Factors to Look for When Choosing the Best WordPress Hosting Plan

Creating an online business starts with having a plan. You have to know what you’re trying to achieve, or your purpose, before you can start to make an impact online. Whenever I start an online business, I’ll focus on a niche, explore my passion, choose a domain, and then search for hosting. The other factors are pretty simple to figure out, but the hosting, you need to be careful about. You have so many companies to choose from all providing different options. For example, you’ll find hosting companies with different:

• Pricing
• Advertising credits
• Storage
• Bandwidth
• Memory
• Applications
• FTP accounts
• Email options
• And many more

Keep in mind, some hosting providers will give more options than others, which is why you should be very selective when making your choice. I often get asked this question: What options are MOST important when choosing a hosting plan for your business?

From my experience many people are designing websites using WordPress because of the easy customization. What once use to take 3 months can now be done within 4 minutes thanks to WordPress. This CMS platform is completely plug n ’play, and you can drop a theme, plugins, forms, and applications into place with a click. Next,

The popularity of WordPress has changed the way we host websites. You now want a more customized plan that fits perfectly with our CMS application. For this reason, many people have switched to WordPress hosting. Personally, ever since I created my first website on WordPress, I haven’t thought of using any other platform.

Today, I’ll be discussing the different WordPress hosting plans available, and how to choose the right one to fit your requirements. Let’s get started:

Storage Space

When choosing the right WordPress Hosting plan, you want to make sure you have enough storage space. Many people don’t opt for a plan with a lot of storage because they simply don’t know what it means to have adequate storage. Storage space is the total amount of space on your server. This space can be used to upload files, databases, images, videos, scripts, HTML files, etc. Next,

You need calculate storage space by figuring out the cost difference between plans A and B. For example, if you are getting way more storage for a few extra bucks then it’s definitely worth it because your business will increase in size overtime. However, I always recommend my clients to determine storage space by first figuring out their needs. It’s also a good idea to look at your current financial situation. Many people choose a “basic” plan because they can’t afford the level up right now.

WPEngine.com has built a great reputation over the years, and is one of the MOST popular WordPress Hosting providers. They offer the following storage space levels: 10GB, 20GB, 30GB, and for a custom plan with 1TB.

When choosing the right WordPress Hosting plan, consider the following:

• What is your budget?
• How big is your current website?
• What is the rate of growth?
• What is the price difference between Plan A and B?
• The current price of plan? (without trial)
• Your monthly budget

Hosting Speed

It’s very important you choose a WordPress hosting plan which gives you the minimum speed requirements. Google has made it clear that website load time is factor they take into consideration when ranking your website in the search engines. In the end, it’s all about the user experience, and a slow loading site will decrease their overall experience.

Depending on the type of business your involved in, you can have a website which is very large. Some clients I have worked with in the pasthave enormous sites, and with a slow hosting plan it just causes an environment which is very slow to load. Trust me when I say people when searching for information will NOT stick around waiting for a website to load. They have other options available to find the information they are looking for.

Look for a WordPress hosting provider which can provide speeds of 3.75 or below. This means it should take no more than 3.75 seconds to load your website or page.

Monthly Visits

It’s hard to find solid hosting providers which give you an enormous bang for your buck. For example, the last thing you want to do is spend $50.00/month, then have to worry about the added costs if you go above the visitor threshold. I encourage all of you to focus on getting an unlimited monthly visitor package so no matter how fast your traffic grows you won’t be penalized. Next, I’ll admit it’s hard to find an unlimited package so look for what makes sense. I hope by now you have analytics installed on your website so you can track visitor data. Purchase a package which is affordable, and give enough monthly visitor room just in case you have a dramatic increase in traffic quickly.

On the other hand, if you have a flexible budget, then you always have the option to level up to another plan.

Managed vs. Unmanaged

The WordPress environment can be tricky once you start hosting a large site. These days many people prefer a completely managed hosting solution. What’s the difference?

Managed – Everything is taken care of for you by the hosting company. You don’t have to worry about uptime, security, configuration, hackers, etc.

Unmanaged – You have complete control which means you need experience with configuration, uptime, security patches, etc. If you purchase un-managed, then it’s important you have experience with managing the server environment, or have someone on your team which can.

Fortunately, the best WordPress hosting plans offer a fully-managed environment.

