Why Cybersecurity Is Essential for Your Small Business

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Charlene Brown

Cybersecurity attacks can cause irreversible, long-term damage to your business, and no business is entirely safe from them. Even big companies such as Nintendo and Twitter have fallen victim to cyber-attacks. However, small businesses are uniquely at risk and will very rarely make it to the media outlets. Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that a whopping 43% of breaches happened to small businesses. Cybersecurity is essential for any business, however, it is especially important for small businesses, and here’s why.

1. Small Business Cyber Attacks Are Common

It is easy to fall into the mindset of thinking, ‘Oh, it will never happen to me’ or ‘What are the chances it would actually happen to my business?’. Thinking like this is very dangerous because the chances of a cyberattack on your small business are actually very high. In 2019 the Keeper Security and the Ponemon Institute conducted a study that found that the number of small and medium businesses enduring data breaches had increased to 63%. This is a significant increase, as the percentage was 58% in 2018.

By the look of these statistics, cyberattacks are on the rise, and their interest is becoming more and more focused on the smaller to medium-sized businesses.

2. Small Businesses Are Vulnerable

Small businesses are very vulnerable to cyberattacks, and the risk of an attack is increasing significantly. Ultimately, small businesses are more vulnerable to cyberattacks for several reasons. Partly because there’s less training on cybersecurity and partly because they have less money to invest in IT support and services that can help to protect them; having good IT support and services available to your small business are so important in preventing a cybersecurity attack. They can provide consultation, information and implement software to make your business more secure.

3. Damage Is Harder To Undo

A cyberattack has the potential to cause fatal damages to small businesses. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency found that 60% of companies that experienced a cyberattack had to close down within six months following the attack. These statistics are extremely alarming for small business owners. Cyberattacks will not only cost your money, but they can cost you your reputation and the trust of your customers.

A high percentage of cyberattacks take the form of a phishing scam, which makes the hacker send legitimate-looking emails and texts directly to their victims, a link that allows the hacker to steal vital information such as company passwords. Once the hacker is in, it is very difficult to secure your system without having to spend extortionate amounts.

4. Cyberattacks Can Be Very Costly

Cyberattacks can be extremely costly for a small business, and a Hiscox survey has confirmed this in a survey that found cyberattacks on small businesses cost up to $188,000. A lot of small businesses simply do not have this kind of money, and so it is quite common for small businesses to go bankrupt after an attack. Even if you do not go bankrupt and manage to survive your attack, you will have a long road ahead of you trying to revive your business. If you look to investors for funding to help you, you are going to have a hard time convincing the investors that your company is secure and not a data-breaching risk.

What You Can Do

Cyberattacks are very daunting to any business owner, but there are several things you can do to try and protect yourself from malicious hackers. Firstly, you should provide cybersecurity training for all your employees. This way, they know what to look for, and if an employee detects any kind of suspicious behavior, your business will be able to act fast and be able to stamp it out before the hacker gets in. Secondly, make sure you implement strong firewalls as a firewall can stop hackers from accessing important data on a network.

Thirdly, make sure you use strong passwords! This is such an easy preventative method, yet people fall victim to using easy passwords time and time again. A shocking 83% of people use the same password for multiple platforms, and this is a hacker’s dream.

If small businesses wish to succeed and stand out among their competition, then they should allocate some investment to cybersecurity. This doesn’t mean forking out tonnes of money, but more taking the time to implement easy measures that can have a big impact. As previously mentioned, a simple task such as using strong passwords can go a long way! Making sure your business is using cybersecurity best practices will make you far less vulnerable to what could be a fatal attack.

5 Business Expansion Strategies for Small Businesses

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Sherley Alaba

Start-ups and small businesses find survival challenging in the competitive market. For that instance, the company’s consistent and concrete growth is essential for survival in the competitive market. Bankruptcy is something no entrepreneur wants to experience for their venture. As 2021 unfolds, devising the perfect business proliferation strategy has never been more crucial. Last year distorted the financial projections and changed the ways businesses used to operate in the recent decade. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges for both small and large companies and increased the importance of business expansion. Be it the digital transition or better customer relationships, the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down for small businesses.

With the government authorities easing up the restrictions, there are still various business expansion options for small businesses. Business expansion might seem like a difficult task, but it is not impossible for small businesses. Only lucrative business practices and strategies can push the company to expand and generate sales and profits. However, this expansion depends on the business’s financial stability and the competition in the market. With that said, let’s discuss business expansion strategies for small businesses.

Market Penetration

Market penetration is the first and most basic approach to expand your small business for good in the market. This strategy functions with your small business right where it operates. This strategy works best for scenarios when there are no other markets to enter. It means your business will focus on the single market with current products. The strategy will involve advertisement, price competition, product improvement, and promotions to pitch to the competitors’ customers.

Since this strategy will take head-on with your competitors, implementing multiple strategies can deliver better results. You will need to focus on increasing your share price. One approach to do this is by reducing the selling price of the products. This process is tricky, but it will help you penetrate the competitive market and widen your reach. Moreover, advertisements can also boost your small business with a sound sales pitch. The latest pandemic has forced both small and large companies to shift their operations online and maintain an online presence. Small companies must benefit from the online tools to reach their audience and engage them with your business.

Undoubtedly, they must utilize social media and various content tools to deliver value to the audience. Small business owners can publish webinars for the products and services of the business to attract potential customers. They can also employ tools like the eBook maker or YouTube transcription tool to convert these webinars into engaging content.

Market Development

Apart from market penetration, small businesses can also create their market by promoting their existing products to new customers. The strategy entails promoting the products and services among a new audience or a geographical area. It is because most of the time, small businesses struggle to expand in the saturated market. Generating good sales and profits in a saturated market is extremely difficult, thus providing limited business growth. The key is to create content for the inbound marketing flywheel and leverage it to expand in the market.

However, pushing your business for market development can bring desirable results. One of the prominent examples is Nike, which expanded to the international market in the recent decades with its unique marketing strategies. Small businesses must find newer markets to promote their products and services to develop their market.

Product Development

Another lucrative strategy for small business proliferation is product development. As the name implies, a small business can create new products or lineup to attract potential customers and gain a fair market share. This scenario works if your company has no new market, but you can launch a new product. Moreover, this strategy works best for small businesses with industries that compete with other manufacturing companies introducing new products. They can also add new features to the existing products to grab the attention of the potential market.

However, small businesses must respond to changing customer behavior and market fluctuations. Failing to acknowledge these changes can risk your business falling out of the competition. All you need to do is to perform the audience research and understand their needs and expectations from your company. You can also conduct surveys to gather the data. Only this way can you devise the perfect strategy and avoid failures.

Market Segmentation

Market segmentation is also a prime strategy to benefit your small business for expansion into a large market. This strategy involves running your business into smaller groups or segments. The market must base on the customer interests, location characteristics, and demands from your small businesses. Dividing the market will allow you to run the targeted campaigns, generating leads, increasing sales, and improving profits. As per the professional’s recommendations, this segmentation will occur on the market’s geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral factors.

