Microsoft forced into Windows 8 rehash

Microsoft is preparing an update to Windows 8 for release later this year. It says the changes are designed to address complaints and confusion with the new operating system.

Windows 8 is the most radical overhaul of Microsoft's operating system since Windows 95 came out nearly two decades ago. It was revamped to embrace the types of touch-screen controls popular on smartphones and tablet computers, devices that are siphoning sales from the desktop and laptop PCs that have been Microsoft's traditional stronghold. Windows 8 was released with much fanfare in October, but got a lukewarm reception from consumers.

Part of the problem is that Windows 8 tries to be all things to all people. It's designed to respond to touch-screen controls, but it also works with traditional mouse and keyboard commands. It offers a new layout that resembles tablet computers, but it also has a desktop mode that looks like previous versions of Windows. What results is confusion.

In addition, many of the controls to launch programs and change settings have been tucked away. That gives Windows 8 a cleaner look, but it also requires people to do more work finding all the controls.

Microsoft isn't saying much about what the new Windows 8 will have. Nor will it say whether it will charge for the upgrade.

What the Redmond, Washington, company will say is that it's responding to customer feedback in developing the update.

Here's a look at some of that feedback and possible solutions in the coming update:

The problem: There's no central place for launching programs and changing settings.

Windows 8 features a new start page that takes over the entire screen. The page is filled with boxes, or tiles, for accessing your favorite programs. But to get to programs you use less often, you need to slide up a menu from the bottom, click on "All apps" and find the one you want. When you're already using a program, such as a Web browser, you have to switch back to this start page to launch a different one, even if it's one of your favorites. To access settings, you need to slide over a set of icons, known as charms, from the right of the screen.

By contrast, past versions of Windows have a "start" button on the lower left corner, which allowed quick access to programs and settings without interrupting your workflow. That button is always there as you move from program to program.

The solution: Restore the "start" button. Don't make people figure out where everything is. Make it easy for them to see where to "start."

The problem: Microsoft is encouraging people to use the new tablet-style layout filled with tiles, but many programs are designed for the older, desktop mode. That's the case even with Microsoft's popular Office suite of business tools, despite the fact that the latest version of Office came out months after Windows 8 comes out.

As a result, using Windows 8 feels like running two different computers on the same machine, as the tile and desktop modes don't communicate well with each other. Consider Microsoft's Internet Explorer 10 browser. web pages you open in desktop mode won't appear when you switch to the browser in the tile mode. Because many popular programs run only in desktop mode, it would make sense to do most of your computing there, but Windows 8 always forces you into tile mode when you start the machine.

The solution: Allow people to enter the desktop mode automatically when they start their machines. Over time, people may get more comfortable with tile mode and may want to switch, but don't force it on them and make them resent it before they are ready.

The problem: Those charms on the right are useful for restarting your machine, configuring your wireless connection and changing other settings. But you're left to figure out how to access them. On touch screens, you have to know to swipe a menu from the right, like opening a sock drawer. If you're using a mouse, you need to drag the cursor to the top or bottom right of the screen, then drag it to the appropriate charm.

The solution: Besides restoring the "start" button and having those settings instantly accessible, offer an option to have that sock drawer continually appear. It's similar to how the Taskbar is always present on older versions of Windows, usually at the bottom. It's also similar to how the Dock is always there on Mac computers (though once you're used to it, you can hide the Dock until you move your cursor there).

The problem: There's no obvious way to close programs, the way you can by hitting an "x" at the corner of the program in older versions of Windows. You need to figure out how to drag the app to the bottom of the screen, and the way you do it depends on whether you are using touch or a mouse. Stray too far to the left or the right, and your computer will enter a multi-window mode instead.

The solution: Restore the "x." Don't force people to do gestures that don't seem intuitive to the task at hand.

The problem: In making it easy for touch screens, mouse and keyboard commands are more complex to use and figure out.

The solution: Don't try to be a one-size-fits-all operating system. Apple and Google have kept their systems separate for touch-screen mobile devices and for traditional computers that use mouse or trackpad controls.

Microsoft can improve usability by designing the operating system for one or the other. Don't expect this to change in the promised update, though.

-AP

IT industry backs software patent change

The Government has announced a change to planned new patent rules today which has put an end to fears that computer software might be covered by new patent protection.

Industry sources have welcomed the decision and the Labour Party has called it "a humiliating back down".

Commerce Minister Craig Foss has released a supplementary order paper to clarify issues around the patentability of computer programmes in the Patents Bill.

"These changes ensure the Bill is consistent with the intention of the Commerce Select Committee recommendation that computer programs should not be patentable," Foss said.

The Patents Bill is designed to replace the Patents Act 1953 and update the New Zealand patent regime.

The Commerce Select Committee recommended in 2010 that software should not be patentable, which led to lobbying from patent lawyers and others.

Foss then released a supplementary order paper (SOP) which changed some wording in the bill and caused industry concern that he might be reversing his decision.

Ongoing consultation with the New Zealand software and IT sector had led to today's announcement, Foss said.

"I'm confident we've reached a solution where we can continue to protect genuine inventions and encourage Kiwi businesses to export and grow."

The Labour Party said Foss had been forced into "a humiliating back down" over the software patent system.

"Last year Craig Foss gave in to patent lawyers and multinational software players and sought to impose a software patents system on our IT sector," said communications and IT spokesperson Clare Curran.

"He overrode the advice of the Commerce Select Committee that copyrighting software would smother innovation."

Foss said there had been "a lot of noise" about the SOP when he released it and today's move was not a back-down.

"There were some concerns out there but that was a misconception about what we intended from the first SOP."

His intention was always that devices such as digital cameras or washing machines, that make use of a computer program, would be patentable, but not the software itself, Foss said.

Internet New Zealand welcomed today's tabling of the SOP, saying it made clear that computer software was not patentable in New Zealand.

Foss' decision to amend the Patents Bill drew to a close "years of wrangling between software developers, ICT players and multinational heavyweights over the vexed issue of patentability of software", said spokesperson Susan Chalmers

"Patenting software would not only make the continued development of the Internet more difficult, it would reduce innovation and could well stymie interoperability of various software platforms," she said.

New Zealand's largest IT representative body, the Institute of IT Professionals, expressed relief and said a major barrier to software-led innovation had been removed.

Chief executive Paul Matthews said although there were varied opinions on the matter, the consensus amongst professionals was that the patent system simply did not work for software.

"If you look at the New Zealand market, you would be hard pressed to find many people that were thinking patents would be a good idea."

It was in New Zealand's best interests for software to continue to be covered through the provisions of copyright - "a far more appropriate mechanism" - in the same way movies and books were, Matthews said.

"We believe it's near impossible for software to be developed without breaching some of the hundreds of thousands of software patents awarded around the world, often for 'obvious' work.

"Thus many software companies in New Zealand, creating outstanding and innovative software, live with a constant risk that their entire business could be threatened due to litigious action by a patent holder."

Patenting software would give large overseas firms the opportunity to monopolise a concept and crush smaller competitors through the legal system, he said.

New Zealand's biggest software exporter, Orion Health, also welcomed Foss' decision.

Chief executive Ian McCrae said obvious things were being patented under the current regime.

"You might see a logical enhancement to your software, but you can't do it because someone else has a patent.

"In general, software patents are counter-productive, often used obstructively and get in the way of innovation."

Matthews said a recent poll of more than 1000 Kiwi IT professionals found 94 per cent wanted to see software patents gone.

A petition launched by the industry against software patents received over 1,000 signatures in under a week, he said.

By Ben Chapman-Smith Email Ben

How a Small Business Can Use Big Data

Big data is big news in today's digitized world. With the explosion of Internet usage and social media networks, there's a massive cloud of data being generated about people all over the world, and it's growing at an exponential rate.

Until recently, big data has been a mining center for big business to learn more about customer behaviors, desires, trends and browsing or buying patterns. It takes a sophisticated system and considerable computing power to sort through all that information and pull something useful out of it.

However, technology has advanced in power-and come down in price. Now, even small businesses can tap into the power of big data to improve the customer experience and boost bottom lines.

Analytics: The Key to Using Big Data

The term “big data” covers a lot of ground. Data is collected from every action that's performed on an Internet-connected network-sending an email or tweet, posting to Facebook or a blog, commenting or rating, updating a profile, shopping online, using a cell phone or tablet, even swiping a credit card at a physical store. Every action generates a digital footprint that's stored somewhere in the ether.

