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Differences Between Web Design and Graphic Design

Published on April 23, 2021

While the responsibilities of a web and a graphic designer may seem similar at first glance, there are significant differences between the two. As a design agency that does both, we find the concepts of graphic design and web design confusing a lot of people. In this blog, we want to clarify a few key differences to make communication with customers and partners more understandable.

Both graphic and web designers work with design principles and graphics. It is when we look at the logistics of how each discipline interacts with the areas mentioned that we begin to see the differences.

Think of a graphic designer as an artist and a web designer as a mechanic. The artist develops the concept and appearance of the project while the mechanic builds it. To create a project, a mechanic must have an understanding of the artist’s vision and concept and combine the components into a complete product. And an artist needs to understand the work of a mechanic and adjust his ideas and ideas accordingly.

Newbies do not always understand which they like best: web design or graphic design. The problem is that many do not even fully understand the difference between these two concepts. Therefore, we will understand this in more detail, so that it is easier for readers to choose a specific direction for study and development. Tip: do not initially spray into several directions at once. Since there are significant differences between graphic design and web design. The training courses of these specializations are different. So it is better to decide in the direction immediately and in the future focus on it.

The Difference Between Graphics and Web Design

The difference between the two specializations is focus. Web design consists of two elements: UI and UX. As their name suggests, they represent user experience and interface design. That is, web design is no longer about the visual perception of the elements of the site. But it’s about information content, clarity, correctness in terms of marketing impact on users.

That is, web design answers the questions: “How to correctly place a feedback form and a button to buy a product”. As well as “What should be the structure of the visual so that users buy a product/service better” and the like. Graphic design is no longer about user experience. It refers specifically to the visual component. It is superimposed on the finished prototype with an already formed structure, arrangement of blocks, action buttons. And so on.

Distinctive features of web design and graphics

There are differences between the two design directions. It is important to understand them, since they require certain skills, talents and capabilities from the performer. For example, in web design there is less creativity, but more analytics, forecasting and even the psychology of thinking of a potential buyer or user in general. And in graphic design, there is more creativity, visuals, creativity. In the second case, special software Adobe Illustrator CC, Affinity Designer or CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is used for work. A web designer uses very different tools in the form of programs and applications. Hence the different requirements for the devices used (a web designer may need a graphics tablet or other convenient gadget to work with drawing and visual creation).

Web designers care about block sizes and page load times

A graphic designer in Fireart could make beautiful animations and motion designs to fill literally every element on a site. But this will not work due to too much weight of the animations and the slowdown in loading the site page and individual blocks. The task of a web designer is to create an optimal structure in which it will be easy for a user to find the information he needs and take an action. The buyer should add the product to the cart as soon as possible, and the potential client should quickly leave a request for the service that the company offers on its website. That is, the web designer is concerned not with the final appearance, but with the correct operation of all elements, the clarity and accessibility of information, as well as the stability of the download.

A web designer works with traffic and audience

Web designers must not only think creatively and be able to analyze, but also work with traffic and audience. It is the result of a web designer’s work that affects how long users spend on the site and whether they can find the information, product or service they need. Web designers analyze clicks on every graphic element and button, collect feedback and improve interaction. They can change the size of the blocks, rearrange them, change the color scheme. All so that users spend more time on the site and have a good impression of it.

Web designers work in tandem with developers

The difference between web design and graphic design is that the former always work in tandem with developers. Since they are included in the work before graphic designers, who only have to complete the visual design of the finished skeleton and the completely finished structure. Even at the stage of website development, programmers discuss the structure and plan with web designers who determine the arrangement of blocks, the format of buttons and other interaction elements. And after that, the work goes to graphic designers. Graphic design or web design is different. But they should not be seen as a disconnected whole. Typically, introductory courses have similar content for both UI / UX design and graphic design. But then you will need to choose in which direction to move. Either draw more and get creative, or work with the site’s visual structure and interaction elements.

Conclusion

Both the graphic artist and the web designer influence the look and feel of a website, but they play very different roles in that. Each profession has its own set of skills and a specific role in the creation process. Understanding these important differences allows business owners to find the right person and service to design their website.

The Guide to Resolving Customer Issues

Published on April 20, 2021

Business

It is all thanks to the internet that we can successfully resolve customer issues. The customer is the lifeblood of your business, and that means you have to keep them happy.

Unhappy shoppers tend to talk all about the things that make them feel that way. This can create a domino effect that could reflect negatively on your business.

So eliminating all causes for complaints might just be the thing that your business should focus on. But we all know that doing that is nearly impossible.

Instead, you’re going to have to work case by case and successfully resolve customer issues.

If you’re interested as to how to do that, then you’re at the right place as we’ll give you a full guide about it. So with all that said, let’s start.

1. Listen To Your Customers

Everyone wants their voice to be heard; it’s how we function as humans. And that is no different for the people you cater to. If your business has any sort of customer service, then your employees must listen to the customer.

Whenever someone calls in with a problem, you should be able to resolve it. Regardless of how trivial it might seem, they still come to you with a problem and greatly expect you to resolve it.

And even if you’re fully aware of the problem, allow them to speak first and listen to them. Do not assume that you know what their issue is.

2. Be Positive And Kind

It’s safe to assume that some people are angrier than others. The root cause of the anger isn’t important, what’s important is that your customer has an issue and they are calling in frustrated about it.

It can be quite hard to remain calm whenever someone is shouting at you over the phone. This is truly the hardest thing for call agents to do.

