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5 Effective Strategies to Boost Your Social Media Traffic

After developing the website for your business, it is of much importance to drive traffic to them it would not do the owner much good if people do not get to see it. Websites happen to be one of the primary marketing channels for many small businesses. Using social media networks in a strategic manner can be the solution to this common problem. However, with all the other challenges of running a small business that owners juggle with, they may not know where to start.

This paper provides ways of how to Keep Your Social Media Traffic Growing.

Sharing the Content

Getting traffic from social media networks ranges from the basic things the administrators of the website do to more sophisticated methods that take more effort time. One great way to increase social media traffic is to share the content on social media more than once. The URL of the website should be included on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ company pages on the specific place provided to putting up website URL.

social media traffic

Monitoring and Engaging

Once all the social networks have been set up with the website URL, one can start to monitoring and engaging on the social networks proactively. The person who runs the website can reach out to potential and existing customers so as to drive them to your website. Relevant content that is on the website must be shared with the prospects. Linking your site to other bloggers in your post is an easy and free way to get traffic. Never linking out is one of the biggest mistakes one can make. Linking out to others when posting makes them take notice of you and at the very least, most of them will tweet that post while others may even link back to you. The links should be relevant though. According to data from PPC management company WillBeCoded.ca.

Providing Education

Providing education and sharing of knowledge is important to get traffic. |s a business, one of the goals is to earn money. However, it also necessary for your customers to know and see that you are passionate about your craft and that you are an expert. It is important to provide interesting content using white paper or brochure to download either directly or capturing e-mails.

Consistent Updates

One of the biggest barriers to increasing traffic on a website is a lack of new content. Being proactive on your blog is an easy way of maintaining a dynamic website and making sure that one is updating something on social media. If you keep pointing your social messages to great new content in your site, the followers are more likely to hit it off and become customers. Timing is a very unique element to increasing traffic. Research and post at the right time when people are around and frequency should also be observed.

Using Social Media Ads

Using social media ads is a good way of increasing website traffic. When using a promoted Tweet or Facebook ads one should ensure that they link back to a dedicated promotion-specific landing page for conversion. One can also create ads on LinkedIn and then linking them to a pointer generation form on your site. Finally but not least, Hosting Twitter Chats or a Google Hangout is a good way though a little sophisticated way of increasing traffic on a website.

5 Must Have Apps To Make Life Easier

Smartphones are no longer a luxury these days. These devices have already replaced the paper phonebook and are filled with a multitude of features that increase productivity. Here are some productivity increasing apps that you may want to install on your smartphone.

Koalcat’s Clear 

clear android productivity app

 

 

This is a fantastic app when it comes to checklists. You use checklists at work and for personal purposes as well, but having them on paper or on the computer can be cumbersome. Here comes Clear with its swipe-friendly and intuitive interface and features. With this app, you can make sure that you don’t miss on any pending task. By using the simple set of interactive checklists and reminders of Clear, you can plan your future tasks quite easily.

Download from Google Play Store

Dropbox

This is a wonderful app for business users as well as personal users. You can upload your photos, videos, and other files very easily. Once you install Dropbox on your computer, the data gets synced automatically on all devices that are connected to Dropbox. With the Dropbox app, you can carry your stuff on the go and it does not matter where you are. In addition to storage, you can also share your videos and photos by using the Dropbox app. One latest feature added in the Dropbox app is the saving email attachment feature. As per this feature, you can save email attachments directly to your Dropbox. Once you have the documents in Dropbox, you can easily edit them.

Download from Google Play Store

 

Kingsoft Office

 

If you have a tablet or a smartphone that has a large screen size, then you can use it to edit documents, presentations and spreadsheets. This Office application is free and has myriad features that you will surely like. When you create files such as documents, presentations and spreadsheets in Microsoft Word, you need the Microsoft Office suite to open them. However, with the Kingsoft Office application, you don’t need to install Microsoft Office Mobile at all.

Download from Google Play Store

Pocket

Pocket is one of the best read it later app available on the market and its also one of the most used. It makes life easier by letting you save articles that you can read later. And in a clutter free way. Pocket converts any page into easy to read simple white page, so you can read it without distraction. Once you read it, you can archive it.
This is much more useful than bookmarking and also helps being more productive. Good news is that now Pocket comes default in Firefox

Download from Google Play Store

Freecharge

This is touted to be one of the best apps for online recharges or online payments for bills. With Freecharge, you can make online prepaid recharges for carriers such as BSNL, Airtel, Reliance, Tata Docomo, Idea, Vodafone, Aircel, etc. You can also make online post paid recharges for Airtel, Reliance, Tata Docomo, Vodafone, Idea, BSNL etc. On the DTH front, you can refill the monthly charges for companies such as Tata Sky, Reliance Big TV, Videocon d2h, Dish TV, Sun Direct, Airtel Digital TV etc. If you don’t have a credit card, you can still make an online payment using your debit card. When you compare the Freecharge mobile application, you will find that this app is much faster than the other applications. You can use freecharge discount coupon to make sure that you get a good discount on your recharges.

