Best of the Web - Technology
technology

DIY Online Reputation Management for Small Businesses

Written on October 11, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Business, SEO - Websites, Technology

Stuart McHenry     socialmediasun.com

Every business needs to be concerned about their online reputation. Even more so if you run a small business that doesn’t have the brand marketing and customer confidence that large brands have.  In a recent study it has been concluded that 90 percent of customers that come across your business online will research our company before deciding to do business with you.

These potential customers will look for both good and bad reviews about your company.  Customers want to read specific reviews so they can get an idea about the kind of company you are.  If you ship products they will look for feedback on timely shipping, or specifics that products were received in a reasonable time frame.  If you are in the service business people want to see specific feedback on your service, good or bad.

Monitor What’s Being Said

This first thing a small business should do is monitor what’s being said.  You need to monitor everywhere customers may be talking about you.  This includes review websites, social media and bloggers.  There are several good reputation management tools you can choose from to help with monitoring your brand.  One of the better tools to help with monitoring is Trackur. They offer several plans from a free option to several paid options depending on your needs. You may also want to check out these other affordable options:

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

How to Make Gmail Your Ultimate Productivity Center

Written on October 3, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Business, Self Help - Inspiration, Technology

Leo Babauta     zenhabits.net

These days there are a proliferation of digital tools we use for productivity, for time management, for communication, for social networking, for keeping track of our lives, online and off.

It can be a nightmare to keep track of it all, and frankly, it’s a bit unproductive to keep switching between a dozen different tools.

Enter Gmail, my favorite solution for just about anything. OK, maybe not for things like solving marital problems or spending time with my kids, but … give it time. :)

It’s already pretty clear that Gmail is the best tool for email, and integrations with calendar and chat have made it the go-to place for much of our information. But Gmail Gadgets have allowed us to bring the rest of the pieces of the puzzle together. Now we can do just about everying in one place – Gmail.

1. Email: Gmail is how email should be done. With great filters, you can keep your inbox fairly clean. With keyboard shortcuts, you can get through the inbox in minutes. With labels and archiving, you don’t spend time filing. With threaded conversations, your email stays organized. There are dozens of smart little innovations, from automatic contacts to a “send and archive” button and much more. If you’re not using Gmail for email yet, you should strongly consider a change.

Here’s how:

Read More

 

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Your Company Needs A Mobile Strategy Yesterday–And These Numbers Prove It

Written on October 3, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Business, Marketing, Technology

Ethan Hale     Fast Company

According to one survey, one-third of us would rather give up sex than our mobile phone. You might not believe this, but it’s all too true.

What does that tell us? Well, one of two things: either our love lives are seriously lacking, or our smartphones are more important to us than a primal human need.

I lean towards the latter more than the former, only because I’ve seen how powerful mobile marketing has been for my clients and others. Here are a few examples:

  • A mobile-based loyalty program for Maurices, a chain of women’s clothing stores, was directly responsible for jump-starting $1 million in sales in only four months.
  • A text message list helped Pacha, a New York City nightclub, realize $12,400 in additional income.
  • A Foursquare check-in campaign boosted short-term revenues at Angelo & Maxie’s, a Manhattan restaurant, by $18,000.

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Top Communication Apps for Your Business

Written on September 27, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Business, Technology

Grasshopper     grasshopper.com

Apps are the new Internet: a technology boom that is making some people a pile of money while simultaneously changing the way other people do business. While it’s true that many apps are simply new and shiny ways to do the same old thing, a few rise above the rest and improve business communication immensely.

If you haven’t already, check out these rock star business communication apps (and share your favorites in the comments!):

GoToMeeting

One of the top apps for collaborative efforts with remote participants. Different features range from a private chat room to the ability to broadcast screenshots to a range of participants.

Skype

The instant message service is useful, but it’s the free international phone and video chat that really makes this app shine. Use it to get face time with your clients and allies all over the globe.