Your employees will need to be trained in how to remain positive and be kind all the time. Everyone can have a bad day but if your service agent has one, then do expect a couple of complaints to be filed against your business.

3. Acknowledge the Issue And Find a Resolution

Once you’ve heard what they have to say, the easiest and best thing to do is simply acknowledge and thank them that they called in for assistance.

We are, again, going back to rule number one, which is to listen. Acknowledging the issue and even repeating it back to them confirms that you’ve been listening to it all this time. This is very simple to do but can have a very powerful effect.

Acknowledging the issue simply tells the customer that the person at the other end understands what they’re going through and will do everything they can to help them.

If you don’t do all this and instead jump ahead to conclusions, then you will make things worse. Eventually, your customers will grow so dissatisfied with your service that they’ll begin to write negative things about your business.

As you would imagine, there is a place where you can do that. Insulting the customer and your business will eventually show up on PissedConsumer.com.

4. Be Available 24/7

If you’re a global brand, then it goes without saying that you need to make yourself available 24/7. Even if you’re catering to a smaller community, the same rules still apply.

Availability is something that everyone can appreciate in this sphere. But we’re not seeing it. Not many businesses are available 24/7 for their customers. Their call services or online chats usually work nine to five, and that isn’t helping those that have a problem with a product or service.

Most businesses lack the manpower to employ 24/7 customer service. But that’s where chatbots and automation come into play.

Chatbots are very effective in resolving the issues of many unhappy shoppers. They can be integrated into your website and your social profiles. Sadly, they can’t speak over the phone.

But that’s not important as you should make your business available on multiple platforms. So if you have a website and social profiles, you will need to implement a chatbot system.

Here are a few reasons why:

· 24/7 Availability

The biggest reason why many businesses are implementing chatbots is the fact that they make themselves available 24/7. Even if some of your customers have a problem and need assistance at 3 in the morning, they can chat with a bot and find a resolution to the problem.

· Very Effective

You can program these bots to be able to assist everyone. Not only that, but some of these bots can be very effective in resolving problems. Bots are so advanced that they deliver real-time solutions to real-time issues. This decreases the number of support tickets, which ultimately takes the burden off your human workforce.

· Very Scalable

And probably the best thing about chatbots is the fact that you can employ hundreds of them to serve your loyal customers.

5. Offer Proactive Resolutions

Sometimes your customers don’t actually want to talk to anyone, they just want to find a solution to their problem. And for that, you will need to be more proactive.

Being proactive simply means providing an answer to a problem that might exist.

Businesses can be proactive in handling complaints in a number of ways. The first one is to simply give the customer an FAQ section. This section should appear on the same page as the “chat with us” option you offer. Instead of getting into a conversation with a bot or an operator, the customer can read the FAQs and find a solution to their problem.

Another great way to be proactive in handling complaints is to offer tutorial-style videos or blog posts. How-to-videos are great for this as they explain the whole process from start to finish. And your customers might find something in these videos that can help them with their problems.

And lastly, you will need to work on creating support content that your customers can see whenever they have a problem.

10 Tips for Expanding Your Business

Published on April 19, 2021

Business

If you are a business owner, you will have to prepare for when your business is on the verge of expanding. After all, a growing business is a successful one, so you need to invest time and effort in building a highly profitable venture that lasts in the long term. However, the road towards expanding your business is paved with challenges and risks. Apart from uncertain economic climates, you should also consider the resources and talents you need to bring your enterprise to the next level.

You need to make the right decisions and come up with an effective growth strategy, especially if it’s your first time owning a business. Here are a few tips you might want to keep in mind as you transition to greener pastures.

1. Know why you are expanding

Firstly, it’s important that you have a good grasp of the things that nurture your business. Do you have a growing client base? Does your product or service penetrate untapped needs? How is your brand image structured? You need to look inwards and find out what pushes your business forward. Along the way, you may also find plans and processes that are better off being discarded. Knowing what works and what doesn’t should help you come up with a strategy that aligns with your goals for growth.

2. Look into new markets

Have you been in your niche way too long? Diversification goes hand-in-hand with expansion, so try to explore outside your market and see what you can offer other markets. If you are a cleaning business that has served residential clients, you always have the option of expanding towards cleaning commercial spaces such as offices and stores. Doing so allows you to spread your income sources and open up new possibilities for future expansion.

3. Finance your growth

How much are you willing to invest as your business transitions to the next level? Even with a positive cash flow, it still costs a lot to grow your business. Fortunately, there are ways you can finance your expansion without so much as putting the bottom line at risk. You can always take out a bank loan or acquire a small business grant, but there is also the option of getting other people to finance your goals. Look towards angel investors, venture capitalists, and crowdfunding. The trade-off is that you need to pay dividends to people who helped fuel your growth.

4. Hire and re-train the best talents

Growth isn’t just about finding new income-generating opportunities. It also involves building a highly professional and competent team. For this reason, you will need to prepare existing employees for promotions and hire skilled and trustworthy people who can take their place as they advance. It may take time, but having the right talents assume leadership roles makes it easier for you to manage your business as newer and more complicated challenges come up. You can have your employees sign up for online training programs and attend webinars to start.

5. Branch out to a new location

Expanding to a new location allows you to grow your client base across borders. This could become tricky since you need to scout for potential space and comply with the ordinances and requirements of the community you are expanding into. You can easily work around this challenge by researching the location. Does it offer a high amount of foot traffic? Does it provide faster internet coverage? Is it conducive for your line of business? How much are you willing to pay in terms of rent and utilities? In case you are planning to expand in Los Angeles and Orange County in California, you can always reach out to companies like the Jeff Tabor Group for help in finding the best commercial spaces for setting up shop.