This strategy is the best for those markets which are surrounded by big businesses. Moreover, the process of segmentation makes it easier to design marketing campaigns that meet customer demands. To get the most from the strategy, you will need to do your research for customer data to develop better customer relationships with your business.

Using Alternative Channels

Expanding the business products or market are some default strategies for surviving in the competitive market. However, going for multiple marketing channels as in this well-researched article can give your small business a competitive edge for sales and profits. You do not necessarily have to limit your business to brick-and-mortar style. Maintaining an online presence with the use of digital tools is essential to stay ahead in the competition. Professionals advise the use of social media to attract potential leads and convert them into prospective customers.

Social media is not only a platform to hang out with friends and family. It has become a platform for small and large businesses to promote their products and sell them to interested customers. Not just that, but your small business must also put email marketing to great use to retain the customers.

Final Words

Running a business is undoubtedly a rewarding yet challenging experience that involves special considerations, such as running construction leads services. The whole process of business expansion might sound overwhelming at the start. However, the creative strategies to penetrate the aggressive market are the only way to stake your profits claim. Since small businesses do not have enough resources, it is imperative to research the audience to achieve planned growth.

Top 5 Logistics Management Apps in 2021

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Eisele Candace

The supply chain is a critical component of any economy. Only organized companies and logistics businesses can make it through seasons of high demand. You can achieve convenience and efficiency by using logistics management apps that help in your job. The apps ensure that information flows freely, is where it is needed, and there are no delays or complications with logistics.

Useful logistics management apps possess features that are hard to find in other kinds of apps. For starters, they have to process data on time and have notifications to keep everyone informed. It should also feature backups to avoid loss of data, and cloud storage makes this a possibility.

When shopping for logistics management apps, several features set them apart. It would help if you were keen on the features provided by each app to ensure that you only go for what will enhance your logistics work. Another essential feature to look out for is logistics customer services which should be able to handle high volumes of transactions with ease.

Best Logistics Management Apps

1. Logistics

The app ensures that all your warehousing and logistics needs are taken care of, and it is free. You can easily keep track of shipments, drivers, and clients in this app. Whenever you need assistance with your operations, this is the tool to connect all your supply chain connections.

Stay updated and plan better with this application, which also collects actionable insights and analytic information. Logistics companies can use the information to make improvements and upgrades to your strategy and deliver at scale. Geo-location features in the application ensure that essential tasks are completed on time with less effort. The app ensures that you are on track with everything delivery.

2. Scandit

Scanning barcodes is one of the everyday operations in logistics management. Older scanners tend not to perform as well as you might expect. The Scandit application turns your phone into a barcode scanner and even works in low light. Anyone can access the scanned data as it works across platforms. You can link the app to your information systems for increased efficiency.

While at the warehouse, keeping track of supplies and deliveries is made simpler by using the Scandit application to scan multiple barcodes at once. Its text recognition feature makes it useful for reading text items on ID cards, passports, VIN codes, and other labels.

3. Evernote

Although this app wasn’t designed with logistics in mind, its features suited the function. It is free and straightforward, with features that other apps can’t even come close to. It is a virtual notebook to create lists and take notes on the move.

The Evernote app also lets you save your notes and refer to them later on. This makes logistics management more organized. You will not forget a single thing in your operations. This is an application that companies need to keep everything on track and attend to all their customer’s requirements.

The app is available as a free app though users can pay for the app’s professional version, which comes at a subscription cost. The professional version features better utilities and can even keep backups of your notes in the cloud. Organized logistics management can take advantage of and benefit from this app in its operations.

4. CoPilot Truck

A navigation system for your track drivers is something to be proud of. It will positively improve your logistics operations’ effectiveness. It provides drivers with turn-by-turn navigation and makes use of information to create effective routes. This is the best app to get your supplies from one point to another in the most efficient way in a connected world.

Your drivers get safe and accurate navigation information while planning routes better to maximize your returns. Post-trip analysis of the routes taken also ensure that you improve gradually and achieve better results with your drivers. The CoPilot Truck app makes it possible for you to improve customer service on-time deliveries and precise ETAs depending on road and weather conditions.

The navigation is still operational even while offline and useful for long cargo hauls. Its design doesn’t distract you while driving. It uses real-time traffic data to avoid delays and reroute when the road conditions are not conducive. The app is affordable and can be used for an entire fleet.

5. GasBuddy

When transporting goods for thousands of miles, you will likely burn a lot of fuel. Saving a few cents on the way is essential in reducing your expenditure. The free application makes the experience of refueling easier and more cost-effective. Using it, you can find a gas station with the lowest prices nearby. This application generates data from an extensive user base to analyze prices within the defined area.

The benefit of this app is saving on fuel, and it helps to plan your routes better so that you get the most significant savings in the process. With the app, you never have to pay full price again. You also earn cash backs and other special offers provided with the app. The application gets you the best fuel spots along the way and has very reliable data.

6. Scalefusion

This tool is much more than a logistics management app, it is an MDM solution for logistics that helps the logistics industry amongst many others streamline the management of their diverse devices and endpoints. With Scalefusion you can push corporate policies on your drivers’ devices and ensure strict compliance.
You can track your shipments, minimize distractions in drivers and ensure corporate data security on the go. You can also leverage Scalefusion’s speed-based locking feature to ensure driver safety. Scalefusion is an easy-to-use platform that allows you to provision your devices over the air, helps you to be ELD-ready and minimize your device downtime with remote troubleshooting.

Conclusion

Logistics management keeps the economy on its toes with deliveries determining customer satisfaction and a company’s reputation. With logistics management apps, your company uses the information to plan better, deliver better and keep customers satisfied with your services. The apps ensure that everything goes according to plan. Nothing is ever forgotten when it is the client involved.

The applications are designed to assist with logistics management, such as navigation for trucks and route planning. Others are assigned the task of scanning barcodes and keeping the warehouse organized. Others save you fuel costs by choosing the best stations to refill. Some of the apps keep you organized with notes and voice dictation. These are useful apps that everyone needs for better, more successful logistics management.

What Are The Benefits of Online Learning?

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Pete Brown

The pandemic sure has caused a lot of negative things from health to even our country’s economy. But on the brighter side, it made us see more alternatives to our usual activities, such as forcing us to work and study from home.

However, many people are still skeptical about the benefits of it, particularly studying online. If you’re one who’s also dubious, here are some advantages of online classes that will help you decide.

Cost

One of the first things that most of us often check before enrolling in a school or university is their rates. Fortunately, online schools are more affordable. This is because academic institutions don’t usually need to produce physical learning materials that cost them more.

