Monday 31 August 2015

This is how Exactly You can Infuse Credibility into Businesses!

Business credibility is the trust you build among customers and with tactical business acumen retain it. You might be thinking that even after building an effective store front with impeccable and quality products, there is a need to infuse credibility in your store. But, more than a pre-requisite it is the aspect making your business reliable and trustworthy. Building business credibility is crucial for small scale businesses.

Corporate Solutions

Don’t ever miss the opportunities that come across for businesses to make it a big HIT among customers. Because, they are the ones the helps you build your brand. Even the finance investors and stakeholders play an important role in making the business image credible.

Traits that Add Credibility to your Business

Win Trust

Credibility is all about winning trust of every individual connected to it. Accepting and fulfilling the expectations is crucial for building and retaining trust factor in corporate business solution. This can be done by incorporating an enticing store front that satisfies customer needs, make them feel the value they hold for your business and let them reveal how and why they are satisfied with your business. Their positive approach will boost your brand image helping you get more customers.

Retain Confidence

It’s the confidence that helps your business to achieve desired ROI. If you are a newcomer, you will be packed with confidence to achieve success at any cost. Though you might not have sufficient experience to make the strategies work anyhow, but it takes the confidence that helps you conquer the world. Any task accomplished in the right way can do wonders. Confidence can build business credibility whereas overconfidence can even ruin it.

Treat Customers Well

Customers, being the most significant aspect of your business, they should be treated really well. Word of Mouth marketing is the most effective trait that has benefited organizations. Interact with your customers and find what they expect. By satisfying their challenging requirements, you can make your brand prominent sustaining in the world competition.

Even if the products or services you serve are not up-to the mark, the way you treat your customers matters more than the product quality. They can share their views and experiences through social media and other means, which can earn you more customers With better feedbacks, your business can avail excellent credibility!

Honest Approach

When the approach you work for is positive, and when the strategic efforts to make the business credible are honest, there would be no barrier for success. Dishonesty can prevent your business from getting success. Let your stakeholders and customers have faith in you and your business. Making fake or false promises can make your business lose its credibility.

Highlighting achievements and revealing accomplishments adds value to your business. Avoid the factors creating negative impact on individuals connected with your brand.

Clear Business Objectives

With an aim to serve across the globe, modern businesses ensure the strategies used to achieve objectives are unbeatable. For instance, you may set the goal that your business would achieve sales limit of ‘X’ number of products by the year ‘Y’. Accomplishing this objective requires several aspects to work like productivity, customer service, core values, manpower etc. Focusing on the efforts required to achieve business objectives helps customers trust your brand.

Be it a startup or a huge enterprise serving since ages, business credibility is the asset for organizations making individuals trust and rely on the businesses. Companies planning for long term stay in global market can get benefits from this marketing trait. Make unbeatable strategies that help you flaunt your business achievements.

Business credibility plays crucial role in boosting the customer satisfaction level by getting remarkable profitability. Flawless reputation is what every business is working for.

Friday 28 August 2015

How Your Employees can Make ERP Successful?

Enterprise Resource Planning system is the primary requirement for every growing business. Without implementing the required systems, sustaining in the market even with the excellent services and promising features is next to impossible. ERP is affordable only by the huge firms is just a myth. The ERP system implemented in the company can develop a win-win situation for both the enterprise and the employees.

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It is a fact that role of employees using ERP system is vital. No enterprise would tolerate if their ERP system does not earn them desired ROI. Below mentioned are the methods employees can use the ERP system to get the most out of it.

1.Analyze the Complete ERP Solution

Whenever a company implements a new ERP solution for simplifying business processes, the first thing any employee must do is its analysis. Check it thoroughly, it might be similar to the previous system or might be completely different from the system you were used to. Focus on its feature list and benefits offered. By understanding the features exactly, employees can use the system accurately and can extract the best out of it. The same way, benefits offered can simplify the business processes. Plan your enterprise resources precisely by availing all the benefits offered by the system.

2.Avoid Intolerable Mistakes

Mistakes can back off the business no matter how efficient the implemented system is. Minor mistakes can be tolerated and resolved even, what about the huge mistakes that jeopardize the business success.

a) Poor Planning

When no proper planning is made to use the ERP system, it can obscure the effective business strategies made for better ROI. Prior to making business strategies, focus on planning for the system usage as it takes the front seat.

b) Insufficient Training

Imagine the employees are made to work with the brand new ERP system you have just implemented. If they are not provided sufficient knowledge and training about the system, they will not be able to handle the system.

c) Poor Maintenance

The ERP system implemented in your enterprise require regular health check up too. The system that simplifies complex business activities also requires maintenance service to avoid further complexities. Give your employees a well maintained system for the improved functioning of business as well as ROI.

3.Get a Backup Plan Ready

A successful implementation plan is important for any system implementation but it is equally necessary to have a backup plan ready for the same. Without a backup plan you will not only lose your vital data but it will also cost your efforts and resources. Most importantly you must deliver the right training for such program to your employees as well as they would be a part of this backup program and help implement the backup plan in time.

4.Find the Flaw Rather than Avoid Using

If there are any flaws detected in the ERP system, report about it to the vendor representative handling the maintenance of system rather than stop using it.

Employees being the end users of ERP system, hold great importance. Enterprises seeking excellent solution for simplified business activities implement single ERP system rather implementing multiple systems and managing each of them individually.

