Auto Leader MAHLE and SLM Solutions to Drive Automotive 3D Printing https://ift.tt/3st1s2V With some $16B in revenue and 80,000 employees, MAHLE (LEVE3.BVMF) is not just one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers but also an increasingly significant player in the 3D printing... The... View the entire article via our website. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com December 24, 2021 at 07:03AM
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USPS Maintains Strong Service Performance for First-Class and Marketing Mail During Busiest Week of the Year Despite Industry-Wide Delays https://ift.tt/3ehWTAb WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Postal Service reported new service delivery performance metrics showing ongoing strong service for First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail, with a slight decline for Periodicals through the first 11 weeks of the fiscal first quarter. Consistent with the rest of the shipping industry, the organization is experiencing delays in both ground and air transportation, which impacted service performance across the network during the week of Dec. 11-17 — the busiest mail and shipping week of the year. However, the Postal Service’s mitigation plans are performing well, enabling the organization to recover quickly and maintain high service performance scores as mail and package volume surged. Printing via USPS News https://ift.tt/2hH9aDC December 23, 2021 at 09:54AM
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Oerlikon CEO Roland Fischer: “It’s About Optimizing the 3D Printing Process” https://ift.tt/3msMcPP Roland Fischer, is the CEO of Oerlikon, a 10,000-employee group with revenues in excess of $2 billion and active in a range of industrial areas. The conglomerate has a significant surface coating division, as well as one that manufactures fibers. Oerlikon has also invested deeply in additive. The company makes powders for additive manufacturing (AM), but it also has a service for producing prototype parts and another to help you industrialize these prototypes. Oerlikon can also manufacture parts at scale for you at its U.S. and Swiss locations. The combination of deep knowledge of AM and deep knowledge of surface coating means that the company can be a key partner for those wishing to produce the most demanding of components. We interviewed Roland Fisher to find out more about the firm. Roland explains that it was a strategic decision that led them to enter the AM business, an extension of Oerlikon’s core competencies.
I was curious to know what the firm sees as its key challenges to face and solve. Like individuals in many businesses, he noted that qualification and regulations were important obstacles to mass production. However, progress is being made, as evidence by the type of attendance he has seen at Oerlikon’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Conference, begun in 2017.
As much as the additive industry has been advancing, it, like other sectors, were severely impacted by COVID-19, as well as the resulting supply chain issues. Of all of the verticals that Oerlikon serves, Fischer said that aviation, where the company has deals with such firms as Lufthansa and Boeing, was hit hardest. However, the company continues to grow its 3D printing business across a number of segments, including aerospace.
When I asked him what components Oerlikon is bullish about, he named spare parts, particularly where functionality can be combined, using sensors for example. He also noted the ability of AM to disrupt e-mobility, including fuel cells, weight and more. However, Fischer was careful not to be overly excited discussing specific components. He likened his view of AM to the way physician examines a patient.
For this reason, he highlighted the benefit of 3D printing in very specific, high-performance applications, such as the space, in which Oerlikon has worked with RUAG, and subsea sectors.
On the whole, Fischer is optimistic about the market and its development. “It used to be a German play, with most of the big printer companies being located there. Lots of industry picked it up as well. But, now there is strong development in the US, especially in the defense business and Asia is picking up. For us it’s important we don’t miss a big play and that we stay focused on growth and the future.” It important that Oerlikon use its production prowess and materials knowledge to improve materials. That is where its biggest differentiator lies. If it continues to do this it will help accelerate not only its own growth but that of many firms simultaneously. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com December 23, 2021 at 07:33AM
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Porsche Invests in Chinese 3D Printer Maker INTAMSYS https://ift.tt/3H78sX5 The paths of two interesting companies are converging as the investment arm of luxury auto manufacturer Porsche backs Chinese 3D printer maker INTAMSYS. The exact amount of funding has not been disclosed, but Porsche Ventures has said that it has invested in INTAMSYS as a means of exploring the use of its technology in automotive applications. INTAMSYS was founded in 2016 with a focus on material extrusion 3D printers. This led to the development of high-temperature machines capable of 3D printing with engineering-grade materials, like the polyaryletherketone (PAEK) family of plastics. This makes its 3D printers ideal for such applications as aerospace, automotive, and medical parts that need to be temperature- and chemical-resistant, while maintaining high strength. In the case of medicine, this could mean biocompatible implants made from PAEK polymers. Although this is the first investment by Porsche Ventures into 3D printing, the auto manufacturer has toyed with the technology in the past. With GKN, Porsche Engineering used laser powder bed fusion (PBF) to 3D print components for an electric drive train using a new steel alloy. More recently, it has relied on SLM Solutions’ 12-laser system to 3D print a proof-of-concept e-drive housing. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS was outfitted with PBF-printed metal pistons. This doesn’t even include what its parent company, Volkswagen, is up to.
