GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY), announced today that it had entered to a merger and acquisition agreement to acquire SkyVerge, a WooCommerce extension developer with more than 60 premium WooCommerce extensions, spanning email marketing, memberships, payments & billing, and many more and used by over 100,000 online store merchants for their eCommerce sites.
SkyVerge is a highly favorite WoCommerce plugin developer among WordPress users and it’s plugins have been downloaded more than 3 million times. SkyVerge will continue to support its existing customers and product portfolio, as well as continue its contributions to other open-source software.
SkyVerge offering for WooCommerce plugins
Why is it important for GoDaddy? As you know, WordPress powers more than 30% of websites on the Internet, and about 17% of all WordPress sites use WooCommerce, making it one of the largest eCommerce platforms out there, together with Shopify and others. GoDaddy seeks a more vertical integration into the eCommerce stack, providing the hosting, domain services (which we recommended to avoid and use the alternatives and always separate hosting and domain registrar), and the site-level WordPress plugins.
As part of the M&A, All SkyVerge employees, including its co-founders and leadership team, will join GoDaddy.
According to GoDaddy team:
“SkyVerge advances GoDaddy’s WordPress strategy and enhances our ability to deliver intuitive eCommerce experiences that help everyday entrepreneurs sell online,” said Patrick Pulvermüller, President of the Partners Business at GoDaddy. “The SkyVerge team is incredibly talented and its WooCommerce expertise will play an instrumental role in accelerating the development of future WordPress eCommerce solutions.”
The SkyVerge team said:
“We’re thrilled to join GoDaddy, a company that shares our passion for helping everyday entrepreneurs succeed online,” said Max Rice, cofounder of SkyVerge. “Our team is excited to bring our top-rated WooCommerce extensions to GoDaddy customers and continue to innovate and push the future of eCommerce on WordPress forward.”
EDIT:
It’s worth mentioning the update SkyVerge pushed on the 24/08/2020 (version 1.18.0) of its Membership extension that adds a SkyVerge dashboard as a root menu on the administrator page, a few weeks before this acquisition is announced, which could lead to its use by GoDaddy as a platform to up-sell hosting (which we recommend to avoid, together with hosting offerings by EIG) and other services they offer.
As the world continues to evolve, the technology and lifestyle of people also evolve. Everything has gone through so many changes as time goes by. Regardless of whether these changes are good or bad, they impact people’s lives. With a growing number of opportunities for everyone in various industries, it’s only right to take this chance to do something worthwhile and beneficial for everyone’s needs.
In these times, many individuals have gotten to learn the ropes of business and entrepreneurship. Owning a business allows an individual the opportunity to take control of what they need to do. And it’s worth noting that owning a business also allows them to share their skills and other knowledge to potential customers in exchange for profit.
With the advent of the digital age and the many advantages of the internet, it seemed to have made everything accessible, convenient, and efficient. Because of its constant presence in people’s lives, it only makes sense that the world of business enters the world wide web. Companies need to be up to date with the trend because it is one way to keep it afloat and profitable. And, thus, the emergence of online businesses.
Why You Should Start an Online Business
Online businesses continue to grow globally and have become so ubiquitous that almost every industry, company, and brand can be found online. And it’s only a matter of time that even small and mid-size enterprises (SME) will make their mark in the world of the internet.
However, while it does look easy to start an online business, there are several factors to consider before starting one. The beginnings or startups will always be a struggle. As mentioned, since the online business industry is growing, there is a lot of competition. It can get overwhelming to see potential competitors also out in the open. It will also be a challenge for any business owner to gain the first, initial, customers, and build a loyal following (later, it becomes easier as you get your word-to-mouth up and running).
Before diving into this endeavor, what do you need to consider and do to start an online business?
Identify Your Niche
When you want to start an online business, you may want to ask yourself what you know, which can help other people? It is easier to start in this endeavor if you can identify your specialization. Identify something related to your skills, talents, or knowledge about a particular industry, platform, product, or even a service. Because if you can identify your niche or something that you are good at, it will become more comfortable for you and even less taxing than starting on something that you have no prior knowledge or experience.
As you identify your niche or specialization, this will help you classify your target audience or market. This way, you will know what their demands are, their spending habits, and other factors that will help your business startup. It is easier to promote and sell first your product or service to customers who are interested in what you can offer.
Creating Your Brand
With your established niche and specialization, it will be easier now to create your brand. Your branding is what will be your business’s identity as you enter the online marketplace. Effective branding will help you gain potential customers as you sell your products or services. It will also set you apart from your competitors.
Decide on a Business Name
One of the first things to do when you create your brand is to decide on a name appropriate for your business. You may want to think of a name that is simple but memorable. Nothing too long or complicated or even overly unique. While you want to stand out among hundreds of other businesses with something unique, you may want to keep in mind that your business name must have a recall and something easy to remember.
Once a name has established, it will be easier to think of the next steps in building your brand. The logo, design, business profile, and even core values are other factors to plan and decide in establishing a reputable brand for your business.
