Steven – Page 25 – Altitude Branding

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How colour can impact your brand’s perception

Steven on April 15, 2021

Colour has always been an important marketing tool. It’s an overlooked differentiator that brands can use to attract potential customers. Lots of brands are inextricable from the colour used in their branding: can you imagine Coca-Cola without the red?

Different colours have been shown to impact consumers differently – with our own unique history of experiences, biases and cultural leanings muddying the effect.

Either way, colour can play a pivotal role in influencing the way we think about a brand – in both positive and negative ways.

We’ve tried to illustrate the subtle role colour plays in shaping our perception of brands by diving into the associations many of us have with the colours red and green. The strongest, most consistent brands have a firm grasp of their brand identity and use colour accordingly.

Red

Red has been shown, time and time again, to elicit a strong response from the observer. It is almost always associated with excitement, action and passion. Some examples of organisations that use red prominently in their branding are Coca Cola, ESPN and Levi’s.

The sports network’s choice of red is easy to understand: sports impact the observer in much the same way as the colour red.

Red is also often linked with appetite, which makes it unsurprising that it’s such a mainstay of Coca Cola’s aesthetic. For that reason, it’s also popular within the fast food industry.

Because it elicits such strong responses – both positive and negative – organisations are advised to consider their use of the colour carefully.

That is because, for many consumers, red is associated with a sense of danger, pain and aggression. In the right context, this can be a powerful motivator. The UFC, for example, features red in its branding.

However, if you opt for a red-dominated logo without fully understanding all of the myriad implications, there can be unwanted consequences: creating unintended links in the mind of the consumer.

Green

As humans, we have a relationship with the colour green that has been ingrained in us for thousands of years. There is a very real link between green, health and happiness, which is why it is invariably used by pharmaceutical companies and organisations with an environmental or health conscious bent.

Forward-thinking, eco-friendly brands have long relied on green to energise their visual presentation. When you think of green in marketing materials what do you think of?

Fresh, organic produce from the likes of Asda, Waitrose and Whole Foods. And the green in all of their logos gently nudges the consumer into making that association.

Even if your brand doesn’t neatly fit into one of the niches you would typically associate with the colour green – like the health, food or fitness industries – you can lean on the colour green to create some positive associations in the mind of the consumer.

Land Rover, while not exactly a champion of the environmental cause, nevertheless utilises green to generate an association with the environment.

The idea being that Land Rover vehicles are at home in even the most rugged surroundings.

Lighter shades of green are synonymous with serenity, safety and calmness. Opting for a darker shade of green conjures an image of luxury and exclusivity. Harrods is an example of these deeper shades being used to great effect.

Ensuring that your choice of colour marries up with your brand’s ideals is so important. The wrong choice runs the risk of alienating the share of the market that you are hoping to capture.

Digital Branding

IT Upgrades: What Small Businesses Should Consider

Steven on April 13, 2021

If you have been asking this question – when should I upgrade my IT infrastructure – it is probably the time for you. For most business owners, the typical timeline for rightly performing infrastructure is 3-5 years. Within these years, the technologies can pace up exponentially.

However, even if you’re considering an upgrade for your business, you cannot just go about with anything. Indeed, you need to be sure that the technology you’re choosing is the latest within your budget

In this article, we have outlined some of the important factors to consider for the same.

Safely Discarding The Old Devices

First things first, you need to get rid of the old technologies that your business currently uses. A lot many business owners do not consider the safe disposal practices for their IoT devices. It not only has an environmental impact but can also threaten your business safety. For example, if you do not delete all your business data from the devices, they can possibly end up in the wrong hands. And it needs no mention how this could be detrimental for your business.

Considering The Latest Security

Once you’re done with the safe removal of the technologies you used, the next thing to do is consider new equipment. It also includes upgrading to the latest safety features for your business. The power of the internet not only empowers business operations and productivity but also makes them vulnerable to online attacks. It could include anything from Trojan attacks to phishing, and even identity theft. Having top-shelf security systems in place can prevent any such calamity for your business.

Enquire About The Downtime

During the upgrading process, it is very likely that your online operations may have to face downtime. This could potentially affect productivity, and may even lead to surmounting losses in no time. To put this into perspective, think of how many hours of work would you be losing as a result of upgrade downtime. Not just that, think of how much downtime can you afford. Ultimately, the goal is to choose technologies that offer little or no downtime at all. This should keep your business floating, while the upgrades are being implemented.

