Making Sense Of Your Website Engagement

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. If you’re using a website as a part of your business, you want to understand its engagement with your customers. An effective website will draw in more customers and increase your profits. The following contributed post is entitled, Making Sense Of Your Website Engagement.

* * *

Pexels

As a business that runs a large amount of its customer-facing approach online, you will be subject to plenty of data over the years. User visiting time, the visitor’s geography, what ads or social media links have led them to your site are important, and yet barely scratch the surface as to what data is available.

But to an untrained eye, this data can often look completely out of the norm, and sometimes, even random. This means that making sense of your website engagement becomes a vital tool in trying to assess what your customers want, and how your business is performing across all of its web portals.

But more than that, breakthroughs in data analytics consulting have allowed businesses the chance to construct models regarding those they could potentially sell to, ensuring that marketing is more targeted in both its content and delivery methodology. Like any good business leader, you are likely also interested in the metrics that can give you a surer shot when aiming for gold.

So, let us serve as the scope:

Understand Your Promotional Reach

It’s essential to consider how your homepage is structured, and what drives the most attention. Do visitors often click on your promotional bar at the top of the screen? What has driven more traffic? Which social media pages do you often get the most engagement from? Do you find that enabling social media replies and comments is worthwhile, or that they quickly devolve into unrelated arguments (as is the way of the internet?) Furthermore, have your sponsored posts gained the traction you were hoping for, or is simple excellent hash tagging and posting at the right time of day almost comparable in the results they achieve? When you view the data of your promotional reach and branch out to make the correct changes, you have an access of power to this end.

Visitor Time

When a customer visits your website, how long do they stay for? In other words, how much functionality do you offer? For example, do you list all of the specs on your product page, as well as the different payment options, a video demonstrating the product in action, or perhaps discussing how your product differs from comparable items on the market? Do you offer them to talk on ownership forums that allows your community to get together and discuss various impressions they have? All of this can increase visitor time to your website, and every second spent there is another potential second where a purchase or booking can be made.

Feedback Forms

Sometimes, you need to hear directly from your users in the first place. Feedback forms can be a fantastic measure for this in the long run. There you might find that someone using a particular web browser has trouble loading your web pages, or perhaps an intrusive advertising strategy is breaking some of the widgets you use. It can be easy to have blinders on in regards to these issues, and so we would recommend you keep an eye on them ahead of time.

With this advice, you are certain to make sense of your website engagement.

How To Buy A Data Cabinet

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In our modern digital age, it’s highly likely a major component of your business is its information technology (IT). As such, you’re likely using or will need a Data Cabinet. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Buy A Data Cabinet.

* * *

A data cabinet or a server rack is something which is used to store IT equipment. It is vitally important that any individual or business that has such equipment stores it properly in order to avoid any damage.

Pixabay License
Free for commercial use
No attribution required

There are a whole host of different server racks and data cabinets available in stores all over the US and on the internet, which companies like Midwest Data Center make the most of. This is great because it means that there is a lot to choose from when it comes to selecting the right one for your business equipment. Nevertheless, this can also make it more difficult to actually know which one is the best option. In order to help those searching for data cabinets narrow down their search this article will help by providing some points people should be considering when looking for such goods.

The first aspect which needs to be thought about is the height of the data cabinet. Most data racks are measured in the ‘U’ measurement. For those that do not know, ‘U’ is the measurement which is usually used for all rack mount equipment and it translates to 44.45mm. This may seem like a random measurement to many. However, one U is used to display how many units the server cabinet in question can hold.

There are a vast range of different size data cabinets available today; typically shops tend to stock anything from 12U cabinets to 47U cabinets. Obviously the height of the server rack required depends on how much equipment a business is intending to store. The individual in question should sit down and come to a number of how many equipment pieces are going to be placed into the cabinets, this will give the person an idea of what they should be going for. However, it is always advisable to buy a rack with a few more added spaces, as you never know what else you may need to accommodate for and it is always better to be prepared for more.

Obviously the size of the cabinet does not just depend on the height; there is the width and depth to take into consideration as well. The size a person opts to go for obviously also depends on the equipment which needs to be stored. In general the two main options with regards to width is 800mm and 600mm and when it comes to depth the three main options are as follows; 800mm, 1000mm and 1200mm.

