How Ditching E-Mail for Social Collaboration Tools Can Improve Productivity

If your team’s primary productivity tool is a computer, those workers aren’t nearly as productive as you might think. As this entertaining infographic from Atlassian points out, today’s worker is being consistently distracted by e-mails, costing businesses an average of $1800 per year for each employee. Perhaps it’s time for a change and it may be that social collaboration tools could pave the path to better productivity.

The average worker checks e-mail an astounding 36 times per hour, taking a full 16 seconds to refocus on the task at hand. Because most workers use e-mail notifications, every time an e-mail comes through, that employee’s attention is being pulled to the latest message that has come through. If that e-mail begs a response, the team member will feel compelled to stop everything to respond.

Many large businesses are discovering a better way. Instead of firing 600 e-mails back and forth over the course of a project, companies are discovering social collaboration tools, which allow team members to upload documents, post status update, and attach notes that can be read by designated team members. But these days, social collaboration isn’t only for large corporations. Small businesses are learning the power of using social collaboration to manage products involving team members and even clients.

ECOM Engineering, a small engineering firm employing only 26, recently learned the time-saving power of social collaboration. The company was juggling more than 700 projects at one time, with internal e-mails spiraling out of control. Rana Blair, one of Kona’s principals, was having difficulty keeping up with communication between teams, since so much was being handled through e-mail.

The company switched to Kona, an online social collaboration tool. The software is Cloud-based, so it can be accessed from anywhere, even through mobile devices, which helps team members update project details even while on the road.

“It was obvious that it was built to get me, my people, and my projects together,” Blair says. “Using Kona really focuses on the project at hand and allows us to think about who we need in the space, how we need to communicate, and how do we get things done.”

According to a report, 75 percent of businesses say online collaboration will be important or somewhat important in the coming months. These collaboration tools can act as an electronic bulletin board, where participants regularly post updates for everyone else to read. Only, instead of a bulletin board attached to a wall in your office, this bulletin board is available 24 hours a day, wherever you are.

Kona is also great for organizing your own thoughts. Users can set up a “personal space” to post information visible to only them. This information can then be transferred to the public area to share with the team, if the user chooses. Tasks can be moved around and organized, then assigned to a team member for action. You can add additional team members as more people join your project to keep everyone communicating to make the project go more smoothly.

Online collaboration is a trend that’s here to stay. While there are plenty of tools available, it’s important to find one that works best for your business’s needs. Many of these sites offer free trials, so you can try them out before inviting the rest of the team to join you.



How Ditching E-Mail for Social Collaboration Tools Can Improve Productivity

If your team’s primary productivity tool is a computer, those workers aren’t nearly as productive as you might think. As this entertaining infographic from Atlassian points out, today’s worker is being consistently distracted by e-mails, costing businesses an average of $1800 per year for each employee. Perhaps it’s time for a change and it may be that social collaboration tools could pave the path to better productivity.

The average worker checks e-mail an astounding 36 times per hour, taking a full 16 seconds to refocus on the task at hand. Because most workers use e-mail notifications, every time an e-mail comes through, that employee’s attention is being pulled to the latest message that has come through. If that e-mail begs a response, the team member will feel compelled to stop everything to respond.

Many large businesses are discovering a better way. Instead of firing 600 e-mails back and forth over the course of a project, companies are discovering social collaboration tools, which allow team members to upload documents, post status update, and attach notes that can be read by designated team members. But these days, social collaboration isn’t only for large corporations. Small businesses are learning the power of using social collaboration to manage products involving team members and even clients.

ECOM Engineering, a small engineering firm employing only 26, recently learned the time-saving power of social collaboration. The company was juggling more than 700 projects at one time, with internal e-mails spiraling out of control. Rana Blair, one of Kona’s principals, was having difficulty keeping up with communication between teams, since so much was being handled through e-mail.

The company switched to Kona, an online social collaboration tool. The software is Cloud-based, so it can be accessed from anywhere, even through mobile devices, which helps team members update project details even while on the road.

“It was obvious that it was built to get me, my people, and my projects together,” Blair says. “Using Kona really focuses on the project at hand and allows us to think about who we need in the space, how we need to communicate, and how do we get things done.”

According to a report, 75 percent of businesses say online collaboration will be important or somewhat important in the coming months. These collaboration tools can act as an electronic bulletin board, where participants regularly post updates for everyone else to read. Only, instead of a bulletin board attached to a wall in your office, this bulletin board is available 24 hours a day, wherever you are.

Kona is also great for organizing your own thoughts. Users can set up a “personal space” to post information visible to only them. This information can then be transferred to the public area to share with the team, if the user chooses. Tasks can be moved around and organized, then assigned to a team member for action. You can add additional team members as more people join your project to keep everyone communicating to make the project go more smoothly.

Online collaboration is a trend that’s here to stay. While there are plenty of tools available, it’s important to find one that works best for your business’s needs. Many of these sites offer free trials, so you can try them out before inviting the rest of the team to join you.



Content Marketing Arrives on Main Street in a Stretch Limo

content marketingContent and marketing are officially married and have arrived in a big stretch limo to “Main Street” to celebrate.  There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t hear about, talk about and discuss content marketing.

Econsultancy, in partnership with Adobe, reports the top key digital trend for 2013 will be:

“. . .the year of  creating, optimizing and marketing great content, spread through social channels and consumed everywhere.”

But, what exactly are we talking about here

Content is simply valuable, relevant and helpful information that we share. It is not a new idea. Remember when traditional media content transformed our world with television, cable, radio, newspapers and magazines We still have that, plus we are now authors and publishers - publishing information on websites, blogs, videos, podcasts, emarketing, ebooks, books and social media.

Effective marketing is impossible without solid, strong content today. Great content allows us to stand out, get noticed and defines our expertise and professionalism, no matter what that is.

The content marketing Institute defines content marketing as the marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience - with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

Content marketing  is actually not salesy up front. It is designed to get people to take notice and take action, to click, forward, share, link, include, reference, comment, email, pick up a phone, go meet in person, discuss.  The salesy part comes, but later.

Roper Public Affairs reports 80% of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement and 70% say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company. These statistics and findings confirm just how much content marketing is influencing people.

Traditional media content is still very much in play. In fact, according to Brian Solis, T.V. is a major factor and catalyst for search. People are accessing and, as he puts it, are multi-screening information while they are watching T.V.

The top B2C content marketing tactics we are using, according to the 2013 Content Marketing Research Report, are:

  • Social Media - 84%
  • Articles on your website - 84%
  • Newsletters - 78%
  • Video - 70%
  • Blogs - 69%
  • In-person events - 63%

This is what people are doing and what they are using to find, engage and build community. This is where people are congregating, socializing and making contact, becoming known for what they do, how they can solve problems and yes - sell.

Content marketing is our best strategy to help solve problems, pain and to offer our solutions. Content marketing helps us help others. Getting serious about having a dedicated, thoughtful content marketing plan and strategy can and will accelerate your success and advancement.

Here are some keys to creating  your content marketing plan and strategy:

  • Decide on what content and expertise you want to be known for.
  • Laser focus in on your target market.
  • Select the best media mix, that you are most excited about using, that your customers and community are using too.
  • Create quarterly content goals for what you want to talk about and what media’s you will use.
  • Be consistent, dedicated and professional.
  • Monitor what is working and why it’s working.

