Mar 19, 2015
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The Pietasters - Drinkin’ and Drivin’
http://www.bigoanddukes.com/Come-To-Cheeses
The People Behind The Biggest Apps In The World (Infographic)
Author Bethaney Wallace
Type article
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Infographic courtesy of IrishApps.org
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: The People Behind The Biggest Apps In The World (Infographic)
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What Every Company Can Learn From The Sony Hack
Author Cindy Miller
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The past few weeks have been devastating to the Sony Corporation. Between leaked e-mails and actual threats, which resulted in a feature film being pulled from theaters and dozens of apologies, Sony has experienced a huge public relations nightmare. And if certain threats are to be believed, that is only the tip of the iceberg. The hackers reportedly have a lot more information that they could potentially release.
This is a great example of how important your company’s data, and your ability to keep it secure, is to your business. What happened with Sony is in a different realm of data protection than what we deal with in ITAD. However, what is happening to them just magnifies the concern of investors and the public in corporate data security. That part does trickle down to ITAD!
Any Data Breach Is A Big Deal
You might be thinking to yourself, “We have a policy to wipe all hard drives, so I don’t have to worry too much about a data breach, and certainly not to the magnitude of the Sony breach.” If your business experiences a data breach because the policies and processes you have in place are not meeting industry best practices, it would certainly cause a lot of problems for your department and the company. Because protection against a data breach caused by a disposed hard drive (in a device or standalone) could be considered much simpler than a complex network hack, that hard drive breach may cause more damage to your reputation. The key is to have effective policies and processes in place, and a way to make sure they are followed each and every time.
Every Company Is Vulnerable
Another thing to remember is that data breach is not just about really famous companies or those that have healthcare records or credit card numbers. Every company has valuable corporate data, and is at risk of some type of breach. Even if the data that is hacked or found on a hard drive is not very useful outside of your company, the fact of the breach itself is quite damaging. In Sony’s case, their employees, customers, and investors are now concerned about the company’s overall ability to keep its networks and data secure.
For end of life data bearing devices – whether it’s PCs, laptops, tablets, servers or storage arrays – your best risk mitigation practice is to work with certified partners. A company with the NAID AAA certification for electronic media can work with you to be sure the combination of your internal processes and the services they provide will minimize the total risk to your company.
The risk of data being compromised at the point of disposition is probably the most manageable data breach risk. All you need to do is leverage IT Asset Management (ITAM) best practices and partner with a company that will ensure it’s done right, every time.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: What Every Company Can Learn From The Sony Hack
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When Should You Start Thinking About Business Transition Planning? The Answer Is Now
Author Kathy Richardson-Mauro
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More than 80 percent of business owners have no formal transition plan according to The Exit Planning Institute’s 2013 State of Owner Readiness Survey. And, some estimates say that there are between 25 million and 27 million small businesses in the U.S. that account for approximately 60 percent to 80 percent of all U.S. jobs.
Think about that for a minute and it’s a little scary — 80 percent of businesses are potentially at risk because they have no plan in place, which also places their employees at risk. Is your company one of the 80 percent that doesn’t have a plan? As we come to the end of the year, it’s a good time to start thinking about the future of your business and your long-term goals. Take steps now to ensure the future of your company.
We understand that for most business owners, who are mired in the day-to-day operations of their business, it can be difficult to think about the long-term, especially when you may be years away from even thinking about retirement. However, owners should start planning years in advance of their retirement in order to improve their chances of achieving their goals.
As a business owner, you work to regularly fix problems, remove roadblocks to success, identify opportunities, and more for your business. You should be doing the same thing with your transition plan. Business transition planning is something every business owner should start thinking about now because no one wants their years of hard work, money, blood, sweat, and tears to be all for naught.
There is a common misconception that a business transition plan is something that’s final and even morbid. In reality, it may be the owner’s ticket to financial freedom for the rest of their lives. However it also needs to be flexible for changes in your business, life, and goals.
