Steven – Page 27 – Altitude Branding

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How to Build an Award-Winning Sales Team

Steven on March 5, 2021

There’s little doubt that most of us, at some point, have experienced that uncomfortable feeling of being “pressured” by an overly aggressive salesperson into buying a product or service.

Most often, we usually thank them and abruptly walk away, even though we may have initially been interested in the product or service being offered. All too often, it’s a simple matter of timing, allowing the customer to reach their own “comfort zone” by allowing them the time to assess the product or service.

Moreover, knowing when to engage the buyer and hopefully close the sale, and that’s where teaching the basic skills needed to sell becomes essential in keeping and maintaining a viable customer base within an ever-changing high-tech environment.

However, where do we begin in developing a sales team?

Today the landscape has changed dramatically. Businesses more than ever need to rely on targeted sales training programs specifically designed to the company’s individual needs.

Nevertheless, you may choose to “go it alone,” perhaps thinking it’s no big deal in assembling a sales team, and perhaps that was true a decade or so ago. However, the marketplace has changed dramatically.

Within the retail industry alone, online sales this holiday season skyrocketed to over 50% in global online sales, to over $1.1 trillion dollars, with over 58% coming just a week before Christmas.

Moreover, total U.S. online sales reached $236 billion, compared to $165 billion in 2019. This trend will no doubt continue well into the future.

The competition from online sales where customers simply log on to their favorite website and push a button presents a real challenge; the question is, how do we navigate forward when the salesperson is taken out of the equation?

“Going it alone” shouldn’t be an option, rather recruit a professional sales training firm, one that provides a total sales methodology, one that benefits every salesperson, no matter how experienced they are within your company.

Moreover, recruit a firm that utilizes core sales training techniques such as:

In-Person Workshops

This allows for invaluable person-to-person interaction between individuals, which in turn builds a dedicated sales force.

Online Courses

This is an excellent way of sharing sales training techniques with others on the team and a great way of keeping track of their progress.

Internal Team Testing

This is another great way of calculating the strength and weakness of your sales force by reviewing past sales cycles.

Do your due diligence in choosing a sales training company. Also, make sure you do your due diligence before you contract a sales training company, check their success rate, their client base, and most importantly, can they meet your specific needs?

Trial and Error

Moreover, the most important aspect of any sales training program is what occurs in the field. In that, most sales techniques are developed by trial and error. Feedback by the client thus becomes extremely important within the development of any sales force.

However, perhaps just as important in crafting a successful sales training program is how the buyer preserves the salesperson who is tasked with the “art-of-persuasion” in which he or she must put themselves in the buyer’s shoes. The salesperson should be able to understand and, more importantly, solve any problem that might arise.

A Well-Defined Script

Crafting a well-defined script is also an essential part of sales and should become second nature when speaking with a customer; it should sound natural, not rehearsed.

Most likely, if you’ve never spoken in public, this can be a daunting task. However, with practice, the fear factor will slowly diminish. That’s not to suggest that you won’t feel a bit uneasy during the first few encounters. However, as you become more comfortable with yourself along with the product or service you’re selling, you’ll develop a certain cadence to your presentation, you’ll be able to emphasize certain aspects of the product or service, perhaps highlighting a special feature.

If you’re selling in-person to a customer and not on the phone, it’s a good idea to practice your presentation standing in front of a mirror; remember, this is a performance. The more comfortable you are with yourself, the easier the sale.

Digital Branding

Test Automation: Building the Right Automation Strategy

Steven on March 1, 2021

Whether it is a startup or an enterprise, all businesses are implementing test automation. But still, there is a higher rate of failure, and the underlying reason is the wrong implementation. Businesses cannot afford to go wrong with their test automation strategy in this fierce competition. A test automation company can help enterprises build the right strategy when moving from manual to automated tests.

Let’s see how businesses can build a good test automation strategy:

The road to quality software development is full of hurdles but the right choices make businesses succeeded eventually, if not at the first attempt. Development teams begin a project with great enthusiasm and seem to meet their deadlines too. But when moving towards automation testing, things start to fall apart and teams start to lag behind their schedule. In the rush to reduce the time to market, companies often fail to achieve quality products. So this is where the real challenge begins.

How to Get Started with Test Automation?

In the software development industry, one of the main factors for failure is bug fixing, which causes delays in projects. This is why a test automation company needs to get things straight right from the beginning. According to the world quality report, 61% of respondents stated that they have difficulties in automating their QA, which results in higher costs. It breaks the conventional pattern of detecting bugs and fixes them by running regression tests.