How exciting are these times, where we have so many ways to articulate and communicate our personalities, intelligence and spirit to serve and help others, which it turns out - helps us even more

There’s no magic wand, fairy dust or cliff notes to successful content marketing. It’s a commitment we make each day to do it.

By having the right plan, mix and strategy that fits us and organically grows our reach and reputation, we can see our content marketing impact grow with each article, podcast, video or Facebook post we create and publish.

Limo Photo via Shutterstock




5 Ways To Pick Online Software That Works For Your Business

Migrating business operations to the cloud can be a daunting task due to the fact the market is saturated with online software intended to help companies become more productive. Fortunately, thanks to a partnership between AppDirect and The Small Business Web, companies are now able to find, select, and manage quality applications all from a central location. Aside from providing a valuable service for many small business owners, AppDirect co-CEO Daniel Saks has provided some vital tips when it comes to choosing software vendors in today’s cloud economy.

Pick an application that meets your needs. The first tip for all business professionals to keep in mind is that when evaluating software vendors, it is important to pick an application that meets your companies needs rather than choosing an all-in-one application. The reason for this is because by going with an all-in-one application you might end up paying a premium for features you do not need. Additionally, with the market filled with simple to use single-purpose applications, it’s much easier to mix and match than it is to utilize an all-in-one suite and then educate your staff on the entire system.

Don’t pick based on popularity. Although popularity is often perceived as an indicator of reliability, it is a flawed metric because it fails to take into account the individual characteristics surrounding your business. Take Windows for example. Although it is the industry leading operating system, it is plagued with bugs and glitches which can bring virtually any business to a halt if it isn’t maintained properly. Although Apple is the industry underdog, many creative professionals choose it because it best fits their needs. As many cloud providers allow users to try their services for 30 days, or so, it is vital that you shop around and pick a solution which specifically fits your companies needs before just going with what appears to be the latest and greatest.

Demo, Demo, Demo. Just because an app is easy to use does not mean that your employees and partners will automatically know how to use the application. It is important to ensure that employees and partners demo all new solutions before implementation because everyone brings a fresh perspective to the table. An example being discovering that a new accounting application is not compatible with your accountants version of QuickBooks.

Use Providers you Trust. As you build up your network of cloud solution vendors, it is important to build a circle of trust to help improve relations with vendors. By using local and small boutique providers, you can obtain excellent customers service without paying the premiums which large vendors commonly command. Additionally many smaller vendors are open to negotiating discounts when it comes to bundling applications and services ensuring that you obtain quality software at a reasonable price.

Use a Single Portal To Access Apps. Finally to bring everything together it is important to use a portal so that employees have a single location to access all cloud applications. This is vital to the success of implementing single-use applications as it eliminates the need for employees to constantly manage credentials for services. Aside from AppDirect, many telcom companies, internet service providers, and other providers are increasingly offering portals for companies.



Which Blogging Services Are Best for Small Businesses

Even in this social media-driven world, blogs and regular blogging are relevant, especially for business. It isn’t just 160-character claustrophobia that has businesses bursting out into the less constricting format blogs provide. Many small business owners realize the power a regularly updated blog holds in regularly providing fresh, relevant content.

But when it comes time to set up your business’s blog, you’ll probably feel a little overwhelmed by the process. Luckily, there are tools that allow you to easily set up and manage your blog without spending hours learning a programming language.

WordPress

Among content management systems, WordPress is by far the most popular. As Sherif Hussein of Jinni Communications points out, the blogging site has a 55% market share, representing 17.5 percent of all websites on the internet. One of the reasons is that the site easily links to a company’s URL, providing a yourbusiness.com-type URL that is a must for any business website.

“There are a number of free and low-cost themes out there, which in the hands of a skilled designer can look as slick as a custom website at a fraction of the price,” Reputation Capital Media’s Mary Ellen Slayter says. “There are also a number of excellent plugins that can improve productivity, as well as your ability to track the performance of your digital marketing. You can have forms feed contact information directly into Salesforce, for example.”

“Although WordPress can get a website up and running quickly, it becomes a maintenance nightmare when adding multiple plugins, and especially when doing customization’s ” Andreas Huttenrauch, managing director of Globi Web Solutions, says. “This is why most web design companies that use WordPress focus only on the initial creation, and don’t do after-sales support and maintenance.”

Blogger

Ambitious businesses can make Blogger link up to a URL, as well, although the WordPress process seems to be a little more straightforward. One benefit to Blogger, though, is the fact that Google owns it, which some have theorized means its content will rank more prominently in search engine results.

“Blogger is one of the most user-friendly blogs that are out there,” LGD Communications’ Jason Taic says. “It also has a strong community filled with many people, and because it is operated by Google, you can trust it to remain up and not go down if your server crashes.”

HubSpot

In addition to its blogging features, HubSpot also offers various marketing tools, including social media and search engine optimization assistance. HubSpot gives WordPress a decent run for its money on its blogging platform. If you’re simply interested in blogging, WordPress is likely still your best choice but HubSpot’s bonus offerings are worth checking out.

“If you have the budget and type of business where you want to maintain a lead/customer database, I would recommend HubSpot,” Michael Freeman at Shoretel says. “It serves as a combination of a rich blogging platform that is super easy to use and a prospect/lead nurturing database to help you manage the sales funnel. What is great about it is that it ties into your SEO ranking data as well as Google Analytics and can help you.”

Tumblr

For less tech-savvy users, Tumblr may be a more desirable option. The site provides a wide variety of options, including sharing videos, photos, and music, as well as blogs. While this social media setup may be more desirable to individual users, some small business owners have found it’s a great way to reach consumers.

“Tumblr offers the simplest interface with a variety of free, professional looking themes, and the fastest setup you’ll find anywhere on the web,” Hall Internet Marketing’s RC Lations II says. “It’s a great way to get up and running without anything holding you back from getting started.”

While many small business owners head directly to WordPress, don’t rule the other blogging sites out just yet. Check out the interface of each of these sites and find the one that’s best for your individual needs.



5 Ways To Pick Online Software That Works For Your Business

Migrating business operations to the cloud can be a daunting task due to the fact the market is saturated with online software intended to help companies become more productive. Fortunately, thanks to a partnership between AppDirect and The Small Business Web, companies are now able to find, select, and manage quality applications all from a central location. Aside from providing a valuable service for many small business owners, AppDirect co-CEO Daniel Saks has provided some vital tips when it comes to choosing software vendors in today’s cloud economy.

Pick an application that meets your needs. The first tip for all business professionals to keep in mind is that when evaluating software vendors, it is important to pick an application that meets your companies needs rather than choosing an all-in-one application. The reason for this is because by going with an all-in-one application you might end up paying a premium for features you do not need. Additionally, with the market filled with simple to use single-purpose applications, it’s much easier to mix and match than it is to utilize an all-in-one suite and then educate your staff on the entire system.

Don’t pick based on popularity. Although popularity is often perceived as an indicator of reliability, it is a flawed metric because it fails to take into account the individual characteristics surrounding your business. Take Windows for example. Although it is the industry leading operating system, it is plagued with bugs and glitches which can bring virtually any business to a halt if it isn’t maintained properly. Although Apple is the industry underdog, many creative professionals choose it because it best fits their needs. As many cloud providers allow users to try their services for 30 days, or so, it is vital that you shop around and pick a solution which specifically fits your companies needs before just going with what appears to be the latest and greatest.