Register a Domain
As the business owner, think of a domain name for your website. As much as possible, align it with your brand or service. Domain names are like the addresses for your website, allowing an individual to gain access. Sites available will let you register your domain name for a fee, though some will offer it free for at least a year. Your domain name must be unique as there are no two domains that are alike.
It’s important to mention, that having an online presence with a registered domain name, is important not only for an online business but to offline, low investment small business, as well.
Choosing and Developing a Business Model
Every business owner should have a business model if they want to start an online business. Think of it as having a blueprint or an outline for whatever plans you have for your entire business. A business model will let you see how the whole company operates. It will also allow you to study on ways how to sell your product or service effectively to your target market. There is also the matter of earning more profit for your online business as there are various ways to do it.
There are several business models out there, but you will need to decide what you think will work best for your business. Here are some examples:
E-commerce – This is one of the most popular online business platforms. Think of it as an online marketplace for various products. Some big names on this platform are Amazon, eBay, Shopify, and Alibaba. It is the most direct and straightforward way to connect to your customers.
Affiliate Marketing – This is the usual go-to platform of bloggers that allows them to earn an income online. Through this type of model, a business or company can sell their product or service through a blog or website through a referral link.
Online courses – This usually targets those who are in the educational industry or service. But if your business provides informative content such as webinars or teaching courses, this model will work best for you.
Membership and Subscription sites – This specific business model will let the company charge its customers a recurring fee, whether monthly, annually, etc. It is useful, especially if you want to have long-term contracts with your customers, as this will secure revenue from these recurring purchases.
Freemium model or Software as a Service (SaaS) – This platform is a mixture of free and paid services. It will allow your customers to unlimited access to the basic features of the service and then charge them if they want additional and advanced functions and add-ons.
It is up to you as the business owner what sort of business model you think will suit your online business the best. It will help lay down every aspect that comprises your business, including demographics, marketing, operations, finance, and revenue. You may even want to include some research about your competitors and lay down some strategies to provide better products, services, or alternatives.
The whole planning process may seem intimidating, especially as a beginner; there are various resources available online to help you start, for example, look into this list of online business ideas.
Select Your Web-Hosting Package
You have your name, business model ready in gear. It is time to go on the internet and start your online business. Enter web hosting. Web hosting is a service that allows a user, be it an organization or business owner, to create and post a website on the internet. Various web hosts provide the technology and services that the user will need to create a website.
There are various web hosting packages provided by different web host providers. Your task here is to select among your options that will provide the service you need for your online business while also getting the value for your money. Consider the components and features that every package will offer before taking that dive. Think of it as if you are canvassing for the best one out there.
Many web host packages will offer their lowest prices, so you will need to be extra careful when choosing the right package for you. You will need to be as thorough as possible to check and identify the features and add-ons your website will need. Also, keep in mind that you might need to invest in other offers that will cost more and ensure excellent performance for your website.
Building Your Website with WordPress
WordPress offers one of the easiest ways to create your website. A considerable percentage of sites you will find WordPress powers online. Just like other web hosts, WordPress has features that are designed to be user-friendly and will not require advanced web development and design skills. They have available tools to manage your web content, has customization options and plugins you can use to start building your website.
WordPress is a good starting point for online businesses. While it started as a simple blogging site, it has expanded and developed to cater to more functions that a website will need. It just means that you can create a website for e-commerce sites, online portfolios, membership sites, auction sites, chatrooms, and many others. While the Software is free to use, you will need to pay extra for the hosting since it is self-hosted. Depending on the website’s scale, you may want to check the different hosting plans of WordPress.
Marketing Your Website
Here comes the fun part. To start gaining traction for your business, you will need to market and promote your business through your website. Once your online business is up and running, you will need to find ways to get more than just visitors to your websites. You need customers to earn income for your business.
Now, there are ways to do it. Below are some examples.
Social Media marketing – At this time, almost everyone can be found on any social media platform being glued to their phones. Social media is an effective way to gain an audience and potential customers for your business. All these social media networks will allow you to connect with these customers.
Email marketing – Sending newsletters through email is one way to keep your customers up-to-date with your products or service. With the use of a marketing automation tool, it will help you create content for your customers.
SEO – This is the process of letting your website rank highly in search engines such as Google or Bing. It is essential to optimize your content so that it will rank as one of the top results, and that way, you will gain more traffic for your website. Optimize your content while using specific keywords within your site, persuasive copywriting, and enhancing your website performance.
Paid Advertisement – You will need to have some extra budget to do this kind of promotion for your business. Various platforms will let you promote, such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and even YouTube.
Online Directories – Since they cover a wide range of audiences, you may want to submit your URL or website address, and other details to these online directories. They, in turn, will store these details and incorporate this information into their data banks. Once it has registered with them, they can appear in search engines every time an individual searches for a relevant, if not similar, content.
Content Marketing – This is sharing and distributing online content, which can be done through various methods. There are infographics, video content, and even blogging. It will stimulate interest from the audience to a particular product or service.
Affiliate Marketing – it’s a process of earning a commission by promoting other people’s (or company’s) products. You find a product you like, promote it to others, and earn a piece of the profit for each sale that you make. So, as the name says, you become an affiliate of the seller.
