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SEO vs. PPC: Which Is Most Valuable?

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |PPC|SEO vs. PPC: Which Is Most Valuable?You can find countless articles and blogs about SEO and PPC when you browse around the web. A lot of people are writing about these topics, and it can be hard to know what to think when you’ve read so much. Of course, though, one of these marketing tools has to be better than the other, right?

To give you an idea of how they stack up, this post will be exploring search engine optimisation and pay per click advertising. By comparing their benefits, it should be nice and easy to see which of these methods will be best for your business.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimisation, and is the process of preparing a website to make sure that it always has a good position in searches on sites like Google. The speed of your website, the content found on it, and the links between it and other websites all contribute to this area.

Most people don’t understand SEO, though, and this can make it hard to know what needs to be done to get your site into good positions. An SEO company will be able to help you with this, providing you with everything you need to get your website higher in searches. Doing this by yourself will take a lot of time and effort, and will have far from guaranteed results.

What Is PPC?

PPC stands for pay per click, and is a name given to a specific type of online advert. Hosted on loads of different websites, adverts like this cost you money each time they are clicked, but don’t require any special work to get them working properly.

The placement of your adverts will depend on the money you’re willing to spend on them. Using Google Ads, you will have the chance to set up bids and daily caps for your spending, ensuring that you don’t spend too much to get your adverts to the right people. There are a lot of companies out there which can help you with this process.


Benefits Of SEO

SEO comes with a lot of different benefits. To start, giving a professional SEO company work on your site will mean that you only have to pay for this service a few times each year. Their work will last, and will only need to be updated as the market changes.

Alongside this, organic searches have been proven to garner higher quality results than PPC adverts. People who find your link in normal searches will be far more likely to buy things from you than those who discover it in sponsored ad sections.

Benefits of PPC

The results of PPC advertising can often be much faster than working on SEO. While you will have to wait for your adverts to be approved, this will still be quicker than having your site indexed by Google, and this is a benefit which a lot of people can’t ignore.

You will also benefit from being able to choose which demographics see your adverts, using tools like cookies to make sure that no one sees your ad unless they’re likely to be interested. PPC adverts also give you the chance to have your ads in more locations, with services like Google Shopping proving to be incredibly successful in recent years. Of course, though, you have to compete with a lot of other companies with PPC adverts. PPC advertising may seem complicated, but there are many tools that can help you to work professionally and effortlessly. In order to make your PPC advertising more easy and effective at the same time you can use software for PPC management like the one from Adplorer.

Which Is Most Valuable?

Deciding which of these marketing methods is more valuable is a very challenging job. In reality, the answer to this question will usually lie with your company and its needs.

Those which don’t mind waiting for results will almost always value SEO more. While it won’t be as fast, it will draw higher quality clients in, and will cost far less than using PPC ads. This can make it easier to sell expensive items, with those who want goods like this finding it hard to trust sponsored adverts.

Companies which need to make sales very quickly are more likely to find PPC ads more valuable. While it will cost more, this could give you the chance to start selling far faster, and this is a benefit which few businesses can ignore.

It’s crucial that you work on things like SEO as an ongoing process for your business. At the same time, though, it can also make sense to take a more direct approach sometimes, and this is where PPC comes in. Neither are better; they both have their own purpose, and this is well worth recognising.

Purchasing A Server Rack For Your Business

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A lot of businesses nowadays require the use of server racks in order to store their servers and IT equipment. Selecting the right one is obviously of the utmost importance, especially when one considers the highly valuable and expensive equipment which is going to be stored inside.

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Entrepreneurship | Purchasing A Server Rack For Your Business

One of the ways in which an individual or a business can guarantee that they are getting a top quality data rack is by going for a highly credible and reputable company. In large a company is measured by what products they sell and what service they provide, if the general outlook is that a company is a good one then this says an awful lot about the goods and services they offer. Therefore, this blog post will reveal certain points that an individual should contemplate regarding a company selling server racks in order to ensure that they purchase a top quality product.