Demo, Demo, Demo. Just because an app is easy to use does not mean that your employees and partners will automatically know how to use the application. It is important to ensure that employees and partners demo all new solutions before implementation because everyone brings a fresh perspective to the table. An example being discovering that a new accounting application is not compatible with your accountants version of QuickBooks.

Use Providers you Trust. As you build up your network of cloud solution vendors, it is important to build a circle of trust to help improve relations with vendors. By using local and small boutique providers, you can obtain excellent customers service without paying the premiums which large vendors commonly command. Additionally many smaller vendors are open to negotiating discounts when it comes to bundling applications and services ensuring that you obtain quality software at a reasonable price.

Use a Single Portal To Access Apps. Finally to bring everything together it is important to use a portal so that employees have a single location to access all cloud applications. This is vital to the success of implementing single-use applications as it eliminates the need for employees to constantly manage credentials for services. Aside from AppDirect, many telcom companies, internet service providers, and other providers are increasingly offering portals for companies.



Which Blogging Services Are Best for Small Businesses

Even in this social media-driven world, blogs and regular blogging are relevant, especially for business. It isn’t just 160-character claustrophobia that has businesses bursting out into the less constricting format blogs provide. Many small business owners realize the power a regularly updated blog holds in regularly providing fresh, relevant content.

But when it comes time to set up your business’s blog, you’ll probably feel a little overwhelmed by the process. Luckily, there are tools that allow you to easily set up and manage your blog without spending hours learning a programming language.

WordPress

Among content management systems, WordPress is by far the most popular. As Sherif Hussein of Jinni Communications points out, the blogging site has a 55% market share, representing 17.5 percent of all websites on the internet. One of the reasons is that the site easily links to a company’s URL, providing a yourbusiness.com-type URL that is a must for any business website.

“There are a number of free and low-cost themes out there, which in the hands of a skilled designer can look as slick as a custom website at a fraction of the price,” Reputation Capital Media’s Mary Ellen Slayter says. “There are also a number of excellent plugins that can improve productivity, as well as your ability to track the performance of your digital marketing. You can have forms feed contact information directly into Salesforce, for example.”

“Although WordPress can get a website up and running quickly, it becomes a maintenance nightmare when adding multiple plugins, and especially when doing customization’s ” Andreas Huttenrauch, managing director of Globi Web Solutions, says. “This is why most web design companies that use WordPress focus only on the initial creation, and don’t do after-sales support and maintenance.”

Blogger

Ambitious businesses can make Blogger link up to a URL, as well, although the WordPress process seems to be a little more straightforward. One benefit to Blogger, though, is the fact that Google owns it, which some have theorized means its content will rank more prominently in search engine results.

“Blogger is one of the most user-friendly blogs that are out there,” LGD Communications’ Jason Taic says. “It also has a strong community filled with many people, and because it is operated by Google, you can trust it to remain up and not go down if your server crashes.”

HubSpot

In addition to its blogging features, HubSpot also offers various marketing tools, including social media and search engine optimization assistance. HubSpot gives WordPress a decent run for its money on its blogging platform. If you’re simply interested in blogging, WordPress is likely still your best choice but HubSpot’s bonus offerings are worth checking out.

“If you have the budget and type of business where you want to maintain a lead/customer database, I would recommend HubSpot,” Michael Freeman at Shoretel says. “It serves as a combination of a rich blogging platform that is super easy to use and a prospect/lead nurturing database to help you manage the sales funnel. What is great about it is that it ties into your SEO ranking data as well as Google Analytics and can help you.”

Tumblr

For less tech-savvy users, Tumblr may be a more desirable option. The site provides a wide variety of options, including sharing videos, photos, and music, as well as blogs. While this social media setup may be more desirable to individual users, some small business owners have found it’s a great way to reach consumers.

“Tumblr offers the simplest interface with a variety of free, professional looking themes, and the fastest setup you’ll find anywhere on the web,” Hall Internet Marketing’s RC Lations II says. “It’s a great way to get up and running without anything holding you back from getting started.”

While many small business owners head directly to WordPress, don’t rule the other blogging sites out just yet. Check out the interface of each of these sites and find the one that’s best for your individual needs.



5 Ways To Pick Online Software That Works For Your Business

Migrating business operations to the cloud can be a daunting task due to the fact the market is saturated with online software intended to help companies become more productive. Fortunately, thanks to a partnership between AppDirect and The Small Business Web, companies are now able to find, select, and manage quality applications all from a central location. Aside from providing a valuable service for many small business owners, AppDirect co-CEO Daniel Saks has provided some vital tips when it comes to choosing software vendors in today’s cloud economy.

Pick an application that meets your needs. The first tip for all business professionals to keep in mind is that when evaluating software vendors, it is important to pick an application that meets your companies needs rather than choosing an all-in-one application. The reason for this is because by going with an all-in-one application you might end up paying a premium for features you do not need. Additionally, with the market filled with simple to use single-purpose applications, it’s much easier to mix and match than it is to utilize an all-in-one suite and then educate your staff on the entire system.

Don’t pick based on popularity. Although popularity is often perceived as an indicator of reliability, it is a flawed metric because it fails to take into account the individual characteristics surrounding your business. Take Windows for example. Although it is the industry leading operating system, it is plagued with bugs and glitches which can bring virtually any business to a halt if it isn’t maintained properly. Although Apple is the industry underdog, many creative professionals choose it because it best fits their needs. As many cloud providers allow users to try their services for 30 days, or so, it is vital that you shop around and pick a solution which specifically fits your companies needs before just going with what appears to be the latest and greatest.

Demo, Demo, Demo. Just because an app is easy to use does not mean that your employees and partners will automatically know how to use the application. It is important to ensure that employees and partners demo all new solutions before implementation because everyone brings a fresh perspective to the table. An example being discovering that a new accounting application is not compatible with your accountants version of QuickBooks.

Use Providers you Trust. As you build up your network of cloud solution vendors, it is important to build a circle of trust to help improve relations with vendors. By using local and small boutique providers, you can obtain excellent customers service without paying the premiums which large vendors commonly command. Additionally many smaller vendors are open to negotiating discounts when it comes to bundling applications and services ensuring that you obtain quality software at a reasonable price.

Use a Single Portal To Access Apps. Finally to bring everything together it is important to use a portal so that employees have a single location to access all cloud applications. This is vital to the success of implementing single-use applications as it eliminates the need for employees to constantly manage credentials for services. Aside from AppDirect, many telcom companies, internet service providers, and other providers are increasingly offering portals for companies.



Which Blogging Services Are Best for Small Businesses

Even in this social media-driven world, blogs and regular blogging are relevant, especially for business. It isn’t just 160-character claustrophobia that has businesses bursting out into the less constricting format blogs provide. Many small business owners realize the power a regularly updated blog holds in regularly providing fresh, relevant content.

But when it comes time to set up your business’s blog, you’ll probably feel a little overwhelmed by the process. Luckily, there are tools that allow you to easily set up and manage your blog without spending hours learning a programming language.