For affiliate networks example, check out our Repixel review, which is an ad network that allows you to earn money by placing retargeting pixels on your website. ShareASale, one of the world’s leading affiliate marketers based in the USA. Fiverr affiliate program, the world’s biggest marketplace for freelancers with over 12 million users in almost 200 countries, or ClickBank, a leading digital affiliate market.
Turn Your Website Visitors into Customers
It is not enough to only attract visitors to your website to check what your product or service can offer to them. You need some sort of call to action to ensure that every visit will be at least give you something in return. Ensure that your website encourages these visitors to purchase your product or service. You may also want to add on some offers or future promos through a newsletter subscription. That way, you are at least guaranteed that they will be back for more. Also, make sure that your contact details are visible so that they can easily reach you.
You may want to add some analytics tools on your website. That way, you can determine and analyze the peak time for your website, how many visitors are coming in, what features your business is attracting interest and whatnot. It will also help you with what needs to be improved.
Final Thoughts
Every beginning of any endeavor will always be challenging. But, always keep in mind that even the most successful entrepreneur or most significant business has also started from nothing. More than determination and commitment, you will need to do your research and do your best to enhance your skills and knowledge. No one can be successful in just one night. Every step of the way is essential, so enjoy it and, at the same time, learn from it.
Telemedicine, robotic technology, technologies using big data and artificial intelligence, mobile health and augmented reality. Medicine is far ahead of many other areas in mastering technology. And the changes that these technologies bring are noticeable to many, since they allow early detection of diseases, prevent their development, give access to medicine for more people and ultimately improve the quality of life of people. The authorities are investigating how new technologies have already changed and will change the medical sphere, everywhere in the world.
Telemedicine, Drones, and Big Data
Today, telemedicine allows doctors to continuously monitor patients’ medical indicators, broadcast surgeries, undergo tele-education, and conduct online consultations. The advantages of telemedicine are considered to be the ability to reduce costs and solve the problem of inequality in access to medical care – when people from small settlements have less opportunity to see a qualified doctor than residents of large cities. All of this has the potential to fundamentally transform the existing healthcare system through improved quality and patient satisfaction.
Essentially, telemedicine is virtual health care. In the States, this market began to form a couple of years ago with the arrival of large technology companies. Despite the fact that virtual health care is at its initial stage, = a law on telemedicine came into force, which defines the procedure for providing medical care using telemedicine technologies. It also reduces the need for self-research for the potential patients, about healthcare and nutrition habits, from blogs and sites like nutritionofenergy.com
There are other ways to expand access to health services around the world. For example, Rwanda has established a high-quality national blood service that delivers blood via drones. For 18 years they managed to triple blood donation rates. Drones are also used in the Indian state of Telangana. Their advantage is that they can significantly reduce transport times. “The use of drones to deliver blood and other medical supplies to people in remote and inaccessible areas is an exemplary project demonstrating the use of technology for the public good,” said Rama Rao, Minister of Information Technology, Electronics, Communications, Industry, and Municipal Administration. and urban development.
Technology for Better Health-Related Processes
Patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations are increasingly using technology to better understand health-related processes – from tools that report blood glucose levels to wearable devices like smartwatches that can detect a wearer’s fall and send an emergency message. service. All these systems involve the accumulation of a huge amount of information. Subsequently, big data in the field of medicine helps experts see patterns of patient morbidity.
Andrey Beklemishev, vice president of International Data Corporation (IDC), international research, analytics, information technology, and digitalization consulting company, believes that the focus should be shifted from the digitalization of healthcare to digital transformation. “We are no longer talking about the introduction of digital technologies in medicine, this is already the past century, we are talking about the digital transformation of the healthcare system. The goal of digital transformation should be to create value for the patient, “Beklemishev noted, speaking at the Healthcare Forum 2019.
Digital transformation should mean the allocation of a separate budget, he is sure. “The most important barrier to digitalization in healthcare is people. As a result of digital transformation, you will come to cost savings, but if you look at digitalization as, first of all, savings, you will not have good results. Secondly, if digital transformation is carried out at the expense of something else, then again the process will be slowed down. Conventionally, if digitalization is carried out by reducing the number of nurses, they will not accept it but will oppose it in every possible way. However, when digitalization comes from above, as something that should help you, then it will be perceived, ” he believes.
Talking about digital transformation, he cited the example of the children’s hospital in Copenhagen – BørneRiget, where a whole system is built around the patient, primarily based on data. “Even during the construction phase of the hospital, they were based on data analysis. To the extent that they used colors, music that creates a more comfortable mood. Since this is a children’s hospital, everything is based on the game, because it is more interesting for children to play. Before arriving at the hospital, the child begins to play the game either through the app or online with a doctor. The child is not afraid, he knows what to expect, he becomes more inclined, but at the same time, they collect data about the child through this game, and the parent is also involved in this process. A hospital can collect a lot of information about a patient even before he is admitted unless it is an emergency. “
In 2020, IDC predicts that 25% of the data used by organizations will be collected and shared with the healthcare system by patients themselves through apps, wearables, and test collection systems. “But we will also see a lot of data that will be collected inside the hospitals themselves. Artificial intelligence will be used, all sorts of visual systems that will be able to read how, for example, a nurse in the operating room is behaving for further analysis by artificial intelligence. These solutions already exist, but they are not yet presented in many parts of the world, ” he said.
