Author: Catherine Alcalde

ZAP Affiliate Circle: Support Brands and Earn Online!

Are you creative? Passionate & Lively? Want to explore and be your own content creator this 2023? If you are looking for a side hustle or project that you would love to work on this year you have come to the right place. But, first- What is ZAP Affiliate Circle? 

ZAP Affiliate Circle

ZAP Affiliate Circle is an affiliate program powered by ZAP. We connect Merchants and Affiliates together in order to create a collaborative partnership that benefits both stakeholders. This newly launched program allows Merchants to tap into influencer marketing in a very cost-effective way to promote their products and services, while Affiliates can earn commission fees as an easy side-hustle for added income while promoting their favorite brands.

Our Goal: Share Brand Love!

From Foodies who love sharing food reviews to the explorer who enjoys trying out new experiences in new places, we’ve got merchants for every kind of affiliate. So, dive deep and explore our partnered brands and share the love to your community. 

Benefits on Joining ZAP Affiliate Circle: 

Anyone can join! If you are a student, beginner, working professional who wants a side-hustle, or someone dreaming to start your own content creation / influencer journey- we got you! 

  • Get exclusive offers for you, your family, friends, and followers.
  • Support your favorite brands and local businesses.
  • It’s an easy side-hustle for full-time employees, workers, students, and influencers. 
  • Being an affiliate- you have more exciting ventures for your content creation in your community! .

How to Join The ZAP Affiliate Circle: 

  1. Sign up as an affiliate by filling up a short registration form
  1. Within 3 days, we’ll email you your custom affiliate link
  • You will have your own website page that your followers can choose and shop from.
  1. Promote your affiliate link on your social media channels
  • Create content promoting your affiliate link and post them on your IG, TikTok, etc. to attract your community to shop from all of ZAP’s merchants
  1. Start earning!
  • Go get that bag and earn a commission fee for every successful purchase using your link!
  • TIP: keep promoting your link. Sit back, relax, and watch the commissions come in again and again and again!

ZAP Deals: Great Lifestyle Deals In One Place

2023 is our year! It’s refreshing, exciting, and new! If you’re planning your calendar for new adventures that are budget friendly – read on.

Last year, we launched ZAP Deals– a great platform where you can explore great lifestyle deals that have a max discount up to 50% off from travel, food, accommodation, pet-care, services, and more from trusted brands! Put your adventure cap on, and learn about their latest deals yet!

1.Vikings Buffet: 25% Off Weekday Buffet for 25 Pax

Vikings Buffet is perfect for group celebrations whether it’s with your family and friends! They have  a wide array of delicious cuisines, you’re sure to leave with a happy tummy and good memories. So, Party on!

Learn More About This Deal 

2.Citiflora: 30% Off Dozen Roses

Handpicked and arranged flowers from Citiflora? Remind that special someone of your love by giving them this sweet smelling bouquet of 1 dozen roses – all without breaking the bank!

Pro Tip: purchase the voucher today and redeem on special occasions like upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, or Valentine’s day! 

Learn More About This Deal 

3. 8 Suites Tagaytay: 30& Off Staycation 

We have 3 types of deals for 8 Suites Tagaytay! Take your pick below: 

  • 35% off on a Romantic Staycation for 2

If you’re looking for a quiet, cozy getaway this holiday season, come to 8 Suites Tagaytay! Bring someone special and get a 30% discount on an overnight stay for 2! They also have inclusions of 2 breakfast and 20% off on all F&B!

Learn More About This Deal 

  • 30% off on Exclusive Overnight Stay (30pax)

If you want to celebrate the holidays with a company retreat, barkada trip or family reunion – this is the deal for you! Get a 30% discount on an exclusive overnight stay (30 pax) at 8 Suites Tagaytay and have the whole venue to yourselves! 

Includes breakfast for 30 pax, free use of garden space for dinner or any special event, and exclusivity of the whole venue

Learn More About This Deal 

  • 30% off on Glamping Package

Make the most of your holiday by reconnecting with both your favorite people and with nature! Get 30% off on an overnight stay at 8 Suites Tagaytay. Includes breakfast, smores pack, bonfire and free use of jacuzzi.

