Researchers have been warning that if we don’t reduce emissions, our actions will have a permanent, irreversible impact on the environment. Fossil fuels commonly used worldwide are responsible for much of these emissions linked to rising temperatures.
As companies and governments emphasize solving the climate crisis, demand for clean energy is on the rise. It’s estimated that renewable energy sources will account for 90% of the increase in the world’s total power capacity this year. Renewable energy sources provide a cleaner alternative to non-renewable sources like fossil fuels.
Read on to learn about the different types of renewable energy and why they are beneficial.
What Is Renewable Energy?
Non-renewable energy comes from sources limited in capacity. They take such a long time to replenish that they are gone for good once we run out. Types of non-renewable energy include coal, oil, and natural gas.
Renewable energy comes from Earth’s natural sources that are constantly replenishing, like wind and sunlight. These types of energy do much less harm to the environment than their non-renewable counterparts.
Types of Renewable Energy
Although we think of renewable energy as the power of the future, it has been around for centuries. But, recent advances in technology have once again put it at the forefront. The most common types of renewable energy sources include the following:
Solar Power
Solar power harnesses the limitless supply of sunlight and turns it into electricity and heat. Solar power uses photovoltaic cells to convert light into energy.
Solar power has become accessible renewable energy in the consumer market as individuals can have solar panels installed on their homes from companies like Blue Raven Solar. Solar panels can provide clean energy to a single building or an entire neighborhood.
Wind Power
Wind power harnesses the wind to turn the blades on a turbine, and this motion then powers a generator to produce electricity. Wind turbines are often located in rural areas but are also placed offshore. Although wind power doesn’t generate any emissions, people do find the large turbines noisy and unsightly.
Hydroelectric Power
A hydroelectric power station is located in the natural environment
Hydroelectric power uses fast-moving water in rivers to turn a turbine and power a generator to produce electricity. Dams often have these turbines to make hydroelectric power. Although dams produce renewable energy, they aren’t considered clean energy because they divert natural waterways and negatively impact animals and humans.
Geothermal Energy
This type of renewable energy captures the heat released naturally by the Earth to heat water and bring it to the surface to turn turbines. To reduce its environmental impact, geothermal plants pump water back underground.
Tidal Power
Tidal power is a newer form of hydroelectric power that uses the force and motion of the tides to generate electricity. It is a reliable and relatively constant method of generating power. Energy is often collected in tidal barrages, which are like dams.
Benefits of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy sources aren’t all clean since they do produce some effects on the environment. But, many of these sources produce no emissions. As the world becomes more reliant, we can reduce the impact our emissions have on the climate.
In addition to the environmental benefits, the growing renewable resource industry creates more jobs to develop and install renewable energy sources.
Renewable Energy Is Here to Stay
Renewable energy has sparked a revolution in the energy industry as the world attempts to solve the climate crisis. Rising demand has led to advancements in the industry. With so many types of renewable energy, we have many ways to change how we get our power.
Are you looking to keep up with the latest renewable energy news? Check out our website for the latest technology news and trends.
Stickers are a useful and effective marketing tool, but that’s only if you have them ready. There’s nothing worse than needing to bring 500 stickers to an event in two days, only to realize you never made the files or sent them to the printer. Getting same-day stickers from printers in the L.A. area is possible, especially if you follow these tips to get your images ready ahead of time.
Use SVG files
The problem with printing stickers quickly isn’t the actual printing process itself. Issues that cause delays usually stem from problems with the files themselves, and what is being printed. JPG and PNG files may work fine for your website or static prints, but using those same images in a sticker will usually require the image to be shrunk down to fit the style and size of your sticker sheet.
SVG image files ensure that your picture scales properly when it’s resized, so you don’t gain any unsightly pixels along the way. If you keep all your logos, art, or other images in SVG files, resizing and arranging them on a sheet or for a roll becomes a quick and easy job, getting your stickers ready for printing in no time.
Reimagine Your Images in CMYK
The default for most image-creating software is RGB (red, green, blue) for colors. RGB shows up best on computer screens, as that is how they filter all the other colors. But printers use four-color filters, CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). If you’re in a rush and don’t think to change the settings, your stickers can print out looking very discolored as the machine tries to print on a different set of colors.
If you make sure your images are already set to CMYK to start, then you won’t have to worry about trying to remember to change them beforehand. It’s always best to keep two versions of each logo or art piece you have: one that’s in RGB and scaled to fit websites and other computer needs, and one that’s in CMYK and scalable to work for any printing need you may have. Just make sure you label them properly!