These developments ramped up more steadily in the past several years with the company seemingly focused on metal parts. So, why is Porsche investing in a desktop extrusion system manufacturer? And why in China? It’s possible that the German car company is relying on INTAMSYS technology similar to the FLEX 510 to 3D print seats for its vehicles. The new feature was made available for the Boxster, Cayman and 911 models in October 2021 and will become a standard option in the Porsche Car Configurator starting in February 2022. Because the FLEX 510 is capable of quickly 3D printing with flexible materials such as thermoplastic polyurethane, it wouldn’t be surprising if Porsche’s partially polyurethane 3D printed seats were made using either multiple FLEX 510s or a scaled-up version. Regardless of whether or not this is the case, INTAMSYS is one of a number of firms in China that is growing rapidly. Stereolithography 3D printer manufacturer UnionTech just received a $31 million investment, while PBF maker Farsoon has reported its best financial year to date. At the moment, INTAMSYS looks a bit like the Chinese version of an early-stage Stratasys, prior Objet merger. However, INTAMSYS has the benefit of skipping all of the growth pains that Stratasys went through as 3D printing was slowly adopted around the world. Now, additive manufacturing is nearly mature. Auto makers have been using it for prototyping for decades and it is being used to make end parts regularly in aerospace. It makes more than enough sense for Porsche to jump onto this bet early enough in the firm’s growth stage to access a Stratasys-like business before its competitors know how valuable it is. According to the “Additive Manufacturing for Automotive Part Production – 2019 – 2029” report from SmarTech Analysis, 3D printing in the automotive segment will be a $9 billion segment by 2029. As fellow 3DPrint.com writer Matt Kremenetsky pointed out, a great deal of this activity is taking place in Germany. Among those leading the charge is Volkswagen, the parent company of Porsche. VW claims that it will be using HP’s Metal Jet Fusion technology to 3D print 100,000 end parts by 2025. Major auto supplier MAHLE has partnered with SLM Solutions to drive 3D printing of auto components as well. But it won’t only be Germans who are deploying the technology. In the U.S., Ford claims that it will be using Desktop Metal/ExOne’s binder jetting to 3D print metal end parts. Don’t be surprised if we don’t hear some surprising announcements from any or all of the above in 2022. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com December 23, 2021 at 07:03AM
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BLANC Prints | Home Collection https://ift.tt/32dEeTP Established in summer of 2021 by Yorkshire-born, London-based couple Michael and Libby, BLANC aim to merge classic art concepts with on trend style. They use bold and colourful illustrations to create vibrant, stylish, and statement prints that bring personality to homes. Originally, the pair started the brand as a way to create gifts due to lack of funds after they moved to London to become teachers. BLANC quickly became a great success and their full time job. As a result, Michael and Libby have learnt their niche and target market, using their Home Collection series of prints to establish a bold and unique brand that tells a story that matches their personalities and personal stories. Their statement Home prints add colour and a different perception to life. The duo explain; “We were both teachers and left to do this full time and pursue it as a couple to tell young people our story and that they can do the same. We like to inspire individuals who we meet on Brick Lane Markets through ourselves and our artwork to follow what they enjoy doing and everything will fall into place afterwards.” Only 5 months into this exciting new venture, they’re still learning a lot, and will continue to do so. Their ultimate message and motivation is to “look for your talents and exploit them by trying new things, and just go and do them”. BLANC’s Home Collection series includes a plethora of prints representing homes across the country, from Yorkshire, to Hackney, and the world too, from a French kitchen, to a romantic Naples scene. This imagery is not only reflective of their own personal journeys and experiences, but also relatable to their audience. Each piece in the collection is Giclee printed on 400gsm paper, providing their customers with the best quality finish, and available in a choice of 3 sizes. The designs are all drawn by hand and then manipulated in computer software to give a high coloured finish, Through the series, Michael and Libby hope to create artwork that is affordable and desirable, making the creative world accessible and relatable to everyone. The duo work together 24/7, collaborating on the whole print and design process. “There’s no real magic recipe – we do prints when we’re inspired and rest when we need to,” say the couple. Although there is a Matisse-like style to their designs, and influences from the likes of Hockney and Picasso, Michael and Libby feel it’s important that each print is their own designed piece, and they look to each other for inspiration, using their creativity in a positive way. BLANC also offer commissions, and are always open to suggestions of new pieces to increase their range. They conclude; “We’re constantly looking to innovate. We’re finding our way and follow our path by intuition.” @blancprintsuk Shop on Department Store here. Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 December 23, 2021 at 05:16AM Handheld Bioprinter Could One Day Heal Astronaut Injuries https://ift.tt/3yPQIwA A SpaceX Dragon resupply mission carrying 6,500 pounds of science experiments, including a handheld bioprinter prototype, is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) after launching on... View the entire article via our website. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com December 22, 2021 at 08:03AM Formlabs Now Available to Medical Suppliers via Vizient GPO Catalog https://ift.tt/3Ekim5S 3D printing is making significant progress in the medical sector. After already making important in-roads through international approvals of 3D printed implants, additive manufacturing (AM) is now... View the entire article via our website. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com December 22, 2021 at 07:33AM
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3D Printing News Briefs, December 22, 2021: Business, Software, Rhinoplasty, & More https://ift.tt/33FG3ZM We’re starting off with two acquisitions in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, and then on to a new Amazon e-commerce store for polypropylene filaments. Then we’ll discuss software, print orientation, and finish up with 3D printing for rhinoplasty surgery preparation. Read on for the details! Titomic Acquires Cold Spray Company Dycomet Australia-based Titomic (ASX: TTT) announced that it has acquired Dutch company Dycomet Europe B.V., a European leader in cold spray technology. Dycomet offers low, medium, and high pressure cold spray solutions to various industries, including automotive and aviation, which will give local capability and support to Titomic’s European customers. According to a press release, the acquisition will be “immediately revenue accretive for Titomic” with a strong pipeline of European customer orders, giving it a base in Europe, which, paired with its Australian headquarters and Titomic USA, will provide the company with excellent global access. Klaas Rozema, Dycomet’s Founder and CEO, will now serve as General Manager of Titomic Europe.
TriMech Acquires InterPRO Additive Manufacturing Group Speaking of acquisitions, TriMech, which provides CAD and engineering software, additive and subtractive manufacturing solutions, and associated training, consulting, and staffing to manufacturers and engineers in North America, is expanding its advanced manufacturing and rapid prototyping offering with the acquisition of InterPRO Additive Manufacturing Group. InterPRO has one of North America’s largest deployments of the new Stratasys Origin P3 system, and also offers in-house technologies including urethane and silicone casting and Multi Jet Fusion, FDM, and large-format SLA printing. With this acquisition, TriMech will add over 70 3D printers to its existing range of 40+ 3D printers at its manufacturing and prototyping facilities in Ontario and Connecticut. Dan Straka, President of InterPRO, will become TriMech’s General Manager of Advanced Manufacturing, and InterPRO will remain in its Connecticut facility under the name TriMech Advanced Manufacturing.
Braskem, Xenon arc Launch Amazon Store for PP Filaments Moving on to materials, Braskem, which is the largest producer of polyolefins in the Americas, partnered with Xenon arc to launch its first consumer-facing store on Amazon in order to make polypropylene AM filaments more accessible to consumers. Xenon arc is contributing data-driven marketing and sales platform technologies to help Braskem better reach its small- to mid-sized clients, and the e-commerce marketplace features Braskem’s PP 3D printing filaments in both 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm diameters, which can be used for designing spare parts, rapid prototyping, and custom product design, among other applications, thanks to the material’s impact strength, durability, and chemical resistance. The Amazon store will also sell Braskem’s award-winning carbon fiber reinforced PP filament.
Hexagon Adds Additive Build Preparation to ESPRIT CAM Software Quote request Are you looking to buy a 3D printer or 3D scanner? We're here to help. Get free expert advice and quotes from trusted suppliers in your area. Powered by Aniwaa Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division recently added additive build preparation to its ESPRIT CAM software, which will provide digital tools to prepare components for powder bed fusion (PBF) 3D printing in order to streamline hybrid manufacturing workflows and scale up AM production volumes. According to AMPOWER’s Additive Manufacturing Report, PBF represents 86% of the world’s machine install base for additive manufacturing, and with this addition, Hexagon’s ESPRIT CAM software now includes its patented Part-to-Build workflow for both the printing and finishing operations for PBF, including build preparation steps and programming tools for post-processing—offering this dedicated functionality in one piece of software that uses a parametric data-based workflow. Customers can better optimize their AM part designs by using ESPRIT Additive PBF along with other Hexagon products, like Simufact Additive and MSC Apex Generative Design.