Remember it is also important to keep in mind the weight of the data cabinet because it needs to substantial enough to carry the equipment which is going to be stored inside of it otherwise it may cave in and thus a new cabinet will be needed altogether.

In addition to this, the price of the cabinets and racks will need to be considered by businesses as well. At the end of the day, each business is different and each business will have their own budget with regards to what they can afford. It is vital to devise a strict plan and stick to it as it can be very easy to get carried away and spend a lot more then was initially intended.

Finally, it is also extremely important to make sure that any data cabinet accessories are considered. These can include things such as; fixings and fans.

How To Stay On The Good Side Of Your Online Customers

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Customer service is critical in ‘bricks and mortar’ business but its especially critical for online business. You want to stay in your customers’ good graces. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Stay On The Good Side Of Your Online Customers.

* * *

(Pixabay CC0 License)

The business world has always been competitive, but none more so than now, as internet businesses are popping up all over the place.

Should you run an online business then, it is important to know that you are but a tiny dot on the internet, competing with thousands of other dots (this is probably the first time anybody has described businesses in such a way) in a bid to gain customers.

To stay ahead of the game, you need to stay on the good side of any potential or existing customers. By doing so, you will receive good word of mouth instead of bad, and you might elevate your business above the many others sharing the virtual space of the internet with you.

Here are some of the things you need to do.

#1: Deliver on your promises

Online business owners often sway potential customers with promises of fast shipping and better quality products than their rivals, as just two examples. So, if you are going to tempt customers in with promises such as these, you need to ensure that you can live up to your word.

With the examples given, you would need a steady supply of mailers in your inventory to ensure fast shipping was possible, and you would also need to work with a decent courier company that could offer speedy delivery. And in terms of your product, you would need to research what other businesses offer, and find ways to improve the quality and the functionality of what you were selling.

Having delivered on your promises, you would have very happy customers on your hands!

#2: Secure your online business

Businesses, both large and small, are in danger of hacking attempts, so never assume that your online business is safe, even if it is just you and your computer set up in your bedroom.

If you get hacked, not only will your financial information be compromised, but your customers financial and personal data might be too. Should your customers become aware of this, be that through communication from yourself or because they have become the victim of cybercrime themselves, then your reputation will plummet.

We have some tips on our website with regards to protecting your online business, so have a read and follow the advice we give you at your earliest opportunity.

#3: Treat your customers well

Customers are fickle people. If they feel mistreated in any way, they will voice their opinions on social media and business review sites.

Therefore, give them the respect that they feel they deserve by treating them well.

What does this mean in reality?

Well, we have already alluded to two ways you can do this in the previous points we made in this article. But there is more you can do. This includes offering them speedy responses when they get in touch with you. You should respond to any complaints, and do what you can to make amends to any disgruntled customers. And you should go the extra mile in your customer service, perhaps by including hand-crafted ‘thank you’ cards with your deliveries, or by offering loyal customers a discount or the occasional freebie as tokens of your appreciation.

Finally

By staying on your customers’ good side, you will retain their loyalty and benefit from new customers who have heard about your business. Follow our suggestions then, and research other ways to win over the hearts and the wallets of potential and existing customers.

Here’s How To Sell Your Products Online

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Much of today’s business is conducted online. There are some keys to selling your merchandise online. The following contributed post is entitled, Here’s How To Sell Your Products Online.

* * *

Picture by Rawpixel

Although, the internet has its drawbacks (such as hackers that are a threat to businesses) the internet is arguably the root of all opportunity. Mainly because people from all backgrounds, so long as they have a laptop and an internet connection, can earn money online if they put their minds to it.

You may have decided your current physical store that you use to sell your products is limiting you from the reach of sharing your items with the world. Or maybe you’ve uploaded your products online somewhere to sell, but you haven’t received any sales. So how do you sell your products online, and where do you begin?

