You have a great idea for a business and a fantastic product that meets an under-served market—so why isn’t anyone buying from your website? Here are some ways to improve the number of purchases you’re getting. 1.) Buy Your IP Address Loading time is a killer—fully 40% of your consumers will abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. You may not realize that not having a static IP address could really be slowing your site down and reducing its accessibility. If you don’t own your IP address, every time someone loads your page, it slows the process down because your digital marker wanders and it takes time for the server to resolve the issue. That may only be a second or two, but given the expectations of today’s consumer’s that could be costing you a lot of business. 2.) Clean Up Your Site It’s tempting when you’re new to designing your site to show off all the bells and whistles—but a clean, streamlined approach will keep your customers looking. Consumers are interested in what you have to offer them, not all the props that can make your website slow and sticky: Music – If you have sound on your site, including ads that play automatically, you could be turning off customers who prefer to keep their internet wandering private. Around 1 out of 3 people in the U.S. shop online at work, and managers will turn a blind eye—to a point—but most people don’t want to make their occasional forays into the online market noticeable. Poor Navigation Ability – Your customers don’t want to have to hunt for the privilege to use your products or services. Don’t make your navigation hard to follow. Unclear Explanations – If you’re selling a product, you need every detail that you can think to offer, from the dimensions to the color, and your pictures need to be clear and devoid of visual distractions. You want to give your customer the “as close to seeing it in person as possible” experience. Spend some time thinking about what your customers want to know. For example, if you sell handmade jewelry, a picture of a pendant isn’t enough—you also need a picture of someone wearing it so that the customer can visualize how low it hangs. 3. Make Registration And Shipping A Breeze Around 75% of potential online purchases fail at the checkout, items abandoned the cart. Do not put your customers through an unnecessary hassle at the end no matter how badly you want their information. Optimize your page so that people can log in in through social media and allow “guest” checkouts if people want to do that rather than spend the time registering for an account. Getting customers to your website is only 1/2 of the battle for online commerce these days—if customers are stopping by but aren’t staying, it’s time to figure out why you are losing their attention once they get there and make a few smart changes that will get your business moving...
read moreAs a homeowner, security is probably one of your top concerns, especially if you have a family. This is why many homeowners consider installing an alarm system in their home. However, some homeowners are hesitant to installing alarm systems with the belief that they live in a safe neighborhood where nothing can happen. However, keeping the doors locked and living in a safe neighborhood doesn’t always mean that you are going to be protected. Here are three reasons you should install an alarm system: Be Safer in Your Home: Even with the doors and windows locked, little sounds from outside can make you nervous, especially at night. When you have an alarm system installed, these little sounds shouldn’t bother you too much since you know if there was a real problem, your alarm would be triggered and the authorities alerted. When the alarm goes off, it gives you time to prepare and get to safety, whereas you might not have that kind of time if someone were to break into your home and there was no loud sound to trigger you awake or to get your attention away from the television. Feel Safer When You Leave: When you leave your home for a vacation, you may be slightly nervous leaving all your valuable possessions behind. Luckily, many alarm systems nowadays come with the ability to have remote access to your home even when you are away. From the touch of a button on your smartphone, you are able to control the lights in your home and use any security cameras you may have installed to see whether or not something is going on in your home. On top of this, many alarm systems can have the added feature of alerting authorities as soon as it’s triggered and giving you a notification on your phone. Have Better Homeowners Insurance Costs: Homeowners insurance can be expensive, especially if your home does not have certain features that keep it safer from potential losses. Insurance companies will appreciate you have an alarm system installed because it minimizes their risk of having to provide coverage should your home be robbed. For this reason, many homeowners insurance companies provide heavy discounts for having an up-to-date alarm system installed. When you know these three reasons to install an alarm system, you can be sure that you see why investing in one is going to provide you the best living situation...
