Articles from October 2017

The Essentials for a Really Effective Website for Your Business

Designing an effective website can be quite a challenge, but this doesn’t mean it can’t be done. There are many effective websites out there, and they all have certain aspects in common. If you are planning to build your own website or are thinking of revamping the current one you have, here are the essentials for a really effective website for your business.

Be clear

As soon as they see your site, visitors should know right away what you do and what you offer. They should know that you are a business based in a particular area, and what products or services you provide. It’s fatal to leave your visitors guessing – be clear and bold about what your business offers, so visitors won’t be confused but encouraged to stay and learn more about your business.

Make your contact information stand out

You may already know that web users have the attention span of a two-year-old. You have to give them the information they are looking for right away – a few seconds of perusing your website should already give visitors important information, especially when it comes to your contact info. Your business contact info, such as your address, telephone number, and even a Google map, should take centre-stage and should be readily found throughout your website. Or, if you want to be more subtle, you have the option to place your phone number at the top or bottom of every webpage. Your potential customers shouldn’t have to search for your contact details – it should be presented to them on a silver platter at every turn.

A fast site is a necessity

Did you know that the previous rule of eight seconds – the time it takes before website visitors wait for a website to load – has now been reduced to as little as three seconds? If you test your homepage and find that the loading time takes more than three seconds, it may be a good idea to have it redesigned – make your code simpler, or give your servers an upgrade.

Leverage it with apps and tools

A great website, as confirmed by web design Oxford specialists from Xist2, will offer more than just basic information about your business – it will also offer apps and tools which customers can find handy and convenient. Online cost calculators are brilliant tools for finance-related businesses, and apps which can help users out in some way are an excellent option as well.

Another thing good websites have is free website features for visitors who register. Features such as free recipes, free small business guides, and more make first-time visitors willing to become registered users.  If you make it a point to update your features, then your customers will keep coming back.

Image attributed to Pixabay.com

5 Reasons You Should Choose WordPress for Developing Your Business Website

Initiating a new business online is not a piece of cake. Unlike physical business, you do not need to pay for office space or insurance but there are several expenses that are associated with it including your business website.

Luckily, there are numerous free blogging sites such as blogger, WordPress, etc. that can be handy for you to do well with your website. They are frugally amazing as well as come with the best features to do something good inexpensively with your blogging.

WordPress 

WordPress is an exceptionally good place to start with your blogging for no or low cost. There are two types of WordPress sites – WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The only difference between these two sites is the technology, and in this regard, WordPress.com is the best choice because of having so much to help you set up with your business website.         

The main reason for why many people choose WordPress.com because they do not want to buy a domain and find a hosting service for their website. With WordPress.org, on the other hand, you are required to pay for a domain and hosting services which usually costs you $50 every year. Also, using this site needs you to learn how to set up your website domain and host.

However, like other free blogging sites, WordPress.com also has some drawbacks. For example, setting up with WordPress doesn’t allow you to technically own your blogging site. You are at a great risk to lose your content if something wrong happens to that site.

Why Choose WordPress 

Choosing WordPress is the excellent decision when it comes to building a highly responsive, interactive and functional website for your business. This platform not only allows you to build the best websites but also lets you add more power to them.

Below are some of the reasons why you should choose WordPress over other blogging platforms.

  1. Easy Management

WordPress has a browser based platform which offers an easy and trouble-free site management. It allows you to login from anywhere and with any device to manage your business website.

  1. Easy-to-Use Interface

WordPress come with an easy-to-use interface and many useful plug-ins to ensure smooth integration. It lets you to add blog posts, pictures, contents to your site. With the simple and intuitive interface of WordPress, you can do all kinds of formatting in a significantly reduced time. Also, you can add as many new pages as you want in a quite easy way provided by WordPress.

  1. Search Engine Friendly

Due to simple and clean coding, blogging sites made with WordPress are easy to find in most search engines results. Such sites make use of description, titles, keywords and Meta tags for all images present on the site in order to ensure targeted and precise SEO.

  1. Regular Updates

 

WordPress provides you the opportunity to make regular updates on your website. Plus, it allows you to have complete site control so you can reduce dependency on web professionals and make changes or updates on your own.

  1. Customizable Designs

WordPress offers your 100 percent customizable designs for your website thereby helps you have a unique experience for your website visitors.

Multi-Room (Zone) Music Streaming Technology from VSSL

VSSL is a revolutionary new audio streaming amplifier that is truly one of a kind. In fact, there is presently no technology available that is as easy to use and accessible as the VSSL home music streaming system, which allows you to stream music to any room in your home using any application that is available for your devices. With VSSL, you can choose to play different music for different rooms in your home. Our multi-room music streaming technology allows you to pick reggae for the back patio, jazz in the kitchen, rock in the basement, and pop in the living room, all streamed to each individual room simultaneously. The possibilities are endless.

