InsightsMartechSaaS

Essential Social Media Metrics You cannot Afford to Ignore

on December 21, 2018

Statista predicts that the number of social media users will reach 3.02 billion by 2021. Therefore, not using these channels to connect with your audience may hurt your branding efforts on multiple levels. However, as the number of your competitors investing in social media marketing (SMM) keeps growing, just creating a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account for your business is not enough.

To rise above your rivals and improve your customer relationships, you need to set the right SMM metrics and track them regularly.

What are KPIs and why are They Important?

Do you know which social media marketing practices bring you the highest ROI? Statistics show that 90% of marketers don’t know what their most profitable SMM tactics are. This probably means that they either rely on the wrong KPIs or don’t track any KPIs at all.

Your social media KPIs (key performance indicators) are basically the values you set to monitor the performance of your campaigns. Focusing on engagement, conversions, and branding efforts, these metrics help you make wiser decisions, refine your tactics, and improve your ROI significantly.

Now, if you’ve hired a digital marketing agency to handle your social media campaigns, you’re golden. In this case, digital marketing professionals will track the right KPIs for you and build your campaign around the results they get. However, if you’re building your SMM campaign all by yourself, measuring its performance may be overwhelming for you. As there are numerous metrics to track, you first need to learn how to choose the ones that really matter.

This is the basis on which you will further build your success in the overcrowded social media landscape.

Brand-Related Metrics

When building your social media marketing campaign, your goal is to raise brand awareness and connect with the right people on a personal level. This is why you need to track brand-related KPIs, as they help you understand how strong your brand is.

1. Brand Awareness

Brand awareness tells you how many people know about you. To measure it, you first need to determine the timeframe within which you want to measure your brand awareness and determine the brand awareness metrics to track (mentions, shares, etc.) This is where social media monitoring tools can help you, as they let you find both @direct and indirect brand mentions.

2. The Reach of your Posts

This KPI shows how many users have seen your piece of content since it was published. As such, it heavily depends on the relevance of your post, as well as when it was published.

How to measure: (the reach of a post/the number of your followers) x 100

3. The Growth of your Following

This KPI tells you at what speed your follower base expands on social networks. It doesn’t focus on how many followers you attracted within a certain timeframe, but on how quickly you gained them.

How to measure: (net new followers/the total number of followers) x 100

Engagement Metrics

Relying on your brand reach is not enough. Having thousands of followers is purposeless if they don’t communicate with the content you share. To measure the true impact of your campaigns, you need to track your target audience’s engagement, too.

By engagement, many marketers mean likes, shares, and comments. However, these are vanity metrics that make you feel special about the performance of your posts but tell you nothing about how your followers engage with them. This is why you need to put them in a broader context by combining them with the following KPIs:

1. Applause Rate

Likes are important because they indicate how many of your followers have seen your post and liked it. However, monitoring the number of likes doesn’t tell you much about people’s engagement with your content. This is why you need to keep monitoring your applause rate that shows what percentage of your followers considers your posts relevant.

How to measure: (the number of likes per post/the total number of followers) x 100

2. Amplification Rate

Your social media shares tell you how many people consider your content valuable enough to share it with their network. However, what if one post performs significantly better than the other? What you can you conclude from these numbers, except that one is more popular? You’re right, nothing. This is why you need to track the amplification rate or the average number of shares per social media post.

How to measure: (the number of shares per post/the total number of followers) x 100

3. Virality Rate

What is better- a post with 15,000 likes but poor virality rate or a post with fewer likes but a higher virality rate? The latter one, of course. Precisely because of that, you need to measure the virality rate. This metric shows you the number of users that shared your post, compared to the number of its unique views.

How to measure: (the number of shares/ the number of impressions) x 100

Conversion Metrics

Calculating the engagement metrics is only half the equation. The other half is to understand how many of your followers are eager to convert. This is what conversion metrics are for. They are critical for the performance of your campaign, as they directly indicate the effectiveness of your social media engagement.

4. Social Media Conversion Rate

This metric represents the total number of conversions arriving from social networks. It helps you understand the effectiveness of your posts and see how well your social media content resonates with your target audience.

How to measure: (social media conversions/the total sum of conversions) x 100

5. Click-Through Rate

The click-through rate (CTR) shows you how often users hit the CTA link in your posts. Similarly to other conversion metrics, its goal is to show you whether you’re targeting the right audiences and whether your posts resonate with them.

How to measure: (the number of clicks on a post/ the number of impressions) x 100

6. Bounce Rate

Calculating the CTR alone is not enough. You need to know what happens once a user lands on the page. And, this is where your bounce rate steps in. The bounce rate represents the percentage of visitors that click on the link in your social media post, land on the page, and leave it immediately, before taking any further action. If your social media bounce rates are high, this only means that you’re either targeting the wrong audience or that your landing page doesn’t meet their expectations.

How to measure: This is where Google Analytics can help. Choose Channels> All Traffic> Bounce Rate and the tool will rank your digital marketing channels by their bounce rate.