Download from Google Play Store

All the aforementioned apps are free of charge, hence it will not pinch your pockets as well. Make sure that you read detailed reviews of these applications before you download them on to your smartphones.

 

 

4 Strategies to Help You Build the Perfect Shopping Cart

The shopping cart space of the website can be the “deal or no deal” moment for many customers. It is important that e-commerce businesses make sure that their online shopping cart is both easy to use but also continues to sell their products. The website shopping cart is where the business and the customer essentially shake hands, exchange payment and thank each other for their business and businesses should treat it as such.

Here are four top tips to creating a people-friendly shopping cart:

1. Make User-Friendly Interface

Online shopping is being embraced by everyone regardless of their level of experience in technology. A shopping cart on a website should reflect this and make it easy and possible to purchase products. It is imperative to make functions such as “Checkout” and “Add to Cart” obvious through a clearly labelled button. In these cases, using an obvious button that is larger than the other buttons is a good idea because it not only encourages customers to purchase products from the website, but it enables them to do so. It is also important to make sure that the font and layout do not distract from the function of the shopping cart. When specific information is required, there should be a descriptive label in or next to the box so that customers know what is required of them.

2. Display Your Products Proudly

Make sure to leave space to include the pictures of the product in your shopping cart. When they are buying online, customers are relying on the representative images that the website provides for them. These pictures draw customers to the product and help customers compare products. Adding photo options to the shopping cart can really seal the deal for customers and remind them why they put the product in the cart in the first place.

3. Give the Customers Room to Decide

Allow the shopping cart to provide links back to the product directly from the cart. It saves customers a lot of time and hassle if they want to go back and look at the full-size product again. Customers who are inconvenienced by having to search through the site are less likely to purchase the product.

4. Provide A Streamlined Service

Provide a list of checkout steps so that customers know exactly where they are in the process. Try to avoid having steps within steps in the checkout process. If a new customer must register for an account, make sure that the site returns them to the same place that they left off when they return. This ensures that they do not need to enter the same information twice. Avoiding redirections and misdirection is crucial in the checkout experience for the customer. The easier the checkout process is, the more likely it is that the customer will fulfil the checkout process and place the order.

Providing an easy to use shopping cart will boost sales and even continue to sell the products to the customer. It is important to create a shopping cart that is efficient but also easy to use for all customers as the whole world begins to really embrace online shopping.

10 Things Game of Thrones Teaches Us About the Future of Tech

Author George R.R. Martin has indicated that he placed his Game of Thrones saga in a time period similar to the years 1455-1487 in the real world. This follows the advancement of real-world technology following the War of the Roses in history.

Following are 10 things Game of Thrones teaches us about the future of technology.

Faith Inhibits Science

In-Game of Thrones when magic was a real force and prevalent for solving problems the populace had no motivation to move beyond faith to scientific advancements. It is only when magic or miracles do not work that people are driven to discover why and how things work in order to problems.

Acquisition of Resources Drives Technological Advancement

Foremost among motivations to improve science and technology is greed. People in both the fantasy world and the real world are driven to acquire power, wealth and status using any means at their disposal.

The Importance of Communication Drives Technological Advancement

The Order of Maesters exists as a sect of learned scholars in Game of Thrones. They utilize ravens to send messages mirroring the use of carrier pigeons in the real world. The ability to train and use animals is a key component of human mastery of the environment. Today people who are able to communicate efficiently are able to make big waves in technology. Just take a look at Apple, they are masters of communication.

Devotion to the Pursuit of Technology Requires Forswearing Political Allegiances

To truly advance science and technology requires an open, unbiased mind. The Order of Maesters abandons loyalty to family and political factions in the pursuit of learning. Pursuing technology also results in success and power. This is why spending your time learning how to network from sites such as Pluralsight can give you a good head start on your future.

Brainstorming with Multiple Participants Yields Progression of Theories and Science Technology

The Order of Maesters assembles its members in one place at a complex in a citadel. The complex’s only purpose is to bring together multiple minds devoted to learning, either by teaching each other or sharing ideas. This technique mimics the modern equivalent of brainstorming. A good tech example of this is Google, Google has some of the most innovative techniques to keep their company ideas fresh from brainstorming.

Taking Care of Community Drives Medicinal Technology

Game of Thrones shows advancement in medicine aimed at helping members of the community. Plants have been used to inhibit crippling anxiety as well as providing pain relief for surgery. The fantasy world relies on knowledge and application of chemical substances to assist society. Clearly, chemistry is important.