Simply put, you can control your various audio streaming zones from your VSSL home music streaming system, which connects directly to your Wifi router and thus can be accessed through any of your preferred applications.

With VSSL’s unique multi-room music streaming technology, you will get:

  • The ability to connect directly to VSSL using music apps that are native to your device, allowing you to access VSSL and play your music directly to your specified audio zones.
  • The ability to control your audio zones with any mobile device or tablet.
  • Convenient application for installation and fine-tuned control.
  • Easily establish party zones, allowing a one-time party zone setup which makes for an incredibly simple music streaming experience with zero complication.
  • Automation integration: If you have an existing home automation system, VSSL will simply integrate directly into your system without any unnecessary complications. Our drivers expose capabilities and various controls in order to allow VSSL to function as a matrixed audio distributor.
  • The ability to use voice control with Google Home or Amazon Alexa, making for an even more convenient music streaming experience.

Stream Music From Your Favorite Music App Or Service To Any Room In Your Room

VSSL is a form of disruptive technology, meaning you are not simply limited to the VSSL app or system itself to stream your music. You can use native streaming to play music in any room of your home or business. Simply select your desired music for your desired room via your preferred app on your Mac, PC, mobile device, or tablet, which can connect to any of your audio zones through:

  • iTunes
  • Google Play
  • Pandora
  • Apple Music
  • Spotify
  • AirPlay
  • Googlecast
  • Spotify Connect
  • Deezer
  • Tunein
  • Rhapsody
  • Slacker
  • Tidal
  • Audible

And more!

This means there are no required third party control apps. Music streaming with VSSL is fast, convenient, and direct, and new services are immediately available, so there is no need to have to wait for updates in your system. VSSL’s multi-room music streaming technology is designed with thorough detail in order to make it incredibly reliable, smooth, and consistent.

Easy To Install – Easy To Use – Easy To Enjoy

The only wiring involved with this home music streaming system is when it comes to your VSSL speakers. Everything else is completely wireless. Once your VSSL speakers are installed and up and running, everything else is just a button or voice command away. VSSL’s amps have been designed to work with in-wall, in-ceiling, and other forms of passive multi-room speakers. VSSL’s speaker outputs are 8 and 4 ohms stable, and include auto protection circuitry in order to keep your music playing smoothly and uninterrupted.

VSSL’s multi-room music streaming device is made with only the highest grade components available in the industry. We incorporate highly powerful and efficient circuitry and supply 50 watts per channel. The music quality you will get from VSSL is clear and high in quality. Our multi-room music streaming technology allows you to fine tune your system via EQ, zone assigning, and master volume control. All of this gives you ultimate control over your audio streaming to any room on your property, and allows you to fully customize your listening experience.

Meet The Powerful VSSL A6 & A3 Multi-Zone Music Streaming Units

Our home music streaming technology includes two different versions. The A6 version of VSSL gives you the ability to stream your audio for up to 6 different rooms in your home or business. This includes the ability to use 6 different devices for 6 different zones all at the same time, from any application in the world! With the A6 version, you can also group various zones together for either multi room or whole home listening.

The A6 tech specifics include:

  • Zones: 6
  • Channels: 12
  • Output Power: 50 watts/ch @ 8/4 ohms
  • Inputs: Network, (2) bus line level, (6) local line level
  • Wireless Inputs: 6 + 1 marco party
  • Outputs: (2) selectable line level
  • EQ: 7-band parametric adjustable
  • S/N Ratio: >101 db
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
  • Operating Voltage: 115-230 VAC 60/50 Hz auto switch
  • Rack Space: 2U
  • Dimensions No Feet: 17″ W x 3.46″ H x 14″ D
  • Dimensions With Feet: 17″ W x 4.7″ H x 14″ D
  • Shipping Weight: 17.5 lbs

The A3 version of VSSL is the same as the A6 version, but allows independent streaming and power for up to 3 different audio streaming zones for those who do not require such a wide range of audio streaming locations.

VSSL Is Perfect For Homes And Businesses

Private residences and businesses would greatly benefit from VSSL in many ways. Our multi-room music streaming technology will make the perfect asset to a residence in which house parties are a regular occurrence, or a vacation home where many people are often coming to visit. VSSL allows you to liven up any party or family get-together with your own personal soundtrack, and gives you the ability to set the mood for different areas of your home via different music options.

