Category Archives: Technology

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What Do Audiophiles Want From The Audio Tech Of The Future?

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The way that people consume audio has changed dramatically over the last century. First we had vinyl, then we got cassettes, then CDs arrived, after which came MP3 files and a whole host of other digital file formats, like streaming services. The basic idea behind all this progress was to make the listening experience more true to life, and more convenient. But although the media on which audio is written has changed dramatically, the way that we listen to music hasn’t all that much. The headphones as the speakers remain just as they always did.

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The question for any audiophile out there is what does the future of audio look like. Have we hit a plateau, or is there still progress to be made?

Wireless

As sites like Speaker Digital make clear, there is now an abundance of wireless technology, from headphones to speakers, that is transforming the audio experience. Now people are able to enjoy their favourite music produced by objects that have no physical connection to the device on which the sound is stored. Wireless speakers have become almost commonplace, especially at festivals and other music venues. And wireless, Bluetooth headphones are not far behind, although there is still some way to go before everybody is wearing wireless earphone buds at the gym or on the train.

With Apple’s decision to get rid of the standard headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and replace it with their proprietary connection, it seems as if the market for Bluetooth ear buds will indeed expand in the future. If people want to use their own headphones, and not the Lightning port, they’ll have to buy Bluetooth headsets. And if they do that, then the market for these headphones will explode.

Better Sound Quality

The holy grail of audio quality is to listen to music and actually believe that the sound is being produced right in front of you, say in a concert hall. Companies like Samsung have tried to make this a reality by using the best materials in the world to make a speaker with unrivaled sound quality. They achieved their goal, building a speaker made from marble, among other things, that produces a sound which is of such quality that it feels as if you are in a room where live music is being played. The only problem with the system is that it costs more than £35,000, which is a lot for the average person.

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Currently, Sennheiser is working on new products that will bring this level of sound quality to the masses. They’re trying to eliminate the amount of distortion produced by speakers. Currently, the best speakers in the world – studio speakers – produce about 1 percent of their sound as distortion. Sennheiser found, however, that they could reduce this distortion to 0.1 percent, or about a tenth of the current best in the industry. They say that this level of quality in consumer devices, like headphones and speakers, is just around the corner and they hope to start selling the first products with the new technology in 2017.

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The Things You Didn’t Know Your Phone Could Do

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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!

 

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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!

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“How Smart Homes Will Revolutionize The Way We Live In 2017

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Smart homes. The Internet of Things. Fridges that order your groceries for you. This is all stuff for the future, right?

Well, while we’ve been sleeping, smart machines have snuck into to our homes, and promise to revolutionize how we live. Is it true and does the tech live up to the hype? Let’s look at four devices looking to move in next year.

  1. The smart key

Forget fumbling about for keys, now your smartphone can open your house for you. Companies such as August offer smart entry technology. You can give your friends, family and cleaner (should you be so lucky) access to the app on their phone, too. Plus, your doorbell has a camera, so you can see who’s there and let them in if you’re running late. Oh, and if it’s someone who you don’t want in your home, there’s an alarm, too.

  1. Voice assisted PA

While Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana can tell you what you need to know while out and about, the Amazon’s Echo does the same for your home environment. You can ask ‘Alexa’ to play your favourite tune, add something to a shopping list, or give you a weather update before you head out. It’s basically like having a butler without the snooty remarks.

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Pic from Pexels

  1. Smart water meters

Already a fixture of homes in London and making their way up North, smart water meters let you monitor your usage online 24/7 – giving you greater control of your bill. You only pay for what you use, they find and fix leaks before you notice them, and you can even see how much your laundry your flat mate does compared with you. Thames Water, says, “Our metered customers tend to use 12% less water on average.” Just remember, there are plenty of low-fi ways to keep down household costs before wiretapping your housemate.  

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  1. Smart thermostats

Instead of an on/off switch to control your home’s temperature, a smart thermostat lets you heat your house from a smartphone, schedule temperatures for different rooms and times of the day, and they show you how you use your heating.

Some devices even sense if  anyone’s home, adjust room temperature to local weather changes, and use GPS to detect when you’re on your way home – turning up the boiler.