Since classes take place online, this means they don’t have to pay for their rent. Plus, they’re able to save more on bills and other miscellaneous fees. Compared to the traditional schools or universities, a student will likely spend only between $100 and $400 per credit hour on average for online courses.

Traditional schools, on the other hand, need to produce more physical learning materials. They also need a budget for rents, bills, and maintenance of their buildings. Hence, their rates cost more.

Efficacy

Many are also skeptical about online classes because they’re doubtful of their efficacy. But apparently, a study shows that it’s just as effective as traditional classes.

However, there’s a chance that it could be more effective. This is because online classes are more engaging. Plus, a student has more ways to ask his queries that will help his studies if he’s too shy to ask during class.

Safety

If you’re concerned about your safety against the pandemic, online classes sure are a great option as it offers no limits when it comes to location. The lesser interaction and contact with other people, the lesser the chance you’ll be exposed to the SARS-CoV2 virus.

Another good news is that you or your child is also safe from abuse in schools. Abuse can also happen in school. Online classes, however, helps in preventing it from happening as you’re safe from anyone you may do you wrong in school.

Schedule

Traditional schools have a set schedule. A typical day in a traditional school usually starts around 7 AM and ends around 3 PM.

But online classes are different. Sure, some schools also have a set schedule for online classes but you’re more free to do other things during class, depending on your instructor’s classroom rules. You can even attend your online class while you’re away for a vacation thanks to school class scheduling software.

Some schools online even allow their students to choose their schedules based on their availability. This works well, especially if you’re a working student. Check online coding classes for kids in Toronto.

This kind of schedule also allows you to enjoy a study-life balance. You have more time to spend with your family or yourself, which helps make you grow.

Online classes sure can be daunting as we’re not all used to this setup. Many of us are still adjusting to it so it’s normal to feel skeptical about it but it’s something worth considering.

Top 10 Advantages of Microsoft Exchange Online

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Terrance Morgan

Some basic challenges with your current email service, consist of:

Ineffective communication abilities hampering productivity.
Issues about downtime and drains on IT time and funds.
Problems with compliance and data security.

A trustful and robust official business email is a requirement for companies of all sizes. When our clients turn to us for help and support, we suggest Microsoft Exchange Online.

Microsoft Exchange Online assists you to secure your data and keeps your employees connected with protected, reliable access to email, contacts, and calendars from any virtual device.

Here are the top 10 advantages of Microsoft Exchange Online:

1. Secure Your Sensitive Data and Notify the Users of Internal Compliance Policies with DLP (Data Loss Prevention) Abilities:

Keep your organization secure from users sending sensitive information to unauthorized people by mistake. The new DLP feature in Exchange identifies, monitors, and protects sensitive data by carrying out in-depth content analysis. Exchange Online offers built-in DLP policies based on standards such as PCI and PII which are regulatory. It is also extendable to support other policies essential for your business. Apart from that, the new policy tips in Outlook notify users about policy violations before sensitive data is sent.

2. Provide compliance officers to run In-Place eDiscovery over Exchange, Lync, and SharePoint – from a single interface:

The ability to immutably maintain and explore data across your business is crucial to assuring internal and regulatory compliance. Allow your compliance officers to make use of the new eDiscovery Center to identify, analyze and hold your business data from Exchange, Lync, SharePoint. And, the data always stays in place, so you never have to maintain a different store of data. With the eDiscovery Center, you can decrease the expense of managing complex compliance requirements, while assuring you are prepared for the unexpected.

3. Keep all of your essential data in one place with Exchange archiving, retention policies, large mailboxes:

This allows your users with an in-place archive and large mailbox to provide them the flexibility to maintain email in their primary mailbox, or to archive items. With flexible and strong retention policies, you can handle your storage and compliance requirements – while preserving your user’s productivity.

4. Allow your users to collaborate on projects, increase speed and communication quickly on teams they join, and share information easily:

This makes it simpler for your users to maintain team and project communications. Enable users to see old chats and emails on a project as soon as they join, have access to the recent versions of their team documents, and access that data right from within Outlook. Your users will have compelling new tools such as Microsoft Teams to be efficient on their teams and you will be able to handle information in the locations that this information was supposed to be stored. Co-authoring, document storage, and versioning are given by SharePoint while messaging is managed by Exchange with a whole user experience within Outlook.

If all necessary team members have access to the same information, communication, and collaboration can be taken to the next level. For many companies have learned that the command to enable editing the file did the trick when it came to improving their efficiency and communication. With features such as Microsoft Teams, users can quickly communicate with the whole team or a single member using real-time chat sessions, online meetings, and more – all from within Outlook. These absolutely essential communication tools mean that no matter where your team is located, you’ll be able to stay connected and get things done faster.

5. Block email threats before they arrive in your network:

Exchange actively guards your communications with built-in defenses against email threats. Multi-layered anti-spam filtering is provided with regular updates to facilitate protection against increasingly complex spam and breaching threats, while multiple anti-malware engines operate to secure your email data from any kind of viruses.

6. Give your users an instinctive, touch-enabled inbox experience on any device:

This allows your users to get more work done from anywhere with an inbox that provides a straightforward and uncluttered experience, where the important and relevant information is optimized for various form-factors. The same friendly design in the Outlook desktop interface has been given to the browser as well as mobile interfaces.

7. Move to the cloud on your conditions with easy options including Exchange hybrid deployment:

Exchange gives you tools to move to the cloud on your conditions – either that is onboarding to the cloud overnight or managing a hybrid deployment with mailboxes on-premises and online to satisfy your business requirements. Allow your end-users a great user-friendly experience including scheduling meetings and sharing calendars between on-premises and online users and restrict user disruption when user mailboxes are easily moved across environments. Stay in charge of the cloud by testing out upcoming improvements with support for upgraded previews.

8. Reduce the time spent on managing your messaging systems while keeping control:

Manage powerful capabilities including Apps for Outlook, DLP, and site mailboxes in the Exchange Administration Center – an easy-to-use, web-based administration interface. Role-based access authority enables your helpdesk and specialist users to execute specific tasks that are surfaced properly in the Exchange Administration Center – without needing full administrative permissions. This instinctive and amazing experience benefits you to manage Exchange efficiently, delegate tasks, and focus on improving your business ahead.

9. Customize Exchange by integrating appropriate, web-based Apps for your business in Outlook and Outlook Web App:

Encourage your users to waste less time switching between apps and make their communications experience stronger with an extension model that allows you to allow easy plugin access across both the big client and web-based Outlook experiences. You can decrease complexity with single sign-on to multiple applications and protectively give access designed to assure only authorized users can use each approved application.

10. Bring All Your Contacts Together:

People’s professional networks span many different areas. You will have the capability to allow users to bring their contacts in from different networks so that they have all their information in one single place. The exchange will even find the same person throughout all the networks and extend their information into one contact card, avoiding multiple contact cards with different information and duplication.