WordPress

Among content management systems, WordPress is by far the most popular. As Sherif Hussein of Jinni Communications points out, the blogging site has a 55% market share, representing 17.5 percent of all websites on the internet. One of the reasons is that the site easily links to a company’s URL, providing a yourbusiness.com-type URL that is a must for any business website.

“There are a number of free and low-cost themes out there, which in the hands of a skilled designer can look as slick as a custom website at a fraction of the price,” Reputation Capital Media’s Mary Ellen Slayter says. “There are also a number of excellent plugins that can improve productivity, as well as your ability to track the performance of your digital marketing. You can have forms feed contact information directly into Salesforce, for example.”

“Although WordPress can get a website up and running quickly, it becomes a maintenance nightmare when adding multiple plugins, and especially when doing customization’s ” Andreas Huttenrauch, managing director of Globi Web Solutions, says. “This is why most web design companies that use WordPress focus only on the initial creation, and don’t do after-sales support and maintenance.”

Blogger

Ambitious businesses can make Blogger link up to a URL, as well, although the WordPress process seems to be a little more straightforward. One benefit to Blogger, though, is the fact that Google owns it, which some have theorized means its content will rank more prominently in search engine results.

“Blogger is one of the most user-friendly blogs that are out there,” LGD Communications’ Jason Taic says. “It also has a strong community filled with many people, and because it is operated by Google, you can trust it to remain up and not go down if your server crashes.”

HubSpot

In addition to its blogging features, HubSpot also offers various marketing tools, including social media and search engine optimization assistance. HubSpot gives WordPress a decent run for its money on its blogging platform. If you’re simply interested in blogging, WordPress is likely still your best choice but HubSpot’s bonus offerings are worth checking out.

“If you have the budget and type of business where you want to maintain a lead/customer database, I would recommend HubSpot,” Michael Freeman at Shoretel says. “It serves as a combination of a rich blogging platform that is super easy to use and a prospect/lead nurturing database to help you manage the sales funnel. What is great about it is that it ties into your SEO ranking data as well as Google Analytics and can help you.”

Tumblr

For less tech-savvy users, Tumblr may be a more desirable option. The site provides a wide variety of options, including sharing videos, photos, and music, as well as blogs. While this social media setup may be more desirable to individual users, some small business owners have found it’s a great way to reach consumers.

“Tumblr offers the simplest interface with a variety of free, professional looking themes, and the fastest setup you’ll find anywhere on the web,” Hall Internet Marketing’s RC Lations II says. “It’s a great way to get up and running without anything holding you back from getting started.”

While many small business owners head directly to WordPress, don’t rule the other blogging sites out just yet. Check out the interface of each of these sites and find the one that’s best for your individual needs.



Heatmaps to Help Your Google+ Profile Image Appear in Search Results

google+ profile imageThe year of 2012 saw a great move of Google: Giving more visibility to content authors by showing their photos in search results.

The content should be claimed by the author in order for this to work.

The photo is being grabbed from the author’s Google Plus profile, which brings us to a good question:

How huge is an impact that your photo makes when the user is browsing Google search results and chooses which result to click

They say, the impact is huge. In this case study, Cyrus was able to achieve a 30% higher click-through and he didn’t even try that much.  There are plenty of variables (the main one being the topic) but it doesn’t mean we can’t invent interesting theories.

My own theory is based on heatmap case studies. A heatmap is an aggregate graphic showing overall eye activity on an image (red-orange areas indicate the most eye activity).

1. “You Look Where They Look”

There’s an absolutely hilarious article by James Breeze on how the direction of people’s eyes in the photo influences where we look.  We all know that photos of babies make us stop and look. But did you know that if a baby looks at text (instead of straight in the camera), the photo will also make us “read.”

Here’s a combined heat map of 106 people looking at two pages: One with the baby looking into the camera and one with the baby looking at the heading of the page. Notice how much more exposure the heading and text gets when a baby is looking at it:

google+ profile image

The important thing to remember here is that faces in the photos work great to “cuing” us to look at the key components of the page.  More evidence:

google+ profile image

Google Plus avatar implementation: Based on the study above, it may be a smart idea to slightly turn your head to the left in your photo - to the search results. This way, searchers will not only stare back at you, but will actually notice your article (instead of being distracted, they will be directed) and might feel more willing to click your search result.

google+ profile image

2. Closeups Are Better

The bigger the face, the better. Poynter often stresses high visibility of faces, but the following two screenshots caught my attention.

People lose attention if the face is not easy to see. Look at these screenshots containing photographs of people (both photos have headline type placed on top of them). However, in the first screenshot, people would not even look at the headline, while in the second one, the headline gets much more attention and the less clear photo is mostly ignored:

google+ profile image

Google Plus avatar implementation: Make sure your avatar is a big, clear headshot of you. It’s better if it’s just a face, which is easy to “scan.” This way, it has a good chance to be the first to draw an eye - and thus your search listing will better stand out.

Mind that in-search pictures are tiny. It’s not easy to make a clear close-up, but it’s worth the effort:

google+ profile image

3. A Smile Draws Closer Attention

The heatmap below clearly suggests that a smiling person is more thoroughly examined.  That may mean you will be better remembered from social media networks to search results.

google+ profile image

Google Plus avatar implementation: Don’t underestimate the power of “being remembered.” Most search results are personalized nowadays, which means people that have you in their Google+ circles will most likely recognize your search result because they already know you.   (Here’s a case study featuring me). A smile plays a big role in that because it helps your headshot to be remembered.

Of course, no need to overdo: You don’t want to distract attention. Instead you want to draw and direct it. Thus a subtle, natural smile is best.

google+ profile image

Get Creative!

Yes, we can read studies and draw necessary conclusions but it doesn’t mean we can’t get creative. Per my experience, a photo inside search results takes as little as one day to update (after you update your Google+ profile picture). So you have huge room for testing. Just keep experimenting:

google+ profile image

google+ profile image

Are there any other Google+ profile picture tricks you are aware of




Groupon Acquires Glassmap to Better Target Deals to Consumers

Groupon has just acquired location-based social app Glassmap, allowing the daily deals service to potentially gather more relevant data about its users and thus better target deals from businesses to them.

Glassmap first launched early in 2012. The app includes a real-time map that shows what friends are doing and where, with activity processed from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The app analyzes data from its users’ other social platforms and updates them on what is happening around them. The photo below shows a map that includes user locations and activities. The posts on the map can also include photos and other media.

In addition, Glassmap offers a business solutions service where it designs, builds, and maintains custom apps for businesses, keeping customers updated on deals and company news while also learning valuable insights about customers and their habits.

As far as Groupon is concerned, this acquisition seems like a move to help revitalize the service in a time when daily deals sites are losing some of their relevance and users.

By gaining more information about users and their everyday activities, along with their friends and their everyday activities, Groupon could hope to better target users with relevant deals and potentially even work on new mobile or social technology to improve the relevance of the service itself.

For example, if a Glassmap user mainly checks in at concerts and quick service restaurants, a service like Groupon could take that information and present them with deals that fit into those categories, rather than constantly sending them deals for upscale dining or fitness classes.

It could also take the information and use it to better target offers by neighborhood or specific locations where they normally spend time, rather than just using a general metropolitan area.

The Glassmap team stated in a blog post announcing the acquisition:

“Groupon has revolutionized how people today use technology to interact with the real world, and that’s why we’re so excited to join them. Together, we’ll be able to create even more amazing products.”