6. Acquire new tools

Is your business using outdated equipment and basic software? There’s a lot you can achieve if your business is equipped with the latest platforms and tools. Apart from giving your establishment a much-needed renovation and a new coat of paint, you should also look into updating your PCs and the software your employees are using. From there, you can offer better products and services to your audience.

7. Come up with better marketing strategies

As your business expands, you also need to double down on your marketing campaign. If your business grew due to your social media presence, you might want to build an official website and incorporate email marketing to your strategy. On top of that, you should invest a greater amount in content marketing. A good mix of blogs and promotional videos should help you to widen your reach and engage more potential customers for your business.

8. Monitor the competition

Never let your defenses down, even if you’re sure about your success. It’s important that you check on the competition every now and then. Your growth strategy will stall if you get left behind, so make sure to track how your competitors are performing and see if there’s anything that could become a threat to your growing business. With this information, you can easily tweak your strategy and come out on top.

9. Expand your list of networks

You can never go wrong with a support system that consists of business partners and advocates. They can help your business unlock opportunities and pave the way for further expansion. You’ll need to scout for business owners, influencers, and loyal clients who could be valuable as part of your network.

10. Take part in industry-related events

Lastly, you will need to invest in your business’s reputation and grow your influence. For this, you need to attend conferences, webinars, and live events that allow you to meet others and bring your brand to a wider audience. This could also help with building your brand and nurturing a larger client base.

Is your business expanding soon? While growth can be intimidating, having the right approaches in mind makes it possible to find success as you take on more valuable opportunities.

Take It from an Expert – These Common Instagram Growth Mistakes Will Waste Your Efforts

Published on April 15, 2021April 15, 2021

Marketing

Whether they’re running a page for fun, a small business, or a massive corporation, getting attention on Instagram is on a lot of people’s bucket lists these days. As of 2021, analysts estimate approximately one billion registered accounts on Instagram, and with at least 60 percent of this figure using the platform actively, Instagram has rapidly evolved into one of the most commercialized and business-favorable networks in the world.

Thousands of entrepreneurs are running profitable businesses solely off Instagram. However, raking in exponentially increasing revenue is largely dependent on the number of active and “interested” followers on a page. If you doubt it, ask Kylie Jenner or Rihanna (Fenty CEO) – while other factors must be considered when evaluating their business success, the large followings on Instagram (running into tens of millions) certainly played no small part.

However, unless you’re a celebrity or an overnight sensation, growing on Instagram was easier about five to ten years, following its debut in 2010. Back then, the strategies were new, fresh, and easily effective. Today, with inestimable competition across every niche you can imagine, the common hacks have become overused.

Well, despite how challenging growth and scaling may have become on social media, versatile entrepreneurs are relentlessly coming up with systems that actually work because growing on Instagram is not just an option – it’s essential in 2021. Most times, the most effective strategies are simply a matter of knowing what to avoid, and we’ll discuss some terrible mistakes below.

Those bots will be your downfall – eventually

“Awesome post”, “Great post”, “Nice photo”, “Good post”, “I’m lonely”… Within a second of posting a video or photo, hundreds of bots would turn and drop the same comments all over the place.

The quickest way to lay the foundation for poor growth on Instagram is to entirely automate your engagement. Turning to these inauthentic methods of growing your IG community is not only a way of ensuring zero results in the future, but you’re also micro-damaging the platform. People who follow you to gain value of any sort are more likely to unfollow soon, and when you show up on the explore page, no one wants to associate with a bot-loving brand.

“Bots make your account look great at face value,” said Nick Rogers, digital marketer, and Instagram growth expert. “It appears you have a lot of likes, followers, and comments, but to the trained eye, further glances at your account will immediately reveal that it’s fake. Why would you ever want a following of bots when they aren’t buying from you? Real people following you and your story is where the actual ROI of Instagram lies.”

Not leveraging influencers

Instagram is a community where trust and admiration validate a lot of transactions. People follow who they admire and patronize who they trust – or a brand recommended by someone they trust.

Based on customer behavior tracking, about 92 percent of people would patronize a product or service recommended by people they trust on social media. Also, your ROI on investments could be 11 times higher through a genuine influencer campaign than a platform’s automated ads.

Many business owners on IG would rather run massive giveaways and spend money on automation than paying for influencer marketing – fees that vary according to the number of followers on a page.

However, it’s also important to look into influencers you plan to connect with for business purposes. These days, the phony ones are making more moves than the genuine community owners.

“One of the biggest frauds going on these days is using giveaways to boost followers,” says Rogers. “Every week, someone is setting up a new one. They get in touch with celebrities, pay a certain amount and have them request their followers to follow a certain listed group of accounts, mostly wannabe influencers.”

Nick Rogers is the co-founder and CEO of Pvsted Media (pronounced “posted”), a successful digital marketing and Instagram growth company. In partnership with his friend, Gabe Robinson, the 21-year-old had launched this company in 2019 following the surprising growth of his first Instagram page, Business-Driven Dream, an entrepreneurial community that organically attained 100,000 followers in the first four months. This page gave rise to several more including Investing Authority, and today, Pvsted Media, the parent company, has garnered over one million followers across social media – unaided by weak-result tactics such as phony giveaways.

