Adobe Announces Retirement of Acrobat Workspaces - To Mixed Reaction

Adobe has announced it will be retiring the Workspaces feature for Acrobat.com, the home for the company’s software and Web service products.

Launched in March 2010, Workspaces allows teams to create a shared area to store and collaborate on files. In this way, the service is not unlike Google Drive, which offers a collaborative experience for users of Google Docs.

Account holders could set up an Adobe Acrobat Workspace, share files with their team and even assign other administrators for the collaborative space.

But according to an email sent out to Adobe users recently, most of the functions of the collaborative Workspaces will be shut down over the course of the year. That includes tools like Buzzword, Tables and Presentation.

An official post on the company website explained:

“Adobe is exiting the document authoring business for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation files. Our focus will be to continue to provide world-class PDF creation and conversion products and services that enable our customers to take actions on their files anywhere on any device.”

Maintaining the collaborative spaces is apparently inconsistent with the company’s new direction.

Concerns on an Adobe Forum included how the shutdown might affect other Adobe services like Shared Review. The feature allows users to share documents with team members on their contact lists and collect their input.

One member commented:

“We use shared review regularly to collate comments from within our organization, so it would be a massive inconvenience for this to be removed completely.”

Adobe says the Shared Review feature will still be available to users but adds that they will need to find another place other than Workspaces to archive comments. Examples might be a company’s own internal server or a SharePoint workspace.

Meanwhile, another user complained:

“I have built my aviation business around Adobe Workspaces and by axing this program I will have to rewrite my company procedures, MOE and source an alternative system to store my files.”

Though the company says it will begin shutting down collaborative services by the fall of 2014,  users will have about a year to retrieve any files they have shared.

Adobe says users will be able to access, load, download and delete files through the Spring of 2014 using their regular Workspaces accounts. The company says it will also create a tool to help users download all their files at once if they wish.

During the fall of 2014, Adobe says Workspaces will become “read-only,” meaning users will no longer be able to create, delete, modify or upload files. But users will still be able to download the remaining files in their account.

The company says users will have until Jan. 6, 2015 to retrieve any files remaining on Workspaces. After that, all files will be deleted and users will no longer have access to their accounts.

Image: Adobe

WordStream Improves Its Free AdWords Benchmark Tool For Small Business Advertisers

“There are roughly 3 million advertisers on Google, and 99% are small businesses,” says Larry Kim, the founder of WordStream.

And too many small businesses  spend more money on AdWords than they need to, while not always getting good results.

“A small business spends on average $1,200 per month in Google AdWords,” Kim says.  And when you’re as busy as most staff are in a small business, it’s “hard to figure out and use all the best practices for AdWords,” he adds.  For instance, only 1% of small business advertisers log into their AdWords account at least once a week.  As a result, small businesses using Google AdWords to advertise can waste a lot of money without knowing any better, and without knowing what to do to change the status quo.

It doesn’t need to be that way, though, Kim says â€" if people just had the right tools and information.  For instance, benchmarking information is important.   Have you ever wondered how your business does, compared with other small businesses your size and in your industry, when it comes to Google AdWords?  Are you spending more or less money? Are you getting more sales conversions, or less?

For most of us who know just a little bit about Google AdWords, and don’t have the time to sift through hours of information, we may never improve.  It’s too time consuming â€" and too baffling.

Enhanced Business Data to Avoid Waste, Get Better Results

And that’s where WordStream’s AdWords Grader Plus comes in.  A version of the AdWords benchmark tool has been offered for a couple of years now.   Today, WordStream launched an enhanced version of the Grader tool, to give small businesses access to even more business data and guidance.

The enhancements focus on intelligence around mobile ad spending, which is growing at a fast pace, including assessing your mobile PPC readiness, as shown below:

There are also improved AdWords benchmarking statistics and performance indicators.

The tool actually grades your performance. A grade is expressed in a percentage (see image at top of article) so you can tell how you’re doing.  And now you’ll have access to even more data to compare how you’re doing in specific areas.

