How much does business process automation cost?
How much business process automation costs: what drives the build price, the monthly running costs of platforms and AI, and how payback and billing work.
Field notes
Field notes
Writing on software, automation, AI, and the practical side of digitalization.
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02 Fractional CTO for a small business: what it covers
What a fractional (part-time) CTO does a few days a month, when a small business needs one, and how the role differs from a developer or an agency.
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03 Software warranty period: bug or change request?
What a software warranty period covers: defects against the agreed scope, not new wishes. The honest test, typical durations, what voids it and sample clauses.
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04 Taking over software from another agency: a checklist
Taking over software from another agency or freelancer: accounts, source code, documentation, your contract position, the first review and fix vs rewrite.
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05 Software maintenance contract and SLA: what it must include
What a software maintenance contract and SLA must include: response times by severity, what is covered vs billed hourly, backups, security updates and exit.
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06 Web shop maintenance cost: what you pay each month
How much web shop maintenance costs each month: platform and payment fees vs maintenance work, what upkeep should cover, a worked budget and how billing works.
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07 What is a database? Database vs spreadsheet explained
What is a database? A plain definition, a relational database on a small firm's order list, database vs spreadsheet compared, and when Excel stops being enough.
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08 Shopify Croatia: payments, fiscalisation, eRačun and OSS
Shopify Croatia guide: what Shopify handles on its own and what a Croatian store must connect - fiscalisation, eRačun, OSS VAT, couriers and accounting.
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09 What is a CRM system and does a small business need one?
What is a CRM system? A plain definition, the five things every CRM does, a worked example for a four-person sales team, and when a small firm doesn't need one.
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10 How to connect a web shop to ERP: orders, stock, prices
How to connect a web shop to ERP: which data flows which way, how often to sync stock, the oversell problem, 4 ways to integrate and what to agree first.
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11 What is an ERP system? Modules, an example and ERP vs CRM
What is an ERP system? A plain definition, the modules it joins, one order traced with and without ERP, ERP vs CRM, and when a small business needs one.
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12 Website vs web application: what is the difference?
Website vs web application: you read a website, you work in a web app. Everyday examples, a side-by-side table and why the price difference is so large.
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13 How to compare custom software development quotes
Do not compare custom software development quotes by the total. The ten items every quote must include, how to level them, and three questions before signing.
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14 Software adoption: why your team won't use the new system
Software adoption after a custom build: why employees don't use new software, how to prevent it before handover, and when the software is to blame.
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15 AI features in custom software: which ones pay off
Adding AI features to custom software: the four that pay off for a small business, what per-use cost means, how each one fails, and when you don't need AI.
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16 Freelancer or small team for custom software development?
Freelancer or small team for custom software: who works on a build, what the price gap buys, the truck factor and three questions to ask about any quote.
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17 Hosting and running costs after a custom application build
Hosting and running costs after a custom application build: what runs on the server, the monthly cost, why a backup is not a restore, who holds the accounts.
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18 Customize existing software or build custom software?
Customize existing software or build custom software: three routes, the upgrade trap, and the one rule that decides what to adapt and what to build.
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19 Custom software for small trades businesses: where it pays
Custom software for small trades businesses: five places it pays back fastest, what not to build because cheap tools do it, and how small the first step is.
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20 How to commission custom software: what to prepare
How to commission custom software: the six things to prepare before the first meeting, what you do not need, and why every item lowers the quote.
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21 From Excel to a custom application: what about the data
Moving from Excel to a custom application: what to check in your data before a quote, how much history to migrate and what to demand at handover.
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22 Who owns the custom software you paid for?
Who owns custom software source code: what Croatian copyright law presumes, what the contract must cover, and the three questions to ask before you sign.
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23 Fixed price or time and materials for software?
Fixed price vs time and materials for custom software: who carries the estimate risk, what happens when scope changes, and which model is honestly fairer.
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24 Web app or mobile app for a small business?
Web app or mobile app for a small business: decide by where your users work, not by fashion. Comparison table, app store costs, and when mobile genuinely wins.
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25 Phased software delivery: how to break up a big build
Phased software delivery splits one large need into small usable builds. How to cut by process, what to freeze between phases, and what phasing really costs.
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26 Custom software development for a small business
Custom software development for small business: the five-minute payback calculation, four signs it is the right call, and when you should not build.