Choose Your Platform(s) Wisely

You have a few options at your feet for selling your products, but it’s up to you to decide which one fits your product and where you think your intended audience will be. Bear in mind, with ready-to-use popular platforms such as Amazon, there are rules you need to adhere to, to sell on their website. If you trip up and break the rules, it could lead to your account being suspended. If this does happen to you, it is possible to build a case for reinstatement to get your Amazon account back up and running. It just takes a bit of time and effort to do so..

Besides the well-known selling platforms such as eBay and Amazon. Look at the potential of developing your own ecommerce website to display your products to the public also.

Presentation

The way you present your products is an essential aspect to consider. Images that are too dark, poor quality or look unprofessional will prevent your product from selling as well as it potentially could. If you can afford to, have professional pictures taken of your products. If this isn’t possible, create a transparent, uncluttered background for your product to rest. Take shots of different angles in clear daylight, so that the customer may see various aspects of the product before deciding to buy.

Copywriting

The art of copywriting is to set the scene and engage readers on why they should buy your particular product. It’s your pitch to explain why this product is perfect and what it brings to a person’s life but also to outline the specification such as colours and measurements. People like to read about what their new product might entail. They also want transparency on what to expect, and so you need to give the reader both! When you write descriptions etc., keep it clear, simple and in keeping with the voice of your brand.

Reputation

A business’s trust and reliability are earned over time. Once your product begins to gain momentum with authentic online reviews, you can trust that the sales process of your products will be a lot easier. There are ways you can give your product a leg up online in this regard. For instance, you can give your product out for free to popular bloggers and ask if they would be so kind as to write about it on their website. If your product is fantastic, they’ll tell their readers. Which means your audience and reputation gradually expands.

Whether you’re setting up a side hustle or developing a full-time business, selling your products online will be a lot easier to do if you follow the steps above.

Think About Protecting Your Business Online Today

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. So much of today’s business is done online today. There are individuals and entities out there who are looking to wreck havoc on even the smoothest running operations. The following contributed post is entitled, Think About Protecting Your Business Online Today.

* * *

Picture by Methodshop

A lady called Paige Thompson gained access to 100 million credit card applications and accounts at Credit One in recent months. From social security numbers, names, addresses, credit scores, limits and balances, millions of customer records were violated. What does this mean for Capital One and it’s CEO Richard Fairbank? With Capital One and a string of other companies who have been hacked, it provokes uncertainty amongst the public and business owners about their data. Such as how the data breach occurred and what can be done to stop it. If you want to seek solutions and create a strong defence against criminals invading your business intelligence online, there are a few things you can do.

Anti-Virus Software

If you’re currently risking the safety of your business intel with no anti-virus software insight, you’re gambling with the likelihood of your data being deleted or tampered with by a virus, or stolen by cybercriminals. The type of software you will need depends on the scale of your current business. Only you can decide whether or not purchasing well-known software such as Akismet, McAfee or Norton 360 will suffice. Or alternatively, whether you need to hire an expert IT service company to defend your company information for you.

Back-Up Solutions

Whether you’re just starting out with a new business venture or running a long-standing successful company. Either way, you need to find a way to back up your business data immediately. Depending on the scale and type of information, your existing PC(s) hold will affect what source of back-up is right for your company. Your options span from purchasing an external hard drive to regularly back up your data and keep in a separate place away from your business. Alternatively, it could mean hiring a cloud service company to frequently back-up and store your data on your behalf. Or, it might mean purchasing large servers to continuously keep track of the mass of data your company consumes daily. Find the source of back-up that is right for you, and then revisit your processes regularly to assess whether you need to upgrade your back-up solutions.

Business VPN

A VPN for businesses provides end to end encryption for your company devices internet connections. This secures the network for your employees and makes it much safer to share company details while protecting your data from unauthorised access. Securing your internet connection this way prevents the issue of hackers, competitors, advertisers and the government from infiltrating your confidential digital files. Anti-virus software and firewalls are not sufficient enough to ward off threats alone, and so finding the best VPN for torrenting and securing your business data is a smart way to defend and protect your business activities online.