In reality, giveaways might rake in a ton of followers, but you can be certain they are only there for subsequent giveaways. They don’t care about your content, your products, or your value. Just the occasional online gifting fair.

“The followers are simply there for a giveaway,” Rogers continues. “Once the giveaway is done, they unfollow or never engage with your content. These influencers still do brand deals based on follower numbers of an unengaged audience. My takeaway has always been this: short term these tactics might work, but you are set up for failure in the long term because you are trying to take a shortcut rather than build an audience of loyal followers. Many brands these days are more concerned with short-term rather than long-term wealth.”

Irrelevant and excessive hashtags will only result in bans

Instagram allows thirty hashtags per account and the wise strategy would be to select only hashtags relevant to your brand, the theme of your content, and your page in general. Using hashtags based on popularity or whatever is trending the most is extremely harmful to your page as it often results in shadow bans – basically, you stop growing entirely on the platform.

Use only a few hashtags per post and ensure they are relevant to your content and brand. Also, research on the frequently updated list of dangerous hashtags that result in instant bans. Avoid them and save your account from unnecessary growth delays and suspensions.

“I actually never use hashtags,” says Rogers, founder of the family-run Rogers Organization, an investment management company overseeing businesses in real estate and digital entities. “It often attracts random bot followers to my pages and is more of a distraction than anything else. Dropping one here or there for a unique post is fine, but overall, I’d recommend almost 100% of the time that we never use hashtags to try to reach new people.”

Posting high-quality content alone will only get you halfway through

Going through some of the courses being thrown around on Instagram ads, many would recommend simply posting high-resolution content and expecting your follower count to massively swell. Instagram is primarily a photo and video sharing app, but if you want to maximize its potential as an excellent marketing strategy, you have to do more than just post.

You must promote your page through influencer campaigns, running IG ads, using appropriate hashtags, and connecting directly with customers and other pages on the platform.

Next, you must be consistent with posting. It’s not about the picture quality of your posts but how much value they add to the community, and how regularly you appear on the timeline. Content research is quite helpful for keeping up with a routine posting timeline.

Don’t be all over the place with your content

You’d occasionally stumble upon a page where it’s difficult to grasp the brand’s concept at a glance. From politics and sports to memes and cuisine, a brand that’s supposed to be marketing clothes and fashion accessories would indulge in posting the most random content. Some people post too much of their personal lives and too little of the actual business.

While a page does not necessarily fare better with a single theme all through, it’s important to be moderate when posting supportive content. Spreading yourself too thin with a wide range of concepts would only leave people confused about your intentions on the platform.

Instagram is the digital marketing goldmine of the 21^st century, and the most important values are authenticity, quality over quantity, and patience – you are going to need a lot of it. It’s a continuous journey and not a finish line.

Are Ankle Boots Business Professional

Published on April 14, 2021

Fashion

Ankle boots are some of the cutest boots that you can wear for everyday activities, as well as when going out with your friends. However, are they also office-friendly, and can you wear them to your new job? How many pairs do you own, and still seem to struggle to style when it comes to your business or office hours? Keep on reading and understand all there’s to it, as well as different styling possibilities that are listed down below!

How long have they been around?

Ankle boots are nowadays worn by men and women and are quite popular among kids as well. They have been around since the early 19th century, and are nowadays some of the most popular styles of boots. Why? Well, due to their effortless looks and affordable prices, these have become a must-have in our closets. They are warm, comfy, as well as different in loads of different colors that you can style, aside from the safe-bet black.

Is it okay to wear ankle boots at the office?

When it comes to wearing this item to your work, ask yourself if they are appropriate as well as allowed within your dress code. Some offices and jobs have a strict code when it comes to your attire. Ask yourself if you’re breaking any rules by wearing this item. If not, you’re more than welcome to style them! Once you throw on a gorgeous pair you will be looking & feeling like a true fashion icon. Most offices have nothing against boots, no matter which kind of style you choose to go for.

Is there a lot of ankle boot models?

Ankle boots can come in loads of different colors, patterns, as well as sizes. The material that is used in their production is the most important item that will determine its price tag, along with the manufacturer & brand. You will usually stumble upon:

Leather ankle boots
Rubber ankle boots
High-heel ankle boots
Slip-on
Cowboy boots
Marten style boots

How to style your ankle boots in 4 different ways

Option 1: dress & boots

You can look feminine & sexy when at the office, and you can still wear your favorite flowy or A-line dress. However, there are some rules that you should follow and understand before you start to style these two items together. Here are your ultimate tips:

Wear a knee-length wavy dress since it will flow against your body and it won’t take the spotlight of your boots.
Throw on a cozy sweater (cardigan on top) to keep that chic, sleek & professional approach.
Wear pair of hosiery that will match your skin tone, especially if it is a bit colder than usual.
Go for a pop of color when it comes to your jewelry, accessories, or your boots to give a bit of life & vibrancy to your outfit.
Stick to flat boots since they won’t look ”too much” once you consider the entire vibe of the outfit.

Option 2: boots & a skirt

Another common go-to formal look can be your favorite skirt & some sleek boots. This duo will also suit different body types, heights, as well as shapes. Here’s how it’s properly done:

You should wear a skirt that goes just below your knees.
Stick to a pencil skirt since it is known to work the best with all different kinds of items, and it is a staple for office wear.
Combine the skirt with a blouse that is in your favorite color.
Go for a pair of booties that are in the same color family as your blouse.
Go for a stylish tote bag that will make the look even more cohesive.
Most women will prefer flats (yet again) when it comes to this feminine yet not over-powering look.

