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Preparation Checklist: The Summer Before College

On July 30, 2022

Ah summer! A time to kick back, relax and de-stress from the school year. Of course, if you’re a recent high school graduate who is planning to attend college in the fall, there are a few things you should be getting done during these warm weather months.

Here is a preparation checklist with some of the boxes incoming freshmen should plan to cross off before packing up their moving boxes.

Create Your Own Checklist

To help make the most out of this transitionary phase, the first recommended step is to develop a detailed plan for your time over the summer. Creating an agenda like this can help keep you organized and on schedule. That way, you’re not left scrambling in the week or two ahead of classes.

Coordinate Your Finances

College is an expensive experience. As such, it’s crucial to have a frank conversation with your family to organize the finances if you haven’t already. Do this by laying out a thorough budget to cover the costs of dining, textbooks, extracurricular activities and everything else early on.

Students are also advised to visit the school’s website to learn more about managing their finances and any financial aid opportunities. There are also third-party services and even apps, like EncourageMe, that help incoming students learn how to make college more affordable.

Complete the Paperwork

After balancing your budget, it’s essential to fill out the necessary paperwork. You’ll need to finalize enrollment forms, tie up housing documents and register for your first semester classes just to name a few. At this time, you’ll have to send transcripts from your high school to the university if you haven’t already.

You may also need to create an account online, especially if you’re living on campus. Through your account, you can typically access information regarding tuition, meal plans, housing and more. Don’t forget to register for orientation as well.

Tidy Up Your Housing Arrangements

Living on your own for the first time can be overwhelming to say the least. Preparing for this part of the adventure may even require a checklist all on its own. One main point should be to acquire dorm room and other necessary housing supplies in advance. Before you head out shopping, it’s recommended to get the room’s dimensions to avoid overpacking. Colleges routinely provide these measurements as well as a list of essentials to reference what’s needed as well as what’s not allowed.

If sharing a space, consider contacting your roommates to determine if any big furnishings are still needed. You may also want to brush up on any neglected around-the-house skills. Often, life skills, such as doing laundry and waking up independently, are handled by parents creating potential setbacks for young adults. Avoid this by preparing for independent life before moving out.

Look After Your Well-Being

Another vital box to check off is to schedule a doctor’s appointment. Getting a checkup is a great opportunity to assess health insurance status, be up to date with immunizations and refill any prescriptions.

This is also a good time to check in on your mental health. Pursuing higher education is stressful. Take a step back from the stress by having fun, pursuing interests outside of education and hanging with friends and family during the summer.

Ready, Set, Go

Getting everything in place before that first 101 class takes quite a bit of prep work. But with patience, planning and plenty of tenacity, you’ll be ready to take on this exciting challenge and kickstart your adult life.

What Do Pier Drilling Contractors Do?

By Kyzer Smith

On July 28, 2022

In Business

When it is time to screen for the best pier drilling contractors for a particular job it is wise to know what to look for in a contractor. Pier drilling isn’t one of your ordinary everyday construction tasks. It takes critical thinking and expertise to carry out a job of this caliber. If you trust the job with somebody that is not qualified, you could end up in big trouble down the road.

What is Pier Drilling?

When most people hear or see the word “pier” they automatically envision a long dock mounted on concrete pillars. The dock sprawls out and reaches far beyond the shore of the ocean and deep into the sea, sometimes hundreds of yards out.

If you imagine that same pier on the land, mounted on those same concrete pillars, but the pillars are deeply sunk into the ground, you can get an idea of the concept of pier drilling. The task of drilling deep into the ground to pour concrete, place rebar, and allow it all to dry to form a sturdy support system for a large structure is known as pier drilling.

Drilling deep into the ground with an auger
Installing rebar cage
Filling the shaft with concrete
Vibrate the shaft to cause concrete to settle

Although it seems like a cut-and-dry type of job, keep in mind that some of these drill bits are larger than 36 inches in diameter and some of the holes are 35 feet deep. It’s not like a person can go out and drill these holes with their cordless drill. This type of job takes heavy equipment and skilled professionals that know what they are doing.

