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Is It Time to Seek Out Deals on Tech Updates? These 4 Signs Say Yes!

Investing in the latest and greatest technology is important for the growth of your business. If you fail to change with the times, it will usually lead to you losing your competitive edge.

When first starting out in the world of small business, you will need to work on getting a computer network setup. Just like any other man-made equipment, eventually the computers and software you are using will need to be updated.

Without routine updates, you may find it very hard to get your work done on a daily basis. Allowing IT professionals to help you with your company’s technology needs is vital.

They will be able to consider the needs your company has and then make recommendations based on this information. These professionals can also advise you on where the couponbuffer discounts are for the tools you need.

Below are some of the signs that you may notice when it is time to update the technology your business is using.

1. You are experiencing a lot of downtime

One of the biggest enemies that you will have as a business owner is downtime. If you are having constant problems with the computer network and other tech tools you have in place, it will generally lead to massive amounts of downtime.

Employees who are unable to work will only cost you money. Instead of dealing with the damage this can do to your bottom line and productivity levels, you need to work on getting your business technology updated.

Investing in a new and faster computer network can benefit you and your employees greatly. Allowing IT professionals to advise you on which tools to invest in can make this process easy and problem-free.

2. Rapid growth calls for new technology

The main goal that you should have as a business owner is growing. When you start to experience rapid growth, you will have to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology you have in place.

If the computer network and software you have in place is hindering your growth rather than helping it, you will need to make a change quickly. Neglecting to make changes in the technology you are using can lead to you losing new customers.

The money that is spent on these technology upgrades will pay off due to the increase in productivity they will be able to provide. Being able to scale your technology to meet the growth you are experiencing is the only way to stay on an upward trajectory.

3. Problems with network security

Keeping the data that you have on your computer network safe is important. Letting sensitive information get into the hands of a hacker can lead to a number of issues.

If you are experiencing security issues due to an outdated software program or computer network, you have to address these issues quickly. With the help of an IT professional, you will be able to do things like establish a cloud-based backup of all of your files.

Having this backup is a great way to keep your information safe and accessible in the event of a ransomware attack. Usually, you can get a cloud backup in place with a minimal investment.

4. You are being edged out by the competition

Are the companies you are competing against using technology to gain a competitive edge?

If so, you have to find a way to compete with them. The last thing you want is to lose customers due to the use of outdated technology tools. If you are unsure about what you need to update your operation, you should call in an IT professional to assess the situation.

They will be able to do an in-depth analysis of your network and let you know what needs to be done to make it better.

Trying to upgrade your business technology without professional help will usually lead to lots of problems being created. The help that IT professionals can provide will allow you to take your company into the 21st century.

December 14, 2017
How To Bootstrap Your Social Media Efforts on a Shoestring Budget

Social media marketing is a beast everyone wants to tackle. According to Pew, approximately 79% of internet users are on some form of social media, which makes it a vast audience to reach.

And while posting is free, this is an area that’s become astronomically competitive.

From Fortune 500 companies to your local coffee shop, almost every company looks to try and improve their social media. Make no mistake, this is an ongoing process and one that will require a fair amount of persistence.

However, once you’re in the habit, you’ll be growing an audience in no time. Here’s how:

Familiarize yourself with the different platforms

One of the first steps you need to take is looking at the different platforms you’re on, as well as how to maximize your efforts for each. This is mostly dictated by your industry at hand, as well as what type of strategy is used for each.

For example, a fashion company would most likely find its biggest following on Instagram given their visual content, making it their primary channel. Granted, they’d also most likely provide content for Facebook and Twitter, however, Instagram would be where they hone in on the majority of their efforts.

Depending on your brand and the following you’re trying to acquire, look around to see what some of your competitors are doing, as well as how they’re building an audience.

This includes focusing in on the “must do’s” like Instagram, which over 70% of brands are currently using.

Start scheming the different variations of content you’re going to include (I.E.: Updates, team building, campaigns, etc.), as well as how often you’re going to post. Deciphering all of this beforehand will give you a much clearer head moving forward, enabling you to see what works and what doesn’t.

