Sharing: Make it easy for readers to share your summaries on social media or via email. This can help attract new listeners who might prefer reading a summary before listening to a full episode.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, building brand authority and thought leadership is all about trust. It’s about showing up consistently, providing genuine value, and building real connections with the people you want to reach.

Podcasting is an incredibly powerful way to do just that. By sharing your expertise, your insights, and your unique perspective on a regular basis, you can establish yourself as the go-to resource in your industry.

But remember: sometimes it doesn’t happen overnight. Building a successful podcast takes effort and a real commitment to your audience. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there, take risks, and keep pushing forward. The good news is, the payoff is worth it! When you become a trusted authority in your space, doors start to open you’ll be glad you took the risk and launched a podcast.

Photo by George Milton on Pexels

The post The Role of Podcasts in Building Brand Authority and Thought Leadership appeared first on noupe.

There’s something new to learn with each of this month’s featured website design trends. Let’s dig in!

Quizzes have long been important in education, training, and entertainment, serving as both a tool for assessment and a means of engagement. However, as tasks and chores pile up one after another in everyday life, breaking down files and information into parts and creating tests from those parts requires a significant amount of time and effort. Moreover, we are quite likely to encounter repetitions, miss details, and skip important keywords in such situations. 

There’s no need to lose a major part of your day to create important tests for school, work, and assignments anymore though. Modern quiz makers streamline the process with AI, allowing you to design, customize, and share quizzes easily. These tools not only save you time but also boost the quality and effectiveness of your assessments. 

At Noupe, we’ve ranked the best AI quiz generators for you. Get ready to explore these options and discover the perfect tool to generate your digital quizzes!

Jotform

Jotform’s latest tool, the AI Quiz Generator, developed with meticulous attention to detail, transforms your uploaded text, presentation or document into a quiz in any desired format, saving you from significant time wastage. It offers specific quiz details so you can tell the AI how many questions you need, the language you want your quiz to be in, and the type of questions you want included.

When you want to change a question, you can have the AI Quiz Generator regenerate it automatically. You can also easily choose the language of your quiz, add or remove questions yourself, integrate with useful widgets, and more. If you’re happy with your AI-generated quiz, you can share or embed it to collect quiz responses!

Source

Features:

• Easy Compatibility 
• Progress Tracking
• Organizational Tools
• Versatile Input Methods
• Multiple Question Types

QuestionWell

QuestionWell is another tool that includes the ability to incorporate various topics and upload content such as text files and YouTube videos, ensuring that the questions align with the lesson. Teachers can establish specific learning objectives and standards, ensuring that the questions meet the educational requirements of their students.

In addition to these features, QuestionWell transforms the learning process into a successful and efficient experience by automatically integrating questions according to language level and providing suggestions for questions in the matching language.

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Features:

• Export Options
• Learning Outcomes
• Question Selection

Quizbot

Quizbot is a great alternative with its assistance to the interactive learning process and multiple formats of quizzes. PDFs, Word documents, videos, pictures, web links, topics, or audio files can be used to create questions. It provides multiple question types, such as multiple choice, true or false, short answer essays, matching, and fill-in-the-blank questions, allowing for a wide range of assessment methods.

Quizbot also facilitates the creation of quizzes in various languages and has a plagiarism checker that is very important for educators and students.

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Features:

• Input Options
• AI Content Detector
• Other AI tools

Questgen

Questgen is an AI-powered quiz creator that makes learning easy and accessible with its range of question types to choose from. It’s best for especially high-volume quizzes. It enables you to quickly generate interactive quizzes that include either/or, multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and advanced questions.

Furthermore, Questgen has interesting specific features, such as transforming a video or image to a quiz and uploading the generated quiz to the similar question generator.

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Features:

• Customized Quizzes
• Suitable for Trainers And Educators

Revisely

Revisely’s AI Quiz Generator is another option to try out with its customizable features and integration options. This quiz generator supports multiple document types, such as textbooks, PDFs, PowerPoints and even works with handwritten content. When you upload a picture, paste text, or add a document, you can easily convert your study materials into a quiz. 

This quiz generator has a versatile content support and is quite a user-friendly interface. You can choose plans for unlimited access.

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Features:

• AI-Assessed Answer
• Regular Updates
• PDF, Word, and PowerPoint Uploads

PrepAI

PrepAI is an Al quiz maker that is designed to generate a variety of question types from any given text, making it an important asset for educators, students, and professionals alike. This quiz maker provides multiple content sources in the same quiz. It leverages the power of 

artificial intelligence to simplify and streamline your assessment.