The Type of Plan:

Shared Hosting

Very low cost, but limited on the resources available to you because it’s being shared with others. A great plan for someone starting out online, and very little maintenance. Important to pay close attention to what’s included with the price you’re paying because as mentioned, you are limited on the control, and resources.

VPS (Virtual Private Server)

The cost tends to increase in this type of plan, but you have more resources available to you. You need experience when running a VPS because of the open interface within this type of hosting plan. I would encourage you to ask yourself some critical questions before purchasing so you make an informed decision. For example,

• Can shared hosting provide what you need or is VPS critical?
• Can you afford monthly cost?
• Do you have the experience to run a VPS?
• Anyone on your team know what they are doing with VPS?

Dedicated Hosting

Higher cost, and fully-managed by you so you need experience handling servers. No interference by the hosting admin. The cost is much higher however the options are endless. If you opt to choose a dedicated hosting plan, then you’re probably running a massive website with several customers.

• Higher cost
• You need to have high levels of experience
• Unlimited resources
• You need a high monthly budget for dedicated hosting plans

The Hosting Security

It’s important your site always stays secure because one small breach can destroy your credibility. This is especially important when you are keeping a customer’s personal data on file i.e. name, email, payment info, etc. Since the internet is accessible by everyone, it just increases the chances of even more hacks going forward. Now the question is: What are the most important security measures to take?

Here are the common security features I pay close attention to when choosing the right WordPress Hosting Provider.

First, it’s important they regularly update their servers installing the right security patches. Secondly, make sure the hosting provider makes continual backups of their system. You don’t want their servers to fail or they’ll lose everything, and this ultimately means you have lost your website. Third, I make sure the hosting company is up-to-date with the changing trends in technology. For example, I want to make sure they are adding or using the best technology because this just makes their platform more enticing for customers. The older the technology, the higher chances they can be breached or something can fail.

SSL (secure sockets layer) is very important because it encrypts the data being transferred from point A to point B. If the hosting provider is using SSL you can find out in two ways. First, they’ll have a certificate on their homepage, and throughout the website. Next, look at the top for the “HTTPS” in the URL address because this stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

The Interface

One thing I’ve always hated is a hosting control panel which is hard to navigate. I believe in simplicity, and as someone running a business, the last thing you want to do is waste time with the back end. As a matter of fact, the only backend you should be worried about is your actual website customization. For example, if you’re running the WordPress platform, then you want to quickly control plugins, theme, meta tags, content, etc. Next,

As mentioned, many of the WordPress plans will be fully-managed, however you want to make sure you can view analytics, and data with NO problem. It’s also important your able to find all the information you’re looking for quickly so the rest of the time is spent managing your website.

The Support

I’ll admit you’re paying a higher rate for a WordPress hosted plan compared to regular shared hosting provided by GoDaddy.com or another provider. This is why it’s even more important to me that I get the best customer support when I need it. Even though much of the hosting will be managed by the provider, it’s still expected that when I call in that someone is available to answer my questions.  In the end,

To me it’s all about having excellent support available when you need it. You’re paying for the best user experience, and paying above the average price so you don’t have to deal with unwanted headaches. When you call, you should be able to reach friendly, and knowledgeable staff no matter what time of the day you need them. It’s that simple!

Final Thoughts

The WordPress platform has changed the way we create websites, and interact with people all over the world. The simplicity when designing a website has allowed people to quickly get started online with very little programming knowledge. We have now taken another huge leap forward with companies providing WordPress hosting packages catered to their platform users. However, just like with anything else you purchase, it’s important you make sure they meet your requirements. For example, even when choosing a WordPress hosting provider, you have several options available. Take your time and go through each one finding a plan which is right for you. Above I went over some of the important things to pay close attention to, and here they are again:

• Your budget
• Hosting speed
• Hosting storage
• The interface
• The security options
• Customer support

Again, these are just a few, and it’s important you think about the options important to you so you can find a custom plan right for you. I believe each business, and niche will be different in their requirements.

from John Chow dot Com http://bit.ly/2R71gVz
via Daniel

10 Skills Needed to Becoming a Content Marketing All-Star

Becoming a content marketing All-Star is all about learning how to play the game, what shots to take and what skills to develop. Writing amazing content that drives profitable customer action is the goal. However, multiple team members with varied skill sets make scoring a possibility.

