5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A RELIABLE WEB HOSTING SERVICE COMPANY

5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A RELIABLE WEB HOSTING SERVICE COMPANY by @leadernewspaper.  Available from <http://www.theleader.info/2016/12/30/5-tips-for-choosing-a-reliable-web-hosting-service-company/> [Dec 30, 2016]

In the world of the internet it is important to produce attractive content and a responsive website in order to provide the biggest benefit to your audience. But more often than not, internet developers and content marketers do not spend enough time evaluating their web hosting service in order to ensure that their content remains available 24/7.

The main web hosting buying criteria is usually price with web developers and content marketers focusing on companies that provide cheap virtual web hosting and cheap domain hosting. But in addition to this, some attention should be paid to reliability. It is critical that the web host company is able to provide a reliable web hosting experience.

Your hosting company should be able to offer a high level of internet security in order to safeguard from cyber attacks and website hacking a security breaches can result in a high level of lost revenue as users choose to buy products and services from competitor websites.

So what should be considered when you are searching for a reliable web hosting service?

Know what kind of traffic you will attract

If your website is just an online CV or just a few static pages, it will not be as resource intensive as a website which is streaming or hosting large amounts of data. If your website is not resource intensive you may consider an inexpensive web hosting solution using a shared server. If your website is very resource intensive you may wish to consider a dedicated server which uses linux hosting.

Select the right hosting package

Businesses often select low cost hosting solutions which use cheap virtual hosting solutions. However, the small price tag could result on slow response times which will cause your users to click away from your products and service. Whilst a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or a dedicated linux server might be a little more expensive, they usually provide high quality web performance, faster response times, and a better overall customer experience.

Ensure you have the right bandwidth solution

Many web hosting companies offer unlimited bandwidth. It is important that you select the right bandwidth solution. A traffic analysis will give you an idea of how much bandwidth your website will need.

Test the customer service

It is important that the customer service offered by your hosting provider is knowledgeable and offers a quick and efficient solution to any problem you may encounter. Ensure that you test the customer support to confirm that it meets your technical requirements.

Use an established provider

It is important that you use an established web hosting provider. Your business has the potentially to grow very quickly and it is imperative that you have scalable resources in place to take advantage of this rapid growth.

5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A RELIABLE WEB HOSTING SERVICE COMPANY by @leadernewspaper.  Available from <http://www.theleader.info/2016/12/30/5-tips-for-choosing-a-reliable-web-hosting-service-company/> [Dec 30, 2016]

5 Tips To Help You Find The Best Payment Platform For Your Business

5 Tips To Help You Find The Best Payment Platform For Your Business by .  Available from <http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2016/12/5-tips-to-help-you-find-the-best-payment-platform-for-your-business/> [Dec 22, 2016]

When it comes to choosing the right payment platform for your business, it is important you do exhaustive research before making a decision. This is because you don’t want any time lapse or delay when customers want to pay for services. Interestingly, there are thousands of payment platforms in Nigeria today that you may be in a limbo on which to choose. Not to worry, we share some tips.

Be aware of transactional fee

This is one of the most important things you must consider before choosing a payment platform. This is because you don’t want your customers complaining about the transactional fee for patronizing you. If the fee is outrageous, rest assured you will be overwhelmed with complaints and you may lose customers. So, use a platform that offers customers a favorable transactional fee.

Ensure most major payment types are accepted

For e-commerce companies especially, their payment platform must accept all payment types. No customer’s payment should be rejected because their payment type is not available. They will go to other e-commerce platforms where their payment type will be accepted.

Hack proof

This is money we are talking about. You don’t want your customers to lose their hard earned cash. So, any payment platform you want to choose must be hack proof and very secure.

Must be efficient

Payment platform offers different kind of experiences based on their technology. So, it must be able to process payment at the snap of your fingers. Jumia Travel urges you not use any platform that takes forever to process.

Inquire about payment turnaround

Business owners want to see cash hit their accounts as soon as possible because the sooner it is deposited, the quicker the transaction is processed. Also, know that turnaround time varies among payment services.