Do Not Miss On The Longevity Factor

Last but not least, is to consider how long would the latest technology last for your business. Of course, you cannot be investing in technology upgrades year after year. You need a solution that should at least get you through the next 5 years, before needing any overhauling changes. Moreover, you should also consider whether you wish to purchase the new technology or lease it. The former should give you complete ownership and may also reduce your cost down the line. On the other hand, frequent upgrades to the technology won’t require further investments when you choose the latter.

In a nutshell, upgrading to newer technologies is not an option but a necessity. However, it is imperative to make the right choices when undertaking the upgrades. It’s not only the operations of your business but also its reputation that is at stake.

Legal Branding

A Guide to Selecting & Hiring the Right Employee

Steven on April 13, 2021

As a human resource professional, what does it take to hire the right talent to join your team? Well, research shows that getting the best person for a role in your organization requires more than just excellence in academia. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that a bad hire can cost you up to 30% of the employee’s first-year wages. So, you want to pick someone compatible with your company culture but they should also have the right skill set for the job. Here are few tips on how to find the best fit candidate for a position.

Define the job

By defining the position you are seeking to fill, you will be laying the foundation for recruiting and hiring. You need to ask yourself, “Why’m I hiring? Can an internal employee fill the role? What new expertise do I want to bring onboard?” Once you are clear with the role you want to hire for, you should conduct a job analysis. Here, you define the specific responsibilities that the prospective employee is supposed to execute.

A clear job description will be a useful tool to you as a hiring manager as it will:

Provide a clear understanding to candidates of what their duties are
Protect your organization legally as it can defend you for making the hiring decision
Provide a consistent understanding across departments of the job position roles
Help the employees to create goals for career advancements.

Once you have the right job description for the intended role clear, it is time to get your strategy right.

Plan and envision the hiring process

Now, what should the recruitment look like? Who should do what? This is the step where you and your hiring team should come together and plan. Basically, you ought to develop a strategy that will allow you to execute the hiring process with ease and accuracy.

This involves determining where the job advertisement will be posted to onboarding the candidate. Besides, your team should determine who is responsible for each part of the process of hiring employees. This will ensure that the hiring process is executed with fewer mistakes and without wasting time and money. Your social media manager can be tasked with the role of posting the open role on social media platforms and collecting critical feedback that will be crucial in determining how to make the process even better.

A member of the team could be tasked with reconciling the applications and answering the application queries. When everyone has a sense of what they should do, the hiring process becomes easier to execute.

Do a thorough background check

Again, you should look at more than what meets the eye. You want to do the digging even though it can be a time-consuming process trying to figure out exactly how your potential employee has been doing in their previous employment or role. The vetting process involves not only verifying past employment history. It is also about getting a grasp of how they work and who they are as co-workers and employees. There are modern resume tips that highlight skillsets and will absolutely help you in reviewing candidates’ credentials efficiently.

You can use tools and services to help you screen the candidates before hiring them. For example, you can hire background check services to help you get rid of any doubts in the selection process. You want to get every bit of information on a candidate from verifying their credentials to credit checks, driving record checks, employment verification, and more. Getting help where you can afford you more time to focus on other aspects of the selection process.

Ask the right questions

Now that you have the candidate on board, it is crucial to ask questions that will tell you more about the candidate. The questions should also focus on seeking to reveal the character of the individual you are about to hire, whether the potential employee is committed to their future career or not. Some of the questions that hiring managers have agreed to be effective during the hiring process include the following:

What is your natural strength? This question seeks to find out about a particular skill or ability that comes naturally to them. It is similar to asking which of their skills would be rated top five. You will get to learn about their inherent strengths and the potential they will be bringing to your organization.
What are your ambitions? This is a crucial question that helps you as an employer understand the career goals and vision of the candidate. You will also get to find out if their vision aligns with your organization’s. Besides, it is important to know whether you are hiring progressive talents who will constantly seek to develop and equip themselves further.
What kind of expectations do you have? You will get to hear from their side the responsibilities they hope you will meet to be comfortable. With that information, you can successfully determine a point of consensus once you hire them. You may also take the opportunity to guide their expectations.

Let the candidate interview you

Hurray! You are almost there! It is time to reverse the roles and get a 360-degree view of the hiring process. Let the interviewee ask you any questions that they might have regarding the position they are being hired. That way, you will get to see if they have a full understanding of the position and responsibilities that come along with the position. Besides, you will be able to get transparent with the candidate regarding the limits that your organization can go in regards to their expectations.