Option 3: trousers & ankle boots

Who would have thought that these two can actually look cute together?! This is the perfect stylish outfit for women who don’t want to look too feminine or dressed up at their job. Here is how to achieve that vibe:

Go for some skinny or tight-fit trousers that you will enjoy along with your ankle boots, especially if it is cool and cold outside.
This combination will make you look tall & skinny, especially if you stick to a medium or high heel boot.
Go for a simple white shirt underneath.
Tuck it in your pants for that careless & chic vibe.
Throw on a coat or a black leather jacket on top to finish off the stylish street-like vibe.

PS: Go for a dramatic and vibrant lipstick as well.

Option 4: suit & boots

Are you a suit & tie girl? Maybe you enjoy that perfectly matched blazer look? This combo is for women who wish to look youthful and young, as well as formal. You can spice up your wardrobe and your approach, and here is how:

Go for the same colored blazer & pants, stick to a black monochrome vibe if this is what you own and already have in your closet.
Go for a dramatic pink, neon yellow, green, or blue shirt underneath to give it a pop of color.
You can also throw on a silk scarf, or use a hair tie to put your hair in a ponytail (just give it a pop of any kind).
Go for ankle boots that have a bit of a heel since they will make you look tall, slim, yet stylish.

Where to find your ideal pair?

Looking for that perfect pair of boots that you can wear at all times? Not too sure where to shop or where to find different models yet all at one place? Just click here and browse through different brands, models, as well as sizes & colors. Everyone will easily find their must-have pair at an affordable price point! These boots are perfect for girls, women, yet there is also a men’s section, ideal for everyone’s liking & wear.

Why Businesses Should Be Using SMS Marketing

Published on April 1, 2021

Business

When it comes to customer engagement nothing comes as close to SMS marketing not many other marketing channels are able to achieve the kind of engagement rates that SMS can deliver when you talk about a 97% open rate anywhere from 10 to 30%+ click through rates it’s hard to beat but even with these phenomenal engagement rates there are still areas that you can use to further optimise the performance of your SMS marketing campaigns.

Why should businesses be using SMS marketing?

1. It’s friendly for beginners

Most bulk SMS or SMS marketing services like SMS Papa are pretty simple and there are very few moving parts and that’s what makes this type of marketing attractive for business owners who have a limited understanding of either tech and or marketing.

The main components of an SMS marketing program are simply uploading your contacts, setting up your opt out, typing your message and then either sending or scheduling your SMS campaign – that’s it.

There are no graphic design issues to worry about no coding no having separate teams working on different parts of the text message it really is almost as simple as sending a text message from your phone which is one of the reasons why SMS marketing has been taking off inside the small business market.

Text message marketing is one of the very few areas where you can take a complete beginner and have them achieve engagement and conversion rates rivalling some of the best specialist marketers on the planet.

2. Engagement Rates

One of the most challenging parts of doing business is having the ability to capture the attention of a potential or existing customer if you’re currently running paid ads I’m sure you would have noticed that year-on-year those costs are climbing higher and higher and as a result, it is costing you more to acquire a new customer or even resell back to an existing customer than it did the year before and as more business owners and marketers jump into the online marketing pool those prices will continue to be driven higher and higher making it tougher for the average business owner to make paid ads work.

With SMS marketing you can achieve up to 97% open rates that means if you send out a thousand campaigns 970 people will open and read your SMS marketing campaign, try and find another marketing channel that delivers those kinds of engagement rates.

3. SMS is not an online channel

One of the other major benefits to SMS marketing is that it is not an online marketing channel; this may not sound very exciting for most as a lot of the business owners and marketers have been chained to the idea of using online advertising to reach their customers.

While online advertising is great due to its ability to track and measure and also target virtually any demographic, it is also plagued by things like algorithm updates, spam algorithms, quality scores and of course increased prices.

The Wonderful Thing About SMS technology is that it doesn’t need to worry about any of the above. there are no Savage core updates from Google to worry about there are no spam algorithms there are no quality scores to worry about and instead of increasing prices the prices are actually becoming lower meaning that it is cheaper to drive revenue than previous years using text message marketing.

4. You own the platform

Currently, there is a lot of big tech censorship happening which is making it tough for advertisers who have legitimate businesses to market their products and services on those channels Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Snapchat, etc. all have stricter rules on how you can use their advertising platform.

For example, with Facebook, they not only closely monitor the images and words that you use but they will also critique your landing page to make sure you are following their rules.

The problem with these rules is that they do negatively impact ad performance.

This of course is fair since this is their platform and they get to make the rules a similar thing is true with email you would think that when people subscribed to your email list that you should be able to reach 100% of those people since they put their hand up to receive your email promotions and content but email service providers and spam algorithms get to decide whether or not you should be able to have your email message delivered or not.

This is the same for any advertising platform there are rules and policies in place that were initially designed to stop spammers and scammers from taking advantage of people but What has happened is that these rules have restricted legitimate businesses from using ads in the most effective way which has reduced their overall performance.

With the SMS you own 100% of the platform which means there are no delivery issues, no spam algorithms, quality scores, no strict ad policies that can crush the performance of your ad campaigns overnight, etc.

This means that you actually own your platform and with this you are able to have more control over the revenue you can generate as opposed to having a 3rd party looking over your shoulder and having their say as well.

