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Most people know that being an online business owner can be lucrative, but few actually grasp just how much money is being made out there in the e-commerce world. According to a top investment firm, e-commerce in 2022 is worth a staggering $3.3 trillion worldwide, and is projected to rise to $5.4 trillion over the next four years. While that’s a stunning growth rate, what’s more amazing is how easy it is to get into the game. 

In some cases, you can launch an online business in a single day using only your laptop. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re destined to start the next Amazon. It’s extremely competitive out there, and if your business fails, it can take the rest of your financial security down with it, especially if you rack up a lot of debt.

The bottom line is that there are pros and cons to being an online business owner, and whether it’s the career path for you is going to depend on your goals, your talents, and, let’s face it, a lot of luck. Let’s look at some of the positive and negative aspects of being an online business owner!

Pros

Mobility

One of the most extraordinary quality-of-life benefits of being an online business owner is that you aren’t chained to a desk in an office — you can work from anywhere in the world. And with amazing countries such as Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Croatia, and many others offering “digital nomad” visas to international remote workers, you can easily run your dream business from a dream location. 

Low startup costs

Before the internet, starting a business meant leasing a storefront and commercial space, outfitting the space, hiring employees, and a lot of other expensive “behind the scenes” work. Today, starting an online business can be done for as little as registering a website and paying a freelancer to whip up some copy. Using Shopify to manage your online storefront is affordable, and if you use dropshipping or a fulfillment service, you won’t need to lease expensive warehouse space to store your inventory. 

The fact that you don’t have to lay out a lot of cash on a physical space can have a multiplying effect on your prospects for success. After all, brick-and-mortar businesses have to factor all those overhead costs into their prices. Since you don’t have the same expenses, you can beat them on price!

Global reach

When you have a brick-and-mortar business, the conventional wisdom is that you’ll pull in customers from within a 25-mile radius. In some businesses, or in super dense areas, you may pull customers from an even smaller area.

With an online business, you can potentially win any customer who sees your ads or marketing — which, in the social media era, means you can pull in business from nearly anywhere in the world.

Optimization through tech

In the pre-internet days, it was tough to find out what customers wanted. You either had to convene a focus group or physically survey customers. Both methods were expensive, time-consuming, and unreliable since there’s a disconnect between what people will tell you they want and what they actually want.

Today, it’s much easier to learn about customer behavior. Data collection and analytics can reveal actual customer preferences and map out their behavior in real-time, while new online management tools can help you mobilize efficiently. This is all incredibly useful when it comes to helping you optimize the customer experience, and customize your ads and marketing material.

Cons

A slow launch

Opening a brick-and-mortar store can be slow in the beginning, but most businesses can still get business just from foot traffic. In the beginning of your online business venture — before your website is fully indexed and ranked by Google — it’s going to be very difficult for you to drum up any business. Typically, Google takes 6 to 12 months to index a new website, so you should plan on the first year being pretty slow — and make plans to earn money on the side.

Extremely competitive

We just touched on how easy it is to start an online business. Well, the downside of that accessibility is that a lot of other people have started online businesses — and you’re competing with all of them. There are so many other online businesses right now that your chief concern shouldn’t be competing with them on quality — but just figuring out how to stand out from the huge crowd. That’s why many experts suggest building your business up a little before you take the plunge and abandon your day job.

You need some tech skills

If you open a brick-and-mortar business, you’ll have to either build the space out yourself or pay someone else to do it. The same applies to an online business. 

You’ll need to build an attractive, functional website where your customers can see your product and communicate with you. This website is likely going to be how you make your initial impression on customers, so it has to look legitimate, and convey your values and aesthetic. 

You need to be nimble and responsive

If you’re active on social media, you probably know that everything moves faster in the internet age. Trends that used to last years may only last for a single season now, and customer behavior can change, en masse, in the blink of an eye. For example, if a real estate startup begins offering home buyer rebates, all of its competitors have to adapt, or they’ll rapidly start losing business.

