SEO trends in 2019
Digital Branding

5 Trends You NEED To Know About To Do SEO In 2019

on August 4, 2019

If you’re just starting out with SEO it can be easy to get confused by the overload of information you can find on the internet. We’ve all been there, don’t worry. But everyone has to start somewhere, so why not start with something you know will work? If you’re just starting to get into SEO, there are some important things to know before you get started so you´re not stuck with outdated SEO tactics.

We sat down as a team and talked about the things that have changed over the course of 2019, what’s worked, and what hasn’t, and came up with a set of things you need to know if you’re going to be doing SEO for your website. For each of these topics, I could easily write an essay (and maybe I will!), but for now they’re a fantastic starting place if you’re looking to get really good at SEO in 2019.

Mobilize for mobile

1. Optimize For Mobile First For Great SEO In 2019

The mobile revolution is upon us, with Google leading the way. With a recent update to the search ranking system, Google now ranks websites based on their mobile versions first. This means that if your website isn’t ready for mobile users, your rankings overall are going to suffer.

With more people using mobile search than ever before (a whopping 57% of all web traffic!) there’s no reason not to optimize your website for mobile. In fact, these days it’s non-negotiable. If you want to rank well, you need to be catering to mobile users. The best way to start thinking about mobile-first is to consider your users. If you’re looking for something on your mobile phone, chances are you’ll want to get the information you’re looking for fast, without too much scrolling, zooming, or effort involved. Keep this in mind when you’re designing your website and you’ll already be a step ahead of most people

2. Write For Humans, Optimize For Search Engines

While having a lot of fresh content is important, if you’re not writing it for your audience specifically you may as well not be writing at all. In 2019, it’s not enough to just be writing content for keywords. Your blog articles, webpages, and all your other content has to be relevant to your users and their needs. Write your articles for people first, and focus on creating high-quality content that provides real value.

This kind of content is great for more than rankings. Leveraging top-tier content can get you links from other sites, influencers, and can land you opportunities for guest posting and outreach if you play your cards right.

To sum it all up: Write your content for people first. Optimize it for SEO second.

Do the first and the other often comes naturally, but a good balance of both will get you the best results.

3. Page Speed

Sometimes all your page might need a little TLC in the speed department. Meaning the speed your page loads at, and the speed at which people can find the information they’re looking for have to be quick. With the rise of mobile, people’s attention spans have been dropping. And with the freedom of choice the internet gives you, you’ve not got much time before your website visitors jump ship and visit the next site down the list. Your competitors.

Your website needs to be fast, with a load speed of under 5 seconds to stay competitive. Any longer and people start getting bored waiting and will close your site just to keep things moving. There are a dozen ways to increase the speed at which your page loads, but a lot of it comes down to optimizing images, code, and any website plugins you might have. Optimizing for page speed is integral to ranking well on SEO in 2019 and is a core ranking factor.

Write for your readers

4. Think Like Your Users For Best SEO In 2019

While picking the right keywords for your website is always important, 2019 has shaped up to be the year of search intent. It’s not enough anymore to just find effective keywords that lead traffic to your site. You need to know what your users are searching for when they type something specific, and create your website and webpages to best answer their questions, and meet their needs.

Google takes into account bounce rates (how many users immediately leave a web page after clicking), page dwell time (how long a user spends on a page), content depth and length, along with a bunch of other factors when ranking pages. Understanding exactly what your visitors are looking for and tailoring your content and offerings to best answer those questions and searches goes a long way to ranking high on Google. If your SEO agency is not implementing these changes, please speak to them right away.

Google voice search

5. Jump On The Voice Search Bandwagon

If you’ve done any SEO stuff over the last year. there’s no way you haven’t heard someone talk about Voice Search. And if by some miracle you’ve missed it, then you need to get on board and implement it into your SEO strategy right now. If what’s happening right now indicates anything, it’s that voice search is about to flip SEO upside down.

In 2017, Comscore predicted that 50% of all searches would be made by voice in 2020. Current statistics show that 41% of adults use voice search at least once a day, making the 50% prediction extremely achievable.

With more and more people using voice search every day, the landscape for SEO is changing to one that relies more on being able to hit the top 3 results on a search term, and securing a featured snippet for your page.

With more and more people using voice search every day, your SEO efforts need to be focused on reaching the top 3 results for a search term and securing a featured snippet for your page. The way Google Assistant and Google Home currently conduct voice search is by reading out either the most relevant of the top 3 results, or the featured snippets. This snippet is part of a webpage that gets displayed at the top of the search rankings, making it a holy grail of SEO even if you’re not looking to rank specifically for voice search.

If you voice searched “what is the best dog”, Google would read out this list.