In a nutshell

Hiring is a crucial process for any organization that is worth its salt. Yes, your employees are a key factor in the success or failure of your organization. That is why you ought to make intentional efforts and be careful as you pick every candidate joining your team. Some of the factors you need to consider are the skills you need for the role. Once you have the right candidate, ensure to ask them the right questions so you can understand their vision and determine if that aligns with your organization’s goals.

Local Branding

How To Help Your SMB Become Green In 2021

Steven on April 7, 2021

Over the last several years, more countries and companies have pledged to reduce their CO2 emissions to combat the worsening climate crisis. And based on relevant statistics, these high-level decisions have resulted in considerable improvement, with CO2 emissions from energy consumption in the U.S. dropping from 6 million metric tons in 2005 down to 5.1 million metric tons in 2019. Nevertheless, more work needs to be done to curb carbon footprint permanently. Here are six ways to do just that:

Switch to Digital Filing and Storage

According to The Daily Green, paper accounts for a quarter of waste that ends up in landfills. If the U.S. can consume 10% less office paper, it can curb up to 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. If you factor in other office supplies, such as ink cartridges, tape, and staplers, the amount of CO2 emissions you prevent exponentially increases. Switch to paperless documents by using a digital filing system to secure your business’ data. Not only does going paperless lead to a lower carbon footprint, but it can also curb costs.

Switch from Incandescent to LED Bulbs

LED bulbs have been shown to perform better than both incandescent and compact fluorescent lights when it comes to energy efficiency and sustainability. LED lamps have been tested to convert electricity into the light 90% more efficiently than incandescent bulbs and up to 80% better than fluorescent bulbs. There is also a noticeable difference in the quality of light between LED lightbulbs and their two subpar predecessors. LEDs can generate a more focused glow, which means fewer bulbs are needed to light up a given space.

Buy Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies

Nowadays, there is a much more comprehensive selection of environmentally friendly cleaning supplies than ten years ago. By switching to eco-friendly cleaning alternatives, such as glass cleaners, dishwashing and handwashing soaps, laundry detergents, stain and spot removers, and disinfecting wipes, you help lower the millions tons of plastic waste that ends up in landfills each year. While there is no single provider of eco-friendly products, some labels to look for include Green Seal, Fair Trade Certified, and Leaping Bunny.

Increase Your Recycling Efforts

By being a better recycler, you lower the consumption of goods, which lowers demand and the ultimate need for people to extract raw materials from the earth. Recycling also reduces landfill waste, which means lower energy consumed to process said waste. You can start by adding more recycling bins or stations within your business or office space. The more recycling areas you have, the easier it is for you and your employees to consistently practice this increasingly important habit. You can also donate usable materials, such as wood planks, bricks, electronics, and machinery, to non-profit organizations involved in construction projects for the less fortunate.

Keep Your Equipment and Machinery in Good Shape

Immediately fix any plumbing leaks or dripping taps that may be increasing your water consumption and, consequently, your water bill. Prolong the lifespan of your business’ electronic devices by maintaining optimal temperatures at all times to avoid said devices from overheating. Protect any industrial equipment from extreme stresses and wear-and-tear by opting for forge coating, improving its lifespan and performance. You can also use a brick refractory coating to treat other industrial appliances, such as kilns, furnaces, and ovens.

Distribute Reusable Swag

Encourage your employees to switch from plastic or paper cups to a reusable metal water bottle. A reusable bottle should also supplant coffee cups in your business’ break room. Every year, the average office employee uses 500 coffee cups, all of which end up in landfills. In addition to reusable water bottles, you should also distribute reusable metal forks, spoons, and straws that are foldable and portable enough for employees to bring to and from work quickly. As a small business owner, you have the power to decide which direction your business takes in terms of its environmental impact. By adopting the quick fixes and long-term solutions aforementioned in this article, your business can do its part in helping curb the climate crisis while also gaining a boost in performance and profitability. As a bonus, by publicly showing your efforts to help the environment, you also improve your brand’s image as a positive entity within your local community.

Digital Branding

How to Successfully Showcase Your Company’s Past Work on Your Website

Steven on April 5, 2021

In advertising, past work is one of your company’s most valuable assets. It shows that the copy on your site isn’t just fluff — you’re really committed to the values you claim to stand for, like top-notch customer service or high-quality products and services.

