Author: Ethan Theo

Abe WalkingBear Sanchez is an International Speaker / Trainer / Consultant on the subject of cash flow / sales enhancement and business knowledge organization and use. Founder and President of www.armg-usa.com, WalkingBear has authored hundreds of business articles, has worked with numerous companies in a wide range of industries since 1982 and has spoken at many venues including the Shakespeare Globe Theater in London.

Categories
Online Business

4 Tools to Make Your Website Faster And More Reliable

4 Tools to Make Your Website Faster And More Reliable

Image credit: Shutterstock

Domains, hosting and related services are becoming increasingly affordable. This has made it possible for virtually any business to establish an online presence by acquiring an appropriate domain and hostingit over a reliable and secureplatform. If you are beginning a small business or a new entrepreneurial venture, this is great news for you. However, like all good things, the bandwagon of inexpensive hosting comes with its limitations.

While hosting providers would promote themselves as reliable, there are real-world threats to the health of your website, resulting in potential slowdowns or security attacks. Thus, it is best to also consider complimentary tools and services that can give your website the much-needed performance edge over the competition.

Why Speed is King

Such tools are critical in the speed-obsessed digital marketplace, where every single page-loading second counts. Studies have found, for instance, that 51% of online shoppers in U.S. would give up on an online purchase midway if the site speed was too slow. Similarly, 46% of users state that the speed at which the checkout page is processed determines whether or not they will return to a given commerce site.

The question of speed is all the more pertinent today, since the bulk of online traffic is rapidly shifting from desktop to mobile devices. By July 2015, the amount of time spent by U.S. users on mobile digital media, including websites, was far greater than the time spent by users on desktop machines. This is in sync with the overwhelming trend of a rapid rise in mobile traffic and a decline in desktop traffic.

An even more important consideration is that mobile users value one thing above all: the speed at which a page loads. It is precisely for this reason that speed has become the paramount metric of website performance. So while getting a reputable hosting service is a great decision, you will need all that you can lay your hands on to speed up your website.

Reliability Counts, Too

Along with speed, reliability is the other major concern for the users. To be able to rely on a website and be sure that it would be accessible at all times – this is one of major user preferences and is critical for establishing a successful user base in the long-term.

Following are platforms necessary in ensuring the performance and reliability of your host:

Content Delivery Network (CDN):CDNs essentially cache the bulk of a website’s non-dynamic content on a server located close to a given user’s geographical location.This includes images, stylesheets and videos, among other content.

When a user accesses the website, this cached content is pulled from servers closer to his or her physical location, tremendously reducing page load speeds. In addition, bandwidth consumption is also reduced greatly. This means a faster website with reduced running costs, offering a win/win solution to a business. CDNs like Incapsulacan increase speeds up to 50%, alongwith a massive 70% reduction in bandwidth consumption.

New web protocols SPDY and HTTP/2:SPDY is an improvement over the current HTTP 1.1 protocol. The SPDY initiative was headed by Google and became the blueprint for the upcomingHTTP/2 protocol, which will soon be the standard transfer protocol over the web.

The most prominent feature of these protocols is that they speed up data transmission between the user and the host, enabling quicker page loads. Application and web developers that deploy SPDY and HTTP/2 can gain a crucial speed advantage through compression and packet multiplexing.

In terms of pure page load advantage, HTTP/2 emerges as the hands-down winner. However, for text-based data transmission, SPDY seems to be able to create the minimum response message for a website, thereby saving in bandwidth consumption. You should first determine what your primary preference is: better page load speeds or bandwidth frugality. Based on this, you can choose between SPDY and HTTP/2.

Google Insights:Asthe leading search provider, Google likewisehelpswebsites in optimizing their content for better page load speeds. Earlier this year, Google rolled out a specific algorithm for mobile searches. To put it in a nutshell, websitesthatload faster on mobile browsers will be ranked higher in mobile search rankings. Tool such as Google Insights allow you to take a detailed stock of your website’s code and determine how quicklyit loads in terms of Google’s metrics. This is a very competitive way of analyzing and modifying your website’s code. Since it is free, why not give it a go?

Hosted Libraries: Google’s hosted libraries are an excellent way of enhancing the performance of your website. These are open-source, absolutely free and globally available. These libraries essentially host website components on Google servers and even offer caching. As a result, when users accesses your website, their browsers retrieve libraries from Google’s servers. In terms of user experience, this means quick page load speeds and again, a lot less bandwidth consumption.

Conclusion

Finding a good hosting service for your website is essential in ensuring topnotch performance at a reasonable price. However, you will need to gothe extra mile to ensure your website has a crucial advantage over others. This can be done by implementing tools and platforms that reduce bandwidth usage, speed up traffic nd improve the user experience.

 

Categories
How-To Guides

How to Run a Secure Business

How to Run a Secure Business

Security should be a primary concern for any business owner. Not only do you need to safeguard your most valuable assets, but employee productivity can also suffer if staff feel they aren’t adequately protected. If you’re tasked with managing the security of your business, here are the three main areas that you should concentrate on.