Elimination of Military Targets Will Drive Biological Warfare

Game of Thrones uses the chemical properties of plants to create poisons for use in warfare. Assassination uses chemistry in the fantasy world.

Martial Influence Drives Advancement in Metal Refinement

Much like the real world, Game of Thrones shows the differences in martial technology involving the refinement of ores for the purpose of armament. The fantasy world currently disdains the use of bronze considering the metal a relic of the past and currently favours the use of iron and steel. The reality of obsidian as a weapon is also showcased. As faults are discovered in weaponry, technology marches onward to overcome those weaknesses. Careful use of old technology is also used, reminding society not to discard old technology entirely.

Security is an Important Investment

Security is extremely important in Game of Thrones if you want a good example just go and ask Sean Bean or anyone related to him for that matter. As the digital world continues to evolve security becomes more important. Things such as proper cloud security can really make or break a business. Likewise having advanced physical security to protect your business such as Pro-Vigil can really make a big difference.

Technological Superiority Remains a Determining Factor for Military and Economic Success

The use of various ships by the different civilizations and societies in Game of Thrones showcases the importance of mobility and speed for retaining an advantage over others in the trade and military endeavours. These days having advanced devices can really help your company improve and grow. Thanks to advancements in the internet of things and CRM it is getting increasingly easier for a technologically savvy company to expand.

Despite the fantastical world, Martin has built, the realm showcased to viewers parallels lessons in technology and scientific advancement. Some aspects of knowledge and application of science remain true no matter how different a world may seem. Those differences when delved into remain stunningly similar to modern progression and easily related to by current viewers.

About the Author:

Lee Ying has over 10 years of experience in the tech and security industry. He currently writes for various websites, if you would like to contact him you can find him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pub/lee-ying/9a/18b/238. Follow me on Twitter @LeeYing101

6 Ecommerce Tips For New Ecommerce Startups

In spite of the great depressions and recessions, there has always been room for innovative startups that refuse to give up dreaming. While some markets and industries decline, others take up their space. Commerce will always be profitable as long as our human race exists. Entrepreneurs through the decades have chosen to create, sell and innovate in order to remain successful in the market. The modern era is however all about the technology and how creatively you can use it to serve your purposes. Ecommerce has been growing for the past few years as more number of customers are inclined to shopping online. For new ecommerce startups, this would be the perfect time to invest in ideas and money and hope to grow big.

However, just having an online ecommerce platform isn’t enough. There are many like you and the only way you are going to make a mark is through the proven marketing strategies like SEO and PPC. Here are some unique PPC tips, from Vebology, that every ecommerce startup should begin focusing upon.

Today’s Smart Home Technology Finally Phones Home

For most of us, technology hasn’t only become a part of our lives, it is our lives. From our laptops and mobile devices, we can communicate with anyone around the world without getting out of bed, staying “connected” even in our sleep. In the race to incorporate computers into our daily lives, few spaces have remained untouched. Our homes, the “analogue” environments housing appliances, utilities and other personal items, were set largely apart from the digital revolution. But thanks to the rapid technological advancements of the last few years that’s all begun to change.

let’s see Some of the unique Smart Home Technology.

Smart Home Technology

Smart homes” have, in the past, primarily been seen as the stuff from sci-fi movies or the lives of the super-rich. Many would be surprised to learn that one can now retrofit an entire home with “smart” capabilities without significant investment or technical know-how. From the locks to the lights and the oven to the vacuum, almost all home appliances are now imbued with the capacity to connect and communicate, all due to recent innovations in home security and automation from companies like Honeywell and Brinks (Brinks Home Security is now ADT).

Automated lights, locks, and alarms are just the beginning of new smart home technology. Apple’s Home Kit and Apple Watch represent the latest trend in connecting you to your personal residence – fusing the inner workings of your body, your wearable, and your home platform together for the ultimate in connectivity and convenience. The Home Kit will make your iPhone or Apple Watch into a remote control for your entire home. There will be a suite of apps that work with it and are already connected to specific devices or systems like your oven or door locks. From there all you have to do is tell Siri “its bedtime” and the lights shut off and the doors lock automatically.

Smart Home Technology

Of course, the Home Kit and its corresponding apps would be nothing without the appliances connected to it, of which there are already several standouts. No “smart” kitchen is complete without a computerized refrigerator, and Samsung’s “smart fridge” (otherwise known as the RF28HMELBSR/AA) makes it the centrepiece of your kitchen. The four-door, stainless steel appliance has everything users would expect from a refrigerator and then some. In addition to keeping food cool, it also has an interactive, Wi-Fi-connected touchscreen that allows the user to check the weather, browse recipes, play music or use other apps for maintaining a healthier diet.