So for small businesses thinking of hopping off the daily deals bandwagon, this news could mean that new options are in the works by Groupon to provide better access to deals for consumers, and that could mean that deals reach more relevant consumers who are more likely to become loyal and returning customers.

The Glassmap team will be joining Groupon, and the Glassmap app will close on February 15. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.




Infusionsoft Buys GroSocial: Why Social CRM Makes Deeper Social Media Conversations A Reality

Today Infusiosnoft announces the purchase of GroSocial - blending CRM and social media marketing.

Whether it’s partly fad and hype or indeed a useful and important business marketing tool, social media is “hot” and growing.

While many (most) small business owners, go directly to Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus or other social platforms, others are using social tools such as GroSocial to help manage and PROMOTE their social marketing.

Some services such as Postling, TweetDeck, Hootsuite and NutshellMail, let you mainly post and view your social world, other tools help you build social campaigns. These tools include Constant Contact’s Social Campaigns, WildFire App (by Google), PunchTab (to reward action) and other tools.

GroSocial helps you create social marketing campaigns and more, it does three things:

  • Design your social presence (such as a nice Twitter profile background)
  • Build social campaign promotions (with a drag and drop builder)
  • Analyze an measure the success of your campaign

Get more social marketing tools from SEO MOZ.

For the past 10 years Infusionsoft, my employer,  has provided CRM software to small businesses, however, has not yet offered a service for social media engagement, until today, and this comes on the heels of it’s $54 Million investment by Goldman Sachs.

While social media is so important, many business owners are frustrated as even if they see a gain of “Twitter followers” they don’t see more money being made through social media. One of the reasons for this frustration is that they are not working to bring their social followers into a sales funnel to convert them to customers. This blend of CRM and social media is key.

Of course another iteration of Social CRM is what some vendors are doing,  such as Nimble and Batchbook, who support viewing your customer’s (or contact) social activity within their customer record.

Going back to my earlier point about social media and the sales funnel - there is HIGH value in simply engaging your customers and joining in the social conversation with them and not trying to focus only on driving these conversations through a sales funnel. In fact there is a DANGER to trying to SELL, SELL, SELL on social media - it often does not work to well - if you do it wrong.

Being able to simply engage in the social media conversations you are interested in has many benefits three of which are:

- The speed with which you can gain real time intelligence on your market place (social media is one of the best media for this). UFC’s Dana White spoke about this at Blogworld.

- The ability to participate in organic conversations, not sales, but just a conversation about your industry, for example, being able to spot trends and opportunities

- Finally you can build a powerful online brand through social media. The more you are active in social media, the more people will know you (likes and followers) and the more what you sell will be known and sales will increase as you become TRUSTED.



Infusionsoft Buys GroSocial: Why Social CRM Makes Deeper Social Media Conversations A Reality

Today Infusiosnoft announces the purchase of GroSocial - blending CRM and social media marketing.

Whether it’s partly fad and hype or indeed a useful and important business marketing tool, social media is “hot” and growing.

While many (most) small business owners, go directly to Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus or other social platforms, others are using social tools such as GroSocial to help manage and PROMOTE their social marketing.

Some services such as Postling, TweetDeck, Hootsuite and NutshellMail, let you mainly post and view your social world, other tools help you build social campaigns. These tools include Constant Contact’s Social Campaigns, WildFire App (by Google), PunchTab (to reward action) and other tools.

GroSocial helps you create social marketing campaigns and more, it does three things:

  • Design your social presence (such as a nice Twitter profile background)
  • Build social campaign promotions (with a drag and drop builder)
  • Analyze an measure the success of your campaign

Get more social marketing tools from SEO MOZ.

For the past 10 years Infusionsoft, my employer,  has provided CRM software to small businesses, however, has not yet offered a service for social media engagement, until today, and this comes on the heels of it’s $54 Million investment by Goldman Sachs.

While social media is so important, many business owners are frustrated as even if they see a gain of “Twitter followers” they don’t see more money being made through social media. One of the reasons for this frustration is that they are not working to bring their social followers into a sales funnel to convert them to customers. This blend of CRM and social media is key.

Of course another iteration of Social CRM is what some vendors are doing,  such as Nimble and Batchbook, who support viewing your customer’s (or contact) social activity within their customer record.

Going back to my earlier point about social media and the sales funnel - there is HIGH value in simply engaging your customers and joining in the social conversation with them and not trying to focus only on driving these conversations through a sales funnel. In fact there is a DANGER to trying to SELL, SELL, SELL on social media - it often does not work to well - if you do it wrong.

Being able to simply engage in the social media conversations you are interested in has many benefits three of which are:

- The speed with which you can gain real time intelligence on your market place (social media is one of the best media for this). UFC’s Dana White spoke about this at Blogworld.

- The ability to participate in organic conversations, not sales, but just a conversation about your industry, for example, being able to spot trends and opportunities

- Finally you can build a powerful online brand through social media. The more you are active in social media, the more people will know you (likes and followers) and the more what you sell will be known and sales will increase as you become TRUSTED.



5 Types of Conference Speaking Opportunities and the Value of Each

conference speaking opportunitiesWhen applying to speak at a conference you always have options as far as the format in which your content will be delivered to the audience. The two most frequently used presentation formats that we witness at conferences today are:

  • Solo presentations (with one speaker handling everything).
  • Panels (with multiple participants - either just answering the attendees’ questions, or doing introductory mini-presentations on the topic after which the Q&A part takes place).

Having just returned from Affiliate Summit, the conference at which, over the years, I have been able to try myself in each of the below-described capacities, I have decided to look back and analyze the lessons I’ve learned from being placed into each of these different roles:

1. Solo Presenter

This is, by far, the most challenging of all speaking opportunities. Do not overestimate yourself here. Prepare your presentation well in advance - to allow yourself plenty of time to practice.  Some of the best solo presentations out of the ones I have delivered were practiced for twenty of more times prior to coming up on that stage.

To prepare a quality solo presentation you must mobilize all of your research skills, imagination, discipline, and fearlessness. If you’re lacking any one of these, start by participating on panels or co-presenting instead. If you’re lacking any two of these, cultivate them in yourself prior to proposing to speak in any capacity.

2. Co-Presenter

When a conference has more than one worthy expert apply to speak on the same topic, in reply to your speaking proposal, you may be asked to co-present with somebody. Over the past six years, I have done this once, and really enjoyed it. You get to plan together (who covers what), yet remain very flexible in how you deliver your content.

Also, co-presenting always comes with a covert but important “who will shine brighter” challenge. Turn it into an opportunity.

3. Panelist

The best panels that I have listened to (and/or participated in) gave every panelist a chance to make their points, and only after that - went into the Q&A time. And it is the collaborative effort (on putting the content together, and making the final product coherent and digestible) that I find most useful in participating on panels.

It teaches you such important skills as listening, thinking, flexibility, and team-working.

4. Panel Moderator

I have seen moderators that introduce the panelists, and then almost immediately remove themselves from it, jumping in (with questions) only when the audience does not participate (i.e. no questions are being asked), and the panel is at risk of failing. As anything passive, I believe this approach to be detrimental to the actual quality of the final product.

