The Smallbiztechnology Weekly Roundup And Look At What’s Ahead

Each week on Smallbiztechnology.com, we post a lot of articles that help small businesses GROW their business. We want to make sure you didn’t miss anything, so here’s a quick roundup of what we talked about last week and a sneak peek at what we’ll be sending your way in the week to come. Check out our video here, or watch below:

 

Mobile Technology:

Office Technology:

Software Technology:

Social Media / Online Marketing:

Security Technology:

We also have some amazing stuff coming up this week! Here’s a sneak peek:

On Monday, we’ll have 8 Ways to Keep Customer Data Safe, and our Executive Spotlight on Andrew Bolwell from HP’s MagCloud.

Tuesday, we’ll telling you what Small Businesses Need to Know About Video, and how you can make Gift Cards For Your Small Business Into A Reality.

Wednesday, we have the details on Social Media Management Tools That Help Keep Tabs On The Local Market, and the 7 Best Industries To Start A Business In 2013.

Thursday, we have a look at how Text Message Marketing Cuts Through The Distractions, and 9 Steps To Take Once You’ve Been Hacked. Also, don’t forget to look for the Upcoming NYC Business and Technology Events and the Tech Thursday roundup.

Friday, we’ll give you 5 Steps For Jumpstarting Word Of Mouth To Boost Your Brand, and the latest in how Hotels Are Using Technology Solutions To Cater To Business Travelers.

You won’t want to miss any of that, and there’s a lot more beyond what I just mentioned, so come on back and let us know what you think in the comments!

The Smallbiztechnology Weekly Roundup And Look At What’s Ahead

Each week on Smallbiztechnology.com, we post a lot of articles that help small businesses GROW their business. We want to make sure you didn’t miss anything, so here’s a quick roundup of what we talked about last week and a sneak peek at what we’ll be sending your way in the week to come. Check out our video here, or watch below:

 

Mobile Technology:

Office Technology:

Software Technology:

Social Media / Online Marketing:

Security Technology:

We also have some amazing stuff coming up this week! Here’s a sneak peek:

On Monday, we’ll have 8 Ways to Keep Customer Data Safe, and our Executive Spotlight on Andrew Bolwell from HP’s MagCloud.

Tuesday, we’ll telling you what Small Businesses Need to Know About Video, and how you can make Gift Cards For Your Small Business Into A Reality.

Wednesday, we have the details on Social Media Management Tools That Help Keep Tabs On The Local Market, and the 7 Best Industries To Start A Business In 2013.

Thursday, we have a look at how Text Message Marketing Cuts Through The Distractions, and 9 Steps To Take Once You’ve Been Hacked. Also, don’t forget to look for the Upcoming NYC Business and Technology Events and the Tech Thursday roundup.

Friday, we’ll give you 5 Steps For Jumpstarting Word Of Mouth To Boost Your Brand, and the latest in how Hotels Are Using Technology Solutions To Cater To Business Travelers.

You won’t want to miss any of that, and there’s a lot more beyond what I just mentioned, so come on back and let us know what you think in the comments!

5 Customer Service Lessons From Yahoo’s Missteps

In the past eight months, I’ve had my Yahoo email account hacked four different times. Considering that I’m a pretty savvy internet user who knows about basic security practices, that’s pretty pitiful on Yahoo’s part.

Apparently, I’m not alone. Thousands of Yahoo account users have reported that their accounts have been compromised - even public figures such as Sarah Palin have had issues with their Yahoo accounts. Despite the fact that these matters have persisted for several months, Yahoo has been slow to address and fix them.

Could this be the reason Yahoo currently has 12.2 percent of the market share compared to 66.7 percent for Google Is this part of the reason Yahoo’s traffic is dropping at an alarming rate

Customer service is one of the many backbones of any business, and unfortunately Yahoo has failed to deliver theirs. Brands seeking to grow their place in the market would benefit from a lesson on Yahoo’s customer service missteps and, hopefully, Yahoo can recover.

Over Communicate

Yahoo has had a problem with email security since January 2013, so why has it taken them so long to address the issue

The online world evolves at a breathtaking pace and online consumers similarly expect fast communication. Your online customer service should be quick and effective.

Make it Personal

One of the reasons Marissa Mayer was an exceptional choice as Yahoo’s CEO went beyond her qualifications - it’s her personality. She’s personable, a woman and she took a CEO job while pregnant. Unlike your typical CEO figure, Mayer is expected to breath new personality into Yahoo, and that excited investors.

Likewise, your customer service shouldn’t simply aim to solve and prevent consumer problems. Instead, target their emotions and a personal connection with them.

Broadcast Efficiently

When news broke of widespread email security breaches, why wasn’t Yahoo on the frontline warning users about the issue Sure, they were probably trying to avoid negative publicity. But couldn’t they have at least warned us that something was going on

For most of us, we didn’t realize that anything was amiss until our own accounts were compromised.

Ask for Feedback

Utilizing consumer information is a powerful tool and strategy that any brand can incorporate. Yahoo could have asked for customer feedback concerning their response to the hackings or whether or not their account was safe.

Unfortunately, Yahoo seemed pretty uptight about the whole situation and didn’t communicate or offer a solution. Hopefully other users had a different experience.

Focus on the Details

When a customer has an issue, they don’t care about your marketing strategy, apologies or about how great your brand is. They simply want the issue fixed. When you rectify a negative situation, the customer remembers the good experience and will do business with you again.

While Yahoo didn’t fix their email security immediately, they can rely on the power of their name and the history of their brand to retain users. Not all businesses have that luxury, so focusing on a customer’s problems immediately is crucial.

