Natura Resources
8 Must-have Elements for High-performing Websites
As a business owner, there are a lot of things to consider when building a website. The first thing you consider are the business goals of the site. Then, your thoughts turn to the current web trends. What do you want the website will look like? What features will be included? Next, your attention turns to the words and pictures on the site.
In your planning, do not overlook website performance. A high-performing website is crucial in today’s digital age, where many business and customer interactions occur online. Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business, so it must be visually appealing and functional. Here are eight must-have elements that every high-performing website should have.
1 – HIGH-PERFORMING WEBSITES LEAD WITH A Mobile-Friendly Design
With the ever-increasing use of smartphones and tablets, it’s crucial that your website is mobile-friendly. Being mobile-friendly means your website is easily accessible and readable on all devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
Let me point out a few reasons why a mobile-friendly design is vital for your business.
- User Experience: A mobile-friendly website ensures a positive user experience for visitors accessing your site from their smartphones or tablets. It fits the smaller screens, making it easier for users to navigate, read content, and interact with your website. By providing a seamless and intuitive experience, you enhance user satisfaction and increase the likelihood of them staying longer on your site, engaging with your content, taking desired actions, or converting into customers.
- .Mobile Traffic: Mobile devices account for a significant portion of internet traffic, and this trend continues to grow. Ignoring mobile users means missing out on a large audience and valuable opportunities for business growth. A mobile-friendly website allows you to cater to this mobile audience, ensuring your content is accessible and appealing across various devices.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Search engines like Google prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results. They consider mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor, meaning that having a mobile-friendly website improves your chances of appearing higher in search engine rankings. By optimizing your website for mobile devices, you can increase visibility, organic traffic, and overall online presence.
Here are three key steps to ensuring your site is mobile-friendly..
- Responsive Design: Implement a responsive web design that ensures your website layout, images, and content automatically adjust to fit the device’s screen, whether it’s a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
- Mobile-Friendly Navigation: Simplify mobile users’ navigation using mobile-friendly menus and buttons. Avoid extensive dropdown menus that work well on desktops but could be better on mobile devices. Also, simplify your navigation structure for mobile viewing.
- Optimized Content and Load Times: Optimize your website’s content for mobile viewing. Make sure text is legible without zooming, images are appropriately sized and compressed for faster loading, and forms are easy to fill out on mobile devices.
A website that is mobile-friendly delivers a more satisfying user experience, attracts organic mobile traffic from Google searches, and improves online visibility.
2 – Engaging and Relevant Content Enhance High-Performing Websites
Your website’s content should be engaging and relevant to your target audience. When speaking of content, it includes both written and visual content, such as images and videos. High-quality, well-written content helps establish your brand as an expert in your field and improves your search engine rankings.
Remember, mobile users have different browsing behaviors compared to desktop users. First, they prefer to scroll rather than click. Also, they typically have more limited attention spans than desktop users. Therefore, they expect quick and easy access to information. Keep your sentence length less than 25 words when writing for a mobile audience. Keep your paragraphs to 5 sentences or less. Keep your sections under 300 words. Finally, provide sub-headings for every section. Subheadings make your content easy to skim.
From an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) perspective, Google’s search engine prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in their search rankings. Regular fresh content that serves as a helpful resource to the searcher is crucial in determining search engine rankings. Many businesses fail in this area because they do not update their websites with fresh content. They practice a “set it and forget it” mindset.
When your site offers valuable and up-to-date content, it increases the chances of ranking higher in search engine results, driving more organic traffic and benefiting your business’s bottom line.
3 – Social Sharing
Another expectation of users is social sharing. If your site has engaging and “share-worthy” content, you increase the likelihood of someone sharing your site’s content on social media platforms. Social sharing from your website significantly enhances your brand’s visibility, builds vital SEO backlinks, and attracts more visitors.
4 – Clear and Concise Calls to Action
Calls to action (CTAs) are a vital element of high-performing websites. They should be clear, concise, and visible, encouraging users to take specific steps, such as filling out a contact form, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter. A CTA is a guide to your website visitors on what actions to take next, and it eliminates confusion and provides a good user experience.
A well-designed CTA significantly increases the conversion rate of a website. By explicitly telling visitors what you want them to do, such as “Buy Now,” “Sign Up,” or “Contact Us,” you encourage them to take the desired action and increase the chances of them converting into customers or leads.website
5 – Contact Information and Forms
Next, consider your website forms. Forms facilitate communication, establish trust, generate leads, drive conversions, and provide valuable insights. They are fundamental elements for your businesses to engage with your target audience, offer support, and create opportunities for growth.
Hence, you want to make it easy for customers to contact you by including your contact information, such as your email, phone number, and physical address, on every page of your website. One way to display your contact information on every page is to include the information in a footer section of the site.
6 – Secure and Reliable Hosting
Hosting is an often overlooked element that is essential for a high-performing website. Many business owners will opt for the least expensive hosting option. However, these options have some drawbacks, such as security, support, and performance.