Over to You

Boosting your presence in the competitive social media sphere doesn’t happen overnight. To succeed, you need to choose the right metrics and track them regularly to measure the performance of your strategy. This will help you make wiser decisions and take your strategy to the next level.

What social media marketing KPIs do you track?

Products

3 Reasons Car Fans Are Turning Away From Dealerships And Shopping Online

on December 21, 2018

Technology and business experts have long been predicting that the automotive industry is the major segment of the economy ripe for fruitful tech disruption.

Car companies have been clinging to a stagnant sales model for decades, and with new web tools making it easier than ever before for customers to purchase directly with manufacturers, with more and more car-shopping moving online, it is possible that dealerships will soon be a thing of the past.

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While this new frontier of innovation is the result of a combination of forces and developments, on the consumer side it is being driven by a belief that e-commerce is simply better at meeting customer needs in this area. Here are three of the most significant reasons why:

  1. Expanded Options

Most shoppers who are looking for a new car want to be able to start with a wide range of options and then narrow them down through research and comparison. Typically, this has involved finding out what offerings are available at local dealerships, and then ranking them based on preference.

With the rise of e-commerce, however, consumers have become used to ordering the exact product they are looking for, regardless of whether or not it is available on the shelves of their local outlet store. This has created a certain degree of frustration for shoppers whose regional Ford dealership might only have a limited number of the dozens of variations of F-150 truck that make up the annual line-up.

Shopping for vehicles online has made it easier for consumers to purchase exactly what they want without needing to search far afield for the precise combination of features they are looking for.

  1. Easy-to-Use Search Tools

Every year, manufacturers issue hundreds of new vehicles under dozens of nameplates with an uncountable combination of features and add-ons. And while manufacturers tend to market their products based on brand name—the new Toyota Corolla, for example, for the Mazda CX-5—shoppers are becoming increasingly less brand loyal, and are much more focused on fulfilling needs (e.g., a new compact crossover with adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and Apple Play).

Because websites like Kijiji Autos allow shoppers to find vehicles using a sophisticated array of search tools, they make it much easier for ordinary consumers to cut through the branding noise to quickly find the vehicle that fits their needs best.

  1. A More Pleasant Shopping Experience

Possibly the biggest reason why people are turning away from dealerships, however, is that they don’t like buying cars from them: according to a 2016 study into consumer satisfaction in the dealership industry, 87% of people who purchased a car from a dealership found some part of the experience to be irritating or off-putting.

One of the most common complaints was that dealership staff tended to push hard for a sale no matter what. Many shoppers who had recently purchased new cars felt that dealership staff had taken advantage of them in some way.

These are not problems shoppers face when buying automobiles online. Because the customer is in the driver’s seat when using e-commerce services, salespeople have fewer opportunities to pressure them into making a purchase they haven’t fully decided on.

Disruption is often imagined in hostile terms, as an assault on an established part of the economy by new business interests. But as can be seen in the case of the automotive sector, the reality is that disruptors are more often simply tapping into an existing frustration on the part of consumers.

By putting purchasing power back in the hands of shoppers and cutting out expensive, restrictive middlemen, companies like Kijiji Autos are simply finding a better way to meet customer needs.

ProductsSaaS

Why Your Startup Needs A Test Management Tool?

on December 20, 2018

Testing plays an imperative role in creating a positive or negative brand image. Since a startup is in its very early phases, a startup cannot risk its brand image at any cost. Therefore, a tool is required to check the quality of the startup product.

Keeping this scenario in mind, we are presenting you the list of reasons why your startup needs a test management tool.

1. A Good Test Management Tool Has A Powerful Dashboard

This automatically finishes the requirement to message the individual team member regarding an update on the project’s status. A good test management tool’s interactive dashboard enables you to get a 360-degree view about the projects ongoing status. This will free you from the hassle of running after everyone to gather updates. It enables you to simply log in and see upgraded bug reports, test cases, test scenarios, and status reports.

2. It Offers Stress-Free Project Management

The dream of the tester is to have stress-free project management. An efficient testing tool enables you to manage your activities without getting disturbed by various documents. You develop your own testing project and synchronizing it with your testing requirements. In addition to this, you can define your testing team by making an addition of more users who can also see the outcomes and make status updates after fixing the bugs.

3. It Has Requirement Planning

Another benefit for startups from the test management tool is that it permits you to associate your test cases and test scenarios with your project’s requirements in just some clicks. You attain updates for each minuscule bit of information showing up because of traceability. You can also see which requirements have passed and failed.

4. It Covers Test Management Requirements Effectively

It enables you to create a detailed test plan, write test scenarios, create test cases and execute those test cases. You can also use the test cases in your regression cycles rather than allocating the majority of the time on a new one. It permits you to save work on word and PDF and utilize whenever you require it.

5. It Offers Defect Management

Bug identification is easy, however, organizing, tracking and managing them in one place is very difficult. If a test management tool that you use has a rich-information format, it can clear your line of sight by combining your configurations and activities in one place. Just record, manage and track your entire testing efforts in a very productive user-interface and gain access to your projects at your fingertips.