There are already a few on the market, so do a bit of research to find the right one for your home. According to Trusted Reviews, “Tado says that its ‘will pay for itself within a year’ by cutting your heating bills by between 14% and 26%. On average ‘the Nest Thermostat saved 10-12% on heating.’ That’s $131 to $145 per year according to them, and payback in under two years. British Gas says the Hive ‘could save you up to £150 a year’ while Netatmo claim a 37% drop in energy use. Honeywell estimate a whopping 40% saving with their advanced Evohome multi-zone system.”

Before you get too excited, there is a lot that can go wrong with smart technology and home automation, so don’t rush in without doing your homework.

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Pic from Pexels

Worried that smart technology will invade your home and take away from its, well, homeliness? Thankfully, these devices are discreet and you’ll only notice when you want to. Whether that’s picking up pre-ordered groceries from your doorstep, walking into your home without fumbling for keys, or sitting down to a nice cosy room.

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The Advanced Guide To Getting The Most Out Of Your Website

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Whether you’re using it to advertise your business or you’re running it as an ecommerce platform, the website is one of the most important tools to doing business online. But a lot of people are content to consider their job done once the site is up. That’s simply not true. Your website should be an ongoing project, constantly pushing for better results. Here, we’ll look at some of the advanced tools you should be using to get the most out of it.

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Getting the most visitors

Getting traffic to your website is important, but how do you ensure that the traffic is relevant? The best place to start is in the search engine. The better and more relevant your site is to people using the search engine, the more likely it is to be recommended to them. The better the user experience, the higher it will appear. The more dead-end links and the worse the site performance, the further down the list. Adding keywords to your pages can be helpful, too, but you should be careful in how you use them. Keyword stuffing isn’t a viable search engine optimisation technique. If you’re adding in every term you can think of, it will only harm your chances of being spotted by more people.

Getting the most conversions

So, you have them on your site. But are you turning them into customers? Not everyone can be converted. But there could be plenty of visitors you’re missing simply by failing to capitalise on their presence. A call-to-action, a better presentation of your content, even a reshuffle of the page can all have a big impact. It’s about finding what works for your conversion rate. To that end, testing is one of the most reliable methods you can use. Strategists like an AB test agency use multiple versions of your pages with variations. They take the individual versions and look at the visitor data to see how those variations change visitor behaviour. This way, you can pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of your site and improve on them.

Getting the most returns

Regardless of whether they become a customer or not, if you can get people returning to your site, you’re benefiting. Not only are return visitors more likely to eventually become repeat customers, but they’re also more likely to share. The way you get them to return is by providing more value for those repeat returns. For instance, if you include a blog with content that is informative or educational, they may keep coming back to see what new advice you have to offer. Give recognition to your most dedicated of customers and fans on the site. This will contribute to a sense of community people are a lot more likely to get involved in.

There’s always a little more work that can be done to improve your business site. There’s another chance for more visibility or another way to convert new customers. Never stop striving or updating. Treat your website not as a simple tool but as an integral part of your business.

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Tech Tips: Amazing Hacks For Your iPhone That You Don’t Know About!

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These days, technology is taking over the world, and everyone has a smartphone in their pocket. Arguably the most popular of all smartphones is the iPhone. No matter what model you have, they’re great devices and can do a lot for you. But, did you know there are some cool iPhone hacks you’re missing out on? Check them out down below for more info:

Play Games On iMessage

Many of us have iPhones and want to play some games on them when we get bored. The problem is we don’t have enough storage to download loads of games and keep them on our phone. Well, this one simple hack will change that problem once and for all. With the latest iOS update, you can now download games to play on iMessage. In fact, there’s an app you can download that includes loads of games all in one place. So, you can play your mates at 8-ball pool or connect four while waiting for your train home. All you have to do is go into iMessage and press the App Store icon next to where you send a message. This will take you to the store and show you all the iMessage compatible games you can download.

Turn Your Phone Into A Home Cinema

There are a few cool hacks you can do to turn your little iPhone into a proper home cinema. The best option turns your phone into a film projector for everyone to enjoy. You can find full details of how to do this, but I’ll give you the shorthand. You simply cut a hole in the front of a shoebox and stick a magnifying glass in there. Then, you stand your iPhone in the box behind it, and the screen gets projected through the glass onto the wall! You can make your cinema experience better by downloading apps to watch movies and TV on too. There are loads out there like the Showbox App For iPhone that allow you to do this. With a big movie library at your disposal, you can enjoy a crazy movie night at your house with just an iPhone.