Tech Giants Going Into Medicine
Researchers are now wondering how much wearable technology, like the Apple Watch, is the answer to our health problems. In recent years, Apple has considered public health as one of the main parts of its services, introducing it into the politics of technology and wearable devices. Earlier this month, the company announced groundbreaking health research that will enable Apple Watch users “to contribute to potential medical discoveries and help create the next generation of innovative health products.”
Thus, one of the studies is Apple’s Heart and Movement Research, a continuation of the work that the company has been doing for a long time in collaboration with the American Heart Association. The research is aimed at understanding how walking speed and climbing stairs are associated with hospitalizations, falls, heart health, and overall quality of life, which are also indicators of the fight against chronic disease.
Another giant, Amazon, is also trying to enter the healthcare market. Last June, the company acquired the online pharmacy PillPack, and a joint venture with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway called Haven to improve access to primary health care, simplify the insurance process and increase the availability of prescription drugs. All of these steps must be combined in the service that promises to revolutionize healthcare – Amazon Care.
Amazon Care is currently only available for Amazon employees in Seattle in a pilot mode. Through a dedicated app, you can get basic medical care, doctor’s advice, and symptom analysis. The service, using telemedicine services, will allow employees to communicate with medical personnel through video and built-in chat, as well as schedule follow-up visits to the doctor and delivery of prescription drugs to the address.
Mobile health and Does Technology Have Boundaries
Mobile health (mhealth) is a relatively new term that refers to the interaction between the healthcare system and wireless mobile technologies. It is also used to promote a healthy lifestyle for a person. Mobile health services are extremely useful for chronic disease management, diagnostics, medical inquiries, and weight management.
There are no services that would include all these components, but there are platforms that are ready to offer separate services due to the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) that continues to grow, and the amount of data is expected to only increase. The introduction of 5G technologies can help solve these problems. Earlier this year, China had already performed the first remote surgery – a doctor in the southeastern province of Fujian removed the liver of a laboratory test animal by operating surgical robotic arms via a 5G connection. And in 2016, an international team of researchers developed a miniature wireless electronic device that can monitor temperature and pressure when implanted in the brain. Since implantation always carries the risk of infection or additional surgery, the new device is subsequently dissolved.
In recent years, virtually all medical players have been talking about how the Internet infrastructure has become an integral part of affordable healthcare. One of the world’s leading suppliers of medical technologies Siemens Healthineers, is engaged in the production of heavy medical equipment – magnetic resonance imaging machines, computed tomography, X-ray machines, angiography, mammography, ultrasound machines. The company also deals with laboratory diagnostics. Siemens equipment is presented in almost all public clinics and in many private medical institutions. Any device, regardless of its location, can be connected to the Internet. So the service and training of doctors can be carried out from anywhere in the world.
Since 2017, Siemens Health has launched a pilot project at the request of the Ministry of Health – the implementation of a system for monitoring the effectiveness of the use of medical equipment. It allows you to monitor the status of equipment 24/7 – what happens to it, how it works, what research it conducts, how many patients. Siemens has such solutions, it is also vendor-neutral, i.e. We can make a system for monitoring the efficiency of equipment used not only for Siemens equipment but also for any other manufacturer.
In the same 2017, the Ministry of Health, together with IBM Corporation, planned a pilot project on the use of artificial intelligence in the field of oncology. The project has not yet been launched because of the ongoing negotiations with IBM regarding its cost.
This is not a problem with this product, it is probably more a problem with our current system and cancer service and digitalization, as far as we are now ready for such products and projects. The main issue is not the amount of data, but the quality of the data we have in the system. It is clear that given the fact that there are old data that we have accumulated in the system, they represent a transfer from paper media to electronic. New data is being generated at an intense pace. It is difficult for us to say so far that we can make some very serious breakthroughs in this area. You need to go through a certain evolution.
The amount of data and the requirements from it’s hosting is growing rapidly, but we need to ensure the quality of the data. Therefore, we decided to focus as a regulator and provide a framework of norms and standards to ensure the quality of this data and other related issues. In the new code, one of the big sections deals with the digitalization of healthcare, the rights, and obligations of system participants, including responsibility for the quality of the data, entered. When we are ready to a certain extent, of course, it will be possible to accept such finished products. But at the same time, we are open and work with the private sector on other models, i.e. if there are any interesting initiatives on the use of artificial intelligence, we are ready to integrate them now.
Meanwhile, at the end of September, IBM Watson Health entered into a joint development agreement with the French company Guerbert, one of the world leaders in the development and manufacture of radiopaque agents, to create software based on artificial intelligence. It should help diagnose and monitor patients with prostate cancer. The company previously partnered with Guerbert to develop artificial intelligence software for liver cancer treatment in 2018.