The sole thing that any individual should do when determining the worth of a company is a little bit of background research. It will take a mere five minutes but it can save a lot of people from buying an unsatisfactory product or a bad customer service experience. If you already use the services of an outside IT provider to assist your business, ask for their recommendations. You can get quality managed IT services from Ethos if you do not have an IT provider at the moment. Companies like this make sure that your business is running as efficiently as possible from a tech point of view. This includes updating your tech infrastructure, as well as establishing standards at your business. You definitely run the risk of getting left behind if not.

So how does one go about this little bit of background research? If the person in question has found a data rack they would like to buy they should then type in the name of the company selling the rack into a search engine, such as Google. They should then proceed to visit the relevant forums in order to see what previous customers have thought about the good they have received and the service they experienced alongside this.

This is a very simple method but it is great because it means the person can learn whether the product was exactly how it was described on the website, they can also determine whether the company provided a good after service, and in addition to this they can learn other things such as whether the company delivered the server racks on time.

This is highly valuable information as it alerts anyone to a company which is not credible, as people will be more than willing to voice their opinion if they have been left dissatisfied. They will want to warn others in order to ensure that they do not waste their money as well.

However, it is vital to remember that it is the general feel of all comments that should be considered, not just one. No company is going to please everyone and if there are twenty nice comments to one person who has gone on a rant, then it is the twenty good comments which are important. As quite often it is easy to be distracted by someone who has said something shocking.

Moreover, an individual buying a server rack should always keep in mind what they are looking for from their shopping experience. For instance, if a company has rave reviews yet the only downfall they have is some customers are unhappy that they don’t sell a certain cable then don’t let this be a negative if that cable is not something required by the individual shopping.

You will, of course, also need to look at the range of server racks that they have available to ensure that they have something suitable for your needs. Cooling is one of the most important factors to think about when it comes to tech storage today, as well as security.

A final point worth considering is that it is important not to merely consider any feedback which has been given on the company’s website itself. It is very unlikely that a business is going to post any negative feedback on their website and thus this can often be rather biased.

Investing in Your Employees: 4 Ways To Attract and Keep Hold of Top Talent

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Attracting Talent|Investing in Your Employees: 4 Ways To Attract and Keep Hold of Top TalentSecuring top talent is undeniably essential to the long-term success of any business.

But certain high-level professional skills are in incredibly high demand. There are so many roles to fill, that those who have proven their ability can afford to be picky, and to move on if they aren’t satisfied with the position.

So now the job market swings so heavily in favour of these candidates, how can you attract them to join your enterprise, and convince them to stay for the long haul? If you’re looking for some pointers, check out the list below.

Know Your Value

Highly-trained candidates with specialist skills will have many employment options. So your recruitment process needs to be as much about communicating the value and potential of your business, as it is about assessing their suitability for the role.

What are the wider repercussions of the work you do? What are you proud of having achieved? And what are you striving for in the future?

Your employees want to feel that they will contribute significantly to something progressive and exciting. Make it clear how they will fit in, how their skills will move the business forward, and how they can become part of something impactful.

Invest in your promotional material – your website, careers pages, videos, and personal communication from your team – to spread this message loud and clear.

More Than Just A Job

A long-term career is more than just a job. It’s a personal investment that touches every aspect of your life. And potential candidates will want to know that your business puts time and effort into developing a healthy work-life balance.

Can you offer more flexible working hours? Can you give the option to work at home when needed? How does your business support parents, or those will disabilities? Do you provide meals, activities, or mental health initiatives for employees?

Think about what is going to be important to the contentment of your employees outside of the role and the salary. Because family, health and happiness will play a bigger role in their decision than just about anything else.