You’ll have the data to track these shifts, but you’ll also need the confidence and decisiveness to change course when you think you see the winds shifting. Hesitate, and you could lose your entire market to your competitors.

Customers appreciate solidity

It’s not that online businesses lack credibility — it’s more like brick-and-mortar businesses benefit from having a tangible, physical presence. The fact that a customer of a brick-and-mortar establishment can go to the store, browse and handle the merchandise, and talk to an employee (or a manager) can give them a peace of mind that might be lacking when they deal with an online-only business. 

There’s also the credibility issue. A physical business represents a history and a real investment, while an online business, especially if it’s new (and most are), could just be a slick website with nothing behind it. This is why online reviews are so important — they’re the closest thing an online business can get to proof of legitimacy.

The post 9 pros and cons of being an online business owner appeared first on noupe.

Logistics is changing industry that is always fiercely competitive and requires organizations to improve and optimize constantly. Delivery management is a complex process, the effectiveness of which today can only be ensured by the implementation of state-of-the-art technologies.

Due to rapid changes in the global economic landscape, recent years have been difficult for logistics companies. Many had to speed up the digitalization process to avoid losing customers and stay afloat. The need for modern solutions will remain in the coming years, and several main trends deserve special attention.

What Software Is Used in Logistics?

A modern logistics system consists of such components as storage and warehousing, unification and packaging, inventory, transportation and path optimization, and information and control. Depending on these parameters, we can distinguish several of the most popular types of software in the logistics industry.

• Software for transportation and supply chain management: The main task is to control the transportation of products and track this process in real-time. This also includes software for planning and optimizing routes.
• Inventory management: Control and tracking of deliveries, planning of new purchases based on historical trend analysis, etc.
• Warehouse management: Such software uses intellectual storage tools to control the functioning of the warehouse in real-time and optimize and improve the visibility of work processes.
• CRM or Customer relationship management. System for automated coordination of clients, storage of their data, personalized service, marketing campaigns, informing, etc.
• Demand forecasting and analytics tools: These are systems for advanced data processing, product life cycle analysis, historical trends, demand, customer satisfaction, etc.

Such software often follows logistics technology trends and can combine several goals and be multitasking or solve problems in a specific direction.

What Are the Key Elements of Design for Logistics?

The requirements and essential elements of any digital product are constantly changing, and this also applies to the latest trends in logistic software design. However, there are several stable things to follow.

Easy Navigation and Onboarding

The onboarding and adaptation process is extremely important in logistics apps, especially in supply chain management, where it is necessary to have quick access to many features and clearly understand their purpose.

That is why simple and intuitive navigation, as well as an effective user onboarding system, are critical design elements in logistics. It helps structure information, direct users in the right direction, facilitate staff work, and provide transparency for the company’s customers.

Cross-Platform Adaptation and Responsive Design

Modern logistics applications are used not only on personal computers but also on tablets or smartphones. That is why cross-platform adaptation and responsive design are a must.

Brand Consistency and Business Value

Professional design is also a way to stand out among numerous competitors who also follow the latest logistics trends and have access to digital tools.

The product’s appearance should preserve the brand identity and convey the company’s unique values. Only in this case, the user will pay attention to the logistics services it offers.

Optimized User Flows

The logistics industry is complex, and applications contain a lot of data, forms, and features, making the user feel confused. Proper UX and UI design clearly outline user flows and gently directs them along the fastest way to the desired service.

Human-Centred Logistics

The task of any software is to serve customers’ needs. Products for logistics companies are no exception. All design elements must support users’ desires and work to meet their needs. Special UX research is conducted to achieve this.

Intuitive Interface and Unique User Experience

The design of an application or website is the first thing users pay attention to, which is why they must meet modern standards. An aesthetic, simple, and responsive interface is a must, as well as quality graphics, accessibility of every element, inclusiveness, and a unique user experience. Good design is the invisible design that is nonetheless memorable for its ease of use, uniqueness, and utility.