6. It Has Automation Testing

Flat design style modern vector illustration concept of teamwork consulting on briefing small business project presentation group of people planning and brainstorming ideas of company financial strategy.

A test management tool gives to freedom to automate your testing activities. You can only incorporate input-driven scripts into your tool and run them across selenium supported test environment with minimum human intervention.

7. It Provides Seamless Integration with Other Powerful Apps

A good test management tool provides flawless integration with numerous powerful apps to sync data and streamline workflow, providing you an improved experience which is powerful, adjustable and fast. It enables you to manage your releases and work together with your teams without missing out on any mission-related tasks without any disruption.

8. A Good Test Management Tool Also has Mobile Version Available

Mobile test management tool has been on the wish-list of every tester for very long. This is because it provides you with the convenience of working on-the-go. Whether it is rejecting or approving test cases, assigning and logging defects, it would assist you to create real-time test management with only some taps.

9. Its Interactive APIs Can Assist You Gain Competitive Advantage

You can integrate your current work-flows with test tool’s APIs. It will enable you to decrease disruptions and also adds value to the end-product. The interactive APIS will transform your business and attain competitive advantage.

10. It Has User-Friendly Interface

A good test management tool always has a user-friendly interface and provides intuitive performance and functioning that makes management more fun and engaging.

Author Bio

Ray Parker is an entrepreneur and internet marketer with over 9 years of experience in Search Engine Optimization, Creative Writer and Digital Marketing Consultant.

DevelopmentInsightsMartech

Most Notable SEO Trends That We Will See in 2019

on December 20, 2018

In the present day, it’s impossible to imagine a business without a strong online presence. Now, the term strong online presence is, in this day and age, almost synonymous with a strong search engine rank. Sure, social media presence also plays a huge role in one’s brand presence, yet, a potential customer is still more likely to look you up in a regular Google search than to try and find you on Facebook or even LinkedIn. With that in mind and without further ado, it’s important that you keep up with your SEO efforts in 2019, as well and there are several suggestions you need to take into consideration.

1. Featured snippets

Google rank and position in search engines are a huge deal for users, yet, getting positioned on featured snippets is an even bigger deal. This is due to the fact that featured snippets appear above the first organic search results, thus occupying the so-called Position 0. In other words, in theory, it’s even better to get on featured snippets than to get the position one, even though these two things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive (they often go hand in hand).

As for getting there, there are several things you need to know. For instance, instead of going with the generic keyword phrases, you need to make keywords that start with traditional question formats like “How to”, “What is” and “How to do”. This is the most common way in which people ask questions, so, you need to format your content in this way.

The problem with this lies in the issue of competitiveness, due to the fact that the majority of your niche might aim to do the same. Nonetheless, with the right strategy and methodology, you can get ahead of them. For instance, you can go to a popular Q&A portal for your industry and the chances are that people there ask the same question over and over again. In this scenario, it isn’t that hard to imagine them repeating this question on google. This is just one hint that could put you well ahead of your competition.

2. Video marketing

The next thing you might have noticed recently is the fact that Google tends to feature more and more videos in its search results. Since June, there’s a three-video display that provides you with one more way to get through to your audience. In other words, now you have one more reason to commit to a video marketing and get your content to the top. This, paired with a traditional SEO and a position in Google Snippets can truly put you at the head of the industry. This will increase your traffic and give your brand some much-needed legitimacy.

In order to get there, you need to learn a thing or two about the YouTube SEO. As always, the starting point needs to be keyword research. Once you’re done with this, you need to ensure that people who actually click on the video decide to stay. For this, you need an attention-grabbing thumbnail and high-retention content. As soon as this is over, you can continue with YouTube on-page optimization. We’re talking about title, tags and similar metadata. Lastly, you need to promote your content on various platforms.

3. White label SEO

Another trend that will shake the world of SEO to the core is the growing importance of the phenomenon of white label SEO. You see, even though some people may boast with the ability to handle their SEO as a DIY project, the truth is that the effectiveness of this project never comes even close in quality to what an expert could achieve. In fact, with Google adjusting to the existence of SEO, the quality standards are getting higher and higher. This means that even the most basic of SEO projects now require a great number of skilled specialists. The concept of white label allows several minor companies to team up in order to create a holistic set of SEO services.

In fact, some companies like SEO Reseller Hub, specialize in white label services and are ready and willing to act as silent partners. This means that they have a primary deal with another SEO company for which they do a part of SEO services, yet, have no contact with the actual client. The client in question doesn’t even have to know that they’re involved in the process. Earlier on, we’ve talked about DIY SEO. Well, even individuals can use these services and let the white label SEO company handle some aspects that they’re ill-equipped to undertake on their own.

4. Producing quality content

This is the one trend that’s been consistently relevant for years and years and such a thing is unlikely to change in 2019 either. Namely, producing quality content is something that’s incredibly important for your SEO, seeing as how it boosts brand loyalty, duration of visit and your online presence, in general.