Learn More About This Deal 

4. Berjaya Makati Hotel: 35% Off on Room Packages 

Get 30% discount on an overnight stay (with breakfast buffet for 2) at Berjaya Hotel Makati! It’s within walking distance to the Ayala Museum and Greenbelt if you’re looking for a stroll with your date or bff!  It is easy to get around town from the place, making  it one of the most sought-after hotels in Makati!

Learn More About This Deal 

5.Boracay Adventure: 30% Off Scuba Diving Lesson 

This Underwater Activity will give you the experience to dive underwater at about 6-meters deep with an air regulator attached on your back. This is a 3 hours activity that includes the orientation, training and the actual diving. You will be accompanied by our Diving Master all through-out the activity.

Inclusions : Diving Equipment, Diving Instructor ,Photo and Video Underwater, Certification, Towel and Drinking Water, Monitored by our very own PADI Director Peter Tay.

 Learn More About This Deal 

3. UltraBoxx Boxing Club  30% Off on 5 Boxing Sessions 

Make getting fit fun and get in the zone with UltraBoxx’s 30% discount on their boxing sessions! Stay focused on your fitness journey by signing up for 5 sessions right off the bat. 

Inclusions: Warm up, Run through of basic boxing moves, Actual workout, Cool down

Learn More About This Deal

Entrepreneur’s Guide to Social Media

The world of online entrepreneurship is growing by the day, and with that growth comes an increased demand for those who can navigate it successfully. There are a number of things that you need to know if you want to start your own online business and how to market yourself effectively. To help you out, here are a few tips to help you get started on your online journey!

  1. Learn where to find your target audience.

A target audience is the group of people who are most likely to buy your product or service. So to find your target audience, you need to do some research. Start by figuring out who your potential customer is. For example, are you selling a product that appeals to mothers? If so, your target audience might be women who live in the suburbs and have young children. Once you know who your potential customers are, you can figure out where they’re likely to look for products or services like yours and make your content specifically for them.

     2. Develop a strong branding strategy.

A strong brand makes your business stand out in a crowd. When potential customers see your brand on an advertisement or in a store, it should be instantly recognizable. A great way to get people to recognize your brand is through your product and service. A strong branding strategy could be your logo, making it simple and eye-catching. It could also be the way that your product is known for and the marketing around your brand.   

     3.Make sure you have a website that’s well-designed and easy to use.

A good website makes it easy for your customers to find information they need so they can make a purchase. It should not only look great, but it should be easy to navigate and offer seamless transactions.

      4.Make use of social media marketing.

Social media marketing is a great way to connect with your customers and promote your products. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok are a great place to connect with your customers and build a community around your brand. You can use social media to post updates about your products to engage with your audience. 

     5.Engage with your customers on a regular basis. 

By engaging with your customers on social media, you can send them updates on your latest products and promotions. If you are looking for the right service provider to help you grow your online business- ZAP is for you. We will equip you to accept, fulfill, and deliver orders to customers with ease with your very own branded eCommerce website by setting up your own E-Store

With the ZAP Team, merchants are able to offer same-day delivery with Grab, Lalamove, or Borzo integration. Give customers an easy-to-use online ordering platform for instant or scheduled pick up or delivery.

If you are interested to start your loyalty program and upgrade your marketing initiative for the year 2023, we have ZAP’s Loyalty Program and ZAP Fetch to help you target your market and help send promos and make your customer’s shopping experience exciting! Exploring different kinds of platforms for sales revenue can be daunting for business owners. ZAP Deals is an online platform where you can offer your brand’s discount offers where you can gain valuable customers. Interested? Contact us.

Here’s How to Increase Traffic for Your Online Store 

Now that you have a website, it’s important to make sure that people can find it. Setting up your online store is one thing, and it’s another to entice visitors and customers to view and make an order from your store. But how? Read on for these simple tips to get more visitors to buy your products!

1.Make your products easy to find.