That's a lot of data. To obtain useful information from this vast ocean, you'll need some serious analytical power that can find the relevant bits and display them in a format you can understand. Fortunately, that power is both affordable and accessible through various platforms from free programs like Google Analytics to inexpensive business tools like customer relationship management (CRM) software.

What Can Your Small Business Do With Big Data?

If you're looking to tap into the vast, rich landscape of big data, there are a number of avenues to explore.

Sort Through Your Social Media

You're already connected to many of your customers through your business social media networks,aren't you? Well, the data collection doesn't have to stop there. Tools like Social Mention, Twilert, and Kurrently let you set up alerts and notifications whenever a subject is mentioned online like your business itself, the products or services you offer or any relevant keyword.

Once you start tracking these mentions, you can tailor your responses and conversations to build buzz, generate more interest and improve customer satisfaction and engagement.

Collect Customized Data With CRM

There are many inexpensive (even free) CRM systems that offer fully featured platforms to track interactions with customers and prospects. Programs such as Insightly, Zolo, and Nimble not only provide an inside line to big data, but also help you sort through it and pinpoint the most helpful information.

These platforms also include social media functionality, so you can streamline your big data collection from multiple sources.

Monitor and Mine Customer Calls

Whether you're working with a few office lines, a VoIP system with mobile capabilities, or a third-party call center, customer service calls can be an important source of data. Be sure you're collecting your call logs and analyzing the information.

Customer call data can help you:

• Discover the demographics of your callers.
• Identify the most common problems that result in a phone call.
• Analyze inbound calling trends.
• Optimize customer service through strategic call routing.

Many web-based VoIP systems include analytics and automated call logs, and they're also an inexpensive solution for business voice needs.

How can your small business take advantage of big data?

Data Photo via Shutterstock

Main Streets May Soon Be Without a Bank

Is the main street bank becoming a thing of the past? Over the last three years, banks have been steadily closing branches around the country. Many small communities are finding themselves without a bank branch for the first time since the Great Depression. U.S. banks and thrifts shut 2,267 branches in 2012, according to SNL Financial, a Charlottesville, Va., research firm.

According to a recent Celent study, branch closing is long overdue. “Branch growth over the last 40 years has dramatically exceeded US population growth. In 1970, there were approximately 107 branches per million individuals. By 2011, that had grown to 270 branches per million.” Banks cite the immediate reason for closures as a need to cut costs and a general consumer shift towards online and mobile banking.

While bank adoption of online technology is indeed essential, the move seems a bit premature given the fact that the online infrastructure needed to support full service remote banking is not yet in place. For instance, almost every major bank in the country still requires business owners to apply for business loans in person. Online applications are not accepted. Without a community bank branch, small business owners around the country will be forced to seek alternative means of financing.

There is also evidence to suggest that many of the communities that were targeted by predatory mortgage lenders are the same communities losing local branches. Those under-served communities tend to be low-income communities with a high percentage of unbanked (no checking or savings account) and underbanked (has an account but relies on alternative means of financing like check cashing) residents. A recent CFED study cited Miami, Florida as the city with the largest population of unbanked residents. Texas had the most unbanked counties on the list, and Bronx County in New York came in second on the top ten list with 20.8% of its residents unbanked.

Government regulations have also forced many small community banks to close over the last three years. The Dodd-Frank Act was designed to regulate the banking and lending industries and decrease the likelihood of another financial catastrophe. Unfortunately, an unintended consequence is soaring costs for community banks struggling to comply with the new regulations. Many of those banks are located in smaller communities. The FDIC released a report last month that stated that no new community bank charters have been granted since 2011 due, in part, to Dodd-Frank.

While there are online financial resources available to those residents who seek them out, the loss of local bank branches is already impacting the small business community. In order to make banking accessible to all, the industry as a whole must continue to invest time and resources into improving online technology, automation, and community education.

Main Street Photo via Shutterstock

Self-Employment Do and Don\'ts: Create the Right Balance

When you are planning to start your new business and become self-employed, you need to know about the things you need to do. But that is not all. You also need to know about the things you need NOT do.

Customers â€" Too Few or Too Many?

It is true that the chances of failure of a new business increase when it cannot generate sales. However, it is also equally true that the chances of failure also increase when you target everyone as a potential customer.

Suppose you work as a self-employed Web designer. If you try to convince everyone you know to create a website, it would take up much more time than the core business task, the creation of website designs. Moreover, it would be a waste of effort when you try to convince someone who has no idea about how a website works. It is not necessary to give an affirmative response to a business proposal if it would only be a headache right from the start.

The right thing to do is do your research about your target customers and build a plan to attract the right ones. If you do not know your customers, you have a slim chance of success with your new venture.

Funds â€" Too Much or Too Little?

Do you need to invest in the latest software? Do you need to buy a high-end desk for your new home office? Do you need to get help from an accounts expert? Your business and your budget determine the right answer to these questions.

If you have a Web-based business, you may need to invest in the latest software. However, if it is too much for your budget and you can do without it for the present, you can get it after your business starts to generate cash flow.

High-end furniture is, in most cases, a splurge for a newly self-employed individual. It may impress the people who come to visit you, but in the long run, it is of no use for your core business. Opt for functional furniture instead.

It is always a good idea to outsource certain tasks to specialized service providers. This would save you time and effort. Do not outsource any tasks related to your core business area, as it may have a negative impression on customers.

Belief â€" Too Optimistic or Too Pessimistic?

It is a bad idea to lie to anyone, a business associate or a customer or anyone else, when you begin your new business. However, this does not mean that no one would lie to you. A common mistake that a new entrepreneur makes is to rely on contracts. They think that just because it is in a written format, it is inviolable. A contract is important; however, it is seldom the last word on how a business relationship will work.

You need to focus on the relationship behind the contract. If the relationship works out, chances are the deal will work out too. If the relationship heads into trouble, no contract may be able to save the deal.

Every self-employed individual needs to understand that lies do not make the task easy. Do not display the show of a big company, with a number of employees, when you are actually on your own because it can backfire.

Attitude â€" Too Formal or Too Casual?

Too formal and you can be dubbed a fake; too casual and no one may ever take you seriously. The right thing to do is have a balanced attitude. Most importantly, do not lose your individuality just because you are now the self-employed owner of a business.

People lose patience with long, monotonous business proposals. Large corporations and their head honchos may take the formal approach because it suits them. A new-age, self-employed entrepreneur needs no such pretensions.

If you think that this means you can have a client meeting in your pajamas, you are obviously a little too casual. It is still a good idea to be a bit formal, at least in your attire, for client meetings, especially if they are with the large corporations.

Do not let the common perceptions dictate your attitude or your attire when you start your new business. You need not behave in a particular manner just because others do. Focus on your instincts. They will guide you in the right direction.

Purpose â€" Too Value-focused or Too Profit-based?

What is the goal of your business? This is the first question you need to answer before you give up your job and become self-employed. It is important to learn how to create the right balance between value creation and profit making.

If your business does not create value, for yourself and for your customers, it has no chance of success in the long run. You need to zero in on how your product or service can add to the value of yourself and your customers.

For example, your Web design business will create value for Web-based businesses to attract more customers and generate more profits for them. However, that is not all. You need to ensure profits for your business too. You may not be able to make profits immediately with a new business. However, you may be able to create value with it. Your next step would be to take apart the business concept and enhance it in ways that may contribute to profits.

It takes time, but with the right balance of key elements â€" you will succeed.

Hangout Magix: New Tool Lets You Add Branding to Google Hangouts

A new tool is available to give users options when it comes to Google Hangout graphics. Hangout Magix was unveiled on May 4 by entrepreneurs Alex Kozak and Bertrand Diouly.

The app is intended to work alongside Hangout Toolbox, a Google+ extension that is available on the left sidebar of Google Hangouts.

“Hangout Toolbox already lets you add some graphic elements to your presentations, but it's very basic,” said Kozak. “Hangout Magix gives you more options.”

The tool requires minimal design skills or experience, according to Kozak. Anyone can use the tool for free directly on hangoutmagix.com. Users can change around the design elements that appear on the screen during Hangouts, including text, backgrounds, colors, and logos. The design elements can be made to appear on the lower third of the screen, the sidebar, or even toward the top.

By simply clicking on the text part of the demo screen and typing a new title and subtitle, users can change the text to include their name, job title, social media accounts, a call to action, or whatever they choose.

Then they can choose from a predetermined group of background styles and colors to appear behind the text.