The Importance of Keeping up With Transportation and Logistics Trends

Logistics digitalization is an inevitable process requiring unique solutions and non-standard approaches. Logistics companies that want to stay ahead and be able to compete in a harsh environment must use all possible tools to improve service and research the target audience’s needs.

The main condition for the success of any business is customer satisfaction. In the field of transportation and logistics, this can only be achieved with the help of efficient and flexible offers, which, at the same time, must be profitable. This is where logistics industry trends come into play, helping to automate core work processes and improve service visibility, thereby ensuring customer loyalty and reducing costs for business owners.

Blockchain Technology

Blockchain has long become an integral part of automation and security systems in many fields. As for the logistics industry, blockchain has extraordinary potential within the functions of both enterprise software and applications for general use.

This technology solves the most disturbing challenges by creating an encrypted digital record. In this way, goods can be tracked with the highest accuracy in every supply chain, and all breaches and errors become visible and can be resolved quickly.

Blockchain also allows logistics companies to take full advantage of decentralized ledgers and manage inventory more efficiently and intelligently. In addition, improving the tracking of various data forms helps to strengthen data security significantly. At the same time, the technology is quite flexible in use and leaves room for improvement.

Another important use of the blockchain is the automation of logistics operations, which reduces human intervention and, accordingly, the risk of errors, and speeds up the document flow process.

Today, this technology is used in the following components of the logistics business:

• Fraud detection: Blockchain improves the visibility of transactions and changes, helps achieve transparency by tracking document modifications, etc.
• Authentication: The technology helps to authenticate documents and data and, thanks to encryption, ensures a secure exchange.
• Real-time supply chain visibility improvements: Users can receive information about the state of transport, schedule changes, and events in real-time.
• Performance monitoring: It helps collect reliable data on the productivity and performance of carriers or employees.

Also, with the help of blockchain, logistics companies can confirm the origin of goods, provide guarantees of compliance with security standards, and control processes throughout the supply chain.

Supply Chain Transparency and Collaboration Mandate

Collaboration mandate in the supply chain is an important trend of recent years, the essence of which is to create coordination between internal departments and external partners with the aim of optimizing the flow through the supply chain, providing better service and timely delivery. 

Why is this trend so crucial? The scale of data and transactions, as well as the scope of logistics services, are becoming larger every year. Organizations need help to cope with such a load and maintain the quality of services.

Cooperation mandates allow you to set up data exchange from a unified platform, track minimal errors and immediately eliminate them. In general, each participant receives the following benefits:

• end-to-end supply chain visibility and real-time data exchange;
• customization and optimization of work processes;
• reduction of the cost of delivery in general.

Effective collaboration and supply chain transparency are inseparable concepts and key logistics industry trends.

Internet of Things

Connecting a large number of vehicle sensors to the cloud discovers new opportunities for using the Internet of Things in delivery, logistics processes optimization, transportation, data analysis for logistics management software, etc.

In the coming years, it is worth paying attention to the following IoT points.

• Telematics: Collecting data from vehicle sensors, analyzing the state and behavior of drivers, planning maintenance, etc.
• Detailed tracking: Data helps businesses move in the right direction, and it’s essential for logistics companies. IoT tracks assets, provides delivery transparency and visibility, and indicates risks and ways to solve them.
• User-based insurance: IoT helps to form optimal insurance policies like UBI, PAYD, PHYD, etc.

It is also worth considering the possibilities of ADAS (camera systems to assist the driver and analyze his behavior) and autonomous driving.

Customers Demand Data and Real-Time Visibility

Service transparency and visibility are indispensable parts of customer satisfaction. The availability of logistics data forms the reputation of the company and its customers’ loyalty and helps to make purchase decisions more quickly.