If you’re not ready or willing to commit to a new refrigerator, then the Neo Smart Jar might be just the thing you need. The crowdfunded container has built-in sensors that weigh its contents and will add them to your grocery list when you’re getting low. Beyond that, the app also comes with tons of recipes incorporating the assorted ingredients you have in your smart jars, even keeping track of their “best by” dates for you.

After the kitchen comes, well, the bathroom. That room is getting a tech makeover too, though unfortunately not in the form of instantly flattering mirror lighting. Toto, a technology company from Japan, created the Intelligent Toilet II which can monitor health metrics such as weight, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and other information from your “deposits” before showing them in graphs on your computer. Of course, that’s not all it’s got: this toilet also offers a temperature-controlled bidet cleaning system with warm air dryers, completely eliminating the need for toilet paper.

Because both a new refrigerator and a new toilet might break the bank for some, there is another way to incorporate the latest tech into your home set up: the lights. Belkin’s WeMo Smart LED Bulb may cost $25, but with a life expectancy of 23 years, that’s a pretty good return on investment. Beyond having a life expectancy longer than most pets, the light bulbs are able to be controlled remotely through your phone meaning you can set them on timers, dim them, or turn them on and off without even being at home. This can translate into even more savings on your electricity bill, not to mention a fun party trick or two at your next get together.

How to Prepare Internet Marketing Plan Which Suits Your Business

A business owner has to depend on internet marketing to find newer clients for his business at a fast pace. The relevance and significance of Internet marketing cannot be ignored today. Every business needs it today, if not by crook, then certainly by hook. A plan to promote a business and its goods and services cannot be initiated without any kind thought or planning.

A proper strategy needs to be devised to achieve proper and desired results. The basic aim should be to drive in maximum user traffic and achieving a high conversion rate of visitors to customers. Internet or digital marketing, as it is called alternatively spans across a lot of areas. Complete knowledge of social media marketing, Search Engine Optimization, blogs, affiliate marketing and email lists.

Here are a few tips and strategies which need to be adopted to achieve the same.

Creating a Goal or a Vision

It is always a great idea to plan first and implement later. A business owner should first perceive an idea or a vision before going ahead with the marketing. Goals need to be set before you proceed. Your entire team which will be eventually handling the campaign needs to be apprised with a written copy of your vision and set goals. With a passage of time your goals or visions could change and you will have to make amends accordingly.

Studying the Target market and user

Human behaviour is a subject of vast study and is of prime most importance while planning your internet marketing campaign. Studying the behaviour of users, their way of thinking is the ultimate factor which influences traffic on your site. It is very important to know what the end user thinks and which category does your target audience belong to.

Knowing the competition

Knowing the competitors and how they plan their strategies is important. If you exactly know what your competitor is offering you can easily adjust your strategy to counter his moves. This will make sure that you always stay ahead of your competition rather than a step behind. Since you are beginning with your internet market, you must make it a point to browse through the website of your close competitor for an insight as to what is he offering and what is he charging for it.

Multi headed internet marketing strategy

This is a strategy you should adopt to start with your internet marketing plan at various levels at the same time and should include the following:

  • Create a team and open multiple accounts on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The person in charge of the accounts should be given the responsibility to post regularly through these accounts.
  • Hire a content writer who can provide you with good and quality content which is SEO friendly and contains maximum keywords related to your business. Articles which are of good quality and have relevant material which interests users attract more traffic and attention.
  • Compile an email list yourself, and if you can’t buy it from an outside but trustworthy source.
  • Provide user reviews and testimonials of your happy customers on your site to boost user confidence. If you can manage a testimonial video, then nothing like it.
  • Put up advertisements of your website or business on sites which are in any way related to your business.

Using Analytics

Once your marketing campaign is underway, it is also essential to monitor traffic on your website by using tools like Google Analytics. For that you need to open an account with Google Analytics through your main Google account. Return of Investment are important for any business and you need to know how many customers you have been able to gain by spending the amount you have on your marketing campaign. It is always good to learn from your mistakes as to where you went wrong or faltered.

Affiliate marketing

This is a sub-route of internet marketing plan but can prove very effective and cost saving. It basically means that you do not sell your products yourself but other sites sell and advertise your products for which you shall be pay a part of profits.

Internet marketing funnel

Funnel marketing is a type of internet marketing strategy which looks at developing relationships with users and bringing in traffic. A funnel signifies an inverted pyramid wherein the top section is to lead new visitors, the middle section is to offer services and discounts and the bottom section is to finally convert the visitors into customers. It takes a number of processes to make sure that the funnel marketing works well. Communicating well with users is an integral part of funnel marketing.

A business after launching its internet marketing campaign should assess and re-assess its strategies from time to time. Once you feel that a particular strategy is working well for you, you should re-engage it. This will ensure a monumental success of your Internet marketing campaign.

Author Bio:

Anna Brown was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. She has been educated and groomed to be an Internet Marketing expert. She is an authoritative voice of the industry today. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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