A reliable hosting company implements robust security measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, regular backups, and software updates. They also employ professionals with in-depth knowledge of threat detection and response solutions to address any security vulnerabilities promptly.
Additionally, with some hosting companies, your site’s pages load slowly. A website that loads detriments your search engine optimization slowly and creates a poor user experience. Mobile users are impatient and will bail and go to another website rather than wait for a slow-loading one.
Some hosting companies offer limited storage space on their servers. Later, you discover that your hosting service needs to be more scalable to grow as your website content grows. Adding more storage space requires upgrading the hosting package with additional fees. A reliable hosting company has the infrastructure and technical expertise to handle high traffic volumes, ensuring fast page load times and smooth user experiences. So, choose your hosting package with growth in mind.
Lastly, with some less expensive hosting options, you cannot have 24/7 access to customer and tech support. You will be frustrated when your website runs into a problem you need help fixing.
7 – Analytics Tracking
Analytics tracking is crucial for understanding how visitors interact with your website and making data-driven decisions. Ensure you have a reliable analytics solution, such as Google Analytics or Google’s Search Engine Console, set up and configured correctly. These two tools offer data and therefore provide different benefits.
For example, Google Analytics measures your website performance and user behavior and tracks conversions, website traffic, and website traffic sources. These data points provide essential information for making decisions to improve your business profitability.
Then, Google’s Search Engine Console tells you if Google has issues crawling your website or if any mobile usability issues negatively impact your search engine rankings.
Lastly, viewing your data using a dashboard that centralizes your data management is wise. A dashboard saves you time and gives you a clear view of your digital presence across multiple platforms – web, social, Google Analytics, and Search Engine Console. Your dashboard can even be customized to pull in third-party data your business needs to track.
8 – Regular Maintenance and Updates
Regular maintenance and updates are essential to ensure that your website remains high-performing and secure. Maintenance tasks include:
- Updating plugins and themes.
- Checking for broken links.
- Keeping your website’s software up-to-date.
- Fixing issues that hinder Google’s search bots.
It is wise to have a professional developer make the updates. Sometimes the updates will temporarily “break” your website. When this happens, it may take a pro to determine the best way to fix the site and get it back up and running.
In conclusion, having a high-performing website is essential for business success in today’s digital age. And ensuring that it is optimized is critical. The eight elements discussed in this article are a starting point for creating a website that looks great, functions well, and provides a positive user experience.
Blue Corn Harvest Bar & Grill
Farm to Table For Food Lovers
Blue Corn Harvest Bar & Grill in Cedar Park, Texas, is a hidden gem that is a must-visit for food lovers seeking locally-sourced fresh cuisine. The restaurant boasts a warm and inviting atmosphere that is perfect for a night out with friends or a business dinner. Proudly serving farm to table locally-sourced foods which support local farmers. The décor is simple yet elegant, with dim lighting and comfortable seating both indoors and out. And, for those looking for a place to hold a small business meeting, Blue Corner Harvest does not disappoint.
The menu at the Cedar Park location of Blue Harvest is carefully curated and offers a variety of options that will please even the most discerning palate. The kitchen has you covered whether you are in the mood for a hearty steak, tacos, burgers or a scrumptious salad. It is hard to pick out the star of the menu. Some might say it is the Artichoke Stuff Chicken served with mashed potatoes and farm fresh vegies. Others go for the 12-13 oz. Chipotle Rib-eye with chipotle cream and sour cream drizzle. Either of these dishes is a must-try for any meat lover.
Service and Selection
In addition to the delicious food, the drinks menu at Blue Harvest is also worth mentioning. The bar is well-stocked with various spirits and beers, and the bartenders always recommend the perfect drink to pair with your meal. The restaurant also offers a great selection of wine, both by the glass and bottle, perfectly paired with the food.
One of the best things about Blue Harvest is the service. The waitstaff is knowledgeable, friendly, and always ready to assist you. They are also happy to make recommendations and help you navigate the menu if you need help deciding what to order.
Overall, Blue Harvest Bar & Grill is an excellent restaurant that is well worth a visit. The food, drinks, and service are all top-notch, and the atmosphere is perfect for a night out. Whether you are looking for a romantic dinner or a night out with friends, Blue Harvest is the perfect place. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the northwest Austin area. It’s worth a stop in Cedar Park. I am confident you will not be disappointed.
For more restaurant reviews and business travel tips, check out these related articles.
Top Ways To Prevent Fuel Card Fraud For Rig Owners
When running a small or large fleet of rigs, you want to make sure everything relating to the trucks and your workers is ticking over as it should. So, it can surprise many rig fleet owners when they discover that fuel card fraud has occurred in their own company.
Fuel card fraud is a significant concern for small businesses that use fuel cards to manage fuel expenses. Fuel card fraud occurs when an unauthorized person purchases fuel with a business’s fuel card. This unauthorized purchase results in financial losses for the company and, of course, potential issues with trust and a hiking in insurance fees!
Luckily, there are some steps that you can take to prevent fuel card fraud from happening to your fleet, and this article will explore 5 of the most effective ways to avoid this typical kind of theft.