And perhaps best of all, the enhanced tool features a performance tracker (image below) that compares how your AdWords account is doing over time, and can send you a monthly report showing progress or lack thereof.  That way, you can monitor and manage your AdWords activity intelligently.

 

Kim, like many a bootstrapped startup founder, started WordStream in his basement several years ago.  He has built it up to the multimillion dollar business it is today, and says his company has now sifted through $3 billion in AdWords spending data.  WordStream has been able to take that data and distill it down into insights and best practices advice for small businesses.   Think of the AdWords Grader tool as “big data” meets Google AdWords, for small businesses.

Pay Regular Attention and Use Available Tools

Robert Brady, a pay-per-click guru and founder of Righteous Marketing, echoes Kim’s sentiments about wasted advertising budgets and emphasizes the need for information and hands-on involvement.  We reached out to Brady for his reaction to today’s news. (Brady is one of our top contributors here at Small Business Trends.)  He told us in an interview, “Google AdWords has become more and more complex over the years, making it harder for SMBs.  Many default settings in AdWords seem to benefit Google’s bottom line more than advertiser performance.”

He advocates using tools so that they give you an advantage and help you perform better while spending less. The key is that you have to regularly tend your AdWords advertising, if you want to be effective and spend money wisely. “Use whatever system works for you (software, sticky notes, apps) but regular attention and activity are necessary for success,” Brady emphasizes.

The WordStream AdWords Grader Plus can be found here.

6 Ways to Use Instagram Direct for eCommerce Marketing

In the coming year, eCommerce marketing will be evolving from simple product promotion to creating personalized relationships between consumers and marketers. Customers actually want more than just an efficient transaction and there’s always a better way to sell to them, too.

Facebook’s photo sharing application Instagram launched direct messaging, popularly known as Snapchat Killer. It’s a new way to share your product photos and videos with your customers. Instagram Direct is built to feel natural to the Instagram experience. Merchants can now drive personal messages containing photos and 15-second videos similar to twitter’s direct message functionality. These messages can be shared with individuals or groups of up to 15 people and can attract users who are more apt to use apps.

The app has evolved as a means of visual communication allowing online retailers to express detailed information about their products and services. You can directly advertise your brand using Instagram Direct to engage with your existing fans. You can also use this new feature for solving customer service issues and brand reputation management.

How Do You Use Instagram Direct?

• First, take a photograph and/or record a video. Add optional effects, filters and captions if you like.
• Next, tap on an option called “direct” on the screen.
• Tap the names of the followers you wish to send the video and/or photo.
• Lastly, tap on “send.”

Hold a Contest

Post a product photo with instructions stating that the first 10 people to comment on the photo will receive a direct message from you with detailed information on how to enter a secret contest. You can also ask each of the 10 people to submit a photo of themselves using the product to win prizes. Then post the best photos to different social channels for added content.

Promote New Products

Nothing can beat the way of direct messaging to let select groups of followers know about a new product. You can send a private message containing a photo of a newly launched product through Instagram Direct (but cannot share them on social network sites). This encourages investigation and sparks word of mouth. Be sure to also include a link.

Feature Sales and Coupons

Reward your top followers with exclusive sales promo codes and coupons. These are the people who comment, like and share your content frequently. A good idea is to send the photo to selected followers with a coupon code letting them know that they are your loyal fans.

Hold a Q&A Group Chat

Instagram Direct enables online merchants to interact with their followers by supporting a chat function. In addition to threaded conversations, you can also host question answer sessions to learn about your followers and educate them as well. This is a great way for qualitative market research.

Target Followers Via Their Demographics

Through direct message you can send special photos and videos to your followers based on their locations or demographics. This is important because you can ask for their feedback to be used as brand research.

For instance, you can ask your California based customers about your latest products and services. Instagram is more popular among teens and millennials as they are the most active mobile users and more likely to share their lives online. Therefore, Instagram is considered an attractive channel to target this group of people.