read moreIT management automation almost always provides a return on investment. However, there are mistakes that are made by organizations that lead to their IT automation not producing as much of a return on investment as it could. This area of IT needs regular improvements to create a maximum ROI. Consider What Repetitive Tasks Can Be Automated IT automation exists to replicate repetitive tasks so that they no longer need to be performed manually. Many of these tasks are so common that they aren’t even noticed, but they cost an organization money, as it is forced to hire more employees and devote time and resources away from repetitive tasks that could instead be directed toward tasks that improve the company’s bottom line. Understand The Variables And Inputs Needed To Automate A Task To automate a task, there must be variables or inputs that are entered in that then triggers the automated task. For instance, a customer may make a submission to a website that then automatically triggers a set of tasks that are performed. Great automated systems will make decisions based on context that takes many factors into consideration. For instance, if it is detected that there is a server outage at a facility during the day, the appropriate response would be different than if there was a server outage in the middle of the night. The more scenarios that are considered, the more the appropriate action can be perfected to maximize the return on investment. Implement IT Automation Where It Matters It is critical to identify the specific needs of your organization before implementing an IT management automation system. You will need to think about the specific needs of your organization and how these needs can be met without manual human input. Areas in which IT automation can improve your profitability include: lowering the rate of error: humans are more likely to make mistakes than automated systems better compliance: humans are more likely to forget compliance issues meantime-to-resolution: the amount of time that passes from when a problem arises to when a problem is resolved effort reduction: less effort means that time and energy can be devoted to other tasks The right IT automation solution is best developed by an IT management consultant firm that has experience in process automation. The sooner your company has your system perfected, the faster you will maximize your ROI. IT automation is never perfected, but regular improvements will make it increasingly more profitable. Contact a company like Mcglaun Consulting for more...
read moreWhen you want to begin decorating your speakers in a way that makes them look wonderful for as long as you own them, you should think about some tips for buying custom speaker art. There are a lot of vendors who do shows all over and sell their wares. If you are considering purchasing a nice piece of custom speaker art, consider these three tips below so that it can guide you through the process of buying this sort of art. Tip #1: Consider Your Interests And Tastes First Anytime that you are buying custom art, you should take your time and allow something to move you. Art is a “feel” based process, so give yourself the opportunity to explore the vibe that you are going for and assess which elements catch your eye in an interesting way. You will be able to work side-by-side with these artists in order to come up with a beautiful custom piece that will excellently decorate your speaker. By considering your interests first, it will go a long way toward informing your purchase process. Tip #2: Conduct Thorough Research On The Artist Prior to shopping with a custom artist, give yourself the opportunity to conduct thorough research on them. Any artist that you buy custom work from should have an online gallery or portfolio that you can look through to see their style and how they operate. By looking into these artists ahead of time, you will be able to give yourself a heads up on any galleries or shows they will be at, which will give you plenty of face time and the opportunity to go further with your custom speaker art order. Tip #3: Get Out And Experience Some Galleries For Great Finds To truly branch out and build your custom speaker art repertoire, you should do your due diligence in visiting a variety of galleries and shows. This lets you know what’s out there and gives you a chance to carve out your interests to develop your art palate. There are a number of artists that specialize in custom speakers who will be able to give you an idea of what to expect from their work. Consider these three words of advice and use them so that you can start to shop around for a great piece of custom speaker art. There are plenty of artists who can serve you and decorate your speakers with beautiful pieces. To learn more about custom speaker art, contact a company like...
read moreIf you are running many different computers at the same time or one or two computers throughout the day, you want to make sure that you keep your energy bills under control. You also want to make sure that you don’t accidentally blow a fuse or fry your circuits. You have two different options when it comes to managing the power that your computer requires. You can do it manually or you can use power management software. Here are some tips if you decide to perform power management manually. 1. Set the Sleep Mode Settings Your computer has multiple different power states that it can run in. If you are playing a video game that requires high-intensity graphics or are using most of your computer’s computing power to brute-force a password or some other large set of data computations, then you are going to be using your computer in a high energy state. If you are not using your computer while you run to get lunch, you can set the computer in a low power state. There are settings on your computer that will control how long your computer has to be inactive in order for it to enter a low energy state. By fiddling with these settings and having even a short period of inactivity lead to a low power state, you can reduce the amount of energy that your computer consumes during the course of a day. 2. Get Rid of Your Screen Saver Old monitors used to require screen savers to keep the screen from freezing and having its pixels permanently stuck in a single position. Today’s monitors don’t have that risk. You can therefore get rid of your screensaver when you leave your computer idle. The screensaver burns power and is going to result in your computer using more energy than is practically necessary. 3. Turn Off Auxiliary Equipment If you have external speakers that you are not using, turn them off. The same goes for your printer and any other auxiliary equipment that your computer connects to. This will allow you to make sure that you are avoiding draining power that you aren’t necessarily actively using. 4. Close Unused Applications Regularly Most people are guilty of having multiple tabs open in a web browser and multiple applications open on a computer. You are using too much power by keeping all of these applications open, and you’re likely not using all of them. Resolve this by setting a timer every thirty minutes and closing all of your unused applications. For more information, talk to a company that specializes in power management, such as...