Ranking this high for voice search isn’t easy. It requires time, effort, and incredible, quality content. People tend to use longer questions and more conversational queries when searching by voice. And just like traditional searches, you’ve got to understand how user search intent will affect search terms and what your website is ranking for. You’ve got to answer your user’s questions as thoroughly as possible, and in the way that’s most relevant to their search term and intent. If you thought the quality of web content was getting crazy good now, stick around because things are going to get even better.

If you’re looking to improve your SEO and rank better in 2019, these tips from Digital Agency Melbourne (Xugar) will point you in the right path. Looking for more advanced tips? Check out Xugar for more quality content just like this.

This Post Was Submitted By Qurban Shah From https://techpin.com/

Legal BrandingLocal Branding

Need Storage Space for Your Business? Here Are 5 Ways to Create More!

on August 4, 2019

Regardless of what kind of business you’re running, chances are that you need storage space. The problem lies in determining how much storage is enough. On the one hand, what you need is a big enough stock not to worry about the immediate future, however, there are some scenarios in which bulk offers on non-perishable items are so great that you can’t afford to miss out on them. This, nonetheless, means that you would need more storage space than you already have. Here are some of your options when it comes to this particular matter.

Outsourcing warehousing

The first option that you’ll have available would be to hire more storage space. The greatest benefit of this system lies in the fact that you pay only for the storage that you actively use, as well as in the fact that you don’t have to worry about the logistics. You may need self storage sizes selector to know which size fits best for you. This option is quite scalable, seeing as how you can always pay for more. You don’t even have to go for a warehouse, seeing as how individual storage units (in shipping containers) can be just as effective. The issue of drop-shipping, however, is the ultimate form of outsourcing warehousing, as well as outsourcing delivery.

How much storage can you keep secure?

It’s not just about how much you can store, it’s also about how much you can keep safe. You see, due to the fact that employee theft is a serious concern in the warehouse business, what you need to keep in mind is the fact that a bigger staff means a greater liability. Also, a bigger inventory is a bigger target, which is why you need to think about your ability to invest in security. Warehouse security investments are always necessary but you also need to figure out how much is enough.

Better organization

Sometimes, you don’t need more space. Instead, what you need is a way to better use the space that you already have. First of all, you can do this by hiring a seasoned warehouse manager. Second, you can do it by investing in a warehouse management system (WMS). Finally, you can invest in training your staff and proper warehouse equipment. Adequate shelving and equipment like forklifts, trolleys and similar can make the job of handling your storage a lot more effective.

Home-based business

The next thing you need to think of when it comes to running a home-based business is the fact that you have so many options within your own home as well as on your property. For instance, while the majority of people immediately think about the basement as an ideal storage space, the fact is that the attic or the main floor room that’s optimized for storage can be just as effective. On the other hand, you can also start thinking outside the box (outside your home, to be more precise) and look for agencies like Best Sheds. A shed of proper size can be more than an adequate storage solution, both temporarily and in the long term.

Predictive analytics

You can also look to reduce your storage needs and the best way to do so is to learn a thing or two about your business. For instance, when expecting large offers, you can make large bulk orders, however, by not having to do this preemptively, you’ll manage your warehouse a lot more effectively. Other than this, knowing which items are best-sellers, which supplies are most used and which items are seldom ever required, you’ll already make a move in the right direction.

Automation

Previously, we’ve talked about the better use of your warehouse capacities. The first thing that this will do for you is to make you feel like you have a bigger staff than you really have. There are various ways in which you can achieve this, ranging from an investment in robotics all the way to the above-discussed purchase of a premium WMS license. Other than this, the more experienced your staff is, the greater efficiency in management you can expect. All in all, you have many different options.

Planning ahead

Keep in mind that the most important thing about the issue of storage is your ability to plan ahead. If you are nearing the peak of the season, you need to stock up in time. Also, predicting growth is incredibly important and it can do wonders for you logistically. Combining all of the above-listed methods is a great start to do so but while making your own plan, make sure to check which of these options are scalable. Moreover, some options handle your problems in the long run as well. For instance, when running a home-based business, a purchase of a large backyard shed is bound to satisfy your needs for good. Otherwise, you might have a similar problem in the future.

Conclusion

As you can see, with so many things going your way, it’s really not that hard to create a system that suits you the best. Furthermore, some of these methods require other skills and proficiency in other fields. Staff-management skills and spatial organization are just two of the most obvious examples. Overall, where there’s a will, there’s always a way and your issue with storage is the perfect example of this concept.

Build your Instagram account
Digital Branding

How To Get Your First 10,000 Followers On Instagram

on August 4, 2019

If you are planning to use the online world for your business then building a community on flagship social media platforms is highly imperative. And it just happens so, Instagram is the giant in the world of online marketing. Most of the well-established marketers and influencers will tell you that the first 10,000 followers on Instagram are the hardest to get. It’s because you are entering this world as a newbie, where people are yet to recognize you and your offerings. Getting more followers on Instagram is about getting to know the game, playing the game and then making your own rules. The game is getting interactions and engagements and knowing which content to post at what times.