Showing off past work, however, can be tricky. Not only do you have to sort through all the work your business has done, you’ll also have to figure out how to present it. For B2C businesses, this challenge can be even more daunting.

There are a wide variety of techniques out there that you can use to show off your business’s past work. These are four of the best options available.

1. Case Studies

For B2B and B2M businesses, one of the most popular ways to show off past work are through case studies — in-depth descriptions of past projects that use visuals, numbers and writing to break down the product or service you provided a client, and how you overcame challenges while trying to provide that service.

For example, see this case study from The Anstadt Company, which specializes in print marketing materials.

The page breaks down a particular job that the company had worked on in the past, including info on how the design team approached a problem their client was having and how the client felt about the finished products.

These case studies both show off the benefits of working with your company — like the new design and improvement in attendance — as well as the thought process behind your work.

This can make customers more confident in work. Case studies like these show off how you can solve problems as they emerge and work closely with a client to create a product or service that really meets their needs.

2. User-Generated Feedback

When shopping online, consumers often start with research. One of the most popular research methods is to search for user-generated feedback, typically in the form of online reviews.

You’ve probably done this yourself. You may have quickly checked the reviews on a big platform like Amazon or Google before committing to a particular product or business.

Consumers put a lot of faith into these reviews — according to one recent survey, 84% of people trust online reviews just as much as recommendations from friends.

Hosting online reviews on your site or storefront is a great way to show off positive feedback from your customers.

For example, an online candle-and-candle-accessory business like Yankee Candle may provide customers with the option to review products they’ve purchased, giving them form fields to highlight both the value and the quality of a product.

Users can also rate reviews, marking them as helpful or unhelpful, providing another layer of user-generated feedback for visitors.

These online reviews will provide prospective customers with feedback from real customers who have experience with your products. Even if these reviews aren’t fully positive, they can make a significant difference in encouraging a customer to try one of your products.

This tactic may be less effective for B2B businesses who have fewer clients, or for businesses that primarily offer customized products or services. However, for most businesses, these reviews can be a valuable tool in presenting feedback on your past work.

3. Design Galleries

You can also let your work speak entirely for itself. Design galleries and similar online portfolios allow you to show off dozens of images of work that you’ve done in the past.

The homepage for RoAndCo, a New York-based design studio, shows off how effective design galleries can be.

The entire front page is basically one big design gallery. Clicking on the left and right side of the screen allows users to scroll back or forth between the studio’s previous design work.

This strategy is ambitious — there’s no context for any of the images, meaning that visitors will miss out on any explanation for images that could have helped to explain how the studio approaches to design.

It is, however, a very visually exciting approach. A similar design gallery could be a great strategy for businesses or professionals that produce lots of visual content — like graphic designers or animators.

4. Customer Testimonials

You can also directly ask your clients for feedback to put on your site. Soliciting customer and client testimonials can give you a valuable, real-world example of the work you’ve done and how you’ve lived up to your brand values in the past.

These testimonials can be an extremely valuable marketing tool that you can use to make your brand seem much more trustworthy. This is especially true if consumers know the clients providing the testimonials.

This page from Booker, the development of online booking software, shows how you can use unique presentations of customer testimonials to highlight past work.

Clicking on the “Watch Testimonial” button opens an embedded YouTube video with a brief, two-minute-long testimonial from one of Booker’s clients. In the testimonial, the client describes the troubles they’ve had with booking in the past and how Booker’s services were able to help them keep their business running.

These testimonials can give customers someone to relate to in your marketing and help you show off the real-world problems that your products have solved in the past.

Showing Off Past Work on a Company Website

If you have company work that you’re proud of, there is a wide range of methods you can use to show it off on your site.

Case studies, testimonials, design galleries and even user reviews can help you show potential customers how you’ve succeeded in the past.

Author:

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a digital marketing agency before becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and pup, Bear.

Legal Branding

3 Most Common Legal Issues Small Businesses Face

Steven on April 1, 2021

Legal issues are something no business wants to deal with, and usually, business owners will do everything in their power to avoid them. The problem is that you can’t have control over everything that happens in and around your business at all times. There are cases where issues become inevitable, and you have to deal with them. The best thing you can do right now is be prepared for them so you can have a chance at preventing them or react better if they do occur. Let’s take a look at some of the most common legal issues small business owners face.