Going Cloudway, What your Employees Must Know

This article mainly focuses on the companies moving their business to the cloud. The essential goal of any company is PROFIT. Marketing professionals build excellent strategies to boost the profit levels making the business successful. Not only CEOs of the enterprise, but also the employees need to focus on some consideration to make the cloud shift a success.

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Cloud computing is the modern age concept thrilling companies with its excellent benefits. Cost efficiency, flexibility, security, scalability etc. this is what an organization requires when dealing with crucial business data. Thus, this virtual data storage concept has won the trust of the majority of business owners seeking better data management solution.

Cloud Benefits IT Professionals Must Know

This virtual data storage solution has a scalable environment that holds big data storage very efficiently. Affordable cloud computing service is a boon for every sized business. Even the investment for implementing this trending technology can compensate the company investments through its benefits. Have a look at the benefits packed with this impeccable data management technique.

  • Organizations offer services to manage huge amount of data through cloud computing resources. They may add or remove the resources used, depending on the varying size of enterprise. The fluctuating requirements of IT infrastructure can easily be fulfilled by cloud technology.
  • Enterprises get the flexibility to rent the cloud space on hourly/weekly/monthly or yearly basis at reasonable packages.
  • Implementing cloud based business activities is cost-effective as no additional hardware installation is required.
  • The biggest advantage of switching to this scalable technology is quick access to the cloud space allotted for your business.

Cloud Considerations IT Manager Must Focus

Data Security

It’s true that the security of data stored in the cloud depends on the type of cloud (private, public, community or hybrid cloud). But even the employees accessing these data need to be alert while dealing with this data. The systems through which the cloud data are accessed should be secured (with powerful firewall installed). For security purpose, avoid inserting external drives or connecting other devices to the computer systems through which cloud is accessed.

Skills and Knowledge

Organizations moving to cloud gets to avail new opportunities. IT managers serving your enterprise must be technical proficient to manage even the worst case scenario while working with cloud. It takes technical experience to connect the products with their data stored in cloud and customize the solution when required. If the employees working with the cloud data service lack the knowledge required then, then they might be unable to handle the challenges coming along the way. Cloud service knowledge proficiency is a must while working with the technology.

Organizations moving to cloud should explain pros and cons about the technology to their employees. 2-3 training session for the brief overview is sufficient. Companies can utilize the cloud resources depending on the size and complexity of the organization.

Businesses seeking better ROI, select cloud computing services for flawless business functioning. Select reliable hosting services providers as your crucial business data requires safe and secure hands to manage it. Just do not forget to educate your managers and other employees about this mechanism and the security patches they should understand.

Thursday 27 August 2015

Factors to Consider for Data Security While Moving to Cloud

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Storing the data in the cloud is the most advanced data management method followed by organizations that find data management a complex task specifically if the volume is large. Cloud data storage is the technique where logical pools stores digital data and are mainly managed by hosting companies. Managing huge data was a tough task before cloud storage technique came into existence. There are several benefits attached with this new data storage technique.

Top organizations using data cloud are concerned about data security and rely on cloud computing service providers for managing their crucial business data effectively. But do you think that data stored in cloud is secured?

There are generally two types of clouds, private clouds that are owned by reliable hosting companies (data security ensured) and public clouds that are available for every individual using internet (data security issue).

Crucial Aspects of Cloud Data Storage Technique

There are several risks too associated with storing the data in the cloud, but it cannot diminish several benefits that it offers like easy data management, simple data search and quick data access. Let’s have an insight what those top factors are that can make cloud computing a trustworthy deal.

1.Data Encryption

Encryption prevents data from getting infected from malicious attack. Sit back and relax if your data is encrypted prior to storing it in the cloud. You can rely on the hosting companies that use the best encryption technique to protect your data from unauthentic attack. But if you prefer saving your data on some public cloud, though your data being encrypted, your data can be at risk. Choose the cloud computing service providers wisely as your business data is significant and it should be taken care of.

2.Big Data Management

Is your company growing? Do you feel your crucial business data needs a better management process? Cloud computing is the best technique helping organizations to save and manage their big data efficiently. This technology is perfect when it comes to dealing with huge and unmanageable data. Without affecting the flawless business functioning top IT service providers streamline the two of the hottest trends i.e. big data and cloud computing. So, if you have big data better shift to cloud for better data management.

3.Shared Access

Check – Whom are you sharing your cloud data with? It is possible that when employees share the company resources like storage devices, memory etc. it may result in data leakage. This can be a threat to the data security. You might be unaware about who has logged into your system and misused the data. Researchers checking the security loop holes can access the resources to tasks performed and employees logged into the system. Thus, organizations are advised to keep the record of the shared devices and access secure to avoid data breaches within the cloud. Shared access can be a big problem putting the vital business information at stake.

4.Resistant

Cloud data network is highly theft-resistant. Professional hosting companies offering cloud data service claim their cloud to be 99.999% resistant to multiple data copies stored at multiple locations. Private data cloud owners manage exabytes and zettabytes, which is a tough task. Handling this amount of data is a huge concern for IT service providers. Error resistance data storage in the cloud is highly challenging. Select reliable service providers having proven records of serving reliable and efficient cloud services.

5.Authorization

Authorization of the data in the cloud is the most crucial aspect. Be it the top management or the data management team, when security of significant data is concerned, access rights should be provided with great responsibility. Focusing on the data confidentiality, authorization should be the biggest concern.

There are several companies offering cloud data service. Research the market prior to selecting the service providers offering cloud computing services that suits your crucial requirements. They also offer several packages with specific service list; businesses can select the packages given their requirements and budget. Selecting appropriate service provider will reduce your concern about the data and let you focus on business.