Thermwood Adds Third Print Orientation to LSAM Systems In 2020, Thermwood Corp. introduced the Vertical Layer Print (VLP) option to its LSAM (Large Scale Additive Manufacturing) systems, which can print vertical layers; it already offered HLP, or Horizontal Layer Printing. Now the company has added a third print orientation with its new Angle Layer Printing (ALP) option, which can print at a 45° angle. Because each of these orientations has its own advantages, offering all three on the same system, with the complete LSAM print head, makes it an extremely flexible solution. Currently operating LSAM machines already feature the VLP capability, but for new systems, this has been replaced with a VLP/ALP option. If a customer purchased a machine without VLP, this new VLP/ALP option can be easily added to most of the machines already operating, and supposedly it’s an inexpensive fix as well. LSAM systems, which are said to be the most widely-used large-scale composite thermoplastic 3D printing systems currently in industrial production, are available in a variety of configurations, including full print and trim and print only, in sizes from 5 x 10 feet all the way to 15 x 60 feet. Using 3D Printed Models for Rhinoplasty Surgery Preparation Finally, researchers in Italy published a research paper on their use of CT scans, MRI data, and 3D printing to create pre-surgical models ahead of rhinoplasty surgery, and other surgical reconstruction of cartilaginous structures, which can be pretty challenging. The goal was to come up with an imaging strategy to merge the CT and MRI data in order to 3D print a model that is, as the researchers wrote, “true to the patient’s anatomy.” Ten patients who were candidates for rhinoplasty had CT scans and MRI for characterization of their nasal structures for this study; the bone and soft tissue segmentations took place in the CT, and the MRI captured the cartilage segmentations.
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com December 22, 2021 at 07:09AM
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15 Best Website Builders for Small Business https://ift.tt/3EnM7CS Let’s face it, small businesses can’t get by without a website anymore. Even before the pandemic in 2019, 70-80% of people were researching companies online before visiting or buying from them. Just imagine how many customers you could be losing, if you don’t own a website in 2021. But we understand why so many small businesses are holding back. Building your own website used to be a daunting task, with endless decisions to make, coding to learn, designs to coordinate, and more. But not anymore! Thanks to the proliferation of user-friendly, drag-and-drop website builders, you can have a vibrant, eye-catching website of your own in no time. We rounded up this comprehensive guide to help you find the best website builder for your small business. And without further ado, here are our top 15 picks. Table Of Contents Why compare small business website buildersEven though many popular website builders are on the market, it’s hard to pick one that’d fit every business’s needs. If you’re just getting started, you’ll want to find an intuitive website builder that’ll not only help you achieve your business goals but you’ll also actually enjoy using it. After all, building a website isn’t just a one-off process. As your business grows, you’ll want to have the full flexibility of updating your website and its content. At the same time, you’ll want to make sure that your website builder will help your get your business found online. The website you build with it needs to be optimized for the search engines and integrate well with other marketing channels like email, social media, or paid ads. The good news is that the website builders below check most (if not all) of these boxes. And while our top pick is the GetResponse Free Website Builder (and you’ll soon know why we picked it), we suggest that you check out all the tools listed below and take them for a spin (most offer a free account or free trial). Here are 15 of the best website builders for small businesses1. GetResponse Free Website BuilderWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?The GetResponse Free Website Builder is great for small businesses because that’s who it was created for – busy small business owners who don’t want to learn how to code or don’t want to hire a developer to build and manage a website for them. Our AI-driven website builder, one of the first of its kind, will do all the work for you. Just answer a few simple questions and choose a design style, and you’ll get at least three personalized templates to choose from. And of course, if you’d rather start from scratch or using a ready-made template and customize it to match your branding, you can do all that with ease using our intuitive drag-and-drop editor. Plus, we offer an all-in-one solution, syncing the marketing tools we’re already known for with a website builder — meaning you won’t have to figure out how to get everything to work together. Because it already does. As Artur Undro, Software Architect at GetResponse, says, “Building a website doesn’t have to be hard. The GetResponse Website Builder was created with some of today’s most advanced and intuitive online technologies — meaning we’re able to offer our customers an experience that is not only a lot easier but also more enjoyable! Create complicated things in an uncomplicated way.” Pros