It is easy to imagine a million things that could go wrong with drilling 35-foot holes in the ground.

Why Drill Underground Piers?

Deep, solid piers are set into the ground so that a large, heavy structure such as a building or a bridge can rest on top of it and get adequate support so it will not sink into the ground.

A drilled pier offers a deep foundation solution that helps to transfer the weight of the building further down into the ground. If you build a structure that is a couple of a million pounds on a flat concrete slab without the proper type of support the results could be catastrophic.

It goes without saying that in order to facilitate a job such as deep drilling you have to be experienced and understand the risks of the job and how important safety is.

An experienced and knowledgable pier drilling contractor will know:

Where to drill the holes
How deep to drill
The size of the auger
What is under the ground

Just imagine if a driller was to go out and drill in a place that had a natural gas pocket underneath, or a large body of water. Before the building that is going up is ever planned, the construction site will be surveyed and evaluated to determine whether or not it is a safe place to build. However, the contractor that will be doing the drilling will most likely double-check the situation instead of simply assuming it is safe to move forward.

What Kind of Equipment is Used For Pier Drilling?

The kind of equipment that a contractor will use to drill piers will vary depending on the type and size of the job. Basically, in order to drill a hole in the ground all you need are a few things:

Auger
Drill motor
Crew

Most people are familiar with the two-person fence post augers that you can rent from the local hardware supply store. Drilling holes for piers is basically the same concept but on a larger scale.

Instead of a hand-held auger drill, most contractors that drill piers will use a drill rig. A drill rig is basically a large motor that is built on a tractor or a truck that can be driven around and stationed wherever the holes need to be.

Some contractors will use a crane-mounted drill rig that is basically a crane that holds a drilling motor, the auger bit, and however many extensions will be necessary to drill the hole as deep as it needs to be.

Probably the most important part of the drilling job is the crew that makes it all happen. In order to ensure a safe environment for everybody involved each person has to follow all of the safety protocols that are in place for the job and with OSHA, and they all have to know what they are doing. There is no room for guesswork or mistakes when you are dealing with a task that involves heavy machinery that could injure or kill a person in an instant.

How Does the Drilling Work?

Basically, the drilling works much like a large, complicated drill press. Most of us that attended wood shop class in high school are familiar with the drill press. Instead of a convenient arm to push down for the drill bit to be guided to the place, it is going, the drilling rig will be set up in a way that the auger bit will drill exactly where it is intended to.

Each setup will be different, depending on the type of rig that will be used and the circumstances of the job, however, all jobs will generally have the same goal, which is to drill the hole straight down exactly where it is supposed to be.

The auger bit will be attached to a shaft that is connected to a powerful motor that spins the shaft and causes the bit to spin like a drill. As the auger bit spins, it will be lowered slowly downward into the earth where it will begin its descent.

Every few feet down the auger bit will be pulled back up from the hole and all of the spoil that is caught in the grooves of the bit will be removed and put to the side.

This is a long and tedious task but the end result is a clean, deep shaft that will allow for a strong and sturdy pillar to be built upon. The spoil will be collected and hauled away for reuse, or to donate to an organization that needs it. Everybody is happy.

What Do the Contractors Do?

When it comes to the construction industry the contractors are the people that connect with potential customers and place bids on the jobs. When a contractor for a pier drilling company meets with customers it is usually because of a pretty big job with a multi-million dollar price tag.

Licensed contractors have to prove they are qualified to be contractors by verifying experience and passing exams. Depending on the state that the contractor works in the laws and regulations regarding licensing will vary.

In any event, a pier drilling contractor will know and understand everything that pertains to the way pier drilling works, the way that the structure will stand on the piers, and what happens to the ground while drilling these deep holes.

The contractor will use knowledge and expertise to hire talented and experienced workers to get the jobs done as safely, efficiently, and excellently as possible.

Be sure that the contractor you hire for the job is experienced, has the right equipment, and knows exactly what they are doing. If not, you could end up with a big mess instead of a successful project.