The logistics industry trends and tools listed above contribute to the formation of service transparency, as well as professional software development and proper UX/UI design. Transport business owners should consider the best options regarding this list to be able to compete.

Digital Twins

Images of real objects or processes in digital space are called digital doubles. They are formed from data (including historical, real-time data collected by sensors) and algorithms. This is an essential component of the “Industry 4.0” concept, which is used for digitizing entire life cycles of products or services.

In logistics and supply chain management, digital twins are used in combination with AI and augmented, mixed, or virtual reality apps. Basically, they are tested on such tasks as picking warehouses vehicles loading. However, DT can be used for the following purposes.

• Optimization of packaging: Digital twins can be detailed models of containers. This helps predict potential problems (dents and cracks) and determine the terms of use for containers and the optimal size and distribution of the container fleet. They can also be useful in developing more sustainable packaging materials.
• Optimization of space and transportation conditions: Digital twins are useful for determining certain goods’ transportation conditions and optimal distribution space.
• Planning of warehouses and dispatch centers: It is a convenient tool for inventory warehouse planning.

Additionally, digital twins can be used to validate and automate workflows.

Artificial Intelligence for Transportation

Artificial intelligence is one of the key logistics technology trends. It significantly changes the transportation picture. The integration of AI and ML systems is used not only in inventory and warehouse management but also for analyzing routes, their optimization, vehicle control and tracking, sensor data collection, etc.

Also, these technologies are part of state-of-the-art business analytics tools that help quickly identify risks and determine ways to reduce them, evaluate productivity, customer satisfaction, etc. on the basis of these data, the transformation of the service system and optimization of business processes takes place.

In addition, AI is an integral tool for automating work processes and preventing fraud in logistics companies. 

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing in general, improves the availability of any software and its features, not to mention reducing operating costs. For the transportation industry and logistics management software, especially, they are key because they help to quickly optimize work processes and securely collect, store and transfer data.

Such technologies are indispensable for logistics and transport companies that plan to grow and scale in the future. They may be needed to improve visibility (updating data in real-time), convenient collaborations with partners (the ability to easily share data on one platform), etc. In addition, it is one of the main logistics technology trends for improving financial control.

Conclusion

In summary, the digitalization of logistics is an inevitable step without which it is simply impossible to stay afloat in a challenging competitive environment. The concept of “Industry 4.0” is becoming more and more real, and it applies not only to manufacturing enterprises but also to transport and logistics companies.

Such logistics technology trends as collaboration mandate, real-time visibility, digital twins, cloud computing, AI, and blockchain help to automate work processes, reduce logistics app development cost, improve transparency and security, and increase the efficiency of companies as a whole. These are dynamic technologies, the implementation of which helps gradually develop and scale the business along with technological progress. That is why paying attention to them and considering options for their use in your own business is essential.

The post 7 Logistics Technology Trends to Watch Out for in 2023 appeared first on noupe.

Content marketing is essential in any digital marketing strategy if you want to attract and engage your audience. But creating an effective content marketing strategy is no easy task, with many potential mistakes you’ll need to avoid. To help you, we’ve covered 7 fall downs and pick-ups in content marketing. 

Importance of an effective content strategy 

An effective content marketing strategy is important for any business to help reach new prospective customers and boost sales. It’s all about delivering content that is both relevant and helpful throughout each stage of the customer journey. 

Content marketing is about showcasing your brand’s value to help build relationships and trust with your audiences. Effective content marketing will address your potential customer’s pain points and provide answers to their questions. 

Unlike paid advertising which results in short-term growth, marketing strategies provide long-term business growth. Around 67% of marketers report their content marketing efforts to generate leads, according to the Content Marketing Institute. 

It’s also worth noting that content marketing is one of the most important ranking factors for Google. Not only will an effective content marketing strategy win over your customers, but it will also boost your search engine rankings. 