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PricingYou can start building your website completely free thanks to the GetResponse Free-Forever plan. The plan includes access to the Website Builder, along with its fully-customizable templates, drag-and-drop editor, and the AI-builder. You can use our free domains or assign your custom one, all for free. On top of that, the Free plan also includes access to our landing pages, signup forms, and newsletter software along with storage space for up to 500 contacts. As your website grows and you want to integrate it with external tools or have access to GetResponse’s premium features you can upgrade to one of our paid plans starting from $15/mo. Want to see the website builder in action? Test it yourself here or watch our webinar recording down below. 2. CarrdWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Carrd, like the name implies, is a good tool for creating a website that acts as a digital business card, making it useful for small businesses who only need simple one-page websites like personal profiles, portfolios, or landing pages. According to Carrd, their builder is simple, responsive, and totally free. As one reviewer on G2 noted, “This is a great website for using attractive, pre-made, one-page website templates…I would recommend this for folks who need a temporary website solution.” Pros
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PricingAs mentioned, Carrd offers an unlimited free plan. But they also offer a 7-day trial of their Pro plan which costs just $19 per year and includes the following features:
3. SquarespaceWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Squarespace is one of the major DIY website builders out there with clean, professional design templates. It’s good for small businesses in creative fields where design aesthetics are especially important. However, the structured editor protects the designs at the cost of customization, leaving you with little freedom to personalize your site beyond the template. Pros
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PricingAs mentioned, you can try Squarespace free for two weeks. If you want to stick around after that, Squarespace has four levels to choose from, starting with the Personal account at $16 a month. Personal accounts include a free custom domain and SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth and storage, 24/7 customer support (via chat only, no phone support), and basic website metrics. Beyond that, you can upgrade to the Business plan at $26 per month, the Basic Commerce at $35, or the Advanced Commerce at $59. Each adds progressively more marketing and ecommerce features like promotional pop-ups and banners or abandoned cart recovery. But the most significant difference is with transaction fees. The Business account lets you sell with a 3% transaction fee but upgrading to a Commerce account (either Basic or Advanced) removes the fee entirely. And depending on how much you’re planning to sell, that could make all the difference. 4. WebflowWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?On the other side of the customization spectrum from Squarespace, you have Webflow. In fact, Webflow is so customizable that it actually targets web designers, rather than users with less skill or technical expertise as many other website builders do. For this reason, Webflow is often compared to WordPress.org but they claim to offer more creative freedom, better site security, and greater ease of use — all with no coding required. The innovative platform, which is an alumnus of the Y Combinator startup accelerator, is a good choice for small businesses that have designers on staff or anyone with advanced technical skills. It’s also good for businesses that need a high level of customization but can’t afford a developer. On the flip side, Webflow is not a good choice for beginners or anyone without a lot of time on their hands. Pros
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PricingThey offer twelve different plans, split into two categories — site plans or account plans. Site plans are for personal websites, blogs, businesses, and ecommerce sites and they range in price from $12 a month to $212 a month. Account plans are for agencies or freelancers who are using Webflow to build websites for clients. These plans start at $16 and go up to custom enterprise pricing. It’s also important to note that Webflow is free to use until you go live with your site. So you can start building up to two projects for free, with no time limit, and add a paid plan if and when you’re happy with the results. 5. WeeblyWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Rated best website builder for beginners by the likes of Neil Patel, Weebly’s free platform is one of the easiest around. Its site creation tool has a clear, simple interface that lets you easily build excellent-looking, responsive websites. And Weebly’s limited number of attractive templates and integrated ecommerce tools get the job done without sending you into decision overload. Pros
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PricingAs mentioned, Weebly offers a free plan. If you’re just starting out and don’t mind the ads and domain name, this is a good option to get you off the ground without burning any cash. If you want to upgrade, Weebly has three paid plans. The Personal plan costs $9 a month and allows the use of a custom domain name, removal of Weebly branding, ability to sell digital goods, and access to a shipping calculator. The Professional plan costs $16 a month. This plan adds unlimited storage, a free domain name, site search, password protection for up to 100 site members, and improved site statistics. The Performance plan is the highest level at $29 a month and caters to ecommerce businesses. Performance sites can sell unlimited products and receive payments through PayPal. It also allows site visitors to leave item reviews, print shipping labels, and access customer support. 6. Site123Why’s this a good website builder for small businesses?If Weebly sounds like it might be up your alley, Site123 deserves a look too. As the name suggests, you can put together a website on Site123 in just three steps: choose a design, add content, and go live. The builder works similarly to Carrd in that your site will technically only be one page, with sections added to the bottom and linked through the menu. Site123 is a good choice for small businesses with basic needs and not a lot of time. Pros