The problem with this particular tip lies in the fact that there’s no shortcut around it. You need to spend more time writing, scripting and editing, self-improve, test, and research your audience. You need to practice using storytelling techniques in content creation and find a way to put your audience in focus. Moreover, you need to find a way to make your content provide value to your audience. Sometimes, it’s the fact that they learn something new. At other times, it provides valuable information on the product they intend to buy/service they intend to use (review). Then, sometimes it’s all about creating an entertaining piece of content for the amusement of your audience.

In conclusion

While the above-discussed list doesn’t really have anything completely new to it, however, search engines are evolving and changing every single year. This is something that every SEO expert has to get accustomed to, sooner or later. Having experience from previous years will give you a head start, yet, there’s still a lot of new features and factors to get accustomed to. Nonetheless, if you’ve followed 2018 SEO trends, so far, the adjustment process shouldn’t be that hard.

DevelopmentSaaS

How Scrum Became the Dominant Agile Approach

on December 19, 2018

The term “Scrum” was first introduced back in 1986. At the time, very few people suspected that what seemed like another buzzword would go on to blow other methodologies out of the water. And just so there is no misunderstanding: there is no shortage of other agile frameworks out there. So, what are the main reasons behind this meteoric rise?

The reasons are many and as covering all of them would take up an entire book, we will focus on the most impactful ones today.

Keeping it simple

One of the main selling points of Scrum is the fact that it has a very simple and fixed and limited set of roles, tools (artifacts), responsibilities, and events (ceremonies) that give structure to software development. For example, there are only three roles to begin with— Scrum Master, product owner, and development team.

It is actually quite interesting to find out that many Scrum naysayers mention how Scrum is too complex or rigid, when in fact it only provides a very limited number of guidelines.

Scrum has been consciously pared down to the very basic roles, responsibilities, events, and artifacts that interact so as to provide a framework for delivering valuable software. The teams are actually encouraged to build on this and to find the best ways to make Scrum work for them.

How it plays out in practice

Furthermore, Scrum increases team velocity, collaboration, and creative thinking. It equips you with everything you need in order to face practical issues and shifting requirements that arise during the project. Change is not only accepted but embraced and planned for. Meetings happen on a daily basis and progress is openly discussed. In this stage, it is common to see team leaders using visual tools such as Scrum boards and visual charts.

Scrum also values transparency over everything, allowing the entire Scrum Team full insight into how they are doing, whether there are areas in which the team can improve. Through inspection and adaptation, the team can find new ways of doing things and identify parts of the product that no longer hold any value and that can be put on hold or abandoned altogether. This significantly reduces waste in the development process.

Along the similar lines, incremental software releases also help in tackling different problems on the go. Namely, Scrum lays the groundwork for early and continuous delivery of software releases and encourages heavy user involvement. Feedback is gathered not only from end users, but stakeholders and customers as well. As a result, developers are able to assess product performance and see how well it matches market needs and expectations.

Moving out of software development

While Scrum began its life in software development, over the years, it has been applied in a number of different industries and business fields – from manufacturing to marketing, from healthcare to HR and more. In fact, if you want to run a business more efficiently, Scrum can be something that you can try out for fit.

This is enabled by Scrum’s underlying structure which is based on common sense and pure empiricism which can be applied to any kind of a team and organization. Scrum simply provides you with certain mechanisms to inspect your work and adapt how your team operates based on those findings.

In other words, Scrum is great at shining light on areas of your organization that might require improvement. This applicability of Scrum to industries other than software development has also contributed to its ever-increasing popularity.

Still not a silver bullet

It should be obvious by now that Scrum is no fad. It has an impressive track record for teams as small as several developers, but also organizations with hundreds of employees.  If you do not believe us, check out a huge body of documented use cases. Likewise, note that you can tap into a whole ecosystem of standardized certifications and educational resources to overcome the learning curve. Additionally, you can take advantage of free scrum software like VivifyScrum that can help support your team.

That being said, Scrum is not for everyone. It may take a while for newcomers to grow accustomed to Scrum and those who are used to “command and control” culture are likely to find themselves on unfamiliar ground. Therefore, you need to know what you are getting yourself into (read the Agile Manifesto) and ensure this methodology suits current work styles and flows.

Conclusion

For better or worse, Scrum is the king of agile approaches. This coveted position has been secured largely thanks to a fine blend of performance and simplicity.  Ready to use right away, this methodology features fixed-length iterations (sprints) and a limited set of rules. Among other things, it allows you to juggle a variety of priorities, track progress, improve collaboration, and receive invaluable feedback.

Development teams are able to exhibit a high level of flexibility and communicate openly and regularly without compromising the end result. Everyone is on the same page, has a sense of real progress, and is focused on the set goals. Consequently, the organization as a whole benefit and becomes versed in accommodating changes impediments.