Monday 24 August 2015

The Dirty Truth - Technology is Ruling Our Life!

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TECHNOLOGY – The buzz word that has influenced every alert and informed individual living in digital era!

It has a positive side about which everyone knows. As every coin has two sides, technology also has a flip side that is widely neglected. Everyone is just interested in knowing about the advantages it offers. Modern age population is glad that technology has made their lives quite simple. But at the same time we cannot neglect the bitter truth that “Technology has made us PUPPETS.”

I am not ruling out the lifestyle technology has offered us rather I am focusing on what we have lost, allowing digital era to overcome the essence of simple living.

Have you ever thought you are being surrounded by numerous digital products? You can’t even think of detaching them from your life. Smartphones, laptops, tablets etc. are such devices you would never want to live without. Why, is it so damn important? No, actually you are habitual of these gadgets and don’t want them to leave you ever.

In today’s era, you would find people saying, they can live without their friends or family. But, you will hardly find anyone saying that they can live without their smartphones or laptops. Technology inventors would never have thought that the gift they are giving to the world will make them so aggressive that people would have more attachment with the non-living objects rather than living-beings.

Social Media gets High Priority

Social Media gets High Priority

We give social media the highest priority. Does this mean we like virtual friends and relationships rather than meeting people in real? We are connected with social networking websites 24/7 and more than 30% of the day is spent on checking the news feeds and making updates. But we don’t call it a time waste; we call it utilizing time for interacting with loved ones (but over internet).

I really pity the parents that wait for their kids to get offline so that they can start their dinner; I really pity the kids that are eagerly waiting for their dads to finish of his video conference; I pity the wives who are waiting for their husbands to finish off his work like checking mails and setting schedules on his tablets, so that they can have a conversation on important issues. God bless them!

Feelings have taken a Back Seat

Feelings have taken a Back Seat

Before the arrival of digital era, people had emotions and feeling of humanity. But as the world started getting advanced, these emotions got disappeared over time. Good feelings have taken shape of anger, anxiety, envy, jealousy, aggression etc. Are we the same human being that once felt others pain, tried to make others happy or did something good for others? Actually our most time is utilized in using the technology and as a result no time is left for thinking of lost emotions.

Emotions are Fading Away

Emotions are Fading Away

Have you ever felt the time you spend over video games and internet must have been invested in nurturing the relations with the people around us? Every age group is suffering from the disease called “TECHNOLOGY ADDICTION”. Taking the serious note over it I pity the people having beautiful families and yet they cannot spend time with them. Though spending majority of the time around with the digital devices might be a part of their work, but what about the personal life? The time you start feeling your professional life is ruining your personal life, start discarding unnecessary tasks eating your majority of the valuable time like reduce the time spend over social networking website, crop the time used behind communication applications etc. Retain relations as they are the most beautiful and priceless asset that everyone does not get.

Distinct Diseases are Hitting Lives

As we all are aware, extreme use of technology will impact lives. Wives sitting or working in front of the television, is the scenario of majority of the modern houses. This affects their brains by diversifying their brains in multiple directions that leads to unfocused approach in life. Children eating in front of the TV don’t care about what and how much are they eating; can give rise to several disorders. The professionals surrounded with digital devices at work are at risk of mental distress.

With increasing mental stress arguments, disagreement etc. also increases. Avoiding such situations is the key to a happy and healthy life.

More than a habit, we are addicted to the devices and gadgets of the digital era. Imagine a life without an alarm clock (it would be hard to wake-up by your own in the morning), a coffee maker and a toaster (how will you make your morning breakfast), an iron (you will definitely not leave the house with shabby and un-ironed clothes), smartphones (how will you contact people), laptop (you won’t be able to work anywhere and anytime). I know it’s very hard, almost impossible. There are several other appliances without which we cannot survive.

Anything done within its boundary is acceptable. It’s time now to draw a line between being addictive to technology and being a smart user of technology without ruining your personal space. It’s time now for you to think where you are wrong. TECHNOLOGY has made our lives better, but limiting its use will make our lives simpler and happier.

Friday 21 August 2015

Gamification – A New Marketing Strategy for Broader Customer Outreach

The term gamification for businesses simply means creating a gaming strategy that involves platforms/resources like websites, online community etc. for motivating target audience to engage with the brand for better business opportunities. The gamification strategy needs to be designed perfectly for boosting ROI through out of the box gaming techniques. The integrated game methodology triggers active participation of customers resulting in customer loyalty.

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Perfect gamification marketing technique is the latest customer relationship management mechanism that engage and retain loyal customers. It not only engages customers but also drives behavioral changes in users and customers that directly integrate with your business goals and strategies. Let’s have an insight about the most crucial techniques and strategies that can make the gamification process the future trend of marketing strategies.

Use Social Media as Platform

Engage your customers with your brand and reward them on task completion, this is what gamification is! Social media is the biggest platform for any gaming methodology to initiate. Majority of the internet users across the globe are connected through social networking website and it is the best place to make its users fond of your brand. You can use several techniques to engage them with your business like for instance, ask for their feedback and offer them reward points on their responses. On social media platform alone you can target millions of users and let them involve in the game plan your business created to follow.

With real games and reward earning activities in businesses, businesses can know the customers through their behaviors and requirements.

