Aug 1, 2017
By Jerry Mooney
Is your e-commerce store currently languishing on page two or three of Google? If this is the case, it is time to take a look at your search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. All e-commerce stores need to implement effective SEO if they are to reach the sales targets they have put in place. After all, if your website is not visible on all of the major search engine websites, how do you expect to make any sales? With that in mind, read on to discover some top tips to follow:
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- Run promotions for social shares, mentions, and easy links – One of the best ways to boost your search engine ranking is to run promotions. Everyone loves a promotion, and this is a great way to increase your shares on social media and boost your link building strategy in the process. Whether it is a giveaway, a competition, or a heavily discounted item, you can rest assured that these posts will generate a lot of attention. Competitions work really well because people need to share your posts in order to enter, and this results in them effectively advertising your company for you. Don’t only use social media to advertise offers and giveaways. You should reach out to forums, competition pages, and influencers as well.
- Add buy online to your product page title tags – You will get more qualified traffic to your e-commerce store if you add the phrase ‘buy online’ to your product title tags. After all, whenever someone searches a phrase with the words ‘buy online’ incorporated, you can be pretty certain that they have a high intention of purchasing. This is a great way to get rid of the time wasters and ensure that the people visiting your website have a genuine interest in buying something from you.
- Create articles and guides for buyers – There are many benefits of going down this route. Firstly, it will show you as an expert in your field, and this means customers will be more inclined to trust you. Also, you are creating more pages for ranking your website, and you will boost your keyword and link building strategy too.
- Send products to bloggers to review – This may be an old approach, but it is one that is very useful and beneficial today. You should take the time to find bloggers that are in your niche. You should ask them to put together a review in exchange for a product. You do need to be mindful when choosing bloggers to target. The most obvious option is to go for the biggest players in your industry. However, they will be inundated with offers, which makes it incredibly difficult to secure their services so to speak. This is why it is a good idea to choose mid-list bloggers and local bloggers. You should have a greater chance of getting them to review your products.
- Seek professional assistance – One of the easiest ways to reach the dizzy heights of page one is to experience a digital transformation for e-commerce businesses facilitated by an outside partner. After all, you can be certain of success when you are relying on professionals that have plenty of experience. They will be able to use a proven array of different strategies to make sure your business’ search engine ranking improves.
- Write better product descriptions – Now would be a good time to address your product descriptions. It can be a difficult balance to get right. We all know that longer content ranks better. However, the last thing you want to do is team every product with an essay, nor do you want to stuff your product descriptions with keywords where they are not necessary. You need to find a way to add more content, yet ensuring that the content is valuable. For example, you could add a comprehensive list of all of the benefits and features of each product, and add that to each page. You will be sure to see your rankings and traffic increase for these pages on your website.
- Write title tags that entice people to click – Finally, you should also take a look at your title tags. All too often, we simply focus on rankings when it comes to SEO, but this is only half of the battle. You also need to entice people to click on your links. The only way to do this is to make them creative and descriptive. You should take some time looking online for similar products. What compels you to click and what doesn’t? This will give you a good idea of what works and what doesn’t.
Jul 28, 2017
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Consumer technology is a wonderful thing. Even the most self-proclaimed technophobe is dependent on some sort of technology. It’s technology that enables us to travel dozens of miles to work, to wake up to a warm home and to communicate with friends, colleagues and loved ones all over the world.
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While many of us use technology liberally, we all too often associate it with cost. Sure, any technological advancement usually comes at a cost to the consumer, and early adopters generally find themselves paying top dollar to get in on the ground floor, but there are a great many ways that technology can help you make big savings at home and in the office.
Here are some tools, apps and devices that can save you money at little to no upfront cost.
Put down the phone, use VOIP!
For decades, phone companies have been profiting from the pay-per-minute costs of talking to people all over the country, and Heaven forbid we should want to talk to someone overseas. If you’re still paying over the odds for overseas calls, then you could save a small fortune using Voice Over Internet Protocols (VOIP). At home you can use Skype, FaceTime or Google Voice to talk and video conference with people all over the world. At work you can scythe down costs by choosing from a range of VOIP suppliers.
Prevent pipe freezing without paying a fortune in heating costs
Heat tape for pipes prevents water from freezing in them. Most heat tape solutions use a built in thermostat so there’s no need for external controls or monitoring. This means that metal and plastic pipes can be protected from both freezing and overheating. Prior to the advent of electrical heat tape technology, heat traced water pipes could not be insulated as it would increase the chances of overheating and create a fire risk so the only alternative was to waste a huge amount of heat energy to prevent the pipes from freezing. Self-regulating heat tapes can be used for single pipes or networks of identical pipes, that can be used in virtually any environment or temperature.