They can also add a logo to appear to the right of their text by choosing from a selection of popular logos or uploading a custom company logo. Once all the elements have been customized, users can download the file and then use Hangout Toolbox to add the design to their Hangouts.

Once Hangout Toolbox is open, users need to turn on the custom overlay option on the right side of the screen. Then upload the file created with Hangout Magix. Users can upload graphics to use with both Google Hangouts and Hangouts On Air.

Kozak is a self-proclaimed “Google Hangouts fan.” He said that the idea for Hangout Magix came to him just a few months ago out of a desire to have more options to customize his own Hangouts. Diouly had been involved in creating some similar graphics tools, so the two were able to form a partnership and quickly launch the new tool.

Hangout Magix is still a work in progress, according to Kozak, as the creators are looking to gain feedback from users.

How Mansa Systems Crossed $2M Leveraging Salesforce AppExchange

In 2006, the concept of cloud computing was just beginning to gain ground. Siva Devaki saw the Cloud as a means to achieve his longtime dream of building a full-service IT company. He decided to leave his secure career working for large companies such as Oracle and VeriSign. Drawing upon his past experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications, Siva launched his venture that same year.

Initially, Siva focused his work on the Cloud computing niche. In this high growth market, Siva noted that Salesforce CRM was already quite strong, but lacked the same focus in other related areas. Here, Siva took advantage of AppExchange, a Salesforce-run marketplace of business applications.

Through AppExchange, partners can create specific apps to enhance Salesforce for businesses. Users can shop for available apps, search partners to develop a custom solution or list an app of their own. Siva quickly began work with Salesforce to build apps for enterprise and small and medium sized enterprise (SME) customers.

Today, San Francisco-based Mansa Systems is a provider of Cloud, mobile and social enterprise solutions. Mansa focuses on the creation of apps to fulfill the specific needs of both customers and developers. By leveraging partner solutions like Watchdox, SendGrid, Slideshare, Citrix, and Amazon AWS, each app is guaranteed to meet a certain proven user need.

In recent months, Mansa Systems has become an official Salesforce ISV partner. The company continues to work with Salesforce in the enterprise app space, creating, updating and launching through the Force.com platform. They have successfully launched several new apps at affordable price points.

Among the company's releases are two apps built to deal with Salesforce's data limitations. The Cloud Drop app expands file storage space and file size limits for teams, as well as enables folder hierarchies to better manage storage. Cloud Drop also provides service at the considerably lower price of 10 cents per GB, compared to $5 with Salesforce. MassMailer eliminates Salesforce email limitations for bulk and transactional emails. The app offers white label emailing for consistent branding.

Mansa offers additional apps to manage business data with Salesforce. Webinar2Lead saves time by automatically syncing all GoToWebinar data in order to align marketing efforts with sales for only $14.99 per month. Similarly, Slide2Lead offers auto sync for SlideShare leads, campaigns, documents and statistics, eliminating manual imports and exports.

A final recent release called 37 Seconds increases success with inbound leads by calling new leads as they are received. Calls can be made from any location and routed to a mobile or office line and are automatically recorded for ease tracking. This increased speed of response is a proven means to achieving sales, for only $4.99 a month.

Each app is priced according to its own specific attributes, using a set bracket for number of users or charging a percentage of the partner's original price. As a general formula, service costs are either project-based or calculated according to time and materials spent â€" both varying from project to project.

In addition to their relationship with Salesforce, Mansa targets mid-size companies in the financial services and public sectors. Their current verticals include education, non-profits and health care and life sciences. Additional leads are generated via company apps in AppExchange and cross-selling current services.

Mansa provides the high-level services of a large IT firm as well as off-the-shelf apps as solutions. This dual specialization sets Mansa apart from competitors such as Appiro, Bluewolf and Astadia. Mansa continues to develop a personalized business by constructing integration templates or connectors for specific areas, which will provide new leads to specialized customers and projects. Through a global delivery framework, Mansa expands customer options by providing expertise on a worldwide scale.

Mansa already lists prominent enterprise-level names Paypal/eBay, Logitech and Topcon among their customers. Wholly self-funded, the company has already passed the $2 million revenue mark by marketing primarily to Salesforce customers through the AppExchange.

U.S. Government To Pay $3 Million in Back Fees to Small Businesses

The U.S. federal government owes 1,281 small businesses approximately $3 million collectively in termination fees. The small businesses are ones that were approved to sell to the government on the GSA's Multiple Award Schedule, but had their contracts terminated.

The failure to pay was uncovered after a year-long investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Small Business.  House Small Business Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) announced the findings.

Why the Fees Are Owed

The fees are related to guaranteed minimum sales that the government committed to make to small businesses approved under the General Services Administration's Multiple Award schedule.  The 1,281 small businesses that got on the GSA schedule but didn't get at least $25,000 in annual sales from the government, are each due a $2,500 termination fee (minus any amounts actually sold by them).

If you're wondering why the government committed to guaranteed minimum sales, it has to do with the government's goal to have a portion of government contracts go to small businesses.  The termination fees are designed to encourage government contracting with small businesses.

Of the 19,000 or so businesses contracted through GSA, the majority - 80 percent - are smaller firms.

The GSA schedule is like a pre-approved vendor catalog that government departments can buy through.  Getting on the Schedule doesn't guarantee the government will buy anything from your business.  But there is a distinct advantage to getting on the GSA Schedule: it makes it easier and faster for government departments to purchase from your business.

However, you are dealing with a large bureaucracy. There's cost associated with navigating the process just to get on the GSA Schedule in the first place. According to a spokesman for the House Committee, it can cost small businesses between $6,000 to $40,000 for a standard GSA proposal.   That means if you don't get sufficient GSA sales you've probably lost  money.

Discovery by the House Small Business Committee

The nonpayment was discovered when the House Committee looked into the small-business impact of GSA's proposal to cancel a large number of contracts in the future. During that review last year, Chairman Graves noticed that GSA was not taking the termination fees into account - and in fact had not been paying them as required, since 2008.

But the good news for these small businesses is that the GSA has agreed to pay the back termination fees.

“Contracting with small businesses is good for the economy and it's good for the taxpayer because small companies bring cost-savings to the federal government,” Graves said in a statement. “But when federal agencies don't live up to their end of the bargain, small businesses are discouraged from competing and taxpayers lose the benefits of government efficiency. Although we're extremely disappointed that this error has occurred, the General Services Administration has owned up to their mistake and will distribute payment this year.”

A spokesman for the House Committee says they do not have a specific timetable for the GSA's repayment this year.

Changes Going Forward

The GSA said in its response to the Committee that it will change its small-business practices going forward.  For one thing, it will not require contractors to request a guaranteed minimum payment, although they must meet all other  requirements.

Also, the GSA will focus on improving education and communication with small businesses in the future, by:

(1) educating small businesses so they can better determine whether it's even worthwhile to pursue getting on the GSA schedule in the first place; and

(2) outreach to those already on the GSA schedule that are not meeting minimum sales, to educate and try to help them succeed.

The GSA's letter to the House Committee on Small Business is below.

 

 

Capitol: shutterstock

Why Website Analytics Are Vital For Your Business

Ten years ago, it was enough for a business to create a website, cast it out into the wild and merely sit back while the traffic rolled in. But in today's increasingly technical world with big data seamlessly flowing, it has become essential for small businesses to study their website analytics in order to personalize the experience for visitors, compete with industry behemoths and improve overall business.

For those of you that aren't studying your website analytics to enhance business, the investment it took to build that website is destined to be a lost cause.

According to a recent study on small businesses' online strategies, only 25 percent of small businesses use an analytics tool, such as the free Google Analytics service, to measure website performance. That means 75 percent of small businesses are missing opportunities to enhance website traffic, improve sales and drive business forward.

With this decade's eruption in technology and big data, businesses that don't know what their audience is doing online are simply flying blind.

Google Analytics is the most popular website statistics service, with a usership of more than 55 percent of the top 10,000 websites last year. This tool and similar services are seeing higher demand as more and more businesses realize the positive impact of using such data. What's more, Google Analytics is available to businesses at no cost, meaning enterprises and small businesses can benefit just the same.

Small businesses competing with industry giants can leverage website analytics to cater towards particular audiences and direct messages appropriately.

A great example of a company that successfully studied data to increase appeal with its audience is BannerView. They sought to understand what keywords and topics listed in their bi-weekly newsletter most resonated with their subscribers. From the last 12 newsletters, BannerView discovered SEO and online marketing content racked up the most hits and comments, which allowed them to then tailor their newsletters to better fit their audience's interests.