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27 Small-scope custom software projects
Custom software does not have to mean a big project. What a small scope looks like, what to cut from version one, and when a narrow project is no longer enough.
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28 AI agent security: prompt injection, permissions, leaks
AI agents with tool access are a new attack surface. What prompt injection is, why Gartner ties 25% of breaches to agents by 2028, and how to protect yours.
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29 How long does custom software development take?
Realistic custom software timelines: an MVP in 2-4 months, a mid-size business app in 4-9 months. What stretches deadlines and how discovery shortens them.
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30 What is custom software development? How it works
What custom software development is, how custom software works from discovery to upkeep, and a worked example: work orders at a 10-person firm, in numbers.
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31 Vibe coding: can AI-generated code go to production?
Vibe coding is everywhere in 2026 - but 65% of vibe-coded apps have security issues. What AI-generated code needs before production: review, tests, ownership.
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32 What is agentic AI? Agentic vs generative AI, explained
Agentic AI plans and acts; generative AI produces content. What agentic AI actually means in 2026, how it differs from chatbots and copilots, and when you need one.
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33 Why 40% of agentic AI projects fail - and how to be the 60%
Gartner expects over 40% of agentic AI projects to be cancelled by 2027. The real reasons AI agent projects fail, and what the ones that reach production do differently.
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34 DORA in Croatia: digital resilience for financial firms
DORA has applied since January 2025. Who is in scope in Croatia, the five pillars, ICT third-party risk, and what it means if you build financial software.
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35 AI voice agents: answer every call, book every slot
AI voice agents now handle reception, booking, and after-hours calls in natural conversation. What they do well in 2026, the honest limits, and where to start.
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36 Payment Gateway Croatia: Local Acquiring and Fees
Payment gateway Croatia: who offers local acquiring (PBZ Card, Erste, ZABA, OTP via CorvusPay or Monri WSPay), Stripe fees and a €20,000/month cost example.
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37 B2B web shop: what a wholesale ordering portal needs
A B2B web shop is not a B2C store with a login. What a wholesale ordering portal needs: customer-specific pricing, invoice payment, ERP-driven catalogues.
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38 European Accessibility Act: is your website compliant?
The European Accessibility Act is now enforceable across the EU. Which businesses must make their website and app accessible, what WCAG requires, and the fines.
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39 MCP: connecting AI agents to your business systems
Model Context Protocol (MCP) is becoming the standard way to connect AI agents to business systems. What MCP is, why it matters, and how to adopt it safely.
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40 NIS2 in Croatia: who is in scope and what it requires
NIS2 is now Croatian law. Which companies are in scope, the Article 21 measures, the 24/72-hour reporting clock, and management's personal liability.
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41 No-code vs custom development: where no-code breaks
No-code is fast and cheap to start - until it isn't. Where no-code platforms break on scale, cost, lock-in, and compliance, and when custom development wins.
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42 EU AI Act 2026: what Croatian SMBs must do now
The EU AI Act reaches ordinary businesses in 2026. Which risk tier you are in, the transparency duties from August 2026, and what the reform just deferred.
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43 Booking systems: build vs buy for service businesses
Should you buy an off-the-shelf booking app or build a custom reservation system? How salons, clinics, rentals, and tours decide on cost, control, and growth.
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44 AI customer support agent: faster replies, human touch
An AI customer support agent can handle 55-70% of tickets. How to deploy one that resolves issues, hands off cleanly, and keeps the human touch.
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45 Software maintenance cost and support after launch
Business software maintenance costs 15-25% of the build per year. What a monthly maintenance plan covers, typical response times and what is billed hourly.
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46 Croatia e-invoicing 2026: Fiskalizacija 2.0 explained
Fiskalizacija 2.0 makes eRačun e-invoicing mandatory in Croatia from 2026. Who must comply, the deadlines, and how to make your software exchange eRačun.
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47 Web scraping for business: is it legal, what it's for
Is web scraping legal for business? What web data collection delivers, the GDPR and terms-of-service limits, and how a clean pipeline turns it into decisions.
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48 Minimax, Synesis and Luceed integration: APIs compared
Do Minimax, Synesis and Luceed have an API, where are the docs and what can you connect: invoices, partners, items, stock. Plus: is Synesis an ERP?
