Category: Digital Branding

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.

“This whole level of wholeness is a place where I am able to show up as a full human being with all of my gifts to the table to be a part of this organization. That leads to a great feeling of inclusiveness because what it allows me then to do is to bring this real, authentic self to the table and to really love the work that I do.”

• Kimo Kippen

In the highly competitive talent market, retaining the best talents is one of the major challenges and concerns for any organization. The corporate world leaders see the employees as the most valuable asset of the business, which can be a medium to success and failure. It all depends on how seriously you take them and keep them intact with your venture for years.

No matter which industry or business type you are running, manpower is the basis of any organization’s success. Maybe that’s why most successful MNCs or global brands pay additional attention to employee retention the most. Most of us believe that it’s something that the human resource department should keep a check on; it is the management’s responsibility too.

Why is employee retention so important?

The actions required for employee retention come with a strategic approach to improving business operations and keeping the progress scale surging up in the skies. Companies with financial crunches often experience employee retention as a massive challenge, and thus it should be treated as a concern.

As per SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), the organizations that pay special attention to employee retention receive the complete worth of time and funds invested. It results in improved performance, higher employee morale, and productivity. All in all, it contributes to the overall success of the organization.

Employee retention – Leading strategies

Evaluate the candidates who are ready to stand you – When it comes to experiencing wiser employee retention, the chances are you need to evaluate the employees who can be available for a long race. Be it based on an employee’s performance or overall conduct, analyze the potential of the employees to invest your time and money in them. This can be seen as a significant step in the talent development process. There are many other indicators and factors to give you the most reasonable estimate.

Remember, retention begins with recruitment

It all starts with the correct recruitment procedure processed. Therefore, make sure you know how to process the application of a candidate adequately. The screening parameters to the machine test challenges make the process more refined and productive for the interviewing authority. If done correctly, the process is enough to let you recruit the best for your organization.

Ensure ongoing training 

Keep up with the training sessions to avoid any problems in the onboarding process. For this, make sure you arrange hand-in-hand training sessions for the employees while offering them the opportunity to learn about new responsibilities handed over shortly. This can be treated as yet another tool or impactful strategy for employee retention.

When talking about the ongoing training processes, try not to limit your organization’s protocol to operational training only. This should encompass personality development and other fun training types too. This will keep the employees engaged and will leave a good impact on their overall performance.

Appreciation is a must

Employees love to get noticed and appreciated for what they do throughout the day. Be it a presentation or dealing with the client like a pro, make sure to appreciate your best talents for how they have been contributing towards the business development.

Quick wrap up –

Employee retention is one of the major concerns in the present times, especially when the competition is excessively high in all domains and industries. What has made it even more challenging is the increasing demands of the best talents and the never-stopping scope of industries in the world.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were no such thing as personal fiscal responsibility? We could all adopt the U.S. government’s approach to the national deficit. We could simply ignore our personal debt — with impunity. There would be no need to worry about our car payments, student loans, credit card debt — or even our mortgages. We could just keep on spending — with impunity.

Alas, that seems unlikely. So while the government continues to spend money it doesn’t have — with impunity — the rest of us must pay our bills, or face the consequences. We all know what will happen if we don’t pay our utility bills, or miss a few car payments. We also know what happens if we miss a few mortgage payments. But what happens if someone doesn’t pay their second mortgage? Keep reading to find out.

The consequences of second mortgage defaults

By definition, a second mortgage is a secured loan that a homeowner obtains by using their house as collateral. These typically include  but are not limited to home equity loans or home equity lines of credit.

Second mortgage defaults occur when homeowners fail to make required payments on said loans. The consequences vary based on how much your home is worth and how much you still owe on your primary mortgage. 

If your home is worth more than the remaining amount on your first mortgage, you have equity in your home. This means that your second mortgage is still somewhat secured. This also means the second-mortgage holder will probably pursue foreclosure to recoup some or all of its money.

On the other hand, if you owe more on your first mortgage than your home is worth, your second mortgage is no longer secured.If the second-mortgage holder pursued foreclosure in this case, it would be less likely to recoup its money. This is because the second mortgage is usually classified as the junior mortgage. 

As the superior mortgage holder, the first-mortgage holder would have first dibs on the proceeds from the foreclosure sale. But this is not the only hurdle that second-mortgage holders face.