BannerView gained more responses and was able to develop new content marketing products based on the results of this data alone.

Undoubtedly, with the large volume of data flowing in each day, it's growing harder to make sense of it all. However, website analytics can offer solutions to your company's online Web woes. Whether you're questioning the success of your blog content, wondering if specific content fits better on another page or looking to see which devices viewers use to access your site the most, website analytics are there for you.

Many think of website analytics as a tool that just tells you how many visitors your website receives each day, but that is only one small component of what Web analytics can tell you about the performance of your website.

Building a website and blindly casting it into the vast, expanding online sea is no longer enough. The key to your website's online success now lies in your ability to unlock its rich user data so you can drive your business initiative â€" from branding and sales to customer service â€" through a deep understanding of your audience.

Analytics Photo via Shutterstock

ExpertCircle Launched: Find Products Recommended by Your Peers

DocStoc today launched ExpertCircle, a  site where you can find vendors and products for you business, recommended by your peers.  You can also suggest vendors and products to recommend them to others.

ExpertCircle is like sharing word of mouth for business vendors, but in an organized central place.

According to Jason Nazar, founder and CEO of Docstoc, “Most small business owners rely on word of mouth for business advice; with ExpertCircle we're incorporating the ability for those same professionals to share their personal endorsements on a platform accessible by all business owners, so that they can, too, easily find the best products and vendors that are reviewed by their professional peers and based on their given needs. The same way that consumers turn to Yelp and Angie's List for reviews, ExpertCircle is a free platform for business owners, entrepreneurs and operators to get the most reliable recommendations on business products that their peers recommend and use.”

Finding Products and Vendors

When you first arrive on ExpertCircle, you are walked through a brief decision tree.  It asks you such things as the age and size of your business.  Presumably that's to present you with a list of  relevant products and services appropriate for your business size, industry or circumstances.

You also can search by category (such as accounting or HR products) or by industry (such as spa, massage, tanning or tattoo services).  So, for instance, let's say you are in the tattoo business. You are looking for an appointment scheduler or CRM system appropriate for tattoo parlors. You can search by industry to find one.

Endorsing or Critiquing a Product or Vendor

Once a product or service vendor is listed on ExpertCircle, users can endorse them with an up vote, or downgrade them with a down vote.  The highest recommended vendors and products appear at the top of the list. Alongside each vendor or product is the number of endorsements they have received. See screenshot above, showing the Accounting & Finance section.

One thing I noticed is if you click on something in error - either the blue “up arrow” to endorse or the red “down arrow”  to critique something - you can't seem to unclick.  Or, at least, I couldn't seem to.

For example, I initially clicked the red down arrow for Freshbooks just to try it out.  But I really didn't mean to give it a negative vote.

However, the only way I could figure out how to get rid of my erroneous negative critique was to click the up arrow to endorse Freshbooks.  That's OK because I have a favorable view of Freshbooks.  Still, it would be good to have a better way to reverse an erroneous click.

Submitting a Vendor or Product

You can submit your favorite vendor or product. We tried out the process. It is easy and takes just a couple of minutes. The hardest part - which isn't really hard - is figuring out the proper category to place something in.  So for instance, I submitted the TweakYourBiz Title Generator Tool and managed to submit it quickly.

Keeping out spam submissions and ensuring submissions are in the proper categories will be the challenging bit as  ExpertCircle scales.  When I made my submission, it said that it would need to be approved.  I assumed that would involve some kind of manual review.  However, my submission appeared on the site in under 30 seconds.

One thing that should keep some integrity in the system is that you must log in with either your LinkedIn account or Facebook account.  And your avatar appears next to anything you submit or endorse, so that will tend to keep the results more accurate.

ExpertCircle is free to use.  DocStoc, the parent company, is a content site containing over 20 million professional documents such as contracts and business templates, shared by over 30 million registered users.  DocStoc, founded in 2007, is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.

How to Capitalize When You Produce a Viral Infographic

Everyone who has any stake in creating virtual content, whether developing it, marketing it, producing it or simply writing about it, has one dream: That their content goes viral.

Within minutes, your video, blog or picture is seen by thousands of people. In a day, you've notched up over a million views. But when fortune blesses you with this bounty, how do you react? What do you do? You've got millions of customers at your door; what's your next step?

Produce Another One

Infographics are popular because they succinctly summarize complicated material. Today, people don't have the patience to watch a 5-minute video or read a 500-word article or blogpost. They want their information presented to them in a compact, appealing package, like a dinner plate that has just the right balance of every item of food.

When you produce an infographic that hits the sweet spot â€" the right balance of text, graphics and details â€" and people start sharing that infographic, the next step is to look at a sequel. After all, infographics are very high level, telling only a fraction of a story.

For example, an email marketing firm named Aweber created an infographic that showed how only $1 spent on email marketing could create $40 in revenue.

For a small business owner, this is worth gold. Even to someone not interested in email marketing might want to see how they came up with their formula. Aweber might be well served to create another infographic, this one digging just a little deeper, while still being very easy to digest at a single glance.

If Aweber does it right, they might hit gold again with the success of the first infographic leading to people seeking out the second.

Go From Infographic to Video

It's true that videos are no longer the be-all-end-all of marketing like everybody once thought they were. However, a video in conjunction with an infographic could still take off.

If you hit on the right combination in an infographic, you could go in for the kill with a slick, well-produced video clip. You'll already have the visual elements from your infographic. Simply get a snazzy piece of music, someone with a good voice who is comfortable recording a voiceover and a piece of editing software to put it all together, and you'll have you video.

You'll have to make the video offer a bit more information than the original infographic; your readers (and viewers) will not appreciate watching a 3-minute video clip for something they could have digested in the 20 seconds it takes to skim through an infographic.

If you can promote the video by saying, “If you liked this infographic, this video will answer a few more of your questions,” you might say that you've successfully capitalized on your viral infographic.

Viral Photo via Shutterstock

Don\'t Pay Penalties and Fees: Avoid Business Compliance Pitfalls

For a small business, the number of filings required in a given year can be overwhelming. Let's take California as an example. A newly formed corporation must obtain a Federal Tax ID number, file an Initial Statement of Information, elect S Corporation status if desired, file a DBA (Doing Business As) if needed and file an annual statement of information on the anniversary date of the corporation's filing date. Then, there's other paperwork like meeting minutes or Articles of Amendment, if you make any changes.

This may seem like trivial paperwork, but it's actually pretty important. Failure to file required paperwork can lead to fines and penalties. And as states are facing rising budget deficits, they're looking to ramp up their collection efforts and increase revenues any way possible. Penalties and fines can range anywhere from $175 to $400.

While it's never fun to pay a dime more than you have to, failing to file paperwork can have even more serious consequences than these extra fees. This paperwork is key to keeping your corporation or LLC in good standing. If your business happens to be sued, a plaintiff may try to show that you haven't maintained your business to the letter of the law.

In the worst cases, your “corporate shield” is pierced and your personal assets can be vulnerable.

Maintaining a corporation or LLC is an ongoing process. Below is a general overview of what you need to do to keep your business in compliance. Of course, specific requirements will vary based on your business type and location.

1. File An Annual Report

Most states require some sort of annual report filing on the anniversary of your business' incorporation date (in some cases, it's every two years, or due at the end of the calendar year). It's a simple form, so be sure to get it done on time to avoid late fees and penalties.

2. File Amendments For Any Changes

If you made some major changes to your LLC or Corporation, you may need to keep your state up to date with an Articles of Amendment form. Examples of changes include: changes to the company name, registered agent, registered office, business address, number of authorized shares, and business activities.

3. Get a Federal Tax ID number

To distinguish your business as a separate legal entity, you'll need to obtain a Federal Tax Identification Number, also referred to as an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Issued by the IRS, the tax ID number is similar to your personal social security number and allows the IRS to track your company's transactions.

4. Keep Up To Date With Any Meeting Minutes

If your business is a corporation (S or C), you'll need to record meeting minutes (including every action or decision) whenever you hold a corporate meeting. Typical content includes: time and place of meeting, attendance and chair of the meeting, any actions (purchases, elections, etc.) and signature of recorder and date.

5. File a DBA For Any Name Variations

A lot of times, a business has an official name and then uses any number of variants of that name. For example, your official name might be COMPANY, Inc., but you also go by COMPANY or COMPANY.com, etc. In these cases, you need to file a DBA (Doing Business As) for each of the variations.