Owners should start thinking about their business transition plan early in the life of a business so that they can develop a strategy that will help them achieve their financial and personal goals…both short- and long-term. It will also help to ensure that your business, employees, and family are protected should something happen to you.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind as you start thinking about transition planning:
Start as early as possible to ensure the best outcome.
Determine how and when you are going to communicate your plan to those who will be affected, such as family members and business partners.
Realize that this is a process that lasts as long as the life of a company and will need to be continuously refined and updated.
Find people you trust to work with you on planning, including business transition planners, estate planners, attorneys, accountants, insurance providers, and business appraisers.
The planning process can provide a business owner with direction and real vision for his or her business, identify opportunities for growth, and determine areas that may need improvement. Going through these steps is usually an eye-opening experience for the business owner.
It can help you maintain discipline in running your businesses. It also greatly increases the probability that you can transition out of your business when you want to and on your own terms.
Most owners will only go through the sale of one business in their lifetime and it is usually the largest financial transaction of their life. Don’t leave the outcome to chance. Put a plan in place to achieve your goals and secure your financial freedom!
[Photo Credit: Robin Grotke via Flickr]
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: When Should You Start Thinking About Business Transition Planning? The Answer Is Now
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4 Tips for Maximizing Your Trade Show Exhibition After The Show
Samsung’s Curved Computer Coming Early Next Year
Author Anthony Jones
Type article
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Samsung’s curved computer is coming to join the curvy design trend their HDTVs started. The new PC is the Ativ One 7, and while the curve isn’t as apparent as the 4K TVs, it still provides unique viewing angles that really engage the user into what is on display.
The Ativ is 27 inches with a 1920×1080 panel and extremely vivid color reproduction. The one thing lacking is its resolution. It’s not terrible, but Apple’s iMac, which contains Retina Display, has a much better resolution. But Samsung didn’t build it to beat records when it comes to resolution and software. It’s clearly the design they are out to revolutionize.
According to tech giant, the Ativ One 7 has a curvature at 4000R, which somehow tricks the eyes into thinking the display is a lot larger than what it actually is. This is especially true when sitting several feet away from the screen. The upsides are more noticeable when sitting a lot closer, especially when it comes to fewer glares and immersion.
Overall, Samsung’s curved computer is pretty average, containing 8GB of RAM, Intel Core i5 chipset, a 5400rpm hard drive (which contains what they’re calling an “embedded” flash drive), four USB ports, and a media card reader. For PC consumers wanting a trendy design while also needing to fulfill their basic movie watching and gaming needs, the Ativ One 7 is perfect for them. For those hoping it to be a huge gaming system with the curve enhancing the experience, they may be a bit disappointed.
If the user owns a Galaxy smartphone, they can utilize a pretty cool feature called the SideSync 3.0. This program allows users to sync their phone to the Ativ so that they can receive text messages and calls from their phone to the computer. Users can even control their Galaxy by mirroring its screen on the computer.
The official release for Samsung’s curved computer is the first quarter of 2015. It will be priced at $1,299.
[PhotoCredit: Source]
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Samsung’s Curved Computer Coming Early Next Year
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Top Influential SEO PPC Predictions and Trends for 2015
Author Eric Seal
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A new year is on the way, and you know what that means—more of Google ruffling our feathers with ninja Penguin updates and Panda roll-outs. (Just kidding. Kind of. Google has it right when it comes to wanting better content for its users. Although we’re sure “ninja penguin” updates would strike even more fear into SEO black hats. Just sayin’.)
In all seriousness, the search engine optimization world isn’t immune to change. We know it, you know it. But if you thought internet marketing was evolving enough already, well…
In the words of Bachman-Turner Overdrive: “B-b-b-baby, you just ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
Here are some of our best SEO predictions for 2015 and PPC predictions for 2015 to prepare your website for a new year of business: (Considered some of the best business trends for 2015)
SEO Predictions for 2015 – Trends in Digital Marketing
Mobile Marketing Trends 2015
Mobile traffic will completely surpass organic traffic for most businesses.