5 Tips To Help You Find The Best Payment Platform For Your Business by .  Available from <http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2016/12/5-tips-to-help-you-find-the-best-payment-platform-for-your-business/> [Dec 22, 2016]

Top 4 Application Development Resources You Can’t Miss Out On

Top 4 Application Development Resources You Can’t Miss Out On by .  Available from <http://www.lifehack.org/511189/top-4-application-development-resources-you-cant-miss-out> [Dec 27, 2016] Photo credit: startup ideas via alltopstartups.com


The development of applications has several stages, and each stage is important for successful development of an app. When creating an application it is essential to have a good understanding of the process, methodology, tools, and available resources; being aware of the tools and resources available is a key to developing a good and efficient app, and understanding how apps are built.

There are several platforms, such as the waves platform that can help in understanding the resources, and using them to your benefit. There are also guides available for android and iOS app development.

These guides provide details about designing and distribution of the apps, and are able to provide all the fundamentals, including the intents, filters, compatibility of a device, activities, interfaces, and resources.

Here are some of the resources that can help you a lot in app development.

1. Stackoverflow

Stackoverflow is a site that is able to provide answers to all the questions you might have about the development of apps. With the help of this website, you can get help from professionals. The best thing about this platform is that you can get expert perspectives and opinions of your problem, as most of the questions are answered by experts and professionals. You can always review all the answers and implement the best options available to you.

Stackoverflow has a library with detailed answers about different stages of programming and application development.

2. Android Developer’s Blog

If you are developing an app for android devices, then this blog is an excellent resource at your disposal. The content of the blog is written by the employees of Google and is full of useful content.

There is a mixture of technical topics and informational content on this blog, and it is an excellent way of learning about any new developments that are being introduced in operating systems; it shows the developers’ ways of incorporating new features in app development. It also provides inspiration by sharing success stories, as well as providing a lot of information about analytics, new courses, event listings, and more.

3. iOS Dev Weekly

iOS Dev Weekly is an excellent resource for iOS developers. It is another effective resource, as it is a blog that provides all the latest updates about the industry.

You can gain knowledge about every latest development in Apple and operating systems through the blog. New content for this blog is published every Friday, which makes it easy to follow all the new content and take advantage of all the new information.

This blog allows developers to search through the latest tools, marketing, code designing, news articles, and videos. It also helps developers in finding job opportunities, as it lists any available positions that are iOS related.

4. Tuts+

Tuts+ is a website that is full of practical tutorials. There is an extensive range of both written and video tutorials; if you want tutorials about photography, design, illustration, web design, craft, game development, etc., then you will be able to find useful tutorials on this site.

All the tutorials are free, and are extremely useful in learning and polishing creative skills; and, they don’t just include step by step instructions, but also display screenshots to make things easier to understand. It also offers the latest news about the new trends in application development in the code section.

These are some of the resources that are very handy in the development of applications. They offer a better understanding of app development, and make the task easier to accomplish. Any newbie in app development can easily learn and use these app development frameworks to get a good understanding of them, and maybe even become a top developer.

Top 4 Application Development Resources You Can’t Miss Out On by .  Available from <http://www.lifehack.org/511189/top-4-application-development-resources-you-cant-miss-out> [Dec 27, 2016] Photo credit: startup ideas via alltopstartups.com

Your Beginner’s Guide To Essential Email

Your Beginner’s Guide To Essential Email by MELLE STAELENBERG.  Available from <http://www.bandt.com.au/marketing/beginners-guide-essential-email-salmat-lifecycle-marketing-manager> [December 22, 2016]

Essential email is the fast-growing category of non-marketing communications which we have seen increasing in Australia. In this guest piece, Melle Staelenberg, Business Manager – Lifecycle Marketing at Salmat, dives deep into essential email.

Much is written about email marketing and how email is the best digital communications channel in terms of return on investment. Less is published around essential email.