Barriers to second mortgage foreclosures

Fortunately for distressed homeowners, second mortgage foreclosures don’t happen all that often. That’s because there are additional barriers to second mortgage foreclosures. In general: 

• Secondary lien holders are barred from foreclosing on your property if your second mortgage is current.
• Primary and secondary lien holders are barred from foreclosing on your property if superior mortgage and junior mortgage are current. 
• If your first mortgage is current but your second mortgage is not, the secondary lien holder is not barred from foreclosing on your property.

So as you can see, there are limited rights of second lien holders in foreclosure. 

Clarifying liens and lien priority

To clarify, a lien is a legal claim against a property. In this context, the term lien priority is used to describe the order in which lien holders are paid after foreclosure. 

More often than not, lien priority is date-based. Specifically, priority is usually assigned based on when the mortgage was officially recorded. So let’s say someone got a mortgage which was recorded on January 10, 2020. Now let’s assume the same person obtained another mortgage, which was recorded on October 28, 2020. The former would be designated as a first mortgage, and receive first-lien position. The latter would be designated as a second mortgage, and given second-lien priority. 

Having said that,  homeowners should be aware that some liens, such as property tax lines, are viewed as superior to any prior liens. In most, but not all cases, judgment liens are junior to a first mortgage. They may also be junior to a second mortgage, and to other judgment liens depending on the order in which they were filed.

How does refinancing your first mortgage affect the priority assigned to your second mortgage? 

As if all of that isn’t confusing enough, things get even more complicated if you refinance your first mortgage — or get a cema loan if you live in New York. In this case, the first mortgage holder will mandate that the second-mortgage holder enters into a subordination agreement. In this type of agreement, the second-mortgage holder agrees to make its loan junior to the refinanced loan. In other words, the refinanced loan, which is technically the newest loan, gets first priority through the subordination agreement. 

A second-mortgage holder can sue you to recover the amount owed 

To reiterate, there are limited rights of a second lien holder in foreclosure. This is because foreclosure on the first mortgage triggers foreclosure on any junior loans including a second mortgage, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit. This domino effect also results in the loss of security interest in the property. The end result is that the secondary lien holder effectively becomes a “sold-out junior lienholder.”

However, this does not mean a second-mortgage holder cannot recoup its money. Laws vary from state to state, but in most cases, a secondary lien holder can sue you for the amount owed. You give the lender the right to pursue this option when you sign a document promising to repay the loan and then fail to do so.

Assuming the second-mortgage holder wins a judgment for the amount owed, there are several ways it can collect: 

1. It can have a specified amount of money withheld from your paycheck each pay period until the debt is paid.
2. It can have a specified amount of money taken out of your bank account for a specified period until the debt is paid.
3. It can use any other “regular” collection methods as warranted.

If you are struggling to pay your first or second mortgage, consider speaking with a qualified legal or financial professional about your options. Depending on your situation, filing for bankruptcy may be one way to reduce  or eliminate your financial liability.  

If you don’t have a second mortgage yet, but you are considering getting one to finance other large purchases, it may be worth considering other options. Specifically, you may want to consider options with similar rates that don’t require you use your home as collateral. That way your home won’t necessarily be at risk in the long run.

Succeeding in business as an entrepreneur is no easy feat, especially in this day and age. The ever-evolving business climate can feel overwhelming to entrepreneurs looking to launch a business venture, and having an effective strategy in place is vital for ensuring growth and success. To help you get started, we’re listing five strategies for entrepreneurs that you can rely on to succeed in business.

Diversify your skillset

Becoming an entrepreneur means becoming a problem-solver, someone who will provide innovative solutions, whether we’re talking about ideas, procedures, services, or goods. The world of business is constantly changing and evolving, and keeping up with these changes and adapting to them is key to staying ahead of competitors and continuing to turn a profit.

To succeed in business, you need to be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, constantly looking for new skills you can add to your skillset while seeking help in the fields you’re unfamiliar with. The diversified skill set will allow you to take the right approach when tackling different problems while turning to someone more experienced for help will minimize the risks of errors caused by a lack of knowledge in a particular area.

Provide great customer service

One of the best strategies for succeeding in business and establishing your brand as competitive and trustworthy has to do with providing great customer service. Being professional and responsive is key to getting your customers to come to you instead of going to your competition, something that often happens due to the inability to communicate.