InsightsSaaS

List Of The Most Desirable Apps For 2019

on December 17, 2018

You require a certain degree of seriousness before you decide to start your mobile business application. If you can amass it, then the time is perfectly ripe to begin, as app development offers profound business opportunities. According to analyses conducted by relevant bodies, the sales of smartphones are increasing day by day. It further explains that the number of people involving in digital interactions on a regular basis is also increasing continuously. However, before contacting some of the best app development organizations, you have to think about the type of application that will bring in profits and revenue, while engaging more users in a short period.

  1. Transportation applications

Traveling is essentiality that people want to be sure of before stepping out of the house. Your mobile app development company in India can help users decide on the right public transportation mode. The selection can be according to convenience, economy or time-saving facilities. Offline services attract more users than online ones, and you can exploit that feature to draw in customers.

 

  1. Dating applications

Researches are pointing out that the smartphone is the reason behind people becoming lonely. With a mobile application that allows a user to communicate with likeminded and interesting people, your business can race past others in no time. Your app can import users from some of the existing media platforms via a system that lets two people search out partners based on compatibility.

 

  1. Task management applications

If there is an application which users can utilize to manage tasks and make plans, then it allows the user to maintain motivational levels. A unique app like this one will remind the user of daily chores like setting up alarms, informing about housework, examinations, workouts, and others.

Source – Pixabay

 

  1. Food delivery applications

When guests are only a few kilometers away from the doorstep, preparing meals in time gets tough. That is why food delivery apps are so much in demand these days. If you can create an application for grub delivery, then there is a possibility of it achieving success in an instant. Users always appreciate applications that ensure fast delivery of food from renowned and favored restaurants.

 

  1. Job hunting applications

A rather unusual idea for an app but has the potential to succeed, job search applications are essential in today’s time. It will be a marketplace where employers and job seekers can come face-to-face. Go to an application developing agency for the creation of this dream smartphone application. Entrepreneurs also use online platforms to hire full-timers or freelancers.

Source – Pixabay

 

  1. Emergency applications

A sudden and unpredictable emergency can ruin a day at any time. So, a disaster, terror or emergency warning app can be a brilliant idea. There are already multiple apps regarding coverage of unforeseen and unfavorable situations. These apps have an alert function which prepares you to face a disaster or inform relatives and loved ones. Such an application can also notify the police, fire departments, hospitals, and others.

 

  1. Gifting applications

The busy and hectic life of today doesn’t allow a person time for purchasing gifts for loved ones. An application can let you send flowers, gift cards, toys and other goodies with a single touch. It will be quite a surprise for the recipient or receiving a gift without any prior information. A user can connect to the application and select gifts, flower bouquets, chocolates, and other special items.

 

  1. Reservation applications

You aren’t always in a mood to go out for dinner, and when you have it, you can’t afford to spoil it. Most reputable and renowned restaurants remain full almost every day, and prior reservations are the only way to grab a bite. An app which allows a user to book a table with multiple options can be successful in no time. It is one such app that will have a design to meet necessities of unexpected dinner outings.

 

  1. Holiday planning applications

Now that the internet is bestowing uninterrupted knowledge and information, many people utilize holidays by planning trips. You can think about app developers to prepare an application for you that will let a user plan vacations. Such an application can contain reliable audio information that anyone can listen to. It can also have facilities like searching for restaurants, bars, taxis, buses entertainment modes, etc.

 

  1. Fitness applications

As mentioned before, the internet is the all-knowing digital partner of everybody currently. As a result, many people are finding out the pros of fitness and good health. Just as it is difficult to go to a shop to purchase a gift, finding out time to visit gyms is also negligible. For that reason, fitness applications of today are one of the favorite choices of youngsters. These apps encourage users to pursue goals of fitness, health or bodybuilding.

 

  1. VR/AR applications

There are mobile apps that companies develop based on a VR system. A user can click a picture of the interior that will undergo revamping and then compare the different objects, colors, backgrounds, or for adding an amenity like furniture. With an AR app, a user can scan a room with a smartphone camera and place the selected items to decide on the style and compatibility.

Source – Pixabay

 

Best ideas

Given above are some of the best ideas for applications in the upcoming year. As mentioned before, more and more people are relying on smartphones with every passing second. It is quite understandable that a significant number of users will join in the squad in the upcoming years. For people who find mobile applications puzzling, this article should clear everything up. After all, without knowledge of different application types, it will be almost impossible to start the business you wish to open. This topic will expand your understanding of the multitudes of applications that are flooding the smartphones of users. You also have to consider going for such applications that the customers are currently seeking. The wrong one can lead to a complete waste of your investment.

Martech

5 Advanced Methods to Promote Your Startup in 2019 (+ Bonus Tip)

on December 12, 2018

So you’re starting up your business! Congratulations. While you must be thrilled at what lies ahead for your business, you also are probably a little nervous. I know that there is a lot to think about, but don’t forget the most important part of owning a business: marketing and promotion. While this might not be on the top of your list, you need to make promoting your business a priority. The best thing you can do to promote your business is by creating engagement as well as trust. Here are five advanced methods to promote your new startup.