Also referred to as ‘e-invoicing’ or ‘e-billing’, essential email is the fast-growing category of non-marketing communications such as statements, invoices and policy updates that have made it to the inbox.

According to a 2016 study by Billentis, essential email adoption in Australia and New Zealand is on par with the US and UK (but behind the Nordics and some South American markets) with an estimated annual volume increase of 10-20 per cent[1].

‘Essential’ refers to the regulation and compliance requirements of the sender to provide the information to their customers. Although few customers would complain about missing out on a newsletter, not receiving your electronic bill on time can cause serious issues.

Here, we provide some background on what essential email is and tips on how you can execute it effectively.

WHY ESSENTIAL EMAIL?
  • Customer preference

It’s no secret that more and more customers switch to receiving their bills and statements via email. Essential email has clear advantages for customers: besides doing the right thing for the environment, it means no more stolen or misplaced statements.

With most bills being paid online these days, having your bill available on your smartphone, laptop or work computer is simply convenient.

  • Deliverability

With 17 per cent of Australians changing address each year[2] and a large share of mail returned to sender, it’s becoming more difficult for companies to make sure customers receive their direct mail on time. When the right verification is put in place for online sign-up, it’s much easier to generate and keep a valid database of customer email addresses and mobile phone numbers.

In fact, Salmat’s essential email solution is proven to reach as many as 99.5 per cent of customers for a typical statement run or bill cycle.

  • Improve speed, reduce costs

Businesses save more than trees and energy by switching to electronic statements. In November 2015, the Digital Business Council (DCB) was established to drive the implementation of e-invoicing across the Australian business community.

According to DBC, e- invoicing is estimated to be 60-80 per cent more efficient than traditional paper based invoice processing[3]. The cost of printing and mailing a bill easily adds up to a dollar or two, whereas an email costs only a fraction of that.

Especially in large countries like Australia and the US, being able to provide all your customers with their bill overnight means you can optimise your payment due dates and receive funds sooner.

TIPS TO UNLOCK THE POWER OF ESSENTIAL EMAIL
  • Run an opt-in campaign

When your company starts offering electronic statements, run an opt-in campaign so your customers can make the switch from print to email. Don’t hesitate to incentivise the switch: running a promotion where one lucky person wins an iPad can do wonders in terms of awareness and uptake.

Continuously remind those who still receive paper bills by including a clear call to action on their printed bills with easy steps on how to switch to electronic statements.

  • Use dynamic content

Dynamic content allows you to vary the content of your email based on user preferences, insights or behaviour. If your customer has direct debit set up, don’t bother them with a generic ‘payments are due by …’ line as that will only cause confusion and unnecessary calls to your call centre.

Instead, make it clear that you have their direct debit set up and their account will be debited on the due date.

Most email platforms will allow you to use dynamic content through rules or content blocks, resulting in more tailored messaging compared to printed statements. It is even possible to count down to the due date, showing that payments are due in ‘three days’ when opened on Monday and ‘today’ when that same email is opened (again) on Thursday.

  • SMS as fall-back

Email is a much more efficient channel than regular mail but the real power lies in reporting. With direct mail, you often don’t know or find out late when your communication has not reached your customer.

Using email, you know within 24 hours which messages failed and why (it’s always good to let your platform retry deliveries for at least 12 hours). Was their inbox full? An SMS can be triggered automatically, asking your customer to clear their inbox.

Email account closed? Use SMS to ask clients to update their email address. The ability to use both email and SMS in an integrated way means there is always a way for you to reach your customer.

The essential email space is a rapidly growing delivery channel. With clear advantages for both consumers and businesses, essential email is the logical next step in the evolution of customer communications.