You can get the best affordable Azure Windows Virtual Desktop Pricing and migration services for exchange mailbox migration to office 365 and Microsoft SharePoint Cloud Migration at Apps4Rent.

5 Things You Need to Know About Effective Scheduling

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Michael Kelly

You reach office early work till late hours; yet you find a lot of work pending at the end of the day. Does this happen to you often? May be you are not planning your day effectively.

Frequent interruptions, endless meetings, and all those last-minute urgent tasks keep you busy all day long, doing little to help you progress on the projects on your hand. This is why you need to schedule your time efficiently. Here are a few things you need to do to make sure you get the time you need, for completing your tasks:

Identify the Time Available at Your Hand

Finding out how much time you have available for your work is very important before creating your schedule. Yes, you may be dedicated enough to work beyond regular hours. Nevertheless, it is always better to be realistic. Consider the time that you need for your out-of-work activities before you start making your schedule. This way you will be able to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Prioritize Your Tasks

This is the most important part of scheduling. However, before you start prioritizing your tasks you will have to make a list of tasks that you need to complete for the day. You can use a notebook, your email inbox, or any scheduling app to create this list. Run a search on calendly vs chili piper before you select your To-Do app.

Schedule Time for Contingencies

No matter how well you plan your day there will be things that won’t go as per expectations. So unless you schedule some time for emergencies and contingencies you cannot expect your scheduling to be efficient. How much time you need to allot depends totally on the kind of unpredictability you are dealing with.

Make Space for Discretionary Time

Even if your schedule is jam-packed with tasks, you will have to allow some discretionary time to achieve your goals and deliver your priorities. Consider the kind of time you would need to achieve your goals and complete your tasks and then schedule these spaces.

Analyze your Activities

Once you are done scheduling all your tasks, analyze them and see if you can delegate or outsource any of these. This way you can have some time off your schedule to plan up other things. Also see if you can cut off any of the tasks from your schedule.

More than an activity scheduling is a process that will help you plan how you are going to use your time. It is the only way you can stay on top of things and control stuff that is happening around you. If you do it well, you can maximize your efficiency and keep your stress levels low. If not you will only end up wasting your time.

Thankfully technology has provided a number of ways to create and maintain our daily schedules at work. Explore your options and find out what best you can do to maximize your efficiency and utilize your time efficiently.

Steps You Can Take to Reduce The Effects of Digital Eye Strain

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Pete Brown

It’s no longer a secret that people spend copious amounts of time in front of their gadgets now. Ironically, you are reading this article from one of those devices. As with all things, too much exposure to your gadget’s screen isn’t good. More specifically, it can affect your eyes negatively.

Computer vision syndrome also referred to as digital eye strain, is a condition that affects your eyes after prolonged exposure to computers, tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets. This is the feeling of discomfort and fatigue that you get when using your gadgets for too long. How can you avoid digital eye strain?

Be Picky In What You Use

One of the best ways to avoid digital eye strain is by using gadgets and devices that are safe for the eyes. For instance, the monitors that you can view here are best for people that spend hours in front of the computer. These specialized monitors have a blue light filter which greatly reduces the stress put on your eyes.

Alternatively, you can also wear special blue light glasses or contact lenses from Contact Lenses Plus when using gadgets. Like the specialized monitors, these glasses have lenses equipped with blue light filters. This is the perfect investment if your work tasks you with sitting in front of a computer for a long time.

20-20-20

If you’re working extensive hours in front of a device, don’t ever forget to do the 20-20-20 rule. It’s very simple and easy to do. For every 20 minutes you spend in front of a device, you should rest and look at the distance – at least 20 feet. Keep your eyes focused on the area for at least 20 seconds.

This gives your eyes enough time to rest. Keep track of the time by setting a timer. It’s a 20-second exercise that does wonders for your eyes.

Maintain The Right Distance

One of the last things you’d want to do is get your eyes too close to the screen. Ideally, you’d want to maintain a distance of 20-28 inches between your device and your eyes. Whether you’re using a smartphone, a gaming device, a computer, or an e-reader, it’s a must to back away from the screen as much as you can.

While you are at it, you should also lessen the brightness on your monitor and devices. Pick the brightness level which is most comfortable for you. It’s not advised to pick the highest brightness possible.

Maintain A Good Posture

It’s also best to maintain a good posture while using these devices. As much as possible, make sure that your device is at eye-level. Looking down for extensive periods will also cause your eyes to feel fatigued. For computers, try to lower your chair so that you maintain your monitor at the right level.

It may not seem like a big deal at first but digital eye strain should be taken seriously. Not only does it affect your performance at work and studies, but it also affects your health negatively. Too much of one thing is always ill-advised so it’s best to control your time in front of a gadget’s screen as much as possible.

Digital Businesses turn to Third Parties for Proper Remote Support

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Cassie Steele

Digital business is an inherently fast-moving industry, but the past few months may have been faster-moving than ever. As a result, business experts writing for the Forbes council suggest it might be time for many businesses to look to outsource their IT solutions, to help manage workflow and lend expertise. This input can help businesses to remain competitive while covering areas of their business in a safe and secure manner. Increasingly, businesses are turning to whole-system management.

Managing Secure IT

As a digital business expands, the infrastructure and tools it relies on are not always up to the task. This can lead to security and bandwidth issues, as critical business goes unanswered due to a simple lack of capacity. More seriously, this can cause security errors; the Russian SolarWinds hack was, according to NPR, able to sneak in on outdated and understaffed security systems. This is especially the case in rapidly digitizing communities; Nebraska is an example of where a historically rural community is starting to modernize as people adapt to urban living in Omaha. As businesses move to remote work, the communications and IT services Omaha require will have had a strong focus on security following the Nebraska Medicine incident.

The Security Question

The new levels of remote working pose a security question that is most easily answered through third parties. Governments globally are focusing on the overarching risks of cybercrime. In the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre saw fit to produce documents highlighting the risks of remote working to business owners. Outsourced systems, including larger-scale VPNs and institutions offering security services, provide good protection for these new risks.

Workforce management

A secure shield is one step of the way to maintaining a proper remote workforce, but having management tools in place to drive up productivity is essential. While statistics show that remote workers are more productive, using their flexibility to provide up to 1.4 more days of work per month, this isn’t always the case – and work can fall by the wayside in unmonitored cases. Once again, having expert third party advice allows employers to maintain proportional workforce control in a way that is safe and legally sound.

Between the use of proper IT systems, cybersecurity solutions, and workforce management, third party control allows businesses to focus on their product and growth. As remote working becomes more and more commonplace, these solutions will be ever-more important. For businesses, it’s a great way to ensure they stay profitable while doing the best by their day-to-day matters.