A Good Automation Strategy

Following are the key ingredients for a good automation strategy:

Defining goals– So that you are clear which tests need to be automated.
Planning a test approach – It is important to determine and list down various levels of testing, along with the roles and responsibilities of the team members. All types of testing that would be required in a project should be listed.
Selecting a test automation framework – It is a set of detailed guidelines that one needs to follow when writing and running tests. It includes coding standards, procedures, test-data reporting, etc.
Selecting tools – Development teams should select testing tools that they will be using during their project.
Creation of tests and running them – Once test managers have created a test automation strategy and selected the right testing tools; it is time to write and execute scripts.
Maintaining scripts – It includes scrutinizing the testing parameters. For instance, if a new feature is added to an application, regression tests need to be carried out.

Conclusion

CIOs think that test automation can save time and get things back on track. Development teams begin with the process only to find out it’s not as simple as it looks. Since they don’t know which tools to use or don’t have the right automation strategy in place. Towards the end, they realize how much technical debt they may have to pay. This is why implementing test automation is the ultimate solution. A good test automation company can help enterprises in achieving full potential from test automation efforts.

Digital Branding

How Does your Food Delivery Business benefit by Embracing Digital Solutions

Steven on February 26, 2021

The latest trend of digitalization is changing the entire world in the form of the digital revolution. The world is witnessing everlasting solutions like digitization, which will benefit, benefit, and only benefit the upcoming generation. It is the solution that has completely changed the dynamics of the market. The internet is such a field that has created magic, and in recent times it has empowered the world. People got immensely fond of the internet world that these days they always take the internet’s opinion. The digital revolution has happened only because of the popularity of the internet and advancement in the networks and internet. More importantly, it also happened because people realized the importance of such solutions in their day-to-day lives.

Infographic created by Clover Network, a restaurant POS provider

The digital transformation in the business sector is nothing new these days, and small businesses like restaurants and food eateries have taken advantage of it successfully. The food business will always be trending because people are fond of eating delicious food. The critical point here is that the food industry is snowballing, and the market conditions are hectic because of the heavy competition. On the other hand, people have got a lot of options that they get confused with when choosing their cuisine. The restaurant business can quickly adopt digital solutions to embrace themselves in the competitive market.

The restaurant business’s digital solutions will give them a chance for betterment in the service and healthily beat the competitions. It is the solution that will enhance the business model and improves the ease of doing business for your restaurant. It also smoothens the business operations and gives service providers flexibility to handle their business functions efficiently. There are many benefits and verticals that digital solutions offer to the business people in the restaurant sector.

Digital Solutions For Getting Food Orders

The digital solutions in restaurants will allow the restaurant owners to get food orders online from customers searching for the food online. They can have their ordering and delivery system for restaurant to get online orders to deliver them at the customer’s doorstep. The restaurant owners can relax as they can get their orders online, and they don’t have to handle the customers at their restaurant. They just need to prepare the food and notify the delivery rider to collect the order and deliver it to the customer’s destination. The order handling and receiving and further processing are quite quickly done with the digital solutions. Also, real-time data is available to keep watch on the entire food ordering and delivering process.

Improve Business Efficiency

Implementing digital solutions in the restaurant business will help them to improve business efficiency. With the digital tools, the ordering details are accurately received, and there won’t be any chance of miscommunication while preparing and receiving the order. Restaurants working offline have these issues of miscommunication, and they serve the wrong item, which will frustrate customers, which is not a good thing for your restaurant business. The communication will be accurate with the digital solutions that will increase the efficiency of the restaurant business. The restaurant business will have its standards with digital solutions, which helps run the business efficiently. Thus, these are the technologies that enhance work productivity.

Offering Better Customer Service

The digital solutions will allow the food delivery service to automate the ordering and processing tasks. Online ordering will enable customers to order their food requirements sitting at their place, which is a convenient option. They can have access to the restaurant’s entire menu with each detail on their hands using the online platform. With everything at their fingertips, it is very hassle-free for them to order food online, and they will get its quick delivery at their doorstep. Customers will enjoy digital ordering as it gives them flexibility and conveniences, which the traditional form of restaurant business won’t be able to provide. Thus, it allows the restaurant business to offer better customer service by ordering and delivering these solutions.

Increased In Restaurant Revenue Generation

The restaurant business’s digital solutions will allow them to target wider audiences from the internet world as we all know that the digital population is expanding, and the internet user-base has increased and reached 4.66 Billion, which is almost 60% of the total world population. The online users will use the restaurant’s online services effectively, and these are the target audiences for your business. The order generation will increase with the online ordering facility provided by restaurants. With the increase in order quantity, there will be an increase in the revenues generated, and thus, that is what your restaurant business needs these days. The restaurant business will be thriving with the digital solution.