Is your website optimized for mobile? It had better be. The continual rise of smartphones puts a search engine in everyone’s pocket—even for business-related searches. If you don’t want to miss out on new business due to your un-optimized mobile site, perhaps it’s time to make that a priority New Year’s resolution.
Google will reward websites that offer users a good mobile experience.
While mobile-optimization is already believed to be a ranking factor, you might start seeing some very tangible results in increased site traffic. We’re already seeing this with the mobile-friendly labels that now show in Google search results. But considering Google’s focus on user experience, this prediction could very well give you a major advantage over competitors who have yet to make the jump to mobile.
Content
Only content that adds value to the readers will rank well.
How do you define “value?” Well, ask yourself how your users “use” your content: Do they read the whole page? Do they click your links? Basically, is your content doing what it needs to do to get you closer to conversions? For 2015, we’re betting that content that adds to user experience and provides them with the answers they’re looking for will begin to rank better than pages that don’t. That’s right—content will be all about meaning this year.
Semantic search will understand search queries at such a level that keyword-focused content will be pushed off the first page of search results.
As search algorithms improve, so will semantic search’s ability to find exactly what users are looking for based on the meaning of the words. Sound too futuristic? Not so—Google’s own Semantic Search project has been in the works since 2012 (Source: Wall Street Journal). Assuming these SEO predictions for 2015 happen, this change will drive copywriters to produce tighter, more focused content—no more grey/black hat SEO. Not without fear of severe ranking punishments, that is.
Exact keyword use will diminish.
Exact keywords might not be as useful to users as they may have once been—at least in Google’s eyes. Like the Semantic Search prediction, it’s the meaning behind the words that Google wants to help users with. Expect to see some changes in your top ranking keywords this coming January.
Information websites will compete with Google, as Google continues to expand their knowledge box, beating out Siri and Cortana for direct answers.
Search engines have always served as great places to find answers. So with all this focus on meaning and context in 2015, other websites will have to butt heads with Google to prove themselves as authorities. This might mean a shift from providing free, useful content to visitors and instead hoarding it from non-subscribers.
Website content will need to be written by influential authors that display high authority in their fields based on social signals and high quality writing.
Online authority goes a long way. While link detox can tighten up your online profile now and then, nothing enhances your public image quite like website shares and backlinks. But that takes quality content. More than simply being in the right place at the right time, latest SEO trends tell us 2015 will be the year thought leaders start clashing to prove who really belongs in the field and who should sit in the bleachers.
Website Architecture
Fixing crawler errors will be top priority, as Google rewards sites without errors by increased rankings, bringing a 2-5% increase in traffic.
2015 will be time for your techs to brush up on their stuff. While crawler errors deter users to your site, the fact that their presence may be inhibiting your site from better traffic is all the reason you need to fix them right away.
Increased emphasis on encryption and security.
The internet can be a scary place—and we don’t mean your high school Myspace photos. Users need to feel secured when visiting websites. To meet this need, we predict many businesses making the jump from HTTP to the more secure HTTPS, as well as implementing improved CAPTCHA and other security features to provide users with better peace of mind.
Apple
Launch their own search engine to compete with Google.
While we can’t guarantee anything for sure about the iSearch (or whatever it’ll end up being called), we know it’ll at least be trendy. We’re waiting to see how they can somehow tie it into their Apple Watch.
PPC Predictions for 2015 – 2015 Digital Marketing Trends
Mobile
Estimated that 40% of all paid search traffic will come from mobile in 2015.
People do more than search for business on their smartphones; they do business, too. (Source: MediaPost) Take note—with search engine marketing expected to grow next year, so too will people’s needs for on-the-go search results, leading to an increase in ad potential.
Bing Ads Unified Targeting Phase 2.
Like Google had done previously, Bing Ads may launch its second Unified Targeting movement, estimated as early as March next year. This will push all ad campaigns automatically, targeting the thriving mobile market. Suddenly that 40% increased paid search traffic looks a lot more significant, doesn’t it?
Google Shopping
Google Shopping to become 25% of Google Search spend with more targeting and optimization capabilities.