If you are finding this a bit overwhelming, then don’t worry. You are not alone! Fortunately, we have lined up some best ways to reach your dream 10k figure, in the minimum amount of time.

Get  Followers On Instagram

Food blog phoot

1. Finding the right content

The hardest part in your journey to success on Instagram is probably the first step. To get 10,000 followers on Instagram you need to know what type of content you want to produce and which theme to follow. You need to form your own identity, one that aligns with your product or service and the expectations of your audience. Generally speaking, humorous content or inspirational quotes attract almost all types of audience. They are great to get yourself started on Instagram. Put yourself in the shoes of your followers determine which type of content they would like or how they would like to be reached. Pictures, images, and illustrations attract the eye way more than plain text.

Finally, think of how you will get your new followers. Which type of hashtags you should use so that you will appear more in search results? Focus on quality more than quantity. With so much competition on Instagram nowadays, you need to do something out of the ordinary to get attention.

2. Make your followers feel special

Your followers are everything for you. Without them your business is nothing. So, you have to treat them with respect. Respond to comments, provide support, answer queries, and engage in personal chats to form a loyal user base. Developing a specific count on your number of followers means nothing. Even if you have not so significant number of loyal followers, it will benefit you a lot more. You don’t want those superficial comments or reactions, but you want them to engage with your content. And ultimately, they would end up buying your product or service.

Build interactions

3. Set timely goals

Having a standard or preset goal for you to check your progress with can be of great help. It helps you decide if your ideas or techniques are working or not. Your goals can be simple. For example, you want to achieve 500 followers in a month and get 100 engagements too. If you fall short then you would know you have to try something different. Checking your progress can regularly can prove very helpful on your road to gain 10,000 followers on Instagram.

4. Work with other influencers or marketers

If you want to get recognition in the market you need to engage with other brands. Interaction or partnering with other brands allows you to become visible to a bigger audience. Not only their followers but many other will be find and even engage with your content. You can also get much-needed ideas and creative advice from these brands and influencers as well.

Always use hashtags

5. ALWAYS use hashtags

Set your own custom hashtag and use it with your every post and story. Also use popular hashtags similar to your niche and as many of them. For searching any content on social media, hashtags are the way to go. So, you can only imagine the kind of exposure you would get through using them. If you don’t know which hashtags to use, just use the search option on Instagram. You will easily find which hashtags are popular and even get new ideas about your content.

6. Keep track of your Instagram Insights

Instagram Insights is a very convenient free tool that allows you to keep track of your audience, engagements etc. It will help you identify your audience by age, gender and location and their online times as well. You will also know engagements and interactions on each post and story. It is too good a tool to be free, so you should take advantage of it.

Join Instagram groups

7. Learn from Instagram Engagement Groups

There are many groups on Instagram that give you ideas and techniques to get more engagements on your account. They can valuable advice to grow your account and increase your followers. Most of them are free to join and are very helpful/

8. Call your followers to contribute

As a brand, you would want your followers to give reviews and share their experience. You can have them post pictures with your product. You can also ask them to contribute photos of their food if you are into food blogging. It depends upon your niche, but don’t forget to include call-for-action in your content.

Follow us on Instagram

9. Embed Instagram links in your blog posts

By embedding Instagram link to your stories, feed, or a certain post on your webpage, you are doing yourself a favor. You are likely to get some viewers on your Instagram account and some of them may stick around and become customers,.

This Post Submitted By Qurban Shah From http://techshur.com/

Digital Branding

The Most Effective Digital Marketing Firm Strategy

on August 3, 2019

You can find hundreds of digital marketing strategies online. But choosing the most effective digital marketing firm strategy is quite a tough job. To compete with your competitors, you need to adopt the right marketing strategies. Here in this article, we are going to share a list of some effective digital marketing strategies.

1. Search engine optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a key role in digital marketing. It’s always recommended to hire a professional for SEO to help your business prosper. Make sure your web pages are on the format of HTTPs to get better SEO results.

2. Content marketing

Content marketing can help attract the target audience. All you need is to make your content unique, consistent, valuable, and relevant to make it worth reading. Make sure your content provides a solution for pain points and remain evergreen. For optimum working of content marketing, try to concentrate on mobile content, influencer marketing, and native advertising. You can also use marketing automation tools to send content on your target audience mobile phones at the right time.

3. Responsive web design

These days, there has been a trend to reach customers by mobile. So, you need to make your website mobile-friendly and that can be possible through responsive web design. With the help of responsive web design, you can make your business successful as customers can easily browse your website on their mobile phone. Here you can benefit from Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) code to fast load your mobile pages. Google gives preference to websites that use AMP, therefore, it is worth using it.