Look at strategy templates

Another good practice starting out is looking at different strategy templates, as these will give you a good skeleton to stick to. A common mistake that people fail at with social media is hitting a wall, where after a couple of weeks, they run out of things to post, making the practice feel ineffective and eventually forgotten.

However, that’s why templates are great to keep you on track.

Follow some bloggers and thought leaders you admire in social media and start checking out their posts regularly, as well as if they have any guides available. This will primarily be useful in breaching into new platforms you may not be familiar with.

For example, while everyone’s on Facebook, approaching it from a marketing perspective is a entirely different ballgame.

Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit, because this is one aspect of learning social media that will only help you grow stronger.

Study other use cases

If you’re looking for outside inspiration, then use cases are going to be your best friend. These include taking pages from other industries’ playbooks and looking at how you can implement something for yourself.

For example, let’s take an indie film like People You May Know, which utilizes its trailer as the focal point, then builds from there.

A strategy like that could be utilized for a video campaign, especially if you rounded it out with a hashtag and consistent posts of examples.

Start keeping a document or notebook around and jot down some campaigns you see, no matter if they’re in your industry or not. Talk about what you liked about it, as well as what made it effective.

Getting in the habit of this will give you an entire backlog of work to pull from in your efforts, and will additionally give you more appreciation for other’s social strategies.

Experiment with paid advertising

Although going after paid advertisements can be a pretty expensive venture if you go into it blindly, understanding how this process works can actually bolster your sales tremendously.

The key here is knowing how to tackle the audience you’ve established, including becoming more familiar with targeting practices, as well as engagement. Because although it’s going to take a little bit of time to gain a favorable ROI, it also is a practice that you’re eventually going to have to face.

Take a look at your current finances and see what you might be able to possibly afford to experiment with. Honestly, this might be something you need to loan out, which a balance transfer could help you tremendously with.

And finally, always start out with the platform you feel most comfortable with, as it will give you a better acumen of how successful your posts are.

What are some inexpensive social media strategies you’ve found helpful? Comment with your answers below!

December 13, 2017
Fleet Management Technology: How ORIX is Revolutionising the Industry

Technological innovation has consistently revolutionised and optimised a broad range of industries throughout the decades, particularly when it comes to transport and communication.

ORIX has distinguished itself in this space by creating fleet management technology to enable detailed insights about your fleet and vehicles and make forecasting a lot more accurate.

A full-service industry-leader, they integrate this technology into their commercial and novated leasing services to make your life easier.

GPS tracking and in-vehicle devices for monitoring

For businesses that rely on commercial vehicle fleets, fast, efficient, long-distance transmissions for GPS technology is vital. Knowing where your vehicles are and what state they’re in is now possible with ORIX’s vehicle tracking and asset management software.

Track your vehicles at all times with the help of ORIX’s world-class partnerships, user-friendly web-based design and in-vehicle devices that range from budget-friendly, plug-and-play devices to cutting-edge monitoring equipment.

In addition, to make reporting as hassle-free as possible, ORIX provides the flexibility of supporting your existing telematics provider for your convenience.

Online pool car management and Driver Safety Programs

Online pool car management systems tend to bring an unmatchable level of efficiency when you’re managing multiple vehicles. ORIX Share is a user-friendly online booking system that allows you to manage company resources for things like toll tags efficiently when working with a pool of vehicles.

This means you can make sure your vehicles are always in use and keep your costs to a minimum.

Further, risky drivers can be monitored and managed with ORIX’s online Driver Safety Programs which aim to improve drivers’ skills and competencies beyond licensing requirements.

Keep track of specific concerns such as fuel abnormalities and servicing issues amongst drivers to have transparent reporting.

Apps for drivers

Managing your novated lease is very simple with apps such as the ORIX Companion App that make it easy for novated drivers to claim reimbursements for out-of-pocket costs.