To summarise, content marketing is important to: 

• Build trust 
• Increased lead generation and conversions 
• Stronger online presence and brand awareness 
• Become an authority in your area 
• Provide value 
• Higher website traffic 
• Increased sales 

Spotting these content marketing mistakes quickly and understanding how to address them can do wonders for generating leads and conversions. To help you deliver the high-quality content that your customers have come to expect, here are 7 content marketing fall downs and pick-ups. 

Fall down #1 – No plan or long-term goal 

The first fall down you can make with your content marketing strategy is not having a plan or long-term goal. Successful content marketing will need a plan or goal. You should be able to identify what it is you want to achieve with your content strategy. If you can’t, you’re in trouble. 

Without this focus, your content marketing strategy will be misguided and won’t be focusing on the bigger picture. Creating content ad hoc is a sure way to lead to an ineffective and failing content strategy. It’s pointless spending all that time and effort on content that won’t drive worthwhile results. 

The pick-up 

The pick-up for this fall down is to make sure you establish a long-term plan or goal for your content marketing. Ask yourself, what do I want to achieve with my content marketing? To improve the clarity and focus of your content strategy, make sure your goals are SMART: 

• Specific – clear and specific goals are easy to work with and achieve 
• Measurable – adding a measurable component allows you to measure success 
• Achievable – make sure the goal is achievable and identify the steps you can take to achieve it 
• Relevant – is the goal relevant to your business? 
• Timely – when do you want to achieve your goal? 

Fall down #2 – Ignoring or not using data 

Another common fall down in content marketing is ignoring the data. Many businesses will fall into the trap of developing content ideas they think would be a good fit for their business or customers. Throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks only leads to disaster. 

The pick-up 

Every content strategy should revolve around data. Data should be placed at the start and finish of content creation. Data-driven content strategies can help inform your content creation, allowing you to see what works and what doesn’t. 

Data should inform both the start and finish of content creation. Using data from Google Analytics and other tools allows you to measure the success of your content strategy against your goal and campaign KPIs. 

Fall down #3 – Not creating reusable content 

Creating high-quality content can take a lot of time and effort. Yet many businesses will fail to see the value of reusing existing content. Chances are you have a wide library of material you can reuse. Content marketing doesn’t and shouldn’t just focus on developing new content. 

A one-and-done approach to publishing content not only uses valuable resources but can also eat away at your return on investment. Content developed with a short shelf life that’s soon forgotten about is a waste.  

The pick-up 

Picking up from this content marketing fall-down is simple. Make use of what you have by repurposing content. Whether it’s a long-form blog post that can be repurposed into a guide or a tutorial that can be repurposed into a video. 

Secondly, most, if not all of your content should also be evergreen. Evergreen content is content that continues to stay relevant. Creating content on trending and topical issues is all very well at the time, but what happens to that content in the future? It becomes outdated and unusable again. 

Fall down #4 – Limited content types 

Another common fall down in content marketing is not taking full advantage of the wide range of content types available. If you are stuck in the process of continually churning out blog posts or social media posts, your content marketing strategy is experiencing another fall down. 

The pick-up 

There are lots of different content types, including written, visual, and audio. A successful content strategy will make use of a variety of different content types, not just one. When planning your next piece of content, consider if it works better as another content type, such as: 

• Infographics and images 
• Short-form and long-form videos 
• Podcasts 
• Webinars 
• Checklists and how-to guides 
• Whitepapers 
• Case studies 

Fall down #5 – Not understanding your customers 

Similarly to not using data, not knowing or understanding your customers is another fail. No matter how good a piece of content is, if it’s not right for your audience, it’s irrelevant. 

You cannot deliver value to your customers through your content if you don’t know who they are. In many instances, there is a gap between what a company thinks its customers want and what their customers actually want. 

Around 63% of customers state they don’t feel understood by the brands they love, according to a study by IBM. This content marketing fall down can be easy to get into, but a tough one to try and get out off. 