See your spending with smart plugs
Ever wondered how much your devices cost to run? Well wonder no more, thanks to the miracle of smart plugs. These babies sit in your wall and as you plug your devices into them, they transmit the energy cost data to you, which you can view through a free downloadable app. This can enable you to determine which devices may be wasteful while allowing you greater control over your energy budget.
Light your home with energy saving CLF bulbs
If you’re still using old-fashioned incandescent bulbs simply because they’re cheap then you may not be aware that this is complete false economy. Incandescent bulbs work by heating the filament inside to an extremely high temperature to provide heat and light. The trouble is that the energy produced is 90% heat and only 10% light. The effectiveness of a bulb is based on its wattage which is a unit of heat energy. Since incandescent bulbs are only 10% efficient it makes sense to replace them with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs which can save you up to $50 a year per bulb.
Jul 24, 2017
By Jerry Mooney
Karl Benz invented the first car in 1885 or 1886, although there had been plenty of patterns and designs since the beginning of the 19th century. In short, mankind has been thinking about personal motorized transportation for over 200 hundred years, and we’ve been driving for over 130 years. But accidents, crashes, and fatalities still occur on a daily basis. In over a hundred years of history, the driving has not become the safe experience that inventors hoped it would be. Naturally, driving a heavy machine at high speed is likely to be the most common cause of accidents. But it hasn’t stopped car engineers to develop faster and stronger cars. While this is made to become a mean of safety and protection, modern cars are still linked to road fatalities. The reason behind the lack of safety on the road is everyone. Indeed, everyone should be working to make driving safer for everyone. Let’s call it a teamwork, and see the different ways that are available to improve road safety.
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Driving Is A Risky Business If You’re Not Prepared
Cars are fast and heavy. Consequently, you need to know how to handle them as safely as possible. Drivers can be provided with in-depth safety lessons as they are learning to drive. This kind of safety-focused instructions is already applied for bus and truck drivers, who are responsible for a heavy vehicle. But making safety a priority for all driving lessons would mean changing the means of evaluating whether a learner is ready to drive on their own. It should also be part of modern driving lessons to experience snow and rain conditions so that the driver knows how to react and how to handle a vehicle on a wet road.
Being Prepared Also Means Thinking Of The Worst
Safety considerations need to account for situations where the driver is not safe anymore. Indeed, introducing stricter safety lessons only means that drivers will be more aware, but it is no guarantee that the road will always be safe. Accidents can happen, and when they do, it’s important to have considered the right response. A car insurance cover is mandatory for all drivers, and they should account for third-party damages too so that if you’re involved in an accident, your insurance can cover all repair costs. There’s another case, when you’re involved in an accident but it wasn’t your fault: You need the services of Payer & Associates, or any other personal injury lawyers, to help you recover from the financial and personal damages. Additionally, keeping ahead of your car maintenance and repairs is essential to making the road safer for you and others.
But Car Manufacturers Are Making Driving Safer
Drivers and protection covers are working together to make the road safer and to improve the overall road experience for everyone. Car manufacturers have also developed better safety features for their vehicles to encourage a safer driving experience. Volvo, one of the safest car makes, has developed a thorough knowledge circle to deliver cars that are designed to keep people safe. Using national data to understand the car progress, Volvo plans to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries down towards zero by 2020. Volvo is developing an improved scalable product architecture not only to make cars stronger and safer but also to activate a proactive collision avoidance feature. You can expect cars to become smarter at driving within the next 10 to 20 years, and to give a smooth road experience.
Volvo S80 D5 Momentum
Jul 11, 2017
10 Apps Your Business Needs Right Now
Smartphone apps are not just for keeping in touch with your friends and playing games. The business world can benefit from mobile app technology just as much as private individuals. If you are not using apps to run your business you are missing out on the most cost-effective way to run your enterprise. Technology goes hand in hand with efficiency and productivity so here are 10 apps that could change the way you do business!
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Wrike – the project management app
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All businesses need to manage projects where a team of employees are working on a project and need to share documents, resources, and updates. The Wrike app allows you to do that. There are interactive Gantt charts, time tracking and virtual dashboards for cross-team collaboration. You can even manage files and project templates are available. Colleagues can simultaneously work on the same document or spreadsheet without risking duplication. This streamlines the way that your team works and makes it more efficient. The changes that each employee makes will be tracked for complete accountability and transparency. Free or paid-for plans are available.
Equipment and plant hire lease and hire apps
If your business needs heavy equipment hire and material & soil disposal services you can avoid prolonged conversations and a lot of paperwork. This app will make instructions between operators, and clients both and quick and easy. It provides real-time feedback to both clients and the lease company about the progress of a job. This helps to achieve maximum transparency and maximum project productivity. If you need to hire heavy equipment for your business this is the quickest and most effective way of doing things.