One of the first things you need to do is make sure your store is easily found online through search engines like Google. Your website should show up at or near the top of the search results page when someone searches for a relevant keyword. This will help increase the number of people who visit your website since they won’t have to dig around for it themselves. Additionally, it will also help you get more website traffic which can lead people to your online store to make purchases.

2. Use social media to promote your products.

Social media is an excellent way to market your products and attract new customers to your online store. You can use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, and Instagram to share your products and engage potential customers. Be sure to regularly post engaging content to engage your audience. Post photos and videos of your products to attract new customers and build brand awareness for your store.

Make sure your website has lots of relevant and quality content that visitors can read and find useful. This will increase the likelihood of them returning to your site in the future. By creating contents that lead to your website, you increase your visitors by transferring traffic. 

3. Offer a Good Shopping Experience.

It is imperative to take the right steps to make your products easily available for purchase both online and offline. People shop online because they get convenience, save money, and can get things delivered right to their doorsteps. 

The checkout process is critical to the success of your online store. Providing a great shopping experience for your customers is crucial in encouraging repeat purchases. Good user experience design can help encourage people to spend more time on your website and ultimately make a purchase.

Make your payment process simple and secure. Making payments should be simple and secure to ensure that your customer’s credit card information is protected. Ideally, you should use a third-party payment gateway to process transactions securely and protect your customer’s data.

With ZAP E-Store, building an online presence couldn’t be easier! ZAP connects consumers to different food and beverage businesses through E-Store services that power online order fulfillment and build a relationship with customers that makes them want to come back. 

Businesses don’t need to shell out thousands of dollars for expensive website developers. Simply contact The ZAP Team, and they’ll provide you with just about everything you need for a fully functional and effective online store!

New Year Food Picks That You Should Not Miss! 


With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what gifts you’re going to give your loved ones. And what could be more special than giving them some delicious food? This year, instead of giving everyone the same old boring gift, why not give them something that they’ll love and enjoy eating? Here’s our list of Holiday Gifts that’s worth every spending!

Meet Fresh

When we think of gifts- it doesn’t always mean to opt for something extravagant. It could be taking your friend and trying something new! You can never go wrong with a surprise treat of desserts this holiday season! Meet Fresh offers exquisite teas, treats, and desserts like their mango berry series with their shaved ice milk ice, and their pudding series! Anyone in your family can have the perfect dessert bowl that they would definitely love! 

Order Here

Cupcake Lab Ph 

Cupcake Lab is known for their delicious and innovative baked products —such as their cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts. They’ve been serving for 10 years making sure that every experience of their customers is delightful and memorable. 

They have their original flavored cupcakes like their almond, red velvet, chocolate caramel, and smores as well as customized cupcake or cake designs that you may request! If you are looking for something different and fun to surprise your family, especially your kids with- they have DIY Kits where you can decorate your cupcakes or cake! 

Order Here

Fruit Loot 

Next up we have the Fruit Loot! They are known for the freshest fruits from all over the world. You bet that it’s premium quality and nutritious that’s loved by us Filipinos who live in a tropical climate at a fair price and in the quickest, most hassle-free way possible! 

Their fruits are air flown or shipped regularly from their international partners to Fruit Loot’s local storage facility, where they are kept at optimum temperature to ensure freshness and the highest of quality when they are delivered to your doorsteps just one day after you order. 

So, If you are looking for a healthy gift idea for your loved ones- this is perfect to buy! They have many fruit bundle selections that you can choose from. They offer fruit basket ideas with mixed fruits, mixers, and gift boxes. Take a look and see which you want to gift! 

Order Here

Happy Cup

If you want something simple- Happy Cup is your pick! It’s a business venture of celebrity sisters, Toni Gonzaga-Soriano and Alex Gonzaga that was established in May 2017. They offer a variety of beverage products in the form of frappes, milk teas, pearl coolers and now, ready to drink and do it yourself milk tea sets that you can enjoy at home at affordable prices.

As the brand name Happy Cup, they ensure that each cup it serves truly brings happiness to all. If you’re looking for a simple gift to refresh your holidays at home with, this is the perfect pick for you and your foodie friends + family!