Choosing the Wrong Business Structure

This is one of the most common ones and can have disastrous consequences. Not knowing that your personal assets are exposed is something some owners only find out once they’re being sued. Choosing the wrong business structure could affect everything from taxes, raising capital, or bringing in outside investors.

This is why small businesses should work with a business lawyer the minute they get started and before they make things official. If you want to know how much you can expect to pay for one, we suggest you check out Advancepoint’s article.

Harassment and Discrimination Cases

These cases are tough because they aren’t always under your control. If someone ends up being harassed or feels discriminated against, then they might decide to take legal action, and you may be part of the lawsuit as well. They may allege that you knew about the situation and didn’t do enough to stop it or reprimand the culprits.

There’s also the possibility that an employee of yours directly accuses you of harassing them or discriminating against them. If you are guilty, then you will have to face the consequences. If you aren’t, you will need to prepare to fight the case and also take the steps necessary to protect your public image and your brand.

The best thing you can do here is to start taking these cases seriously if you aren’t already. Have a way for people to reach you and make anonymous complaints. Pay attention to repeated complaints about certain individuals. Also, make sure that you have fair hiring practices, and make sure that you hire fair managers as well.

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property issues are also very common and can take many forms. You might be accused by another company of copying one of their designs or processes. Or you may get a cease-and-desist letter from someone claiming that you used images on your website or marketing material without their permission. These can go from pesky to potentially ruining your business, and you always have to stay vigilant to make sure that you aren’t infringing on someone else’s intellectual property. You have to take steps to protect yours as well.

These are just some of the legal issues small business owners need to be prepared to deal with. The best thing you can do is consult a lawyer early who’ll be able to explain the legal side of your particular line of business.

Legal Branding

What To Do After A Minor Car Accident – 5 Simple Steps

Steven on April 1, 2021

On a daily basis, you are faced with people who engage in distracted or reckless driving, speeding, and driving while intoxicated. As an average driver, you are likely to experience around four traffic accidents in your lifetime. It must come as no surprise then, that road accidents are some of the most common personal injury claims. Even minor accidents can result in both psychological and physical health issues, as well as costly damage to your car. To ensure your safety, and the safety of your loved ones the best thing to do is be prepared.

In the text below, you will find simple tips on how to handle minor accidents quickly and efficiently.

Take a Photo of the Damage

As soon as you can, obtain photographic evidence with your mobile device. The photos of the damage to your car, your body, or your passengers’ bodies can be important in future legal proceedings, so this small step can be a financial lifesaver. Some well-equipped insurance agencies let you upload the photo to their app, and send any additional details. A number of apps provide instant access to this service. Photos go a long way when it comes to assessing the severity of the damage. Once you have done this, you can move your car and do your best to stop blocking traffic. If you cannot move your car, put on hazards.

Contact the Police

A police report is essential in procuring evidence and can get your insurance company to provide certain coverages. Stories change, and there is always a chance that the other driver (especially an at-fault driver) could deny responsibility, or file false claims. It’s important to involve a neutral third party to document the accident while the details are still fresh in everyone’s minds. Once the police arrive, ask for the officer’s name, phone, and badge number. Don’t forget to request a copy of the police report. Additional tip: Wait for the police to arrive, and do not leave the scene of the accident before they do. Otherwise, the other driver might take advantage of your absence, and file criminal charges against you.

Exchange Information

Assuming the police are on their way, you can go ahead and try to obtain all relevant information from the other driver. Write down the make, model, and license plate of their vehicle. Ask for their name and contact information, and the name and policy information of their insurance provider. Finally, you could ask anyone who had seen the car accident for contact information, in the case that they want to offer their assistance as witnesses.

Don’t Forget to See a Doctor

The consequences of any car accident can be difficult to predict. Damages to your health such as concussions, whiplash, or soft tissue injuries can occur several hours or days after the accident. Your adrenaline might be rushing immediately after the incident, masking the symptoms of injury. It’s important to get medical treatment as soon as possible because a delay in treatment can be a red flag for your insurance provider.

File an Insurance Claim

Immediately after the accident emotions are sure to run high, and you might be tempted to avoid contacting your insurance provider. Remember that, even if no damage was done to any of the cars and no apparent injuries occurred, stories change over time. You’ll still need any proof you can get in the case that the other driver should fire false claims. Check your insurance card for the necessary contact information. Additional tip: Do not apologize to the other driver, and list the reasons why the car accident occurred. They may use this information against you in future legal proceedings.