NBA All-Stars practice hours to develop their craft and playing basketball is not just about shooting balls into a net. Players must learn to pass, dribble, rebound and work as a team.  Content marketing is no different. Multiple players such as copywriters and freelancers set up the play and distribution experts make assists in order for content writers to make an effective shot and successfully score a basket!

Content marketing is a team effort and becoming an All-Star requires a multi-faceted approach. Let’s take a look at what it takes to make the jump into All-Star status within the content marketing arena.

LISTENING

Social listening involves researching and understanding the needs and concerns of your readership. It’s all about supply and demand. Supplying a service that is responsive to the needs of your consumer will help your content gain popularity and authority. Delivering just the right answers that create “Ah-ha” moments for your users will ultimately drive home repeat business and help support word of mouth marketing campaigns.

Quora, social listening tools and interviewing subject matter experts gives you an opportunity to analyze the data and determine a finely tuned strategy. Before you even type a word you will truly understand the issues facing your audience and have a grasp on the most effective way to gear your content to meet their needs.

WRITING

The answer is in the title: Content Marketing. The most important emphasis must be on quality. You can market and promote till the cows come home but if your product lacks substance then it won’t fly with your readers. You must back up your marketing with quality writing to keep them engaged, coming back and spreading the word.

Keeping things fresh and inspired is far better achieved when multiple perspectives and style come into play. Outsourcing articles allows your content to have spice and originality. Pay attention to grammar and punctuation as these types of errors will undermine your credibility and authority in the eyes of your audience.

STORYTELLING

Storytelling is a very effective tool to connect to your audience. Its impact is two-fold. You allow readers to get a clear picture of who you are while at the same time impacting them on an emotional level.

As social media marketing gains more traction in the online world the value of storytelling is becoming increasingly important. There is nothing more distracting than bold faced advertisements that bombard your screen while you’re looking up the newest style craze or how-to manual.  Indirect marketing through storytelling allows your audience to truly see your value and product in real life terms.

Just ask companies such as Skyward who created a Content Rising Summit dedicated solely to familiarizing the industry with story branding and its impact on marketing to date. At the end of the day it comes down to connecting with your audience and storytelling is quickly becoming the go-to method. Get out there and tell your story and you’ll see for yourself!

ORGANIZATION

Organization truly is the key! Successful content marketing is a multi-faceted endeavor. Let’s face it, you need to write it down! When you take what’s in your head and put it down to paper you allow all team members to internalize the process and understand how their part comes into play in its successful execution.

Editorial calendars, buyer personas and training manuals help your business to keep on top of everything and allows easy access to information for all involved. Adopt whichever strategy works best way for you but make sure you WRITE IT DOWN!  This way it acts as a reference tool by which you can evaluate your progress and revamp your future goals.

DATA ANALYSIS

Data Analysis is tedious and time consuming but it really can be a lifesaver.  Taking a critical look at your current situation can help you to get a better grasp on what’s working, where you may need to make a tweak or two as well as possible future opportunities that could yield incredible opportunities for your business.

Tools such as Google Analytics and Buzzsumo are fantastic resources to get you started. They’ll collect your traffic numbers, search queries, referring links, location and many more. This step is on par with social listening. In the beginning you watched and listened to the market to tell you where to go and then gave it your best shot. Now you need to see if your aim was spot on or if you need to change your swing so that you can hit a homerun.

ANTICIPATION

Be a leader not a follower!

Industry trends are made by those who have the guts and stamina to outrun the rest. The ones who outrank the competition make it to the front page of Google where fresh and engaging content lives. This means that you must be quick, accurate and thorough in your analysis especially with the steadily increasing presence of Google’s Answers Boxes.

Here’s a hint. If either your brand or client is coming out with a new product, service or buzzword, make sure you are the first to write about it. You have the inside scoop and it helps to lead the pack through the door. So have your ears to the grindstone and watch out for up and coming trends. Anticipating the curve of the ball as it comes towards the plate allows you to hit the sweet spot and knock it right out of the playing field!

VERSATILITY

Readers consume content that appeals to their palate and their tastes are rich and diverse. The definition of content is growing rapidly and now you can throw eBooks, webinars, blog posts, infographics, case studies and white papers under this umbrella.