Order Here

Fiesta Meals to Add in Your Noche Buena!

Every home gives their best when it comes to preparing delicious meals to the table for everyone to share. Good food, deep conversations, boisterous laughs, big stories, important announcements, and loud music are just some of the things we think about when the Christmas Season comes near. It’s always exciting and warm to anticipate and look forward to.

It doesn’t come off as a surprise to say that Filipino especially during the holidays take things up a notch in the food scene. Noche Buenas are like mini fiestas. Every family has their own way of celebrating with their relatives and friends and usually, it won’t be complete without a table full of appetizing dishes and scrumptious treats & desserts for everybody to try! If you want to amp up your fiesta menu and have a hassle-free holiday preparation, check out some of our E-Store Merchant’s that you and your relatives would surely love to bond over when you order online!

Fiesta To Go 

If you find yourself having trouble deciding on what to serve for the upcoming Fiesta celebrations, Fiesta To Go can help you curate the menu that will satisfy your family and friends. They offer a variety of mouth watering classic Filipino favorite dishes perfect for any occasion of different sizes. Their overflowing list of delicious food will definitely get you excited and create a memorable occasion for your guests.  

Order Here!

Giligan’s

Giligan’s is one of the most beloved local Filipino restaurants in the country. With over 100+ branches nationwide, they offer affordable and appetizing Filipino dishes perfect for a fiesta celebration or any occasion. Established in 1997, they take pride in providing quality food at a reasonable price. Sizzling Sisig and Fried Garlic Chicken are just a few of their yummy specialties. Just looking at their delicious menu would make you crave for every dish you see. 

Order Here!

Vito’s BBQ

A Fiesta won’t be complete without barbeque. Vito’s BBQ has one of the most savory grilled menu in town. Philippine Daily Inquirer even tagged them as one of the Top Food Take Outs of the Year. A testament of their good food and great service. This restaurant was founded by Mike and Karlene Pelayo with a shared goal of serving the most delicious chicken barbeque in town. And clearly, they have done just that with the overwhelming and top reviews from all of their customers. But Barbecue isn’t the only food they serve. Among their menu are classic Filipino dishes like Pancit Malabon, Classic Spaghetti and the fan favorite, Shanghai. 

Order Here!

King Chef

Give your fiesta celebration a taste of Chinese cuisine with King Chef’s best-tasting and healthy authentic Cantonese food. King Chef is a well-loved Dimsum and Cantonese restaurant. They offer bundles and trays of their dishes you can choose from, enough for all of your hungry visitors. A serving of good stir-fried noodles should also never be left out on these occasions. As Filipinos have this belief that eating noodles can prolong their life. Check out their Chef’s Recommendations and get a taste of their Cantonese culinary creations.  

Order Here!

Food has always brought people closer and made celebrations more memorable. But preparing food should also be fun and stress free. With these restaurants, celebrating with your loved ones will make it extra special. So what are you waiting for? Save your time and money by heading over to these restaurants’ websites. Curate your fiesta’s menu and have your food delivered right to your doorstep.

Holiday Email Marketing Strategy for you E-Stores 

Traffic spikes, email topics and what to offer, special design elements and how to make them unite into an effective email offer — there are so many details to consider especially when thinking about the holidays. Whether it’s mega shopping holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or shopping spikes that occur more regularly, like seasonal blow out sales, it is best to make sure your customers get all the holiday updates and deals they could. That’s why we have prepared the article just for you- holiday strategy apps for your E-Stores! 

What Is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is a direct marketing channel that lets businesses like yours share new products, sales, and updates with customers on their contact list. Think of it as a way to communicate better with your customers to offer your best deals and promotions. You can also do personalizations in your writings and design, segmentation of your customers, and target specific sets of people that you want to reach out to and offer your deals.

This coming holiday season,  we understand that building promotions is not always an easy task to brainstorm and execute with everyone in business getting busy! So to help our merchants and also future F&B merchants out there. Here’s some basic steps to set up your promotions this coming Holiday! 