Potentially, because AI can store and analyze every detail in real-time, including the medical records of thousands of patients, their nutrition habits such as do they have enough proteins in your diet, of fish, and correlate this information with their vast medical knowledge, doctors will be able to make more accurate diagnoses, prescribe optimal medications at specific doses, or suggest lifestyle changes that can prevent the need for costly treatments. Primarily, the interest of medical professionals in using artificial intelligence lies in preventive medicine, because applications based on machine learning will prevent and prevent disease, offering a more personalized picture, rather than just a reaction to symptoms.
In many places in the world today there are various initiatives for the development of software based on artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector. While they are not yet widely represented, many are only accumulating information and creating a primary database. The market of smaller countries is not a priority for everyone, but, this makes it quite promising and interesting for young entrepreneurs and founders of startups.
If you are in a smaller country, you have a general understanding of the existing IT infrastructure of the market, and you understand what is missing, then from my point of view, it is necessary to identify these gaps and offer solutions at the local level. There is no need to be afraid of large companies, we need to develop these solutions.
eCommerce apps are becoming much more popular these days. Contact-less and speedy deliveries are the factors contributing to the high usage of these apps. Users find it much easier to shop things online and not having to step out to get necessities delivered. These apps are everywhere and they go and deliver products everywhere. eCommerce saves traveling time, gives more options, and allows users to shop from anywhere and everywhere.
You are traveling and want to shop? You are waiting in a queue to get your coffee or sub and want to shop? Want to shop while watching TV? Well, with an app, you can do that. Apps provide great convenience to the users and a great opportunity for the developers to generate revenue from it. This is why mobile app development is in great trend.
Here are some of the interesting facts and figures about eCommerce app development showing revenue, growth rate, and users in this sector:
Revenue is expected to reach the US $2,258,801 Million in 2020.
eCommerce revenue is expected to show a growth rate of 8.1% showing a market volume of US $3,084,899 Million by the year 2024.
User penetration is 46.6% in 2020 and expected to reach 60.3% by the year 2024.
The average revenue per person is expected to reach US$651.29.
The largest market is for fashion with an expected market volume of US $578,392 Million by the year 2020.
Clearly, the demand, usage, and popularity of eCommerce applications are very high. So, if you are looking to develop one, now is the time.
Features to have in an eCommerce Application
1) Easy Login
The first and basic feature of any app is easy registration and login. Complex and lengthy registration processes annoy users and at times make them leave the app. It is very important to keep the registration process as simple and smooth as possible. Don’t make your users lose interest in your app with a complex process. Keep the details simple and limited like name, email ID or phone number, and password.
2) Notifications
Push notification helps the user to stay updated with the addition of the latest features, any discount or deals, and promotional offers. Users get instant notification from the app and they will make a purchase if interested. Users and app owners never miss the opportunity of sharing promotions or getting benefits from the offer with the push notification feature. It is a great tool for increasing sales of an application.
3) Social Media Integration
Everyone these days is on social media. It is one of the biggest tools in the tech world. Social media integration helps the user to login easily and also share products. Social media integration can also work as a great tool for marketing. A user likes something and shares it with their friends and relatives. This will also encourage other users to download an eCommerce mobile app and make the purchase. They can share the promo codes for discounts. This will create a brand image and more people will know about the app and in turn, increase the sales.
4) Filter and Search
The search and filter option makes using the app easy. eCommerce mobile apps have plenty of products of different types. Search will enable the users to find exactly what they are looking for. The filter will enable the users to pick the size, budget, colors, and get results accordingly. Users can apply different filters for different products to save time, effort, and energy.
5) Synchronization
It is very time-consuming and irritating for the eCommerce app developers to do the same work twice, one for the app and another for the website. The synchronization feature helps solve that issue. It will automatically make changes in the mobile app that are made on the website. Without synchronization, there are chances of the app to look clumsy. This is highly possible when the website has new features and the app doesn’t.
6) Wishlist
Well, it is one of the popular features of the eCommerce app. This feature allows the user to add multiple items they like and compare them at a later date. They can compare the product and its price and order the one they like.
7) Return Policy
The app must have a return policy. At times, the user purchases the product and does not like it or doesn’t get a proper size, or desired look. In this situation, the user can exchange or return the product from the app.
8) Multiple Payment Option
The user can pay through their desired mode with an eCommerce application. The app must provide all the options to the user. The user can make cash on delivery, pay through debit or credit card, or pay through UPI.
9) Multi-Lingual Support
Well, this feature is not a must-have one but a good add-on to your app. It allows the user to access the app in their convenient language and enhance their shopping experience.
10) Show Related Products
If the user is searching for a product, they get suggestions relating to that product. The app shows relevant suggestions. This will ease their shopping experience and allow them to get the desired result without searching more.
11) Product Categorization
Every experienced mobile app development company integrates this feature into their application. This feature divides the products into different categories making it easy for the user to look for products easily.
12) Live Order Tracking
This feature helps the user to know where their order has reached. It keeps the user updated about the status whether it has been packed, dispatched, or delivered.
Conclusion
You know the scope for revenue, hype in the users over time, and trending feature to have in the app. Now, you just need to look for an eCommerce app development company and start developing your app.