As a moderator, you want to contribute both your leadership skills, and your expertise in the field. Give your panelists sufficient room to participate (ensuring that no one participant takes over), but make sure you participate as well.

5. Expert/Roundtable Discussion Leader

This type of breakout sessions can be tremendously effective, but requires significantly more patience than any one of the above-mentioned speaker roles. Ask-the-expert types of discussions are, generally, much livelier than stage presentations or panels.

As a speaker, you want to combine the above-mentioned panel moderator skills with active listening, and keeping your audience engaged at all times. Don’t just come to the these without any questions, examples or case studies of your own. Lead the discussion in a way that is beneficial to all listeners/participants.

In conclusion, regardless of the capacity in which you will present at a conference, the benefits are always tremendous. Whether you have an hour all for yourself, or have to share the time and stage with other co-speakers, it is always worth participating.

Keep in mind, too, that this comes from a speaker who strongly prefers delivering solo presentations.

Woman Speaker Photo via Shutterstock




5 Types of Conference Speaking Opportunities and the Value of Each

conference speaking opportunitiesWhen applying to speak at a conference you always have options as far as the format in which your content will be delivered to the audience. The two most frequently used presentation formats that we witness at conferences today are:

  • Solo presentations (with one speaker handling everything).
  • Panels (with multiple participants - either just answering the attendees’ questions, or doing introductory mini-presentations on the topic after which the Q&A part takes place).

Having just returned from Affiliate Summit, the conference at which, over the years, I have been able to try myself in each of the below-described capacities, I have decided to look back and analyze the lessons I’ve learned from being placed into each of these different roles:

1. Solo Presenter

This is, by far, the most challenging of all speaking opportunities. Do not overestimate yourself here. Prepare your presentation well in advance - to allow yourself plenty of time to practice.  Some of the best solo presentations out of the ones I have delivered were practiced for twenty of more times prior to coming up on that stage.

To prepare a quality solo presentation you must mobilize all of your research skills, imagination, discipline, and fearlessness. If you’re lacking any one of these, start by participating on panels or co-presenting instead. If you’re lacking any two of these, cultivate them in yourself prior to proposing to speak in any capacity.

2. Co-Presenter

When a conference has more than one worthy expert apply to speak on the same topic, in reply to your speaking proposal, you may be asked to co-present with somebody. Over the past six years, I have done this once, and really enjoyed it. You get to plan together (who covers what), yet remain very flexible in how you deliver your content.

Also, co-presenting always comes with a covert but important “who will shine brighter” challenge. Turn it into an opportunity.

3. Panelist

The best panels that I have listened to (and/or participated in) gave every panelist a chance to make their points, and only after that - went into the Q&A time. And it is the collaborative effort (on putting the content together, and making the final product coherent and digestible) that I find most useful in participating on panels.

It teaches you such important skills as listening, thinking, flexibility, and team-working.

4. Panel Moderator

I have seen moderators that introduce the panelists, and then almost immediately remove themselves from it, jumping in (with questions) only when the audience does not participate (i.e. no questions are being asked), and the panel is at risk of failing. As anything passive, I believe this approach to be detrimental to the actual quality of the final product.

As a moderator, you want to contribute both your leadership skills, and your expertise in the field. Give your panelists sufficient room to participate (ensuring that no one participant takes over), but make sure you participate as well.

5. Expert/Roundtable Discussion Leader

This type of breakout sessions can be tremendously effective, but requires significantly more patience than any one of the above-mentioned speaker roles. Ask-the-expert types of discussions are, generally, much livelier than stage presentations or panels.

As a speaker, you want to combine the above-mentioned panel moderator skills with active listening, and keeping your audience engaged at all times. Don’t just come to the these without any questions, examples or case studies of your own. Lead the discussion in a way that is beneficial to all listeners/participants.

In conclusion, regardless of the capacity in which you will present at a conference, the benefits are always tremendous. Whether you have an hour all for yourself, or have to share the time and stage with other co-speakers, it is always worth participating.

Keep in mind, too, that this comes from a speaker who strongly prefers delivering solo presentations.

Woman Speaker Photo via Shutterstock




McAfee prepares new launches under Security Connected architecture

McAfee has said that it will expand its current product portfolio to offer more integrated solutions and comprehensive protection via its Security Connected framework.

According to the company, the framework enables the integration of multiple products, services and partnerships for centralised and effective risk mitigation, allowing it to bring together its network and endpoint protection through an extensible framework. This integrates products with global threat intelligence to deliver visibility across all threat vectors.

As part of this, McAfee has confirmed that it will release enhancements to build out its advanced malware protection offerings and will make a major announcement around its security management solutions in the first quarter of 2013.

Michael Fey, chief technology officer at McAfee, said: “The industry has been built on a historical thought process that will not support the demands of the future. We must move to having a real-time understanding and response capability if we are to meet the needs of the future.”

Chris Christiansen, program vice president for security products and services at IDC, said: “Businesses are looking for integrated security solutions with built in intelligence and policies. The changes in business today will require the move from simply securing components, to understanding and measuring the security of a business system as a whole.”



CertiVox and Cryptosoft join forces to develop PKI-free encryption

CertiVox and Cryptosoft have announced a partnership to develop a solution specifically looking at transforming how data-in-motion is encrypted and secured.

The solution will combine CertiVox's SkyKey service and Cryptosoft's encryption automation platform and according to the companies it will enable data-centric encryption while eliminating the need for public key exchange.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cryptosoft will embed CertiVox's SkyKey service and SkyKey SDK into its encryption automation platform for on-premise and hybrid cloud security. This will enable organisations to benefit from automated, end-to-end encrypted data transfer, driven by a simple management interface and most importantly without the need for a traditional PKI, it said.

Brian Spector, CEO of CertiVox, said: “Nothing should be quicker, slicker or safer than one machine talking to another, but successive generations of security providers have wilfully imposed incomplete, inefficient and downright unsafe practices on the market in order to milk its longevity.

“With SkyKey, and its high degree of automation, that gravy train stops. And in Cryptosoft, with its expertise in those security solutions that are about to be supplanted, I can think of no more effective a partner to help us take this revolution to market.”

Jon Penney, CEO at Cryptosoft, said: “We are extremely excited by SkyKey and its ability to simplify the secure exchange of information assets by eliminating the costly burden of traditional PKIs.

“With our extensive experience of how companies do this right now, and CertiVox's vision for how they should be doing it in the very near future, we are jointly in a very strong position.”



Facebook Fans Give Their Opinion On The Browser Wars!

We recently posted an article titled ‘The Internet Browser Wars: Which Browser is Good For Small Businesses‘. In this article we took a closer look at three of the most commonly used browsers; Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer to try to determine which of the three browsers was best for small businesses.

We decided to take the question to our Facebook fans and let them chime in on what browser they are using and feel is best for their growing businesses.

Hands down, Google Chrome was the clear winner and the browser of choice for our fans. Here are the results as of January 20th:

  • Google Chrome - 2,000+ votes
  • Mozilla Firefox - 700+ votes
  • Opera - 100+ votes
  • Safari - 63 votes
  • Rockmelt - 34 votes
  • Internet explorer - 34 votes
What do you think Let us know here or head on over to our Facebook page and cast your vote!