The 10 Biggest Digital Shift Handover Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid

By Kyzer Smith

On July 28, 2022

In Blogging

The pandemic has made it more critical than ever for an organization to go through the process of digital transformation. It’s become no longer a choice but a must for any business to succeed, no matter what industry it’s in. With a wave of new digital practices and innovations, digital leaders are diving headfirst into transforming their organizations and showing the way to success.

Businesses need to work faster and provide more value to stay relevant in a market that is changing more and more all the time. This is precisely what digital transformation promises. It gives companies opportunities in all parts of their business, from how they run their operations to how they interact with customers, employees, and other stakeholders.

Any change is a challenge. But digital shift handover is a step up. It affects every part of your business, including your customers, employees, processes, and infrastructure. Unfortunately, there are just too many chances for mistakes that everyone should avoid. Digital transformation has become a must for many businesses, but only a small number of them are successful. Here are the most common mistakes that must be avoided when transforming a shift handover into a digital one.

#1 Lack of IT skill sets

Lack of IT skills or knowledge can make the digital handover process much slower and put a business at risk with misaligned digital plans. For digital shift handover to go well, companies must get the right skills, tools, and people. But most likely, the company won’t have the skills needed to help with the transition. So, companies need to look for digital transformation consulting services to find the talent they need to carry out their ambitious digital agendas related to shift handover.

#2 Setting goals and expectations that are unrealistic

It would help if you had a plan before you started your journey. Once you know your goal, don’t be too optimistic or give yourself too little time to reach it. Changing to a digital business model is an ongoing process that will take time to fit with your strategy. Know that the gaps won’t be filled all at once. Set up milestones and short-term goals to see how the shift hand over software is going over time. You also need to be patient and have realistic goals if you want to see long-term benefits.

#3 Not taking into account the employees

If a modified process is supposed to change how an organization works and bring in new technologies, it is common knowledge that employees can’t be left in the dark. Digital leaders may need to eliminate no longer needed roles and give employees newer ones. They must build trust with their team members and give them hope throughout the process. On the technical side, they should also get all the help and support they might need.

#4 Deciding about money too soon

Planning the budget is a key part of making any strategy work, and having a lot of money as a backup would be helpful when things change quickly. Since the process takes a long time, it’s best to talk about all the factors and costs involved in detail to keep your business from going bankrupt. While planning and implementing the digital shift handover, a one-time investment won’t help, and you’ll have to work hard on your budget to meet the growing needs.

#5 Putting customers off

During any change, many companies get too caught up in new technologies and forget that their customers are the most crucial reason for the evolution. Ultimately, these projects fail because they focus too much on technology and not enough on the needs of real people or customers. Hence, it is essential to know how customer needs are changing, especially during uncertain times like a pandemic.

#6 Ignoring automation

Ultimately, you’d want to use new technologies to make more money and give customers and employees a better experience. But if your change on the inside doesn’t work, your change for customers will likely not work either. Organizations that have successfully changed have realized that a shift hand over software requires decentralized decision-making and more reliance on operational processes. This means that you need to automate how your team works together and how you move away from old business models.

#7 Tring to tackle every problem, even one that doesn’t exist

Many businesses think that changing one aspect means changing everything, even if it’s working well. That isn’t true. Only change what needs to be changed, not everything. If you try to fix a problem that wasn’t really impairing your business, you might end up spending more money and seeing a drop in how well your business is doing.

#8 Misapprehending digitization

To fully understand digital shift handover and even use it to your advantage, you need to know how and why it exists in the first place. Remember that digitization is not a magic wand that will magically solve problems with your staff, nor is it the robotic villain trying to steal jobs. Instead, its goal is to improve how business is done and how operations can be improved. Once you understand the concept, you’ll see that it’s much bigger than you thought and that it’s an action that can change the way a business works for good.