Security Fencing

The first thing you should do is create a physical boundary between your business and the outside world. Not only does this provide protection, but its presence also acts as a deterrent. As well as protecting your business against trespassers, though, security fencing can also provide an invaluable service to the community. Factories, warehouses, or anywhere that operates heavy machinery are dangerous work environments that no members of the public should be able to easy walk into. For maximum protection, consider installing automatic steel gates. These can be fitted on sloping or uneven roads and are designed to withstand even the harshest environments.

Video Surveillance

In the event that you aren’t able to restrict a trespasser from entering your property, you’ll want to have video surveillance in place so that you can assist the authorities in tracking the individual. Don’t worry about the prospect that the image quality will be substandard. CCTV cameras have improved dramatically over the years so you can expect a clear, high-definition video feed rather than the grainy black and white images of yesteryear. This will also help you to identify the weaknesses in your security system and improve on them for the future. Similarly, like physical barriers, their visible presence can also act as a deterrent to potential thieves.

Employee Training

Finally, employee training programs are among your most powerful tools. Not only should you ensure that your security team is trained to its full potential, but you should also consider how you can educate your other employees on the proper protocol on behaving in an extreme scenario. According to a report by The British Retail Consortium in 2013, around 28,700 members of staff claimed to have suffered from physical attacks, threats, or verbal abuse while on the job. While your main focus should be restricting the chance of these scenarios happening, you also need to factor in the rare case that these events do occur.

Of course in the modern era there are now new threats that no physical boundaries can stop. Cloud computing is becoming an everyday part of people’s working lives, but that doesn’t mean it’s secure. If your business carries sensitive data, you should be putting just as much resources, if not more, into improving your methods here as you are in the rest of your business.

Categories
Operations

10 Things VoIP Can Do For You!

10 Things VoIP Can Do For You

One touch Call Divert
This is a great feature for those who find themselves leaving the office in a rush with no time to call their provider to get their calls diverted. Many VoIP phones around will allow you to pre-programme your phone with a desired forward number, enabling you to simply hit the “Call Forward” button as you leave and have your calls diverted instantly!

Professional IVRs as standard
VoIP technology allows you to have an enterprise level IVR menu as standard. You might be accustomed to having to pay your supplier for features such as these but almost all VoIP providers offer it as a free service. As explained further below in more detail, you can also record your own IVR sound files through your handset, allowing the whole process to be completed in under an hour.

Time based call routing
Another VoIP feature is the ability to set your call routing around your working hours. Many businesses use this to have a work hours dial plan calling their extensions, and then an out of office hours dial plan which would, for example, divert straight to voicemail thus allowing your clients to know you’re not open.

Simple call barring
Many VoIP providers offer a managed portal where you can configure your account settings. Platforms such as these often offer a smart call barring feature where you can simply type in the number you wish to block and hit submit. This way you can keep track of what numbers you have blocked and add any more as you see fit.

Call recording storage and download
If your chosen VoIP provider also has a managed portal where you can view your account then it’s likely they have a Call Recording suite as well. This feature enables users to search their call recordings based on number, date, time and what extension answered / made the call. From here you should be able to download or stream your call recordings straight from the portal and onto your computer so you can listen to them yourself.

Record your own messages
Many VoIP systems offer you the ability to record your own messages and greetings straight from your VoIP phone. This feature is great if you don’t want to pay to get your messages professionally recorded or if you need to upload a message to your phone system in a hurry. Simply lift your receiver and dial in a pre-configured code, you can then dictate your message and have it applied to your system in an instant.

Numbers from any area code
If you are using old analogue style telephony you are limited to what CLI you are given by your geographical location. Because VoIP isn’t geographically dependent, you can pick and choose your numbers. Whether that be an 0203 London CLI or a +1 USA CLI, you can realistically display any number when calling out.

Take your phone with you
VoIP only requires an internet connection to function which means that you can practically take your phone anywhere. This could be handy for office workers who need to work from home for a few days and don’t want their calls being diverted to their mobile phones. Simply plug it into your router and home and you’re good to go!

Voicemails sent to your email address
Not being able to check your voicemails unless you’re at the office can be very frustrating. That’s why many VoIP Systems offer you the ability to have any voicemail left on your extension to be copied into handy email format with your voicemail attached! This way you can open your voicemails on your mobile if you’re out and about or on your home computer.

Faxes sent to your email address
This is a feature similar to Voicemail 2 Email. VoIP technology allows you to receive incoming faxes via your VoIP number which then get copied into an email sent to the email address of your choice. A really fantastic feature for those who need the ability to receive faxes but don’t want the hassle of having a clunky fax machine sat around their office.