Additionally, you can keep track of expenses and distance travelled using ORIX’s FBT Logbook App that features GPS tracking to generate an ATO compliant logbooks.

All it takes is a smart phone and ORIX’s easy-to-use, driver-focused app technology to make it happen.

Get in touch with Orix to learn more about their fleet management and leasing technology today.

December 7, 2017
When Bad Gets Worse: DDoS Attacks on the Rise in Numbers and Complexity

There may come a time when, without tether to logic or reason, you may begin to think that the number of DDoS attacks can no longer rise because there is no more room on the internet.

That the DDoS attacks that have already occurred have taken up all the space that could possibly be allotted to such damaging cyber assaults and any new attempts will simply have to be turned away.

However, websites and businesses across the internet should probably be aware that if it didn’t happen in Q3 2017, it probably isn’t going to. DDoS attacks have hit a major uptick, and even worse? They’re getting more sophisticated.

By the numbers

The good news is that from the second quarter of 2017 to the third quarter of 2017, monthly distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks only rose 35%.

If you’re thinking that doesn’t sound like good news, well, it will after this next stat: from the first quarter of 2017 to the third quarter of 2017, monthly DDoS attacks rose 91%. Ninety-one percent. Just 9% less than a full 100%. In less than a year.

That Q3 rate basically translates to eight attack attempts per day per organization for a total of about 237 attempts per month. Yes, that number is still per organization.

Two-hundred and thirty-seven attempts to make an organization’s website inaccessible to its users and customers, leading to frustration and a long-term loss of loyalty from which it can be impossible to fully recover.

Placing the blame

The biggest cause of this increase is easy to point to, literally. Look around the room you’re in and point at the DVR, webcam, router, or any number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

These so-called smart devices aren’t terribly brilliant when it comes to security as they’re generally designed with more of an emphasis on innovation than safeguarding against malware.

Compounding those issues is the fact that users don’t often think to change the default admin names and passwords, and if they do think to, it often isn’t easy to accomplish.

These factors combine to great billions of bullseye devices in the IoT for hackers creating DDoS botnets by infecting devices with malware that allows them to be controlled remotely.

It’s now easier than ever to assemble botnets of a significant size, and since a DDoS attack is a distributed form of a DoS attack, the more infected devices at an attacker’s disposal, the more damage he or she can easily do.

For many enterprising cybercriminals, that damage is done thanks to DDoS for hire services, another major factor in the increase of incidents.

Anyone with an internet connection, a bit of money to spare and the willingness to commit a cybercrime can pay as little as a few dollars to rent the use of a botnet and launch a DDoS attack at any website they’d like.

Whether users are signing on to settle grudges, cause random chaos, enjoy the fallout on social media, or even send a DDoS ransom note demanding payment in exchange for no further attacks, this is a business that’s booming.

Yet another issue

While on the one hand, the ease of building a botnet and getting to use one has certainly hugely contributed to the current distributed denial of service epidemic, on the other hand there is an increase in complexity that’s also causing problems.

Typically, the attacks that come from DDoS for hire services are short-burst and relatively low-volume. The for-hire attacks that aren’t, are massive volumetric bruisers coming from IoT botnets, the ones that grab headlines for their firepower.

Generally speaking, the more a user is willing to pay, the bigger and longer the attack. These attacks don’t account for the entire increase in monthly assaults, though: in the second quarter a full 20% of attacks were multi-vector, which are sophisticated attacks that use at least two different methods to try and beat site security and get attack traffic to the victim server.

Worse yet, these sophisticated attacks – undertaken by skilled attackers as opposed to the average spiteful internet user – are often accompanied by malware or used as a distraction for another data extraction attempt, making the potential consequences of a successful DDoS attack even more dire than they already are.

Piling on

DDoS is not a new threat. Security experts and even many non-experts have been harping on the risks of failing to adequately protect against these attacks for years.

It’s at the point now where, for reasons that vary widely, nearly every website is at risk of a serious attack and in need of professional DDoS mitigation services.