Concerned Emoticon Photo via Shutterstock

5 Customer Service Lessons From Yahoo’s Missteps

In the past eight months, I’ve had my Yahoo email account hacked four different times. Considering that I’m a pretty savvy internet user who knows about basic security practices, that’s pretty pitiful on Yahoo’s part.

Apparently, I’m not alone. Thousands of Yahoo account users have reported that their accounts have been compromised - even public figures such as Sarah Palin have had issues with their Yahoo accounts. Despite the fact that these matters have persisted for several months, Yahoo has been slow to address and fix them.

Could this be the reason Yahoo currently has 12.2 percent of the market share compared to 66.7 percent for Google Is this part of the reason Yahoo’s traffic is dropping at an alarming rate

Customer service is one of the many backbones of any business, and unfortunately Yahoo has failed to deliver theirs. Brands seeking to grow their place in the market would benefit from a lesson on Yahoo’s customer service missteps and, hopefully, Yahoo can recover.

Over Communicate

Yahoo has had a problem with email security since January 2013, so why has it taken them so long to address the issue

The online world evolves at a breathtaking pace and online consumers similarly expect fast communication. Your online customer service should be quick and effective.

Make it Personal

One of the reasons Marissa Mayer was an exceptional choice as Yahoo’s CEO went beyond her qualifications - it’s her personality. She’s personable, a woman and she took a CEO job while pregnant. Unlike your typical CEO figure, Mayer is expected to breath new personality into Yahoo, and that excited investors.

Likewise, your customer service shouldn’t simply aim to solve and prevent consumer problems. Instead, target their emotions and a personal connection with them.

Broadcast Efficiently

When news broke of widespread email security breaches, why wasn’t Yahoo on the frontline warning users about the issue Sure, they were probably trying to avoid negative publicity. But couldn’t they have at least warned us that something was going on

For most of us, we didn’t realize that anything was amiss until our own accounts were compromised.

Ask for Feedback

Utilizing consumer information is a powerful tool and strategy that any brand can incorporate. Yahoo could have asked for customer feedback concerning their response to the hackings or whether or not their account was safe.

Unfortunately, Yahoo seemed pretty uptight about the whole situation and didn’t communicate or offer a solution. Hopefully other users had a different experience.

Focus on the Details

When a customer has an issue, they don’t care about your marketing strategy, apologies or about how great your brand is. They simply want the issue fixed. When you rectify a negative situation, the customer remembers the good experience and will do business with you again.

While Yahoo didn’t fix their email security immediately, they can rely on the power of their name and the history of their brand to retain users. Not all businesses have that luxury, so focusing on a customer’s problems immediately is crucial.

Concerned Emoticon Photo via Shutterstock

Ebooks Growth is Up, Both Traditional and Self-Published

In book news, a recent report shows that book publishers received nearly 23% of their revenues from sales of ebooks (versus paper books) during 2012.  That’s up from 17% the year before.  That comes from full-year data by the Association of American Publishers (AAP).  The AAP  includes 350 publishers, including large ones such as Simon & Schuster, Hachette and Harper Collins, as well as independents like Sourcebooks.

Self-published ebooks growth is strong

The above numbers would not include self-published ebooks.  For that data, look to Bowker research.  According to a study released last October, the number of self-published books produced annually in the U.S. has nearly tripled, growing 287% since 2006.  As between print and electronic, self-published ebooks had the strongest percentage growth.

One thing we have noticed from the Small Business Book Awards is the fast-growing number of ebook-only submissions of business books.  Many are self-published using one of the many new-form publishing platforms such as Smashwords and CreateSpace.

People still read print, but ebooks growth hard to ignore

According to the APP survey, overall book sales (print and electronic) for 2012 are up over 6%.

What you can take from this is that despite predictions of the death of books in the Internet age, books are still much in demand â€" both print and ebooks.

However, according to a Pew Internet study from December, ebook reading is increasing while print-book reading is declining.  And it’s no wonder, given the advantages of ebooks.  You don’t have to have shelf space to store electronic books as you do with paper books.  It’s fast and easy to buy ebooks - a purchase can be done from the comfort of your home or office in minutes, rather than hours or days to buy/order print books.  Ebooks often provide a richer experience, in the sense of being able to provide you with direct links to electronic resources, better searchability and annotation features, and links to dictionaries and Wikipedia to look things up.   And in many cases, the ebook version is cheaper.

Today, though, ebooks’ growth is still hindered by the “walled garden” aspect of many ebook readers.  It’s difficult â€" in some cases impossible â€" to transfer electronic books purchased in one place, into an ebook reader of another retailer.  Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Google Books reader â€" all are set up to make it easy to purchase and read books from THEIR stores, but not from others.   Each retailer wants 100% of your book-buying purchases. They don’t want to encourage  you to purchase just anywhere.  Some determined book lovers do manage to transfer ebooks across some device/app platforms.  But it still takes extra steps and sometimes requires special conversion software or syncing.

In the end, however, consumers will vote with their wallets.  They are already doing that according to Bowker.  Consumers are showing a growing interest in reading with multi-purpose tablets, versus dedicated e-reader devices.

“Valuable Content Marketing” Digital Marketing Insights for the UK or Anywhere

eMarketer recently reported on UK companies that are using social media to their fullest ability. Content marketing is certainly among the social media trends available to be tapped. It’s become so popular that one could say it’s the “new black” for marketing. But how should businesses deploy their content effectively

Sonja Jefferson and Sharon Tanton note the ins and outs of content marketing with their book “Valuable Content Marketing; How to Make Quality Content the Key to Your Business Success.” Jefferson is the founder of UK marketing communication firm, Valuable Content. Tanton is a successful content creator. Both ladies gathered the best ideas that speak not only to the United Kingdom market, but to American small businesses as well.