Know What You Want
Stickers are representing the cats with three eyes as a way of statement of art freedom
The worst part about getting stickers ready for printing is deciding what kind of stickers you want. Do you want a roll of stickers that’s just your logo? Would you prefer a sticker sheet that’s a sample of all your art? Or maybe a sticker book that can be used for long car trips? If you’re looking to print something quickly, you’re best off getting a single roll of stickers or using a sticker sheet that is compact and uniform. Otherwise, you may spend too much time designing your stickers and not enough time printing them.
You can get your stickers printed the same day you need them. But to make sure they come out on time and look the way you want, keep your image files organized. By using SVG files set to CMYK, you’ll get the best stickers printed out each time, whenever you need them.
Scheduling an appointment with a professional repair person can be a real headache – nobody wants to wait a week for the technician to come and fix a problem in their home. Nowadays, with all the “do it yourself” guides being available on the internet, more and more people opt to fix the troubles on their own. However, DIY repairs are not always the brightest idea, especially when it comes to electrical issues. Poorly maintained home electricity leads to serious safety risks or, even worse, fires. In order to be safe and sound when it comes to these issues, you might want to check out this list of tips on how to maintain your home’s electrical safety.
Check if your appliances are in proper working condition
You probably have a bunch of, let’s say, kitchen appliances that you don’t use regularly. Most households stack the unused devices somewhere in the back and handle them only once or twice a year. It is important to store the appliances in a dark, dry place so that they don’t deteriorate. Also, make sure you inspect the plug and look for damage, before plugging it in. This way, you will avoid electrocution caused by malfunctioning gadgets.
Find the best electrician
An electrician is looking for damage in the system of the safety fuse so he could fix it
Even if you decide to do most of the work in your home by yourself, you should always have an electrician to call when it gets messy. If you live in NSW, finding an expert like a level 2 electrician in Sydney will surely make your life a lot easier, especially if you don’t have the required experience and knowledge about electricity. Moreover, it’s always good to have your home’s electrical work regularly checked by a professional.
Turn off the main power
The major reason for accidents is that people leave the main power on while working on electrical maintenance. Always make sure the main power is off in order to avoid electrocution or fires if you are working on bigger electrical issues in your home.
Be prepared
Make sure you are always prepared for any kinds of accidents, especially fires. It’s good to have a fire extinguisher within reach, in case anything unexpected happens and you need to react quickly. Moreover, make sure to have your electrician on speed dial, if an emergency occurs.
Double-check your extension cords
Did you know that you shouldn’t plug one extension cord into another? This can lead to serious accidents such as overheating and explosions. Extension cords are to be used individually, and as little as possible. If you find yourself using too many, call a professional to set up more power outlets in your home. Furthermore, extension cords have an “expiration date”, meaning that you should regularly replace the old ones, just in case. If you have a garden and you need an outdoor extension cord, make sure it’s always placed in a dry area, away from kids and animals.
Prevent overloading
Bear in mind that a single outlet should be used for only one or two appliances. Maxing out the power from one outlet can lead to overloading and potential outbursts. Try to rearrange the appliances in your home in order to evenly distribute the power consumption. If you find this difficult, consider installing a new power outlet where you need it the most.
Electrical maintenance can be highly dangerous if not done correctly. Try to avoid doing things on your own – electricians were trained and educated for years before they became experts. Hire someone who is qualified and experienced, to ensure that all of your home’s power equipment is safe and functioning properly. Remember, if you have any doubts about a power outlet or a gadget, get an expert to inspect it and make sure your home is safe.
Dota 2, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and even World of Warcraft – online gaming is here, and it is here to stay. Several years ago, many concerned parents were complaining about the time their teens spent on online gaming. Today, we find that parents have become far more accepting of this fun hobby.
For a good reason too. Online gaming has some excellent benefits that we will discover throughout this article.
A global community becomes a global village.
When we started our investigation into the positives of online gaming, the team at Pelajaat.com gave us some excellent insights.
“Online gaming with its benefits and without harm belongs to everyone. Many may have prejudices about online gaming, but in today’s world, people’s own gaming community, from Habbo Hotel to Dota 2, can offer the same value as a local basketball gang or pottery club.
The researched benefits of gaming are indisputable and already familiar to many: for example, memory improves and speeds up, one can learn new skills and languages, and boost social life. The latter, in particular, has been emphasized during the Covid-19 pandemic. Gaming can also be casual or hardcore – exciting or relaxing, basically something for everyone. It’s also always fresh. This is ensured by countless genres and the ever-accelerating gaming market.
These great qualities are worth protecting because there are ways one can harm its relationship to gaming. Susceptibility to gaming addiction is, of course, one thing. In addition to that, it has also become more common to pursue an esports career in recent years, which is a good thing, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that gaming at its deepest is having fun. One should not forget to enjoy the game. For many, gaming is one crucial part of life, along with other things. If one finds itself playing at the expense of other essential things, you might want to take a break.