The odds that DDoS attack numbers will go from a 91% increase over the course of three quarters in 2017 to falling in 2018 are not good, to put it mildly.

Nor are the odds that attackers will cease assembling those easy IoT botnets and making bank on for-hire services, or launching sophisticated attacks that can worm their way through security defenses and possibly even result in data breaches.

Further, the odds are truly terrible that the internet will reach a DDoS attack limit, no matter how sharply numbers keep increasing.

December 6, 2017
Information on Portable Document Format (PDF)
The functional features of Portable Document Format (PDF) have increased its worth and demand. That’s why internet users prefer it’s usage as PDF is easy to use read and convert. It is essential for every computer operator to know its utilities and operating mechanism.

If you are still unaware, this is time to learn.

Innovation of Dr. John Warnock

PDF file format is the breakthrough of Dr. John Warnock who made it operational in 1992. Nowadays, businesses have good faith over PDF, so it has become their necessary tool to keep the data without any fear of piracy.

An independent software

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is managing PDF quality that increases the trust of the users. Also, you don’t need any additional software or internet connectivity to generate and read PDF.

Fast generation of PDF files

The creation of the PDF Files is a matter of seconds. It doesn’t consume time. Just press few buttons and use the file.

Collection of desired features

PDF is an excellent choice for the users who want desired features like a sign, insertion of a picture, edit, and the conversions of files at one place. The following features make it only one software in the digital world:
- Compression.
- Font adjustment.
- PDF formation under the Mac and Window running computers.
- Preservation of the images after the files conversion into PDF.
Send PDF Files in Any Part of the World

The user can send the PDF files to any destination in the world. PDF is virus free, so a user has no apprehension of files damage.

User-friendly

PDF is very simple and easy to understand. Even an ordinary user can operate it efficiently in the first attempt. It contains multiple modules serving the different purposes. Click on the concerned icon and run it without getting any guidance.

Search the wanted text

Press the CTRL with F button, and you can find the desired word in a long text. However, you can’t locate the content if PDF holds it in an image form.

Password and Digital Signature

It is the primary responsibility of the PDF management to ensure the privacy and protection of the PDF users. That’s why you can adjust password and put a digital signature on PDF files. So no one may manipulate your documents.

Portability and conversion

You can transfer the PDF files from one computer to another computer easily. Users love this feature of easy portability. Moreover, use the Sodapdf Free Converter to change the other files format into PDF format.

Choose an effective file converter

You may find numerous PDF files converter, but it is vital to choose operative and reliable. Sometimes, the inexpert user can be the target of the hackers generate fake converters. When the user clicks on it, they receive the personal information.

Convert the PDF to Excel or Word

The efficient converter not only converts the other files into PDF file instead they can be used to change the PDF to Excel or Word files. Use can amend it time and again.

Individuals and businesses are enjoying the immense benefits of PDF files format.
November 23, 2017
Pros & Cons of Programmatic Ad Buying

Real-time transactions are enjoying considerable popularity in the realm of digital advertising. Known as programmatic ad buying, the concept relies upon computer algorithms buying and selling ad space on the fly.

This sounds like a wonderful idea if you’re trying to hit a given audience at a particular time, particularly when married to dynamic ads (or personalized content) for your prospective targets.

But like so many good things, there are challenges as well.

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of programmatic ad buying.

First, the positives…

Employs real-time data

Because buying is done in real-time, your placements happen immediately as well.

This is great for an advertiser, since you can minimize the possibility of buying the wrong traffic, because users can be directly matched to the targeted data you provide. For instance, let’s say you are trying to garner interest in your premium gaming app.

You can deliver real-time ads to potential users in another app who are likely to download your game. This results in considerable cost savings and a better return on your advertising investment.

Outstanding efficiency

With programmatic, as we mentioned above, you set the exact criteria you want to target, whether it’s geographic, certain devices, a specific demographic, or all of the above.

The algorithm will find users meeting your parameters and place ads in front of them. You can also set a cost budget to prevent overspends—as the system will work to find the audience you’ve prescribed, within the budget parameters you set.