I discovered the book on NetGalley and felt that its specific treatment of content marketing can teach businesses how to improve their effectiveness using that medium.

The data represented in Valuable Content Marketing supports many social media trends occurring in the UK. Jefferson and Tanton confirm industry sentiment: Many people are responding to the sharing aspects of digital marketing rather than to solely traditional methodologies.

“People are far happier to pass on something useful or compelling they’ve read or seen (it makes them look and feel good) than to hand over a business card you gave them (in fact, they’ve probably lost that already).”

To show how marketing has changed, as asserted in the opening chapter, Valuable Content Marketing offers an overview for each content marketing perspective.

The authors do not spend a lot of time comparing content marketing against the different channels within social media. Yet they do successfully explain how to get past the “what do I say” question that arises from social media. That makes the book a value to those who have just set up their Twitter profile, but are not sure what they should say online.  For example, check out a thought starter on extending the shelf life of a white paper:

“Once you’ve put the time and resources in longer pieces of content there is a lot you can do with them…One white paper or ebook can become 10 blogs, 50 short tips on Twitter, a short series of guides…”

Chapters 9 and 10 get into media formats, detailing the right content to create an ebook or white paper. You’ll also read the pros and cons on content management decisions such as gating or not gating content.

I also found chapter 12 to be helpful. It focuses on sales, adjusting tactics to get to “the ask” instead of creating brochures for the sake of sales only.

“Brochures are still useful, but for professional firms they are purely a credibility tool not a door opener.”

You’ll learn the right mix of tools to use, such as incorporating a content calendar to maintain the effort. A chapter on search engine optimization (SEO) is short, but chapter 7 offers an outstanding explanation of the differences between a “brochure-style” website and a “valuable lead-generating website.” The terms may not be universal language among Web designers, but the diagrams will help business owners to know what site improvements to seek without having to understand HTML code. The book ends with a content checklist and questions for a case study.

The arrangement of material reminded me of Digital Impact, with quotes from additional sources. U.K. businesses are highlighted, such as Scottish firms Inkster and SwimTrek, and global names such as Intel are mentioned. But this book introduces American readers to excellent global campaigns to study, such as the highlight of Coke’s Global 2020 campaign that emphasizes “content excellence.” U.S. small businesses will also want to pay attention to the independent firms highlighted.

One detail that left me a bit wanting was the “value tips” sprinkled throughout the book. Some were just too general to provide meaningful guidance. But I found the further reading suggestions helpful, as well as the “take action” questions. Both appear at the end of the chapters.

When well executed, content marketing provides solid branding, augments search engine optimization when paired with a blog and enhances a business presence across numerous social media platforms. The book Valuable Content Marketing will work wonders to help your business achieve those benefits.

“Valuable Content Marketing” Digital Marketing Insights for the UK or Anywhere

eMarketer recently reported on UK companies that are using social media to their fullest ability. Content marketing is certainly among the social media trends available to be tapped. It’s become so popular that one could say it’s the “new black” for marketing. But how should businesses deploy their content effectively

Sonja Jefferson and Sharon Tanton note the ins and outs of content marketing with their book “Valuable Content Marketing; How to Make Quality Content the Key to Your Business Success.” Jefferson is the founder of UK marketing communication firm, Valuable Content. Tanton is a successful content creator. Both ladies gathered the best ideas that speak not only to the United Kingdom market, but to American small businesses as well.

I discovered the book on NetGalley and felt that its specific treatment of content marketing can teach businesses how to improve their effectiveness using that medium.

The data represented in Valuable Content Marketing supports many social media trends occurring in the UK. Jefferson and Tanton confirm industry sentiment: Many people are responding to the sharing aspects of digital marketing rather than to solely traditional methodologies.

“People are far happier to pass on something useful or compelling they’ve read or seen (it makes them look and feel good) than to hand over a business card you gave them (in fact, they’ve probably lost that already).”

To show how marketing has changed, as asserted in the opening chapter, Valuable Content Marketing offers an overview for each content marketing perspective.

The authors do not spend a lot of time comparing content marketing against the different channels within social media. Yet they do successfully explain how to get past the “what do I say” question that arises from social media. That makes the book a value to those who have just set up their Twitter profile, but are not sure what they should say online.  For example, check out a thought starter on extending the shelf life of a white paper:

“Once you’ve put the time and resources in longer pieces of content there is a lot you can do with them…One white paper or ebook can become 10 blogs, 50 short tips on Twitter, a short series of guides…”

Chapters 9 and 10 get into media formats, detailing the right content to create an ebook or white paper. You’ll also read the pros and cons on content management decisions such as gating or not gating content.

I also found chapter 12 to be helpful. It focuses on sales, adjusting tactics to get to “the ask” instead of creating brochures for the sake of sales only.

“Brochures are still useful, but for professional firms they are purely a credibility tool not a door opener.”

You’ll learn the right mix of tools to use, such as incorporating a content calendar to maintain the effort. A chapter on search engine optimization (SEO) is short, but chapter 7 offers an outstanding explanation of the differences between a “brochure-style” website and a “valuable lead-generating website.” The terms may not be universal language among Web designers, but the diagrams will help business owners to know what site improvements to seek without having to understand HTML code. The book ends with a content checklist and questions for a case study.