Getting Quick Payments With Digital Solutions

The digital solutions will allow your food business to accept online payment facilities, which is a very flexible option. The digital payments are swift, easy, and reliable, and the owners can easily secure the money for the food. Customers can also have the flexible option of paying online, which is very convenient as they do not need to arrange cash when they receive the food order at their doorstep. The payment facilities have solved many problems for the business people in running their business model smoothly. Managing money is the biggest hurdle for any business, and with digital solutions, it can be done easily.

Excellent Delivery Service

The digital solutions will allow the food delivery business to run their delivery service smoothly and efficiently. The delivery service will be improved with digital solutions, and with the latest technologies, the optimum delivery can be done. There are various features for efficient delivery operations that help the rider get an optimized route for delivery. The entire delivery operations can be monitored these days with real-time data. That will ensure smooth delivery operations, and the restaurant owner can relax and focus on their business.

Concluding Note

The restaurant and food business sector has been evolving a lot in recent times with digital solutions availability. The business people have found these solutions very useful in enhancing their business model and creating excellent opportunities to establish their virtual space business. With the virtual audiences, they can increase their orders, which will eventually lead to an increase in revenue generation. The digital solution has a lot to offer to the business model, and it is said that a digital solution will have an excellent future. People have also found this solution very helpful, and thus, it gives a perfect opportunity to the food business sector to achieve their targets and desired success.

Author Bio

Brijesh Vadukiya

I am Brijesh, a tech activist and avid blogger. My major concern is to educate people who are interested in technology. I am passionate about helping people in all aspects of SaaS solutions, online delivery business, digital marketing and other related topics that make tomorrow’s world better. I am fond of writing useful and informative content that helps brands to grow business.

Uncategorized

5 Best Sick-Leave Practices During the Pandemic

Steven on February 24, 2021

As this year draws to a close, we are hoping to greet 2021 with a brighter outlook and more opportunities to rebuild the economy, as well as our everyday lives. Every company has been affected by the pandemic. Many have had to let go a number of employees, entire businesses have switched to working remotely, and others have had to make sure that, if office-based work is necessary, their teams are as safe as possible.

In addition to following the government-prescribed rules on social distancing and hygiene, brands are also trying to make it easier for them to spot potential risks and prevent spreading the virus at the office. However, when it does happen, and someone gets sick, companies have also had to adjust their approach to sick leave. The listed ideas on managing your sick leave policies will allow you to keep your teams safe, manage their office time more efficiently, and of course, run your business more seamlessly as a whole.

Empower transparency in your business

If employees are afraid that they’ll lose their job when they get sick, they might feel reluctant to share that they’re not feeling that well. Then again, if they’ve seen people at the office exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, and they don’t report the situation – they might be causing more harm than they know.

Make sure to communicate your sick leave policy and all of its changes to your employees. Ask them how they feel, check up on them for updates, and always remind them that their wellbeing comes first. Only with such a mindset and a culture based on transparency can you expect your teams to work together to ensure a safe office environment while you adapt your sick leave to match their needs.

Manage office time and schedules with ease

One common challenge for companies during the pandemic is handling office schedules, tracking attendance, and overall task management. To help ensure that employees are working remotely when needed and to have an overview of employees away on sick leave, find the best rostering software for your needs to simplify attendance and time management.

When you have a situation of these proportions, you need a structured, organized system to know who among your staff is at the office and who is on sick leave. This will also help with your accounting and HR processes to make sure employees on sick leave get what they need in terms of healthcare, guidance, information, and office updates while they’re away from the office.

Keep sick leave of appropriate length

Although consistency in granting sick leave to your employees is essential to make sure you don’t spread the virus at the office, you still need to make sure your policy is flexible. Many employers worry that their business productivity and overall collaboration might suffer as a result of the pandemic and granting sick leave at every turn.

The simple truth is, all companies are strongly encouraged to provide enough time for their employees to recover before going back to the office. Risking an office-wide outbreak fearing a lack of productivity is no basis for such an irresponsible decision. Most companies are granting at least 14 days of sick leave to give their employees enough time to recover and for any symptoms to disappear. Otherwise, remote work is recommended.

Testing and other health screenings

Some companies have introduced the requirement for their employees to get tested for COVID-19 in order to be deemed ready to go back to work. Depending on the situation in your country, you are also obligated by law to provide leave for employees who get sick, as the situation requires consistent sick leave implementation across the board.

Keep in mind that symptoms aren’t the full picture

Although we all know what to do when we get a fever and start coughing, there’s been some confusion around symptom-free infections. The core issue here is that many people remain undiagnosed as a result of the lack of symptoms, which may increase the risk of spreading the virus at the office. If a member of one of your employee’s family gets sick, you will most likely be under the obligation to send that employee home.