#9 Overprioritizing the competition

Companies must consider a few things, and it’s no surprise that one of them is the ability to think outside of their own industry. But you can’t just adopt a certain concept because competitors are doing the same thing. Innovation is the key to using digital practices, which can only be done by taking a broad approach that doesn’t just focus on one industry or sector. So, companies shouldn’t make the mistake of being too narrow-minded. They need to keep an open mind and look for ideas everywhere. They also need to be ready to try things that might be new to their industry.

#10 Putting aside important performance indicators

Even if you do everything right, if you don’t choose the right metrics to measure your results, you won’t be able to tell how things are going. This way, it is difficult to decide whether the whole process was a failure or a hit. You probably already have KPIs to measure your success, but if you want to measure the success of your shift hand over software journey, you can’t use traditional metrics. Since digital transformation affects the whole organization, you need to come up with KPIs that take into account everything.

A huge project like digital shift handover will never be an easy path. There is also a good chance that you will fail many times. Now that you know what mistakes you could make when planning the program, you can avoid them. Asking the right questions at the beginning helps businesses steer their projects in the right direction and avoid common troubles.

How The Transportation Sector Uses QR Codes For Efficient Services

By Kyzer Smith

On July 23, 2022

In Business

Public transportation plays a vital part in people’s daily lives, so it’s essential that the sector gets an upgrade with technology, too. The use of QR codes has greatly improved the transportation industry, benefitting commuters, motorists, passengers, drivers, and everyone using transportation services.

It’s easy to see why a lot of public transportation sectors around the world are starting to use a reliable QR code generator online. It has made the overall commuting experience easier. It encourages more people to take these public transportation services so they can save money on fuel and ultimately, lessen the traffic.

Take a look at how public transportation sectors from different countries are using QR codes in their services.

Easier Payment Alternatives

One of the best uses for QR codes is for payments. Different banks and digital wallets let these sectors generate a specialized QR code, which people can scan to pay their fares. This works in all transportation services, including trains, buses, and even taxis.

In the Philippines, the bus routes going in and out of Bonifacio Global City, one of Manila’s business districts, can pay their fare through a digital wallet. Passengers only need to generate a QR code from the app and scan it before entering the bus.

This makes the process a whole lot easier and more convenient because there’s no third party involved in payment processing.

Public Transportation Schedule

With QR codes, it’s also much easier to check the schedule of public transportation services. This way, you’ll know exactly what time you leave the house, making sure you come on time to your work, school, or appointment.

This also becomes a lot more convenient, thanks to the dynamic QR code feature of most online QR code generators, allowing operators to change the information in the QR code in real-time.

Ensure The Safety Of Passengers

Safety is always one of the primary concerns that people fear riding public transportation. It’s not just the people that you ride with that can become a safety issue; sometimes, the drivers of your cabs can also be a safety concern, especially for women. That’s why the Delhi Police in India use a PDF QR code to make commuters feel safer on the road.

In 2017, the Delhi Police in India placed QR codes on different modes of public transportation. Once scanned, it should reveal the driver’s name, address, and registration number of the vehicle. You can send these details to your friends or loved ones, just so you know who you’re last with if an unfortunate happening ever occurs.

Renting A Bike Around The City

Aside from public transportation and ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft, another popular way to travel around the city is by renting a bike. It’s become more widely available in many cities around the world, especially in Europe. To help organizations track bike rentals more conveniently, using QR codes can help.

When booking a bike, you can unlock the bike by scanning the QR code through the mobile app developed by the rental company. This is connected to your profile, which then records the time that you rented the bike, the time you returned, how much the fee is, and more. Similarly, you scan the QR code to return and lock the bike.

Find Out More About The Uses Of QR Codes

QR codes are an extremely versatile tech, so the ways to use them are endless! Be it as promotional material or a data gathering tool, a QR code generator with logo software can be used for your personal, business, or commercial use.

Features of a Group Health Insurance Plan

By Kyzer Smith

On July 4, 2022

In Blogging

Introduction

In recent years, wellness and health have taken priority, even in the workplace. Every organisation, regardless of size, understands how vital a healthy workforce is to its success. The most sought-after employee benefits from employee productivity to retention, including attracting new talent. An individual policy for every employee can be cumbersome, expensive, and unpractical, explaining the increasing popularity of Group health insurance plans. The following article elaborates on the features of an employee health insurance plan and its popularity.