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PricingAs we mentioned, Site123 offers a free plan that is good enough to create a small website and get moving quickly. The freebie includes 250MB of storage, 250MB of bandwidth, and one subdomain. Their paid plan (Premier) costs $12.80 a month with up to 10GB of storage and 5GB of bandwidth. Premier also includes a free domain for a year, removal of Site123 branding, and ecommerce capabilities. 7. MailchimpWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Mailchimp is the website builder most similar to GetResponse because of its integrated marketing tools. It’s based on the same premise that if you’re already using Mailchimp for all of your marketing needs, why not use their website builder too and have everything in one place? Obviously, we think this is a great idea but the devil is in the details. A major downside to Mailchimp’s builder, for example, is that there are no templates. Instead, users begin with a starter layout that has space for a logo, main section, a subscribe feature, and subsections. This means it’s going to require more time and skill to build an attractive website using Mailchimp’s tool. It also means that your design options are going to be quite limited, really just down to font and color. Pros
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PricingAs mentioned, Mailchimp offers a free plan that’s available for an unlimited amount of time and comes with up to 2,000 contacts and one audience. Mailchimp offers three paid tiers — Essentials, Standard, and Premium. The Essentials plan costs $9.99 a month and allows up to 50,000 contacts, three audiences, access to all email templates, help with custom branding, and 24/7 live support. The Standard plan costs $14.99 per month and jumps you up to 100,000 contacts. You can also create custom templates with this plan and manage your target audiences. The Premium plan is the highest level at $299 a month and is designed for advanced users who want specific customization. Premium allows up to 200,000 contacts and unlimited audiences. 8. WixWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?One of the coolest things about Wix is that it covers the whole ease-of-use spectrum by offering both an AI builder on one end (requiring minimal effort from the user) and an open development platform on the other (where advanced users can create fully customized sites). So no matter where you land on the spectrum, Wix likely has something for your small business. Pros
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PricingIf you want to upgrade from Wix’s free plan, the paid plans fall into two categories: website plans and business/ecommerce plans. Their website plans range in price from $14 – $39 a month and are designed for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers who need a web presence but don’t need to sell online. As Wix says, these are “great for showcasing a professional site.” Their business and ecommerce plans, however, are “essential for collecting online payments.” These range from $23 – $49 per month and include all the bells and whistles typical of strong ecommerce platforms including advanced features like abandoned shopping cart recovery, automated sales tax, and the ability to sell on social channels and marketplaces. 9. Gator BuilderWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?HostGator’s website builder, which bundles web hosting services from HostGator, is another good option if you like the level of customization offered by Wix. Their easy-to-use builder is packed with features, even on the cheapest plan. There are unlimited pages, robust ecommerce capabilities, a free domain name, a bundled SSL certificate, free access to the Unsplash image library, a responsive design, and 24/7 customer support. Pros
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PricingWhile HostGator doesn’t offer a free plan, its paid plans are extremely competitive. The Express Start plan starts at $3.84 per month (if you get the current promotional pricing) and includes a free domain and SSL certificate, three email marketing campaigns, a three-product online store, and unlimited storage and monthly data transfers. The Express Site plan starts at $5.99 a month. It bumps the email marketing to five campaigns and the ecommerce product capacity to ten. It also includes priority support and appointment-booking tools. Lastly, the Express Store plan costs $9.22 a month. This plan increases the email marketing campaigns to ten, includes unlimited store products, and (perhaps most importantly) drops all transaction fees. 10. ZyroWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Zyro might not have as many features as some of its competitors, but the ones it does have can save small businesses time and money. Its AI writer tool, for example, will generate copy to fill your site based on basic information about your business. And its Heatmap tool uses color-coded markers to help you to arrange the elements of your website in a way that maximizes conversions. There’s also a free logo design tool that lets you pull shapes and icons from an image library onto a canvas where you can add text and play around with the positioning. Overall, Zyro is an inexpensive builder with unique tools to get a website up and running quickly. Pros