Now you’ve thought about protecting your business intel, it’s time to do something about it. Research the options that are appropriate for the scale of your company, incorporate anti-virus software on your systems and keep these updated. Find a route to back-up your files to keep them safe from intruders and of course, delve into using a VPN for your business to safely share your business information with end to end encryption.

The Things You Need To Think About When Launching A Website

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Properly launching a website can make all of the difference in the world in terms of launching you business and or blog if you have one. The following contributed post is entitled, The Things You Need To Think About When Launching A Website.

* * *

In the digital age that we live in, your website is going to be one of the most powerful tools your business can have when it comes to marketing. Launching a website and managing it can be quite a daunting job, especially if you have little or no experience. Don’t worry, though, because, in this article, we cover some of the things that will help to make launching and running a useful website a lot more straightforward.

Photo by Igor Miske on Unsplash

Carefully select your team.

Before you do anything, you need to choose whether you are going to do it all yourself, whether you will use an in-house web team or whether you will outsource to a third party. All of these options have their pros and cons, and most of it comes down to your budget and how much control you want over your website. Creating a site that looks good, but most importantly works with little downtime is a demanding and skilled job, so many decide to leave it to a professional. It is also worth having general IT backup from Real IT Solutions, Inc. to protect against any loss of data.

Develop the content

Before you spend ages building a website, you need to make sure that you have plenty of content prepared and ready to go on there. Many commercial sites now have a blog section, where they can share information, thoughts and relevant content linked to the industry, or give their clients and customers a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the business. One thing that you should be aiming for is not only to be selling your product or service to your audience but to be an industry expert. If you are using your website purely for sales, people will only come to your site when they are looking to purchase something. If you have a blog attached to it, people will be checking in regularly, so you need to be updating it regularly with fresh and exciting content. Google now considers interaction when ranking websites, so having material which encourages interaction and discussion with your customers will only help push your content higher up the search engine.

Social Media

You more than likely already have a presence on social media, but if you want to promote your website, it is even more critical. Business pages on Facebook and Twitter are essential, and Instagram is growing in popularity for businesses. Make sure that it is regularly updated, and that you don’t just push your own content. Try and aim for an 80:20 balance – 80% of your content should engage your customers and encourage interaction and conversation, and 20% should focus on your brand. Sharing content from other people may sound counterproductive, but it is the best way to find out what interests your customers, what they are looking for, and to increase the overall visibility of your website.

Make sure it all works.

Before you go live with your website, make sure every aspect of it works. This includes looking at every page, and every link, every plugin that you may use in the backend, any analytics software that you are using, and that is mobile responsive. Check regularly – broken links can be infuriating for your customer and can also harm your website ranking if there are too many, so make sure you update or remove if they are flagged up.

Drilling Down: The Essential Components To Starting A Manufacturing Business

“When are you are looking to get into an industry that gradually produces lower running costs, increases productivity, and does this all en mass, the manufacturing industry is hard to beat.”

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. A lucrative business to get into is a manufacturing business. The are some key aspects to getting started in this sector. The following contributed post is entitled, Drilling Down: The Essential Components To Starting A Manufacturing Business.

* * *

Photo from Unsplash

When are you are looking to get into an industry that gradually produces lower running costs, increases productivity, and does this all en mass, the manufacturing industry is hard to beat. In many ways, it is the perfect distillation of what a good business can do. Creating thousands, if not millions, of products, to time, perfectly formed, and distributed to the corners of the world, of which Lily Bearing is a good example. But these days, there are so many of us that try our hand on a smaller scale, whether this is through our own online marketplace, or setting up a brick and mortar shop, don’t realize just how difficult it is to produce these things. So what is the key to setting up a manufacturing business in the right way?

The Right Support Network

Not just in terms of the business support, but also the suppliers that need to keep you going. You’ll realise that after a while, manufacturing business is dependent on the right business model. Every business requires an appropriate model, but a manufacturing one is just a bigger version of the standard business model. Whether this is running a food and beverage processing company, and you need the right supplier for industrial grade epoxy floor coating or you are working with a company that provides equipment for you to undertake your working practices safely, the right support network isn’t just about making your business work more efficiently, it’s about ensuring that you have the right people to guide you along the way.