Implement Strict Gas Card Controls
Small businesses can prevent fuel card fraud by implementing strict gas credit card controls. Such controls involve setting limits on fuel purchases. For example, set the amount of fuel allowed to be purchased in a single transaction. Or another control is to set the total amount of energy that can be bought in a given period. By putting these limits in place, businesses can reduce unauthorized purchases and limit the financial impact of any fraudulent transactions. It will also help you spot when anyone in your rig goes over the limit and can allow you to take the proper steps to assess the causes for this.
Use Online Account Management Tools
The internet certainly plays a part here, mainly if your rigs operate nationwide.
Many fuel card providers offer online account management tools that allow businesses to monitor their fuel card transactions in real time. Small businesses can use these tools to track fuel purchases, monitor fuel usage, and identify any suspicious activity. Subsequently, companies can quickly detect and prevent fuel card fraud by regularly reviewing fuel card transactions.
Educate Employees
Another core and effective way to prevent fuel card fraud is to educate employees about the risks and consequences of fuel card fraud. Small businesses can train employees on the proper use of fuel cards, including how to safeguard the card and report any suspicious activity. By raising awareness of fuel card fraud among employees, small businesses can prevent fraudulent activity before it occurs.
Conduct Regular Audits
Auditing isn’t fun, but small businesses can prevent fuel card fraud by conducting regular audits of their fuel card transactions. In fact, it is wise to conduct audits on several areas of your business, including your billing and invoicing. These audits can be performed internally or by an external auditor. By reviewing fuel card transactions regularly, businesses can identify any suspicious activity and take action to prevent further fraudulent transactions.
Implement Fraud Detection Software
Small businesses can prevent fuel card fraud by implementing fraud detection software. This software uses algorithms to identify patterns of fraudulent activity and alert companies to suspicious transactions. By using fraud detection software, small businesses can quickly detect and prevent fuel card fraud, reducing the financial impact of any fraudulent transactions.
Design Trends for Social Media Posts
The Evolution of Social Media Design Trends: A Decade in Review
In the fast-paced digital realm, social media has become integral to our daily lives, influencing how we communicate, share information, and connect with others. Today, as we look at current social media design trends, let’s start by looking over our shoulders at the significant trends of the past decade.
Social media platforms have witnessed a remarkable evolution in their design aesthetics, adapting to changing tastes, user preferences, and technological advancements. This article explores the transformative journey of social media design trends over the last ten years, highlighting the fundamental shifts that have shaped the visual landscape of our virtual social interactions.
Minimalism Takes Center Stage (2010-2012):
First, the early 2010s marked a shift towards minimalistic design principles in social media. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter embraced clean, uncluttered interfaces with streamlined navigation menus and simplified icons. The focus was on delivering content visually appealingly while enhancing the user experience through intuitive design.
The Rise of Visual Content (2013-2015):
Next, with the explosive popularity of platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, the mid-2010s witnessed a surge in the dominance of visual content. Social media platforms recognized the power of compelling images and videos, leading to larger image displays, user-friendly filters, and enhanced multimedia capabilities. Aesthetic appeal and storytelling became crucial for engaging users.
Mobile-First Design (2016-2018):
In mid-decade, as smartphones became the primary device for accessing social media, platforms significantly transformed towards mobile-first design. Social media giants prioritized responsive layouts, touch-friendly interactions, and adaptive designs that seamlessly adjusted to various screen sizes. User interfaces became more thumb-friendly, allowing for more straightforward navigation and quick interactions.
Authenticity and Stories (2019-2021):
In recent years, authenticity has taken the spotlight, with platforms like Snapchat and Instagram introducing ephemeral content through Stories. This trend emphasized real-time, unfiltered content, fostering a sense of immediacy and intimacy. Social media designs began incorporating AR filters, stickers, and interactive elements to enhance user engagement and self-expression.
Dark Mode and Personalization (2022-Present):
Now, in this present era, witnesses an increased emphasis on personalization and user-centric experiences. Dark mode gained popularity, allowing users to customize their interface for improved readability and reduced eye strain. Platforms started offering enhanced customization options, allowing users to personalize their feeds, profiles, and themes according to their preferences.
Over the past decade, social media design trends have evolved profoundly, reflecting users’ changing needs and expectations. From minimalistic designs to the rise of visual content, mobile-first approaches to the emergence of stories, and the focus on personalization, social media platforms have continuously adapted to enhance user experiences. Certainly, as technology continues to evolve, it is exciting to anticipate the future trends that will shape the visual landscape of social media in the years to come, making our virtual interactions more immersive, engaging, and authentic.
Current Social Media Design Trends
It’s difficult to predict design trends with certainty. Just for fun, let’s look at some current and emerging design trends for social media posts.
Of course, these trends are not set in stone and may change as social media platforms and user behavior evolve. In the meantime, they are fun to use! Nothing is as pleasant as that which is sprinkled with variety.