The pick-up 

To ensure you are developing content that is right for your customers, you should be creating buyer personas. These are semi-fictional representations of your customers. An effective buyer persona will be informed by the data and insights you gain about your customers. 

A buyer persona will seek to identify: 

• Who your audience is (demographics) 
• What are their needs or behavior (behavioral) 
• Values, lifestyle, and interests (psychographics) 
• Goals and challenges 
• Habits and preferences 

A well-defined buyer persona will be supported by research. Nothing in your buyer persona should be purely speculative otherwise it doesn’t accurately reflect your audiences. For the best results, you should develop a buyer persona for each of your audiences (limiting yourself to no more than 5). 

Fall down #6 – Lacking a schedule 

How often do you publish a piece of content? Do you stick to a schedule? If not, your content marketing strategy is experiencing another fall-down. If you want to be growing your business online, you need to be sticking to a schedule to help create consistency and keep you organized. 

Without a schedule to provide the bigger picture, your content strategy will lack focus and become chaotic. It also reflects badly on your target audience if they have long periods without any content updates. 

The pick-up 

For each month, consider setting up a content schedule for the content that will be created and published. Try to keep this calendar as visual as possible and easy to understand. Using your content schedule, you should be able to plan your campaigns across different platforms too. 

Your content schedule should also include a review or approval process. No piece of content should ever be published before it is checked. Every piece of content needs to reflect the style of the brand. Content can also contain inaccuracies and mistakes, which can easily be avoided. 

Make sure at least one peer reviews a piece of content before you hit the publish button. Monitoring the review process can be tricky, but using a project management platform can make it much easier. Trello, ClickUp, and Asana are project management platforms to consider. 

Fall down #7 – Pushing promotional or sales content 

Being over-promotional or pushing out too much sale-related content is one of the biggest content marketing mistakes many businesses make. While every business wants to try to increase sales or usage of products and services, taking an overly promotional approach is the wrong way. 

It’s a similar situation to someone who is always bragging about how good they are. People get bored and tired of listening surprisingly fast. The same goes for your customers. Constantly putting out content that tries to gain a sale will just cause people to unfollow. 

No matter what type of content you use, the same rules apply. When people view your content, they are not interested in how great you are. Whether it’s a blog post, a social media video, or a podcast, none of the above content marketing tips will be worthwhile. 

The pick-up 

The pick-up for this content marketing mistake is obvious. Stop being overly promotional or sales-focused in your content marketing. Instead, create content that focuses on your customers and what matters to them. In the long run, this will benefit your business much more than just another sales blog. 

By no means does it mean you cannot publish promotional content, far from it. You need to create content for all stages of the buyer’s journey. Not just those at the awareness or consideration stages. The general rule of thumb is an 80/20 balance. 

80% of your content should be tailored to your audiences by providing relevant and helpful solutions to their questions and pain points. The other 20% is about your business. You don’t have to stick right to these numbers, but it gives you a good idea of how to balance your content creation. 

Conclusion

Developing an effective content marketing strategy is not easy. With so many easy fall downs, it can be hard to continue providing value to your customers. But being aware of the fall downs and how you can pick yourself up again will stand you in good stead to develop an effective content strategy. 

The post 7 fall downs and pick-ups in content marketing  appeared first on noupe.

Whether you sell buttons or beef, you need a website to achieve your business goals, especially when you consider the profit it can bring. The average eCommerce site earns just over $63,000 per month and a successful business blog can significantly improve your brand awareness. 

However, running an effective and sustainable website can be tricky. If you’re new to digital content, phrases like “bounce rate” and “click-through rate” (CTR) may make you feel like giving up on creating a site altogether. 

Fortunately, creating and maintaining a website is easier than ever before. Free website builders can help you put together a great site even if you can’t afford a full-time web developer. 

Why Get a Website? 

Creating and maintaining a website may require a lot of work. However, the effort may be worth it if you want to grow your business and reach new customers and many businesses already see this value. 51% of small businesses say that they’ve increased their interactions with customers thanks to their website and a further 36% say they complete all their business online. 

