6 Reasons Why Your Organization Would Benefit From Using a Remote File Server

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | 6 Reasons Why Your Organization Would Benefit From Using a Remote File ServerKeeping your business organized can be a struggle, especially if you’re trying to take care of everything by yourself. Getting everything set up and ensuring that it all works properly is a hassle in and of itself.

But you can definitely make things easier for yourself with the use of a remote file server. So how do they work exactly and how can you benefit from one?

What is a Remote File Server?

A remote file server is a computer that someone can access from their own computer from anywhere else in the room or the building. That allows a person to have access to files that they may not have storage space for on their own computer.

With that said, here are the remote file server benefits you could experience when employing one in your business.

More Security and Backups

Instead of having to use your own computer to save your backups, you have a separate server where everything can be saved. You can also save and backup your files to another computer entirely, leaving you with more hard drive space.

That means less slow down and having to purchase another hard drive to transfer your files to. That’s more money in your pocket while still having access to all of your data. Having a separate server also means that your files are more secure, as only you (or anyone with the password) will be access the files.

Remote Access

Remote servers can be placed on their own VPN (Virtual Private Network) so that you can access it from just about anywhere, including your home or even on your phone while you’re away on vacation. You can grant access to your employees as well so that they can keep abreast of work and which projects need to be tended to.

File Centralization

No more having to search through hard drives to find what you’re looking for. With everything in one place, you can be more effective with work and get through projects much faster. Different permissions can be assigned to different employees as well so that only the right eyes are on the files you want.

Monitoring Employees

No one enjoys their boss peering over their shoulders to see if they’re working on what they should be. Through a remote file server, you can see exactly which employees are hitting which deadlines and what else needs to be worked on. No more having to rely on he said/she said arguments.

Data Recovery

Did you reformat your hard drive or have your computer hacked and lost everything? You won’t have to worry about losing all of your files with a remote server onhand. You can recover all of your data with a remote file server, as long as you’ve been backing up your files on a regular basis. You can avoid that horrible burden of having to start everything over from scratch.

User Control

User accounts and passwords are all controlled by your remote file server, which makes it very easy for new accounts to be created or to lock out/disable those who are no longer working for the company. This provides a safer working environment for all of your data.

Consider a remote file server for your business the next time you’re looking to upgrade. It’s definitely more beneficial than people give it credit for.

5 Reasons to Use a Mobile Office for Your Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | 5 Reasons to Use a Mobile Office for Your Business

If you’re considering taking your workplace mobile, you’re not alone.

Experts predict that the global market for small, mobile offices will reach $49.7 billion by 2024, as increasing numbers of businesses adapt to more flexible workplace practices.

There are many benefits to switching to a mobile office, and a wide range of mobile office designs to suit every company.

If you are unsure of whether or not to use a mobile office for your business, here are five reasons to do so.

1. Meet Your Clients Anywhere

One of the more obvious benefits of using a remote office is that you can offer maximum flexibility to your clients.

No matter what industry you are in, knowing that you no longer need to worry about locations for job sites is a liberating feeling.

Rather than forcing your clients to travel inconvenient distances to sign a contract or hear a pitch, you can come directly to them. This kind of customer service will be something your competitors simply cannot offer.

2. Visit Every Part of Your Business Operations

The same logic extends to every part of your operations and supply chain. Let’s say you are one of the countless companies that are considering using a co-packing service to package all of your products for delivery.

Once you have figured out how to find a co packer, you might want to bring your operations closer to them, to shorten the supply chain, and save money.

With a mobile office, you can bring the nerve center of your business wherever it needs to be. The cost-saving benefits of this are difficult to overstate.

3. Design an Office to Suit Your Needs

You want an office that suits the needs of you and your company.

If like millions of other companies in America right now, you have lots of employees working remotely, then you don’t want to be shelling out significant sums on oversized office space.

A mobile office can slim down your operational costs to exactly what you need, eliminating waste. You can also design an office that features all of the amenities that you need, and nothing more.

4. Eliminate Distractions and Increase Productivity

Common office distractions are a major drain on productivity across all sectors.

There are the common areas where employees gather to chit-chat all day. There are unnecessary trinkets scattered across desks. There is even the time-wasting activity of actually navigating a large office building.

