×

PayTabs Holds a Mentorship Session for Bahrain’s Startups on the Eve of its 5th Anniversary

PayTabs Holds a Mentorship Session for Bahrain’s Startups on the Eve of its 5th Anniversary

PayTabs Holds a Mentorship Session for Bahrain’s Startups on the Eve of its 5th Anniversary

The road to glory is always tough. You get the roses at the end but initially the road is filled with thorns. The journey of PayTabs has been somewhat similar.  When we began in March 2014, we were confident that someday we would achieve our goals. Today, we stand here, all set to celebrate 5 years of operations in a few days.

Mentorship Program Begins

And to commemorate this special occasion, we, along with Flat6Labs, Bahrain’s leading Accelerator Program, organized an exclusive event for the budding startups of Bahrain. The motive of hosting a startup meet was to impart knowledge, advice, tips, and tricks under the aegis of mentors. To add a cherry on the cake, PayTabs’ success story was served as a live example for all the 60 startups that attended the event.

Here, at PayTabs, we know the importance of mentorship. When the foundation was laid in March 2014 with a corpus of $10,000, we were determined to make an impact in our industry. And we were able to do so because we received genuine guidance from experts. And today, after 5 glorious years, we have established our presence in 21 countries, with our dedicated offices in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Philippines and India.

Now we felt the need to do something for our startup community. So as a startup, we planned to host the startups over breakfast at the PayTabs’ headquarters. The event comprised of the following sessions – PayTabs’ journey from zero to hero, round table discussions, questions from the participants, and a brief mentorship program on the right and wrong startup practices. The participants gained knowledge necessary to operate a startup in the right manner.

Bahrain – The City of Startups

The startup meet was a landmark event held in the land of Bahrain. Bahrain has a thriving ecosystem of around 75 startups, striving to make a mark in the field of innovation and technology. These startups have the support of over 34 accelerators, incubators, co-working spaces, and other institutions.

PayTabs is a prodigy of Bahrain’s startup culture. Once, we had an idea and a strong will to succeed. Today, we have the skills, resources, ambition, and vision. But it’s not just about us, it’s about everyone who dreams of spearheading a revolution in the society. And there’s no better way to do it than to found a startup. Isn’t that so?

MEFTECH-KSA 2019 in Riyadh

MEFTECH-KSA 2019 in Riyadh

Explore the latest in the world of financial technology with MEFTECH-KSA 2019 in Riyadh

The e-commerce landscape in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has become more dynamic than ever before, and the credit goes to forward-thinking financial and technological institutions. The process of making and receiving payments online has especially become extremely advanced and convenient, helping local businesses in KSA to go global with ease. And as the longest running banking and financial technology event, MEFTECH-KSA 2019 will focus on e-commerce payment systems and more.

The MEFTECH-KSA 2019 event will see numerous governments departments, banks, and enterprises of various sizes come together to network, exchange knowledge and pave the way for better business opportunities. And, as one of the leading names in the world of online payment gateway providers in the GCC region, PayTabs will participate in this event as well. PayTabs is the first Saudi fintech company that is all set to disrupt the way e-commerce transactions are carried out, by offering unique advantages to both customers and merchants.

What is MEFTECH-KSA 2019 all about?  

MEFTECH-KSA 2019 will be held on 24th and 25th February in Riyadh, in partnership with SAMA, the prominent payment authority in KSA. Till date, MEFTECH has been able to draw more than 1000 technology providers and 8000 financial industry executives in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Bahrain. The 2019 event will especially focus on the fast-changing payment scenario in the ecommerce and retail sectors in Saudi Arabia.

Industry leaders are expected to share thoughts and knowledge about the latest developments in the payments sector, and discuss game-changing technologies such as:

  • Mobile payments
  • Blockchain and digital currencies
  • Fintech vs. Banks
  • Cashless evolution
  • AI and machine learning
  • Authentication

Various programs such as conferences, open theatres and roundtable discussions will be conducted where entrepreneurs, disrupters and innovators will join hands to explore all things new and promising in the world of payments.

Why will PayTabs participate?

PayTabs is a new-age online payment gateway provider that makes online transactions smooth, fast and safe. We accept over 168 currencies and offer multiple payment modes to make the experience better for both merchants and customers. Our cutting-edge anti-fraud technology, ease of technical integration, and express checkout process are features that will help boost the e-commerce landscape in KSA like never before. At MEFTECH-KSA 2019, we intend to share our experience and ideas about how an efficient online payment gateway can help local businesses expand, improve sales, monitor transactions from anywhere and anytime, track performance and develop strategies for the long run.