6. Use Your Proper Name On Any Contract

In addition to filing DBAs as needed, you should be extra careful about how your business is referenced in business contracts and other forms. Whenever you reference your business, make sure to identify it as a corporation, using Inc. or Corp., whichever your state requires.  Never use your name followed by “DBA” (Doing Business As) on a contract.

10 Awesome Email Management Tools

What's your favorite email management tool and why?

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

1. Constant Contact

I use Constant Contact to manage my email lists and communications. The tool makes sending smart, custom-designed emails easy. All of the bells-and-whistles features make you look like a big company, even when it's just you. The best thing is that, if you aren't going to send any communications for a while, you can store your list for a small fee.

- Alexandra Levit, Inspiration at Work

2. Boomerang

If you use Gmail for your email needs, go get Boomerang  ASAP! It lets you remove emails from your inbox that don't need immediate attention or that you're waiting to follow up on. It then brings them back whenever you choose. It can also send emails automatically at a preferred time. Trust me; get it now.

- Shahzil (Shaz) Amin, Blue Track Media, LLC

3. Infusionsoft

Infusionsoft  is more than just email management. It allows you to collect prospects' email addresses and follow up with them automatically and send broadcast emails, but it's so much more than that. It has smart-tracking and tagging features that you can use to segment your list and target your offers.

- Nathalie Lussier, The Website Checkup Tool

4. Bananatag

Bananatag is a must-have email management tool for any business owner. This service effortlessly tracks your sent emails so you can see what happens to them after they are sent. The system then notifies you of both email opens and link clicks inside your email. The interface is very user-friendly and displays all your email metrics in an easy-to-follow dashboard.

- Anthony Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings

5. MailChimp's Group Feature

We use MailChimp “Groups” to send subscribers content they want. We've used MailChimp's tools to collect more data about our subscribers so we know what they like to receive. This has allowed us to steer away from blanketing users with mass emails. Instead, MailChimp makes us smarter as marketers because we can pinpoint our target audiences using their technology.

- Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

6. Mailbox

I've really enjoyed using Mailbox on my iPhone. The app is super slick and is based on a practical philosophy. The app encourages you to take action on your email (archive, delete, snooze, list) and will actually get you to inbox zero. It's a great feeling.

- John Meyer, Lemon.ly

7. Klaviyo

I'm a huge fan of Klaviyo. It allows you to segment your customers in any possible way (people who bought or haven't bought products, people who always open your emails, etc.) and send messages to those people. By sending the right content to the right people, it increases engagement, sales and our ability to connect directly with our customers in a relevant way.

- Kit Hickey, Ministry of Supply

8. Taskforce

Taskforce lets the user transform all of his or her emails into tasks. It comes with an automatic filtering feature as well. Even if an email comes from someone not using Taskforce, you can still assign it to one of your tasks. It's a great tool for managing and prioritizing your work-related emails, and it cuts down on the time spent digging through your inbox.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

9. Unroll.me

I'm not a fan of receiving newsletters, so I'm a big Unroll.me user. Unroll.me lets you easily unsubscribe from newsletters you may have receive. if you want to continue receiving them, it lets you combine multiple newsletters into one single email.

- Ben Lang, EpicLaunch

10. Streak

Beyond its role as a de facto to-do list, email is most valuable to me as a tool to manage my business connections. Streak does an awesome job of organizing my emails into specific “pipelines” for sales, fundraising, PR, etc. I love the ability to share specific pipelines with teammates.

- Neil Thanedar, LabDoor

Best Practices for Social Media Promotions: Get More Followers, Engagement, and Sales

Social media promotions are one surefire way to get your followers up on Twitter or boost those likes on Facebook. You can boost engagement and get your brand out there. If you're offering something good (Apple products like iPads are a very popular social media giveaway), you can see huge numbers of people getting involved.

But it has to be done right to get you the engagement you want. Anyone who wants an iPad will “like” or retweet something for the chance to win, but many won't bother to find out anything about your business, if it's that easy to get involved in your social promotion. The key is to make participants really think about what you do. How?

Well, first, you want to give away something of value, but something that's connected to your business in a real way. So if you provide a software solution, perhaps the winner gets one free year of your software. This ensures that the people who are entering and following and liking are actually potential customers. And how about every entrant has to tell you in a tweet why they need what you're giving away? If it's productivity software, maybe they'll say, “I need your software because I want to double my work output.” And/or make it fun. Have everyone write a haiku about your business, or have them take a picture of the weirdest thing in their office/on their desk.

Finally, know the law. Here's a look at the legalities of social promotions.

There are some great ways to do social promotions and get valuable data out of it. For instance, Splurgy and Grosocial allow you to create and automate social media campaigns. The lighter weight Splurgy is free to use, while the powerful Grosocial costs between $30 and $60 a month. Check out our closer look at Grosocial here.

Let us know in the comments how you do social promotions and what your experience with them has been!

WordPress vs. Joomla: Which Is The Best System For Your Business

Planning on creating a site for your business? Considering the up-front cost of hiring developers to make a site for you, content management system (CMS) platforms have risen to the rescue to fill the gap. Two of the most well-known free CMS products available are WordPress and Joomla.

Both of them provide very powerful features that small businesses can use, but only one of them is appropriate for you. Today, let's put these two content management systems head-to-head and determine which one remains the victor for your particular situation! It's WordPress vs. Joomla!

WordPress

We'll first have a look at WordPress and see what it has in store for small businesses:

Pros:

• It's very robust and secure. WordPress is highly competitive and has risen above all other blogging platforms.
• While it's primarily for blogging, it can prove a valuable platform for professionals and entrepreneurs who want to showcase the services they provide. Retrofitting WordPress is almost as easy as installing a theme. There are plenty of small business themes available. For professionals, I recommend using the Shell Lite theme, which I use for my own services.
• As hinted from my previous statement, it's a blogging software right out of the box, meaning that you can add content from the get-go without having to worry very much about tweaking the software. If you're hoping to make sales out of content, use this as your blogging platform. It can be very Google-friendly as long as you don't choose very bulky themes.
• WordPress has a strong e-commerce platform through a plugin. Making a site that sells stuff is very simple and doesn't require a lot of elbow grease.

Cons:

• Sites made through WordPress are straightforward and simple. This can also be a downside. Making a complex site with lots of features that give your small business a competitive edge is very difficult through WordPress and sometimes could prove impossible. The one-click installation feature is convenient, but lots of the plugins have to rely on a very strict application programming interface (API) that doesn't necessarily give them ample elbow room.

Joomla

You've had a look at what WordPress is all about. Now, let's put Joomla to a fair test against this contender:

Pros:

• Extensions vary from very simple features to game-changing functionality. There are so many extensions for e-commerce sites that it may be difficult to know where to begin!
• Out of the box, Joomla provides an extensive array of features and the perfect layout for a business looking to sell things online. To have a look at how rich some sites using Joomla can be, have a look at the GSAS at Harvard or ITWire. But that's probably not enough for you. You want to see a real e-commerce site in action. There's Pierro-Astro and TrolleyStore. Both demonstrate how powerful Joomla can be for a small business. They are using the VirtueMart extension, in case you were wondering.

Cons:

• This is not the ideal product for a blog. It's rather difficult to set up a blog and maintain it. The indexing system is not as ideal as WordPress, and there are many other caveats to using this for a blog in general.
• Some security issues in the past have given Joomla a poor reputation, but it's managed to mitigate most of these issues and even provide a guide for a properly secure setup.
• In general, Joomla is not for the faint of heart. The learning curve is long, it's hard to set up, and the whole process can be a bit painstaking even for an individual with previous experience setting up WordPress.
• If you're stuck somewhere, don't expect a lot of support. The community is a bit slow to respond and the same can be said for the developers at Joomla.

The Prognosis

If you're looking for a solid piece of software, you can choose either one. However, only one of them is going to be suitable for your business. In a nutshell, use WordPress if you need something simple, fast, and content-smart. On the other hand, if you want to focus strictly on e-commerce, Joomla can really spruce up the look of your business!

Who Needs a Web Designer? These DIY Services Put You in Charge

At one time, building a website was as simple as slapping a logo and some information into FrontPage. But today's websites are far more complex, integrating with social media, allowing for online purchasing, and even incorporating graphics and sliders for visual appeal.

All of this can have small business owners feeling as though they have to pay thousands to a professional web designer to have a competitive site. But do-it-yourself services give business owners the chance to set their site up the way they want it to look. Updates are immediate and business owners save moneyâ€"everyone wins.