How To Keep Business Data Accessible for Employees

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Jennifer Clare

Data is a driving force of most business decisions in a company. The information that you store should be treated as crown jewels. You should put an effort to make it accessible for all the employees if you want to establish an efficient communication channel among all team members in your company and increase productivity,

Data management strategy is the key to success. Firstly, you must undertake a few steps to make your employees know how to access the data they need for work. Secondly, you must pay attention to cybersecurity and prevention measures to avoid data breaches and teach your employees about your company’s cybersecurity culture.

Make It Accessible for Everyone

There is a vast part of the society that suffers from various sorts of disabilities. It can be both your employees and customers who visit your website. In order to make the company’s data available for them, you need to be sure that your website is compliant with The Americans with Disabilities Act.

ADA Website Compliance regulates the rules of making the content you share or store available for those who have issues with screen reading. What’s more, it’s an official regulation. That’s why, if you want to avoid legal complaints, you need to make sure that regardless of their disabilities, each of your employees can easily reach the information necessary for their work.

Choose the Right Tools

You need to find the right tools to make the company data as accessible as possible. It’s vital so that each company member can easily open and analyze them before making a decision.

Search for the tools like plug-ins for Google Analytics that can easily give you reports from the websites you host. The right tools can make the data available for each department. Your employees responsible for marketing might use them to the same extent as analytics in your company. Standardize the tools you use so that each employee has the same technique and your business is not fragmented.

Additionally, you need to choose the right software. One of the great options to make the data shareable is deciding on cloud computing technology. Plenty of companies store the data in cloud-based systems so that each employee has access to the information through various devices, such as computers, tablets, or mobile phones. It’s an extremely convenient solution, especially in the era of remote work.

Train Your Employees on Cybersecurity

Data management strategy also concerns cybersecurity. While deciding on giving your employees access to the sensitive data you store, you must be sure that they’re aware of the possibility of a data breach.

As already established, data is crucial to your company’s development and progress, so to avoid sensitive information being lost or stolen, make sure that your workforce knows how to protect it. Train your employees so that they wouldn’t click on suspicious links in phishing emails. Ensure that they use strong passwords and don’t share sensitive information. Warn them against using unprotected devices to work operations to prevent cyberattacks to the greatest extent.

Your employees need to be aware that handling sensitive data is a responsible task. You need to ensure they know what steps they should undertake in case of a cyberattack. Remember that even though some security prevention measures are evident for you, your employees might not be aware of them.

Organize the Data Management Process

Last but not least, if you plan your business data management strategy, you need to analyze your company’s needs. Determine which kind of data needs to be stored and organize them depending on their purpose. Remember that you don’t need to gather every single piece of information about your customers and competitors. To avoid a mess in the databases, establish the data-gathering plan that meets your objectives.

By creating transparent yet secure databases, you are assured that your employees would find useful information in a shorter time that contributes to your company’s efficiency.

Collect valuable data and prepare them so that they’re ready for further analysis. Categorize them and determine which one is structured and unstructured. Don’t forget to regularly inform your employees about the changes in your data management strategy.

Conclusion

83% of organizations see data as an integral part of their business strategy. Data is a knowledge base. You need to be sure that each employee knows how to value it and handle it correctly. Regardless of your business’s size, data management strategy is crucial for small businesses, medium-sized companies, and big corporations.

Remember that when you make your data accessible for your company members, you need to make it secure. Invest in data protection software, and create a data protection system that would be a standard in your working environment. Your data is too precious to get to hackers’ hands unprotected – any cyber attack might seriously disrupt your business continuity plan.

Effective Apps That Will Help Workers Monitor How Healthy They Are

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Pete Brown

It’s not enough to keep your employees happy with a good salary and amazing benefits. It’s also a must that you ensure that they are working under the best conditions possible and that they are always in good shape. A lot of companies tend to forget to manage their employee’s health but luckily, some apps are able to help those companies out.

If companies are going to make key changes in their work environment, then one of those should be with regards to employee health. Aside from offering good insurance and healthcare plans, companies can also try using a selection of health and wellness apps to keep in touch with their employee’s well-being.

Specialized Tracking Apps

Some industries should have better safety precautions than others such as the healthcare industry. Employee health in the sector is an even bigger priority now with the pandemic still active. Specialized tracking apps cater to the health monitoring needs of certain industries which is a must nowadays.

For hospitals and medical institutions, such apps are crucial to help mitigate the spread of Covid-19. At the same time, these apps help healthcare workers continue on with their job of treating the infected. These apps come with symptom monitoring features that make it easier for management to detect if something’s amidst.

Fitness Trackers

The best cure will always be prevention. In this light, companies should invest in organizational fitness trackers. These function similarly to any other fitness trackers. They take note of calorie intake, calorie loss, heart rate, and a few other crucial metrics on a deeper scale. Some apps even allow workers to manage their dieting habits.

Fitness trackers are a great way to boost one’s overall health and heart health. Employees don’t always have the time to work out and keep track of their health. You can encourage your employees to try out fitness trackers by giving them subscriptions to the top options on the market.

Trackers do a great job of measuring your movement. But care should be taken to fully understand how accurate is Fitbit calorie burn.

Fitness trackers usually go well with smartwatches. It might be a great idea to invest in these gadgets as well. Fitness trackers like Apple Watch are water resistant and are meant to be worn at all times to track your overall health and activity, which may leave you wondering, can you shower with your apple watch?

Mental Health Focused Apps

Health isn’t just about the physical aspects of the body. It’s also about mental health. Employees go through stress and fatigue on a daily basis. Poor mental health makes it harder for them to focus on work and become more productive. This is especially the case now considering that people also have the pandemic to worry about.

Mental health apps can help your employees effectively manage the other spectrum of one’s well-being. Aside from giving your employees access to mind relaxing puzzles, audio, and self-help guides, these mental health apps can also check in on your employees regularly if they are undergoing something serious like anxiety or depression.

Being the top company is no longer about giving your employees the best benefits and healthcare plans. It’s also about making sure that they are fit and healthy all year-round. These apps are going to be great additions to your company’s healthcare plans and these also help you manage their health on a deeper level.

7 Employee Rights Small Business Owners Need to Know

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Elizabeth Leer

Small businesses rarely have the means to manage their human resources department (if the department exists at all!). They can’t always refer to a lawyer on retainer in every situation.

For this reason, small business owners and managers should know basic employee rights to avoid unnecessary litigation and negative situations that reflect poorly on the business.

This creates a fair and enjoyable work environment that establishes mutual trust and ensures long-term, fulfilling employee-employer relationships. Here are 7 Basic Employee Rights Small Business Owners Need to Know.

Right 1: Fair Labor

According to the Fair Labor and Standards Act (FLSA) every employer is required by law to comply with certain fair labor practices. Even small businesses are not exempt.

Here are the rules established by the FLSA:

● Minimum Wage – The current Federal minimum wage is set at $7.25 per working hour but can vary based on the type of business and by state, county, or city.

● Overtime – Employers must pay a rate of 1 and ½ times the established hourly rate of an employee for hours worked beyond 40 hours in a workweek.