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PricingAs mentioned above, Zyro doesn’t offer a free plan. It has four paid options, however, starting with the Basic plan at $8.90 a month. This includes 3GB of bandwidth, 1 GB of storage, an SSL certificate, and the ability to use your own domain name (although you’ll have to pay for it separately). The next tier up is the Unleashed plan at $10.90 a month. This plan bumps you to unlimited bandwidth and storage and includes a free domain for a year, Google Analytics, and Stripe integration. The next two plans are geared toward ecommerce sites. The first costs $19.90 per month and includes order tracking, inventory management, and other standard ecommerce features. Ecommerce+ runs $25.90 a month and adds in abandoned cart recovery along with the ability to sell unlimited products. 11. DudaWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Duda is a solid choice for small businesses looking for a strong, template-based builder. Its mobile designs are top-notch and it offers strong ecommerce options at all levels. Its pricing plans are especially geared towards agencies and small businesses that are creating websites for others. That said, if you need serious customization beyond the templates, Duda’s not the best choice. If you’re looking for something good right out of the box though, Duda is worth a look. Pros
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PricingDuda offers three paid tiers, plus a custom plan. The first is the Basic plan at $19 per month which allows one user and one website with email support only. Then you have the Team plan at $29 a month. As expected, Team allows additional users (up to four) and adds chat and phone support. Agency is up next at $59 per month. This plan allows you to have up to 10 users, build up to four websites, and create custom widgets with unique capabilities. Duda also has a custom option with managed services and 24/7 dedicated support, but you have to contact them for a quote. 12. GoDaddyWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Building on its strength as the world’s biggest domain registrar, GoDaddy launched the current version of its website building tool in 2019. It’s designed with small business owners in mind and uses AI technology to create customized websites. GoDaddy’s builder doesn’t offer much in the way of customization or advanced ecommerce options, however. And its template designs aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing so it’s not ideal for artistic or creative sites. But it’s useful for small businesses that need to publish a simple site quickly. Pros
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PricingGoDaddy’s free plan provides for a single website with hosting, 24/7 support, and limited social and email marketing. If you need more features, you can upgrade to one of their four paid plans, all of which include an SSL certificate, a PayPal button to accept payments, and a free business phone number for a year. The first tier, Basic, costs $14.99 a month and lets you connect a custom domain, one social media platform, five social media posts, and 100 marketing emails. The Standard plan runs $19.99 per month and ups the social media platforms to three, social posts to 20, and marketing emails to 500. The Premium plan at $24.99 per month allows unlimited social media platforms and posts, appointment booking features, and 25,000 marketing emails per month. At the top is the Ecommerce plan at $24.99 a month. It includes everything in the previous plans plus the ability to add and edit product listings, set up shipping options, sell items through an online store, manage promotions and discounts, and sell on online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay. If you’re serious about selling products online, the Ecommerce plan is really the only option with GoDaddy. 13. ShopifyWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Powering 1.5 million businesses worldwide, Shopify is designed to help people build their own scalable online store without any tech skills. It’s packed with sales features and is compatible with most web hosting providers and credit card processing gateways. The convenience of this compatible, all-in-one solution allows you to quickly launch a store without much hassle. But the cost of that convenience comes in the form of high transaction fees — unless you use their proprietary payment gateway Shopify Payments. Pros
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PricingOnce your free trial is up, you can choose between three main tiers starting with Basic Shopify at $29/month. This tier is best for new ecommerce businesses with occasional sales and includes unlimited products and storage, 24/7 support, an SSL certificate, and two staff accounts. The next tier runs $79 a month and adds in three additional staff accounts, reporting, and abandoned cart recovery. The top tier, Advanced Shopify, starts at $299 a month and includes 15 staff accounts, an advanced report builder, and an auto-shipping rate calculator. Shopify also offers an enterprise-grade plan (Shopify Plus) for high-volume merchants with custom pricing. And they offer Shopify Lite which allows you to add products to any existing website or blog and accept credit card payments for only $9 a month. 14. BigCommerceWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?BigCommerce provides extreme scalability. It has many built-in sales tools along with advanced SEO tools and multi-channel integration, clearly focusing on the needs of large, established businesses. That said, beginners won’t necessarily find it hard to use. It’s just kind of overkill if you’re only selling a few products. Plus, being designed for complex businesses, it’s not super quick to set up. Pros