Freshdesk app for ticket support
Nothing is more frustrating for your clients than failing to get their queries and problems resolved when they need them to be. With the Freshdesk app, you can avoid this problem. All of the team will know who else is working on the ticket with an agent collision detection function. Duplication and confusion are eliminated. You can use private notes for internal communication and send well-formatted replies using the rich text editor. Every ticket can be categorized and prioritized as you assign them to the right people in the team to get the job done quickly. Your reputation will be enhanced and your customers will be satisfied.
Human resources management by BambooHR
The BambooHR app will bring strategic human resources functions to small and medium-sized businesses. It enables you to automate human resources tasks including onboarding and compiling employee records. You can also perform big-picture activities that improve the workplace for everyone and improve productivity. You can store detailed employee records and maintain a report library. It has both employee and manager self-service functions. All of your staff will be up to date with their continuing professional development because you can track their training. There are no unwelcome surprises when you get back in the office as all the records are instantly accessible enabling you to answer queries and troubleshoot whilst you are on the move.
Email marketing campaign management
Every business needs an effective email marketing campaign strategy and you need to keep on top of how your message is being delivered and whether it is working for you. For many businesses, they get the lion’s share of their clients from emails so this is an aspect of your business that you simply must get right! With Campaign Monitor, you can design engaging emails but you don’t have to be an IT expert to do it. There are simple drag-and-drop tools built into the app so anyone can do it. There is a powerful email builder which allows you to send personalized email marketing campaigns. You can also use the in-built A/B testing facility to work out what works best for your business which means that you can avoid costly and time-consuming marketing mistakes. You get maximum results for minimum effort.
Information technology service management
The ITSM app enables you to improve resolution time for all IT issues. This sort of problem can grind a business to a halt and lose you a lot of money. You can manage all of your assets and connect service requests to the people who can help in the quickest time. It can even help users to help themselves by solving their own IT issues which save you both time and money.
Billing and invoicing apps
Sending invoices and chasing up money is one of the most tedious tasks involved in running your own business. It can be very time-consuming yet whilst you are doing it you are wasting time that could be better spent elsewhere. It is easy to get bogged down go around in circles. If you use an app such as KashFlow to manage this part of your business for you, you can streamline the whole process. It will enable you to send customizable invoices by uploading your own logo and creating your own templates. You can easily convert quotes to invoices with just one click and without you having to enter the details and costs all over again.
There is a facility for your invoices to be linked to PayPal or WorldPay so that clients can pay with one easy click. This cuts down on late payments. You don’t have to hunt through spreadsheets for unpaid invoices. The app can be automated so that you get reminders at intervals of your choice. If you have a list of regular clients, it will automatically send recurring invoices and copy the one from the previous month if required. Raising an invoice is quicker than ever because lists of the products and services that you regularly use can be saved and the app will automatically fill in the price and the description as well as any applicable tax rates.
Field workers management apps
Do you have a team of workers who work out in the field? The ServMan mobile app will allow you to manage what they are doing and facilitate a method of working that is most productive. You can move your business over to paperless work orders which are better for the environment and more efficient. This type of management system will speed up your revenue cycle and your bills will be more accurate. It can work well if your team is working in your customer’s homes, in commercial establishments or out on the road. There is no paperwork to complete when your team gets back in the office because it is completed in real time. The system can be fully customized to suit your particular business. You choose the screen you want.
Organize the learning aspects of your business
If your business is involved in education or learning in any way you will benefit from the Learn Upon app. The app is a powerful learning management system that provides a simple solution to online learning. The app is based on a clean and modern design and delivers robust features. You can get started right away with a quick setup and it is easy to use yet it is both scalable and secure. Within the app you can build and update courses so that you can deliver training to your customers, partners, and external audiences. You don’t have to do it all yourself! You can delegate and automate tasks and then see how everyone is getting on with insightful and actionable reports. The app can be accessed from any device, at any time for maximum convenience.
Manage your events with ease
Whether it’s a multi-national conference or a workshop for two colleagues, you will want every event that your business arranges to be a success. Now you can get some help with that from the Noodle app. You actually create your own app for the event that you are holding. This is far and away the most accurate and reliable method of engaging with and informing your attendees.
You can provide real-time event information and networking features so that those attending your event know where to go, how to get there and what they will be doing there. They can even check out who else is going to be there so that they can plan their networking strategy.
You can share content and delegates can interact during sessions providing instant feedback. The live polling and speaker Q&A facility allow attendees to get the most out of your sessions so they will want to come back for more! No-one will end up in the wrong place because they will have personalized schedules allocated to them and they can check out rich profiles for all the speakers in advance.