Categories
Starting Up

Starting Your Startup

Staring Your Startup

Some Advice You Can’t Afford To Ignore

Due to success stories like Mark Zuckerberg, or television programs like Silicon Valley, starting your own business is firmly in the minds of the millennial generation. And why shouldn’t it be? With the amount of resources and support available to us, we’re in the perfect position to be doing so. However, the more adventurous we get, the more absent minded we arguably become. There is a plethora of possibilities, plans and scenarios that you need to take into account before you start your own business, but some are more important than others.

The Idea

The first thing you need is a good idea. You can’t just wake up in the morning and decide, “I’m going to start my own business today” and that is you. You need to look at what you know and what you have learned, whether it be from your current profession, from when you were a student, or just something that you’ve taken up as a hobby. There will be an idea in there somewhere; you just need to recognise it. Once you have your idea, you should register it as an intellectual property to make sure that your idea stays yours.

The Support

So, you’ve got your idea, the next thing you need is money. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, if you’re building something from the ground up, you need capital. There will be more expenses going out than coming in at the start, so you’ll need a fair chunk. You might have savings tucked away, but not everyone will want to use their savings. You can apply for small business grants, or a small business loan.

The Strategy

Probably one of the most important parts of starting your own business is having a solid business plan. You need to know your market; who you will be targeting; why you are targeting them; how you will target them; who else is targeting them – this list could go on for a long time, and that is only a small part of your plan. There are a lot of areas to cover and check off in this area, so it’s prudent to look online for business tools and guides in order to make sure you are on the right track. Using a few will only solidify this.

The Security

You’ve got your backing in place, and your plan is in full flow. Your venture is about to begin. However, what you may not realise is that, even now, you’ve got to be thinking long term – particularly in terms of you business’ security. And I’m not meaning an alarm system, but having cover in place if you or one of your employees are not able to work for whatever reason. Employee illness apparently costs UK businesses £29 billion every year, so you want to be prepared. It may seem like just another overhead, but having an insurance plan in place to cover such absences and losses makes a lot of sense.

The Network

In life, it pays to know people – the world of business is no different. Networking can play such a vital part in the success of you newly founded company, and thanks to modern technology, it’s never been easier – social media is your friend. Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook can connect you with people and companies that you didn’t even know existed, so be sure to scour these sites, and the internet in general to find those who can be your allies. Also, check out seminars and conferences, while online networking can go a long way, some good old fashioned hand shaking will never do you any harm.

The Stability

Hopefully, everything is going well for your new business – all the right boxes are checked, you know your plan and strategy inside and out and you’ve connected with the correct people. But, even if things are going swimmingly, you need to make sure they continue in this fashion. Identifying what you are doing right and continuing and expanding on these is vital to success. It also works in the other way, identify what you might have done wrong, and look at how you can change this and implement a successful approach to these aspects of your business. While you might know all the right people, the person who can make the biggest change to your business, is you.

Categories
Starting Up

Five Important Costs to Consider When Starting Your Own Business

Five Important Costs to Consider When Starting Your Own Business

Every entrepreneur dreams of creating a profitable business. Global domination may come to few of us, but it remains the ultimate goal for the talented and ambitious.

Unfortunately, before you can run a successful business, you have to set one up. You must come up with the concept, the product, the vision, and the end goal, and this in itself is incredibly challenging, not to mention expensive.

One of the best ways of safeguarding your venture is by looking to the future, and it’s a very good idea to tally up all of the potential costs before you give it a go. To help you out, here are five of the outlays that you’ll need to consider…

#1: The Cost of Premises

One of the greatest investments for any business will be its premises, and for start-ups especially this represents a significant initial outlay. The perfect location will need to provide you with all of the space you require, along with the right set-up, and access to your suppliers and customer base.

For those who can’t afford it, working from home through an online enterprise may prove a viable alternative, reducing your costs and representing a lifeline for your endeavour.

#2: The Cost of Utilities

If you do find that a bricks and mortar office block or factory is necessary for your purposes, then don’t forget to add in the cost of your utilities. The best way to establish how high this will be is by approaching various companies for quotes. To keep your outgoings to a minimum, try shopping around to find a cost-effective option like United Gas and Power.

#3: The Cost of Furnishings

Some office blocks and factories will come already furnished, but a lot of them will not. This means that you may have to sink a significant sum of money into securing not only the equipment and machinery that you need, but also basics like desks, swivel chairs, and even a microwave and dishwasher.

#4: The Cost of Insurance

Another expenditure to add to your tally will be the cost of insurance. Your financial future will be dependent upon the success of your business, so leaving it open to legal or natural disaster makes no sense at all. To protect the project that you’ve given your all to you’ll need to find a reliable and reputable provider, and choose a policy that covers your needs.

#5: The Cost of a Website

Finally, try to factor in the cost of constructing a suitable website. So much business is now conducted over the internet that a strong online presence can make all the difference to the success of your endeavour. Although some entrepreneurs will possess the skill to craft this themselves, amateurs are best turning to the professionals in order to achieve a suitably polished finish.

Do you have the budget to launch your business?