The algorithms can also be instructed to find the most affordable space for your targeted audience. Because it’s all done machine to machine, you’re freed of the need to negotiate the rate.

Narrowly-focused targeting

The specificity with which you can focus your efforts is quite remarkable. In fact, some mobile marketing platforms offer targeting based on users who are most likely to engage within an app.

This means your ad will be narrowly focused on acquiring users who create a profile on day one, pay for premium or make in-app purchases rather than just download an app. This isn’t just programmatic ad buying, it’s a smarter approach to mobile marketing in general.

And now, the negatives…

Fraud potential

Because there is no direct interaction between the publisher and you, many experts feel it’s somehow easier for the publisher to deliver “bot” traffic, as opposed to real people.

In programmatic’s defense, this is a possibility in any form of digital advertising. Further, the prime purveyors of programmatic are diligently working on ways to eradicate bot traffic.

Non-viewable ads can be an issue too. Even though they appear to have been placed, they’re buried, never reaching a user, while an unscrupulous publisher claims a placement.

Ad misdirects

Occasionally a publisher will forward an ad to an affiliate entity, where the ad is in fact displayed. However, it doesn’t reach its intended audience.

Known as re-brokering, this can potentially have a harmful effect upon a brand. Consider the consequences of an ad for an adult-oriented product somehow winding up on an app for children.

While it might sound farfetched, it could happen.

Targeting narrowly can be expensive

If you’re looking to focus your messaging with laser-like precision and you’re working with a platform capable of doing so, they know what they have and charge for it accordingly.

To pinpoint “Becky” on her way to a brick-and-mortar store with an ad promoting your ecommerce app, you’ll need to be ready to pay the premium required to do so.

Programmatic is one of the most efficient ways to buy and sell ads yet created. However, just as with every other aspect of life and business, there are upsides to programmatic and there are downsides.

After reviewing the pros and cons of programmatic ad buying here, you’ll need to decide if the attributes outweigh the disconnects for what you’re trying to accomplish.

November 17, 2017
Factors to Evaluate the Incredible Importance of Social Media in SEO

Do you know that making a stylish and classy site that looks competent is not enough to make your site successful?

The one thing that can help your site to stand better is how SEO Friendly it is actually. If the site has everything, but it is unable to cross-check that, in that case, your site will not be worth anything.

The combination of Social Networking and Website positioning has always been challenging. However, it eventually works towards your best interests.

A couple of months back, Matt Cutts said, “Social Signals aren’t treated just for Google’s Ranking Algorithm.”

This means just because you have lots of following on social networking; it does not mean it will increase your Google Ranking. Discouraging it may be, but still, the following is the only way Social Media can certainly help you grow online.

Link building

SEO is all about backlink building for your content material while Social Networking is about engagement and building relations. The fact is that we pay no attention to how Social Media can certainly help us build a great number of natural links.

Once your content is distributed, it shows the part of someone`s curiosity, something you want to capture and carry with the domino effect.

If your content material creates hype, link it to your site, it’ll increase your ranking with search engines like google because it will advertise your brand.

Helps you Getting Influencers

It does not matter whatever your area of interest is; you’ll always have a variety of influencers whose following is engaged in such market. You can easily use a couple of online resources to find them.

Just type something about gizmos, for example, “Mobile Accessories” or type it on google trend checker. Make use of its filtration system and see only the favorite content based sites on its number of shares.

To get the influencers, you have to check the top tendencies on different social networking platforms. You may also sign up a few weblogs and keep yourself updated on the hottest developments or seek the services of an agency to do this for you like Kamil social media company in Dubai.

Building strong interactions

We hate to break it to you that your every single piece of content material will not go viral. Having said that, you can improve its likelihood of success by sharing on social websites.

The Influencers have bulk fans, and people follow these influencers for sane causes. Their admirers trust their every write-up. This will improve your presence and formulate a ripple effect.

