Articles from March 2018

Understanding the Benefits of Leveraging Your Niche

In today’s digital marketing landscape, going the generic route is no longer an option. It is much more effective to focus your business and the digital marketing efforts around it on a specific niche or market segment. Having a niche allows you to make a bigger impact with every digital marketing move you make.

Leveraging your niche is also a great way to stay ahead of the competition. There are several valuable benefits you can gain from leveraging your niche. We are going to dig deeper and learn about those benefits in this article.

Fewer Competitors

When your digital marketing efforts are based on a niche and reaching a specific target audience, you are actually positioning yourself to compete with fewer competitors. Let’s say you’re marketing coffee beans and other coffee-based products.

Selling coffee-based products pits you against thousands of other competitors. Selling artisan coffee-based products, on the other hand, narrows down your playing field substantially. You are targeting a more suitable market segment and reaching more potential customers in the process.

Better Growth

You only need to look at segmented sites with specific niches to realize the higher potential growth to expect from having a niche. Sites like blacksmokemedia.com focus their content on a specific topic and attract the right audience more effectively.

As a result, sites with their own niches grow faster. It doesn’t take long for a site on a specific niche to build their loyal audience. In the case of Black Smoke Media, the site was even able to develop a strong community of readers and lovers of diesel trucks.

For a business, having loyal customers is everything. Loyal customers tend to have higher customer lifetime value or CLV than the average consumers. The rapid growth of loyal customers lets the business enjoy a more sustainable growth in the long run.

Higher Online Visibility

Targeting a specific audience segment is also good for your online visibility. Since you have fewer keywords and target audience groups to reach, you can maximize your digital marketing campaigns and enjoy a better online presence in return.

Of course, you are also reaching people who are actually searching for your products and services. Using the previous example, being discovered by those looking for artisan coffee beans means you have higher chances of converting them into customers already.

Be a Niche Leader

Being a big fish in a small pond is always better than being a small fish in a big pond. With the small pond of a specific niche, you can stay ahead of the market and be the leader in your industry. Invest in improving your market position through product improvement, better marketing efforts, and customer relationship management.

Once you are the leader of a specific market, you’ll have the option to explore new niches and grow your business further. You can also maintain the lead you have and enjoy sustainable growth by leveraging your niche more. Whichever route you choose to take, you know you can grow the business and continue making your highly-segmented customers happy with your products and services.

Cool Devices & Gadgets That Are Worth The Investment

Devices play an important role in people’s lives these days. In the past, people were unaware of the impact devices would have; this has changed significantly in more recent years. People of all ages are starting to use gadgets and devices on a daily basis. While some consider that devices are not worth the hype, because they make people lose track of their life and spend a lot of time unproductively, it is good to keep in mind that, if they are used for short periods of time they can actually improve the quality of life and facilitate certain aspects.

Almost every day there are various gadgets that are being launched on the market. Devices are popular gift ideas, but with so many options it can be a bit difficult to know where to start. They come in different shapes and have all kinds of amazing functions. The great thing is that people can find great devices on the market no matter what their interests might be. Purchasing a gadget can be a bit overwhelming and costly if you don’t do any research beforehand. The following gadgets and devices might give you an idea of which items are worth the money.

Compact Photo Printer

Thanks to the development of technology, people are now able to take pictures on the go. Despite this, no matter how many picture folders you have on your computer or phone, nothing compares to a photo album. Back in the day, people used to take stacks of pictures and keep their memories in shoe boxes under the bed. Due to smart and compact devices available on the market, the whole process of printing pictures has become particularly quick and easy. The quality of the photograph is maintained, and further, they can be labeled according to your taste. If you wish to digitalize your pictures and store these in photo albums that you can flick through whenever you want, it might be a good idea to invest in a compact photo printer.

Outdoor Home Security Camera

Keeping a safe and secure home at all times is on everyone’s list of priorities. Even though there are a lot of smart technologies that provide great security services, most of the time they tend to be quite expensive. Instead of using an old gimmick that is outdated and does not offer a lot of security, it might be a better idea to consider an outdoor home security camera. This type of camera records everything on an SD card and can also send alerts if it detects something suspicious. With the ability to connect to your WIFI, the device only uses data when you open the app to check any updates. Another advantage of this security camera is the fact that can distinguish between people, cars or animals and provide infrared vision to record in the dark.

Entertainment Gadgets

Everyone relaxes in different ways, especially when regarding their choice in entertainment. Whether it’s listening to music, playing computer games with friends or reading a book, there are many practical ways to de-stress. That said, sometimes the devices that provide those kinds of activities can be a bit daunting; with a bit of research, everyone can find the best devices for their needs. E-readers that allow you to read in the sun are a great invention for those passionate about reading. Instant cameras offer excellent opportunities for those who like to keep their memories close to their heart and capture moments instantly. Those who are passionate about gaming will argue that a gaming computer is the best option. If you wish to build your custom gaming PC, you can count on BLD. They keep your preferences and budget in mind and create something unique for you.

Voice-activated Speaker

Even though this is not a novelty anymore, it is important to remember its advantages. Voice-activated speakers are a great invention that facilitates people’s lives greatly. They can play music, set timers, order food if you don’t feel like going out, give you information about the weather forecast or tell you how good or bad the traffic is before leaving the house. Voice-activated speakers are easy to use and a great addition to any modern household. Last but not least, they provide good sound quality which makes a real difference for music lovers. This gadget is designed to enable the user to control and commence various commands and activities without a significant amount of participation; this can be particularly handy if you are multitasking. The smart technology includes a powerful microphone, meaning you do not have to be directly within range of the device when using it.