4. Social media marketing

It is another effective digital marketing firm strategy. All you need is to post your content on social media to help attract the maximum number of customers. You can use automation tools to post content on social media when your target audience is reading. Also, you can hire influencers to post content on your behalf on trendy social media sites.

5. Email marketing

You might have done some email marketing but are you sure it’s effective in reaching your target audience at the right time? No doubt, email marketing is a great digital marketing strategy to generate more leads, higher sales, and better conversion rates. If you don’t want to spend on digital marketing, then email marketing is the right choice for you.

6. Remarketing

If in case your potential customers have not responded to your website banner ads, then approach them once more with marketing content. Just track those visitors through new ads and cookies. Find their pain points and then target them with the new ads. It would not be wrong to say that remarketing can keep you more engaged with potential customers. Plus, it also helps in brand awareness, increased conversions, and more sales.

Whom to trust for your digital marketing strategy?

OnecoreMedia is an experienced firm that has specialists for digital marketing campaigns. This company is well aware of the latest trends in digital marketing and can help generate more leads for your business.

Digital Branding

5 Reasons Why SEO Is The Most Powerful B2B Strategy of 2019

on July 31, 2019

Over the course of the last two decades, digital marketing in the world of B2B sales have exploded.

Now, it’s almost impossible to run a successful business if you don’t have a basic understanding of digital marketing and the most effective strategies within it.

In such a fast moving, largely digital industry, staying on top of the best strategies to use isn’t always easy.

There are new tips, tricks and innovative ideas that are tested on the market every year, and others that disappear just as quickly as they arrived.

However, one strategy that has stood the test of time and proved to be a powerful strategy for B2B marketers everywhere is search engine optimization. 

This strategy involves optimizing web pages using a number of different methods to make sure you rank high in search engine results for specific keywords. 

Most marketers have heard of this strategy, but the reality is that it takes hard work to implement and see the results you’re looking for (aka, it does NOT happen overnight).

With that being said, we definitely think it’s worth the time to invest in SEO, which is why we’re naming it the most powerful strategy for B2B businesses in 2019.

Here is everything you need to know about how re reached this conclusion, and why you should implement SEO for your B2B business today. 

https://unsplash.com/photos/zhZydTyNMPg

Search Engines Bring The Most Organic Traffic To Websites

One of the most powerful tools in B2B marketing is online traffic to your web property. The more qualified traffic you have, the more successful your marketing efforts will be. 

Some B2B businesses have found success on social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, but it’s absolutely essential that most of your attention is focused on SEO.

In fact, SEO is a key strategy for most successful marketers because it allows you to drive organic traffic directly to your website. 

You might not think this is a big deal, but when you consider that there were over 63000 searches per second on any given day in 2018, it’s something you need to take advantage of. 

Using researched keywords, both longtail and short phrases, can prove invaluable in the world of online digital marketing. 

SEO Provides Targeted Traffic 

You shouldn’t be focusing on SEO just because it brings organic traffic to your website. 

SEO is also great for B2B companies because the traffic you receive will be targeted, with your web pages being found by those genuinely interested in your industry, products or services. 

Obviously with so many searches being made every second, there may be some curious website visitors, but the vast majority will be visiting your website because they want to learn more about what you’re talking about. 

This is extremely important to consider when, according to Moz, the average search session lasts less than a minute, giving you a minute amount of time to catch the attention of your target audience.

SEO In B2B Marketing Can Profit From Low Volume Keywords

One of the ways SEO is powerful to B2B marketing efforts in particular is that it allows you to profit from low volume keywords.

This is different from B2C companies, where competing for high volume keywords is the main goal, and one that even many B2B companies needlessly chase.

Instead of doing this, stop fighting things and go for the more specialized keywords. You need to find out what your audience are really searching for.

Having this information will allow you to provide real value towards those that need them, even when you aren’t appearing in the best search results.

Better yet, with less competition, it’s far easier to appear at the top of search results, which is always a bonus. 

It Has A Long Term ROI 

Digital Authority Partners explains that the priority of B2B companies should lie with the ROI a specific product, tool or service can bring to an organization. 

The good news is that SEO can provide extremely high ROI, in the long term as well as the short term.

This is because the weeks and months of effort you put into practicing SEO will build up your authority with search engines, allowing you to gain more traction as time goes on.

In fact, using SEO is far more successful than other advertisements, with Website Magazine suggesting that SEO brings in 6 times the number of leads that SEM does. 

If you continue to update your content over time to make sure it relates to the keywords you are using and is still the most informative thing in your industry, you are likely to reap even more ROI benefits.

This is because your article will remain high up in the search results for longer periods of time, and you will be labeled as a front-runner in your industry in the eyes of search engines like Google. 