Offer Reward Points to Attract Customers

No matter what plan you make to gamify your business, ultimately you have to focus on your customers. There are several corporate giants that have started implementing the latest trend of gamification. For instance, in some games there are websites that offer points and rewards you on completing daily activities like checking emails, referring the website to his/her friend etc. The points collected can also be redeemed in several forms like you get discounts on specific products, you get a chance to get promotional products at nominal price etc.

Some websites that also have mobile app version can gamify the mobile app promotion. They offer discounts or points on downloading the app. This is the tactics used by majority of the eCommerce websites to promote their shop-anywhere approach.

Better Search Visibility

There are websites that ignite the spirit of competition among the users. This not only keeps the users engaged but also invites huge traffic towards the website. Gamification also helps websites to get better ranking in popular search engines.

Top search engines crawls the websites that update their content on regular basis. This gaming technique helps business owners to know their customers better. They track their behavior and considering that they build unbeatable marketing strategies.

Design the Game Mechanism Focusing your Audience

Your target audience is the primary target for gamification. Building customer centric gamification strategies will allow businesses to acquire desired ROI. Design the gaming mechanism with an aim to motivate the players and engage them with your brand. Build and implement gamification strategies that benefit both your business and customers.

This modern age term can help organizations to broader their market outreach, if executed perfectly!

Wednesday 19 August 2015

Omni-Channel Shopping – A Gift to Next Generation Buyers

“Powerful marketing strategies can attract customers,” this sentence has become outdated now. With the arrival of tech savvy shopping era, eCommerce businesses are forced to implement smart marketing techniques. Omni-channel shopping is the most advance marketing concept where customers are targeted through different channels (including online and offline marketing modes). No matter what channels customers select to get connect with the brand, they are provided with flawless customer experience irrespective of time, place and channel.

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Either it’s through an official website, mobile app or social media fan page, companies can leverage every channel for marketing their products and services. Even customers can shop using Omni-channel strategy.

They can connect to the eCommerce brands through social networking websites that redirects them to the official websites. Advertising through SMS texts and mobile apps are the latest trends igniting the eCommerce market with multiple options of shopping and advertising. Top products and services can be acquired by using Omni-channel eCommerce.

Omni-channel Gains for Today’s Shoppers

  • Shop anytime and anywhere. Internet connection is not a compulsion. Yes, you read it right! If shoppers want to place an order, he/she get the liberty to order the products by just a phone call or a text message too.
  • Shoppers can compare the price of the product from any channel where the product is available and order from the eCommerce store with the best price offer.
  • Portable devices like smartphones, wearable devices etc. are also the channels used to connect with eCommerce websites.
  • Customers get consistent shopping experience and customer service through Omni-channel eCommerce solutions.

Gains for Retailers

  • Consumers find it easy to connect with brands and ultimately eCommerce business owners can also serve more customers using diverse channels for customer outreach.
  • Some retailers also offer in-store pickup option that reduces the transportation cost to a great extent. Only eCommerce store having a physical store too can offer this flexibility.
  • Retailers can offer real time discounts when customers are in the store to increase sales and profitability.
  • Rise of the mobile era has benefited both customers and seller. Customers can buy effortlessly and retailers no more have to serve the customers in long queue.

All the retailers can stay connected with your customers through different means, and the customers can shop through any channel with an assurance of consistent customer service through Omni-channel eCommerce.

If we consider the research conducted by top eCommerce companies and market researchers; more than 60% of the modern age group shopping online demands for discounts and searches for better alternatives.

Top brands can offer attractive benefits like same day delivery (with additional shipping charges), price negotiations (depending on the seller) etc. Ecommerce companies can build smart marketing strategies for fulfilling customer requirements and broaden the retailing platform. Targeting millennial (individuals born between 1980 and 2000) age group and offering them personalized and attractive deals and discounts can benefit business. It is truly a gift to millennial as they can get what they desire very easily!

Tuesday 18 August 2015

The Truth Behind Selecting CRM Solution Being Important

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is the methodology/software built for the management of company’s relation with customers effectively. Still there might be several individuals still unaware about the power of CRM solution. It has been established that businesses using CRM solution perform better as compared to the enterprises not using the CRM solution. It can be considered as a complete bouquet of business solution managing right from customer requirements to customer experiences.

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Though there are several CRM solutions available in the market, it takes selecting the most befitting CRM solution to accelerate your business functioning. If you select the correct one, it will be a rewarding decision, it can make your business a nightmare.

Choosing the Right CRM Solution

It can add value to your business only when CRM users in your organization are satisfied with its performance.

Analyze the business thoroughly prior to selecting a CRM solution to avoid any further issues. The requirement list after analyzing the system will help you select the best suiting CRM solution for your business. There are CRM solutions suitable for small to huge corporate firms. Only huge enterprises invest in CRM solutions for organized businesses is just a myth. In today’s era, smart entrepreneurs are adapting technology inventions to simplify their business notably.

Factors like size of the firm, tech savvy employees, business complexities are crucial for selecting the solution. Match the objectives of the CRM solution with your requirement list, if it matches, that is the best for your enterprise.

Perfect CRM Solution is the Key to Business Success!

Well, imagine a scenario where you own a corporate business having complex processes to be carried out and you plan to invest in a CRM solution. But unluckily, this solution does not prove to be favorable. The wrong selection of CRM software jeopardizes business performance to a great extent. The reason might be either insufficient system analysis or less scalability and flexibility, or difficult integration.

Thus, it is advisable to carry out intense research prior to deciding a CRM solution and investing in it.

Why Selected CRM Solution needs to be Changed?