However, this doesn’t warrant sick leave per se. If that employee feels well and their capacity to work is in no way diminished, you can enable them to work remotely until their family recovers completely. If it’s possible for them to get tested and confirm whether or not they are infected, that is always a great precaution, but bear in mind that many will get a false negative result – hence the need for remote work.

The same goes for employees who get sick but are negative to the virus – even though their infection might not be officially confirmed, you need to approve their sick leave for at least two weeks, or until they get better.

Responding to the coronavirus pandemic has pushed companies to change how they operate, as well as their office policies that will remain in effect for as long as there’s risk of COVID-19 infections. With that in mind, your sick leave policy should reflect these circumstances, the changing needs of your employees, and the elevated mindfulness of employee wellbeing and health. Make sure that you factor in the listed ideas in your policy for sick leave and always keep your employees informed on what they should do in case they get sick.

Digital Branding

Top 8 Instagram Tools to Help you Promote your Brand

Steven on February 22, 2021

Many people spend more than 2 hours on social media platforms every day. Considering Instagram, there are 1 billion monthly active users on the platform. These social media statistics and numbers are quite thought-provoking when it comes to the promotion of your brand on social media platforms, especially Instagram. To make the promotion of your brand on Instagram more successful, you can use the available top Instagram tools to facilitate all your tasks.

There are many Instagram tools that you can use. Choosing the right tool can influence your Instagram marketing strategies and the efficiency of your time and efforts. As many Instagram tools are either free or have a reasonable price, it is their functionality that makes the difference.

Why Is Using Instagram Marketing Tools Important?

Instagram is a photo-centered social platform that can drive business growth to a large extent. So, it is not like the past when people only wanted to see their friends’ moments, some delicious food pictures, beautiful natural landscapes, etc. on their feed. Nowadays, more than 200 million users visit one business profile each day. Therefore, it is important that you use Instagram to promote your brand image and products or services.

To better manage your business Instagram account, Instagram marketing tools can be a great contribution. They can schedule your posts for a later time to be posted, suggest hashtags, or give you the analytics of your performance on Instagram. They can also help you increase your follower base and better engage your audience. Taken as a whole, you can automate your Instagram tasks and get the most of your Instagram account just by using Instagram marketing tools. Not to mention that using Instagram marketing tools is a great way to save time.

What Are the Top Instagram Tools to Promote Your Brand?

Now that we have known the importance of using Instagram marketing tools, it is time to learn about the best Instagram tools.

1. DMpro

Direct Messages or DMs on Instagram are great for generating more leads and customers. Using DMpro as an automated DM tool, you can both facilitate and accelerate your DM marketing on Instagram. The tool automates all your DM-related tasks. In addition, you can send bulk DMs or get notified whenever you receive a DM by Email.

Here are the features of DMpro:

Automating outbound DMs
Sending automated DM responses
Sending bulk DMs to your contacts
Sending and receiving DMs via Email

2. Realtormate

If you have a realtor business, using Realtormate as your Instagram marketing tool is the smartest move. You can get a lot of relevant content designs with this Instagram tool for realtors which is great for accelerating your content creation. Moreover, you can create a content plan for your Instagram posting. Furthermore, you can use Realtormate as a growth manager to generate 400-500 new, AI-targeted followers and leads each month.

Here are the features of Realtormate:

Posting designs for Instagram real estate agencies
Creating a content plan
Growing your followers and leads

3. AiSchedul

AiSchedul is an Instagram marketing tool that used to have Instagram post scheduling as its main goal. You can create your post on the platform and set a time and date for it to be shared at that particular time.

Then, it evolved through time and added more services in addition to being an Instagram scheduler. For instance, you can add multiple hashtags by entering the main keyword of your post. You can also repost the best content related to your niche. Moreover, there is a calendar with international events that you can see the best trending posts and get an idea for your own content for that event. Furthermore, you can monitor your mentions too.

Here are the features of AiSchedul:

Scheduling your Instagram post for a later time
Choosing multiple hashtags
Reposting trending content
Creating ideas for international events through the calendar
Monitoring mentions

4. AiGrow

Perhaps the most attractive tools for Instagram are the ones for the growth of your Instagram account. Increasing your Instagram followers can add a lot to the credit of your business. However, many tools stopped functioning as Instagram banned all bot activities on its platform.

New tools like AiGrow can grow your follower base organically. It means that thanks to this Instagram growth service, you will increase the number of your followers with real users. There are packages that you can choose based on your budget and needs.

Here are the features of AiGrow:

Increasing your follower base organically

5. Later

First and foremost, Later started its service as an Instagram post scheduling tool. It has updated itself to more services through time and is now an effective Instagram marketing tool. Using Later, you can create your Instagram posts and schedule them for later. There is also a calendar that helps you keep track of important international events.