● Hours Worked – This includes all times when an employee is performing an activity required by his or her job duties. It also includes time when an employee is required to be on premises or at any designated place of work. Here is a Department of Labor (DOL) reference sheet that clarifies this rule.

● Recordkeeping – Employers are required to keep track of payroll records and employee timecards.

● Poster – All employers must display the official DOL poster that outlines these requirements.

Right 2: Safe Workplace

The federal government passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1970. The act proclaims that workers have a right to a “safe working environment.”

This means that a workplace must be free from dangerous equipment, excessive noise levels, and employers must not expose workers to toxic chemicals.

Employers are responsible for investigating potential safety and health threats and must remove them if possible. If not, they must inform their employees and provide proper safety training and equipment, specially when it comes to occupational health services.

If your located in Idaho and have been injured on the job, check out this Idaho workers compensation lawyer to find out what you should do next. Getting the compensation you are owed can be difficult, and they are there to help.

Right 3: Freedom from Discrimination

Mutual respect is key in the workplace, but this is even more important within a small business structure. Wes Herman of Woods Coffee is an outstanding example of an owner who understands this principle.

To attract and keep top tier talent, owners must create an enjoyable, trust-based work environment that is free of discrimination as he told UpFlip during a recent interview. That’s why Wes could grow his business to over 17 locations and over 350 employees.

Regardless of personal principles, there are rules established that prevent businesses from discriminating against employees.

As a general rule, it is illegal for employers to discriminate against candidates based on sex, religion, color, race, national origin, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or age.

This can vary based on state law and the number of employees, but here is a list of the key federal laws pertaining to discrimination:

Equal Pay Act (EPA)
Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)

Employers must also protect employees from sexual harassment with training and other procedures of accountability.

The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission has extensive resources on their site.

Right 4: Privacy

Employees and potential employees have privacy rights extended to them by several federal laws and regulations. This means that employers can’t take actions like search an employee or their belongings or run a background check on a potential employee without their written consent.

However, employers also have rights in this realm. Employers can monitor company emails, phones, and computer usage if their monitoring policies are transparent. For example, an inappropriate email sent on a company server is not protected.

Surveillance laws also vary by state, but most permit camera usage if an employer notifies employees that they are being recorded.

Right 5: Whistleblowing

Employees may inform authorities and testify about illegal actions taken by an employer. They can do so without fear of retaliation or retribution.

For example, if an employee reports your business for negligence regarding safety regulations or discriminatory actions, then the company has no legal grounds to retaliate against the employee.

Retaliation means an employer cannot:

Fire or lay off a whistleblower
Blacklist, demote, or reassign to affect promotion
Deny overtime, reduce pay, or deny benefits
Formally discipline
Intimidate or make threats

The National Whistleblower Center has extensive explanations of these rights.

Right 6: Unionization and Collective Bargaining

Whether you employ union or non-union workers, the National Labor Relations Act applies to your business. Specifically, it grants employees of private employers the rights specified in Section 7 of the Act:

The right to organize, form, join, or assist a labor union.
The right to collective bargaining by representation (of their choice).
The right to engage in activities related to “other mutual aid or protection.”
The right to abstain from any of these activities.

These rights include discussion of conditions of employment and wages.

With the rise of the Digital Age, some social media policies have come in the crosshairs of the National Labor Relations Board for violation of Section 7.

The Board can lean one way or the other based on their ideology, so carefully review any social media policy before distribution to ensure compliance. Ideally, employers should work with an attorney familiar with labor law.

Right 7: Employee Leave

The Family and Medical Leave Act grants employees 12 weeks of protected unpaid medical or maternity leave over a 12-month period. This means that under certain family medical conditions, an employee can take leave without risking their job security.

It’s up to employers to take an active role in monitoring FMLA claims. They may request forms and medical certifications to determine whether an employee’s absence is up to legal standards.

Only employers with 50 or more employees must worry about the FMLA. So, it may seem like this right doesn’t belong in an article that pertains to small businesses.

However, the SBA classifies businesses by industry and their average annual revenue or number of employees. The lowest limit for the number of employees in their table is 100, and they classify most business by revenue.

Therefore, the act applies to many businesses classified as small. All this information is fundamental if you are looking to sell your business online, as employees are part of the transfer.

Conclusion

While I’ve covered the key rights business owners should know, there are additional laws at the state, county, and city levels. Some of these laws are contradictory to federal regulations.

If in doubt of any law or regulation, consult with a certified employment lawyer for clarification.

Independent of federal regulations, it’s advisable for employers to write their core values into a business plan and work manual.

Call Tracking for Small Businesses: How to Improve Your Performance

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Petro Melnyk

Call tracking is the action of tracking the origin of incoming calls in order to understand how clients found about a company. In its most basic form, different virtual phone numbers are used for different advertising channels or different advertising campaigns.

When the client uses any of these numbers to call the company, the channel, ad, or campaign the client interacted with when making the call (a TV, radio, or newspaper ad, a printed leaflet, billboard, an email, or social media campaign, a website add, an affiliate partner, etc.) is automatically known.

Call Tracking and How It Works

While offline advertising is served well by simple call tracking (as described above), digital advertising makes use of much more comprehensive and capable tools. By installing call tracking software on a website, it is possible to implement campaign-level, session-level, or even visitor-level call tracking.

In visitor-level call tracking specifically, call tracking software assigns a distinct phone number to each unique visitor and tracks when the latter calls and converts. As a result, the consumer’s entire interaction history with the website (also known as their ‘touchpoints’) becomes visible, offering much better information about exposure to various ads and greater insight into the client’s decision-making as well.

Benefits of Using Call Tracking as a Small Business

Unlike larger corporations, small businesses don’t have the luxury to waste resources on dubious adventures or costly mistakes. Instead, they closely monitor their expenses striving to be as efficient as possible. However, like big companies, small ones are just as dependent on advertising to drive their sales, and since advertising is typically one of the greatest expenses, ensuring it is cost-efficient is of vital importance.

In this context, call tracking offers some great benefits. Most importantly, it allows marketers to directly monitor the number and relative proportion of incoming calls associated with each advertising channel. Such insight makes it possible to discontinue inefficient campaigns and abandon inefficient channels, which helps cut costs. Alternatively, the resources saved can be redirected towards more productive marketing campaigns. In each case, this translates into a higher return on investment and lower marketing spends per customer/ lower customer acquisition cost.

Call tracking software often comes with advanced visual and statistical reporting tools that allow your business to efficiently monitor, analyze, and make sense of inbound lead data in real-time. A company that uses call tracking software is always aware of the evolution of its marketing campaigns and where the best optimizations can be made.

The opportunity to adapt-on-the-go based on data means many unproductive marketing efforts can be stopped in their infancy before they impact the budget. The advanced reporting tools mentioned above can also help assess the targeting efficiency of various audiences, the conversion rate, and the proportion of qualified leads (the quality of leads) generated by various campaigns as well as by various advertising partners or affiliate networks.