But with so many DIY services, small business owners are challenged to pick the one that's right for them. To help determine which site helps your own individual needs, here are a few recommendations from small business owners in a variety of industries.

Casey Armstrong, online marketer: Squarespace blows everybody out of the water. They are the best DIY website-building software. They offer an easy-to use platform to create custom websites with many professional templates, plus they include hosting. It is a no-brainer for small businesses to get their site up and running in days versus weeks or months. Also, they offer the capabilities for complete customization if/when you are ready for that.

Steven Hausman, professional speaker: I am a professional speaker and created my website using RVSiteBuilder, which is provided free of charge by my web hosting company. In my opinion, it does a good job and enables anyone from the novice to advanced level to put together a website without a lot of trouble. One advantage is that it can be accomplished either using WYSIWYG or by going directly into the HTML if you want to do something fancy.

Ruben Ugarte, IT training business co-founder: I have two go-to tools when I'm looking to build a new website. If I'm looking for something that will be simple to set up and simple to maintain, then my go-to choice is Wix.com. If I'm looking for something that is a little more flexible but harder to maintain, then I go for a self-hosted
installation of WordPress. They are both great tools, but they have very different technical requirements and uses.

Diane Hamilton, managing partner, app development: We had wanted to rebuild our company website for a couple of years, however we kept putting it off. We knew it was going to require a lot of time and effort if we did it ourselves and cost more than we were willing to pay if we contracted out. That was until we found a website theme on mysitemyway.com and realized how easy it was to implement and support a website using WordPress and our new theme. With these tools, we were able to get the bulk of our new website done in just about a week and were so confident with it, we launched it in March along with a major release of our most popular app.

Sean Gibson, rotary club PR consultant: I created and continue to manage the Franklin Rotary Club's website. We recently were awarded the best rotary website award for our district! I use SiteDart.net and their DIY web presence builder. The builder is intuitive, but I took their class on how to use the software and that really kick-started my progress in getting the Rotary Club website up and running. Once you learn the basics of the web presence builder, changing and adding content is as easy as drag-and-drop.

When it comes to DIY web design, businesses have numerous options. WordPress templates are available both through the WordPress site and through WordPress template providers. Drag-and-drop services may be easier for those business owners who want to be more in control of how everything looks. But for some small businesses, the best option may be a hybrid between DIY and hiring a development team: hiring a designer to customize a template of your choosing to fit your own particular needs.

Whatever you choose, be sure your website is set up to allow you to easily update content, like your blog and news section. If yours is an e-commerce site, also be sure you're comfortable uploading new products and changing prices. A regularly-updated site keeps customers coming back and helps improve search engine visibility. The right DIY service will give you the ability to update your site as often as you'd like without requiring extensive technical know-how to create.

3 Good Reasons for Small Businesses to Implement Accounting Software

For those who missed this news, April'2013 was declared by President Barrack Obama as the National Financial Capability month, encouraging individuals and businesses alike to improve their understanding of all aspects of financial management that impact them.

In an extremely well timed survey Sage Software, a leading provider of software solutions for businesses, has recently concluded a survey among more than 700 small American businesses, 54% of which were users of its accounting software.  The March 2013 survey throws up some interesting comparisons between businesses that were using the Sage account software and those which were not using any accounting software.

Concern on financial management knowledge

While both users and non-users expressed confidence in being able to manage financial aspects of their business, more businesses that had not implemented any accounting software felt that they needed greater knowledge in managing accounts receivable, accounts payable as well as invoicing. On the other hand, accounting software users felt they needed more knowledge on other aspects of their business such as payroll and inventory management.

Higher time spent on accounting tasks

The starkest difference in the responses between the two groups was when they were asked to evaluate the time spent on accounting activities.  Majority of businesses that were non-users expressed the need to spend lower time managing all aspects of their accounting which included payroll, inventory management, invoicing and accounts receivables and payables. In contrast, only a small percentage of users of accounting software felt that they needed to reduce time spent managing their accounting activities. Clearly, users are able to focus on other aspects of their business, while non-users seem to be left handling core accounting issues.

Higher time spent on taxes

This is the other major category of difference between the two groups. Non-users were found to be spending much more time trying to do their taxes compared to the group which were users.  As per Connie Certusi, executive vice president and general manager at Sage Small Business Solutions, “The tax system over the past 13 years has seen an astonishing 4,400 legislative changes”.  The growing complexity of the tax system also translated to concerns on compliance, with 29% of non-users expressing concern about income tax compliance of their business versus only 17 % of Sage users.

Clearly, by implementing an accounting software businesses save productive time which, can be used to manage other aspects of business.  Computerized accounting also reduces the risk businesses face due to changing taxation rules since most of these are incorporated in the program upgrades issued by companies such as Sage ( it has just released the Sage 50 Accounting 2014 product line).

At Smallbiztechnology.com we have often reviewed topics, such as cloud based accounting apps, tax deductibles for business and  prepaid cards for managing expenses, that can help growing businesses be better equipped to manage financial aspects of their company. If you would like more information on any particular aspect of financial management of your business then do let us know and we will dig out the most relevant information.

Citrix Launch New Video Conferencing Tools With GoToWebcast

California tech company Citrix has launched its latest video conferencing tool for businesses, GoToWebcast, which allows professionals to efficiently meet “face to face” online. The webcasting tool is available on subscription and gives the user access to unlimited live audio and video presentations as well as making the content available on demand.

GoToWebcast, which can reach an audience of up to 5,000, can be accessed on a variety of devices including smartphones, tablets, and the new Blackberry Playbook. This is a key component of the tool, allowing for on-the-go meetings.

Setting up a meeting is kept quite simple. The administrator simply has to set a date and the size of the audience, after that they'll need to decide on whether they are broadcasting live or simply recording a notice or meeting to be streamed on demand for their clients, colleagues or whoever it may be.

“Audiences are becoming increasingly dispersed as a result of mobile workstyles,” says Bernardo de Albergaria, the VP and GM of SaaS Products & Markets for Citrix. “It's becoming ever more important for organizations to find new and engaging ways to connect with geographically distributed audiences.”

He continued: “Video is proven to make meetings more productive and attendees more involved and attentive. The launch of GoToWebcast and addition of HDFaces to GoToWebinar and GoToTraining, alongside our award-winning GoToMeeting tool, gives users the widest range of options for connecting with a mass audience including customers, partners, employees and extended team members.”

Citrix previously released GoToMeeting in 2011, a videoconferencing platform that runs on HDFaces and allowed for crystal clear webcam meetings with your colleagues. This was followed up by GoToWebinar and GoToTraining, where people working in the teaching or training professions also found use for the tool in further communicating with students.

The subscription-based GoToWebcast further utilizes HDFaces for a stunning visual for your meeting and has received many endorsements from different professionals.

Pamela Slim is an author, public speaker and business coach, who is a big advocate of Citrix's development, commenting “The very best presenters make audience members feel like they are talking directly to them. With the new video capabilities in GoToWebcast this powerful, personal connection will be amplified. I can't wait to use it for my webinars, live events and training sessions.”

It\'s Tumblr Time! 10 Tips For Using Tumblr To Market Your Small Business

Yesterday was a big day in Yahoo‘s quest to remain relevant. They purchased Tumblr for $1.1 billion and significantly revamped Flickr. And in buying Tumblr, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer promised its millions of users that they wouldn't “screw it up.”

Tumblr users are full of fear over the acquisition, but Forbes has a number of reasons why Yahoo + Tumblr will be good for users.

So, what is Tumblr and what made it worth that hefty chunk of change? Tumblr is a microblogging platform, but it's not like Twitter. You can write long posts, short posts, or just post pictures, audio or video, and if someone else likes what you've posted, they will “reblog” the post to their own blog. Their followers will see the post and if they like it, they'll also reblog it, and so on.

When a Tumblr user follows you, all of your posts appear on their Dashboard. They scroll through, look at all their followers' posts and reblog what they really like.

There are no comments by default on Tumblr posts (though some Tumblr themes offer Disqus integration). If users want to say something about a post, they can reblog it and add their own text to the end of the post. The bottom of a Tumblr post will frequently have a discussion unfolding:

So as you can see, Tumblr has built-in engagement and built-in viral potential. It's very, very easy for something to go viral as it's just two clicks for a reader to share your post with their followers. But is Tumblr worth $1.1 Billion dollars? Well, Tumblr just may be worth the money because of how active and engaged their community of users is. And then add in the fact that the users love Tumblr. It's not like Facebook, where a lot of users don't really care for the way things are run at the top and are constantly annoyed by privacy changes. Tumblr users love Tumblr.