Here are the features of Later:

Easy scheduling of Instagram posts
Budget-friendly plans
Unlimited data download

6. Hootsuite

You can post on Instagram easier than before using Hootsuite as a scheduling tool. You can post any type of content directly from the platform of Hootsuite. However, Hootsuite does not just help you with posting and scheduling. It also helps you to answer the comments of your posts or check your post from the platform itself.

Here are the features of Hootsuite:

Creating content for your posts and stories
Scheduling of your posts
Monitoring Instagram activities
Searching for trending hashtags
Analysis of your Instagram performance

7. Iconosquare

Iconosquare is another Instagram marketing tool that you can choose for managing your Instagram account. What it actually does is to do with the analysis of your Instagram performance. The data that is driven from this tool can help you plan a better Instagram marketing strategy to create more engagement and better results. In addition, you can schedule your posts for a time and date to be posted. You can also monitor your Instagram activities from mentions to comments.

Here are the features of Iconosquare:

Analyzing your Instagram performance
Hashtag tracking
Instagram influential profile spotting

8. Buffer

Buffer is perhaps one of the oldest Instagram marketing tools for post scheduling. You can schedule your Instagram posts in advance and queue your content for a particular date and time.

Here are the features of Buffer:

Scheduling your Instagram posts
Scheduling and posting your content based on a calendar

Conclusion

Instagram is a popular social media platform with many features that have made it an easy-to-use platform for almost any generation. To get your business high up on Instagram and expect more customers, you should outsource some of your Instagram tasks to the best available Instagram tools that we have just introduced above. Wish you the best of luck!

Bio

I am Parichehr Parsi, a born writer, and a freelance copywriter in the fields of travel, fashion, and Instagram marketing. I currently write for SocialPros and online magazines in Italy and I love reading, writing, and researching. Find me on LinkedIn!

Personal Branding

Steps on How to Register Your Business in Utah

Steven on February 21, 2021

Are you planning to start a business in Utah? It pays to do your homework! Before you can register your business in the Beehive State, you need to decide what type of business structure you will utilize. Will you go for Doing Business As (DBA), Limited Liability Company (LLC), or corporation? If you decide to have a Limited Liability Company, you need to know the current Utah LLC cost. If you opt for DBA or corporation, then you should also assess how much capital they require these days. Whichever you choose, all these structures have their fair share of advantages and flaws. To help you pick the perfect choice, we did a little research about these three entities.

Basic Business Structures

Doing Business As

DBA is sometimes referred to as a trade name, fictitious business name, or assumed business name. It allows a business to operate under a different name from its legal name. For example, if you want to run your cleaning business as X.Y.Z. Cleaning, you will need to file for a DBA. In most states, business owners file DBAs at the county level, where you can find the business.

Limited Liability Company

An LLC means that your business operates as a distinct and separate legal entity from you (as the owner). While LLCs require more formalities than a DBA, they have fewer restrictions than corporations. A manager or members who must manage a Member-Managed LLC are the company owners, while a manager may or may not be a member. The LLC structure also includes more tax flexibility since it can choose to be taxed as a corporation, partnership, or sole proprietor.

Corporation

A corporation is a separate entity that provides liability protection to the owners and has a structure that includes shareholders, directors, and officers. It is more complicated than a DBA, but startups and large firms that intend to raise funding often choose this.

Now that you know the three structures’ main differences (and we hope that you’ve decided which one is your best bet), it’s time to think of a name for your business. Depending on the structure you chose, there will be different requirements when naming a business.

What to Consider When Naming an LLC

Surprisingly, there are lots of things to consider when naming an LLC. But for brevity purposes, we’ve narrowed them down and listed only the most crucial things to keep in mind.

Include any of these words, phrases, or abbreviations: “limited company,” “limited liability company,” “LC,” or LLC” to your business name.
Do not use words that could confuse your LLC with a government agency, like “FBI,” “Treasury,” and “State Department.”
Avoid the words “bank,” “trust,” “trustee,” “insurer,” or “insurance company.”
Do a name search on the Utah.gov website to make sure the name you want is still available.

Registering an LLC in Utah

Now comes the easy-peasy part: registering your business as an LLC. First, file the “Certificate of Organization” amounting to $70 with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. When approved, you need to organize the LLC by holding an “Organizational Meeting” and crafting the company Operating Agreement, taking contributions from the members, issuing Member Certificates, and more.

Conclusion

We hope this simple guide will give you an idea of Utah LLC cost and help you start your own business. Registering a business in the State of Utah takes time, patience, and a fistful of dollars. While you need to take a lot of steps, they are pretty easy and simple. Just make sure to take one step at a time and do everything you need to. This way, you’ll be able to set up your business correctly and get started making money.