Setting Up Your Email marketing

Sending emails helps build up in anticipation of sales. Aim for an initial announcement email, followed by a couple of valuable emails designed to keep your product top of mind. Also, consider offering exclusive pre-sales coupons only for email subscribers.

To really get the most out of email marketing for Black Friday & Cyber Monday use these tips when setting up your email marketing! 

  • Subject lines. Try to test out a range of subject lines in advance. Your client’s subscribers are going to be swamped with emails around BFCM, so you need to make sure you stand out. Make sure subject lines clearly state the offering.
  • Transactional emails. Make sure you tailor all outgoing transactional emails to BYCM promotions. Encourage shoppers to return to your client’s online store for future purchases with a time-sensitive discount coupon.
  • Last minute reminders. Target shoppers who have abandoned their carts or browsed without buying.
  • Landing pages. Make sure you create landing pages for your top sellers and link to CTAs within promotional emails. Always double check that all links work correctly and are being tracked using UTM parameters.

Drive traffic to the retail store (and vice versa). For clients who have a brick-and-mortar store, use email marketing to drive foot traffic from their online store to their retail store, such as offering in-store only promotions.

Vito’s BBQ : From Home to Successful Business

Vito’s BBQ is commonly called the Pambansang BBQ! They started as a home-grown family business with just the intention to send their BBQ to their family members and other relatives during the pandemic to show their concern and care for their loved ones. Who would have thought that it could lead to where they are right now? Here’s their success story! Read on.

What’s The Story Behind Vito’s BBQ Branding: 

Ms. Karlene Pelayo, the owner of Vito’s BBQ shared their story via our Zoom Interview on Online Selling: Tips from the Experts.  She shared their beginnings and their transition from being a home business to now having 7 successful branches: The Alley Acropolis QC, Ronac Art Center, San Juan, Chino Roces, Makati, BF Aguirre Paranaque, Greenhills, Banawe QC, SM North Edsa and with more branches to soon open! 

Vito’s BBQ was named after their son Vito who was 5 years old then , when they decided to take a chance on their business venture. They wanted their product to be fun and relatable to the millennials and that translated to their use of colors in their packaging and overall branding. Every detail including the artworks we see in their branches, the graffiti look in their stalls, and artwork doodles in their branding is inspired to their son Vito’s favorite toys! To the mass- it’s fun, new, and exciting!  Ms. Karlene shared that they wanted Vito’s BBQ to be different in the Food Industry here in the PH- which is why they decided  to go this kind of route of creativity. They have shown how to adapt to the changes given the Pandemic and stayed guided with their principle and core belief of their brand.

Growing and Scaling 

Vito’s BBQ was known because of the quality of the taste of their boneless chicken BBQ which started as a gift and now continues on as a gift product from families to other families in any occasion. Ms. Karlene Pelayo shared during the interview “ For your business to scale- you must earn trust. That’s the way you can scale and grow, when people trust your product and service.” She even shared that selling online with the help of ZAP  helped her business grow. It’s about being open and adaptive to changes in how one offers a service/ product to the mass. “ZAP helped set up our online operation that gave us the ability to focus on our food and made our process so much easier.” – Ms. Karlene shared in the interview.  Businesses scale because of the quality of one’s service/ product.

Your Food Industry with ZAP 

Vito’s BBQ has been a merchant partner working with ZAP to continuously grow to be successful in the Food Industry. One of Ms. Karlene’s favorite features of ZAP’s E-Store is the real time update for order because it’s easy to follow up and update your store’s products and customer orders! It makes every process in the food industry seamless and effective for generating sales and growing your business! 

Having an E-Store for your business allows you to build a personality of your brand and help you be connected to your customers. It’s a platform that will help you be proud of what you will offer! An easy transaction for your customers and your business. What’s Vito’s BBQ now? Better! “People are curious and they always want to know and try new things.” – Ms Karlene. Vito’s BBQ is an example of something that’s new in the Philippines Food Industry! That uniqueness and drive to be creative with your branding will reflect on how your business will go about and thrive. Right now they are collaborating with other companies to be more accessible in Metro Manila and maybe Nationwide! They’re also offering franchising which you can visit in their E-Store. Want to start your own successful online business? Work with us.