Live Google Hangout with Carbonite and Ramon Ray Today To Discuss Collaboration and Productivity

Ramon Ray at the computer

Today, at 10am EST (January 22nd) join Ramon Ray, Swami Kumaresan, who oversees Carbonite’s new growth initiatives (their labs for new and cool products) and Chris Petersen, senior product manager at Carbonite, as they discuss file sharing and collaboration in YOUR growing business.

Carbonite is launching a new file sharing and synchronization tool, joining the market that is now dominated by Dropbox, Box, Yousendit. ShareFile and so many others.

We’ll discuss Carbonite’s new offering, the overall marketplace of file sharing and how you can be more productive in your business.

Watch the discussion on Google Hangout live at http://www.smallbiztechnology.com hangout



Facebook Fans Give Their Opinion On The Browser Wars!

We recently posted an article titled ‘The Internet Browser Wars: Which Browser is Good For Small Businesses‘. In this article we took a closer look at three of the most commonly used browsers; Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer to try to determine which of the three browsers was best for small businesses.

We decided to take the question to our Facebook fans and let them chime in on what browser they are using and feel is best for their growing businesses.

Hands down, Google Chrome was the clear winner and the browser of choice for our fans. Here are the results as of January 20th:

  • Google Chrome - 2,000+ votes
  • Mozilla Firefox - 700+ votes
  • Opera - 100+ votes
  • Safari - 63 votes
  • Rockmelt - 34 votes
  • Internet explorer - 34 votes
What do you think Let us know here or head on over to our Facebook page and cast your vote!


Live Google Hangout with Carbonite and Ramon Ray Today To Discuss Collaboration and Productivity

Ramon Ray at the computer

Today, at 10am EST (January 22nd) join Ramon Ray, Swami Kumaresan, who oversees Carbonite’s new growth initiatives (their labs for new and cool products) and Chris Petersen, senior product manager at Carbonite, as they discuss file sharing and collaboration in YOUR growing business.

Carbonite is launching a new file sharing and synchronization tool, joining the market that is now dominated by Dropbox, Box, Yousendit. ShareFile and so many others.

We’ll discuss Carbonite’s new offering, the overall marketplace of file sharing and how you can be more productive in your business.

Watch the discussion on Google Hangout live at http://www.smallbiztechnology.com hangout



How The Multitasking Myth Is Hurting You

shutterstock_121585771Being a good multitasker seems to be part of the price of entry into the startup world. Many an entrepreneur takes pride in how great they are at it.

So it gives one pause that Standford University, that great think tank of innovation and launchpad of so many successful startups says that not only is multitasking not good for you, you’re not even good at it.

The study entitled Cognitive control in media multitaskers, authored by Eyal Ophir, M.S., Clifford Nass, Ph.D., and  Anthony D. Wagner, Ph.D. says our intuition (not to mention our pride) has got it all very, very wrong.

Mythical Abilities of the Multitasker

The study focuses on three key abilities:

  • Filtering
  • Memory management
  • Task switching

It turns out that while many people have problems with one or more of these abilities, chronic multitaskers are bad at all three and they are worse at each of them than the average person.

One would assume a habitual multitasker must be excellent at filtering out noise from their multiple streams of input and at focusing on relevant information. Not so. It turns out that high multitaskers are suckers for “red and shiny”. If it is distracting, they run to it. If it is irrelevant, they jump on it. In fact, the more irrelevant information they see, the more they’re attracted to it. They are moths to the flame.

Surely then the high multitasker must be methodical and organized about memory so that they can store and retrieve information from this flood of data that they continually draw. Alas, that is also not so. It appears that they are much worse at compartmentalizing information. Additionally, they are slower to recall information. Once again, the non-multitasker has them beat.

Finally, the committed multitasker is slower at switching from one task to another and has a harder time making the transition. This may be completely counterintuitive but, well, science.

Do We At Least Have Our Priorities Straight

Another observation the study made was that the multitasker may not realize the priorities they are applying to their multiple tasks. For instance, a favorite multitasking scenario is talking on the cell phone while driving. You would think that driving would be the primary task while the phone call would be the distraction.

But, in fact, the phone call becomes primary with the driving as the distraction. This gives you a hint why multitasking causes problems.

Startup Objectives Vs. Multitasking Objectives

How can this be It seems to fly in the face of what we would like to believe. One key may be in the objectives of our intrepid multitasker. If you want to explore rather than exploit, multitasking, even poorly, will feel more satisfying. Exploration, after all, is just about gathering lots of information.

Exploitation, however, is about concentrating information to put it to some practical use. In the startup realm, exploitation is far more important on a day by day basis.

But I’m Special (So Very, Very Special)

If you are thinking that maybe you belong to a special group to which these results don’t apply, think again. The study found no significant deviation in results based on agreeableness, conscientiousness, creativity, extraversion, intelligence, neuroticism, openness, nor the big one, gender. That’s right, men and women are equally bad at multitasking.

Furthermore, being smart doesn’t help and neither does being well adjusted. We are running out of excuses.

But maybe it’s a generational thing, you hypothesize

Nope. While there is an enormous desire among Gen Yers, teenagers and 20-somethings to attempt to multitask, they do no better than the more resistant baby boomers. Motivation does not improve results, nor does peer pressure. Yes, the younger crowd may work their smartphone better. But when it comes to actual results, technological superiority doesn’t make up for the fact that our brains operate basically the same whether we are 25 or 55.

Join Multitaskers Anonymous

So what is a recovering multitasker to do

Plan for monotasking. Reward yourself for completion of tasks rather than counting how many plates you have spinning.

Close down the input sources: don’t have Facebook AND Twitter AND LinkedIn AND twelve Web pages open at once. Don’t surf the Web and watch television and listen to the radio at the same time. Give tasks your full attention in short but concentrated bursts. The less you multitask, the more you will accomplish. And accomplishment can become habit forming.

Have you figured out how to kick the multitasking habit

Multitasking Photo via Shutterstock




How The Multitasking Myth Is Hurting You

shutterstock_121585771Being a good multitasker seems to be part of the price of entry into the startup world. Many an entrepreneur takes pride in how great they are at it.

So it gives one pause that Standford University, that great think tank of innovation and launchpad of so many successful startups says that not only is multitasking not good for you, you’re not even good at it.

The study entitled Cognitive control in media multitaskers, authored by Eyal Ophir, M.S., Clifford Nass, Ph.D., and  Anthony D. Wagner, Ph.D. says our intuition (not to mention our pride) has got it all very, very wrong.

Mythical Abilities of the Multitasker

The study focuses on three key abilities:

  • Filtering
  • Memory management
  • Task switching

It turns out that while many people have problems with one or more of these abilities, chronic multitaskers are bad at all three and they are worse at each of them than the average person.

One would assume a habitual multitasker must be excellent at filtering out noise from their multiple streams of input and at focusing on relevant information. Not so. It turns out that high multitaskers are suckers for “red and shiny”. If it is distracting, they run to it. If it is irrelevant, they jump on it. In fact, the more irrelevant information they see, the more they’re attracted to it. They are moths to the flame.

Surely then the high multitasker must be methodical and organized about memory so that they can store and retrieve information from this flood of data that they continually draw. Alas, that is also not so. It appears that they are much worse at compartmentalizing information. Additionally, they are slower to recall information. Once again, the non-multitasker has them beat.