Meaning Of A Group Health Insurance Plan

Alternatively known as Corporate health insurance, it is the insurance paid by the company for their employees. It covers all employees regardless of age, job role, health conditions, and other factors. The Government has also made it mandatory for organisations resuming operations to put a health policy as a standard operating procedure. Since the employer takes these group plans, they pay for the premiums.

Features of A Group Health Plan

Here are some of the features of a group health plan :

Low Premiums
In this policy, the employees enjoy medical coverage without paying premiums. Since these policies are for a group, the risk gets shared, making the insurance plans economical. Furthermore, many insurance companies offer a corporate discount.

Tailor-Made
Health coverage varies with each individual and each organisation. Now, there are multiple group health plans in the market.

Certain insurance companies offer fixed coverage, while others prefer detailed coverage and optional add-ons, such as pre-existing conditions. Conducting a health survey of your employees to see what they seek from your organisation regarding health benefits will help you choose the best package. Sometimes, due to the hazardous nature of the job, they may want a Group Personal Accident Insurance. Customising the health plans with employees’ requirements increases their appreciation and loyalty.

No Medical Checkups
A Group Health Insurance plan’s primary feature and benefit is the absence of pre-medical checks. Before approving a health policy, every insurance company requires thorough medical checks of the insured. A high-risk medical condition increases the liability of the insurance company. Thus, they may reject an insurance application or increase the premium amount. However, in a group plan, there is no medical check requirement. All employees, including those with pre-medical conditions, are eligible for the benefits.

No Waiting Period
A waiting period refers to the time you need to wait before you can avail of the coverage benefits. In other words, you cannot file any claims till then. It may be 30 days or 60 days or more. However, there is no such waiting period in the Corporate health plan. You can avail of the benefits from the first day itself.

Wide Coverage
You can avail of comprehensive health coverage under Group plans. If you have pre-hospitalization expenses like consultation fees, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, or post-hospitalization expenses like medicines or follow-up tests, you can reimburse them all. Apart from treatment costs, there are other expenses, such as ambulance fees and room rentals. Your group health policy can cover this as well.

Cashless Facility
For most medical treatments, you need to pay at the hospital. But, with a cashless option, you don’t need to pay for medical expenses. The insurance company pays the hospital directly. However, you can only avail this benefit at one of the insurer’s network hospitals. A cashless benefit is not to be confused with reimbursement. For reimbursements, you will have to pay for the medical expenses and then claim them later.

Inclusions of Dependents
As per the Union Ministry’s health data, there has been a rise in health inflation from 9.12% in January 2022 to 11.64% in March 2022. These rising medical costs can create a financial strain on the employees. The medical problems of family members may even hamper their work productivity. A group medical policy relieves this burden as the benefits of these policies are not only for the employees but include dependents like their spouse, children, and parents.

Exclusions
The Group policies offer extensive coverage. However, they also exclude certain diseases and medical issues. It will be unnecessary financial stress to pay for medical expenses covered under your insurance plan. Here are some exclusions:
Bariatric surgery
Lasik surgery
Rejuvenation therapy
Robotic surgery

No Co-Payment
A co-payment refers to a percentage of the medical expense that is borne by the insured. In the Group medical plan, the employees don’t have to pay any costs. However, if they want additional coverage, they will have to pay the premiums for the same.

Tax Deductions
When employers offer any benefits to their employees in addition to the salaries, they are known as fringe benefits. The employer can avail of a tax deduction on any such benefits under Section 17 of the Income Tax Act. The group medical premium paid by the employer is ‘Profit in lieu of salary’ or a fringe benefit. You don’t have to pay any tax on these. Also, employees can’t take tax benefits since they don’t pay for the premiums. For additional coverage premiums, they can take benefits under Section 80D. Under Group term life insurance plans, the family members can avail of tax deductions on death benefits under Section 10(10D).