There might be several reasons responsible for changing CRM solution selected by the corporate business solution.

  • Company is growing and the implemented CRM solution is unable to handle the changing requirements.
  • New technology adaptation by the company may raise the requirement of a new CRM solution.
  • CRM solution maintenance charges increased furiously that crashes company budget.
  • Features offered in the selected solution seem to be insufficient for the growing enterprise.
  • The change in the company policy might also affect the additional software used for simplifying company processes (CRM solution might be one of them).
  • The selected CRM solution is less scalable given the company’s requirement.
  • The vendor changes the maintenance policy very frequently.

It just takes a moment to select a CRM solution, but it takes huge amount of time and efforts to make that moment work well by taking right decision. Choose the solution that boost the business performance rather than a solution that reduces the profitability.

Monday 17 August 2015

Top Challenges at Workplace While Implementing BYOD in Enterprises

Modern executive have started adapting the latest trends and culture to stay ahead in the race of modernization. Thus, organizations are getting new face by infusing the ever changing technology. The term BYOD is expected to revolutionize organizations looking forward to making workplaces highly flexible. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is the next generation policies that will definitely hit the company rule book in near future.

BYOD

What is the Term BYOD?

Bring Your Own Device is the initiative taken to provide flexibility and convenience for work accomplishment. This policy will allow employees to stay connected with company’s system, no matter wherever they are. They might get some integration issues in the initial stage due to software and hardware variants. So, at times data and application adaptation might require high configuration and synchronization too. Empowering employees with improved and refined scalability, this future trend will serve the entire business arena.

As every coin has dual side, BYOD benefits are accompanied with challenges and risks that every enterprise is scared of. Though modern corporate business solutions are implying latest technology, they also need to consider the risks and challenges lying within the ever changing technology needs. Let us have an insight into the miscellaneous factors that need additional consideration.

Challenges in Implementing BYOD

Data Security is Biggest Challenge

Just think that you are working in an organization that has implemented BYOD policy. So, every employee brings his/her devices to work. In this scenario every device used in the company might have different software and their versions. The devices might be infected with various kinds of malicious threats like viruses, worms or Trojan horse. Preventing crucial business data from getting infected is very tough. Thus, data security in the enterprises supporting BYOD is a huge challenge for data management team.

Device Security is another Challenge

This new policy might be highly beneficial, but at the same time there may increase the complaints for lost or misplacing of personal devices used for performing business tasks. According to the a research conducted, more than 45% of the devices registered for BYOD were lost and found from public places. Organizations may lose crucial business data if the BYOD registered devices are found by any strangers.

Avoiding Attackers to Harm Data is Challenging

With the advent of this policy in the enterprises, data attackers may have a wider spectrum of data theft of crucial data. They may even sell it to third party maligning the company’s reputation. Important passwords, account details and other authentic information saved in the BYOD registered devices may be their prime target while hacking the devices. To avoid this situation, enterprises should prohibit the devices from having firewalls or anti-theft software.

Restricting Unauthentic Mobile Apps is Challenging

Employees using their smartphones and tablets may have several apps in their registered devices. The devices may be vulnerable at times as the apps may store crucial device data in their databases. Checking each and every device for malicious app and their functioning is impossible. It may even happen that an app might have received millions of downloads and have been in the list of top rated apps, but unknowingly it may save entire data of the device and send it to its database. This situation will not be less than a nightmare for enterprises. To prevent this scenario, organization implementing BYOD policy should allow only specific apps or software that are safe and disallow the rest.

Do you own an enterprise? Are you thinking to infuse a modernized approach i.e. BYOD in your enterprise? Flexibility and scalability of the business processes might be the main goal, but there might be several challenges too that can keep the company’s profitability at stake. It is advisable to play safe when huge data and security are the major concerns.

Friday 14 August 2015

How Secure is the New WordPress Version 4.2.4 ?

Good news for all the WordPress Users: Version 4.2.4 – security and maintenance update is here! WordPress developers were recently provided with the latest version released for reliable web development solutions. Being security and maintenance specific, this update is expected to patch the security loopholes left by earlier version. It mainly focuses on 6 major issues including XXS (3 cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, SQL injection flaws and other bug fixes.

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Four from the list of six new fixes allows developers to cover-up the security loopholes that may lead hackers to compromise WordPress website.

Why WordPress Released the New Version Few Days after the Earlier Version?

It is clear from the list of fixes offered with this version that the earlier WordPress version, though being a security update, was left with few issues that affected WordPress websites on the whole.

The earlier update contained 2 issues and 20 bug fixes from the previous update i.e. 4.2.2. But still developers had a great challenge to develop a WordPress websites that can keep hackers away. The safety breaches in this version were so severe that attackers can easily edit any post.

What Benefits will WP 4.2.4 Offer?

  • No more SQL injection vulnerability.
  • Attackers now cannot modify any posts.
  • WordPress websites and CMS would be having security-first approach.
  • WP users can avail excellent security and maintenance services.
  • Reduced cross-site scripting vulnerability.
  • Service providers can help WP engine customers by patching the update on customer websites.
  • Bitnami WordPress users get automatic version update.