Accidents happen to everyone, and even the most experienced drivers can get shaken up and make mistakes. Follow these steps, and you will minimize worries in the future, along with financial consequences. And remember, put down your phone, drive sober, and contact your insurance company to get your car fixed as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

Uncategorized

Four Tips for Improving Employee Morale

Steven on March 31, 2021

It’s no secret that the past year has been fairly stressful for most of us. And with all of the uncertainty about the future, the need for good employee morale is higher than ever. With boosted morale also comes increased productivity, greater job satisfaction, and better workplace culture.

However, many employers tend to balk at the idea of trying to find ways to improve morale. After all, if you’ve invested in thorough DBS/employee background checks during the recruitment process, you should expect your hires to be a perfect fit. Isn’t the goal at the end of the day to secure a paycheck and nothing more? Fortunately, improving your staff’s morale doesn’t have to be an arduous undertaking. By implementing these four simple tips, you can improve your staff’s morale — without breaking the bank or falling short on your goals!

Prune Out the “Bad” Employees

This may seem counterintuitive, but hear us out. Yes, firing staff may seem like the absolute opposite of improving your team’s morale. Won’t the rest of the staff start to wonder if they’re next to go on the chopping block? No, and in fact, the opposite is true! Firing specific types of staff can actually be incredibly beneficial to your team.

The old saying about it taking only one bad apple to ruin a batch isn’t that far from the truth, especially when it comes to an already strained workplace environment. Indeed, the so-called “bad” employees can be one of the worst things for your company’s culture. By removing the toxic ones (such as the ones who don’t do their share or spread spiteful gossip), you can lift a burden off of the rest of the team’s back.

Ask for Feedback (And Actually Listen, Too)

One thing that many employers tend to overlook when trying to create a positive work environment is how their staff feel about working there. Fortunately, learning more about your team’s thoughts and feelings is easier than you’d think; all you need to do is simply ask them.

Yes, some may be a little bit hesitant to share their thoughts with you, but their candor can pay off in dividends if you actually take note and implement their suggestions. From suggestions on how to streamline workplace productivity to ideas on how to better manage lunch breaks, your employees are ready to share their thoughts with you… as long, of course, as you are willing to listen.

Implement a Mental Health Program

Statistics reveal that mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, are on the rise. Unfortunately, many people who struggle with mental health issues tend to fall through the cracks, not getting the much-needed treatment they require to maintain good mental health.

As an employer, taking measures to help address these prevalent mental health issues can be one of the most compassionate and effective ways you can improve your team’s morale. Even better, many mental health facilities (such as SBtreatment.com, an outpatient behavioral health treatment program based in Southern California cities) are now offering remote telehealth treatment, ensuring everyone can get the care they need.

Recognize Your Team’s Hard Work

It’s far too easy to get caught up in the pressure of meeting deadlines and milestones and forgetting the effort that got you there in the first place. Your employees are your bread and butter, and they help keep your business running smoothly. Taking the time to single out especially hardworking staff, or even recognizing their collective efforts as a team, can be an amazing gift you can give them.

There are a number of ways you can show them that you appreciate them, too. While raises and increased vacation time are always well-received, you can also find other ways to do it. For example, an office party can be both fun and inspiring. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a kind word. Merely saying, “You did great, and I appreciate you,” can speak volumes to your employees and help them to feel valued.

A Happy Team is a Happy Employer

Ultimately, your goal as an employer is to improve your bottom line and be successful in your chosen industry. Sometimes you may wonder if your employees are doing their part to help you attain these goals, and it’s quite normal to ask these questions. However, you shouldn’t dwell exclusively on what your employees are doing for you. You also need to be mindful of what you’re doing for them in return, as well.

As their boss, your staff tends to turn to you for guidance. For all of their hard work, it’s only fair to find ways to compensate them for it. By introducing these four tips, you can help make sure your staff are both content and helping you achieve the success you deserve. And in doing so, you can help ensure your long-term success, too!

Digital Branding

6 Crucial Security Features to Look for When Choosing a Web Host Provider

Steven on March 30, 2021

During the first half of 2020, 36 billion sensitive data were exposed due to data breaches.

Such online attacks can damage your business’ reputation. Plus, you can lose your customer’s trust, which can hurt your sales.

This explains why online security is crucial now more than ever. And one way to secure your website is finding the right web host.