Gives You Access To A Larger Market 

SEO definitely isn’t the only way to gain access to a larger market if you’re operating within the B2B market.

Things like social media are also used by a number of businesses throughout the world, and can go some way into helping you gain networking connections.

With that being said, many social media websites have restrictions that mean they don’t work in certain countries.

One such instance of this is China, which has a booming B2B market but no access to many traditional social media websites used in the western world.

Despite this, they account for 3.6% of Google visitors, making them one of the top visitors from across the globe. 

By using SEO to target these B2B customers, you are giving your business the best possible chance of getting in front of some of the biggest markets in the world. 

Summary

If you’re looking for a B2B marketing strategy that will provide you with instant results, SEO may not be the right option for you.

Given the patience and nurturing this strategy needs, however, SEO could land yourself with significant conversions that continue bringing you results for a long time after you’ve optimized a webpage. 

Considering B2B businesses are all about calculating the best ROI possible, we definitely recommend giving this a go and seeing if you can make it work for you today. 

 

This article is contributed by Codrin Arsene @ Digital Authority Partners

Digital BrandingLegal BrandingPersonal Branding

Why Negotiation Is Important for Digital Marketers

on July 31, 2019

Did you know that 72% of all online purchases start with a web search? Online marketing has become the key to driving sales.

The Marketing Agency Growth Report 2018 shows the increase in demand for digital marketing has meant increased client expectations, which in turn means more competition. Savvy digital marketers are enrolling in the best sales training courses in NYC. These courses help in gaining competitive advantage and improving service offers. Here are eight reasons why negotiation is now key for digital marketers.

Builds Better Client Relationships

Negotiation can help foster collaboration, which strengthens the marketer-client bond. For effective dealmaking, the marketer has to listen keenly. Effective listening allows you to pinpoint client needs.

The client may not always be able to clearly explain their needs. A marketer with sales training can use their questioning skills to assist their clients. Questioning can also help to find hidden interests. In turn, you create a shared understanding that can lead to strong business ties.

Delivers Quality Solutions

When negotiating a digital marketing contract, an expert marketer uses skilled questioning. This helps find which results the client wants. Clarifying needs also enables the marketer to provide high-quality solutions. Some of the questions you can pose include:

  • What are your marketing goals?
  • What is the impact of not achieving your marketing goals?
  • What is a successful marketing campaign for you?
  • What results did you accomplish with your marketing last month/quarter/year?
  • What metrics do you use to measure marketing performance?
  • How do you measure lead quality?
  • What marketing tools do you use?
  • Do any service level agreements exist between marketing and sales?
  • What’s your marketing budget?
  • What’s your customer acquisition cost?
  • What’s your customer lifetime value?
  • What are your sales, cross-sell, and upsell strategies?
  • Who is your target market?
  • Why are you thinking of changing marketing agencies?

Avoids Conflict

Negotiation courses equip marketers to create mutually beneficial terms through clear communication. Working towards win-win outcomes sets up a positive working environment. When conflicts do occur, the marketer and client can fall back on their communicated agreement.

A marketer with strong communication skills also gains a more detailed insight into client needs. They are therefore able to create custom solutions to increase client satisfaction. The marketer also gets to correct assumptions the client might have.

Increases Opportunities

Negotiating with clients can increase business opportunities in many ways:

Case Studies

Achieving amazing results for your client can be material for your next pitch. With permission, you can use the client as a case study to attract new clients. Having examples of your success can turn negotiations in your favor.

Cross-sells

The client might approach the marketer with only one need. However, the client may later reveal a more complex challenge that may need multiple services.

For instance, your client may request SEO services. However, superior results may be achieved if SEO is joined with paid listings.

Upsells

Sales training courses can help reveal chances to deliver solutions with premium fee levels. A client who wants SEO services may value the benefits of content marketing, for example.

Negotiation Training Increases Competitive Advantage

As a digital marketer, you want your clients to view your service as superior. Meeting your client allows you to persuade them of the superior benefits you provide. Skillful persuasion may lead to clients being more willing to pay more for your services.

Having strong negotiating skills is helpful when discussing pricing with suppliers. You may be able to increase profits by lowering costs. This can be for media buying, publishing sponsored posts, purchasing ads, etc.

Finally

Digital marketing brings in leads, filling up the sales funnel, which results in client revenues. It’s important for digital marketers to master negotiation skills. These skills can help train you to close deals, create more opportunities, and gain competitive advantage.

 

Personal Branding

These Are the People Our Textbooks Warned Us About

on July 28, 2019

Often times, students look at their schoolwork and classes as dry and boring, or feel like the subject matter doesn’t relate to their real lives. There’s a tendency to see school as a chore to get through rather than a vital means of self-improvement.

To some extent, this is unavoidable. On the surface, a subject like Geometry doesn’t appear to have much application in the life of a teenager. And the dusty events of hundreds of years ago seem incredibly removed from anything going on today.