About the Author
Kit Mullins, co-owner of Jemully Media, LLC, has been a leader in digital marketing for more than twenty years. A writer, designer, and developer, Kit enjoys travel, photography, and Bible study. With six kids and fifteen grandkids, she has no choice but to find ways to be creative.
How to Ace Your Billing Process As a Startup
Running a startup tends to be many things. Exciting, yes. Challenging? Absolutely. But also, sometimes, nerve-wracking. It isn’t easy to run a business when you’re a seasoned campaigner working on an established brand. Moreso, it is not easy to create something from nothing. It is daunting. What complicates matters is that more than simply offering a great product or service is needed. You also need to handle all the associated admin — the worst is financial management.
As a startup, paying close attention to something as basic as billing is essential. The seemingly-simple process of getting paid for what you do is far more awkward than many assume, and there’s no shortage of short-lived companies that went under because they couldn’t nail their invoicing. To ensure your business doesn’t follow suit, you must prioritize proper billing.
In this blog post, we’ll provide helpful information and tips to help you ace your billing process and give your startup a great chance at succeeding. If you can choose the most appropriate billing process, implement software artfully, and master sending follow-ups, you can get somewhere. Let’s get started.
Types of billing methods
The first thing we need to cover is how you bill, which is how you determine what to charge people. Depending on your industry, this can get complicated, so you must ensure you’re using the method that best suits your company’s strengths and goals. Here are the four most common billing methods:
- Time-based billing. Here, you charge clients based on the hours you’ve worked. This method is simple and particularly suitable for a service-based business (e.g., a consulting firm or a freelancer operating through a site like Upwork) as the time spent on a task typically correlates neatly with the value delivered.
- Fixed-price billing. Here, you charge clients predetermined amounts for specific projects or services. This method is excellent for a business with clearly defined deliverables (e.g., a web design or software development agency).
- Retainer-based billing. Here, you charge clients recurring fees for ongoing services, usually monthly. This method is ideal for a business that offers continuous support or maintenance (e.g., a marketing agency or an IT service provider).
- Value-based billing. Here, you charge clients based on the value or results delivered rather than the time spent on the work. This method is suitable for a business that can demonstrate a direct impact on its clients’ bottom lines (e.g., a business consultant).
How to choose a billing method
Now, how can you decide which billing type is right for your startup? Here are three core questions to answer (but remember that you can always follow your gut):
- Where will clients see your value? Think about your value proposition and what your customers expect from you. If they want results no matter how long they take, charge based on results. Regardless of whether they use it, they charge a fixed monthly rate if they wish to pay attention each month.
- What might your clients prefer? Even if you prefer a billing arrangement it makes the most sense to you, it won’t work well if your clients hate it. Think carefully about the circumstances of your customers. Many businesses need to be financially equipped to take on big retainers, so you may need to accommodate them with project-based billing.
- What are similar operations doing? Research the billing methods commonly used in your industry niche. You’re not obliged to follow suit, but there’s a lot to learn from how others work. Additionally, aligning with industry standards is simple and convenient and makes it easier to provide competitive pricing.
If you take these questions seriously, you can decide on a transparent and fair pricing structure that reflects the value you deliver to your clients while protecting your bottom line.
How to choose billing software
Handling financial matters manually is a terrible idea at this point. Software systems (particularly those featuring automation options) have become so cost-effective that there’s no reason — aside from a general fear of technology — for you to avoid them. But if you invest in billing software, you need to choose well.
Here are the key factors you need to investigate while considering which software system (or systems) you’re going to use for your company’s foundation:
- Operational compatibility. Make sure the software you’re looking at supports your chosen billing method and can accommodate any unique aspects of your business, such as the use of multiple currencies or reliance upon complex pricing structures.
- Automation features. The best billing software can automate tasks such as invoice generation, payment tracking, and the sending of reminder notifications. Tools like Chargebee can handle complex logic sequences, letting you account for varied circumstances. If you don’t need a feature, that’s fine — but if there’s a chance you’ll need something down the line, it’s unwise to commit to a system that won’t provide it.
- Cost (including ROI). Billing tools vary massively in price. Some are free; others have free tiers with additional features you must pay for. Finally, others have no free levels, and you pay from the outset. Among those, budget contenders and enterprise-level behemoths are so expensive that they must be more suitable for startups. But don’t look solely at the cost: also think about ROI. In other words, there might be better options for meeting your needs. If spending more will get you more, that’s the route.
- Learning curve. Deploying powerful software’s not a good option if no one in your business can use it effectively. A well-selected system should be easy to use, so take advantage of trial periods and request extensive user feedback before making any extended commitment.
If you take the time to select the right billing software, you can put your business in a strong position for long-term growth — so don’t rush this step.
Establishing clear payment terms
Smooth and efficient billing requires clear terms of conduct. If you are clear regarding what you and your clients expect you to deliver, you’ll minimize the likelihood of dealing with tricky disputes, late payments, and misunderstandings. Be sure to include each of the following components in every invoice:
- Payment due date. You need to set a time frame within which the client is to pay, such as “Net 30” (payment due within 30 days of the invoice date) or “Due upon receipt” (payment due immediately upon receiving the invoice). If you don’t do this, they may opt to kick the can down the road, saddling you with cash flow issues.