ZAP Loyalty for Nature Republic : Online + Offline Loyalty for Customers

When we hear Nature Republic, we instantly think of skin care products! Nature Republic is known as a brand that advocates wellness by using 100% natural ingredients found in nature all around the world. Every product item is authentic from South Korea. The skincare enthusiast in you might be screaming in joy, but there’s more for you in store! 

Today, selfcare no longer means just going to spas, but actually taking the time to invest in healthcare such as skincare products and doing it at home! Their tagline “Journey to Nature” speaks more about the quality of every product that they are offering us. They use a variety of natural ingredients like aloe, argan oil, marine collagen, green tea, shea butter and more. 

Nature Republic Rewards

Like any business, Nature Republic wants to make every customer’s journey exciting and fun! Who wouldn’t want to reward such loyal consumers? That’s why  Nature Republic partnered with ZAP with their loyalty program that’s integrated in their website’s system. Now, customers get to earn points and rewards after shopping and are already looking forward to their next purchase to accumulate more points and to save more! 

The process is easy and the benefits for your customers are great! 

How to Join the Loyalty Program in Nature Republic

  1. Register in their store

You can join the Loyalty Program by simply registering your phone number on the tablet when you pay and visit their store.You’ll instantly get notified of your points balance and you can use it for every purchase. 

Ready to spend your points? Enter your mobile number again and get your one-time pin to pay for purchases using the points. Click here for the step by step process. 

  1. Register Online: 

Can’t visit the physical store? You can also register and shop online, as well as redeem points just like visiting an actual branch! Simply go to Nature Republic’s website and click the NR (Nature Republic) Rewards widget on the lower right corner of the screen. 

Step One: Enter your number. 

Step Two: Get notified and enter the one-time pin. 

Step Three: Enter the number of points you want to redeem! 

Now your points will turn into Shopify coupons that you can use at check out. Click Here to join Nature Republic’s Loyalty Program and earn points & rewards! 

ZAP’s Loyalty Program: Offline + Online Loyalty for Customers

ZAP’s Loyalty Program enables merchant’s like Nature Republic to recruit loyal customers and make their membership and shopping experience exciting and rewarding both offline and online! Sustaining your company’s edge in the marketplace and giving value to your customers shows the growing success of your business. Interested? Contact us. 

E-Store for Business:  Why Do We Need a Website?

In 2021, around 2 billion people in the world were already doing their shopping digitally. In the same year, global e-commerce retail sales reached 4.9 trillion dollars which is also expected to increase by 50% in the next four years. This just shows how big of an impact a website can have on the growth and sales of your business.

Worldwide Reach

Unlike a physical store, an online store operates 24/7. This gives your customer the convenience of scanning your products whenever and however they want. Wherever they are in the world or what device they’re using, they will have access to your business. It also helps you introduce your business to the international market and increase your sales. You can make your business go global from the comfort of your home. Once you have established your online presence, anyone from anywhere can become a prospective customer.

Brand Credibility

Consider your website as the digital frontline of your business. An all-in-one digital store where you can post information, updates and announcements relevant to your audience that will catch their attention and spark their interest in buying your products. This is where they can get to know you and contact you. An online presence also builds your customer’s trust and assures them of your brand’s credibility since most shoppers start their product research by looking it up on the internet. They base their trust and judgment of your business according to your online information.

Cost-effective

Websites are flexible and affordable. The online store saves you the cost of leasing a space for your business, unlike the traditional brick-and-mortar store. You can create and customize it anytime. Try different designs and styles without having to spend money and time buying displays. You also won’t have to stress about hiring different people to manage your online store since you can simply manage it all on your own.

Take-away

Starting your own website and online store can be overwhelming. But with the right e-commerce platform, creating one can be worry-free. Shopify is one of the most trusted platforms of business owners to jump-start their online journey. Kickstart your website with Shopify and ZAP now and have your business be part of the growing community of successful business owners.