Final Words

The above article gives a detailed understanding of the primary features of a Group Health Insurance plan. However, it is crucial to understand your workforce requirements, research the types of available coverage, and review your financial budget. Next, research the insurance company’s reputation, claim settlement ratio, hospital network, waiting period, and customer reviews. With Plum Insurance, you can avail of quick claim settlements, customised plans, coverage, and full transparency of your health plans with their easy-to-use dashboard.

Knowing These Secrets Will Make Your Customer Financing Programs Look Amazing

By Kyzer Smith

On June 27, 2022

In Blogging

The next step after launching a company is to devise strategies to draw in new consumers and retain the ones you already have. Naturally, to accomplish so in an efficient manner, you will need to adapt your company to the requirements, preferences, and financial constraints of your consumer base. Having said this, depending on the nature and cost of the items in your inventory, providing consumer financing options may be a terrific approach for you to boost sales and strengthen your relationship with existing clients.

What exactly is meant by “customer financing”? Clients who take advantage of your company’s customer financing options can enroll in more manageable payment plans instead of paying the total price of a costly item all at once. In this sense, customer financing service is intended to persuade individuals to actually make a purchase from a business rather than merely window browsing or thinking about purchasing that business.

Small companies and major brands alike are turning to consumer financing programs to move more individuals from the browsing to the purchasing funnel stage. If you think this may benefit your company, you may wonder: “How can I give financing to my customers?” Here’s a quick guide. The primary step is to examine the many customer financing options available to your consumers, then choose a financing program tailored to your company’s needs and preferences, and whether or not you should even provide financing to your customers.

How To Provide Financing Options To Customers?

There Are Two Primary Methods That May Be Used To Provide Financing Options To Customers:

In-house customer financing
Third-party customer financing

In-House Customer Financing

It’s where you set up and manage your own monthly payments. Prepare to invest time managing the process and training workers if you decide to provide in-house client financing. One of the most crucial things you’ll need to learn is how to check a customer’s creditworthiness. You want to ensure you’re only lending money to folks who can pay it back.

Because you’ll need to design your own procedure and spend time monitoring client payments, in-house consumer financing may take far longer than utilizing a third-party customer financing provider, depending on the volume. In addition, because some third-party customer financing companies don’t charge merchant fees, it may be much more costly if you need to engage extra support to monitor the overdue payments.

Third-Party Customer Financing

A provider’s job is to oversee the process of authorizing a client for credit and keeping track of monthly payments. The labor of setting up and managing the program is outsourced to a third-party supplier with third-party customer funding. As a result, you provide your consumers with the option of paying using a finance option rather than performing a credit check, providing financing options, and monitoring monthly payments.

When a consumer is accepted by a third-party payment source, the company is often paid in advance. As a result, your consumer will pay the provider rather than you, just as they would with a credit card. As a result, you will have less work to do, but you may incur higher fees.

Five Techniques To Boost Income By Promoting Customer Financing

Here are some of the most efficient strategies for your company to sell its client financing program and increase revenue:

On Price Tags, Include Customer Financing Offers

To demonstrate to clients how the pricing of an item might fit with their budget, prominently disclose financing charges on your price tags in-store and online. The most crucial element influencing buying choices is price. Your consumer can see how financing can help them afford precisely what they want by presenting the lowest monthly payment option alongside the full cost of a product or service.

Your Sales Team Should Be Educated

Because they’re the front-line employees that engage with clients every day, your sales team is critical to the success of any customer financing program. It’s vital that your whole sales force gets comprehensive training on your financing program. Customers are unlikely to inquire about finance. Therefore your salespeople should be able to spot chances to provide financing choices during sales talks.

At The Moment Of Sale, Emphasize The Financing

It’s crucial to market financing choices throughout your shop, even at the checkout counter. Most clients will not inquire about a store’s financing alternatives since they are unaware of their existence. However, customers will understand their loan possibilities and how they may benefit from financing if you present marketing materials that promote your financing program at the time of sale. In addition, simple resources at the point of sale, such as booklets, tent cards, or stickers, may assist build awareness about your financing program.

