Online Business Etiquette

business agreementDo your online “handshake” by answering your email well and carefully speaking on social media. Your manner can affect people’s perception of you. Learning the technical side of your business is not enough, but knowing how to deal with people can create a long term relationships with your clients.

To help you more on your online etiquette here are some rules to follow:

  • Be neutral. It is wise to be unbiased when communicating with another person. Do not be sarcastic, aggressive, make innuendos, and most of all, never try to be funny. These tactics could lead to escalation or even misinterpretation.
  • Pay attention to your grammar and punctuation when texting, posting, emailing, or blogging. Write complete sentences and use words that are real and credible. Do not use emoticons. That is good for social media but not in business virtual communication.
  • Do not use social media as a space to write an essay. Post brief messages. Do not use emoticons, shorthand, or other web-friendly irritants that will make you less professional. Also make sure you are familiar with the operational rules before using these tools. Practice self-control at all times. Incorporate important details in your business profile which includes contact information and company news.
  • In all your online dealings, consider the receiver. Know that another person is on the other side. Be civil; show your character but make sure that you are honest.
  • Think about your identifiers for yourself. Choose a professional user name. Never try to be cutesy. It is better if you use your business name as your user name. It is wise to have an email address that has your own domain name.
  • When a conversation needs clarification, it is time to use the phone. Too much text messages may create confusion. Should you need to email, be respectful by making it simple and easy to read. You can use the important information first and then use short paragraphs. The use of bullets can likewise make it look short but organize.
  • When you need to video call your client, do not allow yourself to be distracted. Turn off everything like your phone or your email. Pay attention to your client and look at the face not just the screen. Be interested in what your client is saying or what the client is asking. Be present at all times.
  • Email messages should not be lengthy. Be concise. Again, check your grammar and punctuation carefully. Your salutation should be polite using proper titles such as Mr. or General unless, of course, you are now in the first-name basis. Stay professional and never send chain letters, forwards, and jokes. If you need to send a large file, ask permission and cross-check the software compatibility.
  • Never use negative marketing to showcase your competitor’s shortcomings. Consumers know that you are using the tactics to bash your competitor. Besides, consumers can research online and know if it is true or not. Focus on how your product can meet the needs of the consumers.

What If Someone Stole Your Website?

database codesIf you have a business, chances are you own a website. What will you do if someone stole it from you? If you depend on your Uniform Resource Locator (URL), someone else can control your website’s domain name and from there, other things could happen. The perpetrator could actually control all of the site’s content. The person could even rerouted the content to any location he or she chooses.

Getting your site back will not be easy but it is worth the fight. Here are the things you could do when someone steals your website.

  • Look for the email address of the offending website. If you can’t find the email address, go to WHO IS to know the registrant. Who Is will help you in providing the website’s owner, and other relevant details. Take the list of all the contact information.
  • Know who is hosting the offending website. You can verify it by using WHO IS HOSTING THIS. Get in touch with them. No decent company would want to deal with piracy.
  • Use the Way Back Machine and review all the past reviews on your web site. This is a proof that your website has been online longer than the offending website.
  • Furnish a link to the Google Cache to show that the Google Spiders found your content earlier as compared to the offending site.
  • Do screenshots of all the materials that were copied. In cases where a whole site was copied, save the source code to compare it with what you have.
  • Gather all the proofs and evidence. This will include screenshots, the dates that the users commented on your blog in answer to the original post.
  • Have your MySQL records.
  • Get all the original graphics and images, preferably unedited and include the file date.
  • Gather the backups of your site in the past including the modified dates.

The next step is to contact the perpetrator. It is important to let the person know that he or she has done a major mistake and you know about it. Your reason for this are:

  • To let the person know of the theft.
  • Ask for the person to remove, modify, make correction and ask for compensation.
  • Open a communication between you and the perpetrator.
  • Let the person know that you have gathered information.
  • And that there is a paper trail of enough evidence.