Needless to say, this would make a smart investment for businesses such as restaurants, spas, physical fitness centers, or any other location in which music plays a major role. VSSL’s multi-room music streaming abilities can also be utilized for non-music audio requirements, such as live, online speech broadcasting or informative speech to various rooms within churches, office spaces, museums, conference centers, and other organizations.

VSSL is available for both home distributors and end users. We are proud to offer our audio streaming services to private companies who would benefit from carrying our revolutionary new product. And our product is of course available to any end user who may be interested in incorporating our unique multi-room audio streaming system to their home, office, or private business.

VSSL gives you an audio streaming experience like you’ve never heard before. We are unrivaled in our ability to provide our customers with convenient, high quality audio technology that spans multiple rooms and locations. VSSL allows our customers an easy and convenient way of using complex and innovative technology. Whether you are seeking multi-room audio for a private residence, or for a commercial setting, VSSL has everything you need for a fully comprehensive, high quality audio streaming experience.

Customer Service Tips To Help Build Your Business

Customer retention, which is often measured in terms of repeat purchases, plays a vital role in the profitability of most businesses. When a business excels at customer retention, it’s better positioned to achieve long-term success, and it will have a much greater competitive advantage over its competitors.

So, how can your business master the art of customer retention?

Well, there are a number of contributing factors that influence customer retention, one of the most effective ways is perhaps offering superior customer service. In essence, customer service is meant to create a very positive experience for the customer, and in turn improve customer loyalty and eventually, long-term customer retention.

Superior customer service is such a worthwhile investment, and we have put together 5 essential customer service tips to help get your business up and running, and maintain high customer retention.

Building Personal Relationships

Actively working to have a personal touch in your business is very important for customer retention. If you work with just a few customers, ensure that you interact personally with each one of them, and find out if there are things you can do to help them out.

For those businesses with a lot of customers, you can set an autoresponder system that replies to them whenever they purchase from you or join in your community as a prospect. Treat prospects differently than buyers, but more importantly, stay in touch with both.

For example, with our moving company, we always take an active interest in the personal relationship with our customers. They get to know their moving crew and that always helps the jobs go smoother, with much less stress for everyone.

Respond to Every Complaint

Social media is the cornerstone of this modern world, and closely monitoring what’s being said about your business online is vital. While it’s very easy to get carried away by a petulant customer and brushing them off completely, it can be costly for your business.

What you want to do is take charge and be polite with them, as you listen intently to their problem or concerns. With this approach, you will have a calming effect on the upset customer, and in most cases, they will reason with you and leave knowing that they can always return and do business with you again.

Remember that a personal touch can help to resolve an issue that can result in a client removing a poor review for your business!

Ask Your Customers!

Asking your customers exactly what they are looking for in your business, what concerns they might have, and how they want it delivered is probably the easiest approach to retaining customers. You can ask them via an online survey, a printed survey, via email, over the phone, or in person. But regardless of the method, asking them is crucial.

You’d be surprised how detailed the responses can get, and sometimes, they will save you time, effort, and money you could have used on market research.

Consider performing an informal focus group or focused discussion with your customers. This way, you will have the opportunity to identify their collective wants or needs, and you can then reward them with discounts on their next purchase of something that highlights your sincere appreciation of their time.

Always Listen to Your Customers

Be sure to pay careful attention to everything your customers are talking about, and identify any difficulties they may be experiencing. How much do you hate repeating yourself? Well, the customer isn’t any different. Make sure that you respond to them quickly and when suitable, but don’t interrupt them. Butting in can show them that you are not paying attention to them.

This might seem like a simple thing to do, but it’s not what many businesses do. Our natural instinct might be jumping right in with a solution when it comes to mind. Some business owners want to ignore a problem – hoping it will go away. However, you might not have fully understood the problem if you’re not paying attention.

Waiting it out and carefully listening to the issues allows you to have a better understanding of the context and situation of the customer. Plus, they will see that you are paying attention.

Provide Solutions

Nowadays, customers are very savvy, and will sense a sale pitch from miles away. Although they love buying, they hate to be told what, how, and when to do so. Instead, let your approach be providing them with effective solutions. This shows that you sincerely care about their needs.

Let them know that you are not after their wallet, but you want to collaborate with them in helping them what they want in such a way that both of you benefit. Such an approach works nearly all the time, and is considered the secret sauce to high customer retention.

In a world where small businesses have to constantly compete with the big businesses and corporations, superior customer service will help you to stand out from the crowd. With the tips discussed above, you are at a much better position to continue improving your customer service, retaining your customers and getting great referrals for new customers.

Don’t forget that customers appreciate working with businesses that care about their needs.