How 25 Years of the Internet Has Changed the World of Business

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StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article | How 25 Years of the Internet Has Changed the World of BusinessMany things have changed in the world of business over the past 25 years; in fact, some would say that almost everything to do with business and the associated transactions has changed or been altered in a significant way with the advent of the internet, online purchasing, smartphones, and Wi-Fi. While it may be true that how business is conducted has been altered significantly, it is also true that who consumers are doing business with is sometimes a complete mystery, even to the consumer. Yes, the world of business has changed a great deal in the past 25 years and here are just some of the many ways you may have noticed it altering the way you do business.

Online Information

It may be difficult to comprehend, but there are 55 to 60 billion pages of web information that has been created by people using the internet, and that figure grows exponentially each year. In addition to that number of web search engine indexed pages of data, there are an estimated hundreds of billions of pages of information that are not indexed – including almost 700 million tweet posts each day. Add to that all the emails, government records, and constantly changing pages of products for sale, and you can see how massive the world of online information has become. As little as 25 years ago, that much information available to anyone that wanted to spend time locating it was unthinkable.

Internet Searches

Once upon a time, it was thought the internet held databases, and everything was a product of those databases. While that may have been true during the early years of the internet, it is not true today. Everything is a result of a search task in the modern world. What clothes to buy, what books to read, what restaurant to visit are all the result of a search. Additionally, you no longer need to wonder about something for longer than a few seconds because you can initiate a search and the answer is instantly at your fingertips. The consumer is such a curious group that they ask the internet to answer over three trillion questions for them every year on the search engines. There is no estimation of how many additional queries are made on travel sites for where to go on vacation, shopping databases to compare different items or other areas such as the United CPA Association for information on help in a business matter, but it must be upward of six to nine trillion or more. That means the average person makes around 1,500 search queries a year, or an average of 42 a day.

Social Networks

Social media site owners report that one account alone has more than 25 percent of the world population (1.1 billion people) checking into that single site alone each day. That means that billions of people talk about different products, shops, books, and businesses every day on their favorite social media sites, and some spend hours pasting on walls, sending tweets, and posting stories about their lives. During all that interaction with their keyboards, those consumers also spend time sharing information and pictures about products they love and products that have failed them. For some businesses, the word of mouth meant instant success, but for others, it meant the death of a dream.

Product Placement

Twenty years ago, if you had a new product for sale, you could request a product placement on a shelf or endcap that would entice the consumer to purchase your items. It was the biggest and best way to get the consumer to purchase your product once they were in store. In the past five years, however, it is estimated that millions of consumers no longer step into stores to purchase products, rather they look online for goods, place an order, and have it delivered to their car outside the store or delivered right to their home. This type of consumer purchasing power has done away with product placement, and for many retailers, it has come as quite a quandary as to how to counter the power the consumer has taken away from the advertising agency and distributor.

Commercial Overload

Long ago, there was a time that four or five commercials played in certain time slots between sections of television shows. When consumers complained and used the four or five minutes as a time to get food or take the dog outside, the time slot became known as commercial overload. Today, the consumer is constantly being bombarded by advertisements to sell him or her something using the cookies his or her computer stores; and just like before, consumers are ignoring the ads in record numbers. Not only has it become more difficult to catch the consumer’s attention, but researchers have noticed that ignoring the ad placement begins at a very early age now as children begin using the internet and learn to focus on what they choose, rather than having their attention reverted away by something colorful and flashy. That means the world of advertising is going to have to learn to capture the consumer’s attention in new ways, and it will be interesting to see what advertisers come up with.

The world of business has been forever changed by the internet over the past 25 years. Some say it has been good for the business world, and others claim it has been massively destructive. Only time will tell what the real story is.

Should a Custom WordPress Web Design Be Important to Your Business?

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |WordPress Theme|Should a Custom WordPress Web Design Be Important to Your Business?At the current time, at least 34 percent of websites use WordPress as their content management system (CMS). This is very significant and a good reason why many businesses use this CMS for their website(s).

There are many free and paid WordPress themes available. This is the beauty of the WordPress eco-system which makes small and mid-sized businesses question whether they should use a free theme for their site design, purchase a premium (paid) theme or go the custom development route?

In this article, we aim to look at what makes sense for companies from a strategic perspective.

Is a Premium WordPress Theme Better than a Free One?

A free theme is designed for people and organisations that want a fast, workable solution.
Click a few buttons, install WordPress, add a free theme, begin adding written copy and implement a navigation menu, and you’re already ready to launch!

But hold up there. Are there any negatives to free themes?

Yes, there are.

Many aren’t regularly updated, so when Automattic (the folks behind WordPress) release an update, it may create security holes or malfunctions within a free theme. Because the theme isn’t generating any money, the creator(s) usually will abandon it in favour of other projects sooner or later. Lastly, they also have fewer features and little to no ability to redesign them easily.