All of these problems are eliminated with a mobile office, ensuring total focus on the task at hand.

5. Use a Mobile Office To Save Money

It almost goes without saying that a typical mobile office cost is significantly lower than the costs of renting conventional office space.

Typical offices have high energy costs, rip-off leases, and unnecessary charges for facilities and perks.

With a mobile office, you can cut out all of those costs that are impacting your bottom line, ensuring that every single penny is put to good use. For businesses with razor-thin margins, this can make the world of difference.

Learn More 

Now that you know the main reasons to use a mobile office, it’s time to learn more. Make sure to consult our Operations guides for regularly updated, expert advice on fine-tuning every aspect of your business operations today.

6 Tips For Increasing Conversion Rates For Your E-Commerce Business

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Increasing Conversion Rates|6 Tips For Increasing Conversion Rates For Your E-Commerce BusinessOver the past decade, e-commerce has risen to prominence in all industries. The marketplace has taken a swift turn to digital platforms, and it looks certain to continue that way. Worldwide e-commerce sales are set to hit the $4.1 trillion mark by the end of 2020.

Although there are opportunities within the world of online selling, it is an extremely competitive market. It’s vital for companies to carefully adjust their strategies to cater to the digital marketplace.

E-commerce conversion rates are increasing on average. However, a big reason for this is that larger companies are making a concerted effort to push online sales. Many SME’s (small and medium-sized enterprises) are not experiencing a conversion rate spike.
In a rapidly expanding market, here are six essential tips for increasing conversions for your e-commerce business.

Use analytics and be data-driven

In the digital age, it’s vital for businesses to become data-driven. When it comes to e-commerce, this is even more important. Any e-commerce business generates a huge amount of data relating to sales, marketing, and customers. This should be carefully analyzed and used to make decisions and to create future campaigns.

Have a well-designed website

A slick website with a clean look and high functionality is an absolute must for any e-commerce business. The site should be easy to use, customer-focused, and it should have adequate call-to-action.
The buying process needs to be optimized to make the customer journey easy and stress-free.
Consider hiring a website design and development professional to ensure that your site is at the level it needs to be.

Quality content

All website, social media, marketing, communication, and advertising content should be of high quality. This can be achieved through research, SEO, and excellent copywriting.
High quality and authoritative content rank highly on Google search algorithms, maximizing its effectiveness.

Use targeted social media ads

Social media advertising is a cost-effective way of reaching your target market, particularly when you are directing them to your online store. Facebook and Instagram allow you to target specific demographics with your content, giving you the best chance of conversions.
Social media campaigns can be analyzed thoroughly, providing you with valuable data.

Offer excellent customer service

Creating a loyal customer base is arguably the best way to sustain consistent sales figures. Good customer service gives your e-commerce business a familiarity that people can relate to. Customers want to feel valued, so customer service can be a powerful tool to increase conversions.

Some simple ways of establishing excellent customer services are:

  • Install a chatbot on your webpage.
  • Communicate with customers via social media.
  • Allow customer feedback.
  • Have straightforward returns policies and procedures.

Offer free shipping

Free shipping is one of the most important factors for consumers when determining whether or not to purchase online. It could be the difference in making a sale or not. In fact, 90% of shoppers claim that free shipping is the main incentive that would encourage them to purchase more online.

Free shipping costs can be covered, meaning your company doesn’t have to take a big financial hit.

SEO Strategies You Need to Know in 2020

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |SEO Strategies|SEO Strategies You Need to Know in 2020If you own or manage an online business, you will be aware that you need to nail SEO to drive your sales and beat your competition. What you will also know is that SEO is a constantly changing game, one that requires astute oversight of an evolving strategy. Here are some strategies that are vital to know in 2020.

E.A.T Up

Your E.A.T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) are vital when looking to beat the competition on the search engine results page (SERP). All things being equal, the most trustworthy website – with the highest E.A.T – will place the highest every time. There are different ways of approaching upping your E.A.T, but Searchbloom’s A.R.T strategy is a good place to start. It recommends you focus on Authority, Relevancy, and Technology. That means getting backlinks from high-authority sites only and trying to avoid backlinks from untrustworthy sites, optimizing content so search engines can understand what your content is and who will benefit from consuming it, and having great tech – providing users with great experiences facilitated by easy-to-use websites.