The arrangement of material reminded me of Digital Impact, with quotes from additional sources. U.K. businesses are highlighted, such as Scottish firms Inkster and SwimTrek, and global names such as Intel are mentioned. But this book introduces American readers to excellent global campaigns to study, such as the highlight of Coke’s Global 2020 campaign that emphasizes “content excellence.” U.S. small businesses will also want to pay attention to the independent firms highlighted.

One detail that left me a bit wanting was the “value tips” sprinkled throughout the book. Some were just too general to provide meaningful guidance. But I found the further reading suggestions helpful, as well as the “take action” questions. Both appear at the end of the chapters.

When well executed, content marketing provides solid branding, augments search engine optimization when paired with a blog and enhances a business presence across numerous social media platforms. The book Valuable Content Marketing will work wonders to help your business achieve those benefits.

6 considerations for buying an online Hosting Plan

​Today, you will find thousands of website hosting companies in the market with various types of offering plans, facilities and costs. It is extremely hard to choose a hosting package from a large number of web hosting programs on the market, particularly if you are a new comer to website hosting.

Involved with planning this article, Inde i GOOGLED many 10 ​ uses to search criteria for any selection of great hosting plan with various search engine terms. And many of times, I acquired comparative graphs (comparative rating) of various web hosting businesses. The interesting now that, these types of comparative studies online hosting companies consider many common functions which I have detailed down for your guide.

one    Price
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Cost is the very first thing that many of us will check first whilst considering a web hosting package. In this particular age of competing marketing, there are various provides, discounts and marketing plans offered by webhost. However cost, discounts while offering really should not be the choosing factor while selecting a hosting company.
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In many of the situations, the price provided by the web sponsor for the first run is no more than the restoration cost. A nearer look in the first time cost and recurring price (annual renewal charge) allows you to arrange for your long-term spending budget.
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Whenever we talk about web hosting price, we need to keep 3 matters in our thoughts:
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the.       Annual /monthly price
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It does not take actual cost are likely to p ay for your web hosting organization either on monthly or even on yearly basis based on their repayment plan. Most of the serves only offer annual accounts
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n.       Cost of website (If you are purchasing a brand new domain)
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Whilst hosting a internet site, you require a website name. If you have already run a website name, you can just host your site on that website. Otherwise you need to purchase a new website.
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You are able to either buy this particular with any domain deliberar available in the actual market(for instance, www.godaddy.com) or request the same webhost for new website for which you is going to be charged specific amount for website name enrollment.
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chemical.        Setup charge.
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Several hosting companies charge for just one time setup charge for new accounts. The cost differs from less than $10(for easy website) to up to $1,5k (for dedicated machine hosting). However the comparative study online hosting companies available on different websites demonstrates that the top serves normally never charge for internet site setup.
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second .    Platform
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Within web hosting conditions, a platform describes a computer on top of that your website operates. Today, clients can choose from a number of systems according to their own business needs. The important thing players in today's world of website hosting platforms are generally: UNIX/Linux, Microsof company Windows and also FreeBSD.
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4.    Programming Language assistance
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The expansion and use associated with variety of programming different languages on web programming company has forced the net hosting companies to offer support for every of these. A few of the popular internet programming languages being used these days are generally PHP, Ruby upon Side rails, Perl, Python, OR NET,. Web, Java and Cool Fusion. Before web hosting your website, you can travel to those sites of respective website hosting company to verify the language assistance required by your internet site
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four.    MySQL Directories
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This particular refers to, the number of MySQL databases you can make in the disk space assigned to your? Nowadays, many hosting companies allow unlimited number associated with MySQL databases in every their web hosting plans. The sole restriction could be the web room allocated to every web hosting account. Still you may still find some web hosting providers who limit this particular facility to parenthetically 10, thirty, 100 or two hundred. So , it is to examine this number prior to purchasing any hosting package.
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five.    Control Board
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Within web hosting, the control panel is definitely an interactive web user interface provided to manage their own various hosted services in one location.
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Manage panels provide services that simplify tasks like uploading and controlling web pages, making email accounts, setting up web-based applications like weblogs, shopping buggies, and community forums, backing up information, generating and watching statistics about visitors and also reviewing error logs to find broken links along with other issues.
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Nowadays, almost all website hosting companies offers manage panels  in one type or other.  Cpanel, Plesk, Ipage and also Vdeck are some samples of web hosting cp.
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six.    Bandwidth (transfer/month)
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Band width is the measurement of information that is delivered from your internet host's server right down to the visitors pc. In case you have lots of visitors plus they download large documents from you, you will require a huge band width.
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A number of bandwidth choices provided by the net hosting companies within their plans. The between basic and costly plan of any web hosting provider are the differences within the amount of band width per month. The majority of hosts will define the actual bandwidth amount in GIGABYTE (Gigabytes).
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Uptime
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Uptime appertains to the period of time that the web host's machine (on that you've hosted your own website) has stayed working. Uptime is a wonderful way of measuring how good an online hosting provider is in kee ping their techniques working. Normally, this is measured within the percentage such as "99% or 98% inch uptime.
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Comparable Tales

Exactly why Self hosted Wp sites\'s Admin login diverts to WordPress. apresentando blogs?

The other day, I had been configuring the selfhosted wordpress website (onlineearningguru. com). I additionally had a exactly the same domain configured at kunne wordpress. apresentando (wordpress. onlineearningguru. com). Right after making few modifications, suddenly admin login started manipulating to wp. onlineearningguru. apresentando. I worked for over four hours to discover what modifications in our setting induced that. I really hope my experience within solving that issue can save your time should such problem occurs.