If you do build a website, you have to ensure that it is functional and meets consumers’ expectations. Consumers today spend an average of 2 minutes on each site they visit and need only half a second to form an opinion of a site. 

The cut-throat nature of online consumers means that you have to have an effective, user-friendly website design from day one. 

Website Design for Beginners 

Although website design is intimidating for the uninitiated, you don’t need to learn a coding language or become fluent in HTML to start building an effective website that you and your consumers love. Even a beginner can create a website in under a week. 

Start by defining your branding. Choose a color scheme and draft up a few logos that suit your business. Try to choose complementary colors that will be easy on the user’s eyes. 

Next, put together a sitemap that will act as a navigational guide for your business. What kind of pages do you want to create? How will they be connected? Include links in your site map, and try to structure the hierarchy of your site before you create any digital content. 

At this point, you’ll want to choose a web development site that suits your current business goals. Currently, the most popular website builders include: 

• WordPress;
• Wix;
• Square Space;
• Weebly;
• Shopify.

Research the options available to you and choose a site that aligns with your business goals. Consider what you want to use your site for, as some builders are better for blogging and marketing while others are more suited to eCommerce sales. 

Familiarize yourself with the website builder you’ve chosen and build a few pages before you go live. Once the site has been up for a while, start setting KPIs that correspond with your overall business goals. Setting KPIs can help you spot ineffective areas of your site and improve your web presence. Consider a few common SEO KPIs like

• Bounce Rate;
• Conversion Rate;
• Organic Visibility;
• Keyword Rankings.

You should also aim to create a sustainable site that is both good for the world and your business. This will boost trust in your brand and ensure that you create evergreen content with a great user experience (UX). 

Sustainable Design

Consumers care about sustainability and climate change. They’ll flock to businesses that take their commitment to the environment seriously and will boycott businesses that do more harm than good — even those that don’t integrate sustainability into their website design. Currently, the average site produces 1.76g of carbon per visit. The more complex a site is, the more energy it requires to load. 

If you run an eCommerce site or blog, you can use your website to improve the sustainability of your small business by embracing green UX. 

Green UX is a principle of website design that pushes website engineers to create more sustainable digital content. Start by decluttering your website and reducing the amount of video content that you use per page. 

You can further reduce the carbon footprint of your site by running each page through a carbon calculator and assessing and identifying your most energy-intensive content. It may not be possible to eliminate all energy-intensive content, but you should still strive to minimize the energy required to load each page. 

It’s worth bearing in mind that digital businesses are inherently greener than brick-and-mortar businesses. Digital businesses can track and improve their sustainability by utilizing AI-driven ESG and IMM programs. Digital businesses can also use AI to quickly assess the impact of their business operations and spot areas for improvement. 

Evergreen Content 

Evergreen content can improve the longevity of your website and reduce the amount of maintenance you need to complete. Evergreen content is digital content that shouldn’t become irrelevant or dated within the next 5 years. 

Common examples of evergreen content include some “how-to” blog posts and consumer testimonials. Get more out of these pages by connecting them with landing pages. This will ensure that folks who land on “evergreen” posts can still access your most relevant pages today. 

Cyber Security

Cyber security is important for you and your consumers. If your website is compromised, a data breach may land you hefty fines and lost business. 

Most website builders come with cybersecurity built in. This means you don’t have to worry too much about the nuts and bolts of building a great cybersecurity program. However, you still need to do your part to ensure that malicious actors don’t gain access to your site and the confidential information you store. 

Start by ensuring that all your sensitive documents are password secured. Password-protecting PDFs is a great way to deter malicious actors, as the extra layer of protection is usually enough to put hackers and phishers off. 

You should also require two-factor authentication for all pages that require a sign-in. For example, if you offer a subscription service, make sure that users have to log in before they can access their personal data or make purchases. Two-factor authentication stops hackers from gaining easy access to accounts with compromised passwords and can reassure paranoid users. 