This Ripple Effect is understood to be Impacting on your customer with something and encourage him to sell it for your benefit.

The major search engines now comprehend the value of Social Media Marketing for a prospective customer.

If you add social media buttons on your website design, it will increase your ranking in search engines. When it comes to developing your site, you have to add some social media icons for your accounts including Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Twitter, and some others.

Use search engine optimization for images

The issue is, many people just optimize for the textual content on their site, plus they won’t take good care of images. If images are continuously optimized, they dramatically improve the position of your site in search engines.

When it comes to select a good image for your site, you have to make sure it’s not too big. The images on your site should preferably be 30-100 kb having a resolution of 720dpi.

If your images on the particular web page are too big, they’ll increase the risk for a web page to load slowly. Also, it leaves bad effects on your positioning.

In alt text of your image, make use of a keyword if you are going to make your site SEO Friendly. On top of that, you have to place your images very carefully on your site, the more appropriate they seem to the web page, the more they’ll increase the rank of your site.

You can easily get in contact with these important figures and focus on building your relationship with them. It is a time taking process.

However, it will be worth your effort and hard work. Being the only one after such connection, you will have to be noticeable and instead of only praising the work you do, learn and then use it to save your time.

November 10, 2017
Why Don’t Employees Have Access to Structured Data and Insights?

According to a study conducted by Forbes Insights and Dun & Bradstreet, up to 59 percent of companies are not using structured data to run advanced analytics and produce insights.

And even in the companies that are, access to data and insights is often limited to isolated teams.

That is odd considering that the promise and potential of data have been trumpeted for over a decade now. And most future forecasters see data playing a mission-critical role in every process imaginable.

If structured data and insights have so much to offer, why aren’t companies utilizing them as broadly as possible?

These are some of the most common explanations along with reasons those attitudes are outdated:

There is too much data involved

The size and scope of data stores have historically been challenges, and realizing the implications of the scale is important.

But data that is properly structured is easily given form and function when paired with the right tools. And structuring that data is a more seamless process than ever.

Companies are increasingly acknowledging that data silos and discreet departments are counter-productive. The solution is to give employees access to as much data as possible.

The benefits are overstated

It’s true that the potential of machine learning, analytics, and other aspects of data in general have been spoken about in hyperbolic terms.

But that potential has been realized in the last few years.

And data is now more accessible and actionable than ever, regardless of a company’s size or strength.

It is also important to remember that as data-driven insights begin to become the norm, the companies that dismiss the capability put themselves at a distinct competitive disadvantage.

Employees lack training or experience

This is a very valid concern. Investing in new tech that employees are unable to use fully puts a real damper on its ROI. And data-driven technologies are complex by their very nature.

But years of data science have revealed not only how to leverage the full value of data, but also how to interface with data intuitively. It’s now possible to conduct advanced analytics using commands, features, functions, and interfaces that every employee already understands.

The onboarding process is minimal.

The cost is prohibitive

There was once a time when only the largest enterprises could afford to invest in analytics. It required a large budget for new software, hardware, staff, and possibly even space. But as with all technologies, the cost has come down over time.

And with the advent of self-service analytics it’s possible for companies to begin leveraging data without making major changes to operations or adding significantly to the budget.

Knowing how much employees stand to gain with deep access to data, it’s difficult to continue defining it as cost-prohibitive.

The business case is lacking

Some companies have concluded that while data sounds like an exciting asset, it’s not one that is particularly relevant to their business. Maybe they are less tech-reliant, operating in a less-competitive industry, or not even involved with a for-profit enterprise.

It’s important to only invest in technologies that have a relevant impact, but structured data and analytics absolutely meet that criteria for all organizations.

Data reveals insights that it would be impossible to know otherwise. And insights lead to opportunities that no one could have anticipated. Not matter what the short- or long-term goals of an organization may be, data is poised to serve them.

Giving employees more access, more tools, and more freedom in regard to data is undoubtedly a good thing. Just imagine how much about an organization would improve if everyone was fully informed about any issue at all times.

November 2, 2017