That always happens in case you changed the Wp Address (URL) of the self hosted Wp site using General Environment. Once you transformed it and rescued, now you is going to be redirected towards the WordPress. apresentando admin solar panel.
The answer for this would be to change the Wp Address (URL) from databases itself. With this you need to gain access to y ou personal hosted website's Cpanel. Please stick to actions:
one Login to personal hosted website's CPanel.
second . Visit phpMyAdmin
4. Select your databases
4. Pick a table called PREFIX_option and browse this. (PREFIX depends upon what you got used while creating your own database during Wp installation)
five. The first line of this table provides the siteurl information that, for the time being, may be the address from the site you are getting rerouted to. To alter it, click on edit.
six. Vary the siteurl for your self hosted weblog address and click ALRIGHT.
6. Now you must be able to discover your admin login web page.
Enjoy Wp.

Comparable Tales

What exactly is SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION?: Definition through TOP 5 SEO GUIDES.

one The ability of SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Simply by Eric Enge, Stephan Bradzino, Flanke Fishkin, as well as Jessie D. Stricchiola

Released by O'Reilly Press, Incorporated.

“Search motor optimization” is a advertising function, also it must be treated such as one. SEO experts need to be familiar with services, items, overall strategy, competitive scenery, branding, long term site development, as well as related business components as much as associates of other marketing sections, whether offline or online.

Similar to other marketing perform, it is very important arranged specific goals as well as objectives-and if the objective is not considerable, it is far from helpful. Setting up this kind of objectives is the best way you can evaluate if you are having your money's worth out of your SEO work. And although SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION can be viewed task management, the very best investment, within our opinion, would be to treat it a lot more of the process-one that is iterative, is actually ongoing, and steady commitment through the stakeholders of the business.

Watching SEO like PPC (such something you decidedly switch on and off) is similar to viewing a healthy diet plan as something that you do only if you are over weight, instead of eating a healthy diet plan being a lifestyle option. Overweight? Crash diet plan.  PPC too costly? Paus e the actual campaigns. The strategy may work in the best program, but with SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, those with one of the most success are who view website optimization as a way of life choice. The outcomes may not show up instantly, however they will handsomely incentive a business after individual and prudent dedication.

second . The New Guidelines of Marketing and PAGE RANK

Simply by David Meerman Robert

Released by John Wiley and Sons, Incorporated.

“Search motor optim ization” (SEO) may be the art and technology of ensuring how the phrases and words on your website, weblog, and other on the internet content are found through the search engines which, once discovered, your site is doled out the highest rating possible in the organic search engine results (i. electronic., exactly what search engine formula deems important for the actual expression entered).

Â

4. Seo One hour each day 2rd Version

Simply by Jennifer Grappone, Gradiva Couzin.

Re leased by Wiley Posting, Incorporated.

The word “Search Motor Optimization” describes a various set of routines that you can execute to increase the amount of desirable site visitors who come to your site via search engines like google (you can also have heard these types of activities called Internet marketing or Lookup Marketing). This consists of things you because of your site alone, such as creating changes to your textual content and Web coding. Additionally, it includes communicating immediately with the search engines like google, or seeking other sources of visitors by making requests regarding listings or hyperlinks. Tracking, study, and competitive evaluation are also area of the SEO package deal. Â

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is not marketing, although it might include an advertising element. It is far from p r (PR), even though it includes communication duties similar to PAGE RANK. As a constantly evolving area of internet marketing, SEO might sound complicated, however it is very easy in the fundamental objective: getting targetedÂ

four. Marketing and advertising in the Regarding Search engines

Simply by Vanessa Monk.

Released by John Wiley and Sons, Incorporated.,

‘‘Search motor optimization'' implies optimizing a website for search engines like google, but focusing on how search matches your business isn't actually about that whatsoever. It's regarding operating your business successfully within the current scenery.

five. The Beginners System.Drawing.Bitmap SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Simply by www.seomoz.org

Released by www.seomoz.org, PDF FILE edition.

“Search Motor Optimization” is the procedure for taking a web page built by humans as well as making it easily expendable for both other people and for internet search engine software.

Comparable Tales

Kiwi rewards system eyes global market

A New Zealand platform designed to help businesses reward customers and keep them coming back is catching on overseas, with clients ranging from a car wash in the Philippines to a shoe shine company in Dubai.

Plenfy (pronounced Plenfee) is a cloud-based system that allows businesses to create "customisable rewards" for loyal customers and track which incentives work best.

It can also be used to set up surveys so businesses can gauge how customers feel about their service.

Kiwi Shane Price said he developed the product with the simple aim of helping businesses attract and retain customers.

"The whole package is about getting customers back in the door," he said.

"Businesses can find out more about who their customers are, what they're ordering and which rewards are the most popular."

Customers can use the Plenfy mobile app to check reward balances, locate stores and find out about any daily specials, Price said.

Plenfy launched in June last year and started turning a profit four months ago.

It had 200 clients signed up so far and was looking to increase its customer base to more than 1000 in the next year.

Price said the beauty of being web-based was having unlimited access to markets.

Only about 10 per cent of clients were based in New Zealand, with 40 per cent from Australia, 20 per cent from the US, 15 per cent from the UK and the remainder from "everywhere in between".

Overseas clients include the Three Little Monkeys toy shop in the US, Tiarn Venter Skin Health in Australia, AutoJoss Car Wash in the Philippines, and The Shoe Shine Company in the United Arab Emirates.

"We're getting people signing up on a weekly basis," Price said. "We really want to build the New Zealand side of the market."

Plenfy is predominantly targeted at small to medium-sized businesses like cafes and mechanics.

"It's not limited to retail and hospitality but there are some features that wouldn't be relevant to certain industries," Price said.