Finally, the committed multitasker is slower at switching from one task to another and has a harder time making the transition. This may be completely counterintuitive but, well, science.

Do We At Least Have Our Priorities Straight

Another observation the study made was that the multitasker may not realize the priorities they are applying to their multiple tasks. For instance, a favorite multitasking scenario is talking on the cell phone while driving. You would think that driving would be the primary task while the phone call would be the distraction.

But, in fact, the phone call becomes primary with the driving as the distraction. This gives you a hint why multitasking causes problems.

Startup Objectives Vs. Multitasking Objectives

How can this be It seems to fly in the face of what we would like to believe. One key may be in the objectives of our intrepid multitasker. If you want to explore rather than exploit, multitasking, even poorly, will feel more satisfying. Exploration, after all, is just about gathering lots of information.

Exploitation, however, is about concentrating information to put it to some practical use. In the startup realm, exploitation is far more important on a day by day basis.

But I’m Special (So Very, Very Special)

If you are thinking that maybe you belong to a special group to which these results don’t apply, think again. The study found no significant deviation in results based on agreeableness, conscientiousness, creativity, extraversion, intelligence, neuroticism, openness, nor the big one, gender. That’s right, men and women are equally bad at multitasking.

Furthermore, being smart doesn’t help and neither does being well adjusted. We are running out of excuses.

But maybe it’s a generational thing, you hypothesize

Nope. While there is an enormous desire among Gen Yers, teenagers and 20-somethings to attempt to multitask, they do no better than the more resistant baby boomers. Motivation does not improve results, nor does peer pressure. Yes, the younger crowd may work their smartphone better. But when it comes to actual results, technological superiority doesn’t make up for the fact that our brains operate basically the same whether we are 25 or 55.

Join Multitaskers Anonymous

So what is a recovering multitasker to do

Plan for monotasking. Reward yourself for completion of tasks rather than counting how many plates you have spinning.

Close down the input sources: don’t have Facebook AND Twitter AND LinkedIn AND twelve Web pages open at once. Don’t surf the Web and watch television and listen to the radio at the same time. Give tasks your full attention in short but concentrated bursts. The less you multitask, the more you will accomplish. And accomplishment can become habit forming.

Have you figured out how to kick the multitasking habit

Multitasking Photo via Shutterstock




Blackberry 10 to Debut January 30 at Under $199

The business tech horizon is morphing again, and as tools and services continue to evolve, so will the possibilities they offer entrepreneurs. What small businesses make of these new tech tools and services depends upon the kinds of products they offer and the customers they are trying to reach. But no matter what markets they serve, businesses will be able to take advantage of these evolving tools to improve efficiency and increase their capabilities.

Mobile Migration

A close call. Research In Motion, a pioneer in the mobile communications market, is soon introducing a new operating system, Blackberry 10, and two smartphones, the Z10 and X10, packed with features that should give both longtime Blackberry fans and potential new business users pause. All of this is expected to be offered at a price below $199 (perhaps around $149), guaranteed to be competitive with other mobile communications options, giving your company more choices than ever. BGR

Getting friendly. It should go without saying that just as your business has more mobile options, so do your customers. Your Web presence, in particular, must be more mobile-friendly to accommodate your audience, and focusing on this should be a top priority. Rieva Lesonsky has some simple solutions that should definitely be on your list of things to consider when preparing your Web presence for a mobile customer base. Don’t lose sales because your Website fails to measure up. Grow Smart Biz

Online Design

Armed to the teeth. Creating the right kind of Web presence requires an arsenal of creative tools, and for entrepreneurs and small business owners using WordPress, the tool box is, indeed, considerable. From familiar plugins to a few you may not have heard about, design and Internet marketing expert Dave Gray takes us on a tour of the 16 WordPress tools he uses most often for spectacular results. BrandAdvance

A gracious host. The last thing you think of when establishing your new business Web presence should probably be the first. Web hosting is not simply about finding the provider with the best reputation or the cheapest price, opening an account, and uploading your site onto a server. We’ve all heard the horror stories about unexpected downtime and security issues that put you and your customers at risk. But there are also other things to consider before deciding which company is the right fit, says guest blogger Claire Broadley. The Frugal Entrepreneur

Intelligent design. Likewise, when choosing a Web designer for your site there are many questions you should ask. Think about how carefully you vet your potential employees before making a final offer. A designer who will hold the fate of your company’s Web presence in his or her hands should be evaluated just as carefully. Here are some questions SEO expert Alex Gavril suggests you answer before letting a designer anywhere near your site. Durham Web Designer

The Latest and Greatest

The paperless trail. Who needs paper Well, most offices, actually. But as it turns out, most offices and most businesses would be a lot better off if paper was gone. Having less paper in your office “improves efficiency, reduces stress, saves money, and helps the environment” writes blogger Matthew Stibbe, and though going completely without it isn’t quite a reality yet, a number of tech tools from free solutions like Instapaper to paid services like Turbine can help. GetApp Learning Center

Gizmos for geeks. There are plenty of other gizmos out there to improve your business capabilities and efficiency in ways that may be hard to imagine. And even if tools like these might once have been reserved for computer geeks alone, today any business owner can learn the basics. Here online marketing consultant Melissa Fach gives us a look at SnagIt, a tool that helps you screen capture just about anything and adds powerful cropping, drawing, and social sharing features to the mix, too. Small Business Trends



Virut botnet takedown sinkholes 23 domains

Polish cyber security experts seized domains behind the Virut botnet over the weekend.

According to reports, control of the 23 .pl domains was mastered by Polish registrar Nask, with the Polish computer emergency readiness team (Cert) assuming control of redirected traffic from the domains.

Cert Polska said: “Since 2006, Virut has been one of the most disturbing threats active on the internet. Interestingly, Virut's main distribution vector is executable file infection, and most users would get infected by using removable media or sharing files over networks. However, more recent versions of the malware have been capable of infecting HTML files, injecting an invisible iFrame that would download Virut from a remote site.

“Once infected, a computer would connect to an IRC server controlled by the attacker and receive instructions to download and run arbitrary executable files (all without owner's knowledge or consent). Effectively, Virut's authors have converted those machines into zombies - elements of a botnet used for spamming, DDoS attacks and other malicious activities.”

Symantec's threat report said that Virut controlled 300,000 machines, while Kaspersky Lab said that Virut was responsible for 5.5 per cent of malware infections in the third quarter of 2012.

Denis Carmody, from Symantec security response, said that Virut was downloading variants of the Waledac worm onto compromised PCs, as the number of computers infected with W32.Waledac.D continues to increase.

Security blogger Brian Krebs said: “It's not clear how the actions by Nask will impact the long-term operations of the Virut botnet. Many of Virut's control servers are located outside the reach of Nask, at Russian top-level domain name registrars (.ru). Also, Virut has a failsafe mechanism built to defeat targeted attacks on its infrastructure.”

Cert Polska also said that among the sinkholed 23 domain names were two websites that were broadly associated not just with Virut but also with the Zeus Trojan.

Paul Ducklin, head of technology for Sophos Asia Pacific, said: “So taking over some or all of those servers can make a big difference, at least temporarily, to the crooks' ability to operate their botnets.

“Every infected PC that crooks can no longer send on a criminal mission represents lost opportunity and lost revenue, and that hits them where it hurts: the pocket.”