A healthy attitude towards gaming increases its benefits and enjoyment for all. Let’s play!”
IDC Games is an online game distribution platform for pc games that offers game developers content delivery, user registration, in-game payment solutions, loyalty programs, Eports, video streaming solutions, live chat, and a customer support system for all its published games. The IDC Games team adds a few more benefits of Online Games:
Tons of games and fun at home
One of the most outstanding benefits of online gaming is that you don’t need to go out of your home. All you need is an internet connection in order to enjoy a huge variety of games.
Socialization
When you play online you meet people which can even get to be your friends. There are a lot of cases in which 2 people met in an online game and finished getting married.
Online games finish boredom
It is normal to get bored, especially when you are tired. Boredom often causes negative thoughts, and can easily cause depression if you don’t interact with people. As mentioned by gaming experts a mind-blowing game can keep your mind engaged. As you play, you will be psychologically and mentally active, and the chances are high that you will get the peace of mind you need.
Online games relieve stress
Multiple Scientific studies have found a direct connection between online video games and stress reduction. According to the studies, the level of cortisol reduces by more than 17% when playing. The significant decrease in the stress hormone improves recovery from stress, helping you to relax, have fun, and have excitement.
We agree wholeheartedly. Today, the entire world has been turned into one friendly global village. You can pick up a controller and play with your friend in Finland and the UK.
Did you notice that? Years ago, having friends in different countries was unheard of. Today, we all have friends hailing from all over the world. It isn’t uncommon for couples to meet online while playing a game. Some of these long-distance relationships turned into real-life romance stories. Besides, bonding over a common interest, such as online gaming, is one of the healthiest experiences that couples can go through.
We can be social without being at risk.
Not only do we now have friends from all over the world, but we can also be social without putting ourselves at risk. This was especially true during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For some, stuck indoors due to hard lockdowns and curfews, online gaming was the only way to connect with friends and be social. Several games, such as Guild Wars 2, saw players organize all-night parties and events to keep their spirits up. Despite being removed from each by thousands of miles, the connections between these gamers were real.
Statista reports that there are over a billion global gamers today participating in online gaming. This massive community doesn’t only offer us the fun of being social and supports us when we feel down, but they also help improve our knowledge and skills.
Friendly communities like those at time2win.net gather players that help each other reach mutual goals in online gaming. But, also, gamers here can find the best and most advanced software that will give them the most intense and awarding gaming experience they have dreamed of.
We improve our skills when playing online.
Another thing, that our friends at Genvel.com reminded us about, is the fact that online gaming exposes us to new skills.
Suddenly you are picking up phrases in Spanish and German. Online gaming not only improves your language skills but also teaches you how to manage teams and take responsibility for your actions.
This newfound knowledge helps you to communicate and strategize better. Gamers are some of the best team coordinators that you can get. You get exposed to different cultures, various ways of thinking, and yes – thinking outside the box.
All of these new skills have real-world applications too. Next time you order that tasty sandwich from a German restaurant, you can use a couple of German phrases that you learned while playing games online.
At the next corporate retreat or team building session, ask your gamer colleagues to help finetune a strategy for beating the opposing team.
Online gaming is becoming a career.
eSports are quickly becoming bigger and bigger. Some schools in America are even teaching eSports as a class. Today, League of Legends, Dota 2, and Call of Duty have some of the highest-paying tournaments globally.
This creates exciting new job opportunities for gamers. Everybody benefits from the online gaming community from coaches to organizers, marketers, and players.
Online gaming and the Cyberpunk genre
We are more and more connected, may it be on PC, console, or on your mobile phone, we’re already permanently online and able to reach everyone we care about, and that can also be your favorite game community on Reddit or Discord, but the next step is almost there thanks to technological advance spearheaded by geniuses such as Elon Musk. His StarLink satellite internet will allow us to be online no matter where we are on Earth, but there’s one step further: NeuraLink, his startup currently working and making great progress on implantable brain-machine interfaces, which will make us “enhanced” humans. If you are into this type of futuristic technology and are a gamer, you should definitely try Cyberpunk 2077. The game is not only a great experience, it allows you to discover what society could become tomorrow, with humans using cyberwars to upgrade their bodies with a simple visit to a cyber doc. Cyberpunk 2077 also has a great community, with many positive reviews pouring in lately from new players who are finally enjoying this game thanks to a large number of bug fixes. This action RPG has an incredibly immersive and rich storyline that will leave you breathless and you’ll definitely want to share how it made you feel with other Cyberpunk 2077 players. If you’re new to this genre and want to get the most out of this masterpiece of a game, you should consider following a guide, such as Jame’s Cyberpunk 2077 100% Walkthrough, which takes you through all the steps to becoming a Night City legend!