If you aren’t familiar with Google’s M.O. by now, we’ll say it one more time: Google is all about the user. We won’t be surprised if Google dedicates a full quarter of their 2015 search spend to make their price-comparison service a little more user-friendly.
Online Reviews, Social Credibility, and Ad Extensions
More advertisers utilizing Seller Ratings (gold stars) in their ads
Shoppers love ratings. And why wouldn’t they? They want to make sure their hard-earned money is going to a reputable seller. Gold stars simply add visual appeal to make good merchants recognized for their outstanding service.
Ad extensions that enhance the size and looks of ads.
If you thought the “But wait—there’s more!” saying was outplayed, don’t dismiss it yet. Online ads that appear even bigger and better-looking than before may be on the horizon this coming year.
Increased consumer rating annotations on more businesses.
Google’s steady focus on providing tailor-made user experiences extends even to their ads. As Google Consumer Surveys gather info, it will conduct more independent research and then link that to your business domain within your ad. Better info, better business, right?
Search Retargeting
More people making multiple searches before making a purchase.
Fresh off the holidays, this is a feeling we know all too well. In pursuit of finding the best online deal, users will keep an increased eye out for your goods or services. Being conscious of this gives you even bigger incentive to really make your ads stand out.
Retargeting for search ads becoming a bigger part of every advertiser’s strategy.
Search retargeting works as part of your existing marketing strategy. But PPC predictions for 2015 believe you may see an increase in its use, as re-engagement of users can lead to the conversion you’ve been looking for. With people taking more time to evaluate their purchase than ever before (see the above prediction), retargeting gives you the chance to get back in the game.
Internet Marketing Agencies
Our own CEO Garry Grant weighed in on our SEO predictions for 2015 by taking a top-level look at internet marketing agencies in general. “I think we’ll be seeing more consolidation of SEO companies. We’ve seen some of this happen already. But as smaller agencies are absorbed by larger agencies, who’s going to serve all these small- to mid-sized businesses? There’s no outlet for them.”
It’s definitely something to consider if you’re a burgeoning young startup. Here at SEO Inc., our philosophy has always been that SEO is a long-term treatment rather than a quick fix—a marathon versus a sprint. Showing up in Google’s SERPs not only takes time but perseverance.
“If you spent $200 for 2 hours a month, what kind of work will you get out of that?” The answer: Not much. Nothing that will make a meaningful, positive impact on your website’s traffic.
How to Prepare for the New Year
So how do you make the most of these SEO predictions for 2015?
Take a look at your business. What needs work? Where would you like to improve? Is it your on-site content? Your social media? Your Google AdWords campaign?
Identify one area you’d like to work on and go from there. Start slow—remember, New Year’s resolutions take time. By keeping a potential problem area in mind, you’ll be able to anticipate changes without being blindsided. (NINJA PENGUIN UPDATE!—Just kidding.)
If paying attention to these trends helps you get ahead of the game, then we’ve done our job. You’ve got all the tools at your disposal for a successful new year—let’s make it a good one!
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Top Influential SEO PPC Predictions and Trends for 2015
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10 Digital Marketing Predictions For 2015
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Knock-Your-Socks-Off Marketing Measurement: Here’s How!
Author Megan Totka
Type article
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Measurement is the key to a successful marketing strategy, but many marketers, small business owners, and marketing agencies fall flat when it comes to understanding how to use those numbers to determine real ROI.
Fortunately, this is less of an issue than it was a few years ago. There are plenty of solutions and tips available to help you leverage analytics and data in a meaningful way. Here’s how you can use the data you already have to do more with your marketing.
Know What To Pay Attention To
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with customer data. After all, we’ve got website visits, customer actions, clickthroughs, signups, unsubscribes, and so much more to track. How can we actually make heads or tails of any of it?
Most of us can’t pay attention to all of it at the same time. But we can pick out the good stuff that really matters. What really matters to your brand? That might be the number of downloads a recent whitepaper has received, the number of clicks generated by a banner ad, or how many times people have tweeted your latest blog post. If you narrow down the data you’ve got to what really helps you make marketing decisions, you’ll have information you can actually use.