Conclusion

While SMS marketing is an incredibly effective tool for reaching customers and generating revenue it should be integrated into all of your other marketing channels.

Each marketing channel has its own unique strengths and so you need to understand what these are and how to use those combined strengths to build a solid business-building strategy.

For example, you can use the strength of online advertising (targeting) to collect mobile numbers and then use the strength of SMS marketing (almost 100% engagement) to send ongoing promotions to quickly recover the money lost of that ad spend and further grow sales revenue.

How to increase in-store revenues with Merchandising panels

Published on March 31, 2021

Business

You should pay attention every time you go shopping and remember where the merchandising platforms are situated. There was one positioned at the left side of the front door, wasn’t there? They positioned the panel like that because shoppers are prone to go right rather than left while entering a shop. Did you have a particular product in mind as you looked at the promotional panels? That was not a mistake.

By putting strategic merchandise panels in the customer’s direction, a well-designed merchandising scheme “forces” shoppers to stare at the items the merchant needs them to. Companies like crowdcontrolcompany provide products designed to get your customers attention and convert them into sales.

The vital distinction between a store that is going to thrive and struggling is usually small. Still, it is the subtle psychological forces that differentiate the prosperous retailers from the soon-to-be-bankrupt ones.

It is a proven reality that well-designed merchandising processes and the point-of-purchase show will contribute to improved sales and, over time, cause new consumers to become regular customers.

And what ways do you execute a sound merchandising framework strategy?

An aspect of sales promotion is art, but a separate element is scientific. You’ll need to put some effort and forethought into building up a successful sales channel, but doing so would guarantee that your sales channel is among your most powerful and profitable sales associates.

Finding your way can be challenging. Continue reading.

This review will go into proven techniques for building successful merchandising panels which capture the customer’s eye and prompt them to buy things.

Identify your customer profile

Be familiar with the buyer personas.

Anyone who has developed a profitable company will inform you that it is important to recognize and reach your target client. Doing so will lead to tremendous improvements in sales.

To find your ideal client, you must first build a “customer profile.”

As per Hubspot, the global leader in consumer analytics, customer personas are “imaginary, generic descriptions of your target customer.”

A comprehensive consumer persona can be useful in different facets of your company. For example, it can support your advertising, promotions, product creation, customer care, and, yes, develop your merchandising systems.

Your buyer profile should not only include demographic statistics but also should involve their habits, psychographics, and motives: their perceptions, values, wants, and goals, as well as their psychological motivations.

To provide consumers with what they need or want, you have to recognize customers’ desires and needs and predict their requirements.

Do you have any idea where to begin? Look through the old receipts to see what you’ve wasted money on.

Concerning whether or not the consumers are the sort that picks up chap-stick at clearance or perhaps more inclined to partake in a Moon Night, the response is “the former.”

To excel in your business, you should better understand your customer behaviors, and most merchandising panels do no less. When doing market research, you should take inventory of which add-ons your consumers are likely to purchase and then place merchandising panels to make these products easier to find.

Develop a strategic plan

After you’ve established your buyer profile, it is indeed time to pick from those options…

The number of merchandising panels you will need.
Where you can position them
You’ll be showcasing the following brands.
The effective techniques for organizing them

The simplest path to doing this is by using a strategic map.

Strategic maps are illustrations that assist in the process of deciding how and where things are located in your retail establishment.

These maps are created using some special computer software, allowing you to design a model of your shop by imputing its dimensions into the software.

This app allows you to drag n drop items, organize shelves to improve your products’ location, and fine-tune the positioning and scale of your shelves.

Fast reminder: If you need a bigger drawing, you can make a copy on graph paper.

It won’t be as precise as a graphical planogram, but it will also help you envision the merchandising panels before placing them in position.

Retail Merchandising Panel

Pick a particular topic to write about

One of the greatest faults you could make is getting so much of a sense of detail when it comes to publicity.

Remember the last mail you got from an e-commerce company.

It would have been ideal if the email had been about some product theme.

Consider, for example, an email from our company may be customized around a particular product category, like “Five Various Styles of Post and Rope stanchions” or “Perfect Slatwall panels for your warehouse.”

When an email contains several ads, it can cause the reader to become distracted and lose out on an opportunity to purchase any of the items listed.

Much as for merchandising tables, the same logic applies. If consumers disregard the merchandising panel because it has many items with inconsistent group titles, then there is so much garbage on the panel.

Consider anything that influences your merchandise panel’s look, including paint, items, and illumination, when creating your style.

With due consideration, pick the correct panel size for your items and workspace.

Think back to the moment we spoke about considering your customer’s psyche as a way to boost revenue, don’t you? Additionally, the graphics in the shop should be aware of that, as well.

If your store’s merchandising panel is too high or if the panel is too low for the size of your store, consumers will feel alienated and have less faith in your business.

To improve sales, the shop must have a merchandising scheme that fits within the establishment’s space and integrates with the overall architecture to entice shoppers better to purchase.

Make sure Merchandising panels are free of clutter and in a clear design

It must seem very simple, but if the panel is crammed to the brim with merchandise, shoppers will have difficulty locating what they’re looking for, and sales will suffer.

There are various ways to plan the panel for clients, ranging from easily arranging and showing all of the products to making sure it is easily accessible, beyond the customers’ scope, and appealing.

To minimize the chance of overcrowding, steer out of overcrowded areas and use signage with clear product detail. Ensure that you are working hard to keep the panels clean and simple.

