5 Tips to Keep Your Chin Up December 27, 2018 bizadmin Don’t you find the infographic above colorful and attractive? Well, as it is self-explanatory, I shall not delve deeper into the contents. The titles are as below: 1. Do something impulsive 2. Have rituals 3. Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 4. Take Breaks – add some novelties in your daily routine. 5. Learn something new – this is so pertinent now especially in the new technology age where it keeps changing and newer programs and apps come out very fast. If you don’t change, you will be left behind and need to keep up with the new in-thing. People progress because they are able to innovate or learn new kinds of stuff and features of applications daily. I also need to remind myself not to be too complacent or lazy; because it is human nature to take things easy. A nugget of wisdom from Instagram that I recall is this: Don’t sleep like you are rich, but work like you are broke! And follow the example of the ant – always hunting for food and store it up during summer for winter. Else the grasshopper that sings all day will go hungry during winter. For more details, just read through the infographic above that is carefully curated for your reading pleasure.
Infographic: 7 Ways to Generate Leads November 11, 2018 bizadmin The infographic above shows or summarizes the 7 ways to generate leads. The picture is self-explanatory and rather detailed. First is to create high performing landing pages. To drive an action from your ideal customer, make sure your landing page has the following: 1. Headline – make sure it’s attention-grabbing 2. Copy – with at least 2 clear calls to action 3. Calls to Action – in prominent places 4. Contact Form – should be targeted 5. Buttons Host a purchase-driven web Host a webinar with the aim to sell your products or services while educating your audience at the same time. This is shown to be quite effective if you have the gift of the gap and selling tactics. I have been drawn to purchase from such webinars in the past, but when I view the contents, they are somehow below expectations for some of the products that I had purchased. Perhaps the content does not justify the cost. But then again, these are master sellers and pros in their respective niches. One has to start somewhere as a beginner. However, by adding value and solving their problem, your audience is more likely to receive your message more willingly. Also make sure your slides include contact details throughout. Utilise products or services Explainer Videos For the record, 1/3 of online activity is spent on watching videos. People are more likely to engage with your product or service if there is a video explaining how it works and the benefits it adds to their lives. By using video, you are making it easier for your customer to make a purchasing decision. 1. Keep it Short 2. Repurpose and Reuse 3. Make sure it has a clear call to action Create Email Nurture Campaigns There is a huge opportunity to build brand awareness for your SME which in turn will help drive leads. By carrying out nurture campaigns, you’ll be able to nudge your customer to complete the desired action. Carry Out Social Media Competitions Social media competitions offer a great opportunity to capture the data of your ideal customer. Offer them something shareable as a prize and you’ll be increasing your brand reach as well. 1. To drive leads, make sure you CAPTURE entrants’ data and target them later. 2. Make your entry mechanism simple. 3. Offer a Prize! People are more likely to share on social media, increasing your reach. Answer Customer Problems with Long-Tail Search Engine Queries Long-tail search engine queries tend to be problem-based. Offer a solution and that customer is more likely to buy from you in future. Tips include: 1. Create blog posts that respond to the long-tail query. 2. Showcase your product or service as the solution. 3. Build TRUST: always offer helpful content to your customers. Write In-depth How-to Guides Just like your other problem-solving content, it’s important to create content with depth. By building a sense of trust with your customers, you’re more likely to earn repeat business. Tips include the below: 1. Make sure your design is Eye-catching. 2. Make your Guide easy to understand. 3. Make your Guide easy to download. So there sums up the 7 Ways to Generate Leads.
How to Start a Web Design Project – DesignModo November 6, 2018 bizadmin There’s a first time for everything — and it’s finally time for your very first web design project! While landing your first gig is a huge accomplishment in itself, keeping your first client happy requires a whole different set of skills. You’re not just a designer — you’re a project manager, and offering a great customer service experience is essential for winning over your clients’ repeat business, so you’ll need to be on target from day one. But where should you begin? You may not have learned so much project management in school, so we’d like to offer up a few tips. The infographic below outlines every stage of the web design process from start to finish. The first step of a web design project is learning what your client wants: her overall objectives, the purpose of the website, her audience, the features she requires. Remember, this is her project, not yours. You’re here to bring her vision to life — and hopefully, to offer some creative insights that will make the website even better than she imagined. You’ll need to know your client’s goals up front because that’s how you’ll determine a budget. Next, outline budget and timeline in a written agreement. This agreement holds your client to her side of the contract, but holds you accountable, too. So you’ve set expectations up front — great! Now you need to do a little research. Part of your job is determining the best possible user experience for the site, and that usually means creating user personas to determine how to meet the needs of target users. Every great website serves a purpose and facilitates that purpose to the greatest degree possible, so that’s what you’ll want to deliver! At least, we think you do. The wireframe that results from all this research and planning helps to make your plans clear to your client. Managing your client’s wireframe feedback can be challenging, but here’s a rule of thumb: if she makes a suggestion that you think will hurt the aesthetic or functionality of the site, push back in a polite and professional manner — after all, the client isn’t just paying for your skills, she’s paying for your training and expertise. But in the end, this is her website, not yours. Balance your professional opinions with the demands of your client and you’ll make it through this stage unscathed. Now it’s time for the coding — your favorite part! But once all the coding is done, don’t forget to run diagnostics and check for browser compatibility. Turning in an untested site is one sure way to look unprofessional in your client’s eyes. When you were in school, you probably thought the coding would be the hardest part of your future profession, but managing a project can be just as challenging. Luckily, keeping your clients happy can also be the greatest reward of a site well-built. Andrian Valeanu – DesignModo.com Founder
Home Staging for Success November 2, 2018 bizadmin For the uninitiated, Home Staging is the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Highlights Seventy-seven percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Staging the living room for buyers was found to be most important (55 percent), followed by staging the master bedroom (51 percent), and staging the kitchen (41 percent). Thirty-eight percent of sellers’ agents said they stage all sellers’ homes prior to listing them for sale. The most common rooms that are staged include the living room (83 percent), kitchen (76 percent), master bedroom (69 percent), and the dining room (66 percent). Home staging includes beautifying the house like adding a small vase of pretty faux flowers in the living room or side tables of all the bedrooms to liven up the ambience. This will attract the cash-rich buyer’s attention and cause him or her to make a purchase on the spot before anyone else gets hold of the unit. Executive Summary Profile of Home Staging Buyers’ Agent Perspective: Forty-nine percent of buyers’ agents cited that homes staging had an effect on most buyer’s view of the home. Seventy-seven percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Staging the living room for buyers was found to be most important (55 percent), followed by staging the master bedroom (51 percent), and staging the kitchen (41 percent). About one-third of buyer’s agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered between one and five percent compared to other similar homes on the market that are not staged.