1. Create A Website That Sparks Conversation

The most successful businesses have websites that are filled with landing pages. Don’t just create one landing page for your website, create many. Each landing page is a source to create new conversions and leads, so create as many as your site allows you to without looking spammy, as the team at Marketing Masterminds explains. Here are more reasons to create (many) landing pages on your business’s website:

  • Landing pages help organize a website.
  • Landing pages spark conversation.
  • Landing pages create an increase in leads.
  • Landing pages allow more variety in your website which will lead to more conversions. This can also lead to longer time on site, which helps SEO in several ways.

Overall, creating more landing pages will lead to more conversions as well as a higher rank in Google.

2. Create Valuable Content With An Authoritative Voice

The only reason anyone goes on Google is to search for something. Maybe they want a recipe, or perhaps a personal chef. If your business has a website (which it should), you need a blog that publishes regular content that is valuable to its readers. It needs to have some relativity to your business and needs to have an authoritative voice. If your blog posts are written by experts who have an authoritative voice and lots of valuable insights to share that are backed by statistics, your content will surely rank higher on Google. Not only will you have valuable content, but your trust score will also go up as people trust experts in their field to provide accurate information. When reading an informative piece of content, you can always tell if the writer has confidence in their writing or not.  You can take an educated guess on if they actually know what they are writing about and if they took their time writing the article for their readers. Look at it this way: When you see a piece of content that is generic, short, and quickly thrown together are you going to waste your time and finish reading it? Probably not. When you have generic content, website visitors will leave your site quickly, which means that bounce rate will skyrocket and your website won’t rank well. Make sure all of your content is valuable and well-written. One more tip when creating content: It’s incredibly important to select the right keywords! Certain keywords are very hard to rank for, especially when you are a startup business just making your way into the online world. Find keywords that are easier to rank for but still relevant to your business.

3. Always Question Your Promotional Ideas

The best marketers go against the grain and come up with fresh, new ideas. Before doing what everyone else does, make sure that your idea right for your business. Don’t be afraid to take (small) risks and be different from everyone else. For Example: If every commercial during the Super Bowl was the same, would people look forward to the Super Bowl commercials? Probably not. Get (a little) risky and you have a bigger chance of getting noticed. Come up with new, fresh ideas to get people to come to your website and stay on there.

4. Develop Genuine Relationships With your Customers and Potential Clients

Trust score, personal touch, and user reviews will still be important in 2019. In fact, being personable will be more important than ever in the business world as people are having a harder time trusting businesses, especially when purchasing online. If potential customers have “trust issues” when they visit your website, or if you aren’t getting personal enough with your current customers, your business could tank fast. To measure your website’s “trust flow”, you can use Monitor Link’s  Free Backlink Checker tool Some ways to earn a higher trust score:

  • Gain backlinks from websites with a high trust score.
  • Make yourself available to your customers by phone, email and social media. Add a chat feature if you can to your website.
  • Don’t hesitate to make customer service your #1 priority. Do not use chatbots to answer questions.
  • Ask your customers for reviews, testimonials, and suggestions.
  • Make sure your emails are professional (This also means that you could send the emails with a professional email client for Windows or Linux).
  • Most importantly, be yourself.

5. Choose The Right Social Media Networks and Define When The Best Time To Post Is

Social media is important and will always be important. However, social media trends are constantly changing. This section will help you choose the right social media platforms and advise you on how to use social media to your business’s advantage. Depending on your business, here are the (popular) social networking sites that you should consider marketing your brand on:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn

Other Sites You Should Consider Branding On:

  • Google+
  • Google My Business
  • TripAdvisor
  • SnapChat
  • Facebook Messenger
  • Yelp

Once you choose which of these websites you would like to create a business page/listing on, the next step is to start creating excellent content to gain new followers. Most of these websites also offer ads for your business to purchase to help build a social media following. Here are some more ideas to build/maintain great social media profiles:

  • Offer a free trial/service/small product in an ad.
  • Post at the best time of the day for that social media site. You can find the best times to post on social media listed by website on Hubspot.
  • Use the correct hashtags to gain followers. You can even use one’s for various days of the week such as #ThursdayThoughts.
  • Pick a branded website hashtag.
  • Hold a contest to get brand awareness. Make sure they have to participate somehow much as follow your page in order to be entered in.
  • Reach out to influencers and like and share their content often. The more you do this, the more likely that eventually, they will return the favor.
  • Get a persona! Share pictures of your office, even your pet! The more personal you get, the more people will trust you and “like” your business.
  • Link to your social media accounts everywhere such as your website and newsletters.
  • Connect with similar businesses and cross-promote each other’s content and products.
  • Use humor and share fun games! Ask riddles, share jokes and create fun content like books and crossword puzzles.