Most clients had come on board through a partnership with point-of-sale software provider Vend, which already has thousands of retailers on its platform from more than 100 countries.

Businesses that use Plenfy have the system open in their store - on a computer, tablet, or any other web-accessible device - while they make sales and deal with customers.

Those already on the Vend platform need only that system open, since it is fully integrated with Plenfy.

Price said a pre-order feature was being trialled through a frozen yoghurt chain in Australia and would be rolled out to all clients next month.

"For example, you could pre-order your coffee from the café and skip the queue," he said.

Plenfy is run by a team of three, based on K Rd in Auckland, and a fourth member starts next week in a sales role.

Clients can choose from four monthly packages which are based on a transaction model. Each time an order is placed, a reward redeemed, or a survey completed, that counts as one transaction.

Subscriptions range from $39 per month for 1000 transactions, to $135 per month for 25,000 transactions.

By Ben Chapman-Smith Email Ben

NZ loses ground in global tech rankings

New Zealand has slipped six places in the World Economic Forum's ranking of economies based on their ability to benefit from new digital technologies.

The Forum has just released its Global Information Technology Report 2013, which assesses the digital ecosystems of 144 countries.

Those countries collectively account for more than 98 per cent of global GDP.

Each country was examined in terms of its preparedness to leverage advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) to drive economic productivity and social development.

New Zealand dropped back to 20th in the rankings with an overall score of 5.2 out of 7, down from 14th last year with a score of 5.4.

The country scored particularly poorly in two key areas - infrastructure and digital content, and affordability.

On the Networked Readiness Index (NRI), New Zealand placed 128th for mobile tariffs, 96th for internet and telephony competition, 82nd for fixed broadband internet tariffs, and 81st for mobile network coverage (percentage of population).

New Zealand managed to top the list in three indicators - judicial independence, number of days to start a business, and number of procedures to start a business.

In compiling its report, the Forum scored economies on the quality of their regulatory, business and innovation environments, their degree of preparedness, and the usage of ICTs by the public.

"The assessment is based on a broad range of indicators from Internet access and adult literacy to mobile phone subscriptions and the availability of venture capital," the report says.

"In addition, indicators such as patent applications and e-government services gauge the social and economic impact of digitization."

Northern European countries dominated the overall rankings, with Finland in first place, Sweden in third, and Norway and the Netherlands also in the top ten.

A second group of economies that posted "a remarkable performance" were the "Asian Tigers".

These included Singapore, Taiwan (China), the Republic of Korea, and Hong Kong SAR.

"All boast outstanding business and innovation environments that are consistently ranked among the most conducive in the world," the report said.

"The Tigers also stand out for their governments' leadership in promoting the digital agenda, and the impact of ICTs on society tends to be larger in these economies."

This year's report focused on 'growth and jobs in a hyper connected world' and found that digitisation has a measurable effect on economic growth and job creation.

"In emerging markets, a comprehensive digital boost could help lift over half a billion people out of poverty over the next decade," the report said.

"New technologies have already transformed sectors from healthcare to farming, case studies in the report show."

By Ben Chapman-Smith Email Ben

Facebook\'s Zuckerberg steps into politics

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley leaders have launched a political group aimed at changing immigration policy, boosting education and encouraging investment in scientific research.

Zuckerberg announced the formation of Fwd.us (pronounced "forward us") in an op-ed article in The Washington Post today. In it, he said the US needs a new approach to these issues if it is to get ahead economically. This includes offering a path to citizenship for the 11 million or so immigrants who now live in the US illegally.

"We have a strange immigration policy for a nation of immigrants," Zuckerberg wrote. "And it's a policy unfit for today's world."

Zuckerberg said he wants "comprehensive immigration reform that begins with effective border security, allows a path to citizenship and lets us attract the most talented and hardest-working people, no matter where they were born."

The move comes at an opportune time. Zuckerberg's goals echo a sweeping immigration bill that a bipartisan Senate group is expected to roll out in the coming days.

Companies such as Microsoft and Google, along with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have been pushing to make it easier for highly skilled workers and entrepreneurs to work in the US Although Fwd.us supports increasing the number of visas available to these workers, its goals are broader.

Zuckerberg also called for higher standards and accountability in schools and increased focus on learning about science, technology, engineering and math. Today's knowledge and ideas-based economy, the 28-year-old Harvard dropout wrote, is very different from the economy of the 20th century that was based on natural resources, industrial machines and labor.

Fwd.us, he said, was created to "to build the knowledge economy the United States needs to ensure more jobs, innovation and investment."

Also backing the group are tech leaders such as LinkedIn Corp. CEO Reid Hoffman and venture capitalists John Doerr and Jim Breyer, as well as Ruchi Sanghvi of Dropbox, who was Facebook Inc.'s first female engineer. Joe Green, founder of Causes.com, a social network for community organizing, serves as the group's president and founder.

Major financial contributors include Google Inc. Chairman Eric Schmidt, Netflix Inc. CEO Reed Hastings, Yahoo Inc. CEO Marissa Mayer, SpaceX and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, Zynga Inc. CEO Mark Pincus and former Groupon Inc. CEO Andrew Mason.

Fwd.us declined to disclose how much money Zuckerberg and other supporters have contributed to the group.

Last year, Zuckerberg donated 18 million Facebook shares, worth close to $500 million at the time, to a Silicon Valley charity with the aim of funding health and education issues. And he pledged $100 million in Facebook stock to Newark, New Jersey, public schools in 2010, before his company went public in May 2012.

The formation of Zuckerberg's group was reported by The Associated Press and other outlets last month.