- Late payment fees. Clearly outline any late payment fees or penalties the client may incur if they fail to pay the invoice on time. If you do this, you must be prepared to enforce that penalty if the client misses the deadline. If you follow through, the client will continue paying attention to your terms.
- Accepted payment methods. Indicate the payment methods your startup accepts, such as bank transfers, credit card payments, or online payments through platforms like PayPal. Supporting multiple options can make it more convenient for the client to pay their invoices, so accommodate as many as you can.
- Payment milestones (if applicable). Consider the options for long-term contracts. One option is to break down the total cost into smaller milestones or phases for a large project or long-term contract with separate payment due dates. Smaller payment options help manage cash flow and minimize the risk of non-payment.
In addition to displaying these things in every invoice, be sure to include your payment terms in your contracts or agreements — and if you think there may be any uncertainty with the terms for a particular client, communicate clearly to ensure that they do not miss anything.
How to nail your invoice design
Beyond being content-complete, a good invoice should have a professional design. Putting some effort into the design will serve your brand well and make your invoices more likely to prove effective. Aim to achieve each of the following:
- Remove any unnecessary elements. Talking about your mission statement or including illustrations will only help some. Keep things simple and efficient.
- Follow your brand guidelines. Use your brand logo, colors, font, shapes, and spacing conventions. Make the document unmistakably yours.
- Make your contact details clear. In addition to your business name and logo, you need to include clear contact information. Include at least an email address and a phone number, and list your office hours and response times (work hours are even more critical to establish in the era of working vacations).
- Smartly list the services or products delivered. Provide detail about the chargeable items, but don’t skimp on the details either. Make it easy for clients to know what they’re paying for and why.
- Explain your preferred course of action. What is your preference for how they pay and when? If you explain what you’d like them to do (in addition to what you need them to do), they’ll most likely be willing to oblige you.
How to manage follow-ups
Some clients may still miss payment deadlines even with clear payment terms and professional invoices. Effectively managing invoice follow-ups can help you recover outstanding payments while maintaining good client relationships. Here are some tips for managing invoice follow-ups:
- Send automated reminders. Use your billing software to automate reminder notifications, sending them a few days before payments are due (and a few days after those due dates if you have not received payment).
- Reach out on schedule. It may be necessary to reach out to clients who’ve yet to make their payments, but if you do so, adhere to a schedule. You could send a friendly email after a week, a formal reminder after two weeks, and a final notice after four weeks.
- Balance persistence and professionalism. While it’s important to be persistent in collecting overdue payments, you mustn’t be unprofessional or discourteous. A client may be willing to pay but facing financial difficulties, in which case prodding them would only sour the relationship. Remember that you can allow flexible payment arrangements or accept alternative solutions.
The importance of monitoring progress
Regularly monitoring and evaluating your billing process is essential for identifying areas that need improvement and ensuring its ongoing efficiency. Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and making data-driven decisions can optimize your billing process, reduce late payments, and improve your startup’s financial performance.
To effectively evaluate your billing process, consider tracking the following KPIs:
- Days Sales Outstanding (DSO). This metric measures the average number of days it takes for your startup to collect payment after issuing an invoice. A high DSO could indicate inefficiencies in your billing process or issues with your payment terms.
- Percentage of overdue invoices. Monitoring the proportion of outstanding invoices in relation to total invoices can help you identify trends and potential issues with your invoicing and follow-up processes.
- Invoice dispute rate. Keeping track of the number of disputed invoices can provide insights into potential inaccuracies or inconsistencies in your billing process. This documentation is essential as such issues could leave clients needing clarification or dissatisfied.
Once you’ve identified areas needing improvement, take appropriate steps to address them. You may need to refine your payment terms, improve your invoicing and follow-up processes, or offer additional payment options. Continuously monitor your KPIs to assess the effectiveness of any changes and make further adjustments as needed.
Wrapping up
In this blog post, we’ve covered numerous parts of acing the billing process. We’ve looked at choosing the suitable billing method, implementing billing software, establishing clear payment terms, streamlining invoicing and follow-ups, and regularly evaluating your billing process.
However daunting billing may seem, you mustn’t forget that you have all the resources you need to get it right and make it sustainable. If you follow the advice covered here and give your best effort, you should be able to get where you want to go. Good luck!
5 Things Nobody Tells You About Working From Home
Once upon a time, working from home was a lovely dream for the average worker. Those at the top of the professional pyramid have always had the option of avoiding offices, of course, but building a middle-class career has long meant accepting a static desk (likely in an inconvenient location). During the worst of the midweek slog, there was joy in imagining working from a sofa. But, there are a few things about working from home that nobody tells you in advance.