read moreIf you’re headed out into the great outdoors to enjoy a camping trip, you may think that your cellular phone is all that you’ll need to remain connected to family or friends. However, there is another form of technology that may prove to be an even better choice: the satellite two-way radio. Satellite-capable, two-way radios allow you to reach others at the mere click of a button and have significant advantages over traditional cell phones when being used for a camping trip. Learning more about the benefits of satellite two-way radios can help you determine if you should pick one up before your next outdoor excursion. Satellite Two-Way Radios May Work When Cell Phones Fail One of the most compelling reasons why you should bring a two-way radio along on your camping trip is because it may allow you to get in touch with help in case of an emergency. This is an important point to keep in mind, since you wouldn’t want to pick up your cell phone to make a call only to find that you can’t receive a signal. Two-way radios send their signals straight up into the air to a satellite. The signal is then sent to another two-way radio or a cellular phone. You won’t be at the mercy of the cell phone towers, which can become bogged down if a major disaster happens and everyone is trying to make phone calls at once. Even if you’re in the most rural area, you may find that your two-way satellite radio is still able to keep you in touch with others when you need them most. Satellite Two-Way Radios Track Your Position Another reason why it’s such a good idea to take a two-way radio along when you’re camping is because it provides you with near real-time tracking of your position as you move. You can see how this would be beneficial in the event that you’re hurt and are unable to reach out for help. Concerned parties would be able to use the positioning functionality of your two-way radio to find you. Taking a satellite two-way radio with you when you go camping is a vital way for you to make sure that you remain on the grid even when you’re enjoying nature. Purchase a satellite two-way radio for your next camping event or outdoor adventure so you can enjoy these benefits and many...
read moreInvesting in a home theater system can be a good idea for a living room or home cinema. It can also mean that there is a lot of equipment that you need to wire and connect. This often means that there is a mess of tangled wires behind your entertainment center or furniture. To keep things organized, you may want to use some tips to help keep wires out of the way and out of sight. Here are some tips to help you wire your home theater system like a professional: 1. Removing Trim To Run Speaker Wires And Keep Them Out Of Sight If want to have a home theater with the best sound possible, you will not want to have wireless speakers, which can cause you to lose quality and are susceptible to interference. Instead, a hard-wired sound system can give you the sound you want, but it can also mean unsightly wires running everywhere. A simple way to hide speaker wire is to put it behind wood trim. Baseboards can be a great place to hide wires. You can also use crown moldings to hide the wiring for your speakers. 2. Using A Switch To Keep AV Cables Out Of The Way In A Cabinet With a modern home theater system, you may have audio/video cables that go from consoles, computers and other devices to your TV. Instead of the mountain of wires going to your TV or projector, invest in a good switch that can be hidden in a cabinet. This can reduce the wiring going to your TV, which can make it easier to conceal. All you will have to do is change the button on the switch to go from using one device to another. 3. Color Coded Velcro Ties To Organize Cables And Keep Maintenance Simple Even though you may think you have everything you need for your home theater system now, you can count on there being something to add to it later. To make it easier to do maintenance and upgrades to your system, use color-coded Velcro cable ties. You can use one color for sound, another for audio and others for power and other cables you use. This will keep cables well-organized and make it easier to change things around when you need to. These are some tips to help you wire your home theater system like a professional. If you are looking for the right system for your home, contact a home theater system service and talk with them about the best solution for your cinema and entertainment needs. For a home theater system, click on this link http://www.atechels.com or do an online...
read moreNo matter the speed of your business network, it can all be squandered if balancing techniques aren’t in place. Files are becoming bigger and the influx of tech-savvy workers need to be able to move, swipe, access, and modify files without much of a wait. If you’re having issues with internal network speeds or even fighting over Internet resources, take a look at what’s going wrong and how to keep everything in balance. Bandwidth Is A Finite Resource Consider the daily activities on a computer network. Users need to access files both on the internal share drives and across the Internet. Every click on the internal network needs to move files from one computer or server to the requesting computer. When multiple users are doing the same thing, a certain amount of traffic is used. The maximum amount of traffic is the maximum bandwidth, and you’ll need enough bandwidth to make sure that files aren’t being slowed down when too many people are moving files. It’s not just possible for bandwidth to be depleted and competed over, it’s probable. Technology changes, and file sizes may increase faster than you upgrade your equipment. The same goes for the Internet access, although Internet may be easier to notice since you’re subscribing to a finite service with an easily referenced limit. The problem with internal networks is that you need to know the speed of every device. The network is only as fast as the slowest device, so any router, server or other devices used to pass around data can slow down your file sharing and information gathering. This makes it easier for the network to be overloaded with too many requests. Get Balancing Assistance From Professionals If you haven’t been using a network administration team, or if your network hasn’t been inspected since installation (or if you installed the system on your own), there are a lot of configuration changes that need to be made. Out of the box, many network devices are designed to send information from source to destination through the fastest–but not necessarily the shortest–path available. Modern devices are designed to deliver basic load balancing techniques, such as stopping a single user from consuming all of the bandwidth, but it isn’t efficient without some changes. A managed IT service professional can designate specific users, computers or even activities to take priority over others. If you want everyone to have equal bandwidth usage, but want live video conferences or specific file downloads to take priority, a deep system of configuration can make your needs a reality. Not sure about the priorities needed? The expert team can develop a plan that works for most businesses. Contact a managed IT services professional to discuss your network balancing needs and to begin a network maintenance...