-AP

Investors dump Microsoft on PC slump news

If fewer people are interested in buying a new personal computer, then fewer investors want to own stakes in companies whose fortunes are tied to the sales of laptop and desktop machines.

That logic ruled on Thursday as Wall Street reacted to fresh evidence that PCs are turning into a dying breed of technology as consumers and businesses embrace smartphones and tablet computers as their preferred computing devices.

The stocks of PC software maker Microsoft and PC maker Hewlett-Packard absorbed significant hits on the news that PCs suffered an unprecedented sales decline during the first three months of the year. Other companies connected to the PC industry, such as Intel, also were affected, although not to the same degree as the industry bellwethers.

Microsoft's stock fell $1.35, or 4.4 per cent, to close at $28.93, while HP's shed $1.44, or 6.5 per cent to finish at $20.88. Intel shares decreased 43 cents, or nearly 2 per cent, to $21.83.

First-quarter shipments of PCs plummeted by 11 per cent to 14 per cent from a year earlier, according to separate estimates issued late Wednesday by Gartner and International Data Corp.

By either measure, it was biggest decrease recorded by either research firm since they began tracking PCs sales. For IDC, the data goes back to 1994 just before Microsoft released a revamped PC operating system called Windows 95, which played a major role in triggering a sales boom that turned laptop and desktop machines into a household staple.

Microsoft hoped to revive PC demand last year with the debut of the most dramatic makeover of Windows since the 1995 redesign. The changes imbued Windows with some of the qualities of mobile software, including touch-screen controls and a display of applications in a mosaic of interactive tiles.

Although Microsoft says it's happy with the more than 60 million copies of Windows 8 that have been sold since its October release, analysts have been disappointed.

In its report, IDC blamed Windows 8 for accelerating the sales decline by confusing too many people who had become accustomed to using the old operating system. Another problem: The PCs designed to run on Windows 8 are coming in a befuddling array of styles and are demanding significantly higher prices than older models, at a time when the initial out-of-pocket expense for a smartphone is as low as $99 and tablet computers go for less than $US200. In a sign of how sensitive consumers have become to prices, Amazon.com's top-selling laptop is a $249 Samsung laptop running a new operating system based on Google's Chrome Web browser.

Count Sterne Agee's Shaw Wu among the analysts worried about the future of Microsoft and its partners in the PC industry. "We frankly believe (Microsoft's) strategy of forcing user interface changes that nobody wants has proven to be a disaster," Wu wrote in a Thursday research note.

Nomura Securities analyst Rick Sherlund also took a dimmer view of Microsoft's future prospect as he lowered his recommendation on the company's stock from a "buy" to "neutral." In a Thursday note, Sherlund asserted that about half of all consumers now see little reason to buy a PC or any other device running on Windows.

Microsoft may try to lure back consumers by offering less expensive devices.

The company, which is based in Redmond, Washington, is now developing a smaller version of its Surface tablet to compete with similar-sized devices made by Apple Inc., Google and Amazon.com, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, which cited anonymous people familiar with the matter. A Surface tablet with a 7-inch (17.5-centimetre) screen could hit the market this year, the Journal said.

Microsoft declined to comment Thursday.

Analysts say sales of the Surface with a 10.6-inch (27-centimeter) screen have been sluggish, despite an expensive marketing campaign.

Sherlund questioned whether Microsoft will ever pose a serious threat to Apple's iPad, Google's Nexus, Amazon's Kindle Fire and a variety of other tablets running on Google's Android software. "If the need is just for a tablet, Microsoft is not the first or second choice in the market and Windows 8 does not change that dynamic," Sherlund wrote.

HP, the world's largest PC maker, has been suffering sales declines with the rest of the market. Its PC shipments plunged by 24 per cent in the first quarter. The company, which is based in Palo Alto, California, had been hoping to bounce back with the release of Windows 8. With those hopes dashed, HP is now making a laptop that runs on the Chrome operating system. CEO Meg Whitman is also trying to expand the company's more profitable businesses, such as business software, data analysis and consulting.

Intel, whose chips are in 80 per cent of the world's personal computers but a laggard in mobile devices, is hoping to boost its revenue with a new line of microprocessors better suited for tablets and lightweight laptops. Among other things, the new chips consume less power so battery life lasts longer an increasingly important factor in an era of mobile devices.

-AP

Deliver Better Customer Service By Creating A Contact Center In The Cloud

Deliver Better Customer Servcie By Creating A Contact Center In The Cloud - Smallbiztechnology.com

A component of virtually every successful business is often an adequate contact center that responds to customer concerns. While you may not have the money for a full-blown PBX IP solution just for three or four people, there is a way to get champagne with a beer budget: Leverage the cloud and adopt communication as a service (CaaS) software.  This allows you to have a completely functional contact center without having to pay for overly expensive software or hardware.

CaaS isn't always easy to get your hands on as a small business owner, but there is a solution out there on the market right now that might just suit you: Interactive Intelligence's CaaS Small Center. This contact center solution combines practically every form of communication (chat, SMS, email, and regular phone calls), giving you the flexibility and interactive capabilities that larger enterprises have enjoyed for so many years.

This user-friendly interface unifies everything into one screen and lets you easily respond to support requests and calls. You'll experience reduced response times, a higher level of customer satisfaction and an outward image that shows you have a professional business under your thumb. You don't necessarily have to lose the “mom and pop” feel that customers get when they call you directly. It's all about creativity and establishing a framework which recreates this environment with every one of your contact center employees.