But our textbooks don’t just hold a bunch of test questions to be answered. There’s a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that absolutely can be applied to our world today. It simply requires a bit of critical thinking and analysis.

When we buy textbooks, we’re buying a record of the shared collective of knowledge accumulated over the centuries. And that knowledge can show us many things. Perhaps one of the most underrated things our textbooks can teach us is how to avoid the mistakes of the past.

One lesson history especially teaches us is that certain archetypes crop up over and over again. Certain types of public figures have caused harm at various points in time, and while the exact circumstances differ from case to case, the broad strokes are the same

Here are some of the people history has warned us to be wary of.

The Obstructionist

Our history has taken many twists and turns, but when stepping back and looking at the big picture, we can see gradual and sustained progress.

More people are free and given power to dictate the course of their lives. Fewer people suffer from constant indignity and inequality. While there may be disagreement as to the finer points of morality, most would agree with the quote from the great Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

But our history is full of people who oppose that slow march toward justice. Those who, for either selfish reasons or obdurate clinging to the status quo, fight against the basic and inalienable rights of the people.

In the present, it’s not always easy to discern which issues touch on those basic rights, and in what ways. A good rubric to use is considering the absolute humanity of any given citizen. Strip away any specificities, and ask yourself whether that person deserves certain general rights and privileges.

If you find someone consistently falling on the side of denying a specific person or group of people rights and privileges which would be acknowledged in that general thought exercise, this person may be an obstructionist. A person fighting against the tide of history, and someone who will be looked on as an antagonist in hindsight.

The Demagogue

Long before the widespread adoption of democracy, there have been people who have tried to gain or maintain power by appealing to ‘the people’ as a broad group. There is certainly nothing wrong with trying to address the needs and wants of the majority of any group or nation. In fact, this can be a great virtue when it causes a leader to prioritize the needs of society as a whole over that of a small but powerful minority.

However, the demagogue takes this concept and twists it, perverts it into something incredibly dangerous and harmful. The demagogue seeks to channel the will of the majority, rather than responding to it. By appealing to base emotions like fear, anger and resentment, the demagogue attempts to convince people that they are being attacked, being beset and hindered by the willful actions of some enemy.

Often times, this enemy is a smaller subsection of the nation or group. The enemy acts as a rallying cry and a reason to take more and more drastic measures. And conveniently, these measures increase the personal power of the demagogue, tightening their control over the reins of government. And this is true motivation of the demagogue – to gain control.

If you see a public figure appealing to fear and anger, attempting to stoke the majority into a state of animus toward some ‘other’ of any kind, this figure has been found many times in our history. They have rarely turned out to be motivated by goodness or selflessness.

These are only a couple of the types of people our history books have warned us to beware. Throughout the years, many of the same types of threats have faced us, and we’ve tried to address those threats and problems in a variety of ways.

Many of the failures of the past come down to the same motivations: Greed, fear, selfishness, cowardice, rashness and a host of other negative traits. Often times, a ruthless desire for power and control leads to serious problems down the line.

Our textbooks have shown us both heroes and villains. Looking back on history decades or centuries after the fact, it’s easy to identify a seeming hero or villain. It’s harder to do that in the present day, when the history has yet to be written.

Maybe it’s too simple to label anyone as a hero or villain, but our history can show us what it looks like when a person is dangerous, capable of awful things. The first step to identifying those people is buy textbooks from which take in the knowledge in the first place. Only after we have learned from history can we apply it to the present.

Digital Branding

What Makes a Great Magento Extension?

on July 28, 2019

Magento is one of the best e-commerce platforms on the market. Most of its extensions provide flexibility and complete control in the checkout process with its unique and user-friendly features. There are plenty of Magento extensions available in the store, some of which are free and come with numerous benefits. A great Magento extension can provide you with an attractive and robust ecommerce business that puts yourself ahead of your competitors.

The problem with most e-commerce platforms is that most of the work needs to be done on your own. Oftentimes, you need to hire developers to do the work for you. But Magento extensions come with a wide variety of benefits that can make a dramatic difference on your website. What makes a Magento extension great is that it improves the look and feel of your website so you don’t waste time or money on improving it. Here are some key benefits of using a Magento extension.

Save Time

One advantage of using Magento extensions is that it reduces the time it takes to learn how to code. You don’t have to become an expert in coding or developing to use Magento. Most Magento extensions come with easy to understand instructions for installation and use. Some even come with expanded features that are automatically integrated into your website. After installing the extensions, you can immediately take advantage of the features and reap the benefits

Save Money

Great Magento extensions also reduces the time it takes to design and develop your website. There’s no need to hire a web design agency or a website designer. It eliminates the need for hiring outside help. Thanks to Magento extensions, you can improve the website on your own with limited costs.