Are you ready to start playing online?
There you have it—some pretty incredible benefits to playing online. The online gaming community is a thriving, healthy community. They are accepting of all types, races, genders, and cultures.
Of course, like most things in life, you should only play games responsibly. Don’t neglect the real people in your life. If you can balance a healthy online gaming lifestyle with your relationships with real people in life, you will be happier and more successful. Happy gaming.
The need for small businesses to increase their market share in an increasingly crowded business landscape is more important than ever before. One way that small businesses can do this is through the use of various types of artificial intelligence (AI). Here are seven ways that these companies can use AI to increase sales and generate positive ROI.
1) Chatbots
When done correctly, chatbots have the potential to enhance the customer experience by helping customers quickly find answers about products or services. By using a chatbot, companies can provide customers with instant answers when they have questions about inventory, shipping dates, payment options, etc. For example, IBM has developed a chatbot called ‘Smarter Commerce’ which allows customers to communicate with AI-powered agents over live chat to get information about their purchases. This is particularly helpful for customers wishing to purchase high-end products where there are often questions that go beyond the scope of a company’s online FAQ page.
Chatbots can also be used as an early warning system for customer dissatisfaction, allowing companies to proactively address potential problems before they escalate. Using AI, companies can monitor social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook in order to spot unhappy customers who are discussing your brand or products on these sites. Monitoring this commentary allows companies to act quickly when something negative is being said about their company or product by flagging it for immediate attention.
2) Product Recommendations
Product recommendations are one of the most common ways for e-commerce businesses to drive additional sales by encouraging customers to buy more. Using AI, companies can analyze a large set of data about their users in order to make personalized recommendations based on what each individual customer has bought before or is currently browsing. Companies like Amazon and eBates use this tactic for increasing sales by collecting data from past purchases as well as items that are added to a shopping cart but not purchased.
3) Improved Customer Service
One way that small businesses can beat larger competitors is through superior customer service – just think about how Zappos gained a loyal following because of its unmatched customer service standards. Artificial intelligence can be used by small businesses to help them achieve these standards by improving the quality and speed of interactions between businesses and customers through chatbots, intelligent agents, and predictive text.
4) Improved Data Analysis
Due to the smaller size of many small businesses, they often don’t have access to large data sets that can be analyzed to drive important business decisions. By using artificial intelligence and AIOps, companies can take advantage of the ability of AI algorithms to analyze massive data sets quickly and efficiently in order to spot trends or patterns that may otherwise go undetected.
This allows businesses operating on a limited budget to make better business decisions because they will have access to more data than ever before which will allow them to make smarter choices about their company strategy without needing massive amounts of capital investment.
5) Better Inventory Management
One way that small businesses can improve their return on investment (ROI) is through effective inventory management. Smaller companies often struggle to keep track of inventory because they can’t afford the luxury of dedicated IT personnel who could be tasked with this responsibility. By using artificial intelligence, companies can accomplish tasks that would normally require human intervention, like predicting future product demand by examining current sales or automatically reordering products when inventory has fallen below a set threshold. This type of optimization results in less time spent managing inventory which allows employees to focus their attention on other important business concerns.
6) Automated Employee Scheduling
Another way that small businesses can use AI to improve ROI is through automating processes that are traditionally completed by humans. Using AI, companies can automate scheduling for back-office functions like accounting and customer support but also for front-line workers within specific departments like marketing or sales. Artificial intelligence can be used to track individual employee productivity and use this information to automatically assign tasks throughout the day based on each person’s work capacity.
7) Improved Customer Targeting
Small businesses often struggle with an inability to target their ideal customers due to limited data about these individuals. By using artificial intelligence, companies can now collect massive amounts of data continuously about consumers in order to find patterns that indicate who their most valuable customers are. A wealth of information collected from social media accounts, online shopping behavior, web browsing history, etc., allows companies to identify customer needs at a micro level which allows them to serve up targeted offers or advertisements through email marketing platforms or social media sites like Facebook & Twitter. One way that small businesses can proactively embrace AI is by partnering with a digital marketing agency that understands the benefits of using advanced technology and can help their clients implement it in order to remain competitive.
Since smaller businesses often do not have dedicated data scientists or machine learning experts on staff, they should look for an agency that offers a team of experts who can guide them through the implementation process and explain how AI can provide a multitude of benefits. With proper guidance, small business owners can understand what types of tools are available to them and how they work so that they can make educated decisions about which technologies would be best suited to their specific company needs.