Charge Your Phone Quicker Than Ever Before

We’ve all been in situations when we desperately need our phones to charge. Perhaps you left it on all night and now have to deal with 10% to last the day? You have half an hour before you need to leave for work and frantically stick your charger in the phone. Most of the time, our phones don’t charge quick enough, and we’re still left struggling with half a phone battery all day long. But, there’s one simple hack you can do to make your iPhone charge at super speed. All you have to do is turn Airplane Mode on and watch the magic happen. When Airplane Mode is on then, your phone charges a lot quicker. It’s probably because it uses up a lot less power when in this mode so can charge faster. One thing’s for certain, if you’re ever in a rush and need to charge your phone; this little hack can save you.

Give these cool hacks a go and start getting more from your iPhone today!

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3 Interesting Ways Businesses Benefit From Remote Access Technology

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With technology advancing fast, there are many tech tools you may not even know about. It’s hard to keep up with everything new, and your business may be missing a trick! One of the great modern technology features that businesses can benefit from is remote access technology.

All Windows computers have built-in remote assistance features. Macs also feature the Apple Remote Desktop tool. But you can also find software designed for businesses to make remote access even simpler. It’s a highly practical tool well worth considering. But just how can it benefit your business?

Rapid I.T. Support

Dealing with computer problems is one of the biggest hassles in the workplace. Network connectivity issues and software usage problems can bother everyone in your company. Hardware faults and security breaches are even more stressful! Avoiding these problems helps with business efficiency, and that’s where remote access helps.

In-house I.T. support is often costly and not always the most practical option. It’s helpful to outsource your I.T. services, but you might worry about getting slower support. The good news is many I.T. companies now provide instant support with remote assistance software. Modern businesses like WesTec services and many others can help your business remotely.

A lot of modern I.T. companies even offer remote monitoring to identify and solve problems before they slow down your business. You can browse all over the internet and restart your computer without having to worry about annoying errors causing you stress!

Remote Working

It’s helpful to have people in their office at all times, but it doesn’t always happen. You might need employees in your business to travel sometimes, and workers often take days off for appointments. The same applies to you. What if you need to get work done, but you’re not at the office?

Remote access software lets you access a computer from anywhere. It’s a technique Universities often use to let students complete work on their student accounts from home. Many businesses are also making use of this nowadays to make remote working possible.

Many studies point towards the benefits of flexible working. It exemplifies why remote access is a valuable asset for businesses. You can allow employees to take a day off from the office but still get all their work completed from home! But bear in mind remote access software isn’t the only method for this. You can also submit work from anywhere using cloud collaboration tools like Google Docs.

Customer Assistance

While remote access helps you get instant I.T. support, you can also provide immediate customer help. Fast customer service is vital in the digital age, and remote help can go a long way!

If a customer emails you telling you they have problems using your website, writing out instructions isn’t practical. Instead, they can give you access to their desktop so you can show them how to use your online shopping cart or where to find your products.

It’s a vital tool for companies who develop software or apps. Remote access is possible on smartphones as well, so you can show customers how to use your product on computers or portable devices.

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These Ecommerce UX Goofs May Kill Your Business

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Messing up on the creation of a regular business website is one thing. But messing up the business website when you run an e-commerce business? Well, that’s a whole new level of messing up! After all, your website is the business. A lot of businesses make basic user experience goofs in this field. Here are the common goofs you need to avoid.

Forcing users to register before they buy

I get how this makes sense. You want people to register to your website, after all. And it doesn’t sound like that big an ask if they’re already willing to purchase something from you! And it’s not as if some of the most popular e-commerce businesses don’t already do this. Just look at Amazon, for example. They’re the biggest business in this game. If they do it, surely you should emulate it?

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The problem here is that Amazon is a well-established, very famous brand. And most people seem to have an Amazon account anyway! With smaller websites, people are more willing to simply make a purchase as quickly as possible and be done with it. People are reluctant to register to more websites these days. Especially when registering is often nowhere near as quick as websites claim! Consider offering users the option of checking out as a guest.