Start the conversation with the thief carefully maintaining a professional tone and attitude even if the respond is unprofessional. Give them a chance to tell their side of the story and change their ways. Do not threaten and continue to be professional and this might be solved faster than you think. If all was done and yet no positive result, it is time to consult a lawyer.

To avoid future problem, choose a stronger password and make sure you change it from time to time. Use another computer just in case someone in your household by chance clicked malicious links. Use an antivirus software and constantly scan your computer for spywares. You can also get a Cyber Risk insurance. Prevention is better than losing what you have built online.

How to Choose the Colors for Your Website

rainbow umbrellasColor is the most effective way of creating an impression. It communicates with the users emotionally. The combination of colors will definitely give your website a unified look. There are ways of choosing a color combination.

To select your color palette, it is important to study your brand colors. Go for the colors that represent your product or your service. You can use a color scheme tool for this.

  • COLOURlovers – You can view the latest color trends here. A wide community, where people create and collaborate.
  • ColoRotate – This is web application, where you can test different colors, mix them, and adjust to your own liking.
  • Adobe Kuler – This is similar to ColoRotate, but this one has suggestions. You can choose a color rule and it will give you guidelines on choosing the appropriate colors. This is perfect if you cannot decide on which colors to choose.
  • Paletton – What is great with Paletton is that it has a randomizer. When you are confused to what colors to use, just click on the randomizer and it will choose for you.

Consider the color symbolism. Study the perceptions and emotions to the different hues. Remember that, same colors can give different emotions to different people. The best way to do this is to think of your target market. Choose the colors that can represent your audience.

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to colors. The 60-30-10 rules of the fashion and interior designers says that three colors should be used in different degrees to come out with the perfect harmony.

  • Primary color should be about 60% of the space to unify the theme.
  • There should be a 30% contrast with the 60% to give a striking effect.
  • Accent color should be 10%. This should complement the primary or secondary colors. It is also used to highlight material on the web site like a call-to-action.

Think of your business goals. If your website needs an action in someone, choose colors that can move an emotion to your site user.

Experiment with colors. You can start with five colors and then, add or subtract based on how you develop your design.

Shades and tints can be used when you have five colors. A content-rich web page is a perfect example for this as it needs to separate captions, side bars, and tables from the content. The outcome consolidates the design that a fourth or fifth color is not necessary. Shades and tints can be used for additional color and they do not clash with your color scheme.

The psychology of colors are being used by several market researchers and brand managers to promote product engagement. For example, the restaurants uses orange and red, financial institutions or banks uses blue, hotels uses white, blue, black or green and luxury products are elegantly packaged in black.

One important factor in your color is your background and your text. There should be a color contrast in the font and the background. This brings the website page forward and the focus will be on the website itself. Black text is still the best. It is easy on the eyes and people are used to reading black text. Otherwise, light on dark or vice versa is good.

Color Palette for Websites

colorful chalksA website is a powerful tool to communicate with the world. Whether it is personal or your way of informing people, selling, or any other reason.  Your website has a lot of possibilities and the internet is the best place to reach a wide international audience at a very low cost. That is why choosing the right colors for your design in equally important.

Psychologists said that users has the tendency of making a subconscious decision based on the color impressions. People decide if they like a certain product in 90 seconds or less. 90% of the decision is based on color alone. People believe what they see and they will choose something that is colorful over something monochromatic.

Color is subjective. It gives different reactions to people. And the reactions is based on preference, occasion or cultural background. Your website palette represents you and your brand. Choosing the right colors can be tough if you don’t have an understanding colors.