When it comes to marketing, if you've done any marketing on Pinterest, you have a leg up. The same sorts of things that work well on Pinterest work well on Tumblr. Let's get into it:

1. Be visual. Animated GIFs, and funny or interesting pictures are a great way to get out there. If you have a visually interesting product, a well-designed, beautiful product, or a way to integrate your product into something that makes it topical or humourous (preferably both), that's the way to go. Tumblr loves cats, Benedict Cumberbatch, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, etc. To recap: Be beautiful, animated, or funny, or all three.
2. Use Tags. This is key to getting found. If you're using something topical, tag it. If you're posting a well-designed product, tag it ‘design,' or ‘art.' If you're posting about your ad firm, tag it ‘advertising.' If you're posting about Benedict Cumberbatch, tag your post ‘Benedict Cumberbatch.' But remember: only the first five tags count. If your sixth tag is ‘chicken,' anyone searching for ‘chicken' will not find your post. Tags just stop working for those purposes after the fifth, so choose five tags very wisely.
   
3. Reblog others. Engage with others on Tumblr by liking and responding to their posts. It's quite difficult for Tumblr blogs to gain any traction without reblogging as much as they blog.
4. Be new and fascinating. The major business successes on Tumblr are actually news organizations or magazines like the New York Times Style Magazine and Rolling Stone. Publications that are posting pictures, news and article excerpts. In addition to the frivolous content I mentioned in the first tip, people on Tumblr also like to share the news, and interesting trivia.
5. Focus on a niche. You don't necessarily have to, but it helps! You could blog about specific kinds of software, electronics, or tips related to your service business.
6. Post smart. Tumblr's using skew young, so the best times to post are before 7 AM (before school/work), around noon, and before suppertime.
7. If you want analytics, you'll have to find them elsewhere. If you want to know who is visiting your Tumblr, you'll have to install Google Analytics or something similar, because Tumblr doesn't have any analytics features or hit counters.
8. Keep it short and sweet. A blog post like the one you're reading is rare on Tumblr. Short posts are the most rebloggable. Pictures and GIFs are even better.
9. Connect. There is an option to automatically tweet a link to your Tumblr post upon publication. Connect your Twitter and your Facebook and anything else to your Tumblr. You want your potential customers to be able to see your content everywhere.
10. Don't be a dashboard-to-dashboard salesperson. As I said in this article about social media marketing, you must be tactful in your foray into social media. You don't want potential customers thinking you're invading their social space with unwanted and unsolicited advertisement. Wrapping your message in a palatable wrapper is difficult, but it pays off big. Look at K-Mart's Ship My Pants campaign. The ad's been seen over 17 million times, and it's because they used humor to educate their audience on their business's newest features. It was all over Tumblr.

Are you on Tumblr? I am! Post a link to your Tumblr in the comments! And let us know what you think about Yahoo's latest acquisition!

How Appointment Scheduling Software Helped A Fitness Business Triple It\'s Revenue

Do you ever wish you had the skills of a master juggler when it came to scheduling and keeping track of appointments? Or better yet what if you had a genie to help you get the day's work organized? I simply couldn't help but draw these comparisons when I read about this next technology success story.

The business is Body by John, a progressive training company and the technology is an online appointment scheduling software called Appointment- plus.

John Edmond, Founder of Body by John, started his business as a sole fitness trainer in 2007. Not surprisingly as the client base grew he found it increasingly difficult to schedule appointments, having tried a paper appointment book and even turning to his Blackberry. John realized that he was spending several hours a day trying to manage bookings, losing valuable productive hours.

In 2010, he deployed Appointment-plus to help schedule his business appointments. As per John, using Appointment- plus scheduling software helped to grow his business in the following ways:

• Tripled business revenue
• Increased his client base from 60 to 160
• Expanded business operations to a staff of nine

Rather than having a dedicated staff to manage appointments, the software allows Body by John clients go online and create their own profiles and exercise schedules.  Customers can track sessions and update contact information on their personal profiles. This ensures that text / email reminders sent from the scheduling software have a higher hit rate, thereby lowering session drop outs and improving business revenue. John also added a ‘Book Now' button to the company website, newsletters and Facebook and Twitter pages.  New customers booking through the scheduler were offered a free assessment session.

Starting out from a 740 square-foot studio, Body by John now operates out of a 2,400 square-foot facility. They were able to revamp their fitness sessions to include boot camps, spin classes, yoga, kettle bell training and group events.  Not having to keep a staff to manage appointments meant lower salary expenses, allowing John to invest the money instead in more critical aspects of the business.

Prior to choosing Appointment-Plus, John tested several other appointments scheduling software. His decision to go with Appointment-Plus was based on its unique features, such as repeat customer reminders (which are sent automatically after a specific length of time has expired between appointments), online credit card processing, the ease of navigation on the site and the customer support received.

Appointment â€"plus can be used not only to manage the external customers, but also internal teams. Use it for scheduling team tasks or meetings, with email/ text reminders being sent to all concerned. The software works in sync with email accounts, allowing customers and staff to revert on reminders received via email. If your staff is constantly on the move, the Appointment-plus software is also available as an app for android and Apple mobile devices. Some of the bigger enterprises that have used Appointment â€"plus include the likes of Nike, American Red Cross, CISCO, the U.S Army and John Hopkins University.

The Appointment â€"plus basic package starts at $39 a month and includes multiple round the clock scheduling, online booking by clients and access on mobile devices.  Most of the monthly plans on offer have a free trial period of 15 days.

For small businesses an appointment scheduler can be an effective way of reducing overheads, adding to revenue and delivering value for clients â€" just as it did for Body by John.

‘FindTheBest\' Becomes A One-Stop Decision Shop For Small Businesses

When looking into buying hardware, software or services for your business, often the sheer number of options is overwhelming. Which laptops are better for your business? What corporate credit card is the best fit for your employees? What is the cheapest all-in-one printer that still offers all the features you need? For many, each one of these questions would boil down to hours on the internet, running to the closest electronics store, and the pressure of wondering how to outfit your business.

FindTheBest.com is a comparison site that seeks to eliminate the stress involved with buying for your business. FindTheBest aggregates information from credible sources, such as CNET, PC World, PC Magazine, as well as copious amounts of user reviews to provide relevant,
personalized, unbiased information that helps small businesses easily make well-informed decisions.

Testing out the process, I chose to look for a budget laptop that will fit my budget for under $1000, with enough hard drive space for anything my employees may need and a long battery life. FindTheBest found 41 different options, which I then narrowed down by selecting screens larger than 15 inches. I'm then left with 22 options, one of them receiving a 97 “Smart Rating.” Upon clicking it, I can see comparative prices from various stores, user ratings, and reviews from credible websites.

And laptops are just the tip of the iceberg. FindTheBest delves into nearly anything you could need, from computer to tablets, to software and printers. And it doesn't stop at business. FindTheBest can help you to choose a dog, college, resort, or motorcycle, and dozens of other things. Helpful in and out of the office, FindTheBest is a great one-stop-shop when looking for find just the right thing in your life. With comparison lists, “Best of” sections, buying guides, and blogs run by knowledgeable people, FindTheBest is easily one of the most comprehensive and hassle free websites to assist in your buying needs.

New Service Helps Cut Through the Stack of Resumes To Find Qualified Hourly Employees

Online job hunting is more popular than ever, with job seekers heading to the Internet to search job openings on Monster and Indeed. For most businesses, this means a pool of easy-to-reach workers who search online job listings daily. But for small businesses in need of hourly workers, these sites can be frustrating, as workers scroll through pages of salaried and contract positions looking for one local job that fits their needs.

Traditionally, small businesses have relied on walk-in applicants and classified ads to fill open slots. But these methods seem dated by today's standards. Small businesses need a way to reach all of those hourly workers without forcing them to weed through all those other postings. Those business owners also need a way to narrow down the field of candidates to only those most qualified to fill a posted position.

In late April, Jobaline stepped up to help businesses reach the 74 million hourly employees in America today. But the site goes beyond simply offering job postings. Jobaline provides a screening service that ensures each candidate meets a business's basic criteria. Since many hiring managers spend hours going through job applicants, screening candidates, and conducting interviews, Jobaline's service is able to free up time by doing some of that pre-screening work for businesses.