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Despite a Slowdown, Smartphone Advances Are Still Ahead

Written on September 18, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Technology

Nick Wingfield      New York Times

The arrival of the original iPhone in 2007 was a quantum leap for cellphones. Phones had never worked or looked like that.

The iPhone 5 that Apple introduced last week with only incremental changes seemed to signal that the industry has entered an era of technological bunny hops.

Faster chips, bigger screens and speedier wireless Internet connections are among the refinements smartphone users can count on year after year in new models, most of them in familiar rectangular packages. They are improvements, to be sure, but they lack the breathtaking impact the first iPhone had, with its pioneering fusion of software and touch screens.

“Since then, it has been kind of incremental,” said Chetan Sharma, an independent mobile analyst. “It does not feel like there is a big shift.”

But big innovations in smartphones are not a thing of the past. Incremental improvements can add up over a span of years, providing the computing horsepower to enable big advances in software. Breakthroughs in smartphone materials, software and even batteries could lead to substantial changes in how smartphones look and function in the years ahead.

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Making Your Business Mobile: Do I Need an App for That?

Written on September 10, 2012 by in Best of the Web, SEO - Websites, Technology

Steve Farnsworth     stevefarnsworth.wordpress.com

It’s predicted that mobile internet usage will eclipse wired usage by the year 2015. With the rise of connected mobile devices like smartphones and tablets brands are wrestling with the need to make their online presence easy to access for mobile users.

A common question heard frequently is “Should I build an app or create a mobile website?”. If referring to your existing website my answer is almost always “mobile website”. Even more specifically, I’m talking about developing a responsive website.

Responsive websites “respond” to the environment they’re being viewed in. Specifically, the size of the device they are being viewed on. We are seeing more and more internet connected mobile devices and platforms developing than most brands have time to accommodate for. On top of that, many brands have put a lot of effort into into developing their web site. Responsive design is the way to go.

Read More

1 Comment - Leave a comment!

How To Be The Next Steve Jobs

Written on September 10, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Technology

Simon North     Forbes

Nearly a year after his death, of pancreatic cancer, Steve Jobs has become an American legend and a continuing source of fascination. Walter Isaacson’s biography, Steve Jobs remains a bestseller. Steve Jobs’s 2005 Stanford Commencement Address inspires everyone from recent graduates to career changers. Apple products have a devoted following, and many of those who invested in the company’s stock have built a handsome nestegg.

Much of the intrigue stems from the fact that Jobs was both an excellent businessman and a visionary. That’s something many of us would like to emulate. The best way to do that is to look back at his life and career to see how he made the most of his natural business acumen and brilliant mind. By adopting some of his behaviors we, too, can achieve our our fullest potential. Here are the lessons that emerge from Isaacson’s book; Steve Jobs’s speeches and Apple launches; and the entry about him on Wikipedia.

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Web Buzz: Irrive.com’s social media scrapbook

Written on September 9, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Blogging - Content, Social Media, Technology

Jen Leo     Los Angeles Times

This Web tool creates a shareable scrapbook by pulling together your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare and Flickr check-ins, photos, posts and maps.

You’ve never seen a social scrapbook website this helpful.

Name: Irrive.com

What it does: Crafts a scrapbook from your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare and Flickr check-ins. Just punch in the dates and watch as your vacation photos, posts and map check-ins unfold, day by day, on the pages before you, even if you took your trip months ago. Share your new scrapbook with friends you pick on Facebook or keep it private and pass it around with an individual link.

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Maximize Social Customer Service with Listening Technology

Written on September 9, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Business, Customer Service, Marketing, Social Media, Technology

Ashley Furness     v3im.com

Want to maximize your social media ROI? That’s easy–focus on social customer service.

For a long time, companies have viewed social media as a brand marketing channel. Community managers post links to the deal of the day or other promotional materials, along with recent news articles tossed in for good measure. As a whole, however, much of the content shared is very brand centric. By including a customer centric focus in your strategy, taking care of customers, solving their problems and keeping them happy—that delivers a different kind of value. And it also helps you work toward the alignment of sales, customer service and marketing in a way that makes perfect sense.