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PricingBigCommerce offers four different ecommerce packages: Standard, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise. Standard starts at $29.95 per month and includes impressive ecommerce features like multi-channel selling, real-time shipping quotes, and the ability to accept multiple forms of payment. The Plus plan costs $79.95 and throws in advanced features like abandoned cart recovery. The Pro plan costs $249.95 a month and adds product filtering and customer reviews. And the custom enterprise plan includes a dedicated SSL certificate along with priority support, one-on-one expert setup and migration, and advanced reporting tools. 15. SimvolyWhy’s this a good website builder for small businesses?Although Simvoly is a new kid on the block in the website builder market, it’s catching on quickly among small and medium-sized businesses who appreciate its simple drag-and-drop builder and unique features. Simvoly’s AI-powered Magic Website Builder, for example, will build a site for you in minutes based on basic information about your business. Or you can choose from over 50 responsive templates spanning a variety of business types. Simvoly also includes a unique sales funnel creator, integrated marketing tools, and the ability to easily switch themes. And its ecommerce function is interestingly geared towards those selling digital goods and downloads. Pros
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PricingAfter a 14-day free trial, Simvoly offers four paid tiers — Personal, Business, Growth, and Pro. Personal starts at $18 a month and includes a 20-page website with 10GB of monthly traffic, 5GB of storage, and a custom domain name. It also allows up to five products to be sold in an online store. The Business plan costs $32 per month and bumps you up to unlimited pages, 60GB of traffic, six domain connections, analytics, support, and 100 store products. Next is the Growth plan at $99 per month. This provides three websites, 120GB of traffic, 33 domain connections, and unlimited store products. The Pro plan, geared towards large commercial accounts, runs $249 per month and includes 10 websites, unlimited domain connections, 400GB of traffic, 10 admins, and white label service. Questions you may have regarding website builders:Which website builder is easiest to use?Most of the website builders we’ve featured here are specifically built for entrepreneurs and small business owners. They aren’t built for developers — so the technical know-how required to use them is pretty minimal. However, the GetResponse website builder stands out even among this crowd as especially easy to use thanks to its AI technology. With GetResponse you don’t have to spend time choosing from hundreds of templates. Just input some basic information and sit back. The AI builder will generate a few custom templates for you in minutes. Plus, the GetResponse builder integrates all the marketing tools you need to run your business. This means everything will be in one place and it will automatically work together — no complicated plugins or addons to figure out. What is the cheapest business website builder?The cheapest website builders featured here is GetResponse, hands down. With the Free-Forever plan you can create a single website and even assign your own domain completely free. Plus the plan also includes additional email marketing features and 30-day access to more robust tools like Marketing Automation, Autoresponders, and Conversion Funnels. Conclusion (Bonus: Webinar Recording)As you can see, if you’re in the market for a small business website builder, there’s a little bit of something out there for everyone these days. Whether you need a quick, one-page site to house a professional website or a multi-page ecommerce store, one of these popular website builders is sure to do the trick. Best of luck! Printing via GetResponse Blog https://ift.tt/2Xap2TD December 22, 2021 at 06:30AM
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Prelo Prints | Aesop Fables (English Version) https://ift.tt/3msi3zT Prelo Prints’ latest release is a middle-English version of the popular Aesop Fables. The edition is based on the translation from French to English made by William Caxton (ca. 1422 – ca. 1491), considered to be England’s first printer. The text is adapted from the book printed at Westminster in 1484 by Caxton himself. This edition was hand-printed in Maribo, Denmark, on Prelo’s 15th-century reproduction wooden Printing Press, from February to October 2021. Released in an edition with a total of 34 copies, each book is hand-bound in goat parchment, which makes every copy unique. Prelo’s Aesop Fables were printed on handmade laid paper made at the Paper and Watermark Museum (”Museo della carta e della filigrana”) in the city of Fabriano, Italy, the oldest paper mill still in function, since the 13th-century. The text was composed with moveable type (Nürnberger Schwabacher) cast by Mr. Rainer Gerstenberg in one of the last European type foundries, in Darmstadt, Germany. All of the images and capital letters are woodcuts entirely made by hand, with 3 types of wood: boxwood, cherry, and limewood. The small “smudges and blots”, uneven pressure, and small details throughout the pages, show the results of 9 months of printing work — spanning through late winter, spring, summer, and autumn — where all the changes in temperature and humidity (and at one point also the location of the printing works) translates in how the Press behaves and the very result of each print. www.preloprints.com Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 December 22, 2021 at 05:08AM |
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