In addition to these, you can also choose from various difficulty levels and customize your quizzes by setting time limits and due dates, ensuring they meet your specific requirements.

PrepAI encompasses everything from multiple-choice questions to those aimed at assessing higher-order thinking skills.

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Features:

• Customized Learning Options
• Robust Assessment

Conclusion

Jotform, QuestionWell, Quizbot, Questgen, Revisely, and PrepAI are AI quiz generators designed with customization and originality in mind. They stand out in modern life by preventing time wastage in school, work, entertainment, sports, and countless other areas. Using time correctly in the right place not only simplifies a person’s life but also leads to a more productive and successful path.

QuestionWell broadens the scope of choices in the learning process, offering a more comprehensive quiz creation tool. Quizbot distinguishes itself with its content detector feature. Questgen, a quiz generator aimed at trainers and educators worldwide, helps turn various materials, from videos to images, into quizzes. Revisely keeps users informed of new tools and features through necessary updates and can generate answers to created quiz questions with AI assistance. PrepAI is among the preferred tools due to its robust assistance features. 

Jotform, in addition to encompassing all these features, provides ease of use, making it an accessible quiz generator for everyone with numerous integration options. In the end, despite the changing features, the ultimate goal of quiz generators is to save time while maintaining efficiency and continuous development.

The post Best AI Quiz Generators of 2024  appeared first on noupe.

Are you tired of scratching your head & trying to come up with unique ways to express the same idea? 

Or perhaps you are struggling to paraphrase a sentence without losing the intent?

Well, you are in luck! 

With AI technology on the rise, paraphrasing tools have really become a game-changer for content writers, students, & professionals alike. 

There are tools that can paraphrase a sentence, a paragraph, or even the whole article in seconds, thus saving a lot of time & effort.

So many options are available, making it frustrating to make a decision about which one is the best. That is what led us to make the list of the best paraphrasing tools in 2025—from simple sentence paraphrasers to advanced content rewriters. 

Now, let’s dive in & explore the best tools to help you improve your writing & take your content to the next level!

Paraphrasetool.ai

Paraphrasetool.ai is an advanced AI-powered paraphrasing tool that makes your text readable & engaging. This tool is excellent for plagiarism removal, creating new versions of old text, improving the quality of text, & transforming AI-generated content that sounds more human-like.

How to use Paraphrasetool.ai

1. Input text: Paste the text in the input box or upload a file.
2. Mode selection: This paraphrase online tool offers the following modes: Creative, Anti-plagiarism, Fluency, Formal, Academic, & SEO. Select the mode as per your requirements. 
3. Click paraphrase: Hit the “Paraphrase” button to start rephrasing.

Features 

• Matchless accuracy: This paraphrase tool rewrites text while maintaining the original meaning & context. 
• Fluent results: The paraphrased results of this tool are easy to read, with proper grammar & sentence/structure
• Plagiarism-free results: It does human-level paraphrasing to change the sentence structure & substitutes words with synonyms to generate unique results.
• Speed: Fast processing speed & instant results, even for large texts.
• Language support: Paraprhasetool.ai handles several languages.

Pricing 

Paraphrasetool.ai operates on a freemium model for its users. The Creative, Anti-plagiarism, & Fluency modes are free. Advanced features such as SEO & Academic modes require a small investment. These are the three pricing plans:

Weekly: $6.95

Monthly: $14.95 

Yearly: 44% discount ($8.33/month, charged yearly)

Paraphrasing Tool by Semrush.com

Paraphrasing Tool by Semrush.com enhances text clarity & readability by turning hard-to-read sentences within an article into easy, readable content. It is perfect to make your text accessible & attractive to all kinds of readers.

How to use this paraphrasing tool

1. Paste text: Paste your text in the input box given below.
2. Click paraphrase: Give the “Paraphrase” button a click to paraphrase it. 
3. Copy the text: Finally, click the “Copy” icon to copy the paraphrased text.

Features

• Rephrase for readability: It transforms complex sentences into clear, concise content. 
• Maximize engagement: This makes the text more accessible & attractive.
• Original content creation: This paraphrasing tool generates unique & creative text.
• Writer’s block breakthrough: It provides a unique way to say the same thing, allowing you to overcome writer’s block.
• Variety of paraphrasing modes: The paraphrasing tool by Semrush features 5 modes (Rephrase, Formal, Casual, Improve, & Simplify) so that you write in your unique voice & style.

Pricing 

This paraphrase tool is absolutely free & that very feature makes it a must-have tool for writers & marketers. However, you can’t use this tool more than 3 times a day. 