If you're spending a lot of time trying to organize your support infrastructure and have, at many points, resorted to improvising, you'll breathe a sigh of relief with your own CaaS taking the helm. Employees can respond to calls whenever you're not able to, and you can focus on other things, like the little crises that often pop up on a heavy ordering day.

CaaS Small Center costs $99 per user per month. But, to find out if the solution is right for you, Interactive Intelligence gives you a 14-day trial run without any commitments. Also, this is a pay-as-you-go service.

Where there's a will, there's a software package ready to pump iron for you. Markets are nothing if not innovative, and it's your time to shine with enterprise-class software that's finally at your fingertips. It's time you adopt a solution that will help you retain customers by giving them a decent response time for their troubles.

Tech Thursday (4/11): News From Brazzlebox and Brainshark

Tech Thursday (4/11): News From Brazzlebox and Brainshark - Smallbiztechnology.com

It's Tech Thursday from Smallbiztechnology.com. Each week we take a quick look at business and technology news and updates for the small business community and share them with you in a quick and simple round-up.

 

 

 

Brazzlebox and Worldwide Express Partner For Small Business

Partnership gives small businesses more shipping power

 

Brazzlebox has announced a partnership with Worldwide Express to leverage its social network in support of the small business owners and entrepreneurs operating 150-plus franchises in the global logistics company.

Brazzlebox, a community-based network for small and home-based business owners, will help Worldwide Express reach into more communities by leveraging a unique platform that connects, promotes and services local businesses. Worldwide Express handles package and freight shipments for more than 30,000 small to midsize businesses and is one of the largest authorized resellers of express shipping for UPS®.

You can see more about this unique partnership here.

 

Brainshark Extends Sales Enablement Leadership With New Product Suite and Capabilities

With Brainshark's New Sales Enablement Portal and Brainshark On-Demand and SlideShark Solutions, Reps Can Better Prepare for Meetings, Engage Their Audiences and Advance Sales Opportunities 

 

Brainshark, Inc., a leading sales enablement platform provider, today introduced a new product as part of an integrated suite, designed to provide organizations with a smarter way to sell. The Brainshark Sales Enablement Portal , part of the company's new Sales Enablement Suite , extends Brainshark's leadership in the field of sales enablement â€" demonstrated by Brainshark supplying thousands of companies worldwide with the capabilities to more effectively prepare for customer interactions, engage with key audiences and advance sales opportunities.

Industry research shows that 40 percent of an average sales rep's week is eaten up by creating customer-facing deliverables â€" with reps using less than half of the materials produced by marketing. Brainshark's solutions â€" for rapid content creation and the dissemination of approved, engaging and up-to-date content â€" create improved efficiencies for half of the Fortune 100 and many more. Relied on by companies across industries, Brainshark sees more than 75 percent of its business come from supporting customers in activities that advance their sales and marketing effectiveness.

Brainshark's product portfolio includes Brainshark On-Demand â€" for turning static documents like PowerPoints into online and mobile video presentations.These presentations can be shared, tracked and viewed anytime, anywhere, at the recipient's convenience. In addition, Brainshark powers SlideShark â€" the award-winning app for showing PowerPoints live on the iPad and iPhone. Both products are underpinned by Brainshark's cloud-based, business-class platformâ€" the result of more than 450 man-years of development.

See more about these new services here.

Checkout by Amazon Makes Digital Payment Easy

Checkout by Amazon Makes Digital Payment Easy

With the recent explosion of online marketplaces, many companies are vying for control of the digital payment space. One from a well-known internet presence is Checkout by Amazon. With an already large customer base, adding Checkout by Amazon to your small business allows millions to buy with pre-established accounts, using a system known for its ease and security. Using the same security as Amazon.com, Checkout by Amazon offers full protection from fraud-related chargebacks from transactions that meet their payment protection policy. Further, it has no start-up costs, hidden feeds, or monthly charges.

One of the main selling points of Checkout by Amazon is that the entire process can be placed on your website. While some other digital payment services redirect your customers to other pages, Checkout by Amazon allows sellers to control the buying experience and could help lower shopping cart “abandonment” rates, when many consumers rethink their potential purchase. Further, you can upsell and promote other products through the checkout process.

The only costs associated with Checkout by Amazon are when something is purchased. The seller is charged 5% plus $0.05 for purchases under $9.99, and 2.9% plus $0.30 for purchases over $10.00. They even offer volume discounts ranging from 2.5% plus $0.30 for average transactions of $3,000-$9,999.99, to 1.9% plus $0.30 for average transactions over $100,000. In terms of costs, this makes it very comparable to Paypal, another player in the digital payment market.

Another feature is how it can be implemented in a way that fits your business. The inline checkout allows customers to select their information from their Amazon accounts, through your existing checkout flow with no pop-ups or redirections. The standard checkout creates a pop-up screen where the customer selects their information. The pre-integrated cart allows users to keep track of their items to be purchases, and a buy now button allows users to select and purchase a single product without a shopping cart.

Overall, Checkout by Amazon seems to be a great way to let your customers manage the checkout process, assuring them a secure and quick method of payment many are already familiar with. When compared to Paypal, it lacks the ability to transfer funds to another person, but the brand recognition and security of transfers and financial information more than make up for it. Further, with the many ways to pay and incorporate into your business, Checkout by Amazon is not only consumer friendly; it's very business friendly.

7 Tips From Media Experts On How To Put Your Small Business Into The Spotlight And Get Media Coverage

About Stephanie Faris

Stephanie is a freelance writer and young adult/middle grade novelist, who also works in information systems. Her first book, 30 Days of No Gossip, will be released by Simon and Schuster in spring 2014. She lives in Nashville with her husband. Read More