read moreIf you are setting up a new home office, there is more to it than purchasing a new computer or laptop. You also need to make sure you have the right printer, have enough space and storage, and enough lighting. Follow the tips below and you will end up with a home office that works well for you. Printer If you have a home office and need a new printer, you may want to consider a multifunction printer. You will also hear these printers referred to as all-in-one printers. No matter what they are called, these printers can print text as well as images. They can also serve as a copier and/or scanner. These printers also have many other features you need to consider, including: Photo If you need to print photos, you need to make sure they are of high quality. Because of this, you should choose an inkjet multifunction printer. If you need to print photos from different sources, such as USB memory cards, original prints, cameras, and slides, you should purchase a photo laser multifunction printer. Copying Most multifunction printers have the ability to copy, but some of them can only copy when connected to the computer. If you will be copying a lot, you should make sure the printer you choose can work as a standalone copier also. Fax The multifunction printer you purchase will likely include faxing. In many cases, you use a keypad to enter in the phone numbers. You may need to fax directly from your computer instead of printing them out first, so make sure the printer has this ability also. Contact a business like Royal Business Systems, Inc. for help with finding the right printer for your needs. Workspace and Storage Your home office may not have a large amount of space. For this reason, if you have too much in it, you will end up feeling cramped. To get a good workspace and storage without taking up too much room, consider building your own desk. You can use two file cabinets as a base, and place a laminate or wood countertop over them for the surface. Just make sure the file cabinets are tall enough for you to fit your chair under. If you have not purchased a desk chair yet, purchase it first. Lighting The lighting in your home office is important. It is best to choose a room where you can get as much natural light as you can. If you do not have this option, use wall sconces, which are surface mounted to the wall. These are beneficial because you can direct the light downwards or upwards. Use a desk lamp that has a dimmer option so you can control the amount of light it gives. If you do not have a lot of desk space, use a swing arm lamp instead of a table lamp. The ceiling fixture is something else to consider. Pendant lights work well over your desk area. These lights are suspended from the ceiling by a metal rod, chain, or a cord. You may have one single light, or hang several in a series. You can drop them as low as you need, and you can find them in a variety of styles. Put some sheer curtains on the windows. You can...
read moreIf you have the desire to have an alarm system installed in your home, you might want to check out the following tips. This way, you will not have to worry about the cost of the system deterring you from getting the process started. Watch For The Sales Many companies will offer limited time offers that provide new customers a discount to take advantage of. Such offers may include a discounted price off of the monthly service fee for a certain number of months or years. They might also offer a waived installation fee, as well as free or discounted security equipment. Of course, many security companies will only offer a certain amount of free or discounted equipment, which they consider their starter package. Depending on the number of windows and doors in your room, you might need extra equipment that you may have to pay full price for. Look Into Self Installation Options Some security systems offer wireless equipment, which means that there might be a chance that you could install a lot of it on your own. By installing the equipment yourself, you can save the cost of the installation. You also do not have to set an exact date and time for someone to be home in order to allow the security company technician into the home. This is not usually an option for security systems that are wired into place, which generally requires the expertise of a technician or electrician. Take It One Floor At A Time If you are concerned that you do not have the money to secure every possible entry point of your home, you can always take it one floor at a time. For example, the first level of the house will be the level that is most likely to be entered by an intruder due to the easy access. Therefore, all of the doors and windows on that level should be covered by alarms. Then, over time, as money allows, you can have additional alarms put in place in all of the windows on the second floor. Taking it one level at a time makes it a little easier on your budget and will ensure that you are able to start securing your home as soon as possible. As you can see, there are some clever ways to make sure that you are saving money on the installation of a home security system. All you have to do now is contact a security system company like Tele-Plus to set up an...
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