A panel devoted to investigating candy merchandising

Bear this in mind: shoppers often turn right as they reach a shop

It’s very normal for shoppers to turn right when they reach a supermarket, so the right side wall of your shop near the entrance gives you a perfect chance for merchandising.

What you are describing is true; the wall you are talking about by the right-side entrance to your shop is referred to as the “power wall” so goods have a high chance of selling.

To optimize sales, select famous, high-priced merchandise products for your merchandising panels across your power wall.

Use spotlights to attract the attention of the crowd

Your consumers can follow your eyes to highlight various items if the lighting is just right.

Utilize spotlights to attract the customer’s attention to the merchandise and luxurious products placed above the ceiling.

Many consumers are not going to know they are being led to a particular commodity, so they’ll be very likely to purchase it.

Support the clients know what they want to buy by using signs and visuals

While designing a fantastic merchandising panel style, having an outstanding lighting scheme, and ensuring sanitation would dramatically improve the chance of selling, there are also more chances for increased revenue.

It is important to use convincing signage and illustrations to inspire consumers to shop.

Closing the eye with relation to shopping merchandising programs is all about attracting attention. It signifies you want consumers to find the goods you want them to buy by focusing on the key attributes and characteristics so that the customers can shop these products before they leave your shop.

Logos in big, contrasting fonts labeled, with striking colors, which focus on the real benefits of the items (instead of just their features), are by far the most effective.

Retail Merchandising Panel

From time to time, always perform an evaluation.

To get the most value from your floor shows, make sure to perform daily display refreshes at least once a week or once every two weeks.

Daily consumers avoid paying attention to the retail panels’ merchandise as they see the same things on the panels each week. As a result, the impact of those panels starts to decline.

Make sure you understand your buyer profile and seasonal patterns when you’re reviewing retail panels.

For example, a fashion store may have beachwear accessories, like goggles or sunglasses, in their merchandising panels in the summer, and winter accessories, like caps and gloves, in their panels.

To remain consistent with the overall look, design, and feel of your store, be constant with your product’s quality.

Name identification is among the most critical qualities of a profitable retail sector.

Your store’s visual styling, including the furniture, lighting, and other design choices, should be compatible with your brand’s intended image. The look of your merchandising panels ought to be clear as well.

Three major types of Merchandising panels for your business needs

Merchandising panels exist in various forms and shapes. Here are three kinds of merchandising panels that can suit most of your business needs.

1. Slat wall panels

Although retail display items are numerous, slat wall panels are widely used in retail around the world. These show fixtures are made up of panels and are created to accommodate various merchandising items. A frameless unit, such as a slat wall, may be mounted inside a wall or used in tandem with a base. Combination tool kits contain all the different equipment attachments appropriate for setting up their systems. Hardware including arms, hooks, and shelves is not needed to set up their systems, making combination tool kits particularly beneficial.

Benefits: One key benefit of this type of display is flexibility. You can develop a retail display specific to your business and its numerous needs ranging from several different finishing designs, heights, shapes to types of attachments. Affordable, ready-to-install panel options (especially single slat wall panels) and clear wall panel patterns make slat walls an affordable and attractive choice for people looking to create customized appearances.

2. Grid wall Panels

Grid Wall panel is one of the new merchandising panel styles that has become widely known among retailers. This kind of merchandising panel is constructed from a matrix of wireframes.

Benefits: Like the features of slat wall panels, the advantages of Grid Wall panels include privacy, additional safety, and versatility. They are versatile, reasonably priced, and highly customizable, too. However, Grid wall panels are lighter and less labor-intensive to maintain and need little dusting and basic upkeep to perform correctly.

3. Pegboard Panels

A Pegboard panel is a fixture that has a brick of punctured chipboard mounted on it. Although different materials are used to construct Pegboard panels, most of them are constructed of timber or fiberboard and feature rows of uniformly spaced holes used for adding hooks, trash cans, shelves, and some other storage items. Many merchandising displays are usually found paired with pegboards, and that can be somewhat unique.

Benefit: This benefits from its wide range of versatility and the option to use artistic merchandising models.

Bonus Tip: How to properly tailor Slat wall panels to your business

Slat wall panels are available in a wide range of designs and finishes, including panels with built-in end-panels.

Although there are a lot of HPL laminate slat-wall panel types to choose from, they can typically be bought in high-pressure laminate (HPL) due to the massive availability of the material. You can find various slat wall panel styles, including Formica, Pionite, Nevamar, and Wilsonart Slat wall panels, in several different colors and textures.

Those are a perfect addition to converting your retail space with slat wall panels to get a real, organic look and sound.

Plastic Slat wall panel usage

If you live in a rural or suburban area and own a house, you should start using plastic slat wall panels to upgrade your garage or showroom. Plastic Slat wall panels are lightweight and very simple to ship through UPS. The use of panel color matching screws gives it a finished look.

Metal slat wall panels

Metal Slat wall panels are suitable for handling big or uncomfortable objects. Mega wall Metal Slat wall panels are really easy to assemble, and they look amazing! It is incredibly easy to begin using the Steel Metal Slat wall Panel Trim and mounting accessories; you need to begin by using the Steel Metal Slat wall Panel Trim and Mounting accessories.

Designer slat wall panels

Designer slat wall panels are an attractive alternative for complementing an elegant slat wall panel display.

There are so many textured slat wall panel choices to choose from Barnwood, Metal, and brick, to name a few. Our designer slat wall panels are unique in that they add dimension to space while at the same time letting the outside in.