Though artificial intelligence may conjure up fears of our robot overlords, many forms of artificial intelligence exist today – from chatbots on websites to email marketing platforms that proactively suggest content to send out to customers. As long as businesses are able to understand how these tools work and harness them for their own purposes, AI can be a powerful tool for growing small businesses.
There are many different types of accidents – from accidents at home and workplace injuries to medical negligence. However, car accidents seem to be the most common type.
Every day, car accidents occur, causing injury and pain to the victims. You can never be too careful when it comes to car accidents as they come when you least expect. However, overspeeding, distraction while driving, drunk driving, and failing to obey traffic laws are common causes of accidents.
Unfortunately, some of these accidents lead to death, permanent injuries, or loss of livelihood. As such, it is essential to get prepared for any unexpected eventuality by contacting an experienced attorney to represent you in case of an accident. Besides, never underestimate the impact of an accident lawyer in your case. Here are some of the common ways an accident lawyer helps you save money.
Experience
File a claimant for the first time, and you will appreciate the need for an experienced lawyer in the process. While the attorney will make it look easy, skipping a simple item in the process could see you lose the claim. Hence, hire a lawyer, and you will save money and the pain of filing the claim. Besides, a lawyer will provide you with precise evaluation figures and help you pursue payment of damages from the beginning to the end.
Connection To Expert Doctors
To successfully claim damages from an insurance company, you will need to come up with solid arguments. Since you are aggrieved, you have the burden of proof to show how someone caused you the damages.
Filing such detailed claims will need the expertise of a prudent car accident lawyer. The attorney will ensure you submit enough credible evidence indicating the defendant’s role in causing you harm. Besides, the lawyer could connect with the right people who will help create a water-tight case against the defendant, such as medical experts. Thus, hiring a lawyer is essential as they will offer more than legal services to ensure you successfully file the claim.
Negotiation Proficiency
After filing a claim, you will need negotiating skills with the insurance to receive reasonable rewards. Remember, the insurance will investigate the grounds on which you bring the case. Documents and evidence submitted will be reviewed, and if the company is satisfied with the claim, you will be settled. However, remember insurance companies are in business and will look for a lame excuse to forfeit the payment. As such, you will need to hire a lawyer to help you negotiate with the insurance company. The attorney is likely to deliver better results thanks to their antagonistic negotiating abilities.
Trial Skills
The majority of personal injuries are settled out of court, but some proceed to court hearings. A trial is necessitated when insurance offers an offer that the lawyer believes is not fair or when a claim is denied outright. In such cases, a lawyer comes in handy as they will help you take the defendant to court and put up a spirited fight for a better settlement.
Taking the defendant to court will force them to pay the claim and compensate for all damages incurred. Working with a lawyer helps you save a lot of money and time as they will be giving you much-needed advice and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Besides, an attorney helps in mounting pressure on an insurance company, causing complete and timely compensation.
No Payment Unless You Win
The majority of personal injury lawyers offer their services on a contingency fee contract. The agreement means a lawyer does not charge for the services until the court grants the financial award. Besides, the arrangement relieves you from additional costs as you will pay the attorney when they deliver results. Here you do not have any financial risks while pursuing the case giving you ample time to think and produce any document needed by the court.
Peace of Mind
A lawyer will significantly contribute to you having peace of mind while pursuing the claim. Lack of stability could be very costly as it could lead to more medical complications and less performance. Your lawyer will help you answer all arising questions from the case, assuring you of a better outcome. As a result, you save money from paying extra hospital bills and remain optimistic of favorable effects from the point.
Conclusion
Hiring a personal injury lawyer will surely save you money in more ways than one. Remember to do a background check of the attorney before assigning the case to ensure you have the right person for the claim. Finally, insist on payment after delivery of results to avoid more financial risks while pursuing the claim.
Nowadays, the process of converting PSD to HTML isn’t new in the technology area. This is a quick way to add interactivity to static content. You can design first in any popular image editing tool, then convert to HTML.
There are many approaches, including automated tools, self-coding, etc. The main thing is that you understand how to do this and what you need to pay attention to first of all dealing with templates.
What is a PSD template?
PSD template is a source code that is used for the layout of a full-fledged website. Such a sample contains the initial website’s elements size, layout, and design of all pages.
If you want to create a high-quality PSD template, adhere to the following:
Create each design element on a separate layer
Use psd or tiff formats to save the template drawing (they support the multilayer structure of images)
Make the background tones of all website pages uniform
Group all layers
Use fewer background images so as not to overload the web pages
Make minimal changes to the text, as its distortion will increase PSD template weight
Size the template at least 1000 pixels in width to avoid its display distortion in the browser
Use standard fonts
PSD into HTML: layouts steps
Now, when we get acquainted with PSD layout, let’s see what stages the process of converting a PSD layout into an HTML consists of.