Personal Branding

6 Ways to Boost your QA Team’s Productivity

Steven on February 19, 2021

QA managers and team leads are continuously looking for ways to improve their QA process and software testing processes, but they also need to increase the productivity of their team members. However, during different testing activities and building up bug reports, they do not find enough time to perform these changes. Although increasing the productivity of a QA Team should not be complex, it is easy to create targeted wins, that allow them to implement additional ways to keep the team members motivated. Since there are a number of tasks that QA teams have to handle, and there is a lot on their plate, increasing productivity can boost a company’s sales and revenue. However, when QA teams use test case management software, it helps them in saving time and effort instead of managing all test cases manually.

Following are 6 tips to increase the productivity of your testing team:

Test Automation

A company does not have to break a bank to improve its processes with the help of automation. It is important to automate the test cases that require significant time when performed manually or test cases that need to be executed multiple times during the development cycles. These include the automation of unit testing, smoke testing, functional testing, regression testing, integration testing, etc.

Use Effective Communication Tools

When teams are performing manual testing, they need to collaborate with the team members. Thus it is vital to integrate the communication tools so that they can spend more time on the app rather than turning to their emails with issues or questions that are waiting in queue for answers/replies. Effective communication tools can help in improving the QA process as it speeds up and provides a smooth communication flow between QA teams and the other stakeholders.

Communication is a key to enhance productivity, as communication tools offer chat functionality, group online calls, screen sharing, recordings, document sharing, etc. QA managers also need to observe how often do teams reach out to each other, how they respond to queries and concerns posted by other team members, etc. All these factors are important and should be considered in the QA process.

Test Case Management Software

Writing unique test cases and executing them is a time-consuming job if performed manually. Gone are the days when teams used Excel Sheets to manage the test cases. Software testing teams now use test case management software that offers a wide range of features to assist their testing efforts. They can also integrate this software with other testing tools for boosting the QA process.

Providing the Necessary Information

Another tip to improve QA is to ensure that all proper information is available. This should include the design specifications, documentation, etc. all available at a central location for the entire team. They should pick the right tools designed to keep the teams on track. When choosing a tool, make sure you consider the adaptability, features, functionality, and cost of the tool so that your teams invest more time and effort to improve the QA process. QA teams need access to critical information that is a way to ensure the success of a project.

Start Testing Early

In order to make the most of your QA team’s time during the initial phase, it is important to engage it in requirement review to find the mistakes before they begin the implementation phase. This type of approach helps in reducing the development costs and gives them a deeper insight into the software app right from the beginning.

Spread Domain Knowledge

Companies create software for a given domain such as finance, medical sciences, healthcare, etc. This is why the domain knowledge of the testing team can be valuable depending on the project in which they participate. It is important to provide them with considerable knowledge in the given area allows testers to better understand the functional and business requirements of the app under test. this type of understanding can have a huge impact on the productivity of a testing team. So the question remains how to spread this domain knowledge to the testers? Well, QA leads should organize a special training session with someone who knows the context provided for a given project. Providing materials among the QA teams can also assist them in preparing for participating in new projects.

Conclusion

QA managers can use these six tips to improve the performance of the testing teams and also help them collaborate between different teams within the same project.

Digital Branding Personal Branding

5 Tips To Choose The Best Shoes For Parkour

Steven on February 19, 2021

You being here shows that you’re in search of the best parkour shoes. Choosing something best always requires some real effort. Especially when you’re purchasing something related to sports. When you’re buying shoes for parkour, you need to be very careful because parkour is an intense sport. As a trained player, you need shoes that will help you run faster and have a firmer grip. Parkour shoes come in many shapes, sizes, and unique features to fit various physical exercise aspects. It is obvious that parkour shoes are costly, but if you hunt around, you can find affordable ones too. You need to be very careful about choosing the best parkour shoes to prevent any kind of injury. Here are some helpful tips you need to consider when buying the best parkour shoes.

1. Flexible sole

The first and most significant thing you should look for is a flexible sole. The sole you prefer must have a one-piece sole. A shoe with two or more soles will prevent you from performing your best, and they don’t tend to last for a long time. Because these shoes are designed in a way that their parts may get separated while you are running or jumping. The thickness of a sole will affect your balance. And for a parkour player, losing balance is injurious. Thinner soles will make balancing easier for you, but they will get worn down quickly. So you must go with a sole that is neither very thick nor skinny.

2. Light-weight shoes

One important thing that must be considered when buying parkour shoes is their weight. Parkour shoes are usually heavier than other shoes. But it would be best if you went for lightweight shoes because they can make jumping, running a lot easier for you. Your shoes must be very comfortable that it makes you feel like they are a part of you. Lightweight shoes will give you the confidence to run as fast as possible and jump as high as you want. Such shoes will be best for you.

