Daily Archives: December 6, 2016

Clear The Foggy Haze That Surrounds E-Commerce

by

online-shop-1461915186xq7

(Image Source)

Most people can get online and start building a website with an easy tool like Wix or Squarespace. But, when it comes to getting into the world of online shopping, most people are too scared of the unknown to be able to get started. It’s understandable, though. When you’re dealing with people’s bank or personal information, you gain some huge responsibilities. You have to make sure that you’re operating correctly, to make sure that you’re handling data legally.

This world of mystery is made much easier with the help of a tool like Magento. Magento primarily acts as your payment gateway; to connect your website up with customer’s bank accounts. But, it also has the facility to host your entire shopping experience, from product listings to checkout pages. Most people will run a hybrid setup with Magento; with the store handled by Magento, and the rest of the site developed separately.

Obviously, a tool with so much power has to be used correctly. If you have little to no experience in web design, it’s best to leave the job to a professional. The odds are, though, that you’ll be able to find a Magento agency in your area, with ease. But, even once the site is fully developed, there’s a few things that you need to consider.

  • Security

Of course, using a tool like Magento ensures that your checkout process is as secure as possible. But, your website still might not look that way. When you visit most websites, you will see “https” at the start of the page URL, at the top of the screen. This shows that a website is securely encrypted using SSL. If you don’t have SSL encryption on your site, you may find that certain browsers will warn users not to visit the site. This is a surefire way to lose out on customers and damage your company’s reputation.

Most website hosts will let you buy an SSL certificate directly from them. Once you’ve bought it, it will automatically protect your site. If you have to get it from elsewhere, though, you’ll need to follow the instructions they give you to attach it to your site. Sometimes, Magento won’t work without a valid SSL certificate.

800px-rusty_padlock

(Image Source)

  • Hosting

The next step in your E-Commerce journey is to check your hosting. When you purchase hosting for a website, you’ll usually be given several options. These options will include different amounts of storage space, bandwidth, and other features/add-ons. As your website gets more popular, you will start to use more bandwidth. If you don’t have enough to support the users accessing the site, some won’t be able to load the website, or they’ll have it load very slowly. This will make your website look very unprofessional. As your website grows, the data that you store will grow with it. This means that you’ll also need more storage space in the future. You need to keep an eye on your hosting at all times, to make sure that you’re not running out of resources.

Hopefully, this will make you more confident to get out there and build your own E-Commerce website. All you need now is a good business idea!

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

The Things You Didn’t Know Your Phone Could Do

by

iphone-563060_960_720

Image from Pixabay

In this day and age, our phones do so much more than just keeping us in contact. Smartphones have changed the way we use technology. They’ve become an essential part of our everyday lives. There are so many options on our phones that we often fail to use them to their full potential. We’re going to take a look at the things you might not know your phone can do. After all, the more you use your phone for, the easier you life can be!

 

the_stethoscope_peru

Image from Wikimedia

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR HEALTH

In a world where we’re increasingly concerned about our health, any way to track it is welcome. There are so many phone apps that help you keep track of how your body’s doing. From apps that track your general health, to apps that can measure your heartbeat, the health app world is vast. You no longer need to worry your doctor with every health concern. Remember that you should still visit your doctor if you think there’s something seriously wrong. Even so, it can be reassuring to get that diagnosis while you wait for an appointment!

HELP WITH YOUR HEATING

How many times have you wished you could turn your heating on before you got home? With wifi thermostats, you can! Connect your thermostat to your phone and put an end to your heating worries. Wifi thermostats aren’t just convenient either. They can also help you save on heating bills by turning themselves on and off depending on the heat in your home. Who wouldn’t want a smart heating system? Just think how nice it would be to turn your heat on from the warmth of your bed in the mornings. Check out any available thermostat reviews so you can choose the best one for you.

THERMAL IMAGING

Talking of heat, you could download an app that allows you access to thermal imaging on your phone. If you’re losing money on your heating bills, download one of these bad boys and take note of where you’re losing heat in your home. This app will help you see any window seals that need replacing or any gaps you should be covering up. Making sure your home is as warm as possible will save you a lot of money on heating. Not to mention, it’ll help you keep warm in the future!

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CAR

Car problems can cause major disruptions to your everyday routine. If you want to keep track of your car health, download an app that allows you to carry out checks when you feel the need. Some of these apps will even connect with your vehicle, so they can tell you if any problems arise. Not keeping track of the state of our cars can lead to significant problems down the line. Make the job of checking easier by letting technology do the work for you. These apps have the bonus of putting your mind at ease that all your checks are as thorough as possible!

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Bringing It All Together: How Savvy Consultants Keep Tabs On Their Business

by

These days, it seems as if everybody has got advice for consultants. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? The problem for many consultants is that most aren’t actually trained in the art of doing business. Yes, they’re excellent at what they do, whether it’s education, finance or looking after cats, but most don’t have much of an idea about what it actually takes to run a consulting business, besides being a fantastic consultant, of course.

Focus On Relationships, Not Revenues

7269336936_cf1faf4254_n

Flickr

One of the first things that consults need to realise is that the value of their business is entirely based on the relationships that they forge. That means that when it comes to new clients, it’s always best to listen first, think and then start negotiating a price. The reasons for doing this are both practical and political. Practically speaking, you want to be able to make an assessment of the kind of services that they will need. Doing this will allow you to come up with a price that is actually suitable for the work that they want you to carry out. And politically speaking, it’s always best to build a rapport well before going in for the hard sell. Businesses and customers are way more likely to trust you, and pay you, once they’ve seen how reasonable, personable and qualified you are.

Use Software, Just Like The Pros

Top entrepreneurs know that the key to a successful business is nailing the process. The best businesses have slick processes, excellent communication and an understanding of what is going on in all four corners of their enterprise. In the past, getting this right required a tight-knit team and a lot of experience. But with the rise of multi-channel solutions software, organising a business has become significantly easier. Being able to keep tabs on all of the channels you use to reach out to clients is important if you’re going to maximise opportunities in each of those areas. And so now many consulting firms are using dashboards to organise their communication from a single hub and coordinate their messages.

Stay Supremely Flexible

Many consultants like the idea of getting paid monthly retainers for their work. As a result, they deliberately seek out clients who are willing to pay them month after month. But the monthly retainer somehow defeats the purpose of consulting services. The idea of consulting is to go into a business or a person’s life and solve a problem. It’s not to hang around indefinitely, collecting payment at the end of the month.

The best consultants ultimately end their retainer deals and look for new projects because they eventually solve the problem. They understand that business waxes and wanes. And so they use these opportunities to cultivate new networks and find new people to work with. Often it’s worth building relationships with other highly qualified professionals from industry who can offer their experience and perspective to a particular project. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others if you need to.

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