Paraphraser.us

Paraphraser.us is a fine paraphrasing tool that utilizes the latest AI technologies like NLP (Natural Language Processing) & ML (Machine Learning) to provide accurate, coherent paraphrased content. This paraphraser has different modes (Creative, Fluency, Formal, Academic, & Anti-plagiarism) designed for various kinds of texts.

How to use Paraphraser.us

1. Paste your text: First, paste your text into the input box or upload a document.
2. Hit the “Paraphrase” button: This AI tool will then paraphrase your text in no time.
3. Copy & export: The paraphrased text will be shown in the output box & will be ready for download or copying.

Features

• AI technology: It utilizes advanced algorithms for perfect paragraphing.
• Multiple modes: Various modes are available for academic, creative, & formal writing.
• Quality improvement: It reconstructs text with varied words & corrects mistakes.
• Removes plagiarism: Ensures that your content is unique & free of plagiarism.
• User-friendly layout: Its minimalistic layout provides ease of process without any hassle.
• Speed & efficiency: Paraphrases several paragraphs within just a matter of seconds.

Pricing

Currently, Paraphraser.us allows you to paraphrase text without charging a single penny. That’s why it has become an invaluable resource for writers, students, & marketers.

Rephraser.co

Rephraser.co is an AI-driven paraphrasing tool that allows you to create several versions of the same text without affecting the clarity of the original message. This rephraser is ideal for any researcher, content marketer, or student.

How to use Rephraser.co

1. Paste text: Enter the text in the input box or import a file.
2. Click on the “Rephrase” button: In just a second or two, the tool will rephrase your text.
3. Export the rephrased text: Download the rephrased content in your desired format (pdf, doc, or txt)

Features

• Quality enhancer: Improves text readability & flow.
• Dynamic modes: Modes are available for creative, academic, & formal writing.
• 19 Languages supported: Supports a global audience by being multilingual.
• Anti-plagiarism mode: Removes plagiarism by changing the structure of the sentences & words.
• Fluency mode: Simplifies awkward phrasing, enhancing readability.
• Formal mode: Casual words are changed into formal speech.

Price

Rephraser.co provides an extremely pocket-friendly service—a free version for basic users & a premium version ($ 8.33/month) with advanced features & multiple modes for variations.

Online Paraphraser by Undetectable.ai

Online Paraphraser by Undetectable.ai is a state-of-the-art tool designed to help you create quality content that is free of plagiarism. Ideal for students, writers, & professionals looking to paraphrase text undetected by plagiarism checkers.

How to use online paraphraser by Undetectable.ai

1. Sign up: Log in & sign up for their free account on the platform.
2. Paste text: Paste your text in the input box.
3. Paraphrase: The tool will paraphrase your text into a new one.

Features

• Advanced AI: It uses sophisticated AI algorithms to generate human-like content.
• Plagiarism-free results: It allows you to create unique content that any plagiarism checker cannot detect.
• User-friendly interface: Its interface is straightforward & easy to use.
• Types of writing: Various styles are supported for all kinds of needs.
• Grammar & spell check: It corrects all the grammar & spelling errors on its own to make your content classy.
• High-speed processing: It generates paraphrased text in a really quick way.

Pricing

Undetectable.ai offers a free trial with basic features, after which the full range of advanced features becomes available upon subscription at an affordable price.

The Bottom Line

In 2025, paraphrasing tools are super handy for creating high-quality, non-plagiarized content. Of all the paraphrasing tools we have discussed—including Paraphrasetool.ai, Semrush’s paraphrasing tool, Paraphraser.us, Rephraser.co, & Undetectable.ai—each one has special features that best meet diverse needs. 

Students, writers, marketers, or researchers—everybody can use these tools to their own advantage in saving time & improving writing abilities by avoiding plagiarism in content. 

Pick the tool that works best for you! Happy paraphrasing!

The post The Best Paraphrasing Tools for 2025 appeared first on noupe.

In the competitive world of e-commerce, higher visibility in search engine results is a must for Shopify stores. It can drive more organic traffic, increase sales, and boost brand recognition. Here, we’ll explore the top five techniques to improve your Shopify store’s visibility in SERPs.

1. Optimize On-Page SEO

Keyword Research

It all starts with keyword research, which helps in the identification of terms used by potential customers when looking for products. You can try Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs-like tools. These will help you discover relevant keywords while considering search volume and low competition.

Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

For each page of your Shopify store, ensure there exists a unique and descriptive title tag along with meta description. When you stick to this, you help search engines understand your store’s content as well as increase click-through rates.