As mentioned earlier, it is important that your palette represents you and your brand. Here are the colors you can chose from:

  • Red – is a powerful and attractive color that can go well for websites that features products for children. Red induces visitors to take action like “Reserve Now”, “Christmas Sale”, “Limited Offer”. This color invokes emotions.
  • Yellow – indicates creativity and cheerfulness. This is attractive to kids and it is used in sites that features leisure products. Yellow when used excessively can strain the eyes. It is advisable to use it as an accent color.
  • Orange – this color is popular in websites that promotes food products. It increase ones creativity and induces positive thinking. Orange appeals to the millennials, and many technical companies uses this color.
  • Blue – relaxes the nervous system. It is a conservation color and it is suitable for websites that showcases high tech products. It can also work for diet products. A lot of people use blue for text color. This is a mistake, as it is not a standard color for the eyes to read with. Blue is great for hyperlinks on websites.
  • Green – is pleasing and refreshing to the eyes. This color is good for sites that promotes tourism and nature. Green represents wealth and prosperity. It invokes trust and so, it is often used in corporations.
  • Black – is good for anything that has to do with art and photography.
  • Purple – is used in websites that are religious. It is a good choice for vacation sites as well.

When deciding of the colors, you should focus on the target audience. If your target audience are products for the elderly, the colors should be a little bit subdued. For the younger generations, you can choose a livelier color palette. Do not use too much of the bright colors like yellow, red, blue etc. as it tires the eyes and could war away visitors in an instant.

 

Colors makes or break your websites. So, do not make your site a rainbow of colors. The best websites are those that keeps the colors at a minimum. As a rule, use a maximum of two or three colors. Less is more.

Reliable Product Reviews Websites

buying on your computerReview sites are often supported by advertising. Some of the sites allows businesses to pay for enhanced listings to increase their visibility. However, this will not change the reviews or the ratings of their products. Product review sites are supported by affiliate links to the websites that sells the product. Many review sites makes no attempt to put a limit on postings, neither do they try to make sure that the information in the reviews are accurate.

People rely on product reviews before purchasing online. Some people think that the positive reviews are done by the businesses or the persons being reviewed. On the other hand, negative reviews can be written by other rival businesses, angry employees, or someone that is hostile towards the business being reviewed. There are also fake positive reviews. These are the reasons why the users should chose the product review sites.

Here are the top product review sites:

  • CNet is the web division of CBS Interactive. It has been one of the most dependable and wide-ranged when it comes to product reviews. They feature products from software to electronics to web hosting. It also shows user reviews aside from the editor reviews on what products are new in the market, making CNet a popular review site.
  • ConsumerSearch is popular for its easy navigation and website design. The products are organized and categorized for easy access. There is a variety of products reviewed from kitchen, home, garden, food to computers. It is a service coming from About.com.
  • TestFreaks is a new website which showcases a collection of reviews from various countries. It also features reviews from respected websites, presenting it to the consumers in one place. The visitors can also give their own reviews.
  • Trusted Reviews has a complete categories of products and it also includes video reviews. The content is dominated by editorial reviews. This site compares prices and specifications of the various product models
  • Epinions is a product review service of Shopping.com and they feature millions of reviews. It categorizes products by labeling titles like “Top Reviewer.”
  • MouthShut reviews general products like electronic appliances, cars, and unique products like schools, websites and even credit cards.
  • ConsumerReports.org is currently one of the long running and established review services. It follows paid-subscription mechanism and has millions of subscribers making the website the top paid-subscription website.
  • Wired Reviews is one of the Top 10 product review websites because it shows good product pictures which is mostly electronic. There are no user based reviews in this website.
  • Buzzillions shows close to 5 million reviews all over the globe. The only problem here is the pop-up that appears once a user enters the website.
  • ReviewCentre.com states that their website is the most unbiased product review site. The category cloud and its features which is easy to navigate made this website in Top 10.

Before you make that purchase, check these websites. They have a wide range of reviews that will help you weigh the pros and the cons. Both positive and negative reviews will help you a product that fits you. These sites will definitely provide you with helpful reviews.

How Product Reviews Affect Online Shoppers

bank, banking, blueIn the past few years, product reviews has been increasingly powerful as consumers trust fellow consumers more than the advertisements of different products. Product reviews are underrated and online shoppers indeed rely on them. Jupiter Research showed that 77% of the consumers read product reviews even before they make an actual purchase.