3. Strong grip

The grip of your shoe must not be substantial. Friction between you and your body is very important. You must check the grip of your shoe before purchasing it. When you’re jumping and running, friction must be produced; you will keel over while you’re landing. A shoe with a firmer grip is essential for a parkour player.

4. Durability

You should always check the material used on the top and bottom. The sole must be flat because minimal shoes are more durable. Parkour is an intense sport, so the shoes will not last for a year. In fact, if you wear them every day, they will last a few months. It would help if you went with shoes that have a full 7-8 months of durability.

5. Breathability

While choosing parkour shoes, make sure that your shoes are breathable or not. For breathability in shoes, breathable material is used to allow your feet to have good air access. You should buy shoes that have vents in them. These vents will allow the air mesh to go in your shoes and can keep them cool and dry. While running and jumping, air mesh will also prevent the odor from producing in your shoe.

Conclusion

Parkour shoes must have good quality, comfort, and flexibility. It is a sport that can get you injured if you have not considered any tips before buying it. The tips, as mentioned above, are very important tips to consider. If you consider these tips, you will be able to buy the best parkour shoes.

Digital Branding

5 Marketing and Branding Tips for Industry Consultants

Steven on February 16, 2021

Branding and marketing need to become flexible practices because, in the business climate, change is inevitable. For companies that sell products, this isn’t definite because the product is tangible. With all the changes that come along, the product secures them, and they primarily focus on their branding and marketing. However, suppose you’re a consultant, or you deal with professional services organizations in general. In that case, you might be wondering how you can integrate an approach that’s flexible to your branding and marketing. You are thinking of how to incorporate change and still stand out.

Among many solutions, hire professionals from the Miami web design company to do the magic. Whether you’re a trial consultant working with lawyers or a business consultant meeting with executives, the following tips will help you build your brand and market your services as well.

Content Marketing

The first thing you should ensure is amazingly unique is the caliber of your website content. The content needs to be very precise, provocative, and it should stand out. It would help if you didn’t stop there, ensure that you match the same energy and quality while you do a formal assessment of your website analytics. The analytics will help you realize your content’s real market value to the people you target most. You should be flexible enough to regularly change your content to reach your audience better but still maintain your brand’s fundamentals. By doing that, you’ll create trust and build a following that will last long-term.

Optical Branding

If you’re a successful consultant or want to become one, you should be aware that success isn’t just based on psychological content and intelligent thinking. You should be mindful of the increasingly strong influence that visual design has. Websites are using more creative graphic design techniques such as copious subheadings, bold colors, infographics, and full-bleed photography. This is a creative way to have your audience engage more with the type of content you offer. It’s much more fun and easier.

Individual Branding

Individuals who are smart and care about their future success are creating online profiles. They build their profiles through speaking, SEO, blogging, social media, and content marketing while still pursuing their designated jobs. The same goes for professional services and consulting companies. They’re looking deeply into identifying who working in their organizations can efficiently use new tools to enhance their corporate brands. When looking from a brand management view, tension is created between promoting a corporate brand or the personal brands. It’s a problem most companies face, but they need to realize a consultant’s strength lies in how good their brand is.

Slogan

Slogans and taglines are very important to different brands because they can be inspirational, like Apple’s “Think Different.” A slogan can play a significant role in defining, inferring, and distilling your organization’s culture and purpose as well. A good one for your brand should be unique and still create change in your brand and marketing. A tagline is flexible; hence it can evolve easily with changes.

Social Media

It’s a popularity contest when you work as a consultant. The level to which you’re followed, cited, and invited determines how in-demand you are as a consultant. If you want to become popular, you have to combine all the tips mentioned above. You should, however, provide real value to people online and engage in current issues. If you don’t, people will eventually get tired of you, and all your efforts will be wasted.

Digital Branding Personal Branding

Top Strategies for Growing Your Retail Business’s Brand in 2021

Steven on February 8, 2021

Many retailers understandably want to turn the page on the tough year that was 2020 and look forward to a 2021 full of growth and other successes. Having actionable strategies for meeting those goals will help put them in reach. Here are some reliable ways to grow your retail brand this year.

Train Your Staff

Your employees are extensions of your brand. If customers walk into your store, engage with workers and typically get bored, misinformed or uncertain replies, they won’t likely have positive impressions of your overall brand.

Explore ways to invest in training so your employees collectively provide excellent experiences. For example, you might require workers to engage with all visitors to a physical store within two minutes of their arrival. That approach ensures people don’t feel unseen or make incorrect assumptions about products or services.

Ensure workers never say, “Sorry, I’m not sure,” and go back to their tasks when customers ask for information they don’t have. Instead, they could be proactive and say, “Sorry, I’m not sure, but let me get a colleague who can answer that for you.” Additionally, teach employees to engage in gentle upselling efforts or suggest alternatives when the products people want are out of stock. Doing that should raise your overall sales.