Behind the Scenes Stories

This strategy serves as a way to humanize your business and deepen your relationship with your customers. The images and videos can include customers using your products or something like happy moments in their lives.

Instagram Direct messages can help you to search for customers who are a fit for your brand and reach out to them directly.

Image: Instagram

7 Tips To Make Your Website Better for Your Business In 2014 (or anytime)

Your web site is one of the most important investments you’ll make in your business.

In fact Smallbiztechnology.com just had a massive face lift done by my friends at Andigo Media - they did two main enhancements. First they improved the overall look and feel of the web site. Two they ensured the web site will display well on any device.

I strongly suggest that business web sites be INVESTED in - just like you would invest in other parts of your business. Don’t treat your web site like an annoying side project.

If you don’t have a few thousand dollars to invest in the skills of a professional to help you, then turn to do it yourself web sites like Striking.ly , Wix, Squarespace, Jimdo or One Pager

Our friends at DudaMobile (whose service turns regular web sites into mobile ready web sites) have 7 important tips to ensure your web site is optimized for business.

1.) Optimize discoverability. What good is your business and website if no one can find you? It’s critical that businesses maximize SEO, so that your site is showing up in searches, with the highest ranking possible. You need your users to interact with your website efficiently. This is achieved by optimizing a variety of different elements right on the homepage, including useful, easy to read buttons and links as Click to Call, a proper address and business hours. Last but certainly not least, remember that fresh and consistent content will also bring more people to your site and raise your site’s ranking dramatically.

2.) Make your website multi-screen ready. Beyond being mobile-friendly, your new site should look good on every device. Whether displayed on a desktop, tablet, smartphone or even web-enabled TV, you want your website to look awesome and tailor it to the specific needs and user habits associated with each type of screen.

3) Get smarter by tapping in other content platforms. Pull information or features from existing web services like Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Locu, etc. to maximize the performance and effectiveness of your site. Also, leverage SoMoLo technology to know more about your visitors and tailor their experiences accordingly.

4.) Simplify web management. Find a platform that helps you manage your site easily, with web editing tools, design templates, resources for marketing, etc. A central place that allows you to edit all of your websites when needed is important to minimize maintenance and encourage constant changes.

5.) Make sure your customers can reach you, Obviously, a phone number and address on your website is very important for in-person visits and customer service, but a simple contact form can also be used for feedback to improve your website and fix tedious customer flows. Actually listening to your customers and constantly improving your website will lead to regular and fresh content that’ll keep your customers coming back. Build loyalty and your customers will soon become evangelists of your brand.

6.) Make your website easy on the eyes. When a visitor arrives at your site, it’s important to capture their attention within the first few seconds. Design and navigation is a huge part of this. Information should be easy to find, understand and optimized for all devices. New visitors are also more likely to interact if the site is visually appealing. Make sure your photographs and logo are high-quality and consistent with your site’s color scheme. Don’t forget to make sure your website loads quickly too.

7.) Highlight CTAs on the homepage. Quite possibly the most important best practice for optimizing your business website, highlighting CTAs or call-to-actions makes it crystal clear to the viewer what you want them to do. This includes emphasis on certain buttons and using an active verb in your CTA such as ‘Try It’, ‘Buy Now’, ‘Sign Up’, ‘Donate’, ‘Play for free’ and others.

10 Startups You Should Watch in 2014

Below are 10 startups launched in 2013 that are ready to rock the world next year:

Collegefeed

Collegefeed has a noble mission to help every college student and new grad get hired. The service has already grown to tens of thousands of users, over 1,200 schools and hundreds of employers. It was created by Google’s former product chief, Sanjeev Agrawal, who has turned all of his passion to using technology to solve the job crisis for millennials.

Students are facing skyrocketing tuition, massive loan debt and nearly 50% can’t get jobs that use their degree. Users have been hired using the tool from Morgan Stanley to Facebook.