BERT Optimization

In 2019, Google launched BERT, a new algorithm that solicited much attention in the SEO world. However, BERT optimization was different from optimizing for the Medic update or previous algorithmic changes. That’s because BERT focused better than ever on intent instead of simply jumping through hoops. Optimizing for BERT means that your content will have to provide actual value to users, instead of just luring users onto a website with clickbait. Keyword research, once the focus of all SEO, might become an afterthought. The agencies that want to perform well in 2020 will be the ones that actually take time to talk with their customers and find out what sort of content they want to consume.

StrategyDriven Online Marketer & Website Developer Magazine


UX

UX stands for user experience. Incorporating UX into your 2020 SEO strategy is essential. You need to think of the user journey, focus on how you might be found on the SERP, how your landing page might impact your users, and what they will keep in their minds after they have visited your site (and how you will remarket to them). Google has been promoting good technical best practices for a while – Martin Splitt at Google has been focusing on technical issues for a long time and how they could potentially impact SEO with his blog ’50 Lines of Code’. It was Splitt who single-handedly reduced the company’s use of the infinite scroll by explaining the JavaScript issues that can lead to index issues.

Chrome has also started to issue “slow warning badges,” suggesting that site and page speeds are going to be more important than ever, so optimizing not just how your users can navigate and interact with your site, but also how quickly they can do so, will be key. It will be a hard balance between clever, minimal code and introducing important features to your site that users will love. If you really want to nail SEO this year, it might be time to get a professional coder on board.

6 Tips to Choose an Influencer for Your Brand

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Brand Influencer|6 Tips to Choose an Influencer for Your BrandWhen it comes to gaining new customers, word of mouth is one of the most efficient, yet ignored, marketing strategies used by businesses. Over 60% of customers search for reviews online before making a purchase, and 90% will believe a brand recommendation from someone they trust.

The trusted party could be a friend, family member, or even an influencer. In fact, trust is one reason why brands partner with influencers. You see, influencers often have a significant follower base of people who trust them. So, brands use this influence to reach their target audience. That said, here are six tips to help you choose the right influencer for your brand.

1. Do Your Research

Devote time into looking through the social media pages, especially the ones associated with your intended influencer. Understand their brand and what they represent by simply scanning through their social media pages. You need to understand what your influencer represents to ensure that their brand aligns with yours – directly or indirectly.

Going through their social media page will enable you to find out if they have ever been affiliated or partnered with a competitor at some point in time. For instance, it would be unwise for a company like Apple to contact an influencer who represented Samsung in the past.

2. Think Outside the Box

Just because you are promoting a specific item or service does not mean you have to narrow down your search for an influencer to one category.
By not making the target product obvious and focusing on other criteria, you are more likely to increase your subconscious buying chances. Professor Gerald Zaltman reveals in his book that 95% of purchase decisions are unconscious. Instead of putting yourself in a box, you can focus on their personality instead.

3. Use a Social Media/Influencer Marketing Agency

Influencers can make or break your brand, so you should carry out due diligence when picking one. If you don’t know where to start, you can choose one of the various services from dappergoat.com, which is both a social media and influencer marketing agency. Alternatively, make use of a number of social media platforms to carry out the hunt yourself. Regardless of the path, you want to follow,

4. Create a Story

The most vital part of using an influencer to market is their story. While it is okay to acknowledge that influencers are creatives, it is also essential to express and guide the way you want your brand to be represented. However, do not go overboard with your demands.

Ensure you leave enough room for the influencer’s creativity to blossom. This will enable them to accomplish the main objective, which is to tell your story through their voice. So, pick an Influencer who is capable of conveying your story and is equally comfortable with your demands.

5. Be Honest

Some influencers may be reluctant to work with brands they do not know. However, if you take the time to create a pitch, explain why you want to work with them, and how your goals align, they are more likely to have a heart change. After all, you committed a lot of hours into carrying out your research to ensure they were the right fit.

The thing is, influencers are more efficient when they work with brands whose values align with theirs. So, it’s best to aim to show and express your genuine intentions to the influencer of your choice.