The Right Location

Setting up a business is all dependent on location. Whether you’ve had experience in running a bricks-and-mortar store, or you work out of the comfort of your own home, the big temptation that we all have is to look for cheap prices. A manufacturing business requires better infrastructure, and the specific areas to grow, not just in terms of distribution, but the transport links, not to mention the skill set of the people that live in the nearby area, are all crucial. We have to find the right workers, but if we set up in a location that inaccessible, it will not last long, and we are wasting money.

The Best Team

While the location will aid a specific skill set, if you don’t have the right caliber of workers, you won’t retain any sense of productivity. It’s always worth speaking to local recruitment companies so you can get a good idea of the talent pool area, but also get in contact with local educational authorities, as they usually have decent information on this sort of thing. Being near to transport links is crucial.

Manufacturing is big business, and this really is skimming the surface of what a manufacturing business can do. It’s very easy to stick to the more antiquated business models. But as the modern workplaces are relying more and more on computers and technology, we’ve got to find the best marriage of man and machine. A manufacturing business now isn’t just about operating cheaply, it’s about the best processes in place so everybody can benefit.

Five Ways To Keep Your Small Business Safe

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship, and Technology. In today’s digital world, a key to running your small business is keeping it safe, particularly in terms of your Information Technology (IT) operations. The following contributed post is entitled, Five Ways To Keep Your Small Business Safe.

* * *

The general consensus with small businesses is that they start from home. Working from home is a huge privilege, and if you are running a business from home, you’re getting even more significant benefits than you could imagine. However, many people think just because they’re working from home; they’re safe in their business. The benefits of working from home cannot be disputed, but what about the precautions that you take to ensure that it’s a secure option for you. When you have a small business, you share everything online, from your current activity to your expectations for the coming quarter. People can see this information, and while this is the idea, it’s also a fine line between the audience you want to see your information and those you do not. Everything is accessible, so it’s in your interest to put that information out there while protecting yourself.

Image source

While you keep that in mind, consider the following five ways that you can protect both your new online small business and your home at the same time. Given that you are working from home, protecting it is the best thing that you could do.

Choose The Right Hosts

Your online infrastructure needs to be stable so that you can ensure that hackers don’t come after your information. Use outsourced IT services if you don’t know how to run your network yourself, but make sure that your online services are 100% protected with a good internet host and provider.

Keep Buildings Secure

You’re working from home, so you can think about adding some extra security so that your business is also protected. If you have a driveway, think about getting driveway gates and driveway gate openers that are electric which you can control from inside the house. You deserve the utmost protection for your home and the faster that you can install that, the safer you and your business will be.

Get Registered

Part of being safe in your home business is ensuring that you aren’t going to be hit by huge fines from the taxman. Getting your small business registered is so crucial so that you can start making some decent income. Think about how you want your business to look to others, and get registered with the proper authorities as soon as possible.

Register For Domain Privacy

It’s vital that you don’t register your domain name and leave it as is. Using domain privacy is so important if you want to ensure that your domain is more than what the public can see. By registering for a private domain, you can keep your home address safe from public prying eyes.

VPN

Using a private VPN network to protect the history of your internet searches is so essential if you want to keep your privacy in your business. Your browsing online stays private, too, so no hacker can see what you’re doing. It’s all in the name of your protection, so take note and make sure you follow the right instructions for a healthy and safe business.

Military Equipment: Tactical Vision Systems

A key focus of my blog is Technology. The defence industry is critical to our military forces as there is a constant need to improve the technologies for combat. A key aspect of this is tactical vision systems. The following contributed post is entitled, Military Equipment: Tactical Vision Systems.

* * *

In the modern-day, the world of military is more advanced than one could ever imagine. It is an industry whereby constant intelligence and research is being utilized in order to push boundaries and strive to achieve the top strategies, advanced equipment, pivotal skills, and innovative tactics. After all, defence specialists and military personnel need to be better than ever before with the unimaginable challenges that come their way.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/sea-people-service-uniform-40820/

In this day and age, more emphasis is placed on tactics than ever before, with specialist equipment being designed in order to enhance an individual’s awareness. The likes of Norwich University have Military History courses and you can really learn about how this has developed over the years. Military personnel always need to be one step ahead of the enemy. That is why the added emphasis is placed on vision in particular. When in dark and difficult conditions the need for clear vision is something which cannot be underestimated and thus giving serious consideration to the type of tactical vision system purchased is absolutely essential. After all, you do not want your men and women to be at added risk because of a poor choice.