Durable Tablet

There are many tablets on the market these days. It can sometimes be challenging to find a durable one that is within your price range. Even though laptops are appreciated by a lot of people thanks to their versatility, tablets are gaining more popularity between people of all ages, due to the compact design meaning they can be easily carried in your purse. Tablets offer music, movies, games and app access whilst traveling. Most tablets come with a camera that allows you to take photos and store your memories in a single place. Tablets make a great gift idea regardless of the occasion. They are incredibly user-friendly and provide amazing advantages that facilitate people’s lives so much.

Smartwatch

There are a lot of gadgets in this category on the market. While some are quite expensive, others are affordable for almost everyone. All in all, smartwatches have a lot of advantages.  At first, they might seem a little complicated and confusing, but after using them for a more extended period of time, the user can adapt and understand the device more. There are various features including receiving notifications without having to remove the phone from their pocket. Secondly, they can control other smart devices; not forgetting that answering the phone is a lot easier with the help of this kind of device. A smartwatch can be particularly helpful when driving or walking around. Last but not least, you can keep track of your fitness in a straightforward manner.

When it comes to purchasing gadgets, one has to keep a few aspects in mind. Consider their preferences, interests, and budget. Last but not least, doing a bit of research could also help make a decision.

Top Construction Technology Trends

Technology is making big waves in the construction industry, and although sometimes met with reluctance, this innovative platform is creating new opportunities for both established and growing businesses. Trends in any industry change each year but there are some big things to watch out for, with new and exciting advances that can’t be missed in 2018. Some technological implications are tried and tested favorites that are being developed for specific use in the building industry, whereas others have several real-world applications that have been adopted to make construction and infrastructure projects run smoothly and cost-effectively. Take a look at some of the top construction trends helping to make processes and project tracking more efficient than ever.

Autonomous equipment

Equipment is one of the areas where the construction industry invests heavily. Effective equipment is a key part of getting a project right and on cost. Older machinery and outdated equipment could have major impacts on profitability due to maintenance costs so choosing replacements may be a solution. Although this area can cause debate due to workers job security, autonomous equipment is starting to be implemented on many sites. This trend is likely to increase in the coming years as organizations look at the effects this type of machinery has on productivity and reducing costs. Autonomous equipment is also looked at to improve safety, as in 2016 21.1 percent of worker fatalities happened in the private construction sector.

3D printing

3D printing may not be a new concept, but it is rising in popularity amongst the construction industry. Although it may take a little more time to catch on in general, there is still some excitement about what could be achieved with this technology. Looking at what has already been created with 3D technology, Dubai’s first 3D printed office is an example of the scale that can be undertaken on building projects. There is still some scope to improve the scalability and agility of 3D printing on a grand scale, but it may be a huge talking point for the future of construction. 

Construction management software 

Managing a project effectively is a key element for the construction industry. As a largely fragmented industry, technology is starting to change the way organizations can assess and monitor tasks from planning through to completion stage. Construction management software is one area that is increasingly aiding this area, whether is project management or contract management software. With advances in software and functionality, elements such as project tracking, job costing and estimating are offering the industry more visibility and accurate information on projects. As this trend develops, organizations are looking at viable options so their whole workforce can use this software with ease to ensure quick onboarding. With the advances in this technology, workers in many areas of the business will gain visibility on all projects they are contributing to. From improved accuracy, streamlining processes and project monitoring, each person can highlight areas for improvement or implement action points more effectively.

Mobile Technology

It’s no surprise mobile technology and the key developments in this field are a current talking point in the industry. The advances in technology have seen improvements in each business sector including construction. There are many construction businesses that rely heavily on mobile applications to run operations in their organization including common areas such as field reporting, photos, plans, project costing and scheduling.

In the coming years, the ability to bring all this information to multiple devices and report in real-time is going to see stark improvements in the way businesses operate. Many larger organizations have already implemented such systems, but smaller construction firms are also starting to take hold of this improved technology. Even using classic mobile devices such as the fluke multimeter on Tool Nerds or handheld equipment such as barcode scanners and radio-frequency identification readers, each provides a starting point for accurate and timely data on construction projects.

By bringing workers and information together in perfect synergy, the industry is encouraging the effective use of information for cost-effective and time-efficient project management.

Trust the cloud

In the past, the construction industry has been hesitant to adopt new technologies for a variety of reasons. One such issue is trust in their abilities and overall security. For businesses large and small, keeping your data safe is a top priority and can have a hugely negative impact if this information is corrupted or lost. Traditional servers and systems in modern business have started to become a thing of the past and the movement to cloud-based software is taking over. The construction industry has taken this onboard and with innovations in security and accessibility, trusting the cloud is a huge part of business today.

Cloud software is helping to change the way the construction industry works and makes it easier to implement other areas of technology with fluid information exchange. Integrating this software is simple and cost-effective, and many other systems such as mobile devices, construction management software and BIM technology can be linked efficiently for real-time data sharing. 

Self-flying drones

Drone use is an increasingly popular trend, and it’s not hard to see why. The construction industry is more readily using this technology to enable better mapping and photogrammetry to reduce the time and resources of traditional surveying. Drones can also be used to monitor large-scale projects and give greater visibility to other areas of the business for tasking and be costing aspects.

More advanced drones are able to capture 3D elements of a project and report back visuals from many perspectives. This style of technology is particularly useful in the architectural design and assessing sites for suitability. Although there are some restrictions on drone use for public safety and privacy, they are becoming a well-used piece of equipment that is greatly reducing project timeframes, labor costs and improving accuracy significantly.

The construction industry is embracing a wide range of new and proved technology advances. With the help of updated software and equipment, this sector is transitioning into a more efficient and innovative way of working, which will reap the rewards for both organizations and consumers for years to come.