Offer Branded Items

Anyone who’s been to the Big Apple has almost certainly seen shoppers carrying Bloomingdale’s brown shopping bags — the containers are instantly noticeable with their thin, rounded letters. Each one has the size printed on the front, such as “Big Brown Bag,” with the store name on the side. The simple design is so iconic that the department store sells reusable vinyl zippered totes featuring it.

This example proves that branded items keep companies in customers’ minds. They’re also appropriate for organizations that are much smaller than Bloomingdale’s, too. You can give the items out as freebies if your retail brand has a community event presence. Alternatively, keep the goodies near the cash register and give one to each person who buys something.

Consider which items people will most likely use and enjoy. For example, pens and notepads are handy things recipients will need often. Also, products such as keychains and magnets are practical items that keep your company’s name in frequent view.

Provide Accurate Stock Information If Possible

Most people can’t help but feel disappointed if they arrive at stores and find the products they want are not available. Investigate whether your inventory management system could enable launching a feature that lets people instantly check stock levels on a website or app before arriving at a store.

When shoppers want items you don’t have, give them immediate options. For example, you might give them real-time updates about shipments on the way. Alternatively, if you operate more than one store in a consumer’s area, let them check stock at a different location. You can also give employees easy ways to special-order the products customers request. Then, shoppers will realize workers are doing everything they can to assist.

Maintaining reliable on-shelf availability (OSA) poses challenges for many retailers. If it’s a persistent problem for you, get to the bottom of what’s happening and fix it. For example, does the issue occur because you wait too long to place orders that replenish the shelves? Perhaps stock levels are too low because of incorrect forecasting that failed to anticipate demand.

Help Consumers Save Time

Price is not necessarily the top priority when people choose where to shop. A recent survey found 53% of people intend to shop in ways that save time, even if they don’t provide the lowest prices. Another finding that supports the time-saving trend was that 56% of people would keep shopping in convenient, easy stores.

You can strengthen and grow your retail brand this year by highlighting how your store facilitates efficiency. Maybe that means letting people reserve products online and pick them up at the retail outlet. That’s an appealing option for individuals who know what they want and don’t need to browse. If people learn your retail brand lets them make the most of their precious time, they’ll want to keep supporting it.

Helping people save time could also mean changing how and where you stock items. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some grocery retailers created dedicated aisles of the products people wanted most — from soap and hand sanitizer to shelf-stable foods. That was a smart and effective strategy that let frazzled shoppers go to one place and find many of the items on their lists.

Cater to Shoppers’ Omnichannel Preferences

Despite the ongoing rise of e-commerce, many people still buy what they need in physical stores. Retail analysts point out that the lines between physical and online retail are increasingly blurred. This transition has led to a rise in omnichannel marketing, whereby people expect to shop on numerous channels and get an integrated, smooth experience each time.

For example, even when consumers visit physical stores, they often use their phones while inside, relying on those devices to steer their purchasing decisions. Other shoppers let specific product needs influence whether they shop in a store or online. Someone might prefer to buy a new pair of jeans in a store but go to the same retailer’s website within a month to buy a scarf.

The main takeaway is to avoid focusing too much on a single retail channel. People often switch between several, and they appreciate high-quality, customer-centric experiences regardless of which ones they choose. Providing those for them will grow your brand and give people more opportunities to interact with it.

Consider Investing in Augmented Reality

Experts remain unsure to what extent COVID-19 will continue affecting retail in 2021. That’s why it makes good business sense to evaluate how you can help people feel safe, no matter what the future holds. One way to do that is with augmented reality (AR) tools that help people shop for things with safer processes.

For example, Ulta Beauty’s GLAMlab allows people to virtually try different hair colors, brow shapes and makeup as they shop in the stores. The brand does not offer tester products during the pandemic. However, the technology provides a safe substitute and drives sales by removing the uncertainty of buying beauty products blindly.

Laura Kohl, the company’s senior vice president of applications, data and integrations, explained, “What’s fun about going into an Ulta store is actually trying on some things or smelling the products or feeling the product, that just can’t happen right now. So at least with this virtual try-on, it quickly shifted into that … It complements the store experience.” Also, AR is increasingly accessible to small businesses. Shopify has an AR tool specifically geared toward smaller companies.

Succeed With Brand Building in 2021

Building your brand should be a methodical process. Following the tips here and abiding by other best practices does not bring overnight results, but you should see gradual improvements. If possible, use metrics to track how well different approaches work after using them for at least a few months. Then, it’ll be easier to justify investing more time and money into those approaches for the future.

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.