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Attracting Talent|Investing in Your Employees: 4 Ways To Attract and Keep Hold of Top TalentInvest in Their Professional Development

Smart, ambitious people will get restless in a job that doesn’t challenge them or lead somewhere exciting. And when they feel like they’re stagnating or heading towards a dead-end, your employees will simply look for employment opportunities elsewhere.

So it’s important to discuss the professional development goals of your employees and plan regularly how to facilitate them. This might include gaining experiences in other roles, learning new skills through outside IT Training, or training for management or leadership positions.

Wherever they want to go, you should do your best to help them progress. Because a sense of purpose comes hand in hand with loyalty and motivation.

The Social Side

One of the biggest factors in job satisfaction is having good friendships with your colleagues. So working hard to foster the social side of your business is absolutely essential.

Take the time to introduce new employees to the team and try using a buddy system to make sure they feel supported from day one.

Invest in social events and team building exercises and give people the chance to get to know each other outside of work.

And if you have a great social environment already, let potential candidates know this! Show them around the office and give them a sense of how much fun it would be to work here. Because if they feel like they’ll fit right in, they’ll pick you over your competitors.

Improving Employee Efficiency

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employee Productivity|Improving Employee EfficiencyIf you are able to save time in the office, then it can be something that can be really beneficial to your business and to your employees. These days, employees are spending more time at the office, and in many instances, are exceeding the typical hours that should be worked in a working week. However, simply working more hours isn’t something that is going to make much of a difference, as productivity can be lost over time. If the team is tired, asking them to keep working more than they should won’t be a good thing to do. So how can you as a leader in business help to improve the productivity of your employees, while still doing things to save time? Here are some of the top things to be thinking about.

Delegate

While this tip can seem like something that is obvious, it can be hard for some leaders to delegate and share the load. Your business is going to be your baby, and you’ll want to be in control of it. There is nothing wrong with checking on how something is going, or what the finished product looks like. But if it means you are wasting your time to check every small detail, then it can be detrimental to you, as well as the team of people you are working with. So instead, look to give responsibilities to the qualified employees, and then you just have to trust that they will perform the tasks. This helps the team to grow, as well as feel needed in the business, and can let you get on with other things, being more productive overall.

Train and Develop Employees

If you want to reduce training, or even stop it altogether, it can seem like you will save money as well as time. Although people can learn on the job, it can actually backfire, as learning on the job can be quite inefficient for some. So one thing to do, that will help productivity in the long run, is to take a day to train them in something, and carry on doing this from time to time, to show they are valued and that you want to keep them improving their skills.

You can get people in to train them, though with a corporate training platform, you could also perform the training yourself. Offer some continued employee development and help them to expand their skills. It will be what helps your business to grow and grow. You could also offer some specific courses, or things like mentoring, if they are ultimately looking to achieve something specific.

Embrace Telecommuting

If your business is one where just a laptop and a phone are all that is needed, then encourage and allow your team to work from home from time to time. You might think that they won’t get much done from home, however, the reality will be the opposite. Working from home can be much more productive, as they won’t gossip with colleagues, go to the coffee machine, or take a full lunch like they might when working in a city. Plus, you have the option to keep productivity high for your business. For example, an employee with a cold might feel a little rough to come in, though they are still able to function. Instead of them calling in sick, they can work from home, as that will be easier for them to do when they aren’t feeling completely at their based. In bed checking emails and getting things done, will be better for the business than that person doing nothing that day.

11 Most Profitable Online Course Ideas in 2020

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Online Course Ideas|11 Most Profitable Online Course Ideas in 2020Let’s face it, wage earners are not seeing a lot of increases in their paychecks these days. The average worker is lucky if they get a two to three percent pay increase this year. As a result, many people are looking for new avenues to earn money.

Freelancing is gaining in popularity. Individuals are cashing in on hobbies, special skills, and things in which they are a subject matter expert.

If you have knowledge people are in need of, you can profit from it by creating popular online courses. You simply need to come up with online course ideas.