How About a Premium WordPress Theme?

Premium themes are far superior.

Indeed, some WordPress designers will start with the solid foundation of a premium theme that they know has a solid code base and then build a custom appearance over the top of that, rather than reinvent the wheel. This may or may not be faster compared to creating a theme from the ground up.

Strategically, using a paid theme looks far more professional and from a security standpoint, they tend to get updated regularly too. This is because there’s a team behind it and the operation is probably generating a profit. Therefore, it’s less likely to get abandoned. Also, when sticking with big-name premium themes, the likelihood of losing the developer and seeing the theme never get updated again is lowered even more.

Is a Custom WordPress Theme Worth It?

For businesses that have a clear strategy where they don’t want their web presence to look like anyone else’s, getting a completely new design via a custom WordPress theme makes the most sense.

A professional WordPress Agency London will have full-time developers, programmers and graphic designers on their team, so they are perfectly placed to craft a site design that matches the needs of the client perfectly. That’s easier to execute when building from the ground up and not starting from a premium theme and making customisations, but either works effectively.

For start-ups, a custom look is vital to establish the brand early. Finding a development team that understands their goals and can create the right solution is important. However, for tiny businesses, using a premium theme and redeveloping that or a premium theme with just a few tweaks here and there is going to be more economical.

There’s no one right answer about what theme to use with WordPress and whether it should be a custom development or not. It comes down to the business that requires the site and what their needs and budget permit them to do.

Ways You Can Make Money Online

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Make Money Online|Ways You Can Make Money OnlineThere has been an increase in people wanting to work from home alongside the growth in the digital age. This means that not only is it becoming easier and more viable to make money online at home there are also more and more opportunities arise to do so. With job such as accountancy, programming, HR and blogging all becoming viable options it’s no wonder more people are taking the opportunity to work remotely, from anywhere they like. You can even work while travelling, which seems to be an option that many people are choosing.

Have a look below at some of the different options you have for making money online:

Become A Web Developer

One of the most profitable ways to make money online can be web development. Yes, it can be a difficult job to crack but the fruits are definitely worth the labour. If you’ve got the skills to code then you have the perfect opportunity to turn it into cash. There is an abundance of people who are after people who can code in order to help them build websites, or help in designing products such as applications for mobiles. Although people can now create their own websites with tools such as WordPress and Wix, a lot of people are still using code to create a website as it allows more flexibility. If you have advanced skills you could even think about creating your own plugins for places such s WordPress.

Start A Blog And Make Use Of Affiliate Marketing

One of the most popular ways to make money online is through a blog and affiliate marketing. They go hand in hand. As your following grows o your blog you have the perfect opportunity to use affiliate marketing to recommend products and services to your readers. Be careful not to come across as spam and try to only affiliate for products that are relevant to your blog. Blogging is all about creating interesting, relevant content in a niche area that you are passionate about so it makes for a very enjoyable way to earn money online. Everyone has the ability to become a legendary marketer but it does take time and commitment. It’s not easy to build up a following through so don’t think it’s going to happen overnight. Using blogging and affiliate marketing together can turn out to be extremely profitable.

Become A Freelance Writer

Freelance writing can be one of the easiest and fastest ways to earn a decent wage online. The best way to do this is to start off small if you have no experience and sign up to some platforms that allow you to look for and apply for freelance writing positions. You might think that you need to have a lot of experience with writing to be able to use this option but you would be wrong. You’re able to find platforms that will allow minimal experience, then once you’ve built your skills you can look to take on more challenging jobs. Try building a portfolio of your work as you are building your skills so you’re able to prove your abilities when bidding for work.

These are only three ways that you can earn a living online, there are more. Do you have any other ways of earning money online that you can share in the comments section below?

Talent Acquisition: 7 Ways to Make a Job Offer More Appealing

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Talent Acquisition|Talent Acquisition: 7 Ways to Make a Job Offer More AppealingThe average job seeker spends six months or more searching for a new job. The total number of job postings they read and applications they send in can be somewhat mind-boggling. It’s up to employers to make their job posting stand out to job seekers to ensure the best candidate is found.

The question is, how can that be done? Making sure a job positing is appealing to candidates isn’t impossible, but some tips may be needed. Keep reading for some tips on how to make any job posting more appealing.

1. Keep Things Simple

Mentor programs can help anyone find a quality job. However, not everyone uses these. As a result, it’s necessary to make sure job postings are simple and easy-to-understand.

To make job postings easy to read and understand, use bullet points, paragraph breaks, numbering, italics, and boldface when appropriate. Add the company logo to make the job description appear professional. Too much information is the fastest way to lose candidates.

2. A Concise Job Title

Create a job title that is easy to understand by job seekers. Adding a specific department or product in the title only confuses candidates and makes the description less searchable. Also, spell out any search acronyms to improve the searchability of the listing.