Are you interested in learning more about growing sales for your commercial store? Learn more about ADA regulation for retail companies and the fundamentals of retail crowd management by reading our posts on these subjects.

Going Down the Rabbit Hole of Modern-Day SEO with Jason Hennessey

Published on March 30, 2021

Marketing

Remember the early 2000s? Those years way before the pandemic struck seem so far away now, and yet the picture of it all is still so familiar to us: chunky flip-phones, questionable fashion trends, good music – and, of course, the continuous rise of the internet. Back then, we’d wait minutes for the screeching sound of our computers attempting to form some semblance of a connection to the available Wi-fi. If that were to happen today, everybody would complain bitterly.

Then again, the internet in our modern setting has gone leaps and bounds to evolve into an almost untamable creature of its own, breathing and morphing into so many shapes and sizes that it’s hard to keep track sometimes. A good distinction between the face of the internet only 20 years ago and today can be represented in every website’s current, heavy reliance on search engine optimization.

SEO wasn’t popular back then. There were hardly any college courses on it. If one wished to learn about SEO online, they would have to really scour the internet for scraps of information on the subject matter.

Today, SEO is a key mechanism which turns the gears that drive any online platform’s success. As it is when objects closer to us appear larger, SEO enables more related web pages to be put in the spotlight according to their ranking in the search engine’s algorithm. From this concept alone, it’s a no-brainer that in recent years, the SEO niche has become a cornerstone in the tech industry.

Ironically, it is because of SEO’s popularity that the quest for quality SEO services often results in a person going down an endless rabbit hole.

For instance, it’s extremely difficult to educate oneself so thoroughly in the subject matter. If someone were to attempt to write a book on SEO, and if they were determined to ensure that every piece of information in this book remains up to date for a long time, this would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Publishing takes a while. And in that period between the writing and the book’s subsequent publishing, Google, for example, would have updated its algorithm very quickly and frequently. Once the book has been released to the public, it’s likely some or most of the information in that book would be rendered obsolete. The fact that search engines update their algorithms to match current trends makes it ridiculously impossible for one to have a solid, time-tested blueprint on SEO.

This leads to the situation where the quantity of SEO specialists greatly overwhelms the quality of existing services. Everyone can pick up a book, sure. But does everyone have the passion, the dedication, the drive to keep up with the ever-mutating trends on something as volatile as search engine optimization?

It should, therefore, come to no surprise that there are plenty of people who claim to be experts on SEO but in fact have no idea what they’re doing.

Jason Hennessey, the current owner of Hennessey Digital, a digital marketing agency currently worth over 10 million dollars in revenue, recounted a story which led to the formation of his third business. After dabbling in the entertainment industry and subsequently going on to develop his business in the wedding niche by building websites, Hennessey found his passion in SEO. He was then invited to give a talk at a lawyer’s house in Atlanta, Georgia. Standing amidst a group of fifty prominent lawyers, Hennessey, a novice in the legal industry, shed invaluable light unto them that day. He had nothing else to offer them but his secrets on how to market their law firms through search engine optimization. Applying the knowledge and experience obtained when he was growing his wedding-related websites, he spoke to them about the strategies he personally used to raise the rankings of his wedding websites in the eyes of the search engine algorithm.

After the talk, some from the audience spoke to him about their troubles. One of them told him, “I’m paying an SEO company 7,000 dollars a month, and they’re not doing any of this stuff.”

This was when Hennessey was offered the opportunity to gain some bucks growing their law firms’ websites, which then enabled him to go on and build another agency which he sold later on, EverSpark Interactive.

It’s a strange and admittedly scary reality: some people in the SEO business don’t actually know what they’re doing. Or, rather, they don’t know everything about the very subject in which they should be specialists.

So, what separates people like Hennessey and the other self-proclaimed ‘specialists’ in the SEO industry?

Hennessey went down the rabbit hole, but he never got lost. Instead, he found something in there.

See, the thing about tackling a behemoth that can grow to the size of what SEO is now (and will be in the future) is that one must be constantly learning. In Hennessey’s case, he learned about SEO during its unpopular days in 2001. All he had to start with was Aaron Wall’s ‘SEO Book’, which he read from cover to cover twice before he started to practice tinkering with websites on his own. It was a trial-and-error situation for him, where he had to constantly troubleshoot his own mistakes in order to fix them.

“When a student is ready to learn, a teacher will appear,” Hennessey said.

But knowledge so vast cannot be obtained from a single book. People like Hennessey go down the endless path of scouring for knowledge: they read everything on SEO, whether the content is online or forever imprinted upon the pages of a book or magazine. SEO is everywhere – and especially now, there are ample opportunities to learn all this information on one’s own. However, one must proceed with caution. Filter out the useful from the bad. Follow trends. Spend any available time possible on keeping up with the rapid changes in this genre.

Another notable thing Hennessey did was that he built relationships with others passionate about SEO. In his SEO-related educational website, iloveseo.com, there is not only endless information provided – it also sells SEO-inspired T-shirts and so on. Sure, it’s a great marketing tactic, but it’s also useful for connecting with other people around the world, and this allows people to share their information and passion for SEO.

In essence, growth isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing when it comes to education. Sure, getting a degree and specializing in SEO is wonderful. But the learning doesn’t stop there. Hennessey’s skills in SEO can only be credited to his endless efforts to teach himself more and more things about the subject.

So, indeed, getting a grip on modern-day SEO isn’t easy. But it is possible, if only one were willing to venture deeper down the rabbit hole.

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