Bonus Tip: Don’t Leave any Rock Unturned

No businesses can survive without customers.  You probably have all sorts of processes in place to ensure a customer emails are all address in a timely manure but missed phone calls typically don’t have any procedures in place. The Bottom Line: Startups cannot afford to miss any customer. Cross-checking who called from an unknown number is a daily routine for most startup owners.

Summary

Now I want to turn it over to you: Which of these steps from today’s guide are you going to experiment with first? Are you going to develop a relationship with your customer or connect with fellow business owners on social media? Leave a comment below and let us know if you have any advanced startup tips you want to share!

Martech

Basic Tips to Hire Mobile App Developers to Create App for Your Business

on December 11, 2018

Mobile app industry is becoming competitive day-by-day. Every new day a new app is being developed and launched. In fact, mobile apps have become a necessary part of every conceivable business. Be it a salon chain or a local coffee shop, today every brand and business has its own app to let their customer book an appointment or order a latte.

Reason? – Well, right now, mobile apps are the easiest way to attract & engage customers, new as well as old ones. Plus, mobile app offers such a platform where you can manage a variety of your business processes at your fingertips. For example, you can earn extra revenue through in-app advertising, offer promos & discounts to attract a whole new audience, and more.

In short, creating a mobile app for your business, no matter small or big can be definitely beneficial. And since you’re reading this article, I’m assuming you already made the decision to make an app for your business.

So, in this article, I’ll be sharing the basic tips on how to hire mobile app developers and create an app for your business.

Basic Tips to Hire App Developers

First of all, there’s no shortage of mobile app developers for hire around the globe. But, finding the right ones will still seem like finding a needle in a haystack. And let’s be honest! – You just cannot allow any random stranger to develop your business app.

So, before you start your quest, you must keep in mind the following tips.

1 – Know The Basics

First of all, check which platforms are there and decide on which platform you would like to make an app for your business? Find out how much will it cost to develop an app (even approximately) and who would be the users of your mobile app?

Knowing these things beforehand will definitely help you have a clear vision and goal for your mobile app.

2 – Experience Matters the Most!

You wouldn’t want a doctor, fresh out of college and with no experience, to perform your knee surgery. Similarly, you also don’t want to hire a mobile app developer with no experience to work on your critical app project.

Experience matters a lot in this arena, especially if you want to develop an app for iPhone. And if you’re targeting the iOS platform, you need to hire iOS app developer who has at least 4-6 years of experience. Though he or she doesn’t need to be the top-level expert, they must have worked on a couple of projects. 

3 – Check What Their Past Clients Have to Say

Whether you hire a freelancer or an agency, you must seek feedback on their work from their previous clients. While you won’t be able to connect with every client personally, but you can still peep into their websites for client testimonials or better yet, get on the B2B review platforms for details.

Clutch & GoodFirms, for example, are the best market research and review platforms available today. And the process that they follow makes sure that no fake review is given and a transparent profile is shown to the buyers.

4 – Discuss & Decide about the Engagement Model and Payment Method Beforehand

Do not hire mobile app developers either freelancers or from an app development agency that does not have a proper engagement model. After all, you want to know why are you being charged a certain amount of money and not just how much.

Therefore, prefer to hire an app developer or a company that has multiple engagement models that allows you to either pay in monthly installments or pay per milestone completion.

5 – Lastly, Make Sure Your App is Delivered After Relevant Testing

You don’t want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on creating and launching an app that is buggy, right?

So, cross verify that your hired developer or agency have fixed all the bugs before final delivery. And if they don’t provide proper mobile app testing services, simply move out!

Also, in case the bugs are discovered only after the launch either by you or your users, have the developer fix it immediately. In fact, it’s best to prefer a developer or a team who provide post-launch support for a considerable amount of time.

Conclusion

There is no clear evaluation process for hiring mobile app developers. And whether to hire a freelance app developer or a mobile app development company completely depends on your preferences, budget, complexity, and urgency.

But before you choose, make sure to agree on a clear set of payment terms and communication tools you’ll use to interact on daily basis. And remember, hiring in-house mobile app developer(s) is a costly affair, and opting for an outsourcing agency will be definitely more reliable.

Lastly, if you feel that your app idea must be confidential, don’t hesitate to ask to sign an NDA contract. Don’t let anything slip. Good luck!

Author

Shahid Mansuri Co-founded Peerbits, one of the leading Software development company in USA, in 2011 which provides Blockchain app development services. His visionary leadership and flamboyant management style have yield fruitful results for the company. He believes in sharing his strong knowledge base with concentration on entrepreneurship and business.

Web: https://www.peerbits.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shahidmansuri
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mansurishahid

DevelopmentMartechProducts

Hi-Tech is Making its Way into High-End Rentals

on November 29, 2018

The concept of IoT is no longer foreign to the most of us. While homeowners have had the liberty to experiment with house automation, latest gadgets, and voice-activated devices, renters have been more restricted when it came to their living space. But leave it to investors and developers to come up with intelligent ideas that cater to the increasingly bold housing needs of a new generation of smart renters. While some smart home technologies were in development even before Bill Gates published The Road Ahead in 1995, The Internet of Things has enabled many aspects of the smart home to become reality.