Swift information entering

When it comes time for a customer to give their information to you, they want to get it done as quickly as possible. But a lot of e-commerce websites get this part wrong. Forms are one of the most frequently ‘mis-developed’ features of any website. And there are plenty of opportunities to get things wrong here.

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First off: you need to allow for autocomplete to work on your website. Some businesses make the bizarre decision of disabling this on their website. Don’t do that. Secondly, don’t make users rely entirely on text fields. Give them drop down lists to make the process easier. Finally, don’t over-rely on drop-down lists! When an American wants to enter their state, for example, it’s so much quicker to let them enter those two letters.

Better photos and product descriptions

Heck, even Amazon sometimes has blurry product photos. But this problem appears on such a  small number of products. The fact is that you have to remember that people like to interact with things before they buy them. They like to hold them and inspect them before sealing the deal. Obviously, you can’t replicate this experience in e-commerce. But if you provide high-quality photos of your products from several angles? Then that goes a long way to scratching that particular consumer itch!

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Of course, you can’t tell everything about a product from simply looking at a photo. You need to make sure there’s plenty of in-depth product information. In fact, this is even more important that the pictures! You have to make sure as many possible questions a consumer could have about the product are answered. You should include technical details – don’t assume the customer doesn’t want to know them! And do try to get to the point. Writing some long introductory text before getting to the actual details will simply turn customers off.

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Your Secret Weapon: Getting A Lot More Out Of Your Smartphone When Travelling

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Let’s start with an important point. We’re not suggesting that everyone spend their vacations with their faces buried in their phones. For the duration of the holiday, it’s worth considering switching off Facebook, Skype, and the rest. But that’s not to say that your phone can’t be one of the most valuable tools for making a holiday even more enjoyable.

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Avoiding the most dreaded problem

Modern phones are, honestly, pretty terrible when it comes to battery life. You can use your phone for all kinds of things, but only so long as you can keep it on. If you’re traveling, you seriously want to consider getting a tool to help you do so. Looking at some of the features of a good power bank, it’s hard to dispute the reasoning. Just make sure you consider things like battery type and charging speed before you pick it up.

Finding the best stops

If you’re on a road trip, then having a phone can be pretty vital to the trip. Sure, it’s about exploring. But exploring poor quality road-side restaurants doesn’t sound like much of an adventure. Instead, you can use apps like RoadTripper if you’re vacationing in the US. Apps like those can help you choose a route with better sights, better food and better places to sleep.

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Getting you and your pals organized

If you’re not traveling alone, it can be something of a hassle. People have different ideas of what’s happening and where you’re going. Doing anything in a group can be stressful, so those extra conflicts aren’t welcome. Consider apps like Evernote, that can help you all put your notes together and keep communicating and organized. That way, everyone’s looking at the same itinerary and no-one’s arguing on how you’re supposed to spend your time.

A personal travel guide

On the other hand, if you have nothing in your itinerary, that’s nothing to worry about, either. The internet can be a wonderful source of information but it can also be pretty overwhelming. For good advice on where to stop in your next destination, you want proper travel apps with information by travelers for travelers. It’s also worth noting that you should choose apps that allow you to use them offline, like Triposo. You never know how good connectivity will be when you’re out and about.

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A translator

The language barrier has been a consistent problem for the unprepared. It’s a good idea to learn some functional levels of the language for where you’re going to. But that functional language might make it hard to navigate train options or order at a restaurant. For those situations, there are plenty of translation apps that can help you in a jam. There are even some that can help you translate speech. Yet it’s always a smart idea to expect some errors when dealing with voice recognition software.

From helping you get around to making sure you’re ordering something you’ll actually find edible. Phones can be a very handy traveling partner. As we said up top, just make sure you’re spending enough time looking up from it to actually enjoy your holiday.