The rising cost of college tuition and the time it takes to get a degree is what is fueling online learning.
The process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of months to create the courses. Once it’s up and running, you can focus on marketing.

Are you looking for ways to create a new stream of income? Keep reading for the 11 most profitable online course ideas in 2020.

How Do Online Course Ideas Earn You Money?

The most profitable online courses are those that are well-thought-out and meet a need that is in high demand.
You can’t look at it as a get rich quick scheme. People depend on you to deliver high-quality content on the level of a business school.

Once you have your course idea and develop your project, the next steps are to:

  • Set the price.
  • Get your content on a platform (online marketplace, learning management system, or your own business website).
  • Market your online courses.

The courses you choose to offer will guide you down the best path for your individual success.

1. Crafting

Do what you love for a living is a reality many people rarely experience. Imagine being really good at something that brings you great joy and making a living teaching it to others. That’s exactly what many crafters are doing.
Your online course ideas can teach people everything from knitting to how to design 3D wall art.

2. Home Improvement Projects

These bestselling online courses are a hit because everyone loves doing weekend projects. Maybe not everyone, but if you’re a homeowner there will come a time when you may have to replace the gutters or install new flooring.
Online courses can save you thousands on actual projects when you know how to do-it-yourself.

3. Bestselling Author

It seems everyone wants to be an author. Between 600,000 and 1,000,000 books are published each year in the United States. Most people that decide to write a book have no clue what they are doing.

The stigma associated with self-publishing is no longer a big deal. How to write a book and get it published are popular online courses.

4. Blogging

Next to writing a book, blogging has become a big moneymaker for many people. Too often people jump into things without fully understanding the ins and outs of what looks simple on the surface.

There are numerous online course ideas someone with extensive blogging expertise can use to build their course offerings.

5. Influencer Marketing

Two huge misconceptions about influencer marketing are that you have to be a well-known celebrity and you need a million followers. Both are untrue.

Influencer marketing is about gaining trust and being able to get people to buy into what someone is selling.
There are special techniques and best practices people need to learn in order to be successful in any marketing endeavor. It is all about selling, and this is a great course to create for someone with a successful sales background.

6. Make-up Artist

The beauty industry is a multi-faceted multi-billion dollar industry. Teaching people how to be a make-up artist is one of the most profitable online course categories. There is so much money to be made.

With the success of the social media platform, Instagram, more people are focusing on their appearance. This has led to new opportunities in make-up artistry.

7. Event Planner

Freelance opportunities are on the rise because people want personalized service. Event planning is a career that can span across socio-economic grids. Regardless of how much money someone earns, when it comes to putting on an event cost goes out the window.

Event planning can be the church picnic or a million-dollar conference. The right online courses can teach people how to get started.

8. Line Dancing

This online course is for a fitness instructor or a dance teacher. People love to line dance at weddings and other social events. It is also a fun way to workout.

If you know the moves to 50 different line dances create a course to not only teach people the routines but also how to open a studio and create a strong following.

9. Vegan Cooking

Vegan cooking is all the rage and if you know how to create popular dishes using cauliflower, you can create various cooking courses. The art of making online courses is to find what’s trending and provide people with step-by-step instructions.

10. Business Start-up

Regardless of what a person’s interest is, anyone, wanting to go into business for themselves needs to learn the basics. This is why a school of business is on every college campus.

For these online courses, you may want to include proctored exams to test the student’s knowledge. Check out this article to learn more about online proctoring services.

11. Trade Professions

HVAC, plumbing, stucco, and many trade professions require testing at the county or state level. For these profitable online courses, you can teach the content for a sub or general contractor to obtain their license.
It is the perfect opportunity for someone with extensive contractor experience.

Are You Ready to Make Some Money?

Coming up with online course ideas is the easy part. Once you have your ideas, you’ll need to create the content and get it in front of your target audience. Perseverance is the key to your success.

Do you have a niche market with proven success? Contact us to learn how you can become a member of our service provider network.