The tactical vision systems employed need to combine all of the elements which come together to give an individual thorough awareness of their bearings. First and foremost, night vision is one component which is highly important. After all, this is when individuals are most susceptible to attacks and they need to maneuver through the night like it is second nature. Nevertheless, a tactical vision system incorporates so much more than being able to see in the dark. One needs to be assured of their bearings in relation to the battlefield as a whole. Thus the equipment should be able to aptly let the individual in question know where they are in relation to their surroundings. Furthermore, people need to be able to see accurately into the distance for precision, aim and as a result dependability and protection. Therefore, clear and accurate vision is absolutely essential.

In addition to this, you need to ensure that the tactical vision system incorporates effective communication software. This may not directly be linked to visibility through your own eyes, nevertheless when in military practise it is a case of using all of your senses and capabilities to stand you in best stead. Therefore being able to communicate through mouth is very important. Moreover, you also need to be able to aptly transfer information to your team, as well as they being able to transfer data to you too.

All in all, the top military personnel embrace new technologies and advancements and are constantly redeveloping themselves to ensure that they are ready for any challenge. One area which certainly needs to reflect this notion is that of tactics related to vision. The systems and products available are vast and thus you need to make a careful decision regarding which to utilise. It is highly recommended that you seek a reputable company which has experience in providing military personnel and defence specialists with products. They will be able to advice you with regards to the best tactical vision system for you. Moreover, you will be assured of quality because you will know that the company has served many sectors of the military industry before.

3 Tips For Your Online Business

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Most business is conducted online today. You online business strategy is there are part of your business that you have to keep sharp. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Tips For Your Online Business.

* * *

Whether you are just looking into starting up your online business, or you have been established for some time, these tips will stand you in good stead to make some savings both in terms of costs and time, and help to ensure that your business continues to thrive.

Image Pixabay

Make the best use of technology

There are IT solutions to cover pretty much every conceivable area of your business nowadays, so do ensure that you make good use of them all.

As your business is run wholly online, this is an area that you simply have to invest in, and it might be worth getting an IT consultant involved. You need to maintain the highest levels of security and ensure that there is minimal downtime.

It is then worth using technology to assist you with the administration side of your business. Rather than having to run things manually or employ someone in-house to take tasks on, you will find you can get accounting software, payroll services such as CloudPay and bookkeeping apps that can take care of everything for you. These options will not only be speedy, but also highly effective, freeing you up to focus on your business.

Maximise your traffic from every source

Many an online business has been built on one primary source of traffic, and then has sadly crumbled as that source dried up.

Take the recent Instagram changes, where business profiles receive less exposure as an example. Businesses that gained most of their traffic and promotion via this social media channel have suffered significantly and are now scrambling to gain traction on other platforms or elsewhere.

As such, you need to be ensuring that you are covering as many bases as you possibly can with your marketing and lead generation. Online businesses can do very well from social media, but spread those efforts out more evenly. Utilise Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter equally and closely monitor all content to understand what you are best sharing.

You should also always work to maximise your SEO, as if done correctly, this can be relied upon to deliver long term traffic to your website. This will not rise and fall on current trends and you need not be reliant on social media platforms changing their algorithms.

Build a strong brand and reputation

You are battling amongst thousands, hundreds of thousands, of other online businesses within your sector. In order to succeed you have to stand out.

You need to focus on your branding and ensure that you are conveying all that you are about within your design, website and logos. People need to land on your website and instantly understand your product offering, and they need to recognise you when they stumble across you elsewhere on the internet. Strive for something unique and something that says what it is that you do.

You will then have to monitor what people are saying about your business online. Your business needs to have a good reputation so you will be seeking to receive excellent reviews and to be responding to any online feedback. Set up Google Alerts so that you are always aware of any fresh content written about you.