With WordPress 4.2.4 version update, website owners can sit back and rest as major security issues met earlier are now fixed. Professional developers can now lock the posts and avoid hackers to add or modify the WP website. So, for all WP users, it is time to update the WP version to avoid all security vulnerabilities making your website safe and secure.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Entrepreneur’s Attitude BUILD or RUIN Enterprise

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Do you think it’s the business owner who is responsible for success and downfalls? Some might be thinking that not only his/her attitude but other factors too work upon that. I agree, but 90% of the result is due to an entrepreneur's attitude and dedication towards the work. Competitors might be succeeding and your business might be running at a low speed. Why is it happening? Is it because, you are lacking some qualities? Should your attitude be blamed? Is it taking your business to a dead end? Analyze yourself prior to analyzing your system and staff.

Right from the day an idea strikes an entrepreneur's’ mind, the work starts. Briefing the idea, creating strategies and gathering funds is what the initial steps should be. You can only get it right with the right attitude.

Let us see what those crucial factors are that affect the business severely!

Dissatisfaction

Dissatisfied entrepreneurs always tries to achieve great heights in their business. The dissatisfaction in the mind makes them stronger to gear up themselves towards new peaks. It is the attitude that makes their roadmap to success easy and fruitful. But if the dissatisfaction is affected by other factors like the employee behavior, workflow or any other aspect, it might even dismantle the created empire.

Dedication

“Dedication is the key to success”. This is an ancient belief that helps entrepreneurs to build and grow their business. Business owners must know their startup business needs and they must be highly dedicated to accept challenges no matter how difficult it would be. If they are not prepared for the worst case scenario, they cannot prepare themselves to defeat the competitors, which would result in a failure. A thorough analysis of the situation will give them the right envision that will help them formulate an unbeatable business solution.

Confidence

Confidence can make anything possible. It can take an enterprise to new heights. Overconfidence may block the success path. Entrepreneurs seeking success need to make mistakes, learn from the situations and gain experience. This way they could build the confidence to manage the functioning of the enterprise. The crucial decisions taken by the entrepreneurs are not 100% correct every time; it is possible that the result might be unexpected or undesirable. Confidence more than required brings disasters too.

Behavior

Every employee expects a professional yet friendly behavior from his/her boss, trust me, it’s their secret desire! The entrepreneurs need to be very smart to understand the situation and react accordingly. Taking employees’ psychology seriously, a strong and reliable company culture can be created to make the work atmosphere inspiring. If the entrepreneur behavior and attitude is unpleasant, chances are that you might lose valuable customers or your loyal employees might even transit from your enterprise.

Optimism

Optimism refers to being positive. Every entrepreneur, be it an owner of a small startup or a big company, is expected to have optimistic attitude. This will make them better entrepreneurs having thorough business insights. Practicing optimism will help the business owners to take the right decisions once they analyze the situation completely and implement it at the right time span. There might be situation where just a single small mistake would affect the business severely. Thus, an optimistic entrepreneur never differentiate any situation as weak or strong, they believe in making the solution strong that can beat the challenges with best returns.

I hope this article will help millions of entrepreneurs, who are either thinking to venture into the business or the ones who are in search of some guidance to grow their business. To all those, I would like to conclude with the sentence “It’s the attitude that can build and can terminate too!”

Tuesday 11 August 2015

Is Personalized Shopping Forthcoming Generation Trend?

“Online shopping” are the words that can excite millions of users as well as scare many. As we all know there are pros and cons of every aspect and so is the case with eCommerce applications. But, in this case the myriad of benefits overshadow comes its scary side. Majority of the world’s population, surrounded by technology all the time, uses smart ways to live life. Online shopping is a smart way to spend money as per their desires, they believe! They are absolutely correct. Modern age shopaholics refer to eCommerce website for product quality and price. They can get better deal for the products as compared to brick and mortar shops.

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They get better deal, better price, superfine quality and home delivery. Don’t you think these benefits are enough for one who wishes to buy a product from another country? Well, we all are aware of the scenario in which eCommerce web solutions are replacing bricks and mortar stores gradually.

Personalized Shopping Experience is New eCommerce Tactic!

Getting personalized shopping experience is what every shopper expects from eCommerce giants. Getting too personal with the customers will definitely annoy them. Online stores track customer’s browsing history and sell crucial customer data to the third party. They make the worst use of it by annoying the customers to a great extent.

Buyer like getting store discounts, real-time deals, complimentary items, compare price of the products prior to adding it to their shopping cart. Around 60% of the customers like personalized shopping but majority of them hates getting too personal. But, this percentage ratio may vary for different countries.

Customers avoid visiting online stores tracking their locations, feedbacks for their personal choices. They can even believe to what the store tells not to buy, due to some reasons. For instance an online medical store owner may ask their customers to avoid some drugs that may harm their health and the millennial do consider this as personalized suggestion. They are recommended the items that suit their taste, budget and are beneficial.

Is Personalized Approach Better than Generalized?

Well, if we start comparing both the approaches, we would find more reasons why companies are getting personalized. They use emails to send customers, who are specific about the deals, discounts or recommendation.

Who would not like the attention? Modern eCommerce business marketer uses this fact to improve business strategies. For all the attention seeker online buyers, personalized approach boosts their shopping experiences.

Whereas, this might not be the case with generalized shopping experience where store owners treat every customer equally. They use a generalized marketing strategy that might not work well in the eCommerce era where getting personal means more business!

Verdicts

Personalized shopping experience can be the next eCommerce trend that is set to change the online shopping phase completely. Buyer’s choice and affordability would be the most crucial aspects, eCommerce marketers need to focus in near future.

Monday 10 August 2015

Tips to Block Hackers Accessing your Online Store!

