Why Shoppers Choose to Use Chat Features

why shoppers use chat features onlineLauren Freeman, President of the e-tailing group (a niche e-commerce consultancy), published a white paper to share the findings of consumer rationale for using chat. Studies were undertaken to determine the “who, what, where and why” behind consumers’ choosing to use an online chat feature.

Online retailers have much to be gained by implementing the best of the live chat experience into their business.   It can be concluded that the six core reasons online shoppers choose to use live chat are multi-faceted:

Shoppers feel special and empowered when they use live chat

Strong expressed strong feelings of appreciation for chat’s availability to solve a problem when sought on their own terms.…

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11 Steps To Give New Angle To Your Old Content

tips for engaging online readers

When you’re an online marketer, it becomes a necessity to keep adding new angles when it comes to engaging your readers with content. This keeps your readers happy and looking forward to more. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel – just a few imaginative twists and angles now and then are enough to keep the blood flowing.

1. Highlight Words And Phrases

When you want your readers to pay special attention to funny bits, informative bits and quotes, make sure you highlight them. If possible, use a different font for quotes – perhaps even a slightly larger font size. Try to present your top keywords in italics or in bold, to let your reader know that the content is relevant to their search.…

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Cloud Support Services Work To A CEO’s Advantage

Your chief information officer (CIO) may be in the loop about the latest cloud support services and offerings, but how about the company’s CEO? What many don’t realize is that technology consultants often recommend that business leaders who choose to place their data in the cloud, or use cloud-based applications, allow third parties to manage it.

cloud support services

In addition to giving you the ability to improve vendor relationships, cloud support services can help streamline service management, support company growth and give your IT employees the opportunity to focus on revenue-related projects.

Additional advantages of cloud support services include:

A focus on business outcomes.

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Monetize And Measure Your Video Marketing With These Two Online Tools

Two Tools to Monetize And Measure Your Video Marketing

SMBs spend either time or money on their website videos. Both are valuable for the owner of an SMB which is why you need to get the most out of your videos. Saying a URL or telling someone to visit your site isn’t enough, you cannot accurately measure this and see what your ROI is. You also don’t get to see your reach or where the traffic comes from.

Here are two tools (with free versions) that will help you see the real return from your video and video marketing efforts:

Viewbix lets you add clickable buttons and calls to action to your website videos.…

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Managing Business Growth: Fail To Prepare, Prepare To Fail

Managing an expansion is a difficult task. Should you be overzealous or over ambitious, you could end up doing your business more damage than good. Equally, it’s important not to be overcautious, subsequently missing opportunities. It’s up to you as a business owner to find the right balance and largely, your knowledge and experience will dictate this.

tips for managing business growth

That said, there are steps you can take to ensure you navigate the process more smoothly though. Here’s some things to consider before you undertake a big expansion…

Recruit wisely

With expansion, comes the need for extra staff. Integral to this process is a HR manager, so make sure they’re amongst the top of your recruitment priorities.…

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4 Things You Need To Stop Doing To Sell More

stop doing these things to sell moreThere are a gazillion new books, magazines and blog posts giving sales advice.   Each one seems to take on a new phrase, new framework or new methodology.   Few resources ever advise you on the things   you need to STOP doing.

A small business CEO faces a daunting schedule with a multitude of demands on their time, and often sales is high on the agenda.   Pruning the activities that do not contribute to a  successful sales  program can free you to be a more impactful leader.

Here are a  few things you can stop doing to help you focus on the most productive activities:

1.  

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Four Ways To Address The Changing Landscape Of Work

The business world is changing, and the mobile worker is at the forefront.   Mobile workers are not just those who travel across the country or world doing their jobs; they are also those who have the mobility to do their work in a variety of places within a building, across a campus, across an ocean or in the comfort of their home. Research has predicted that nearly 35 percent of the global workforce will be mobile in 2013.

Why the change? Technology is advancing rapidly, making it easier than ever for people to work outside of a traditional office setting. But while technology is changing, the human process of innovation has not.…

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Text Marketing – How To Make It Work For You

Social media marketing is one of the most important and current marketing techniques small businesses and entrepreneurs can employ. Just when small-business owners become accustomed to one type of social media marketing it seems another one crops up.

Although text marketing isn’t brand new, it is an area of social media marketing many have not ventured into. This convenient form of reaching potential customers can help even the busiest entrepreneurs expand and grow their businesses.

Similar to other forms of social media marketing, you must know how to effectively use text marketing and which rules of etiquette to abide by.

  • The History.
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Incorporating Millennials Into Your Company

Incorporating Millennials Into Your Company

As the millennial generation enters the workforce in greater numbers now than ever before, employers need to shift their attention to how to recruit this new talent. The recruitment strategies that used to work may not be enough to entice millennials, who care more about following their passions and making a way for themselves in the world than conforming to existing structures. However, if your company is going to have longevity, you’ll need to capture the attention of millennials and incorporate them into your company.

Use Informal Recruiting Strategies

Millennials are tech savvy and personally connected, and they generally don’t mesh well with traditional  recruiting strategies.…

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Cloud Questions That Your CEO Will Ask

One of the first things a young lawyer learns is “Never ask a question in the courtroom that you don’t already know the answer.”

Now put yourself in the conference room with your CEO. Topic of discussion: The Cloud. You’re boss will be taking the opposite approach of a lawyer; they’ll be asking you a lot of questions that they don’t know the answer to.

questions about cloud computing

Will you be prepared to answer all of your boss’s questions about how cloud services can help his company? It won’t take much to get up to speed especially if you use the following questions and answers as your guide:

1.

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