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Off The Grid: Three Fabulous Tech Free Activities

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Does is ever feel like technology completely dominates your life? As if you can’t go thirty seconds without the beep of some gadget or another grabbing your attention. Not to mention the fact that most of us spend the majority of our days staring at screens. It can all get a bit… clinical feeling, not to mention claustrophobic. It’s easy to forget just how wonderful and fascinating the world around us really is. There are so many incredible things to see and do in the natural world that it’s a real shame we spend so much time staring at our phones that we miss them. Fortunately, that means that there is always the chance to get away from it all and enjoy some tech-free activities. Here are a few of my favorite ways to get off the grid.

Surfing

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You know what a major issue with a lot of gadgets is? Waterproofing. Anyone who’s ever dropped their phone in the bath and then spent hours with it sat in a bowl of rice will know that for certain. Luckily this turns out to be a blessing in disguise if you want a way to rid yourself of technological temptation. Surfing is one of the most fun and exciting things that you can do. Nothing makes you feel closer to the world around you than the smell of sea air and the refreshing splash of the waves. There are lots of different places to try surfing no matter what your skill level. And if you’re a bit afraid of getting up onto the board then you can try bodyboarding as well.

Hiking

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Now this one might take a bit of discipline because you can technically bring your gadgets along with you. But not only will that defeat the purpose entirely, but it’ll also burden you with extra stuff that you probably won’t want to carry for long. All you need to do is find a trail and get lost in nature. You might be tempted to snap some pictures for social media but why not just enjoy the sights. You’ll always have those memories, and they’ll look that much nicer when you’re not looking through a screen. Places like Big Bend hiking allow you to pick trails to suit your level and they all provide some incredible scenery. And the best thing about hiking? It’s free! Make sure you pack some decent boots, though!

Camping

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If you need a five-star hotel with room service, then you might want to look away now. Camping is just about the best way to get off the grid and back to nature. Sleeping on the ground with just a sleeping back underneath you and a tent keeping you safe from the elements. Cooking up beans in the can with nothing but the sounds of nature for company. There really is nothing like it! Now, of course, there are lots of campsites that offer more modern conveniences, like indoor toilets, if you don’t want to go completely rough. But for the full experience try to avoid bringing your gadgets along with you at all. After a while, you won’t even miss them anymore!

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Technophobes Pay Attention!

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Are you a person whose head is still in the 20th century? Do you not know your iPod from your iPad? Is a Blackberry for you only a fruit you can get from your local forest? Well you have a lot to learn but it’s nigh impossible. So get your swimming trunks on and get ready to dive into the future.

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Image from source

So you’re a technophobe. There’s no beating around the bush. You’ve been hibernating for the past few years and now’s the time to resurface. Trust me, you’ve missed out on a lot. As a business manager, it’s imperative that you quickly get with the times. There’s so much untapped potential out there that it’s going to make you weep. Social media, for example is now the best form of advertising and it’s completely free!! How much of your budget are you currently spending on publication? Hmm. Unfortunately the younger generation spends more time on looking at Facebook and Instagram than the broadsheets these days. That’s how it is. You’ve just got to live with it.

The best thing to do is get somebody to teach you. Maybe a relative or a family friend. It might be a bit unprofessional if you get taught by a work colleague. Imagine the arguments you may end up having! Plus do you really want the guys in the office knowing about your allergy to Apple?  It could loosen your respect a bit. If your old-fashioned attitude runs in the family genes, then why not look around for some it support in the office. Keep it on the downlow though. You don’t want that nosy girl from HR to know do you? With your recently acquired IT knowledge, you can surf the net where’s so much action straight at your fingertips. You don’t have to spy from the trees with your binoculars at other companies now. You don’t have to break into their warehouses and check out what they’re selling. There’ll be no glass against the wall during board meetings. Just a couple of clicks and all that info is yours. No, I’m not joking. It’s as easy as that. Look at what you’ve missed out on.

Word of mouth is an incredible marketing tool and to be fair, you do use it regularly. But nowadays, that’s not the be all and end all. Save your petrol. Spend less money at the service station. Rest your booming voice. Why not create a website that expresses all you wish to say on just one page? You know what makes a good stand out piece of work.  You’ve handwritten leaflets in the past promoting your business. Well it’s just like that, only with a mouse. A computerised one, if you’re unsure. Once you get your text down to a tee, how about including some of those pictures you took from that shiny new camera of yours? See. You’re not that much of a technophobe now are you? Welcome to reality old friend.

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