Simplify The Registration Procedure

To reduce consumer irritation and application abandonment, make it as simple as possible for clients to apply for loans. Streamline the data gathering procedure as much as possible while still collecting all of the necessary client information for a loan application.

Create Marketing Strategies

Offering appealing financing incentives to consumers may help your company improve sales and average transaction value. During the promotional time, keep track of how sales and moderate purchase quantities rise. Then, use those measurements to analyze your marketing campaign and, depending on the outcomes, make changes to your promotional products to boost sales even more in the future.

Your firm may boost income by completing more transactions and generating more significant transaction sizes if you make an effort to advertise your customer financing program in-store, online, and via direct contacts with clients. You just need to figure out a way to do it right!

5 Strategies to Prevent Users from Pogo-Sticking Your Pages

By Kyzer Smith

On June 25, 2022

In Blogging

The pogo stick is a fantastic toy for kids. It is not a very good tool for surfing the web. Unfortunately, a lot of websites are subject to constant pogo-sticking. It’s not a good thing. If pogo-sticking is a problem for your pages, it could be harming search engine performance by negatively impacting what people think about your site. The good news is that it’s preventable.

The SEO experts at Webtek Digital Marketing explain that pogo-sticking and bounce rate are two separate things. Bounce rate is a metric that measures how often people visit one of your pages but then don’t do anything actionable. Pogo-sticking is a metric that measures how often people bounce between search engines results and the pages those results link to.

A Practical Example

A practical example of pogo-sticking is easy enough to illustrate. Imagine you run a web search on the history of SEO services. You click on the very first result but instantly notice that the page is hard to read. Grey text on a white background doesn’t work for you. So it’s back to the SERPs and the second result. You click on that link but abandon it shortly thereafter because the page takes too long to load.

You go back and forth between results and linked pages five or six times before landing on a page that works for you. This is pogo-sticking. Google has said that pogo-sticking isn’t a metric they worry about, but it’s still important because pogo-sticking demonstrates that people aren’t interested in your pages. That harms your authority which, ultimately, is bad for business.

How to Prevent Pogo-Sticking

So how do you prevent your pages from experiencing the pogo-sticking curse? Here are five tips from Webtek:

1. Emphasize Speed

We already know that Google ranks page speed. They want to see pages load in three seconds or less. Anything longer and your pages are turning people away. If you want to avoid pogo-sticking, emphasize speed in your web design.

2. Emphasize Relevance

Web users want content relevant to the question they are asking or the problem they are trying to solve. If yours does not give them what they want, they will turn away and go elsewhere. Therefore, emphasize relevance. Make sure your content is relevant to the keywords people use to find it.

3. Emphasize Quality

SEO experts cannot emphasize enough how important quality is to content. Poorly written content rife with spelling errors, grammatical errors, and basic syntax doesn’t get read. People see that kind of content and automatically assume that the website owner doesn’t care enough about the site to put time and effort into quality.

4. Avoid Clickbait

Web users are increasingly tiring of clickbait. They cannot stand it. If you don’t want your web pages to be subject to pogo-sticking, don’t go down the clickbait road. Create accurate headlines that actually describe the content. As for the content, it should be forthright and honest.

5. Emphasize User Experience

Web developers who know how to get results put time and effort into creating a good user experience (UX). A good UX occurs when visitors actually enjoy using a website. The site is easy to read, easy to navigate, and informative. That is what you are striving for on every page.

Google may not measure pogo-sticking as a ranking metric, but the problem still affects search engine results by impacting site authority. If people are jumping on and jumping right back off, it is clear they are not interested in what you’re offering. You need to correct that problem if you want a productive site.

How Should You Sum Up Your Business Plan?

By Kyzer Smith

On June 24, 2022

In Blogging

Business plan is a planning process that describes what a firm does, who runs it, and how it intends to achieve its revenue targets using competitive advantages and marketing tactics.

Some companies create a business plan for internal evaluation that tracks annual objectives.

Business owners may also utilize business plans to finance their operations or apply for investor loans.