Shifting focus to automation and a new generation of renters

Hi-tech rentals from Bloomington, Indiana to New York City have now become reality due to increasing demand in home automation from a fresh demographic entering the real estate market. With 20-somethings looking for apartments for rent, the spotlight is no longer on classic amenities like indoor swimming pools and gyms. The housing industry is rapidly catching up with the new wave of smart amenities that any tech-savvy young renter finds appealing when looking for their first home.

It comes as no surprise that developers now focus on innovations designed to rethink residential amenities that match the lifestyle of potential renters in the current market.

Mobile apps at the front and center of the IoT landscape

IoT has come a long way from long tangled wires and hard code. The increasing use of mobile apps has drastically changed the entire connectivity experience in a relatively short time span. Millennial-geared apartment technology is slowly becoming the norm when incorporating smart home systems to rentals. Cities like New York, San Francisco or Portland are already offering smart alternatives to those looking for a rental in an app-controlled apartment building.

A good example is Portland’s IOTAS, which is based on an adaptive system that allows the app to better understand your habits and create patterns based on your personal preferences. Through the app, renters have the possibility of controlling lights, outlets, switches and motion sensors around the house. Other app-based technologies like Dwelo allow renters to adjust their thermostat, close or open doors, turn lights on or off and operate appliances throughout the house. It’s a matter of selecting the right mobile app that suits each renter’s daily needs.

Voice-activated devices experience surge in user popularity

Voice-activated features are becoming the standard for the rentals of tomorrow, especially in urban hubs. This trend can be attributed to the popularity of devices like Amazon’s Alexa, particularly among the younger demographic. Virtual assistant-type devices are in high demand and are already featured in recently-built luxury apartments. For example, 120 luxury units in Jackson Park come with voice automation for lights and switches, a smart thermostat that can be adjusted through voice command, and smart appliances and entertainment systems controlled through Amazon’s Echo Show. All this smart comfort comes at a price – the monthly rent for one of the 1,871 apartments that showcase such features goes up to $10,000.

At the core of all this drive for innovation lies a new type of renter for whom convenience goes hand in hand with aesthetics and efficiency. Technological developments are moving at such a rapid pace that it’s essential for the real estate industry to keep up. As they evolve, smart apartments incorporate everything new and dynamic that the housing sector has to offer, while also proving to be cost-efficient. And we are here to witness it.

DevelopmentMartech

How Your Business Can Introduce A Multi-Cloud Strategy

on November 29, 2018

As we head towards 2019, most businesses will continue to use the multi-cloud strategy approach and will harness the exceptional benefits of available cloud service providers to drive their business forward. With this trend only set to grow, this will be a decision that many IT decision makers will be looking to take. However, businesses need to understand what these clouds can do for them as this will allow you to better manage your strategy effectively to use each cloud’s amazing benefits. Here, we are taking you through how your business can introduce a multi-cloud strategy and its benefits.

Business Benefits To A Multi-Cloud Strategy

There are lots of amazing benefits to be had from implementing a multi-cloud strategy with the main one being that you will no longer be constrained by just one framework across your whole business. When you invest in multi-cloud strategies, every department will have the ability and flexibility to choose the service that is going to work best for them and what exactly they need. This also means that your business does not have to worry about being locked in with just one single vendor, as this can potentially leave your business at risk of being exposed to lots of different problems such as changes in their service or price hikes. When you invest in lots of different multi-cloud providers the business will the choice about where they are going to run cloud workloads, and this will give them the tools they need to try and minimize extra costs.

What’s more, using this type of strategy also means that you can get added geographical flexibility when handling data. When using all the leading cloud providers, they will have data centers across the world and many will require data for specific workloads is stored in specific national boundaries. Using the multi-cloud system, you will be able to meet these requirements but still, use the global cloud platform.

However, you do need to ensure that your cloud technology is effectively managed and that you are minimizing any risk of widespread data loss. If this were to happen, you would need to implement disaster recovery as a service, which is also commonly known as DRaaS. DRaaS allows you to recover your data with minimum downtime and data loss. It will reproduce and recuperate virtual machines to the cloud and it does this by failing over from your data center to UKCloud’s trusted, value for money and well-connected cloud.

Security

GDPR is now in effect and data security is not more important than ever before unless you want to face a very hefty fine! New technology including machine learning and serverless computers are becoming more and more popular due to the extra security benefits that they bring to the cloud. We predict that there will be a continued big rise in serverless computers as they allow cloud instances to be scaled and patched instantly. This can then massively reduce your cyber risk. Using a multi-cloud system means that it is easier to prevent big scale data loss if you are hacked, as your information will be spread out across multiple clouds and platforms. However, you do need to make sure that these clouds are all being effectively managed.

The multi-cloud sector is making advancements rapidly and so this is something that you should definitely consider for your business as it quickly becomes the new normal. Adopt a multi-cloud strategy today to get all of the amazing benefits for your business that it has to offer.

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