Important details about MEFTECH-KSA 2019

The MEFTECH-KSA 2019 event will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, at Kingdom Centre on Olaya Street. Master passes can be bought for a 2-day access or separately for day 1 or day 2. These passes will give you access to:

  • 3500 square meters of exhibition space
  • World Class Conference
  • MEFTECH Innovation Theatre
  • MEFTECH Innovation Awards
  • Galaxy Fintech Startup Zone

Trade visitors can explore the exhibition, the innovation theater and the Galaxy Fintech Startup zone only, for free. The roundtable discussions on day 1 (24th February) and day 2 (25th February) can be attended for free, though seats are limited and subject to approval.

So, don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity and register your name for the MEFTECH-KSA 2019 event. Find out how leaders in the financial and technology sectors brainstorm, ideate and explain the recent developments in payment systems and more.

Top UX Stats of 2019

Whether you are looking to launch a new website, or you are simply curious as to the latest UX trends for 2019, this interesting infographic 15 Website & UX Statistics of 2019 is a must-read.

One of the standout stats that might help you to formulate design ideas is that 59% of people prefer a beautifully designed website. In other words, you can spend as much time curating useful and valuable content, develop a great navigation format, have super-fast loading but if it doesn’t look pretty, you’ve lost nearly 60% of your target audience. Lots of different factors play into what is perceived to be beautiful but it helps if you don’t dabble with unusual colours and fonts, or use poor quality images.

When it comes to UX, slow loading images are a real killer. In fact, they can cause 39% of users to abandon the website, so avoid using slow loading images at all costs. No image is in some cases much better than a slow-loading image.

Another intriguing stat shows that 2 out of 3 minutes spent online are via mobile. So it would obviously make a lot of sense if you were to ensure that your website is set up to handle mobile users well, giving them easy navigation options and easy-to-read text.

One more stat to keep in mind is that video content is 53% more likely to reach the first page in Google, so creating good quality video content for your website is a definite consideration to take into account if you are looking to drive more traffic to your website. The popularity of video content is only going to grow over the next few years, so now really is the time to get started with creating video content for your website.

Top UX Stats of 2019

Top UX Stats of 2019

About the author

Kerry is an experienced content writer, with a First Class Hons Degree in Multimedia Journalism. She currently works for UK Web Host Review, providing content on SEO, web hosting, web performance, UX, web security, web design, and much more

How Millennials are revolutionizing the Digital Banking & Payments Scenario

How Millennials are revolutionizing the Digital Banking & Payments Scenario

According to a recent study, 86 percent of the millennials aged 18-34 years say that they are “Mobile Money Users”, meaning they use digital banking and payments solutions on their smartphones. The millennials were the first to get introduced to gadgets and electronic products. And this is one of the reasons why they are more comfortable using digital payment solutions on their gadgets.

Let us discover the aspects that drive millennials to use digital banking and payment solutions. We will also look at the ways they are using these payment solutions in their daily life.

Millennials are Exploring New Options

Digital banking service providers are promoting cashless transactions in order to save recurring expenses and to grow their customer base. The millennials seem to be most interested in the options offered by payment solution providers. The use of hard cash is diminishing day by day and digital banking & payments are on a consistent rise.

Credit card, debit card, and net banking payment solutions are widely accepted around the world. Not only millennials but other generations are equally proficient in using these payment modes. But when it comes to evolving online payment platforms, millennials are the first one to register their presence.

Let’s take a look at the peer-to-peer lending services. Whether you are booking tickets for a concert or dining out at a vegan café; you can use the peer-to-peer lending app to split the bill. This is an excellent choice for all those who go out in groups. Nobody shares the burden of paying bills as everyone can contribute their share. And as millennials tend to go out in groups frequently, they are the ones who are enthusiastically using and promoting these payment sharing services.

Microfinance companies have initiated collateral-free loans. Yet again, millennials are at the forefront to avail these services. The complete process takes place online, from submitting documents to verification to setting up automatic EMIs.

Besides these, unified payment interface (UPI) facility links your mobile number with your bank account, allowing for hassle-free payments without entering user credentials. Similarly, contactless cards working on the principle of near-field communication (NFC) are a rage these days. And undoubtedly, millennials are the ones who are vigorously adopting these digital payment solutions.