[1] Koch, B. (2016), E-Invoicing / E-Billing, Digitisation & Automation (page 22), Billentis.
[2] Experian, Does your mail move with your customers?, http://www.qas-experian.com.au/products/change-of-address.htm
[3] Digital Business Council, Wide-spread digital transformation will revolutionise the whole Australian economy
Your Beginner’s Guide To Essential Email by MELLE STAELENBERG.  Available from <http://www.bandt.com.au/marketing/beginners-guide-essential-email-salmat-lifecycle-marketing-manager> [December 22, 2016]

How Video Can Increase Your Blog Traffic

How Video Can Increase Your Blog Traffic by Tom More.  Available from <http://www.business.com/media-and-communication/tom-more-increase-your-blog-traffic/> [December 23, 2016]

While an image in the past used to have quite the impact on target audiences (remember Facebook’s old news feed?), nowadays marketers are well aware of the fact that a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. In fact, a video is more powerful than the written word or the photograph that an executive from Facebook has actually predicted the social platform will probably be “all video” in five years.

This dramatic shift means great things for businesses, big and small. It means the more videos businesses post, the more clicks, and traffic they will receive. YouTube viewers, for instance, watch more than 3 billion hours of videos a month, and more than 400 hours of videos are uploaded to the site every minute.

Businesses are realizing they need to invest their time and money in creating videos that will increase their blog traffic and revenue. Here are a few tips you should follow in order to guarantee your company is doing it right, and in order to make sure you aren’t behind in this technological race.

It’s all in the numbers

Businesses want to increase not only the amount of traffic to their pages but also the number of visits their blog posts receive. One of the ways to get noticed by Google and other search engines is by adding a video to your blog and watching as the number of organic traffic to your site increases by 157 percent. In fact, pages with videos on them are 53 times more likely to end up on page one of Google’s search results.

While showing up on a search result is critical, it’s not as important as people actually clicking to enter your site. However, videos do just that. Having a clip on your blog can generate three times as many monthly visitors to your page, and a video on your homepage can increase conversion rates by 20 percent.

Attention-grabbing is key

Once your targeted audience members have clicked on your link and entered your site, you have to convince them to stay on it. A video comes into play here as well. Website visitors spend 88 percent more time on a blog or site that has videos than those that do not. This means they are more likely to explore the site and click on its other pages. Since an average reader has a 15-second attention span, videos are more likely to catch a viewer’s attention for a longer period of time and get him or her to stay longer on a certain page.

Word of mouth still works

As we’ve mentioned before, appearing on search engines can help people discover your business’ page. However, the old-school way of word of mouth still works. If you see something really interesting on the web, will you share it with your friends? You might be surprised to know this, but 92 percent of consumers who watch videos on their mobile devices will share those videos with others. Add that to the fact that videos that are around 15 seconds long will be shared 37 percent more than longer videos that span between 30 seconds to a minute.

Create a personal connection with your audience

A video is able to create a personal experience for consumers since a personalized element snaps us out of endless scanning. We are able to recognize that a specific piece of content is for us and relevant to our needs. Marketers who use this information to their advantage and personalize their web experiences actually see on average a 19 percent lift in sales.

By posting a video on your blog, you are able to create a personal experience and relationship with your audience who will trust the information you are giving them.

Video keeps growing

Nearly 150 million Americans watch videos online. That accounts for almost half of the United States’ total population. Add that to the fact that a third of all online activity is watching videos, and an average internet user spends nearly 90 percent more time on sites with videos, and you’ll realize just how powerful video is. These numbers are expected to grow, with online video consumption by consumers expected to account for 76% of internet traffic by the year 2018.

To sum up, a video is by no means a new way of sharing information and gaining attention, but it is still expanding and becoming more popular. Videos are all around us, and as technology advances, we encounter more ways of sharing via moving images, such as the new “live” features on Facebook, and Periscope that preceded it. People like receiving their information as quickly as possible, and enjoy the personalized feeling they get from watching to which they videos they can relate. This is precisely why videos are proving to be an important step in generating traffic to our sites, and why every business owes it to themselves to use it on their blog’s site.

How Video Can Increase Your Blog Traffic by Tom More.  Available from <http://www.business.com/media-and-communication/tom-more-increase-your-blog-traffic/> [December 23, 2016]