Finding it hard to market your business and keep things running smoothly these days? You’re definitely not alone in your struggles. With so many restrictions and concerns still floating around due to COVID-19, businesses everywhere are adapting their marketing and sales strategies. If you need to to do the same, these essentials can make the process easier:
1. Financial Resources
While the rest of the tips in this guide will help you keep those expenses to a minimum, it can also help to have a few financial resources in mind. If your business has been affected by the pandemic, you may be able to use grants and other funding sources to make the changes needed to stay afloat. Although the application process for the ZenBusiness grant is closed for 2020, you may still be able to apply for grants from federal or state resources. Several corporations, including GoFundMe, are also still offering grants and other forms of financial support.
2. Social Media Content
Harnessing the power of social media could be your best bet for keeping yourself in business through this crisis. That’s because now more than ever before, people are relying on social media to stay connected to friends, loved ones, and community. Folks are also turning to social media to find local and online businesses to support, so you should seriously consider taking advantage of this uptick in traffic. Schedule regular social media posts, but be sure to keep your content empathetic and useful. A great way to do this is by mixing in a few personal posts with strictly business posts. Promoting digital content from your website is also a great way to use social media. Digital content can include videos, blog posts, and even podcasts! Don’t have a podcast yet? Online Tools Expert offers a great step-by-step guide if you’re ready to take the leap.
3. User-Friendly Websites
If you don’t have a website to link to your social media accounts, you could be missing out on a huge revenue stream for your business. Having a website helps consumers learn more about your business and also helps establish trust with those consumers. You can also save yourself some time, and perhaps even save a few customers, by listing basic business information on your website. Information to cover can include your business hours, location, and any COVID-related changes to your operations. If you don’t already have a website, you can use a free website builder to get one started for your business. Aside from being affordable, these tools make it easy to establish your domain and set up a user-friendly site that will attract more customers. Also, look out for SEO tools to ensure your website reaches even more people.
4. COVID-Safe Practices
Expanding your online options is an effective way to keep your business open during the crisis, but at some point, you may be ready to reopen your actual store. When that day comes, be prepared with the latest guidelines and recommendations that will protect your staff, your customers, and you, and it can also protect the future of your business. Consumers will feel safer in your business if they know that you are taking the proper precautions, like requiring masks and practicing social-distancing. Be sure to advertise these policies on your website and social media accounts, so that customers don’t get caught off-guard by the new rules. You should also post requirements around your store. You can use these free templates to print new signage.
If you want to stay in business over the coming months, it’s important to narrow your focus on how to better connect with your customers. Expanding your online presence can boost your sales while your doors are closed, but these marketing strategies can continue to benefit your business even if you are allowed to reopen. So, combine online marketing with safe practices, and you should be able to sustain some profits and your business.
Technology news is the activity, product, or subject of reporters who are primarily engaged in the preparation of articles, written, visual, sound, or multi-media content meant for distribution through the mass media, specifically focused on technology-related topics, such as Generator Research. Technological news includes products and services, the growth of the technology industry, new developments in technology that impact daily life.
With the growing popularity of the internet, the scope of technological news has increased significantly. Some of the popular areas of technological news coverage include information on the latest computers, mobile phones, satellite TV, DVD players and home theaters, new home appliances, computers, and the latest technological advances such as cell phones.
The best way to keep up with all of the latest technology news is to stay abreast of the industry and the latest advances in technology. Readers of technology news will be able to learn about new products and services as well as how those products and services are impacting people’s lives. Readers who are interested in learning about the latest technologies can check out websites dedicated to keeping up with the latest developments.
There are many ways that technology news is delivered to readers. The first place that most people turn to when they are looking for information is a newspaper. Newspapers have a large market share and offer a number of different sources to help readers keep up with the latest technology news. Most newspapers also publish newsletters and feature articles on technology. This is also a good source for finding out about the latest technology. Websites dedicated to technology news also provide a lot of useful information about current news and products and services in the field.
Many websites offer reviews of products and services, as well as blogs that focus on technology related news. These sites often feature advertisements for products and services. Readers can visit these websites in order to learn about the latest technological advances and to find out which products and services will help them stay ahead of the competition.
Most people who are interested in technology news, regardless of whether they are interested in the field of business, science, or entertainment, will find it easier to access their news by visiting their local newspapers. Readers can find information about new products and services in the industry and gain insight into what is going on in the technological world. Newspapers are also one of the most affordable and reliable forms of information. They are accessible at any time, day of the week, and on any day of the week on every possible niche out there, be it healthcare innovation, space exploration or even tattoos developments,
Technology news and future scientific developments, is one of the most vital aspects of our society, as technology is used in so many different ways that are relevant to everyone. It is interesting to know what is going on and what is changing in the world around us and how it impacts us as a culture, society, and the world as a whole. Reading technology news regularly keeps us abreast of the latest developments and advances in technology.
Today, Walmart has pushed a contract update with many categories of affiliate rates cut from 4% to 1%, such as:
Furniture
Bed and Bath
Kitchen Appliances
Dining
Vacuums
Home Decor
Arts & Crafts.
It’s still not officially announced and you need to compare the contracts by yourself. It’s important to remember that the mentioned categories had a 4% affiliate rate for more than a decade. It’s time to diversify your income streams!