This is an issue companies can easily overcome by hiring a bilingual virtual receptionist who will eliminate the language barrier. Not only is this the perfect strategy to appeal to a more diverse customer base and reach a new market but it’s also a more attractive alternative to voicemails and automated answering machines. Customers matter to your business, and providing them with live bilingual operators is one of the best ways to make your customers, both current and potential ones, feel heard and valued.

Look for new products and services to take advantage of

Just like you should make innovations that will improve your company’s relationship with its customers, you should also do your research on the emerging products and services that will help boost the way your business operates.

Take a look at different technological advancements. Is there a way you can put them to use and improve your company’s operations? If there’s an app, service, or product that could potentially save you time and money and help you delegate everyday tasks to free up some room in your schedule, are you already using it? Are you really taking advantage of everything that’s being offered on the market right now? These are some of the most important questions everyone on their entrepreneur journey should ask themselves if they want to succeed in business.

Understand the risks and rewards

As an entrepreneur, it is your job to identify any market gaps and know how to recognize a great business opportunity. It is also your job to take calculated risks in order to reap the rewards later on. Every business decision you make will carry a certain degree of risk, whether we’re talking about a lack of security, potential financial loss, or even a business failure. 

Before making a decision, think about the possible downsides and look for ways to minimize the risks. Researching the market and creating a business plan, combined with effective budget planning, are some of the best ways to reduce risks and increase your chances of reaping potential rewards such as independence, profit, business success, and so on.

Build a business that will last

Many entrepreneurs start a business hoping that one day, they’ll be able to sell it. While this is definitely something to strive for, it’s important that you act as if you’ll be the one owning your business forever and build it to last.

There are several ways to do this. For starters, you want to go above and beyond when it comes to your customers. Going the extra mile does require additional time and effort, but it also does wonders when it comes to building a brand. You also need to have patience and prioritize security over growth. Instead of widening your horizons, narrow them. This will help you establish yourself as an expert in the field and minimize competition. Last but not least, do your best to continually innovate, and make your decisions as if you expect your business to be around forever.

Wrapping up

Although they differ in their backgrounds and skillsets, entrepreneurs around the world are united by a common goal – the desire to leave a lasting mark on the world and create a legacy. 

While launching a new venture may be challenging, with a couple of useful tips and strategies up your sleeve, you can ensure business success and make your career path a rewarding one.

Businesses need to be conspicuous for them to grow and thrive. This means that they must invest in brand awareness and recognition. As such, one needs to initiate necessary steps to achieve such a goal. Fortunately, some simple tricks and tips can help any business grow to a level where they increase their brand awareness with ease.

Consider the five suggestions below as a great starting point.

Consider Website Optimization

A primary reason you should prioritize hiring one of the best salesforce consulting companies is to help you with web management. It is not enough to have a company website. Any company working online should have a well-optimized website. Invest in the right SEO strategies such as keyword use, lead creation, and link building. Note that most people today begin their search for products and services online.

All you need to do is start. Ensure that the process is simple and not fancy. Your website should simply show your work in the most straightforward way possible. Ensure it is easy to load and navigate. These can be easily achieved by optimization. Make the website visually appealing and useful for those searching online. If funds allow, consider making a mobile app, especially if your services match the mobile platform use.

Start a Business Blog

Focus on getting people to know more about your business. Ensuring that there is enough credible information about the business out there can easily achieve this. Starting a blog is one of the safest and surest ways to inform your potential and repeat clients about your products and services. You can document all your progress in your blogs as long as your post’s content is useful to the reader.

Having a dedicated blog that addresses most, if not all, the issues customers may have, helps businesses attract new customers and maintain the earlier ones. However, before posting any content on the blog, it must be perfectly-written without numerous errors.

You also need to update the content on your website regularly, more so if things change. Whenever readers realize that you post outdated content, they are likely to trust you less. Let people know when to expect your new content. This will help you achieve excellent traffic and boost your SEO ranking. In case your goal is the growth and expansion of your brand’s presence, you must positively use your blog.

Focus on Social Media Presence

While social media is great for business growth and brand awareness, you need to be careful when choosing the right channels. Your excellent research skills should be used at this point. Find out the best social media channels that will help your media presence.

Do not ignore social media because this is an opportunity to grow your brand and bring in more potential customers. It is easier for more people to find out about you on your social media pages than they will on your website. Once you decide which social media channel is excellent for you, create useful content for the page. Keep it busy and continue to engage your viewers.