Rockbot

Rockbot is an out-of-home music service disrupting the billion dollar market dominated by Muzak. Many bars, restaurants and airports stream music. This service lets customers vote on the playlist and request songs. It’s the modern day jukebox from the customer’s smartphone.

They recently announced their newest customer, JetBlue in their JFK terminal.

Cover

Cover is a restaurant payment application that changes the way people pay at restaurants. Using an Uber-style experience, it lets diners leave without ever “paying” the check. The app lets people prepay it or split it among diners.

The product is live at about 30 top-tier restaurants in New York.

KONO

KONO was inspired and created by culinary genius, Rossano Boscolo. It has over 130 locations in countries throughout world where it offers consumers an entirely new pizza experience with its cone-shaped crust filled with fresh Italian ingredients.

Launched in August 2013, KONO USA has over 15 units in its development pipeline.

Sense Health

Sense Health helps providers create, deliver and monitor interactive patient support plans called ‘scripts.’ Providers simply answer three assessment questions about their patient: Their specific condition, their goals for the month and barriers that might be hindering their ability to accomplish them.

Through their proprietary algorithm, Sense Health automatically creates a 28 day script which consist of daily text messages delivered automatically. Scripts are comprised of reminders, educational, motivational and interactive text messages. Providers have a dashboard which alerts them when a patient asks a question or are non-compliant.

Touchcast

Touchcast is an innovative video platform that brings interactivity of the Web into an online TV viewing experience so users can engage with Twitter, Web pages, maps, and polls inside the video without interrupting playback. It has been nominated by AdWeek as Hottest Startup in their Hot List.

The company saw record downloads since launching in June.

Tok

Tok is a new social opinion network that turns online commenting into discussions and users into communities. Its networked, visual conversation interface creates a richer experience that brings people together and will offer companies with an audience an effective way to share targeted, dynamic, interactive content.

3Dagogo

3Dagogo is an online marketplace of certified 3D designs to “print” consumer products at home. The company crowdsources “proven-to-print” designs and has an intuitive search interface that allows users to search for designs that work with their home 3D printer, materials and skill level.

Simply Insured

Simply Insured is a way for small businesses to find and buy health insurance online. With the problems on Healthcare.gov, many companies will be facing different requirements and options for health insurance.

This company helps small businesses navigate the changing health insurance landscape, using their technology to make it transparent and easy to understand.

TestRocker

TestRocker brings together premier academic tutors with the best technology to make quality private tutoring available to students around the world whenever and wherever they desire. Launched by two sisters, the company’s first two programs are SAT and ACT prep.

Within one year of launch, TestRocker had students in 14 different countries studying on its platform.

What startups are you watching in 2014?

This article, provided by Nextiva, is republished through a content distribution agreement. The original can be found here.

Startup Concept Photo via Shutterstock

More in: 2014 trends

5 Ways Make Price Irrelevant To Your Customer. Are You A Vendor or Valued Partner?

I was reading about AT&T’s offer to give $450 in credit to T-Mobile customers who switch. You can read the full article in the NY Times here.

AT&T and T-Mobile are in a dangerous price war - where all that matters is money. Not customer service, not product quality (every carrier sells the same phone), not perks or benefits.

There’s two sides to this issue - beyond the obvious.

First, you’re a service provider, of some sort to your customers. Right?

You provide them with cup cakes, legal services, dog walking, design services or one of many other products or services.

However, if you’re JUST a service provider this means that something as “simple” as a better price from the competition might cause them to switch.

Here’s five ways to never have to worry about the competition:

1. wowing them with great customer service
2. being proactive to their needs
3. always looking for ways to help them GROW their business (or solve their pain) beyond what they’re paying you for
4. are you willing to sacrifice short term cash for long term, profit building, relationships
5. are you proactively asking them - what MORE can you do - the competition will never get your customers.

What about the vendors YOU buy from.

You must demand that your relationship with them be more than you sending them a check every month. You must insist, that they offer you VALUE way beyond the “widgets” you’re buying from them.

Who do you want to be? “Just another telephone company” - or a company that has an engaged relationship?

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