The vehicle that delivers the content is just as important as the content itself. As a content marketer you must learn to adapt and flow with the changes and tailor your content to reflect industry trends.  It’s important that you broaden your horizons and dive into unchartered waters even if you begin with trepidation. Remember the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step! You’ll gather the skills and confidence along the way but you must make the first move and give the consumer what they want!

COLLABORATION

Content marketing really is a team effort. There so many facets to driving an effective content marketing campaign that you can’t possibly do it alone. Not to mention, each individual offers a unique skillset and talents that offer a mosaic of experience and creativity. This really is your asset. Team members with specialized knowledge allow your efforts to grow and expand.

The key to making a team work effectively lies in how often you collaborate and share ideas. People don’t truly appreciate the power of effectively driven and motivated team environments. You’d be surprised how fast you can clean a house with multiple hands helping out. Informal daily meetings along with regular team trainings will facilitate collaboration and camaraderie.  Group dynamics are important factors to take into consideration so make sure you seek to appreciate, validate and empower your employees and you’ll truly get an amazing product.

RESILIENCY

Failure is just a part of the game. Some shots will sink a basket and others will rebound off the backboard. This is a given. What truly makes an ALL STAR lies in what comes next. How well do you bounce back from defeat? How quickly can you grab the rebound and turn it around to take another shot?

At first glance resiliency seems to be more of a character trait rather than a step towards success. However, even the greatest of us all have failed at one time or another. Content marketing is not unlike anything else in our lives. Failure helps us grow and map out the terrain more specifically. Just think of yourself as an explorer of sorts mapping out the world of content marketing. Without failure we are not inspired to success!

Learn from your missed steps and keep on trekking up the mountain. Just remember to keep your eyes focused to where you want to go and you too will reach the top of the mountain!

PATIENCE

Patience is yet another virtue that you wouldn’t expect to see within the steps of a how-to manual but here it sits and for good reason. Content driven businesses take time to reach the collective consciousness of the online world. It’s exciting to press the publish button. Your thoughts and endeavors are finally out there in mainstream media and it’s tempting to watch for hits and shares as you wait for people to notice your work and appreciate what you have created.

Keep in mind, however, that it often takes a great deal of time for content to mature and fully reach its full potential. Your initial popularity is not a reflection of the quality of your work.  Rather, it is an indication that your content must ripen before it is ready to be picked by the consumers and acquire notoriety in a digital world.  By all means continue to produce new and exciting works in the meantime. Your efforts will reap delicious results!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Becoming an All-Star Content Marketer takes patience, resiliency and great deal of know-how. Above are just a few of the tips and tricks I’ve learned on my journey and it has made all the difference in the world. We all have a journey with different paths and stumbles to mark our falls. Please share yours with us and help others learn from your mistakes. Hopefully together we can create a map that will help anyone with a strong desire, fortitude and drive to become an All-Star in their own right!

from John Chow dot Com http://bit.ly/2F6ZmxB
via Daniel

How to Prepare for a Blogging Vacation

The great advantage to working for yourself as a professional blogger is that, for the most part, you get to set your own schedule. You can set your own hours, if you want to set hours at all, and you don’t have to ask a manager for approval when you want to go on vacation. And while there is certainly the temptation to keep working even when you’re away from the office, we all need a break sometimes.

However, unlike a more traditional work environment where the business might continue to run as normal in your absence, your blog is different. Because it’s just you (mostly). To this end, it’s important that you put the right preparations in place before you decide to hop on a plane and disappear for a few days on a tropical island somewhere.

Set Earlier Deadlines

Human nature being what it is, we all have the habit of pushing everything until the very last minute. And we can sometimes be overly optimistic about how much we think we can accomplish within a certain amount of time. Maybe you’re not like that, but if you are, it’s far easier to work around these pitfalls than to figure out how to eliminate them.

To this end, if there’s anything that needs to be done before you leave for your trip, set yourself a deadline well ahead of your actual departure date. Working a new video you want to upload to YouTube? Tell yourself that video needs to be ready to roll a whole week before you leave. This way, if anything does go sideways, you’ve got enough wiggle room to address it before you have to leave.

Schedule Your Blog Posts

Back when I address this topic more than 10 years ago, it was still the general expectation that blog posts were written “on the spot.” If someone published a post today, it meant they wrote it today (or at least finished writing it today). That’s no longer the case, nor does it need to be.