Role of Web Host Services in Online Security

As mentioned earlier, it is evident that you should take your website’s security seriously. And this is where your web host can help.

A decent web host provider will have regular backups, ensure firewall protection, and other methods to protect the servers. Add to that the security plugins and SSL certifications you install to protect the online data you collect from your website visitors.

That said, here are six features you should look for when choosing a website host provider:

1. Operating System

Most web hosts offer Linux and Windows-based hosting. Each has its pros and cons, but whatever you choose will depend on your website’s technical needs.

But to give you an idea, Linux-based web hosts receive fewer cyber attacks as it is less commercialized. On the other hand, Windows-based web hosts provide limited access protocols to prevent unauthorized access.

2. Manual Reboots

Manual reboots work the same as rebooting a desktop computer. Only your web host is rebooting the servers.

This feature is ideal if you are running on a Virtual Private Server (VPS). It also works best with regular website data backups.

Nonetheless, being able to reboot your website manually allows you to get through a website issue.

3. DDoS Prevention

DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service. And a DDoS attack is an attempt to overwhelm your server with an influx of traffic.

What happens is that your server crashes, preventing you from driving traffic to your website.

No website traffic can impact your conversions and sales for the day. It can also hurt your search engine ranking, as it will render your site not usable.

A promising sign that a web host takes DDoS mitigation seriously is if they work with a Content Distribution Network (CDN). CDN enables you to load up your website fast and can absorb DDoS attacks.

4. Malware Scanning

The key to a safe browsing experience is keeping your files safe. No wonder web hosts these days provide automated antivirus and malware scanning.

But more than the scanning procedure, it would be ideal if you can access the malware. Another helpful feature is a support team that can help you take action if your website is infected.

5. Server Security Layer

In case you are wondering what the lock icon in your browser’s address bar means, think of it as added protection.

Whether you own an e-commerce website or not, your website must have an SSL certificate.

For one, it gives you a chance to rank well on search engines. That because search engines like Google prefer secured websites.

Second, SSL uses encryption to protect online data. That way, no cybercriminals can tamper on your customers’ banking details.

Some web hosts provide SSL for free, some add it to your web hosting cost, and some encourage you to acquire an SSL certificate from a third-party. Regardless, WPHost.nz recommends that you ensure the type of SSL certificates you can use and whether secure FTP (SFTP) is supported.

6. Regular Backups

Here’s the thing: A web host stores your files in a remote location. These “files” include the images and content you upload on your website.

As such, your web host must conduct regular backup. That way, you can retrieve your files when needed.

Another thing to keep in mind that not all backup systems are the same. Hence, you should check whether a web host provides the following:

Automated backup
Number of backup instances stored
Retrieval process
Data backup location
Additional cost

Keep in mind that your website files are essential. Hence, the backup system that your web host can provide is vital.

While there are plenty of things you should pay attention to when running a website, you can do something to secure it. The secret is learning whatever security features your web host can offer. There is no one perfect hosting provider. Hence, we recommend that you maximize whatever safety features you can get.

Legal Branding

5 Smart Ways to Improve Sales Performance

Steven on March 26, 2021

A B2B company’s profitability and revenue growth are critical to its survival. Both depend on sales. It’s imperative to constantly improve sales performance if your team is to do its part in ensuring a future for your company.

Sales performance is the measurement of sales activity and corresponding results against the goals and expectations outlined in a sales plan. Sales performance measures the ability of your sales team to be effective at selling.

5 Keys to Delivering Strong Sales Performance

Let’s take a look at several proven strategies to drive sales performance.

1. Create sales content that compels prospects to become customers

There are two types of sales content: external and internal. You’re probably aware of internal sales content that educates and equips sales teams with knowledge, strategies, and tools to close more deals or improve sales success.

External sales content is the product or brand-specific content that compels prospects to buy from you. Unlike marketing content that draws prospects in, sales content should help you close the deal. Support your external sales content with hard evidence, statistics, and testimonies to convince prospects that your brand suits their business interests.

Your external sales content should provide prospects with the information they need to commit themselves to purchase. Use simple graphics that include facts and figures about your brand or product, personal testimonials, case studies, or product comparisons as part of your external sales content strategy.

Be sure to effectively distribute your external sales content to ensure it reaches the right audience and secures you a strong ROI. Use a customer-centric content distribution model to touch a wide range of B2B prospects in your target industries. This accelerates your sales pipeline as your content reaches more unique visitors each month. With content distribution services, you get convenient tools to easily measure and track your ROI on content distribution for lead generation and other sales activities.