Layout evaluation
After creating the layout, it’s passed to the designers. They determine its complexity, how it should work, whether the page contains additional dynamic elements, etc. When the assessment is completed, it’s time to deal with the next step.
Cutting design elements
There are some nuances at this step. If you want all the elements to look good, their size in bytes or kilobytes must be small. The best way to save images is jpg, gif, or png formats.
Layout
At this stage, each designer applies a different layout method. Someone makes it semantic or first creates a frame with the main blocks, then each in detail separately. For others, it’s best to build all at once in order.
Layout adjustment
There is such a layout type as a pixel layout that is executed exactly according to the initial sample.
It would be better if you check it against the layout, even when the customer doesn’t require an exact copy.
Page cross-browser compatibility testing
You need to test your website on how the site is displayed in browsers. The most popular ones worth checking out for are Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox.
Bug fixing
There are various reasons for bugs occurring – missing code elements, typos, ignorance of the features of browsers, etc. In any case, you should test your final product to ensure there are no bugs.
Things to take into consideration when converting a PSD to HTML
Layout types
Before converting PSD to HTML, you need to decide on the type of layout. The choice depends on the device you want to display – mobile, desktop, or tablet. There are 4 types of layouts:
Responsive – great for desktops (shifts a web page layout) and mobile
Flexible – designed for desktops and mobile devices (when minimizing the browser or reducing the screen size)
Fixed – suitable only for desktops, because layout elements won’t move when the window is resized
Mobile-only
Design components
Analyze the structure of a web page: a logo, a header with an image, a navigation menu, flash animation, etc., a body with text content, and an authorization module. If you need to convert a PSD based on Photoshop, then make sure that all components are put together in a specific order and won’t distort the page appearance.
Conclusion
So now, you have a general basic understanding of the PSD to HTML conversion process. The main thing here is the quick process. However, don’t forget about the key points that will help you avoid mistakes and get the quality basic HTML code of a simple web page.
Automating business admin processes can have a number of benefits for organisations, including reducing resource required, saving money, opening up capacity to take on additional, value added projects, as well as reducing the change of human error. Automating processes saves both time and money, key to keep an organization profitable and successful.
Technological advances in the last few years have made automating processes much quicker, easier and cheaper, as well as simple to implement in organizations of any size. The automations can support with many different areas of the organization, and can be divided into core and support functions: core functions are those that generate income (i.e. the primary reason the business exists), and support functions are the ones that allow that core activity to happen, such as HR and finance functions.
Customer Service
A number of customer service processes can be automated without losing the human touch. In fact, automating the behind the scenes processes can free up more time for organizations to give their customers the personal, human touch.
Systems can be implemented to provide an accurate and quick service at the initial stage, increasing customer satisfaction. More sophisticated software will also identify how customers like to be contacted, and additional follow up systems can keep customers warm, maximising sales potential and return on investment.
Finance
Organizations can use smart finance systems to monitor transfers of funds, payments from customers and payments internals and to third party suppliers. This overview across all platforms, such as digital wallets, bank transfers, credit and debit cards, and checks, means that it is much easier to spot if things go wrong.
Quickbooks offers a range of options for businesses of any size to maximise their fraud prevention, thus minimising loss and insurance costs. By providing business with fraud-proof checks that offer protection against counterfeiting and tampering, they support with the other automated processes that limit the potential financial risks to organizations when dealing with multiple payment methods.
Management
By having automated systems in place to monitor time and attendance, leave, sickness and performance, managers are able to spend more time on value added activities with their teams. Not only are business costs better managed, a consistent approach is taken across the board to employee management, helping to boost morale.
Additionally, at all management levels, it becomes possible to view areas of concern, where things are working well, and guide strategy going forward to help grow the business, and KPIs can be set in line with corporate strategy across the board.
Increased Employee Productivity
By automating repetitive processes not only is human error eliminated, but processes can also happen faster, as variations in speed due to staff morale, sickness and so on no longer impact these processes. It also means that as these things happen faster, the support activities that go alongside these can happen more swiftly and with greater certainty. For example, automating payroll means that amendments, which would need to be manually entered can be done more quickly and with greater accuracy.
Staff retention
By investing in technology, organizations better equip their employees to be successful, which tends to lead to a happier workforce that is less likely to leave. Investing in technology also signals to employees that the organization is current and keeping up with the competition, instilling confidence and loyalty from employees. Technology also provides flexibility for home or remote working, allowing a more flexible approach to work, improving the all-important work-life balance.