You can also use additional security plug-ins to further protect your site. Website builders like WordPress and SquareSpace have security plug-ins as part of their service. Utilizing them effectively can protect your site and ensure that your user’s data remains secure. 

Conclusion

Designing an effective website is easier than ever before. You can use free website builders to create the framework of your site. Ensure that your site is sustainable by minimizing the amount of energy-intensive content you use. Cut down on things like GIFS and videos and opt for more evergreen content with easy-to-read text and optimized images.

The post Designing an Effective and Sustainable Website with Limited Resources appeared first on noupe.

Introduction

As a business, you’re probably already well aware of the power of social media. But if your company hasn’t updated its strategy in recent years, it could be missing out on some of the best new trends in the industry. Whether you’re looking to attract new customers or simply improve your brand’s presence online, here are seven social media trends that will help boost your business:

Video Content

Video content is a great way to tell your brand story. It can help you share information in an engaging and efficient way, as well as show off your products or services.

Videos are also an effective way to market, train, and provide customer service. Video marketing on social media allows you to connect with potential customers in a personal way—and since it’s so easy for people to share videos across multiple platforms, a word about your product moves quickly. According to G2’s research last 2022, 99% of digital marketers will use video marketing again.

Be authentic – Don’t try to be someone else or something else; just be yourself. People will relate better and trust you more if they see that you’re real and genuine.

Use natural sound – If possible, record your videos without any music or narration in the background. The sound of your voice can add a lot of emotion to your message and make it more interesting for your audience.

Keep it short – Most people don’t have much time to watch videos online, so keep them short enough so people will want to watch them all the way through without getting bored or distracted by other things on their phones or computers while watching your video

Keep it simple – Use simple language and avoid technical jargon whenever possible when talking about complex topics like tech products and services because most people won’t understand what you’re saying otherwise

Make it mobile-friendly- use a video compressor to ensure the quality of each video when uploading to social media.

Stories

Stories are a great way to engage with your audience. You can use stories to promote your business by sharing information and details or promoting current events that are happening in the world and which relate to your business.

Stories can also be used as a way of sharing your brand story. They can show people behind the scenes what goes on in the office or communicate what makes you unique and special as a company.

User-Generated Content

User-generated content is great for engaging your audience. It allows them to create and share their own content with others, rather than simply consuming what you have to offer. If a customer sees that another person has shared an experience with your brand, they’re more likely to trust it and engage as well.

User-generated content can take many forms: from asking people to share their favorite product or service experiences on social media, to creating an Instagram account that showcases photos taken by customers at events or during trips abroad. Either way, the goal is for you as a brand owner to encourage engagement between fans and followers—and ultimately drive more sales of your products or services!

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a great way to reach your target audience. Influencers can help you get your message across in a more authentic way, as they have a large following and their followers will be more likely to listen to what they have to say. Influencer marketing can help you generate leads and sales. It’s important for businesses to take advantage of this trend so that they can expand their reach on social media.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are growing at a rapid rate. The two technologies have been around for decades, but they’re still in their infancy. And while you may have heard that VR and AR are just a fad or marketing tool, there are many reasons why these emerging media will be important for your business in the years to come.

Takeaway:

You now have a better understanding of the many ways social media can help your business:

• By connecting with customers and building your brand, you’ll get real-time feedback and insight into what people think about your company.
• By getting more business through social channels, you’ll increase sales—and by learning about existing customers’ preferences, you can get even more from each sale.
• Social media provides an opportunity for businesses to learn how their products or services are being used in different industries around the world. This knowledge can be used to improve products or services based on customer needs and trends in the market at large.
• Social networks make it easier than ever before for businesses to reach new markets without having to invest heavily in advertising campaigns that may not resonate well locally—but which do require significant capital investments upfront before seeing any return on investment (ROI).

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