Just about every content management system (CMS) out there, including WordPress, has built in functionality for your to “time stamp” or “schedule” your blog posts into any point in the future. What this means, and this connects to the previous point, is that you can “pre-write” enough content to fill the time when you’ll be on your blogging vacation.

Unless you proclaim to the world that you’ll be away, most people won’t even know that you’re missing, because your blog will continue to be updated with new content. Plan ahead and pre-write (and schedule) enough posts to align with your usual publishing frequency.

Automate Your Social Media

This relates to the previous point too. Just as you can schedule blog posts well in advance, you can do the same with most social media platforms too. For Twitter, you might use a tool like Buffer or Hootsuite to help manage your scheduled Twitter posts. On Facebook, the publishing tool for your Facebook page allows you to schedule posts into the future too.

For promoting the new blog content that’ll be going up on your site, you might use the Publicize function in the Jetpack plugin for WordPress. This allows you to decide on the platforms where you want the post to be shared, as well as the text snippet that should accompany it. Conversely, you can grab what will be the live URL and schedule it accordingly too.

Outsource and Delegate as Necessary

No man is an island and your blog doesn’t need to exist in isolation. It’s about figuring out how you can scale your business and eventually remove yourself from the picture altogether.

When you go on a blogging vacation, it’s like a short-term experiment for what your blog would look like if you were no longer actively working on it. Outsourcing some tasks can save you time and ultimately earn you more money in the long run.

You can hire someone to respond to comments, both on your blog and on social media, for example. If you have blogging friends, you can develop a “buddy” system too.

Upload Key Assets to the Cloud

Okay, I know I said that we could all use a break, and it’s probably in the best interest of your sanity that you actually unplug every now and then. Even so, it always pays to be prepared in case of a potential disaster. And even if it never quite escalates to that level, you’ll have the peace of mind that you can handle a situation should it arise.

What you consider to be your “key assets” will vary, but it’s good to keep a copy of these files and documents somewhere in the cloud so you can access it from anywhere, anytime. This could be in Google Drive, Dropbox, or a personal NAS system like the WD My Cloud Home. Need a critical file while away? No problem.

What about you? When you decide to step away from the blog for a few days, what steps do you take to prepare for your absence?

from John Chow dot Com http://bit.ly/2SyGcnB
via Daniel

Avoid Making Skeleton Websites

http://unrelentingseo.com/skeleton-sites

Is Your Business Stagnant? Give These A Try!

Ingenuity is the mother of all invention. What sets you apart as a business is your ability to step out of the current, and try something completely different. Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates all had grand visions for their companies and the confidence to accept nothing less. These characteristics allowed them to already stand out compared to the rest going forward.

Aspiring entrepreneurs must learn to work smart, not just hard, on their businesses. Long hours and crazy schedules are part of the course, and journey when it comes to business ownership. However, the way you spend your time is just as valuable as how much time you spend.

Look to emulate the success of great entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, or even Bill Gates. Unique strategies, and approaches propelled them to success in the beginning. Adopt a new mindset so you can discover your own vision, and you too will follow in their footsteps.

Start Community Oriented

“Out of the box” strategies serve to make a business memorable, and this strategy does put a twist on conventional marketing. Entrepreneurs who have the foresight to create opportunities with unique, and different approaches leave a mark on the public consciousness. This ultimately puts their business on the map!

For example, gestures of community, and generosity appeal to the public at large. Many new or growing organizations have positioned themselves as a community-oriented organization when they started to supply free products or services. Using this approach, they were able to show what their company was all about, and were able to show support for those who can’t afford the product right now. It also showed the quality or the product or service.

It is a strategic business move to focus on giving back to customers. Companies gave away free products, and services when they were growing, and this generosity allowed them to grow enormously over the years. I’m sure if you research many of the top businesses, you’ll hear how they game back to the community. In the end, it’s important to be proactive, and give back in the beginning! Your future success depends on it!

Add The “Wow” To Customer Service

If you want to give your company, the “WOW” factor then you must make customer service your top priority. Focusing on customer service shows the public that you care. To this day it remains one of the best word-of-mouth strategies out there.