Another statistic showed that 90% of consumers said that their purchase are influenced by what they read online. The traditional forms of marketing and sales are not as powerful as to the user generated content, specifically, customer reviews. Unfortunately, a great number of companies has not utilized this form of branding and marketing. The reality is, product reviews builds trust with potential consumers, which eventually translates to sale.

This is the time when businesses should let the consumers do the talking. These is free endorsement from thousands of online shoppers. Of course, this does not only mean positive reviews. Negative reviews are also good in building the trust of the online shoppers. These kind of reviews helps the consumers to confirm the credibility of the product, and in a way, adjust their expectations. Moreover, recent statistics from Reevoo showed that bad reviews improve the conversions at an amazing 67%. Reevoo learned that people who read bad reviews are the ones who convert better, as this shows that they are paying attention. This could lead to a purchase.Surveys said that 68% of the consumers trust reviews whether they are good or bad. On the other hand, 30% thinks that there are censorship or fake reviews because there are no negative opinions were seen on the page.

Types of Reviews

  • The brief overview review:
    This is the type which can be found at other affiliate sites. It is usually written in one or two paragraphs. This also includes a star rating or whatever type of rating. This includes a product image, and a link to the site. Most often, these reviews are in one page so that the consumers can immediately read which products has the highest ratings and which products are the lowest in ranking.
  • The comprehensive full-page review:
    This is the type that goes into details – all the benefits of a certain product, the features, the good and even the bad points. This may include screenshots, and product photos. Longer reviews are good compared to the one-liners for purifying the user experience. It has more weight when the reviews are more recent. CEO Matt Moog of Power Reviews also added that, “We try to focus on identifying the valuable reviews. If the product is popular and selling at a high price point, that review will have more impact.”

The product review is not just for the consumers who could buy the products. Retailers and brands can likewise use the reviews. This will enable them to get some offers, get suppliers, and develop their products. Reviews help change the products that is more valuable to the consumers. Matt Moog said, “It’s the best form of market research—real-time and specific, from people you know have used the product.”

More Ways to Improve Your Slow Computer

Man in White Shirt Using Macbook Pro No one wants to use a slow computer. It makes you want to go ballistic, and just throw that sluggish computer away. The good news is that you can actually do something to make your computer run faster without spending a single penny. Let me emphasize that this guide applies to a Windows PC and it will focus on solutions that you yourself can do. Just follow the tips below to speed up your slow-moving computer.

  • Uninstall programs. Usually, new computers nowadays are packed with programs you did not want and you may not use. These computers have trial editions versions of various programs that you will find helpful. Typically, the programs are there to help manage your computer’s hardware and software. Maybe you thought you might use the built-in disk cleaners, and backup tools, but never actually did. They often run automatically at startup, and discreetly running in the background where you cannot see them. If you like it, you may purchase the full versions of the applications. If you do you not like any of them, keeping those softwares in your computer will just consume disk space. Get rid of the clutter and wasted system resources by uninstalling programs.
    To uninstall a program, click the Start button , select Control Panel. Under the Programs, and select Uninstall a program. Choose a program you want to remove, and then click Uninstall.
  • Defragment the fragmented. Cleaning up your hard drive space alone is not enough to make your computer faster. You also have to learn to use that space effectively. Your computer stores large files in fragments. Thus, Disk Defragmenter is there to helps you to rearrange fragmented data, and make the computer run faster. (Important note though, do not use defragmentation on SSD disks.) When data is fragmented, your computer must search for the pieces of files that is stored all over your hard drive. With Disk Defragmenter, you can improve your computer’s performance. It will be able to organize your data, and free up space so your computer can search for files faster. To defrag, you just have to go My Computer. Then, right click the hard drive you wish to defrag. After you have right-clicked, click Properties, Tools, then click Defragment Now.
    Tip: Removable storage devices such as USB flash drives, and external hard disk drives can also become fragmented. Analyze the storage devices first. If the result is above 10%, it is imperative to defragment immediately.
  • Delete your temporary files. Your computer creates a chunk of temporary files each time you open various applications. This occupies a hefty amount of space, and further slowing down your computer. You should constantly clean it whenever you think your computer is being slow as a snail.
    To access your temporary files, press the Windows button + R on your keyboard simultaneously. Then, type in %temp% in the dialog box. After, all the temporary files will be shown. Delete all the files in the folder. You may not be able to delete some currently used files so just skip it.
  • Run your antivirus. Keep your antivirus up to date. Schedule your antivirus application to scan your computer at least once a week. This is to make sure no malware secretly snuck into your computer. Slow computers are often the result of unwanted programs that are running in the background. These programs use your computer’s resources, and can severely decelerate your computer. In short, the fewer viruses your computer has, the faster it can handle important processes.