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“Hacking” is the malpractice that the entire world of eCommerce field is scared of. The biggest shopping destination i.e. online market is in the need of reliable security standards to avoid frauds and offensive practices affecting eCommerce websites’ rep. Online shopping trend was developed due to the ease and efficiency offered by online stores to the shopping process. But what if, they are “hacked”? What about all the crucial details of the customers stored in the website database?

Hackers do not care whether it is an eCommerce websites or a blogging site while stealing essential and sensitive details like customer and business data. Ecommerce web solution providers need to take extra care of the security standards infused in the website.

Protecting eCommerce website is smartness more than an art! I have listed few tips that would help saving the website getting hacked or fraud.

Avoid Saving Unnecessary Data

Avoid Saving Unnecessary Data

All eCommerce website would ask for sensitive credit/debit card details while a customer makes the payment in the checkout process, but not all of them save all the details received from the customers. It is better not to save the details that are not required whenever a customer returns to the store. Details like expiry date of the credit/debit card, registered name, CVV number etc. must not be stored.

Saving the unnecessary customer data that is not required is strictly prohibited by PCI standards. It might be inconvenient for the customers, as they need to repeat the data filling process. Explain them the reason of not saving their data. Saving crucial details increases the chances of data theft. “If you don’t have any secrets within you, no can reveal it even”!

Test Your Online Store

Test Your Online Store

Ecommerce websites are required to test their security standards on a regular basis. It is one of the most crucial prerequisites of a successful ecommerce website. This will keep the hackers away by making your web store highly secure. It is important for online stores to adhere to PCI DSS compliance prior to initiate retailing.

There are possibilities that modern hackers might have infused vulnerability through advertisements or third party content. Consult ethical hacker to check the website and identify harmful elements, if any. Integrate security apps in your online store that helps scanning and identifying malfunctioning of the web store that might harm customer’s essential details.

Use a Secure eCommerce Platform

Use a Secure eCommerce Platform

Ecommerce platform, used for the online identity of your business, is very crucial. Today, the trend of using open source eCommerce platforms is ignited by the web development companies. But, professional developers need to consider the intense requirements of the eCommerce website and choose the development platform accordingly.

Magento is the leading eCommerce development platform used by millions of web developers around the world. It can easily be configured with the SSL. This platform is highly secure and takes care of various factors affecting the security of the website.

Upgrade the System

Keeping the system up-to-date is the best method to keep the system away from becoming a victim to cyber-theft . As soon as the updated version is released, web development companies ensure the eCommerce websites get upgraded for better performance. Online stores using the latest version of the web development platform, reduce the risk of developing security loopholes. No matter which platform you choose, it needs to be regularly updated!

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) of the eCommerce website reduces the hacking risk. Thus, its upgradation is mandatory for discarding the hacking possibilities.

Encrypt the Website Data

It is significant to clear up or encrypt all the communication done through eCommerce website as hackers might get the crucial details from the transaction related communication. Of course no one would like their conversations getting public. Emails, chat or any other communicational means should be encrypted to maintain privacy.

Even the passwords prior to storing in the database should undergo the encryption process. Encrypt the hard disk of the system to avoid the data loss when the storage devices are misplaced or stolen.

Train Your Employees and Customers

Train Your Employees and Customers

Being an eCommerce business owner, educating your employees and your customers is the best practice to save your online store from security malpractices. Train your employees for the worst situation that can happen along with the security measures that saves user data. Make your customers aware about various possible methods used by hackers to capture intense details like credit card details, passwords etc. and save them from becoming cyber victims. Teach them to differentiate a suspicious behavior against the friendly one.

Incorporate security laws and policies to avoid the situations such as website being hacked or data being affected through unauthorized factors.

Modern customers consider cyber security as the highest priority in the eCommerce websites. Online stores lacking security standards aren’t considered reliable. No online business owner would get happy if his business revenue generation is affected due to insecure online system and cyber theft. A robust security ecosystem can save online store owners by increasing their store popularity over the internet!

Saturday 8 August 2015

Analyze your Website: Is it Modernized?

Remember: “Website represents business to the internet users!” This sentence is no more just a belief, but a reality. There are several businesses that totally depend on their website and online customers. eCommerce websites is the biggest example that proves online business website is as crucial as bricks and mortar store. The changing world aims to make internet as their prime requirement after food and shelter.

Analyze-your-Website

Internet users are coming across several types of websites active over World Wide Web. These websites are said to be modern not because it is packed with attractive images and creative fonts, but because they contain all the latest features and functionalities simplifying users’ requirements.

What it takes to Modern Website Design?

Enticing Appearance

You can make your website design highly attractive and this is one of the crucial must have factors for your website. Does that mean you need to consider website design trends of 2015? Of course, considering on the latest design trends will offer your website an astounding and unmatched look and feel.

Today’s website needs to be responsive by nature. This is the ultimate requirement for the world going mobile. If you’re up to making an excellently attractive website packed with reliable features and enticing visual content and if it does not fit the mobile device screen when accessed through smartphones or tablets, it would be hard for visitors to stay on the website for more time.

It is also advisable to keep the design matching the category of the website. For instance, if you own a music website, infuse the theme with dark color shades and suiting visual elements, the same way if you own a website that retails apparels for females, infusing the theme with eye-catchy colors and attractive theme elements would be the best idea. Well, appearance of the website design is equally important as its speed and performance.

Optimized Content

You might be thinking that the visitors arriving to the website will get attracted towards the website design; it is true, but this does not mean your website content should be dull. To avail great visibility, the content of the website must be optimized. This will help your website get good ranking among popular search engines.