Show your consumers that you are willing to take care of them. Cater to their feelings and treat them with decency and you will create life-long customers. Strong businesses with integrity, and value take customer needs into consideration regardless of the cost involved. I truly believe when you take care of your customers, then your business will take care of itself. Here’s something else,

When you look at the top companies within the industry, you’ll notice how they have top-notch customer service. They have frequent reviews which help them tweak service policies.

Customer service is becoming increasingly important in building and growing a strong business. Creating a strong customer base involves focusing on the needs the individuals you serve. Hone in on making the most out of this component and your business can’t help but prosper.

Always Create Value

It’s important to keep a close eye on your financial situation but equally as valuable to focus on creating an excellent product or service.  Your sales figures will reflect how well customers respond to the value, and the quality your business provides.

High quality products and services draw increased sales to your business.  The product speaks for itself, and establishes consistent word-of-mouth referrals simply based on the quality being offered.

Businesses such as Apple thrive because their main goal is to be the best in everything they do. Think about their products, and you’ll understand why they stand out. For example, Apple users depend on the products they provide due to their affordability, functionality and incredible sex appeal. You know you’re doing something right when customers are willing to camp outside your store front just to be the first in line to buy a product the moment it comes out on the market.

Apple has created its own culture which is important for the entire brand. Users swear by their merchandise thus creating a loyalty that extends through to multiple product lines. This isn’t a coincidence by any means because Apple has spent countless hours researching market, and consumer needs. The end result of their meticulous planning is an aesthetically pleasing, and user friendly interface that appeals to consumers of all ages. Think about how far Apple has come from the brick of bankruptcy.

Apple products share commonalities and specific trademark features. Much like a McDonald’s franchise opening in multiple locations, Apple has staples that are common throughout all their products thus creating a sense of familiarity for predictability for consumers.

Strategic planning along with quality products and services are fundamental features in establishing value in the eye of your consumer.  Value equals sales so focus on creating your own unique brand and your business can’t help but thrive!

Be Creative And Different

Creativity is the name of the game these days. What sets you apart from the crowd is your willingness to be different. Unique methods of customer engagement and sassy advertising through unexpected means drive the market pace of today. You must infuse your business practices with creativity in order to revitalize, and maintain success in this era of free enterprise. If you fail to incorporate this strategy, then you can fall back in the game. Here’s a quick example,

Let’s look at a company called SwiftGamers.com which I had the pleasure of working with. This company began its journey in 2007, and wanted to build an electronic wholesale company. The focus was to be an online ecommerce site, and the setup started by setting up contracts with major distributors.

The business grew independently by focusing on the personal side of the business. The owner included his friends and family, paying attention to detail and engaging out of the box strategies. SwiftGamers.com drew a large following of loyal customers due to word of mouth advertising. They continued to build on the idea of a family company which appealed to many of the customers. This gave them a creative edge over their competition.

SwiftGamers.com is a business built on creativity with his own unique signature of personal attention. From their early start with electronics, then building their own brand, they were able to connect into the hearts and minds of all his customers.

Create your own style and harness the creativity within. Your business will thank you!

Be A Fun Company

If you have fun your customers will too, and this will help stand out compared to others. As a matter of fact, I have shopped at hundreds of stores throughout my life, and the ones I remember have always had an edge.  Nothing attracts more attention than an easy-going fun loving atmosphere full of laughter and cheer. Remember, it’s human nature NOT to be attracted to difficult times…right? So, how you do this is completely up to you.

Over time much research has been done which concluded that environment plays a huge role in effecting the overall customer experience. The work day can be long and tedious for both employers and employees but if you build a little fun into your day, you’ll notice frowns turning upside down for customers and employees alike.

Creating relationships with your employees and customers can be as simple as organizing a fun customer event or having a wacky dress day. You might even think to hire a dj and initiate impromptu dance offs. It doesn’t need to be large or elaborate but it definitely needs to draw smiles and good cheer.

Creating bonds, and deepening relationships within your business all comes down to the power of laughter. Customers enjoy fun-loving and relaxed atmospheres and employees who embody these traits enamor themselves in the minds of consumers.  As an employer, your job is to facilitate an environment which empowers employees to feel jovial and carefree while at the same time providing high quality service. A satisfied and happy employee is much more likely to remain with your organization over the long-haul. For example, here’s another awesome example,

Google has been known to have the best employee environment because they provide everything. They believe a happy employee will be a productive one. They provide food, massages, creative time, and even free dry cleaning so the employees don’t have to worry. Research Google as a company and start to incorporate some of their philosophy into your own business.