Use Digital Dashboards To Assess Data
Rather than logging into every account you need access to for this data, consider using a digital dashboard that houses all the measurable marketing data you need in a single location. For example, DataHero dashboards let you connect to your MailChimp, Salesforce, Eventbrite, HubSpot, and many other marketing tools so you can view and compare data across platforms.
Once you have a clear picture of your customers’ needs, wants, and habits, you can use that information to add some real oomph to your marketing efforts and even your social interaction.
Find out where your customers hang out the most and join them—on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook–wherever they are, you are. After you start interacting on social media, you can evaluate your data to see how well you’re doing.
Get The Right People Involved
If the people who actually need to take steps to improve marketing don’t have access to the data you’ve collected, how can you expect anything to improve? Make sure both sales and marketing are involved and are regularly logging in to your dashboard to look at the data.
For example, marketing can evaluate the effectiveness of subject lines by looking at the data on email opens. The subject line is your enticement; it’s your marketing hook. By sending out different subject lines to small groups of subscribers and examining the results, marketing can find the most effective line and use that for bigger mailings.
Sales, in turn, can see what kind of offerings most appealed to buyers, and use that to add value to followup communications. Working hand-in-hand, marketing and sales can fine-tune marketing efforts for brilliant results.
Do Something With Your Data
Having these marketing measurements is just half your job. Now you have to determine what you’ll do with the information. For example, if the data tells you that your pay-per-click campaign isn’t doing as well as your email marketing, that’s a sign that you need to pull out of your PPC investment and focus more on email. You can use the data to find sticking points on your website that are keeping visitors from making a purchase. A few tweaks to the copy, and you may see an instant boost in conversion.
To make your data actionable, each item (responses, queries, email open statistics, etc.) should be owned by one of the people who have access to the information. Don’t leave it in the black ether for someone to pick up and do on their own volition. Assigning ownership encourages accountability.
Data is only good if you do something with it. Create a strategy for what you will measure, use the right tools to make your data easy to assess, and then make a game plan for changes designed to improve sales, traffic, and marketing.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Knock-Your-Socks-Off Marketing Measurement: Here’s How!
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The 7 Top Social Media Trends That Will Impact Your Marketing In 2015
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Innovation: Adoption And Diffusion In The Age Of Social Media
Samsung Debuts 360 Degree WAM6500 And WAM7500 Multi-Room Speakers
Author James Kosur
Type article
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With CES 2015 just around the corner, the team at Samsung has debuted two new “360-degree” speakers.
The WAM6500 and WAM7500 include a proprietary “Ring Radiator” technology which funnels sound from the top of the speaker into a circle.
The WAM6500 was designed for portability and features an integrated battery, while the WAM7500 (pictured above) offers a design that is meant to be featured on a tabletop.
According to Samsung, the new “Ambient Audio” speakers are fully compatible with the company’s Shape Multiroom system which debuted last year.
The new speakers easily connect to Samsung TVs, sound bars and mobile devices with streaming from both local and Web sources.
Here’s a closer look at the portable WAM6500 model:
Interesting fact, the WAHM6500 and WAHM7500 are the first devices to be designs in Samsung’s new audio lab based in Valencia, California.
Samsung has not yet announced pricing or availability. Stay tuned for more news from our live coverage at CES 2015.
If audio products are not really your idea of a good time, you can also check out the Samsung Series 9 2015 Edition Ultrabook which is also expected to debut at CES.
Be sure to look for our full live CES 2015 Coverage HERE.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Samsung Debuts 360 Degree WAM6500 And WAM7500 Multi-Room Speakers
More Technology & Innovation articles from Business 2 Community:
Mobile Marketing Trends for the New Year
Samsung App Helps Autistic Kids Learn How To Make Eye Contact
New Legal Rulings In Web Accessibility: What You Need To Know
Facebook Apologizes For Year In Review
It’s Time To Focus On Mobile Design