It’s the era where even images used in the website need to be optimized for better visibility. Visual content is the latest trend igniting the website popularity. Giving creative website designer, a reason to innovate with the visual content trend, websites are adapting modernized approach.

Seamless integration

Integration is the term referring to syncing of any module or website element with the website architecture. Easy integration is the must have feature of any modern websites serving across the industry verticals. The need for new modules or features is irrespective of time. You need to develop flexible websites to match the requirement of integration.

Elements of Current Trends that your Website should Contain

Visual Content

“What you see is what you get.” Visualized content, like images with content, video and audio content is trending nowadays. Build websites having visual content and increase its popularity over internet.

Content Management System

Adding or removing content to and from the website is an easy task if the content management system used is packed with latest features and functionalities. Choose the web development platform that offers an excellent CMS solution for simplified content management.

Build a business website that impacts the visitors strongly. Feature-packed attractive website is what will change the forthcoming design trends.

Thursday 6 August 2015

Can Mobile App Marketing Budget Crash your Company Finances?

Mobile apps are the next big thing responsible to bring the revolution after the arrival of smartphone devices in the market. There are many factors liable for success or failure of any mobile app. As internet is getting responsive, mobile apps of businesses are the flexible alternatives to stay connected and updated with the latest happening.

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In the era of mobile-first m-commerce store, apps play crucial role in promoting the business. Mobile app marketing budget is one of the factors that affect its performance. Budget has always been a matter of concern for companies, be it a growing enterprise or a heavy-weight empire. A budget of mobile app development also includes pricing plan for branding and marketing strategies created for app promotion. Competing with millions of other apps existing in the market is really a tough task. Either your app needs to be unique and unmatched or your marketing strategy needs to be very powerful to sustain in the completion.

Advertising campaign includes information, like the market to be targeted, budget for the campaign, strategies and more, out of which, budget needs to be designed very intensely as, one mistake can toss the company finances.

Wise marketers often research the market prior to building unbeatable strategies. The next step would include starting the campaign with existing budget, which can later be modified, if required.

10 Big Questions Affecting App Promotion Budget:

1.Do you want your app to be in the top lists of app store?
2.Is your company financially strong to take big risks?
3.Is your team of marketers highly creative?
4.What makes your app stand out in the competition?
5.Is your app technically tested?
6.Do you use social media platform for campaigning ?
7.Is your app highly optimized?
8.Are you planning to promote only on niche app store?
9.Are you dividing the marketing campaign into pre-launch and post-launch strategies?
10.Are you willing to implement video marketing?

It is not always correct that “if you spend more on app promotion you can avail better exposure.” There are several cost-effective tricks that can be used for brand marketing through native apps.

I would place the cost-effective marketing strategies at the top of the list. Thus, by doing this, company’s financial planning won’t be affected severely.

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Will Mobile Advertising Join the Race of eCommerce Trends in 2015?

What is Mobile Advertising? It is a term that refers to advertising through mobile or smartphone devices. It is a way of mobile marketing. There are several methods used by top brands for mobile advertising like text messages, promotional ads within the apps, ads within the mobile browsers, image ads, video ads etc. This is the newest marketing trend adopted by the organizations nowadays. By considering the mobile using habits of individuals, mobile advertising has received remarkable response too.

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Start a mobile first ad campaign to boost ROI exceptionally. Mobile advertising is expected to join the bandwagon of eCommerce trends 2015. It is the next big thing affecting branding and promotional campaigns conducted by top brands.

Factors Fueling Mobile Advertisement

  • Smartphones are being used by every age group of individuals.
  • Mobile software upgradations have made mobile devices highly convenient.
  • Shopping is done through smartphones.
  • Mobile generations are being updated.
  • Secure and reliable payment gateways fulfill customer requirements.
  • Crucial data are protected.
  • Mobile app development companies create and offer exciting apps.
  • Mobile hardware manufacturing companies have refined their strategies.
  • M-commerce is the future next.

Working Principle of the Mobile Advertisement Process

Not only attractive images and enticing content, mobile marketing has much more to explore. Studying your customer’s likes, requirements, wants, desires etc. can make the mobile marketing campaign much easier.

Let us check what aspects can make the mobile advertisement campaign successful.

  • Target right audience only after researching the market.
  • Utilize social media to target wider spectrum of the customers.
  • Add rich content to make your customers curious and sensitized about the products being promoted.
  • Select the correct media channel to market the products or services giving you higher ROI.
  • Ads covering the whole screen of the smartphone have more chances to get clicked by the users.
  • List out the strategies you would use to build up a brand through mobile advertising.

Branding through mobile ads helps you reach your users easily. Mobile users are increasing at a light speed. Product marketers are paving the way for improving marketing strategies for generating desired ROI.

How to Plan Mobile Ads Marketing Campaign?

Here listed are few ticks to make your mobile ad campaign successful.

  • Make the use of mobile browsers effectively as they can be used as the base for featuring mobile ads.
  • Use app stores, be it an android, iOS or any other mobile operation system. Every mobile OS will have an app store that is used for downloading and checking the app alternatives. The average time spent for this process by an individual increases exponentially. This, this is the source of getting desired response to the sponsored ads.
  • Track the users’ mobile behavior to hit the ads at the right time. Find out when the mobile usage reaches its peak. Plan to display the ads during that specific time to get better output.

2015 is the year that has accepted several new eCommerce trends that are ruling the digital market. Mobile advertising is one of the latest trends that will change the branding process completely.