“Jobaline is a platform specifically designed for the needs of the hourly jobs segment, where actual interviews are a better pre-screening tool than stand-alone resumes and application forms,” said Jobaline co-founder and CEO Luis Salazar. “During our one-month beta period, which ran from mid-March to mid-April, we found that for businesses posting across industries - from fast food chains to retail sales and business administration - hiring managers received hundreds of applications, each within 2 days of posting a job. That volume of applicants can be completely overwhelming for a store or program manager who is tasked with hiring in addition to doing his own job.”

Jobaline found that during the beta trial period, Jobaline was able to save hiring managers hours of work by conducting thousands of interviews each week. Because Jobaline is bilingual, Spanish candidates can apply, as well. Jobaline has also built in the ability for workers to apply via tablet or smartphone, integrating with social media sites and job boards to help employers find candidates through referrals and connections. Job postings and pre-screenings are free. Employers only pay for contact information on those pre-screened applicants that have captured their interest.

Currently, Jobaline is being tested in Seattle and Miami, with plans to expand in the near future. Job seekers can use Jobaline for freeâ€"they need only go to https://www.jobaline.com/ and search through jobs created using the Jobaline platform. Those jobs may be aggregated from online classified ads, job posting sites, or even traditional print media. Workers can even apply for a job via text message or online without having to worry about ads.

To learn more about Jobaline, visit https://www.jobaline.com/ and click “Try it now.” You'll be able to choose from a selection of pre-screening criteria to ensure you hear from only those applicants who meet your minimum requirements.

New Service Helps Cut Through the Stack of Resumes To Find Qualified Hourly Employees

Online job hunting is more popular than ever, with job seekers heading to the Internet to search job openings on Monster and Indeed. For most businesses, this means a pool of easy-to-reach workers who search online job listings daily. But for small businesses in need of hourly workers, these sites can be frustrating, as workers scroll through pages of salaried and contract positions looking for one local job that fits their needs.

Traditionally, small businesses have relied on walk-in applicants and classified ads to fill open slots. But these methods seem dated by today’s standards. Small businesses need a way to reach all of those hourly workers without forcing them to weed through all those other postings. Those business owners also need a way to narrow down the field of candidates to only those most qualified to fill a posted position.

In late April, Jobaline stepped up to help businesses reach the 74 million hourly employees in America today. But the site goes beyond simply offering job postings. Jobaline provides a screening service that ensures each candidate meets a business’s basic criteria. Since many hiring managers spend hours going through job applicants, screening candidates, and conducting interviews, Jobaline’s service is able to free up time by doing some of that pre-screening work for businesses.

“Jobaline is a platform specifically designed for the needs of the hourly jobs segment, where actual interviews are a better pre-screening tool than stand-alone resumes and application forms,” said Jobaline co-founder and CEO Luis Salazar. “During our one-month beta period, which ran from mid-March to mid-April, we found that for businesses posting across industries â€" from fast food chains to retail sales and business administration â€" hiring managers received hundreds of applications, each within 2 days of posting a job. That volume of applicants can be completely overwhelming for a store or program manager who is tasked with hiring in addition to doing his own job.”

Jobaline found that during the beta trial period, Jobaline was able to save hiring managers hours of work by conducting thousands of interviews each week. Because Jobaline is bilingual, Spanish candidates can apply, as well. Jobaline has also built in the ability for workers to apply via tablet or smartphone, integrating with social media sites and job boards to help employers find candidates through referrals and connections. Job postings and pre-screenings are free. Employers only pay for contact information on those pre-screened applicants that have captured their interest.

Currently, Jobaline is being tested in Seattle and Miami, with plans to expand in the near future. Job seekers can use Jobaline for free-they need only go to https://www.jobaline.com/ and search through jobs created using the Jobaline platform. Those jobs may be aggregated from online classified ads, job posting sites, or even traditional print media. Workers can even apply for a job via text message or online without having to worry about ads.

To learn more about Jobaline, visit https://www.jobaline.com/ and click “Try it now.” You’ll be able to choose from a selection of pre-screening criteria to ensure you hear from only those applicants who meet your minimum requirements.

‘FindTheBest’ Becomes A One-Stop Decision Shop For Small Businesses

When looking into buying hardware, software or services for your business, often the sheer number of options is overwhelming. Which laptops are better for your business? What corporate credit card is the best fit for your employees? What is the cheapest all-in-one printer that still offers all the features you need? For many, each one of these questions would boil down to hours on the internet, running to the closest electronics store, and the pressure of wondering how to outfit your business.

FindTheBest.com is a comparison site that seeks to eliminate the stress involved with buying for your business. FindTheBest aggregates information from credible sources, such as CNET, PC World, PC Magazine, as well as copious amounts of user reviews to provide relevant,
personalized, unbiased information that helps small businesses easily make well-informed decisions.

Testing out the process, I chose to look for a budget laptop that will fit my budget for under $1000, with enough hard drive space for anything my employees may need and a long battery life. FindTheBest found 41 different options, which I then narrowed down by selecting screens larger than 15 inches. I’m then left with 22 options, one of them receiving a 97 “Smart Rating.” Upon clicking it, I can see comparative prices from various stores, user ratings, and reviews from credible websites.

And laptops are just the tip of the iceberg. FindTheBest delves into nearly anything you could need, from computer to tablets, to software and printers. And it doesn’t stop at business. FindTheBest can help you to choose a dog, college, resort, or motorcycle, and dozens of other things. Helpful in and out of the office, FindTheBest is a great one-stop-shop when looking for find just the right thing in your life. With comparison lists, “Best of” sections, buying guides, and blogs run by knowledgeable people, FindTheBest is easily one of the most comprehensive and hassle free websites to assist in your buying needs.

How Appointment Scheduling Software Helped A Fitness Business Triple It’s Revenue

Do you ever wish you had the skills of a master juggler when it came to scheduling and keeping track of appointments? Or better yet what if you had a genie to help you get the day’s work organized? I simply couldn’t help but draw these comparisons when I read about this next technology success story.

The business is Body by John, a progressive training company and the technology is an online appointment scheduling software called Appointment- plus.

John Edmond, Founder of Body by John, started his business as a sole fitness trainer in 2007. Not surprisingly as the client base grew he found it increasingly difficult to schedule appointments, having tried a paper appointment book and even turning to his Blackberry. John realized that he was spending several hours a day trying to manage bookings, losing valuable productive hours.

In 2010, he deployed Appointment-plus to help schedule his business appointments. As per John, using Appointment- plus scheduling software helped to grow his business in the following ways:

• Tripled business revenue
• Increased his client base from 60 to 160
• Expanded business operations to a staff of nine

Rather than having a dedicated staff to manage appointments, the software allows Body by John clients go online and create their own profiles and exercise schedules.  Customers can track sessions and update contact information on their personal profiles. This ensures that text / email reminders sent from the scheduling software have a higher hit rate, thereby lowering session drop outs and improving business revenue. John also added a ‘Book Now’ button to the company website, newsletters and Facebook and Twitter pages.  New customers booking through the scheduler were offered a free assessment session.

Starting out from a 740 square-foot studio, Body by John now operates out of a 2,400 square-foot facility. They were able to revamp their fitness sessions to include boot camps, spin classes, yoga, kettle bell training and group events.  Not having to keep a staff to manage appointments meant lower salary expenses, allowing John to invest the money instead in more critical aspects of the business.

Prior to choosing Appointment-Plus, John tested several other appointments scheduling software. His decision to go with Appointment-Plus was based on its unique features, such as repeat customer reminders (which are sent automatically after a specific length of time has expired between appointments), online credit card processing, the ease of navigation on the site and the customer support received.

Appointment -plus can be used not only to manage the external customers, but also internal teams. Use it for scheduling team tasks or meetings, with email/ text reminders being sent to all concerned. The software works in sync with email accounts, allowing customers and staff to revert on reminders received via email. If your staff is constantly on the move, the Appointment-plus software is also available as an app for android and Apple mobile devices. Some of the bigger enterprises that have used Appointment -plus include the likes of Nike, American Red Cross, CISCO, the U.S Army and John Hopkins University.

The Appointment -plus basic package starts at $39 a month and includes multiple round the clock scheduling, online booking by clients and access on mobile devices.  Most of the monthly plans on offer have a free trial period of 15 days.

For small businesses an appointment scheduler can be an effective way of reducing overheads, adding to revenue and delivering value for clients - just as it did for Body by John.