Call tracking also makes communication with your target audience more efficient. For instance, valuable time is not wasted on questions like “How did you hear about us?” and racking data can collect lots of other pieces of information such as:

Caller data (name, phone number, geographical location)
Call info (the time and day of the call, call duration, first-time call or not)
The device through which the consumer accessed the marketing ad
The status of the call (answered, directed to voicemail, abandoned, resulted in a sale, etc.).
The buyer’s intention or products of interest
Initial touchpoints (client’s interaction history with the website)
Call recordings.
Certain call tracking software can even transcribe the audio and extract keywords, which also makes it possible to judge about the efficiency of various keywords, optimizing their choice for the future.

Apart from containing highly valuable marketing-related info, such a wealth of data can make interaction with a potential customer way more efficient and natural, saving time for both parties, and increasing the chance of conversion due to efficient and productive communication.

Yet another great implication of using call tracking software is that calls can be also routed differently depending on their origin. For instance, incoming calls associated with advertising campaigns delivered via exclusive channels or targeting enterprise clients can be routed to higher-skilled agents to ensure the highest probability of conversion. Additionally, calls could be also routed according to geographic location, the type of product the client is interested in, and more.

For a small business that relies heavily on converting inbound calls and runs multiple advertising campaigns at the same time, call tracking would likely prove of great value because, without it, the company is very much blind to which marketing effort is driving the sales. Only by knowing this data, the company could channel the resources to the most productive marketing efforts and could adapt current and future marketing strategies to improve both marketing efficiency and overall performance.

Advanced call tracking can paint a much broader picture of audience history and exposure to marketing material. Truth is, this history of exposure can be very complex, spanning several multiple devices, channels, and interactions. Without an awareness about the entire sequence of decisions that pushed the client to call, any conclusion regarding the marketing efficiency of each individual campaign is incomplete!

How to Get a Security Certificate for Your Website

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Joseb Builder

Many security measures for your website lead to the best and safest practices for individuals and organizations. We live in a time when cyber crimes are rapidly increasing and developing with every passing day, and assuming various forms.

It is no longer only the responsibility of large corporations to maximize their security measures, as cybercriminals have shown they are prepared to attack any potential victim with sensitive information. This means anyone with valuable data or intellectual property stored online could be vulnerable to attacks.

One security measure that can be taken is the use of a security certificate for your website. Security is a valuable asset that will help in the growth of your web project. Security certificates may be an attractive feature for your customers, clients, and partners. SSL certificates can also secure payments, reduce cyber risks, and increase your search engine ranking.

Another way that you can generate interest in your web project is by optimizing your content to meet the demands of search engines. Check this guide to SEO for the best way to approach search engine optimization.

What Are Security Certificates?

Some websites are made more secure with an extension to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, whereby the HTTP protocol becomes HTTPS. The extra S stands for secure, and it means that the data exchanged on these websites is encrypted.

To obtain an HTTPS connection, you need a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or a Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate. These certificates enable a secure connection through an encryption process.

SSL and TLS certificates use cryptographic key pairs to connect the identities of websites and companies through digital documents called X.509 certificates. For each key pair, there is a private key that is kept secure and a public key that is widely distributed.

The public key can be used to encrypt messages that require the private key for decryption. The person that holds the private key can use it to sign digital documents, including web pages, which can be verified by anyone with the public key.

The standard encryption of these certificates uses 256-bit strength and 2048-bit RSA key. SSL and TLS certificates are compatible with almost every major browser and device. It is usually possible to obtain an unlimited server license, which means you can install it on multiple servers.

SSL and TLS certificates need to be signed by certificate authorities (CAs) that are widely recognized and trusted. CAs need to be accepted by client software, which includes operating systems and web browsers, and they must be subject to frequent and thorough audits. Popular CAs include Symantec, DigiCert, RapidSSLonline, and SSL.com.

How to Obtain a Security Certificate for Your Website

It is relatively easy to obtain an SSL certificate for a web project, and there are certain steps that need to be followed.

Decide the Type of Certificate You Intend to Use

It is more common now to use TLS certificates, the upgraded version of SSL certificates. However, as more people are familiar with the term ‘SSL,’ it is often used to refer to those which are technically TLS certificates.

There are three categories that SSL certificates are divided into based on the validation process.

Domain Validated (DV): This is a low form of verification that only proves you own the domain for the website for which you need a security certificate. These certificates are more affordable and only take a few minutes to be issued.

Organization Validated (OV): For this type of verification, you also need to prove details of your organization and a local presence, verified by a phone call. OV is more expensive, and it can take up to three days to be issued.

Extended Validated (EV): This validation requires DV and OV validations to have been completed. It is a more rigorous process that requires companies to have been in operation for a minimum of three years, and it is not available to individual users.

Obtain a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

It is an application holding the details of the domain to be certified. After completing the CSR, your certification authority (CA) will send you a confirmation email. Provided that your request is legitimate, it will be validated, and your CA will issue your SSL certificate.

Install Your Digital Certificate on Your Server

This is usually a straightforward process. You can obtain a step-by-step guide from the relevant server. You can use an SSL checker tool to ensure the certificate has been correctly installed on the server.

Buying an SSL certificate is a wise security measure to take for any organization that is running a website. You can obtain one quite easily and quickly. It is always a good decision to improve your cyber defenses and reputation with a recognized security certificate.

What You Should Know About Modern Automation

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Charlene Brown

You have probably heard people talking about modern automation numerous times. Maybe you have an idea what it’s all about or maybe you do not. If by chance you do not know, you should try to research more as it has affected many aspects of human lives.

When you hear about modern automation, you should think about a self-governing system consisting of machines that perform different tasks. A series of programmed commands are what guide this system to do what is supposed to do and execute the needed results. This is why computers have been the center of modern automation.

Now that you have read a few details about modern automation, you are maybe thinking about applying it in your factory or industry. There is a lot more that you need to know before applying it. Below is a discussion of some of the things concerning modern automation that you need to know.

1. Modern Automation Increases Productivity

With modern automation, control systems, information technology and machines are used to increase productivity during the production of goods and service delivery. Also, they increase the efficiency as well as the speed of the tasks performed. The machines perform a lot of work within a short time. Besides, they carry some tasks that human beings cannot perform.

2. Modern Automation Lowers Production Costs

Some of the big automated machines perform tasks that should be performed by many people. Imagine buying such a machine and doing away with the many people that perform the task that it is supposed to perform. You will definitely save a lot of money and achieve economies of scale.

For example, with automated panel assembly, only a few workers are needed to operate the machines as compared to a large workforce required for manual panel assembly. Further cost savings can be seen through reduced human error and increased efficiency.