Simple Ways to Speed Up Your Slow Computer

slow as a snail

What to do when your computer is slow?

If you want to speed up your computer, you can buy and install a solid-state drive. Upgrading your Random Access Memory (RAM) also helps. Before you go on buying pricey computer parts, try these tips first. You may end up saving a lot of money. This guide mostly applies to a Windows PC and it will focus on the tips and tricks you yourself can do. The best thing is that it will cost you nothing. Just prepare to do a lot of clicking and your computer will run faster.

  • Change your browser. You might be surprised on how some browsers use up a lot of RAM especially if you have multiple tabs open. Like what I mentioned above, you can upgrade your RAM, or you can use another browser. You might find this list of browsers helpful. Try out other browsers aside from Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox.
  • Clean your computer. When your computer is filled with dirt and dust, its components will have to work harder in order to work well. They will end up overheating. Give the essential parts some space by regularly cleaning your computer. Do not let dust block the vents. Your computer needs to breathe too.
  • Move or delete files. Consider moving files – photos, music, videos, and installers – that you want to keep but do not want hogging up your computer. Store these files in a removable media (like external hard disk, flash disk, online storage, and even in DVDs.) You will have access to the files once you connect the storage device to your computer. As the same time, clearing up the unnecessary congestion that chocking up your computer.
    If you want to search for the files that is occupying most of your computer’s space, go to my computer. On the upper-right corner of the screen, there is a search box. In that search box, type in size:gigantic. It will then search for the files that is greater than 128 MB.
    After the search is done, you can select the files you wish to delete. Simply right-click at the selected files and then click delete. You can also sort the files by size. Go to the view menu, and choose sort by size. The biggest file will be shown be first.
  • Clean up system files. Windows has a built-in application designated to clean your hard drive. You do not need to purchase additional apps to do the cleaning for you. This process deletes files that you moved to your recycle bin, temporary internet files, back up files, and your local temp files. Using Disk Cleanup regularly saves you a lot of storage space and helps your computer work faster.
    Click your Start button . In the search box, enter Disk Cleanup, and then, choose Disk Cleanup. Select the hard drive that you wish to clean up, and then click OK. The program will then scan the selected storage. Once the dialog box appears, select Clean up system files. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, check the boxes for the files you wish to delete, and then select OK. It will then ask you a confirmation if you want to delete the files, just simply click delete files.

 

If your computer is still giving you a hard time, click this link. It includes tips regarding uninstalling unused programs, installing an antivirus, running Disk Defragmenter, and deleting more files.

Mistakes to Avoid in Buying a Laptop (Part 2)

businessman, coder, computerBuying a laptop is not an easy task. There are numerous factors to consider. Previously, I have indicated the importance of trying the laptop before buying, and checking the compatibility. (You can review part one here.) Here are more tips that will definitely help you in choosing the right laptop:

  • Not researching. Always try to research and make sure you are buying what you want. All these companies have official websites. Browse through their products and look at the technical specifications. Do not let the sales person sweet talk you in buying a laptop you will not be needing. You choose want you want and do not solely rely on the sales staff’s opinion. They are there to sell the products and not to give an expert opinion. Use the internet and read reviews of the laptops of you are considering to buy. These reviews will surely help you narrow down your choices.
  • Extending Warranties. It is only ideal to extend warranties if you travel a lot. In case your laptop gets stolen or damaged, you are still covered by the warranty you bought. If you are not traveling most of the time, there is no need to purchase additional warranty. It will just cost you money. To be honest, problems will likely occur when your laptop is five years old or so. The warranty is long gone by then. Just save the money for your next target laptop.
  • Buying the newest and most expensive ones. Just because a device is new does not mean it is better. People will always rave for the latest laptop out there. Do not get too excited and assume that it is going to be the “best” for you. Furthermore, the best laptop does not need to be expensive. These expensive laptops have something you do not need. For example, you do not have to get the latest version of Windows, or MacOS. These built-in operation systems might not be for you. Plus, some applications will not be compatible with them. You can go for a lower one instead of paying more for a feature that you will not be using. Plus, if you are not planning to play online games, additional RAM is not imperative. 2GB of RAM is enough when your purpose is just to do school assignments, office work, and other basic tasks.
  • Thinking that every portable computer is a laptop. A tablet equipped with a detachable keyboard is not a laptop. This hybrid of both a tablet and a laptop is getting popular these days. Yes, it looks like one because of it has a screen and keyboard, but it is not. You might think you can still type so no need to bother if it is a tablet or a laptop, right?  These convertible devices will be restricted in terms of multitasking, web browsing, and complex applications capabilities. You will be left with a device that is next to nothing if your goal is to do different tasks simultaneously. If you want faster browsing and you need to use heavy applications at work, go get an actual laptop. If you still think you need a tablet, buy one. Invest on a laptop and tablet separately. These devices are not interchangeable.

Mistakes to Avoid in Buying a Laptop (Part 1)

researching on a laptopWhat should you look for in buying a laptop? Do not get too excited when buying for a laptop. Do not let your eyes deceive you. Avoid making these mistakes. Know what you need in a laptop, and find one that suits your needs. Here are tips that will surely help you in finding the right laptop:

  • Neglecting the ports and compatibility. Now, laptops are getting thinner and ports are slowly getting removed from laptops. You cannot just ignore these ports especially if you are going to use your laptop for various tasks. If you are doing a lot of presentations, printing, and editing, you should consider the ports for flash disks, Ethernet cable, video output (i.e. LCD projectors) , keyboards, printers, and other external devices. You will be having a hard time finding cables to convert your existing port to fit whatever device you want to plug in. Not all files can be sent online, some are transferred using a flash disk. Most importantly, not all places have WiFi, so make sure your laptop has an Ethernet port. You may need more USB ports for your mobile broadband stick.
  • Not trying the laptop before buying. Every laptop is different. A hands-on experience is needed. The keyboard, screen, and touch pad vary. You have to try these parts yourself, assess if it suits your needs, and they are comfortable for you to use. What is the purpose of a high-end laptop if you find it bulky and unfriendly to use? Like buying a car, you need to do a test drive. If you cannot avoid buying from an online store, make sure that the store has a substantial return policy. If not, you better go out and try all your options.
  • Looking at design instead of the specifications. The front end of a laptop is what you call the user interface and this is everything you see. However, what is inside your laptop is a totally different story. Do not get enticed by good looks. Yes, a light and thin laptop would be convenient to bring anywhere with you. It is important to consider the function first and then, the design next. You would want a laptop that performs. Are you going to need a lot of storage space for your projects? Are you planning to use this laptop in five years or so? Consider the hard drive space. If you want a laptop that will allow you to play games, go for a laptop with a higher Random Access Memory (RAM). Remember that the more programs you will use, the more RAM is needed. Additionally, a laptop with less than 1GB graphics will not allow you to play massively multiplayer online role-playing games.
  • Ignoring the size. When you are constantly traveling, always consider the laptop size. Smaller laptops are a perfect choice for mobile users, but know that these laptops will most probably have smaller keyboards and touch pads. Typing in small keyboard would be very inconvenient. A standard laptop measuring from 13 – 14 inches would be a great choice. If you are looking for a desktop replacement and you barely bring it with you, try the larger laptops that are bigger than 15 inches.
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