Turn Your Unpaid Invoices into Hard Cash October 26, 2018 bizadmin Tired of waiting for your clients to pay outstanding invoices? If your business needs cash flow to continue growing, you may have thought about using invoice financing services already. Before you make a decision, you should compare the deals offered by different lenders. This useful infographic by Business Expert explains in four simple steps how this growing trend works. It also visualises the main benefits of invoice financing and how it can help save your business. Discover the principal industries that are using this financial service and how this market is rapidly expanding. Find out more about how to get funding for your business taking measurable and small risks.
Have Faith in Yourself – Richard Branson October 3, 2018 bizadmin Like the Nike Tagline, “Just Do It!” Believe it can be done. Have goals and prepare well. Also help each other out. The stronger should help the weaker and likewise the smarter should help the slower ones. It is a life of give and take. You cannot hoard knowledge to yourself without sharing to others and help them up. That is why schools and colleges have professors and supervisors to guide the students to greater heights of success and knowledge. Have Fun Have fun while working hard and money will come to you. Don’t waste time and procrastinate. Grab every opportunity that comes your way. Also, have a positive outlook on life. And if it becomes a drudgery, move on. Don’t dwell on something that you are struggling with and instead, work on your strengths. For instance, if programming is something that is hard to master, then dwell on writing articles and blogging which may be easier to make money online. Be Bold Calculate the risks and take them. More importantly, believe in yourself. Just like the scriptures, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13. Chase your dreams and goals. Have no regrets of past failures, neither worry about the future. Just live in the present and do your utmost best. Be bold and keep your word and promises. Nobody wants to deal with dishonest persons. Challenge Yourself Aim high and try new things. Always try and challenge yourself. Be the best that you can be and don’t compare with others. There are others who are better off while there are others who are worse off than you. Stand on Your Own Feet Rely on yourself and God to help you out. Don’t be too dependent on others, for they may disappoint you or give bad advice. Chase your dreams, but live in the real world. And work together. Two heads are better than one. Live the Moment Enjoy life and live it to the full. Enjoy the moment while reflecting on your life. Make every second count and don’t have regrets. Also, don’t sleep too much for those who refuse to life a finger, may come to poverty. Make hay while the sun shines and in your best years, work hard before your retirement in your golden years. Value Family and Friends Life is about relationships. No one is a island. Hence we need to value family and friends while they are still here. Be loyal. Face problems head on. Money is for making things happen. Pick the right people in your inner circle and reward talent. Have Respect Be polite and respectful. Do the right thing. Keep your good name and be fair in all your dealings. Hence the above expound on the info graphic of having faith in yourself by Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin airlines.
Personal Finance Landscape September 27, 2018 bizadmin Courtesy of: Wealth 101 The Personal Finance Landscape Navigating the personal finance landscape requires skills or knowledge in the following foundational areas: Psychology Philosophy Analytical skills Communication Research History Negotiation Forming Habits Using this knowledge, you can approach the vast personal finance landscape – the key questions you must be able to answer to get the most out of your money: Saving How can saving money be as frictionless as possible? Spending What is the difference between spending needs and wants? Credit How can credit be used wisely and carefully to help achieve personal goals? Financial Concepts How can important concepts like compound interest be used to make real-world financial decisions? Career How can I make a living that gives the income to be healthy financially? Protection How can I best prepare for the worst-case financial scenario?
Forty Ways to Stay Creative August 29, 2018 bizadmin The infographic above speaks volumes about staying creative. One of them is to create an inspiration board. Also, get outdoors more often for a change of environment. Socialise and keep up with friends. Not just any friends who keep borrowing cash or always in debt or use you. But friends that motivate you to do even better and like-minded. Those that nurture and not cheat on you. Those that teach unconditionally and not mess up or confuse you. So, be careful who you choose to be in your circle of friends. Moreover, learn new skill daily or read books. You would be lucky to have a mentor who is willing to spend time with you. If not, buy books and learn through self-discovery. Collaborate with others who have an honest heart and with good intentions. Not the other way around. More importantly, meditate and pray; for the prayer of a righteous man availeth much. God can send you the right person at the right time to be there for you and kick out the useless ones. This is the privilege as a child of the Christian God. Declutter your workspace and write stuff down to keep notes. Listen to music and watch films. Go to the theatre, museum, take naps and listen to motivational speeches. Have sex and stop comparing yourself to others. Question things and turn off distractions like the tv, etc. Finally, let go of fear and be curious. Hence, this sums up almost everything here in the infographic that is carefully curated from the internet.