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49 Agency co-build: how we partner with creative and marketing shops on the engineering side
How creative and marketing agencies partner with us for engineering. White-label, co-branded, or embedded team models explained.
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50 AI + automation stack for SMBs: what to build, what to buy, what to integrate
A practical AI and automation stack for SMBs. Which tools to buy, which to build custom, and how to connect them.
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51 AI readiness audit: how to know if your company is actually ready to deploy AI
An AI readiness audit checks your data, processes, team, and infrastructure before you invest. The framework and what it typically reveals.
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52 I have an app idea - what are my options? 5 ways to actually get it built
Five realistic paths to turn an app idea into a shipped product: no-code, freelancer, agency, build partner, or technical co-founder. Costs and trade-offs.
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53 Where automation actually pays back: 8 business processes worth automating first
Eight business processes where automation delivers the fastest ROI: invoicing, onboarding, reporting, inventory, approvals, and more. Real payback timelines.
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54 Build partner vs paying upfront: how to fund custom software when you're not a developer
Build partner or pay-upfront agency? Compare equity splits, cash outlay, risk profiles, and real cost math for non-technical founders.
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55 Corporate spin-outs: how we partner with enterprises to launch products outside the mothership
How enterprises spin out internal innovations into standalone products. IP, team structure, go-to-market, and our role as build partner.
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56 Discovery sprint: how a one-week paid Discovery removes 80% of project risk
A paid Discovery sprint defines scope, validates assumptions, and removes 80% of project risk before development starts. Here's what happens in five days.
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57 Equity for software development: when it makes sense for both sides
When trading equity for development works, when it backfires, and how to structure a deal that protects founder and developers.
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58 ERP integrations explained: connecting SAP, Microsoft Dynamics & Pantheon to the rest of your stack
How ERP integrations work for SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, and Pantheon. API options, middleware, common pitfalls, and realistic costs.
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59 Family business modernization: how we partner with second-gen owners to digitize legacy operations
How second-generation family business owners digitize legacy operations. From paper to custom software, without disrupting what works.
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60 From industry expertise to software product: a founder's playbook for non-tech operators
How non-technical industry experts turn domain knowledge into software products. From idea crystallisation to MVP, team, and first paying customers.
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61 Internal tools that 10x operations: when spreadsheets and SaaS stop being enough
Signs your business has outgrown spreadsheets and off-the-shelf SaaS. What custom internal tools cost, how long they take, and where they deliver impact.
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62 KPI dashboard design: 7 rules for dashboards people use
7 KPI dashboard design rules for management, sales or the factory floor: 5-7 KPIs per view, clear hierarchy, context, the right charts, mobile, an owner.
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63 Internal tool to SaaS: how we partner with ops teams to turn a workflow into a product
How to turn a working internal tool into a SaaS product. Multi-tenancy, pricing, onboarding, and the partnership model for ops teams.
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64 Niche B2B SaaS: how we partner with industry insiders to ship the first version
How Tsunami Digital partners with industry experts to build niche B2B SaaS products. Our process, deal structures, and what we look for in a partner.
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65 Operator-led startups: how we partner with non-technical founders to ship v1
How we partner with non-technical founders to ship v1. Our process for operator-led startups: from Discovery to working product in 12-16 weeks.
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66 Productizing services: how we partner with consultancies to turn methodology into software
How consultancies turn proven methodologies into scalable software products. Our partnership model, process, and real economics of productization.
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67 ROI of business automation: how to calculate payback before you spend a euro
A practical formula to calculate automation ROI before investing. Cost variables, payback math, and a framework you can use today.
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68 Building software for a regulated industry (fintech, healthtech, edtech): what changes
What changes when building software for fintech, healthtech, or edtech. Compliance requirements, certification costs, and planning for regulation.
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69 From spreadsheet chaos to BI: building a custom analytics stack that pays for itself within a year
How to replace spreadsheet chaos with a custom BI and analytics stack. Data pipelines, dashboards, and the real cost of building analytics.
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70 Technical co-founder vs development partner: which one your idea actually needs
Technical co-founder or development partner? Compare commitment, equity, control, speed, and which path fits your idea.
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71 Got an idea for vertical software? How to validate it before you build
A step-by-step validation framework for vertical SaaS ideas. Market sizing, competitor analysis, demand testing, and the build-or-wait decision.
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72 AI Agents: Why Chatbots Are No Longer Enough for Business
AI agents go beyond chatbots: they decide and act. Use cases, costs, and how to get started.