Then came the one-two punch of robust internet infrastructure and a global pandemic. With technology making it possible for most people to work remotely and lockdowns forcing companies to accept that they didn’t need people to be office-based, things changed massively. Before the pandemic, only 5 percent of the American workforce worked from home. Now, nearly 30 percent of all work is remote. And ever since then, working from home has been a standard option. Some forecasters suggest that as much as 39% of global knowledge workers will work hybrid (hybrid is a combination of remote and in-office) by the end of 2023.
This is great news. It’s inarguably true that having the freedom to work from home if you want to work remotely is a spectacular addition to the world of employment. And you surely want to — right? Well, it’s not quite that simple. There are some things you need to know about working from home if you’re going to make a long-term decision about your working environment, and we’re going to look at five of them in this post. Let’s get started.
1 – Ergonomics matter
We all know about health and safety concerns. Sitting at a certain angle, taking regular breaks, and setting your display at the ideal height benefits your health and well-being. There is a wide range of actions to make your working environment comfortable. Arguably, most workers need to focus more attention on this area, lest they discover it was a mistake to overlook the physical setup of their remote working environment.
Admittedly, you might not discover this for a while, and during that time, you’ll assume that it’s all overblown. Indeed, you tell yourself that you don’t need an ergonomic setup, and that your workspace is adequate. Maybe ergonomics is essential for some people, such as those lacking strength and flexibility. However, you can forge ahead with the most basic setup imaginable.
Then, one day you discover that working in a slumped, unsupported position is not a good idea. Once physical issues develop with your hands, arms, or back, it’s more difficult to address them. So if you’re going to work from home, take your setup seriously — before you have to undo practices that harmed you.
2 – It’s easy to cage yourself
Picture the scene: you are focused on your work all day. You’re primarily motionless in a “cubicle” as you complete your tasks; you look forward to leaving your workplace at the end of the day. Finally, you’re unleashed! Skip to the next day. Where are you? In the same place, essentially motionless at your desk, with the same confining postures with the same unchanging views.
Part of the idea that you feel stuck in a cage is mental. We all get stuck in routines, and sitting at the same desk daily is routine. But another part stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of working from home. When you work remotely, you can work from almost anywhere. “Not overseas,” you might object. However, I have three words for you: employer of record.
If you’re thinking, “What is the employer of record supposed to mean?” you should follow that link. But the gist is that any company can hire people anywhere. For example, working for a Spanish company not only doesn’t require you to be in Spain (or prohibit you from working vacations). But, working for a Spanish company also does not require you to be based in Spain. Sure, you might need to convince your employer to accommodate a big overseas move, but if you want to escape, then why not try? In today’s working world, knowing that most boundaries are gone gives you flexibility and won’t limit your options.
3 – You give up commuting when you work remotely
Say goodbye and good riddance to an exhausting drive through dense traffic. Parting is such sweet joy. If you commute by train, you find them expensive and only available at inconvenient times. Get away from a tedious commute when you work from home. You get more free time and reduce expenses. What’s not to love about those two perks?
There are a few people who enjoy the commute. You may find something undeniably nice about commuting. The journey gives you time to think; necessary travel prevents your attention from wandering. You can gather your energy before you start your workday and decompress when you head home. The result is a satisfying first step back into your home in the evening.
Others who enjoy the commute find it allows them to take extra steps during the day and do some people-watching. Even if you never strike up a conversation during your commute, simply being around other people makes some people feel more connected to society. If you feel a sense of loss concerning your commute, consider creating a fake commute by adding a 20-minute walk before work and at the end of your day.
4 – Your home loses its shine
Whatever area you call home is your haven: the one place you can feel relaxed and comfortable. As your domain, it’s under your control and filled with good memories: playing games, watching movies, and laughing with friends and family. So what happens when you bring work into that area?
The work becomes more pleasant: you enjoy familiar surroundings and have more freedom to step away from work for a few moments. But just as the environment lightens the work, the work weighs on the environment. Slowly, your home stops feeling like a safe area for retreat, and it becomes a place of relaxation and work, making it suboptimal for when you want to get away from anything that even reminds you of work.
If your home has always been your refuge, then think about where else you could build a refuge while working from home. An eatery you enjoy, a public park you can visit, or a friend’s house. Your mental health needs to have somewhere to let your guard down and fully get away from work.
5 – The days get longer.
When you subtract the commuting time, reschedule the mandatory breaks, and clear out the previously-unavoidable last-minute exchanges, you end up with a significantly-shortened workday. You’d think, then, that a typical day of work would speed by relative to office drudgery — yet that isn’t often the case. In truth, the day often feels longer.
There are many reasons for this, but the biggest is that you miss many office-based conversations that soak up time. A minute here, a minute there, five minutes catching up with someone, ten covering what you’re getting for lunch. These are the interactions that keep you engaged and going.
And when you don’t have the variety of an office around you (the buzz, the hustle, and/or bustle), the only distractions that come along are the kind of pulling you away from work for extended productivity-busting periods instead of reassuring interludes. That means you need to add the variety, and take control and build them into your day. Only you can break up your day and throw in enough twists and turns to keep the clock advancing, so if you start feeling tedium, make some changes.