Pushed contract update from Walmart
The update is following no less dramatic affiliate rates cut from Amazon, that happened earlier this year, and took effect on April 21, 2020.
The affiliate rate cuts Amazon introduced were in the following product categories:
Furniture, home improvement, garden, pet products – commission cut from 8% to 3%.
Beauty, musical instruments, headphones, industrial goods – commission cut from 6% to 3%.
Tools, goods for tourism, and walking – commission cut from 5.5% to 3%.
Groceries – commission cut from 5% to 1%.
Sports – commission cut from 4.5% to 3%.
Goods for children – commission cut from 4.5% to 3%.
Health and care – commission cut from 4.5% to 1%.
The commission rate cuts look permanent and cast a dark shadow on the future of affiliate marketing from those sites. As an alternative, to diversify your income streams with affiliate programs that offer a much higher commission, you can consider the different affiliate plans by Repixel.co, ShareASale.com, ClickBank, and more.
This big change also raises the question, with everything else being equal, when both Amazon and Walmart offer the same 1% affiliate commission rate, what’s the incentive to use the one by Walmart when the adoption and the conversion of the Amazon selling funnel are much better? Looks like Walmart management pretty much, Consciously or unconsciously, shooting itself in the leg.
Would be happy to hear your opinion.The post will be updated according to the latest news about the topic. Feel free to bookmark and return to it later.
Uzi Nissan is an Israeli who opened his own business in the United States in the early 80s. He first worked in a car workshop, then opened his own (named Nissan Foreign Car) and sold parts (named Nissan International), and then went into retail at a firm name Nissan Computer. For his own business, he registered a domain name and launched nissan.com in 1994. Over the next few years, he lost several million dollars in court with the car manufacturer of the same name.
When Uzi opened his first stores, Nissan Motor Company imported cars into the United States under the name Datsun. By the mid-eighties, the Japanese company decided to get rid of this name and sell models under the Nissan brand – there was even the Datsun by Nissan branding (according to rumors, its implementation cost the company something around 30 million dollars).
It is also important to note that the name Nissan and the brand Nissan are nothing more than a coincidence in languages. The word “Nissan” in Hebrew and Arabic denotes the name of one of the months of the year and is quite common as personal names and surnames. And the brand name is an abbreviation for Nihon Sangyo (which means “Japanese industry”). So the company was called after its foundation in the 30s of the last century.
Nissan’s life changed dramatically in October 1999, when Nissan’s North American office contacted him to discuss the use of the nissan.com domain.
Nissan vs Nissan
The authors of the Japolnik website, who interviewed Nissan, described him as a charismatic, principled, and stubborn person. For Uzi, that site was not just a site, but a reflection of his life’s work, which he built from scratch and was not going to give it away.
Representatives of the Japanese company offered Nissan a certain amount to buy the domain, but he refused. And in support of his words, he named the amount of 15 million dollars – only for that kind of money he was ready to consider the possibility of a sale.
Nissan, of course, refused. And soon they sent a lawsuit for $ 10 million, accusing the entrepreneur of trademark infringement, unfair competition, cybersquatting, and much more.
In 2002, the first victory remained with Nissan on the issue of cybersquatting – a fairly common practice in the modern world, which at the dawn of the Internet was a completely new threat to a business or an individual. This is the registration of domain names that contain a trademark owned by another person for the purpose of their further resale or unfair use.
By that time, Nissan had been using the site for its business for ten years, so the court dismissed Nissan Motor’s intellectual rights claims. But it also demanded to remove all advertisements for the sale of cars from the site and forbade him to leave negative statements in the direction of the Japanese company. Later, Uzi succeeded in court to reject Nissan’s requests to take control of his domain, and Nissan was also granted an appeal on “dilution of the brand name.”
The litigation had been going on for almost five years, but Nissan did not give up and tried to bring the case to the US Supreme Court. Every time Uzi won a part of the case, another part of it remained open. And Nissan had costly lawyers and all the resources to keep going through the courts.
In court, the parties were advised three times to meet and resolve the conflict. Each time, the money supply from Nissan increased, but Uzi refused – he had to pay legal costs and deal with the personal expenses that went into the process.
“Nissan had no problem with me using the name Nissan Computer. They even registered the site nissancomputer.com and offered to trade it for nissan.com – even if it would hurt them in the event of a “blur”. They had problems with the fact that I was using nissan.com. They passionately wanted this domain” Nissan told Jalopnik.
Uzi said that Nissan deliberately wanted to make the lawsuit showcase and as expensive as possible for himself. The company has spent many millions of dollars on lawyers, although back in 1999 it could have paid Uzi 15 million for a domain and not get involved in a lawsuit.
Won, but lost
In the end, Nissan decided not to demand $ 10 million from Uzi Nissan. Uzi said the company knew they would lose in a jury trial. Still, attempts to take over the nissan.com domain did not end.
The court made the final decision in 2007 – eight years after the start of the litigation. The court dismissed Nissan Motor’s allegations of trademark infringement by Nissan. And said that in this matter, the company has no exclusive rights to anything.