3. Get to the Point

It’s tempting to list all the details of a job to make sure the most qualified candidates are found. However, as stated above, keeping things simple is best. Choose five to seven duties and list those using bullet points for clarity. It may be a good idea to add one or two sentence descriptions of each point.

4. Benefits of Working for the Company

When trying to sell a position, include something appealing about the company. Is there something specific that’s awesome or unique about the company? If so, be sure to include it.

If a company is willing, add the salary range or specific salary for the position. Job seekers are also going to want to know about benefits. Make sure it’s clear why this job is important and needed. An individual wants to feel needed, and like they make a difference.

5. Clear Information and Location

Make sure to specify if the position is employee or freelance and if it is full-time or part-time. By adding this information to the listing, it’s going to help the posting stand out. Make sure the location of the job is clear, too.

If it is at the headquarters of the company, add the precise city and state. If there is a remote work opportunity, list where a candidate can work from.

6. Contact Information

If the position is posted on a job board, rather than a company website, this is especially important. Be sure to list the contact information or a link for candidates who are interested to apply with ease. Add a link for the company website or social media pages.

7. Post the Job in the Right Places

Posting a job in the right place’s matters. Use social media, job boards, and the company website to achieve the desired results.

Finding the Right Candidate

Finding the right candidate for an open position takes time and effort. Keep this in mind when creating a job posting. By using the tips here, a company can find a quality candidate that meets all the requirements of the job.

The Best Safety Tips for Running an E-Commerce Business

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |E-Commerce|The Best Safety Tips for Running an E-Commerce BusinessAs a growing volume of retail transactions become ‘etail’ transactions, it’s becoming even more critical that your e-commerce business takes all necessary precautions to protect your business interests, your customers’ interests, and their data.

Here are some important safety tips you should bear in mind if you’re planning to launch an e-commerce business.

Online Security

Without a secure website, there is no e-commerce business that is safe. Not only does your website have to be user-friendly, attractive and built with shopping features for the user, it must be secure. If your website is ever hacked and your data is breached, this could mean a swift end for your business as consumers will no longer trust your brand when shopping online.

An e-commerce site should be hosted by a company who offer back-ups and are operational 24/7. Criminals don’t keep to office hours and neither should your web hosting service provider. A good web host will have maximum uptime and offer data protection and detection services that can quickly detect and fix malware or breaches.

Hypertext transfer protocol secure, or HTTPS, is the secure version of HTTP which is utilised for the secure movement of information on a network. Your e-commerce website should be hosted on HTTPS to avoid hackers gaining valuable information on your website.

Before you can move your website to HTTPS, you will need an SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificate. SSL is security technology which encrypts links between a website and an internet browser. An SSL certificate can be purchased, installed, activated and updated on your website. SSL certificates do expire so ensure you renew the SSL before the expiration.

Avoid the Fraud

Unfortunately, credit card fraud on e-commerce sites is quite common. To avoid being the victim of credit card fraud, make use of AVS or Address Verification Services, which compares billing addresses supplied by the consumer to the address registered by the bank for that consumer. Add technology that can detect IP or Internet Protocol addresses which may seem bogus in relation to the shipping information as an added security process.

Privacy Concerns

Ensure you use secure payment gateway platforms on your site which releases security patches and provides shipping method extensions for better privacy. Doing this alone is not enough as consumers must be reminded to shop responsibly and safely. Reminders to consumers, preferably through an automated system, to use strong passwords and to change them monthly is a great way to help your consumers protect themselves too.

Never store sensitive financial information such as credit card details on your website. Hackers are particularly fond of gaining this data to commit online crimes with. To avoid this extremely serious data breach, employ the process of Tokenisation. Tokenisation identifies, removes and encrypts the sensitive information for you, such as credit card information, to prevent hackers from gaining access to this data.

Insurance for Your Delivery Service

A growing number of bricks-and-mortar businesses are launching ecommerce solutions, enabling customers to place an order through their website and then have the product couriered to their home or office. While this is a great way for offline businesses to compete in an increasingly online retail environment, it does mean you will need to take out courier insurance alongside your online safety precautions.

Courier insurance can be found through a comparison site like Quotezone.co.uk, and will protect your delivery vehicle as well as the goods that are being transported. There are greater risks attached to courier vehicles because of the potential value of the goods they are transporting, and therefore it is essential to be adequately covered when delivering or collecting goods.

Trademark

The final consideration to implement is the process of trademarking your company or brand name and logo. This will protect your website as well as your brand in the event of domain theft or duplication. Ensure your name and products are protected by trademarking them; often other companies will duplicate your entire site for profit and if you are not protected, you can lose your business. Ensure your copyright notice is clear and visible on your site and related documents.

Taking your business’s cybersecurity, insurance and brand name seriously will protect and safeguard your bottom line in the event of crime. Although the process of establishing an e-commerce website is relatively easy these days, the security and service you provide will set you apart from the competition and ensure your business thrives.