2. Improve communication for your sales reps as well as customers

Effective communication is a critical link that keeps your sales team intact. Asynchronous communication is a great way to maintain strong communication within a sales team and with prospects or customers.

Remote sales teams use asynchronous communication to effectively communicate with team members working in different locations and time zones. Besides enabling your sales team to communicate with high efficiency and agility, asynchronous communication helps build a resource pool and increases thoughtful communication.

Asynchronous communication adds great value to customer service. It lets the customer decide the pace of the conversation and keeps the conversation transparent and open-ended. Moreover, it doesn’t force the customer to have conversations with you in a specific way. Instead, it allows them to communicate with your brand through different channels and at their leisure.

3. Contact prospects early to increase your chances of closing the deal

The earlier you reach prospects, the better positioned you’ll be to convert them into paying customers. Reaching prospects after they’ve been contacted by your competitor reduces your odds of converting them. It’s difficult to draw prospects in once they’ve committed to your competitor’s brand or product.

With B2B contact data, you can reach the right prospects faster and create an opportunity to close deals first. You can also use other forms of B2B data like intent, firmographic, demographic, and technographic data to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience. Then, you can connect with them at an early stage of their buyer’s journey.

Partner with a B2B data company that pays close attention to their data accuracy and hygiene standards. For example, SalesIntel maintains 95% B2B data accuracy. They ensure that their company and contact data are reverified every 90 days. Furthermore, they offer human-verified B2B data apart from machine-processed data to stay on top of their data reliability game and allow their customers to get the best of both worlds.

4. Equip your sales team with tools that give them the upper hand

Sales tools give your reps and SDRs the advantage of knowing prospects beforehand, streamlining their workflow, and gathering sales intelligence. Sales intelligence plays a vital role in improving sales performance by helping sales teams to see beyond what prospects show or signal during their buyer’s journey. Sales results improve when you gain significant insights into the interests, preferences, buying patterns, or online behavior of prospects.

For example, website visitor intelligence tools, like VisitorIntel, let you know who visits your business website and which company they work for. This analytics-driven tool not only tracks website visitors but also allows you to connect with potential buyers before they fully define their needs. It helps you create targeted sales campaigns and identify net new look-alike prospects, so you know the type of companies visiting your business website.

Sales prospecting tools are also frequently used by sales teams to enhance their performance by reducing prospecting time and quickly finding the right accounts to target. RevDriver, a free Chrome extension, is a sales prospecting tool that enables sales teams to directly contact decision-makers, the C-suite, and other accounts in their target audience. RevDriver users can collect accurate, verified contact, and company data for prospects by visiting their LinkedIn profile or company website.

5. Overcome sales call reluctance with proper training and advice

Sales call reluctance is a serious problem that negatively impacts sales performance. 40% of all veteran sales professionals readily admit to one or more call reluctance episodes severe enough to threaten their continuation in sales. Each month, the average call reluctant salesperson misses out on 15.25 pieces of new business opportunities. Whether or not you come across sales call reluctance in your team, it’s always recommended to train and advise your sales reps and SDRs on tackling the problem.

Help your sales team explore more about your brand and product and how they benefit customers beyond financial or other obvious factors. This will help them effectively deal with rejection. Moreover, they’ll be able to dig deeper into reasons for the rejection so that they could work out a foolproof strategy to win next time. That’s how great salespeople do what average salespeople only think about.

Professional sales coaching, willingness to learn and accept feedback, and seeking timely guidance from sales managers are great ways to overcome sales call reluctance. Additionally, you can ask your sales team to track their progress after each call, remove distractions, avoid negative self-talk, pre-qualify prospects, and affirm their role as a salesperson to cope with call reluctance.

Also, working to guarantee that reps are calling prospects that fit your target demographics and have accurate phone numbers helps reps feel that everything is being done to enable their success. No one wants to fight an uphill battle.

The Wrap

The five strategies discussed in this blog are a few of the right moves you need to boost your sales performance.

As a bonus tip, we suggest seeking support from your marketing team to push your sales growth further. There are ways in which you can actually get more sales out of marketing. Sales and marketing alignment is a classic example of how marketing can significantly contribute to sales performance. Statistics show that it helps achieve 38% higher win rates, retain 36% more customers, and generate 32% higher revenue.