Header Tags and Content Structure

You can use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content logically. Here, H1 tag can be used to write the main title/ heading of your page. Rest, H2, and H3 can be used for secondary headings. This helps search engine understand the significance of each section of your content.

Image Optimization

Visual optimization cannot be overlooked at any cost as these play a crucial role in the ecommerce industry. For each image, you have to use a descriptive file name and alt text. This way, you make search engines aware of the visual. Image optimization also contributes in improving store’s visibility in search results (while looking specifically at image search results). Additionally, compressed images improve page load speed, which is a ranking factor for Google.

2. Improve Page Load Speed

Fast-Loading Themes

Choose a fast-loading Shopify theme. Fortunately, the platform offers a variety of themes, some of which are better optimized for speed than others. While selecting, look for lightweight and well-coded themes. Even top-performing Shopify SEO firms suggest choosing fast-loaded themes as the first step.

Optimize Images and Videos

Beyond any doubt, large media files slow down the website. Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptimize to compress images without losing quality. For videos, consider using a third-party hosting service like YouTube or Vimeo to reduce the load on your server.

Leverage Browser Caching

Browser caching can improve load times for repeat visitors. This technique stores static files (like images, CSS, and JavaScript) on the user’s browser, so they don’t have to be reloaded every time the user visits your site.

Minimize HTTP Requests

The more elements present on your store, the higher HTTP requests will be generated. But when you keep only required elements, HTTP requests are also minimized. This includes combining CSS and JavaScript files, using CSS sprites for images, and removing unnecessary plugins and apps.

3. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Guest Blogging

Guest posting is a top technique for securing valuable backlinks. Reach out to blogs and websites that your target audience visits. There, you can offer to write a blog post and in return, you will get a link to your Shopify store.

Influencer Partnerships

Collaborate with influencers in your industry. Influencers can provide valuable backlinks through their websites and social media profiles. This not only improves your SEO but also drives targeted traffic to your store.

Create Shareable Content

Content that provides value, such as comprehensive guides, infographics, and research reports, is more likely to be shared and linked to by others. Invest time in creating high-quality, shareable content that can earn organic backlinks.

Monitor and Disavow Toxic Backlinks

With the help of Google Search Console and Ahrefs, you can monitor the backlink profile of your store. While using these tools, if you identify any toxic or spammy link, you better disavow that.

4. Utilize Social Media

Active Social Media Presence

One more way to get your target audience’s attention is staying active on social media. Regularly posting engaging content there can drive traffic to your store and improve your brand’s visibility.

Social Sharing Buttons

Make your content shareable. To ensure this, you can add social sharing buttons. Using these buttons on product pages and blog posts will help you reach more followers, increasing the store’s visibility and generating more backlinks. 

Social Proof and Reviews

The customer purchased the product, great!  After that, encourage them to leave reviews and share their experience on social media. Positive reviews and user-generated content can enhance your store’s credibility and attract more visitors

Social Media Ads

Paid ads on social media platforms drive traffic to the store. True, but this traffic is not organic. But, it can improve your store’s overall visibility and lead to higher rankings for some time.

5. Focus on Mobile Optimization

Mobile-Friendly Design

Ensure that your Shopify store is mobile-friendly. Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily indexes you based on your site’s mobile version. Choose a responsive theme and test your site’s mobile usability with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

Implement AMP to create fast-loading mobile pages. AMP is a web component framework that allows you to create user-first websites and ads. While it is not a direct ranking factor, faster page load times can improve user experience and potentially boost your rankings.

Mobile-Optimized Checkout

Streamline the mobile checkout process. A complicated or slow checkout process can lead to cart abandonment, negatively impacting your sales and SEO. Simplify forms, enable guest checkout, and optimize payment gateways for mobile users.

Voice Search Optimization

Voice search is in trend these days. So, optimizing your site for voice queries also becomes important. Generally, these queries are longer and more conversational. But by identifying long-tail keywords, you can optimize your site even for voice search queries. 

Conclusion

Improving your Shopify store’s visibility in SERPs is a multifaceted process that involves on-page and off-page SEO techniques, enhancing page load speed, leveraging social media, and focusing on mobile optimization.

By implementing these strategies, you can increase your store’s organic traffic, improve your search engine rankings, and ultimately boost your sales.

But yes, stay updated with the latest trends and periodically optimize your store. This will ensure long-term success for your brand in the ever-evolving world of e-commerce.

Featured image by Roberto Cortese on Unsplash

The post Top 5 Techniques to Improve Shopify Store’s Visibility in SERPs appeared first on noupe.

Starting a creative venture with no money can be challenging, but it’s definitely possible with the right approach and mindset.