3. Modern Automation Can Be Applied In Economic And In Everyday Activities

Industries can buy different machines and use them to perform different industrial processes. For instance, if you are in the pharmaceutical industry, you can buy a bagging machine for packaging drugs in small bags. You can know more about these machines by looking at an automated bagging machines website. This type of machine can also be used in cosmetic industries for packaging cosmetics in small sachets.

Have you ever thought about how a dishwasher or a washing machine operates? These are examples of applications of modern automation in everyday activities. Washing machines and dishwashers are programmed to wash clothes and dishes respectively according to the instructions given by the user.

4. Technologies Have Developed Out Of Modern Automation

Think about robotic technologies. These technologies were developed in an attempt to replace human labor with machines. They involved the designing, construction, and the use of robots to perform different tasks. Robots are now used to perform tasks in environments that can be hazardous to human beings. Also, people prefer to use them where repetitive work has to be done since human beings are likely to get bored with doing the same things all the time.

Robots are used in the motor vehicle industry to move automobile body parts during assembling. Also, they are used for loading and unloading different things during production in many industries. A lot of industries have replaced human labor with robots because when programmed well, they are able to repeatedly do the same activities perfectly.

5. For You To Experience The Advantages Of Modern Automation, You Need To Maintain Your Machines

For a machine to serve you well, it needs to be kept in working order. Do not start looking for maintenance services when your machines break down. Rather, have them checked regularly to ensure that they are in good working condition.

6. With Modern Automation, Good Quality Products Can Be Developed

A lot of people associate good quality products with human labor. However, this is not always the case. With human labor, products that vary are likely to be developed since it is hard for human beings to repeat the exact things that they have done. However, with machines this is possible. This is why a lot of consistency in the quality of products produced will be noticed when machines are used during production.

7. Modern Automation Has Led To The Efficient Use Of Raw Materials

With modern automation, industrial processes are better controlled. This means that the raw materials to be used in different industrial processes are known and can be controlled. Where will the misuse of raw materials come from when raw materials are efficiently used?

Imagine how the world would be like if machines were not in existence and every task had to be performed by human beings. Modern automation has made work easier in many places. For instance, people use machines to perform different tasks in industries. Robots have come to existence due to this and are now used in many industrial applications.

Why Email Marketing Is Effective At Driving People To Your Website

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Mark Morrison

Many dismiss email marketing as something that worked in the past and which people tire of quickly, eventually unsubscribing from your list. However, nothing is further from the truth. For every $1 that you spend on email marketing, it is projected that you’ll get a $42 return on investment (ROI). In addition to this, 81% of small businesses rely on email marketing as their primary customer acquisition method.

In this article, we’ll give you some pointers on how you can use email marketing to the best of its advantage in your business.

Grow Your Email List

Firstly, to be successful at email marketing, you need to have an email list. This is not just any old list of email addresses. This needs to be a targeted list of people interested in what your company has to offer so that when you send through your monthly newsletter or sales promotions, they won’t unsubscribe.

Moreover, to increase the efficiency of your email marketing campaigns, you should increase email deliverability using an SPF checker and follow the necessary email security steps.

In addition to this, you need to make sure that your list is well segmented so that you send promotions, which are relevant to a specific set of people, to these individuals and not others. For example, if you’re a clothing retailer which sells both men’s and women’s clothing, if you have a promotion on your ladies’ range you don’t want to send this mailer to your entire database – you would want to send these mailers to just the women on your list.

Optimize For Mobile

With more and more people reading emails and surfing the Internet on their phones, you need to provide your readers with emails that they can easily read on their mobile devices.

Most bulk email-sending services have the option for you to see how your email will look on both mobile and desktop so you can make sure that you are happy with how it will look to both sets of audiences.

Design Your Content Well

If you want to get the most out of your email marketing efforts, you need to design your content well.

To promote click-throughs to your website, don’t give too much information in your email. Rather, craft your content in such a way that it piques the interest of your readers and want to click through to your website to find out more information.

Use Social Media To Extend Your Reach

Give your email additional legs by sharing it on social media. There may be people on your social channels who aren’t necessarily on your list. By making the email publicly available, you’re increasing the reach of your communications and are possibly even gaining new subscribers for your emails.

Analyze Your Analytics

It’s one thing to send out emails, but you need to measure how well/poorly they performed and use that information to make changes to your next send to achieve better results. Just like when playing right here, you want to measure your success in money.

When you’ve mastered the basics of email marketing, make sure that you’re consistent with sending out your communications so that your readers will look forward to your emails.

Why You Can’t Ignore Mobile Marketing

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Mark Morrison

In the seven years between 2013 and 2019, worldwide mobile traffic increased by 222%. In the third quarter of 2020, traffic from mobile devices generated 50.81% of global Internet traffic, and mobile tech trends continued to skyrocket. From these stats, you can see that traffic originating from mobile devices is on the rise. For marketers as well as business owners, this means that it is necessary to make sure that people who access your website from their smartphone or tablet have the same experience as a person who is accessing your site from a laptop or desktop.

People Prefer To Shop Online

Online shopping has been around for several years. However, over the past year, it has gained popularity and has become the norm rather than the exception.

While the first generation of online shoppers would prefer accessing the eCommerce sites from their PCs, now people prefer to shop using their smartphone or tablet. They expect to be able to make their purchases via an app as this provides a seamless, mobile-friendly experience as opposed to having to access the shop’s desktop site.

The Mobile Device Is The New Shop Assistant

Consumers nowadays are informed and thoroughly research what they want to buy before they even set foot in a shop. Also, they will prefer to use their smartphones to assist them in making purchasing decisions instead of asking a shop assistant. In fact, studies reveal that 84% of in-store shoppers use their mobile devices when making a purchase.

With most shoppers having their mobile device at close range while in malls, this provides a great opportunity for other shops in the center to serve notifications to people’s phones based on their preferences and where they’ve shopped before.

People Want Easy Answers

When researching products and/or services that they want to purchase, people don’t want to have to work and want to find the easiest solution in the least amount of time. Taking out a smartphone from a handbag or pocket and quickly typing in a search query is simpler than going to a laptop, which is why this is the preferred method of looking for things that they need.

Mobile Marketing Trends For 2021

If you would like to succeed in mobile marketing in 2021, there are some trends that you can’t ignore.

Optimize Videos

For several years, video marketing has consistently been the most effective traffic source, especially on mobile devices. This year, it projected that over 75% of mobile traffic will come from videos so this is a good option to invest in.

Mobile Advertising

Mobile advertising is set to generate far more click-throughs than ‘normal’ digital advertising. This means that you should be putting together a budget for this in your overall marketing plan.

Invest In A Mobile App

As we mentioned earlier in this article, more and more people prefer to shop via their mobile devices and want apps to help them facilitate this process. They also use apps for just about everything, to watch movies and chat to friends via popular apps. If you have eCommerce as part of your sales strategy, you need to consider investing in an app seriously too.