Differences Between Digital Advertising and Marketing
Digital advertising and digital marketing are two misunderstood terms, and many people think the terms are interchangeable. However, while they share some similarities, they are distinct in their approach and purpose. Here, we explore the differences between digital advertising and digital marketing services.
What is Digital Advertising?
First, digital advertising refers to promoting products or services using digital channels such as websites, search engines, social media, email, and mobile apps. Digital advertising involves using various ad formats, such as banner ads, text ads, video ads, and sponsored content. The main objective of digital advertising is to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales.
Breaking Down the Different Types of Digital Advertising:
- Search Advertising: This type of digital advertising involves placing ads on search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. These ads appear at the top of search engine results pages and display based on specific keywords.
- Display Advertising: This type of digital advertising involves placing banner ads, video ads, and other visual content on websites, social media platforms, and mobile apps. (For more information, check out this article comparing Search Ads and Display Ads.)
- Social Media Advertising: This type of digital advertising involves placing ads on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Social media ads can take various forms, such as sponsored posts, promoted tweets, and sponsored stories.
- Video Advertising: This type of digital advertising involves placing ads on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion.
What is Digital Marketing?
Then, we turn our attention to digital marketing. Digital marketing is a broader term that encompasses various digital channels, sometimes including digital advertising, but not always. Digital marketing involves using multiple online channels to promote products or services, build brand awareness, and engage with customers. The main objective of digital marketing is to create a robust online presence that drives awareness and supports conversions.
Breaking Down Digital Marketing
- Content Marketing: This type of digital marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content such as blog posts, videos, infographics, and ebooks to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): This type of digital marketing involves optimizing a website’s content and structure to rank higher in search engine results pages.
- Email Marketing: This type of digital marketing involves sending targeted and personalized emails to a list of subscribers to promote products or services, build customer loyalty, and drive sales.
- Social Media Marketing: This type of digital marketing involves using social media platforms to build a community, engage with customers, and promote products or services.
Key Differences Between Digital Advertising and Digital Marketing
- Objectives: Digital advertising primarily generates leads, increases brand awareness, and drives sales. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is focused on building brand awareness, engaging with customers, and driving conversions.
- Channels: Digital advertising mainly focuses on promoting products or services through various ad formats on digital channels such as search engines, social media, and websites. Digital marketing, on the other hand, uses multiple digital channels such as social media, email, search engines, and content marketing to engage with customers and promote products or services.
- Tactics: Digital advertising relies on paid media, such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and display advertising, to promote products or services. Digital marketing, on the other hand, relies on various tactics such as SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive conversions.
- Strategy: Digital advertising generally focuses on short-term goals such as generating leads and driving sales. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is focused on long-term goals such as building brand awareness, establishing a solid online presence, and building customer loyalty.
In conclusion, while digital advertising and digital marketing share some similarities, they are distinct in their approach, purpose, and tactics.
About the Author
Kit Mullins, co-owner of Jemully Media, LLC, has been a leader in digital marketing for more than twenty years. A writer, designer, and developer, Kit enjoys travel, photography, and Bible study. With six kids and fifteen grandkids, she has no choice but to find ways to be creative.
4 Tips to Ensure Your Business is Visible Online
The scope of possibilities that the internet affords new small business owners as well as established small business owners has never—nor will ever—be replicated. However, along with the vast possibliities, you face a high level of competition to make your business visible online. This competition extends well beyond your locale as you compete against brands from across the country for visibility.
For your company’s website and associated social media channels to be as achieve a good page rank in the search engine results, we recommend the following four tips to increase your opportunities for success and growth.
1 – Strengthen Your Marketing Strategies
First and foremost, identify your business goals. Then, take the time to put together a cohesive advertising and marketing strategy to achieve one or two key brand goals. As you develop your marketing strategy, do not shrink back from ambitions goals. Yet, keep your goals within the range of what is attainable. Small successes along the way lead to long term gains.
To get you started, here a few simple tips to include as elements in your strategy. These elements work together to improve your online company’s marketing strategies:
- Identify your key target market
- Determine a set budget for each marketing and advertising strategy
- Utilize innovative apps and software programs to save you time
- Define your key roles of each employee to carry out the strategy
- Maximize your reach on social media through paid advertising campaigns
2 – Optimize Your SEO. Watch Your Metrics.
Next, boost your brands’ visibility online through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and monitor the SEO metrics. SEO efforts are a necessary factor for your website to achieve a good page rank. These efforts take time to show results in your SEO metrics, but are well worth the effort if you create web pages that are well written, well designed, and technically sound. The higher your web page appears on the search engine results pages, the more likely a potential customer or client will discover the products and services you provide.
In addition, another important SEO (search engine optimization) tactic worthy of your attention is to develop quality backlinks to your company’s website. One way to ensure an ever-growing number of backlinks is to deliver content marketing as one of your marketing strategies. This practice increases the likelihood of users returning to your website frequently, resulting in more time on your site and a an increased domain authority.