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73 AI in Business: Practical Applications Beyond Simple Chatbots
Practical AI in business: document processing, support, analytics, and reporting. Real examples, costs, and ROI.
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74 API integration: how it works and how to connect to an API
What an API integration is, how to connect to an API step by step (keys, test environment, webhooks or polling) and what drives the cost, with a worked example.
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75 CRM and ERP system cost 2026: licences, setup, integration
What a CRM costs, what an ERP costs and what linking them costs: per-user licences, implementation, CRM-ERP integration and custom CRM, with a worked example.
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76 Custom software cost in Croatia (2026): prices and rates
Custom software cost in Croatia: market price ranges, developer hourly rates (market €60-90, ours €40-60) and the four ways to work with a development partner.
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77 Custom software vs SaaS: when does each actually pay off?
When to pick off-the-shelf SaaS vs custom software: real costs, control, and when custom code ends up cheaper for your business.
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78 Cybersecurity for SMBs: threats, costs, and how to prepare
A practical guide to cybersecurity for small and mid-sized businesses. Most common threats, baseline measures, costs, and preparing for NIS2 and GDPR.
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79 10 digitalization mistakes companies make (and how to avoid them)
The most common mistakes in digitalizing small and mid-sized companies: wrong priorities, poor partner choice, ignored data migration, and 7 more traps.
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80 How to digitalize a small business: 5 steps that pay off fast
Digitalizing a small or mid-sized business: 5 steps that show results in the first 30 days, where to start, and how to avoid the biggest mistakes.
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81 EU funds for SME digitalization in Croatia: how to apply
EU funds for Croatian SME digitalization: NPOO, Digitalization Vouchers - what they cover, amounts available, and how to apply.
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82 GDPR and custom software: what business owners must know
A practical guide to GDPR compliance in custom software in Croatia: requirements, costs, the biggest traps, and how to avoid fines.
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83 How to choose a development agency: 12 questions before signing
A practical guide to choosing a development agency or IT partner. 12 key questions that reveal quality, transparency, and risks before you sign.
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84 Hire a developer or hire developers? Monthly cost compared
Your own developer, hired developers or an outside development team on a monthly partnership: monthly cost compared with Croatian salary data and €40-60/h.
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85 Industrial software and Industry 4.0: IoT, production automation
Digitalizing industrial manufacturing in Croatia: IoT, predictive maintenance, manufacturing execution systems (MES), quality, and EU funds.
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86 How much does a mobile app cost in Croatia?
Mobile app pricing (iOS, Android, cross-platform) in Croatia: from €4,000 for simple tools to €100,000+ for full products. What drives cost & how to plan.
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87 Legacy software: when to migrate, when to scrap and build new
A practical guide to the decision about legacy software. When to upgrade, when to migrate, when to scrap and start fresh - with real costs and risks.
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88 What is an MVP (minimum viable product)? How to build one
What is an MVP? Minimum viable product meaning, Eric Ries' definition, MVP vs prototype vs proof of concept, and how to build one in 8-12 weeks.
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89 Process automation: 7 signs your business needs it
A practical guide to spotting the signs that your business needs process automation. Real ROI, where to start, and how much you can actually save.
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90 RAG & AI knowledge bases: AI that knows your company
A practical guide to RAG and AI knowledge bases for business. How they work, when they pay off, and what they cost.
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91 Digitalising a construction company: projects, costs, people
Digitalizing construction companies in Croatia: project management, costs, sites, quotes, invoicing - what off-the-shelf covers and when custom is needed.
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92 Software for real estate & property management
Digitalizing real estate agencies and property management in Croatia: CRM, listing portals, contracts, finance - what works and what it costs.
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93 Software for restaurants & hospitality: POS, bookings, loyalty
Digitalizing restaurants, bars, and hotels in Croatia: POS, bookings, online ordering, loyalty - what SaaS solves and when custom pays off.
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94 5 technical SEO mistakes 80% of Croatian websites make
Common technical SEO mistakes costing Croatian companies organic traffic. Concrete examples, how to check, and how to fix - without the jargon.
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95 How much does a web shop cost in Croatia?
Web shop pricing in Croatia: from €1,500 for a simple store to €50,000+ for scalable e-commerce. What drives cost, which platform to pick, hidden costs.