What you need to bring your business from stagnant to successful lies in your ability to create laugh and think outside the box. Allow your imagination to take flight and have fun with it. The process is all part of the journey and you’ll be far more successful if you enjoy yourself along the way!

Final Thoughts

If you feel as though your business has no growth recently, then it’s time to re-evaluate your entire plan. For example, many times when you look back you’ll notice a single change will make a huge difference. You can start by incorporating some of the elements discussed here, and then tracking the results. However, it’s important you go through each one (if applicable) because that’s the only way you’ll find out if the strategy is relevant to your bottom line. Next,

It’s very important you have an analytical tool which will help you track how effective the strategy actually is. This is even more important than anything else because you’ll have an analytic foundation to go and make the right tweaks afterwards. Go back, and read the content again making notes in point form since this will make each of the factors above easier to understand, and apply.

from John Chow dot Com http://bit.ly/2TpfI81
via Daniel

Online Business Success Tips to Quickly Grow your Business in 2019

Quitting a 9 to 5 job for starting an online business is no doubt a superb idea to dream big, but unfortunately most of the entrepreneurs and online business owners either cannot or don’t hold what is vital to chase their business goals and objectives.

That is the reason; there must be a solid and foolproof business plan to get started properly and to grow an online business in a best possible way. It is not only the money that makes your startup successful but it also requires infallible planning, determination and efforts to reach the destination without facing the uncertainties.

In order to ensure that you are starting well and also following the right path to land success on your way, I have listed a few proven online business success tips like optimizing for mobile devices, performing VAT analysis, and keeping customer data private etc. for a successful online business and to prevent common mistakes that most of the online entrepreneurs make.

Organize Your Web Assets

As you are about to provide services or products online, first of all you need to organize all your online/web assets not only to take a good start but to grow your business for changing trends accordingly. Assets of an online business include a business website, hosting server and social media profiles etc. all these need to be in a great order to have a great impact on customers. All of them should be optimized for your brand or company to enhance brand awareness and to build strong online reputation among competitors. Whether it is your business website or social media profiles, all they should be updated on regular basis with latest business details and information.

Be Mobile-Friendly

Each and every business needs a highly responsive and mobile friendly website to stand out from the competition. According to a research, almost 54% searches are made from mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. And if your website is not optimized for mobile, chances of losing valuable customers are always there as they are unable to view your website on their mobile devices. Optimizing images before uploading and redesigning the menu bars are the basic steps you can take to make your website mobile friendly even without spending money.

Understand your Overheads

Most of the people start spending a lot of money on a startup even without knowing that either it is profitable or not. It is said by people that most of the startups usually fail because they are low on finances. But here I want to say that most of the businesses and entrepreneurs fail because they really don’t understand their expenses and spend unplanned money without knowing the ROI rate. However, understanding the fertility of online business expenses has become easier through VAT analysis. In this way entrepreneurs can easily determine what expenses are contributing in overall business revenues and what should be terminated.

Maintain Customer Data Safely

In this digital world where issues like data breach and ID theft are increasing day by day, you as an online business owner should maintain customer data safely to keep their sensitive details and information safe and away from bad guys. Investing in reliable SSL certificate can be a great initiative for you to make sure all the details and information your customer submit to your web pages are encrypted. You must also have a plan at place to make sure all the customer details and information like credit card details are destroyed successfully when no longer in need.

Spy on Competitors

In order to be efficient and unique, you need to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing and what you can do to provide your customers a unique and satisfactory experience. It is most important in the virtual world to spy on your competitors. You can get lots of from your competitors like best performing keywords, best social media platforms to get more leads and digital marketing techniques they are using to reach a wider audience etc. to reshape your marketing strategies.

Know the Latest Trends in the Market

Since online market constantly evolves, you should be on the top of latest trends to make sure you are never missing any single chance to present your brand or business in front of the target audience. Social media is the best platform to be aware of the latest trends and trending topics that public is taking part in.