3 – Automatically Arrange Regular New Content Uploads
Regardless of the size of your small business, regular content updates that provide answers for your potential customers is advantageous. When Google returns search results, Google’s desire is to provide their searchers with content that is helpful. Therefore, if you invest in publishing fresh content for your site regularly, Google will find your site fits their business goals.
As a reminder, with all of this discussion about online visibility, it goes without saying that you need a good internet provider that delivers reliable service. Choose your internet provider wisely and stay informed of key phrases that will help you understand their services. It helps to familiarize yourself with techy terms such as latency, ping, and jitter when choosing an internet provider.
Now, back to the other marketing tips to help with your online visibility. In regards to social media, just as with your content updates on your website, we recommend that you post fresh content regularly. You may outsource this time-consuming step to an agency, or manage the social media channels for your business yourself. If you choose the latter, invest in social media applications such as Hootsuite. With Hootsuite you schedule social posts and upload content to keep your customers and clients engaged. Regular posting plus engagement builds brand loyalty.
4 – Hone and Develop Your Company Voice
Finally, as part of your marketing strategy, ensure that your business has a well-defined brand voice. Not sure what that is? Brand voice is defined as the distinct personality your brand takes on in all communications. Brand voice serves to portray your business in a certain way to your customers. As a defining characteristic of your marketing strategy, it allows you to connect with a specific audience that wants or needs what your company has to offer.
Connection to your audience and engagement is at the heart of an online company’s success. Even if you are positive of your products’ or services’ superiority over the output of your industry rivals, you will struggle if you fail to engage with new and potential customers alike.
To cultivate a loyal customer base and, furthermore, to entice new customers to your business, make sure your unique selling point clearly emphasizes your brand’s voice.
Is Your Home an Optimal Work Environment?
Is Your Home an Optimal Work Environment? The answer to this question depends on your opinion of remote working. Some people prefer the structure, discipline, and collaboration of working in an office with others. But, if you have the self-discipline and enjoy the flexibility that remote work affords, your home may be the workplace of choice.
What does an optimal work environment look like?
The answer to this question is a personal one that depends on your personality, work style, and work preferences. One option many remote workers strive for is to mirror what you typically associate with the office. This mirroring includes a dedicated workplace, a desk, and the tools you need to complete tasks. For example, a computer, printer, whiteboard, and file storage. Others prefer the freedom to be more mobile to work from the couch, the kitchen table, or the patio.
Some employers are more concerned over your productivity than your working location. In such cases as these, you may have the freedom to travel and work from a remote vacation spot. A working vacation has its unique pros and cons that require its own set of disciplines. The option to adapt your workspace to your unique desires is one of the reasons that working from home appeals to so many employees.
Your Working Space
Some people thrive in the stressful, fast-paced environment that some work cultures offer. The employee who thrives on input and working with others derives energy from others. However, those who tend to be more introverted may view the organized chaos of some workplace environments as stressful. Introverts might not be able to imagine anything worse – which could be why they opted for a home environment in the first place. It might be that countering the stress of the job with a calming and quiet environment can help to focus and increase productivity.
Other Ways to Optimize Your Home Working Environment
In addition to a calm and quiet work environment, you have more flexibility in your work location. If you are setting up your remote work location for the first time, you might consider these tips for good communication. For those who work in front of a computer screen for long hours each day, your eyes can suffer damage. If you are concerned about your eye strain, position your workstation near a window, where you can periodically look outside and give your eyes a rest. This practice relieves tension in your eyes and increases productivity. “Paradoxically, staring out the window can increase productivity. It can take us momentarily away from our work’s hectic pace and immediate pressure and allow a different form of knowledge to emerge.”
The Tools at Your Disposal
Whether or not you believe a worker is only as good as their tools, it can be good to have the best available. This is less of a concern in an office as you work with means provided to you by the company. This is different for those who work in a home environment, especially those who are contract workers. When you are responsible for providing your equipment, working with the best tools can increase productivity. Quality tools benefit you and those you work for.
First, some tools worth investing in are subscriptions to cloud services, an ergonomic chair, a standing desk, and a reliable laptop. When it comes to connectivity, check your area for the best and most reliable Internet service. For example, those who live in the San Diego, California area might look into fiber internet near San Diego that allows you to work as efficiently and unencumbered as possible.
Self-Control, Structure, and Distractions
Not only does everyone have different styles of working by themselves, but their jobs also demand different structures. While one person might have a more typical 9-5 routine, an hour in the middle of the day for lunch. During work time, they are required to stay at their desk and complete their tasks. Others might have more flexibility of movement within. the office and more flexibility in their schedules.
This flexibility can undoubtedly be a blessing – allowing you to work as you prefer, finish your tasks quickly, and spend the rest of the day as you desire. Many choose to use the flex time with family, exercising, or running errands. However, to make the most of the potential that comes from a remote working environment, you need to have an element of self-control. This self-control can allow you to apply your personalized structure to the day, overcome the inevitable distractions around your home, and create a routine that works well for you.