Digital Solutions Because…

There are various reasons to opt for digital banking and payment solutions. For millennials, the following factors prompt them to opt for digital solutions:

  • Real-time – You don’t need to wait for hours, or even minutes, to complete a digital transaction. Everything happens in real time, whether it’s splitting money amongst friends or subscribing to a recurring OTT subscription.
  • Secure – Financial transactions must happen over secure online payment systems because financial fraud is a common phenomenon. And millennials, like everyone else, opt for digital banking solutions that integrate robust security measures such as PCI-DSS compliance, 2FA, 256-bit AES encryption, and so on.
  • Convenience – You don’t need to step into the bank premise, sign up checks, count the cash, etc; there are countless ways of conveniently transacting with digital banking solutions. And as time is the most important asset for everyone, including millennials, you can save a lot of it by using digital payment solutions.
  • Personalization – As millennials are tech savvy, they are more inclined towards personalizing preferences on digital banking apps and systems. So whether it’s opting for subscriptions, managing contact list, or browsing offers; these apps have features that millennials simply love.
  • Environment-friendly – Digital banking solutions eliminate the need to use paper and don’t require you to commute to and fro. These are progressive steps that aim at reducing carbon footprint. The millennials are quite conscious about the need to keep the environment clean and prefer eco-friendly solutions.

Final Words

Millennials are surely harbingers of change in the digital banking and payments landscape. While the previous generation is learning from millennials to adapt to digital solutions, the future generations will surely take these to the next level.

Importance of Customer Reviews and How to Generate Them

Importance of Customer Reviews and How to Generate Them

Word of mouth is the most vital medium for popularizing any business. Positive reviews are not the only kind that may be beneficial to a business, even though they are preferred. And establishing a positive image of your business isn’t the only benefit of online reviews.

Online reviews by the customers can also optimize search engine rankings. Popular review sites such as Yelp and Trip Advisor have been around for a long time and have an extensive database of information about businesses available.

Customer reviews also help by making it easy for buyers to choose what they desire. According to Bright Local’s consumer survey, 86% of the consumers read online reviews for local businesses, with 12% of consumers looking for a local business online every day. Surprisingly, 89% of the global customers read the responses to reviews.

Why Do Customer Reviews Matter?

According to Bright Local’s survey of local consumer reviews, consumers go through an average of seven reviews before trusting a business. These statistics were six in 2016. Also since the spread of the review culture, these businesses have seen the most growth and expansion. Other forms of businesses are also reviewed and referred to by consumers all around the world.

Online reviews not only influence consumers but also affect the visibility of these businesses in search engines. With regard to retail, the most influential factor for Google’s local search ranking is based largely on significance, location, and presence.

Out of these, location and significance are not affected by reviews. However, reviews have a major impact on the online presence of a business. Search engines like Google favor reputable review sites such as Yelp, so it is not uncommon for a small business’s Yelp or even Facebook page to rank higher in search results than its actual website.

Reviews can also be used as customer testimonials for the business website. Highlighting good reviews in social media posts and marketing campaigns may also result in further generation of reviews. Social media influencers can be vitally important while working toward growing your business presence online.

How to Collect Customer Reviews? 

Increasing positive customer reviews means growing consumer base. To get reviews from customers is not an easy task for an ordinary or new business. A great deal of effort has to be put in to generate reviews. Certain practices may be helpful in the generation of reviews. Some of these are:

  • Providing exceptional consumer service

Customers, when provided with good service are satisfied and would readily leave a review when asked for. The services include everything from providing online payment platforms to guiding the consumers in the best possible manner.

  • High-quality product or service

The product or service that a company provides is the main reason behind the customer’s satisfaction.

  • Requesting feedback/advice/suggestions regarding personal interests of the consumers

Attending to the customer and asking for their views on improving the business help to instill a friendly/family-like atmosphere for the customer, making them feel more involved and important.

  • Making it easy to receive feedback

Engaging the customers, even after the product has been sold is essential. This can be achieved by reviewing their purchase history and making recommendations regarding products that they might like.

  • Engaging customers online

Using the information about the customer collected from their purchase and sending emails regarding the product and its feedback, is a good way to make the customer feel engaged.

  • Active and logical responses to reviews

Actively responding to customers in a logical and compassionate way is vital for success in business. There can be positive reviews and negative reviews. Responding to both is equally essential.

Regular interaction with the consumer helps in maintaining a check on the quality of services, whether it’s about the best mode of delivery, online payment gateway, or cancellations & refunds. Regularly tracking reviews by making it a habit to check out various review platforms and social media outlets will help in the growth of the business. In this age of social media, online reviews are just the tool you need to make your business known.

PayTabs
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.