Smart brands are using social media channels for customer service interactions. In fact, a recent VentureBeat report found that while 62 percent of consumers use Twitter, Facebook and other channels to broadcast service complaints, a vast majority of those messages never receive a response. Part of the problem is a lack of process, planning and technology to efficiently handle the job.

To meet this need, software vendors have developed a new class of social media products that enable customer service teams to instantly identify, prioritize and address customer feedback sent through social media. Here’s how it works.

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Finally, Someone Has Made A ‘Pause’ Button For Emails

Written on September 1, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Technology

Alyson Shontell     businessinsider.com

Aye Moah of Baydin Inc has done busy people everywhere a giant favor.

She’s created a Gmail/Chrome extension called INBOX PAUSE. This glorious tool was discovered by The Next Web’s Zee Kane.

It does exactly what you think it does. It prevents any more emails from popping up in your inbox the moment you press the “pause” button. Emails are stored in a hidden place until you’re ready to receive them.

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Game Changing Innovations 1-30

Written on September 1, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Technology

businessinsider.com

This is part of a 30-part series called “Game Changers.” This special series investigates the most remarkable advancements in science, energy and health — and how they will impact the way we live. This series is brought to you by Samsung’s Galaxy S3.

Great ideas happen every day, but few have the power to change the world.

These innovations in health, energy, space and transportation are poised to make a serious impact on the future.

Here’s our complete list of 30 innovations that will change the world:

1. Edible Food Packaging

2. Affordable DNA Sequencing

3. The Inflatable Seat Belt

Read More

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

The big list of 100 tools, tips and tricks to work more efficiently online

Written on August 28, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Self Help - Inspiration, Social Media, Technology

Alyssa Aldersley     blog.bufferapp.com What does it take to be productive? It’s a question I often ask myself and to be honest I don’t have a great answer for it yet. One key discovery I’ve made over the past year or so is that I need to have great habits in place. That’s why I’m working…

Continue Reading »

1 Comment - Leave a comment!

17 Techie Shortcuts for Content Marketing

Written on August 15, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Blogging - Content, Technology

Jodi Harris     contentmarketinginstitute.com We get it — you’re overworked. There are three new projects on your desk that have to be done RIGHT NOW. Your department is a few Tweets short of weekly mandates, and everyone else is on vacation. The CEO wants his own blog, but he can barely type the word “cat”.  And…

Continue Reading »

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Microsoft Office 13 Embraces Web Development

Written on August 14, 2012 by in Best of the Web, SEO - Websites, Technology

Joab Jackson     PC World With the upcoming release of Microsoft Office 13, Microsoft is encouraging developers and administrators to use open Web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS and HTML to build their add-on apps. Microsoft wanted to “modernize the way the platform is accessed by developers,” said Richard Riley, a Microsoft director in the…

Continue Reading »

1 Comment - Leave a comment!

5 Secret Tech-Savvy Tips For Traveling Abroad

Written on August 7, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Self Help - Inspiration, Technology

Elyse Pasquale     gadling.com As a perpetual wanderer who spends roughly half the year outside the United States, I’ve learned a few savvy tricks for bettering my own travel experience. From making free phone calls to accessing the entire “Doctor Who” series, here are five tech tips for the modern traveler abroad. 1. You can watch…

Continue Reading »

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

5 Excellent Productivity Tools for Remote Workers

Written on August 6, 2012 by in Best of the Web, Business, Entrepreneur, Self Help - Inspiration, Technology

Stephanie Buck Mashable Features Writer     openforum.com Whether a startup entrepreneur or a seasoned corporate employee, people all over the world choose to work from home. But sidestepping the traditional workplace can take its toll on even the most diligent workers. To help you devise a system that works for you, we’ve collected five accommodating apps and tools…

Continue Reading »

0 Comments - Leave a comment!