Build Strong Online Reputation for your Brand

Success of an online business usually depends on its reputation in the market. A tiny mistake or wrong step can destroy your online brand or business. Always try to provide your existing and potential customers with excellent customer services and keep all your online profiles and accounts updated with latest business details to help customers reach you conveniently whenever they want. Never ever ignore the negative feedback from customers as it can be great choice for you to bring improvement in your business processes for better customer experience.

from John Chow dot Com http://bit.ly/2QdidZb
via Daniel

Weighing Your Mobile Blogging Options

One of the greatest advantages to professional blogging and living the dot com lifestyle is the location freedom. You can practically work from anywhere as long as you have a reliable Internet connection and the right equipment on hand, even when you’re not really working. Whether you’re chilling at the coffee shop, waiting to get your car detailed, or on a family vacation halfway around the world, you can still blog and you can still run your business.

But what is the “right equipment” for the job? It depends on your budget, your preferences, and your individual circumstances.

Smartphone

The most convenient mobile blogging solution is to use the device you already have: your smartphone. If you’re anything like me, you never leave the house without your phone, so this means you always have the opportunity to work on your blog. This includes taking pictures, writing posts, moderating comments and more.

There are official WordPress apps for both iOS and Android, or you can simply log into your blog using the mobile browser on your device. This is convenient, to be sure, but it can also be quite limiting.

Typing up a few short comments and tweets on your phone is one thing. Typing up entire blog posts on your phone is another matter altogether. You may or may not be quite as adept at doing that, not to mention the added complications of formatting and the like. I’d say that the phone is a good option in a pinch, but it should not be your primary mobile blogging solution.

iPad or Android Tablet

For something a little bigger, you might stick to the Google Android and Apple iOS ecosystems, but opt for a tablet instead. The iPad family ranges considerably in price. If you want to get the best mobile blogging experience, though, you’ll want to get an iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard.

This best approximates the “laptop” experience by offering you a proper keyboard for typing. The package is arguably more convenient, and depending on who you are, you might carry around your iPad with you anyway. However, you’ll run into the same limitations by running iOS instead of a “full” desktop OS.

Not only that, but when you combine something like the iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard, you’re running well into the territory of a decently-equipped laptop. It’s not quite at the same tier as a $7,000 Macbook Pro, of course, but you’re right in the same range as many mainstream laptops.

Google Chromebook

A simple and affordable alternative you might consider is to get a Google Chromebook. In many ways, this could grant you the best of both worlds by giving you a “true” laptop experience in a package that doesn’t cost as much as a regular laptop.

Pricing can vary considerably here, of course, but entry-level Chromebooks can be had for as little as $200 or $300, though it specs all the way up to $1,299 and more for the Google Pixelbook. With a Chromebook, you have access to the suite of Chrome OS apps, as well as the ability to run Google Android apps.

Blogging on the go is quick and efficient, since you can work within the same “full” web experience as you would get on a “full” computer, though you likely can’t expect to get the same level of performance if you need advanced photo and video editing as part of your blogging workflow.

Microsoft Surface

While you can certainly step up to more expensive options like the Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, and Surface Book series, the Surface Go could be the ultimate in portable power for mobile bloggers.

The base model starts at $399, but that leaves you with eMMC storage and less RAM. In addition to the higher end model, you might also consider the exclusive Costco bundle. That’s important, because the Surface Go doesn’t come with the keyboard and Surface Pen by default.

What you end up getting is a device that’s not any bigger than a tablet but with the full functionality of true Windows 10 (after you unlock it from the default S Mode). This is a “real” computer in every sense of the word, except you have the added advantage of a touchscreen, plus the creative capabilities of a smart stylus.

Just Get a “Real” Computer

For my part, and your individual preferences and circumstances will certainly vary, the choice is clear. If I’m not doing any traveling out of town, I have no intention of doing any proper “blogging” outside of on my desktop computer in my home office. I used to bring a laptop with me to the coffee shop now and then, and I might take that up again, but the desktop is where my work “lives.”

If I’m traveling for a short period of time (overnight), I oftentimes won’t bother with the laptop and rely mostly on my phone and tablet to keep the ship afloat. If I plan ahead, there’s very little actual “blogging” I need to do until I get back. On the other hand, longer trips will almost always require the “real” laptop. That said, I am intrigued by the Surface family and I may end up replacing my laptop with a convertible PC as my next upgrade.

What about you? What device do you prefer to use when blogging on the go?

from John Chow dot Com http://bit.ly/2F1o9mP
via Daniel