Most importantly, ensure that you are relevant. Everything you post, from the videos, pictures, and blog posts, should match your brand’s identity. Besides that, have your employees join in this journey. Please encourage them to continually share the content on their personal social media spaces to expand the brand’s reach. Focus on extending your reach and building trust, as this goes a long way in bringing the right people your way.

Have a Few Guest Posts and Invest in Email Marketing

One of the fastest and easiest ways to build brand awareness is having a strong email presence. Email marketing works most of the time and is even more effective than social media because you deal and interact with people directly. When using email marketing as a strategy, make sure your approach is segmented to be more effective.

Create customized messages and send emails at the right time. You have to analyze data and know what works for you regularly. On the other hand, guest blogging also works in branding because of the targeted exposure, which helps your brand earn credibility. When done right, this can be a magnet that attracts customers to your website.

Once people love your content on the guest blogs, they are likely to go to the main website and read through your other content. This helps you build traffic and can contribute to the conversion rates and business increase.

Use Visuals to Engage Customers

A visual brand is immediately noticeable. Customers want compelling content that makes them love your brand. Take time to build content that attracts your customers. Use imagery and other visual aids that put your brand out there.

The aim is to tap into the consciousness of the reader or potential customer. Once they are hooked, they will search for your content on official channels and possibly convert into loyal customers. The bottom line is to ensure that the content you create is appealing and exciting for them to continue searching for you.

Final Thoughts

Brand awareness is easy. However, it needs one to use available resources. Choose wisely and follow a path that works for your business. Different strategies may work for other businesses, while some may need a combination of several strategies. So, choose wisely.

Marketing has changed significantly in the digital age, and it continues to evolve. There are quite a few methods that every company in the digital economy needs to learn in order to stand out from the rest. The internet is saturated and the number of products and services available is unparalleled to any other time in human history. Luckily there are ways to promote your business and market ads to your target demographics. Below are a few tips that will help your company market itself in the digital age.

Master SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for any business that wants to land on Google, Bing, and others. SEO is essential to any company that needs to market itself digitally. It is the process of using keywords, hyperlinks, metadata, and more to ensure that the web page lands on search engines. If you do your best to hire people who understand SEO and keep learning about it on a continual basis you’ll have the chance to market your company successfully online.

Utilize Technical Writing Software

The use of technical writing software won’t just facilitate your SEO, it is a great resource for content web developers in general. Whether it’s technical code writing or video content, taking advantage of all the tools you have at your disposal will improve your online presence when it comes to digital marketing. From importing to authoring new content to publishing and analytics, tools like technical writing software will give you the power to effectively target ads and use digital marketing in a whole new way.

Stay Active on Social Media

Social media is not just necessary to promote your products or services to consumers, it is also integral for your online strategy. You’ll need to target ads while using analytics, hashtags, and other methods to market the business on social media. If you don’t already have social media employees, it’s a good idea to get started. When you don’t have a social media presence, it will be difficult for many people to find about your company.

Invest in Data

As a company involved in the digital space of technology, it has become imperative to gather data. Whether you’re getting data from your own site, online service, or buying it from another company, data is now extremely valuable. When you sign up for a social media platform, you agree to the terms and conditions to allow the company to sell your data. 

These businesses deal primarily in data. This is because it has become as valuable of a resource as oil. While the moral issues surrounding the buying and selling of data are dubious, it is a main-stay of the digital economy that isn’t going anywhere any time soon. If you want to expand and make it big with your start-up, you’ll need to deal with data as well.

Use Analytics & Spreadsheets

When you are handling a lot of data, your company will need to store and manage it. You can either store it on a Cloud service yourself, pay someone else to do it, or have full control over the data by keeping it on your own private server. Each method has its own workload and benefits. Depending on the security of the data and how much you want to have access to it, you can choose the storage and management method that works best for you.

Then once you have your data properly stored and organized, you’ll be able to use analytics and spreadsheets to determine the best ways to use particular sets of data. Some of it can be used in tandem with other sets, but some will need to be scrutinized individually. However you look at it, your digital business can use data to market more effectively to the target demographics that can be discovered and analyzed to expose new opportunities and ad potential.

Marketing has become much more complex in the digital age. The internet is complex and it takes a lot to stand out from the saturated crowd. But if you put in the effort to learn SEO, social media, data management, and technical writing software, your company will be able to market your product or service.

Ryan Beitler is a writer, journalist, and blogger who has written for AI Time Journal, Paste Magazine, The Slovenia Times, Addiction Now, and more.