Automation of certain processes can be hugely beneficial to organizations. Repetitive data-driven activities can be improved through the use of technology, eliminating human error and freeing up resource for other work. However, automation must not come at the expense of a tailored approach that supports all internal and external stakeholders.
Pay Per Click is PPC and Search Engine Optimization is SEO. Which will be best for you? It could be both. Usually, it will at least be one or the other. See, SEO applies even if you’re not specifically calibrating marketing for search engines. The way search engine algorithms works doesn’t care how or why you wrote content.
Because modern marketing must co-opt social media, there is a bit of a “system” in place. For example, if you’re on Facebook, and you just “share” something, there will be a limit to how “visible” it is. You might think this has to do with the ideological foundation of the statement, but not necessarily.
It seems outreach avenues like Facebook ads couldn’t compete if the field were entirely level. Test this for yourself. Make a post about something funny, make a post about something political, and make a post about some business pursuit you’re trying to build awareness around. Likely, the funny post will contend with the political post for prominence.
However, the post you made to advertise services or products will only get limited engagement. You will, though, see an ad to buy Facebook marketing for your “business” post. Accordingly, you can’t just trust in organic visibility on Facebook, and the same is true of YouTube. “Virality” isn’t as spontaneous as many would hope. In fact, on any social media avenue, relying on purely organic means of visibility likely won’t produce ROI.
ROI stands for Return On Investment. PPC and SEO can produce ROI, but they must be properly applied. With SEO, you want keywords, word choice, sentence size, paragraph structure, and imagery to align with known best practices. Said best practices shift as the “powers that be” intend.
To digitally advertise successfully, you must not only understand which avenues of outreach best match your business, but design associated content utilizing associated best practices such as using digital flyer, and those best practices change. With these things in mind, this writing will help you make the best choices for the digital marketing of your business.
MUST DO’S!
Personalize ads as much as possible – Drill down to what your prospects really want and need. Use messaging (their language) that will resonate with a specific problem – or personal interests like fitness – to grab and hold their attention.
Be creative! – If you want to catch the eye of prospects and customers and stand out from the competition, quit doing what everyone else is doing. Be bold and try different color schemes. Write headlines and copy that make people click on your ads. Like it or not, you must rise above the noise because ads are everywhere, and yours better be noticeable
Embrace data – Like it or not, data is a foundational piece to successful digital advertising. It doesn’t make sense to launch campaigns if you don’t understand the metrics, from exposure to visits, inquiries, leads, conversions, etc. See what patterns show up and adjust your plan and strategy accordingly.
Choose your platforms wisely – Focusing on one platform may not yield the best results, but focusing on too many produce unfavorable results. Learn where you target audience hangs out the most, and be on those platforms. Otherwise, you’ll waste your time, energy, and money.
Offer ungated content – The first impulse is to ‘gate’ content. However, decision-makers may not want to fill out another form and may go to your competitor who makes it easy for prospects and customers to get what they need and want. When reviewing your channels and funnel metrics, go outside of what looks successful because you may realize that you’ve been missing out on quality leads.
The increasing importance of digital analytics tools needing to keep up to pace with changes in business and consumer behavior:
– Even the last standing bastions of brick and mortar are moving online and facing pressure to make sure their marketing budget is spent wisely. – Major changes are seen in consumer behavior in the past two years, with mobile becoming the dominant method of doing research and shopping
Google is adapting to meet the needs of the current business environments and the people they serve. Hence, the launch of Google Analytics 4 came not just with a focus on helping businesses make better analytics-based decisions, but also with a focus on meeting consumer digital needs and their expectations of privacy.
Trends from Google’s data have shown that there have been significant shifts in the way consumers expect their online experience to be, as well as their perception of the way their data is being handled.
People are expecting their search intent to be understood by companies and at the same time, expect more transparency with how their data is used. These insights fueled GA4’s functionality which is to be a digital analytics tool that:
– Adapts to customers’ desire for privacy first – Gives businesses a clearer picture of consumer behavior to help them adapt to their customers’ needs and gain long-term wins that improve the bottom line
Guide to Google Analytics 4 is here to help businesses ride the wave of change in their customers’ behavior and adapt to doing business post-pandemic. Here are a few quick points from Vidhya Srinivasan on how GA4 will help:
– Alerts on important trends where you need to take immediate action – Predictive metrics to gauge the potential income from a specific customer group – Google Ads integration – App and web measurement in one platform – Measurement that’s centered on the customer instead of by platform or device to gain a clearer picture of customers’ interaction with your business – Simpler reports that will give you the ability to focus on specific parts of the customer journey – Machine learning to help fill in the data gaps that come from the phasing out of cookies.