Increases Competition

Great Magento extensions are the best way to stand out among your competition. It’ll provide you the competitive edge you need when you’re starting out in your business. You don’t need to hire developers since Magento developers work on these extensions themselves. This allows your e-commerce store to become the best in your industry.

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Provides More Shopping Experiences

Online shopping has increased in popularity and shows no signs of slowing down. It’s now convenient, easy, and quick thanks to the functions included the Magento extensions on your website. Your customers will have an easier time shopping thanks to the updated features the time it takes to check out. For example, the shipping suite gives you complete control over delivery rates and shipping methods. You can use the shipping suite extension to set rules to your shipping conditions.

Increases Interest and Sales

Magento extensions allow you to create a customized store that matches your ecommerce business requirements. It also provides more functionality than other e-commerce platforms. You have complete control over every aspect of your website. Magento extensions are developed and added to the store to meet the specific needs of the e-commerce store owner. Aside from helping you build a beautiful and functional website, sales will increase as a result.

Faster Load Times

You’ll experience faster load times the very moment that you use a Magento extension. That means your online store will be able to handle 10 million views in less than an hour. This is a result of faster processing of caching, querying, and reindexing, a strategic process in which Magento ensures that your inventory, product data, and URLs are updated with thse attributes.

This feature is more beneficial in Magento 2 and will have little impact on the overall performance of your online store. This new version of Magento also includes a recent version of PHP to improve the caching process and increase load times. These new Magento extensions have made Magento 2 more flexible and powerful than its predecessors. You’ll get to experiment with a wide variety of database systems, including Postgress, a system that’s popular with e-commerce website developers.

Better Mobile Shopping

As an e-commerce store owner, you know how important mobile shopping is. Nearly 50% of online transactions have been made through smartphones or tablets. Most of these enhancements from your Magento extensions can improve the mobile shopping experience. These extensions can also turn your online store into a mobile-responsive online store.

Most of these online shoppers love to use the search option. Searching has made it possible for customers to find the products they’re looking for. Combined with the increased speed and load times, the conversion rates will improve significantly with Magento extensions. Since Google measures the performance of your online store on mobile devices before using the desktop, it’s imperative to use Magento extensions that focus on mobile improvements.

Improved Testing Capabilities

You’ll also experience improved testing capabilities with these Magento extensions. On the previous platform, testing for bugs was a difficult process. It’s important for e-commerce store owners to embrace the wide variety of extensions and modules that can reduce these risks. This is especially the case for online stores that don’t have a large amount of traffic.

This makes testing an important factor for Magento extensions. It’s now easier than ever with the Magento 2 platform. You can immediately find out if an extension or its features would clash with your existing website. Some even include a built-in framework that runs automatic tests on any website, regardless of your customer base.

In recent years, recent customer trends have improved Magento extensions. Some of the best Magento extensions come with features such as increased efficiency, mobile responsiveness, and a streamlined checkout process. Any of the Magento extensions are ideal for e-commerce store owners who want to ensure that the checkout process is fast and efficient.

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5 Tips for Hosting a Successful Small Business Event

on July 26, 2019

Planning a small business event isn’t easy. Any missteps can hurt your mission and have serious repercussions for your company. On the other hand, if you get everything right, a festivity like this can help your operations in many ways. For example, it can help you attract investors or increase your base of loyal customers. But how exactly do you host a successful small business event? Listed below are five tips you might want to know about.

Know what you want to achieve

You’d be surprised by how many small business owners in Australia believe hosting an event is a great idea but when asked what their goals are, they can’t seem to find an answer. To make certain this isn’t the case with you, start thinking about what you want your event to achieve as soon as you decide to host it. Do you want to draw attention to your newest product? Do you need financing for your next project? Or you just want your Facebook page to start growing? Know what your goals are and coming up with the ideas that’ll make your event a success will be much easier. Fail to do this and your event will turn out to be nothing but a waste of money.

Don’t forget about money

Obviously, hosting a small business event can be expensive. Not only do you need to pay for a venue but there also other aspects of it such as catering and entertainment. That said, it’s very important to establish a budget and stick to it when planning the entire thing. Having a clearly-set budget will help you avoid overspending and ensure there’s always some money left just in case some unexpected costs come up. One trick that worked well for many business owners is breaking the budget into small pieces. You can then assign those pieces to every aspect of your event and make certain everything goes as planned. Of course, keep a record of all your costs so that you can later determine whether your event can be labeled as a success.

Think about catering

There’s no point in hosting a small business event if you’re not going to serve food and drink. Forget about catering and you’ll see your attendees leave even before you get to say everything you want. When it comes to choosing food for your event, it’s important to have in mind that people know have different diets and getting something for everyone if your safest bet. For example, you can never go wrong with adding a few vegetarian options on your menu. Sydney experts in corporate events say that serving alcohol at your gathering is a perfect way to have everyone enjoy it. Therefore, turning to experts who offer professional alcohol delivery service in Sydney can turn out to be a great idea.