In terms of brand dilution, the court found that Nissan had known the Uzi site since 1995. However, the automaker realized the importance of the Internet only four years later and hesitated to contact the right domain name registrar and Uzi.
The lawsuit has cost him and his family nearly $ 3 million over the years, Uzi said. And despite the victory, he still feel like a loser.
“The question is not whether the big players can lose. And in what will happen to you when you are sued. I didn’t win the case. Nissan Motor lost it. I haven’t won anything. I only have a domain name. In fact, I also lost.” said Nissan. He noted that the process took 99.9% of the time he could have spent on his business. And the trial took place every week.
“They never got what they wanted from me. There was no longer a question of whether I could get my way. The question was what would have to go through and how much would have to be lost before the end of the case. Companies can sue you, no matter what. What is $ 10 Million for Nissan? Nothing. This is a drop in the ocean. They can afford it. And what can they do with a little man like me? Destroy his life.”
According to court records, at that time about 500 thousand people visited nissan.com every month. And they visited until recently – for some reason, the site is not available now.
Uzi Nissan died in July 2020 from the effects of coronavirus infection. He is survived by a wife and two children. Now, enthusiasts are raising money to help his family.
The history of Nissan is studied in many law schools and is cited as an example of how a large corporation can be fought back.
In just a few years, ecommerce has grown in leaps and bounds, so that transactions—in just about every industry, at that—are now mostly done online. This isn’t surprising at all, considering the ease and convenience that the internet offers its users. So as consumers become more and more dependent on the internet, it’s only natural for businesses, big and small alike, to follow suit—including yours.
Now, there is in fact, a good number of web-based adaptations that your business can benefit from. However, if you’re new in the digital arena, it can be easy to feel out of your depth. For this reason, it’s only smart to make use of the resources you can easily find and access online to start and sustain a lucrative business in the digital age. Let’s take a closer look at what’s out there and how you stand to benefit.
The apps that make your life easier
It’s a well-known fact that, in this day and age, there’s a tool, app, or software for just about any activity that anyone can conceive of. This definitely makes life a lot easier in more ways than one, especially when you run a small business that involves multiple tasks that need to be done timely and efficiently for your enterprise to remain competitive and profitable.
Needless to say, it’s more than wise to download—and in some cases, invest—in these tools where your business needs them most. This is the best way to keep your tasks and processes flowing as they should—or better yet, free up your time and energy, so you can focus on more important things. So make sure to keep an eye out for apps that allow you to automate, collaborate, stay productive, etc. as these are almost always worth your while.
Of course, there are also tools that you simply can’t do away with. As more and more business is done online at present, more and more threats arise along with them. It’s a must, therefore, to have cybersecurity measures in place to protect your and your customers’ sensitive data. Thankfully, the options for digital security are rising to the challenge of fighting these threats, so you’re sure to find solutions for your devices, website, and other systems.
The freelancers who help you get things done
Again, it can be all-too-easy to feel out of your element when you’re not used to using technology in certain ways. For instance, as you take your business to the next level, no doubt, among the most important web-based projects you’ll need is a solid online presence. Now, while you can, of course, find out how to start a blog or website easily enough, your business model will invariably demand something more professional or intuitive, which can be well out of a beginner’s skillset. It’s a good idea, therefore, to enlist an expert freelancer to get it done, which is easy enough to do with online job boards. This also applies to other tasks that you neither have the time or skill to do, as well, which can be truly invaluable help as you run your business.
Of course, it’s only prudent not to entrust sensitive tasks or information on just anyone, so a background check can be a necessary evil before you hire a freelancer or employee. However, know that there are actually FCRA rules that you need to be mindful of before you do so, so make sure to do your due diligence before you do an employee background check to keep everything above board. For one thing, many states don’t sanction criminal background checks until after you’ve made a conditional job offer. For another, some states also require you not to consider arrests without a conviction, plus there’s a seven-year limit on the information you’re allowed to gather.
Suffice it to say, taking your business to the next level means embracing tech, warts—that is, threats—and all. Thankfully, it’s tech that will also provide you with the means to get it all done, as well. It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur, indeed, so ride this wave of innovation to take your business to the next chapter.
Search engine optimization is the long term for SEO. But there are two different types of SEO services today.
The first is local SEO. Local SEO is when your website is focused on local keywords that are relevant to your products and services. National SEO is the second type of SEO.
National SEO is also known as nationwide seo and focuses on keywords that are not local. National SEO usually has more competition and can be harder to rank for.
Google maps is a good way for local companies to focus on finding new customers. It has become so popular now that even big name brands are jumping on the band wagon and following the trends.
SEO is good because it can help your website connect with online shoppers who need your services and products. But if your website is not mobile responsive then this can hurt the shopping experience for your customers. You don’t want that. So make sure your web design is a responsive web design.
If you have a custom website, you want to make sure this Is also a responsive web design.
So how do you know if you need to focus on local or nationwide SEO? The answer is simple. Are you selling to local customers or all of America? This is just the first step to learning what is SEO and how to do it. If you are not sure you can always contact Tampa Bay Marketing for advice and help on your website or SEO.
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