Since the African continent is home to more than 1.1 billion people, it has the potential to account for one-fifth of the world’s population by 2025. As a result, many businesses and investors have become aware of Africa’s consumer market potential. Despite this potential, many obstacles can make companies hesitate to enter the market. Even so, there are quite a few multinational companies that have managed to capture the opportunities in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets.
One of the main reasons for this potential is that a big part of the African population is young, urban, and connected. Currently, the working population in Africa is growing at 2.7 percent each year. At this rate, nearly two-thirds of the estimated 300 million African households will have some discretionary income by 2025. Additionally, a big part of African’s consumer market is filled with the younger generation who are aged between 16 and 34 years old. These people are willing to spend and tend to be more eager to try new products.
The two trends driving this rapid growth are urbanization and the rise of mobile communications. The continent already has many cities with more than 1 million inhabitants; this means that many companies can secure distribution in Africa’s fast-growing cities due to the concentration of consumers. Moreover, mobile technology is completely changing the game. In fact, by the end of 2014, mobile penetration in Africa was estimated at 89 percent and continued to proliferate and enable money transfers and microfinance transactions.
However, just as the potential of the African has become widely acknowledged, so have the obstacles of potential business endeavors. Some of these include political instability and conflict, poor infrastructure, language barriers, differences in consumer behavior, a fragmented retail market, and low data availability and quality. Wars and authoritarian governments continue to affect businesses as well as policies in many countries. According to the world freedom index that measures political and civil liberties, of the 54 countries in the African continent, only 10 are considered free, 22 are partially free, and 22 are not. Second, many African cities currently have modern road systems. However, only one-third of the population lives within 2 kilometers of a paved road that is stable year-round. Furthermore, travel within the continent is quite expensive and challenging.
Along with that, a high percentage of the population has no access to electricity. These problems do not just constrain consumer demand but supply as well. While linguistic diversity is excellent, it can get complicated when companies need to deliver their marketing messages in multiple languages to communicate effectively with African consumers. Another factor that could be an obstacle is that Africans in different countries make purchase decisions differently. For example, research has shown that while most Angolans look at ads and compare stores to get the best prices, only about 27 percent of Kenyans do the same.
Opinions about brands differ by country and region as well and the continent has a fragmented retail market. For example, most consumers will buy their groceries primarily from the neighborhood or independently owned convenience stores. On the other hand, few consumers will go to supermarkets for these items. Finally, except for the largest cities, there has been a disparity in economic data and market research. As a result, companies which look at existing data and extrapolate it to a national and regional level get inaccurate insights.
Regardless of some serious challenges, many companies have made the African continent a part of their success story. The reason that consumer companies like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Unilever have succeeded in Africa is four-fold; they took a granular view of growth, tailored their offers to local needs and preferences, created a route-to-market model based on geography and channel, and built a large well-equipped sales force.
According to research, the most successful companies on the continent have been selective about the markets they want to enter. Rather than building a presence across entire countries, they opt to target the fastest-growing cities and city clusters where per capita income and spending exceeds the national average. Moreover, companies need to understand each target audience’s local needs and preferences to drive mass adoption of their products or services. As mentioned previously, it is not just about local product preferences but also local buying behaviors. Once companies have prioritized the highest-growth cities and have defined a portfolio of products for them, the next step is to ensure that the products are available for sale in those cities. To do so, successful companies tend to develop route-to-market models that primarily focus on the most attractive channels.
Rwazi is a data services company that is dedicated to helping businesses around the world collect and analyze on-ground data from African countries. They provide organizations with new on-ground data on products, services, and activities from the African continent by utilizing a network of mappers and data collectors spread across urban and rural areas in Africa. While the company is based in Mauritius, Rwazi serves customers across the globe in different industries, including healthcare, consumer goods, automotive, education, finance, agriculture, energy, transport, and media.
The team behind Rwazi understands that organizations need near real-time, on-ground data to make effective decisions on activities such as expansion, investments, distribution, new product/service offerings, and reach target beneficiaries. For this reason, they’ve developed a network of 5,000+ mappers are spread across cities, municipalities, towns, and villages in 40 African countries. This network is expected to reach 50,000+ mappers by the end of the year.
Customers can utilize the Rwazi network to gain data from target areas and personas. Given the travel limitations that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, organizations can execute on-ground activities even in the regions that are difficult to reach.
Currently, Rwazi is the first and only company in the world with a large and growing network of mappers spread all over sub-Saharan Africa. They want to help organizations get the data they need to make informed decisions, in addition to helping millions of young people in Africa who need more opportunities to earn an income.
For more information about Rwazi’s data services and their platform, check out their social media platforms.
Miley on December 3, 2021 