Delegate some of the tasks

You may believe that you’re capable of planning your upcoming gathering yourself but in reality, letting others help you is a much better idea. Juggling too many things at once means you can’t pay attention to details and details matter a lot when it comes to small business events. Luckily, all you need to do is turn to your staff members and find ways to include them in the planning process. Think about each of your employees’ strengths and interests and you’ll be able to assign them the roles they’ll enjoy. For example, if there’s an employee you know has a good taste in music, why not have them create a playlist for your event? This will allow you to focus on more important aspects of the planning process and ensure everyone enjoys the music at your event.

Get the word out

Depending on the type of event you’re hosting, you might need to promote it if you want to achieve all your goals. The good news is, there doesn’t seem to be a lack of channels you can use to promote your event. So, if you aim at reaching customers who might want to attend your event, using social media is a must. All you need to do is create a Facebook event and have your followers share it with their friends and family. In case there are important clients you’d want to attend your gathering, sending them a carefully-written email invitation is always going to work. Just don’t forget to include a signature that’ll help them remember your business. For local businesses, channels such as newspaper and radio commercials are guaranteed to work as well.

Final thoughts

Providing people with a fun event is a great way to help your business achieve its goals. The best way to do it is to start preparing on time and paying attention to every little detail. Have these five tips in mind and you should be able to host an event everyone will find memorable and enjoyable.

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Top Business Tips for Starting a Small Business

on July 26, 2019

Starting a business is a dream most people have had at some point in their lives. However, very few people actually take bold steps needed to make this dream into reality. If done correctly, starting a small business can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in your life. While it will certainly come with a lot of challenges you are going to have to overcome at the end of the day you will be able to tell yourself that you’ve achieved something great which you can really be proud of. If you are ready to commit to the idea of starting a business there are certain things you should keep in mind that will help you set yourself up for success. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the top business tips for starting a small business.

Get personally invested

By far the most important thing to keep in mind when starting a small business is that you have to be passionate about seeing your business succeed in order for it to actually do so. Getting personally invested in your business will give you the drive to put in extra work and go above in beyond when working on it. On top of this, if you don’t feel connected with your business the work you put in will seem unfulfilling and you won’t be able to find the drive to keep going during hard times. 

Secure your funding as soon as possible

Funding makes up the lifeblood of every business and as such is essential for its success. In fact, lack of capital represents one of the most common reasons small businesses fail, so making sure you have enough funding should be one of your top priorities. There are many paths you can take when deciding how you are going to fund your business. The one most people take consists of a mix of different sources of funding, most notably getting as much as they can by saving and borrowing from their friends and family and covering the rest with a traditional business loan or opt for quick easy loans in case they need the money quickly. On top of this, there are a lot of alternative paths you can take. If you think your business idea has the potential to generally interest people, you can try to get the money you need through crowdfunding or other alternatives such as angel investors or venture capitalists. At the end of the day, the path you choose should ultimately depend on your personal needs, possibilities, and preferences. 

Find a partner

One of the best ways to make the process of starting a small business easier, especially if it’s your first one, is the find a suitable partner to help you through the endeavor. Not only will it become easier for you to fund your business but you will also have someone to bounce ideas off, share the workload with and if things go south, share the responsibilities with. However, you should remember that starting a business with someone can really impact the relationship you have with that person. So, you should make sure it’s someone you can fully trust and rely on to stick with you through whatever the two of you may have to deal with during your partnership.

Have a plan

While getting personally invested, securing your funding and finding a partner are all things you should do or consider before starting a business the one thing you simply just can’t go without is a plan. It will represent the foundation from which you are going to build your business and will also give you a constant reference point you will always be able to turn to and remind yourself of what your aims and goals are. A plan will also help you determine if your business idea is going to be worth the time and money invested in it, which is especially useful information especially if you plan on looking for outside sources of funding for your business.

Don’t stop learning

When starting a business, it’s important to keep in mind that everything should be viewed as a lesson. Even though there are extensive books and articles written on the subject, really knowing how to set up and run a small business from scratch is a skill that you can really only acquire through experience and a good attitude towards the whole endeavor. Because of this, you shouldn’t get yourself down when something doesn’t go the way you planned, instead, you should view it as a positive experience that will prevent you from doing the same mistake again.

Conclusion

While this list doesn’t consist out of everything you need to know when starting a small business, the tips listed here will help you put your small business on the right track for success and ultimately make the whole process a lot less stressful and pleasurable. With that being said, the most useful tip you can keep in mind when starting a small business is to just keep going. No matter how hard it gets or how many obstacles you face, the only way to succeed is to not give up and constantly strive to improve.

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