With these apps, there is nothing stopping you from taking your business to the next level. Most of them are free or offer a free option as well as a monthly paid fee option which offers more services. Others offer a free trial so that you can try them out for six months or so before you commit to spending any money.
Jul 6, 2017
Console gaming has come further than we ever could have imagined just twenty years ago. The end of the twentieth century brought with it the worldwide adoption of the worldwide web. Everyone was connected, and the rise of social media and mobile gaming swiftly followed. Before they knew it, the console creators were working overtime to find those unique selling points to retain their hardcore fans.
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Some moved toward controller-less gaming, like the Wii. Others developed global gaming networks with greater interactivity than ever before. The tools that were previously only available to PC fans were now wide accessible. This meant the industry opened right up. There were more developer opportunities, more design opportunities. Production budgets started to overtake Hollywood movies. So why are more and more people keen to rekindle the PC gaming passions of long ago?
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If you’ve never spent time with PC gaming, chances are you’re a die-hard fan. Convincing you to let go of your beloved console might be a challenge here. But if you’re willing to take your gaming experience to the next level, then a desktop PC could be just the start of it. Custom gaming pcs allow you pick and choose the hardware and power of your dream machine. In fact, you can customize just about anything you like.
Unlike some consoles, standard connections open up the world of peripherals to PC gamers. And if you’re looking for something specific, then simply buy the card to integrate it. You’ll need a keyboard to use the PC. This is enormously beneficial for lots of reasons. A QWERTY keyboard remains the easiest way to interface with any internet browser. When you’re searching for the best games on the market, then it definitely beats a console controller.
Some of the issues surrounding console lagging and overheating through extended strategy gaming use can be simply eliminated with the right cooler and fan system. You can work harder for longer when you customize your PC. Does PC gaming restrict your access to titles? On the contrary – there are thousands of multi-platform games that include a PC release. And thousands more dating as far back as the eighties are still sure to delight today.
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Perhaps it’s the added benefit of social media gaming that makes PCs so popular. Sure, they’re not exactly portable or mobile. But usually, it is possible to enjoy access to everything online that you’ve enjoyed on your phone or tablet. And yes, you can download apps, although not many are as useful or purposeful as you might like. As for multitasking, you can’t beat it, especially with a dual screen setup. But if you’re gaming, do you really want to be working on anything else?
In terms of doing more, the PC will win hands down. Are the graphics and sound any better? You can easily upgrade your custom PC to produce the quality you desire. Would you give up your console system? There will always be single-platform releases, so you might be missing out if you sold it. Enjoy.
Jul 6, 2017
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It’s fair to say that online sales are going to be a large part of the business model for most companies on the market today. In fact, a lot of businesses are selling almost exclusively online, and there’s a good reason for this. It’s a lot cheaper, and it allows the company to be more flexible which in turn means it’s more competitive on the market. That said, there will certainly be quite a few businesses that aren’t making as much money as they hoped to online. Why is this? Well, there could be various factors impacting the state of your online revenue. If you want to change things and improve the situation, you need to look at each of these in turn.
Limited Options
It’s important to understand that when you are selling online, the buyer is in complete control. This means that what they want they get, and most buyers want a lot more choice on the market. They want to be given plenty of options when they choose how to buy. So, some might want to buy online from your site, others might want to make a purchase straight off social media, and many more will be interested in buying from your app. By giving them more options on how to buy, you will see an increase in sales. This is just basic common sense because customers who wouldn’t buy because you weren’t offering the right type of transaction now will. This goes beyond sources of purchase too.
You might also want to think about how they complete the purchase. For more expensive products, you might want to offer finance options. If you allow customers the opportunity to purchase on credit, rather than as a single cash purchase, you can bet that they will be more inclined to complete the transaction.
Sales Enablement
What is sales enablement? Well, it’s essentially a new way of looking at sales and figuring out the factors that will make a customer more or less likely to buy. As such, it’s a very important factor to look into if you are interested in making sure that you get the most sales possible. There is even sales enablement technology available for you to use. This is software and hardware that will directly or indirectly impact the potential of closing a sale. A lot of companies are now looking into this possibility, and you should certainly be doing the same.
Redesign
Lastly, when you’re selling online, you have to remember that your website is the most effective marketing tool in your arsenal. As such, you should be thinking about whether it working at it’s maximum potential. If you’re not seeing a high number of sales, it’s possible that your web design is turning customers away. That’s easily fixable by getting in touch with a pro website designer and ensuring that the design of your site is completely targeted to your customer’s preferences.
Take this advice, and you will be able to get more sales online, ensuring you maximize your potential revenue.
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