Preparing the strategy purposefully and clearly when presenting it for finance is crucial.

Difference Between Summary And Conclusion:

Business owners could mistake the executive summary of a business strategy for the conclusion.

The executive summary, which offers a synopsis and high-level overview of the plan’s key elements, is the first section of a business plan.

Because many business gurus advise writing the executive summary last, a business owner may mistake this for the conclusion after the relevant material has been fleshed out.

Summary teasers that give readers a high-level overview of the strategy often make up the executive summary.

You could also include a formal conclusion at the end of each business plan component.

Typically, the conclusion is designed to meet a particular investor’s or strategic partner’s informational requirements.

Adding References To Your Plan:

Market and industry research is necessary for writing a business plan.

Research is essential to confirming laws, market trends, and technological advancements, and this is especially true when the organization is more significant or complex its products or services.

End notes are the professional sources utilized to write the plan and support assertions.

These resemble the bibliography of a research project from high school.

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End notes are citations to specific data used in the plan and are organized by the fact that they correspond.

For instance, customer information from published industry studies might be cited in the competition analysis section.

The superscript is the number three, which corresponds to the third end note if this is the third data citation.

Setting The Tone:

The conclusion of the business strategy needs to be factual and professional.

Any assumptions and projections are supported by facts, the company’s prior achievements, and the management’s track record of success.

This is comparable to a scientist formulating a hypothesis for a new study utilizing already known data.

The conclusion of growth must be supported by those precise data points that show that the assumption is valid.

Conclusion:

Hence, it is important to conclude your business plan in an effective way to pursue the funders and donor agencies to fund the business.

Local SEO Guide for Accounting Firms

By Kyzer Smith

On June 15, 2022

In Blogging

Local SEO for Accountants

When it comes to digital marketing for accountants, there’s a lot to think about, with local SEO being a great way to get more business from local searches. If you don’t yet have a strategy of this kind, you could be missing out on profits unnecessarily. After all, 30% of all mobile searches are related to location, and 28% of searches for something nearby result in a purchase. What’s more, 78% of people who search for something nearby on their phones visit the business within a day. So, with this in mind, here’s a local SEO guide for accounting firms.

How Does Local SEO Work?

Google shows two types of search results for local searches. There are ‘map pack’ results and organic ‘blue link’ results. You can rank on both of them. The map pack is a Google SERP feature that shows the top local business listings and their locations on a map. The organic search results are the blue links we’re all familiar with. These usually appear below the map pack results.

How Can I Rank for Local Searches?

Ranking for local searches is important, so here are some useful tips.

#1. Create a Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile is a local listing with information about your business. It’s free and allows your business to appear in the map pack and Google Maps, so you definitely need to claim yours. When someone searches your firm’s name, a profile (called a knowledge panel) will pop up with your firm’s information like address, phone number and website URL.

Once your Google Business Profile has been completed, you can rank for searches like ‘accounting firm near me.’ Once such a search has been made, the Google 3-pack will appear. These are three results deemed to be the most relevant, and it’s your job to secure one of those top spots. To do this, first make sure all business information is accurate. You should also include a picture of your business to help build trust. Showcasing reviews also acts as social proof and encourages others to interact with your brand. Google Business Profile also has a handy ‘post’ feature which allows you to promote blogs, announcements and events. The more information you provide, the more potential clients will feel attached to your brand.

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#2. Create Location-Specific Pages

One of the best ways to boost your local SEO efforts is to create specific location pages for each of your services. For example, ‘Accounting in Maidstone’ or ‘Bookkeeping in Kent,’ as this appeals directly to people in specific regions. Do extensive keyword research to find out what people are searching for that relates to your brand, and then plug-in location-specific words to help with optimisation. If people are typing “payroll services near me” you can then use “payroll services Canterbury”, for example, as a location-specific keyword phrase. As part of your research, look at how competitors are ranking locally and what phrases they’re using to nail the top spots.

#3. Create Content with a Local Focus

If you want to create a buzz in a particular region, it’s a good idea to craft location-specific content. This could include industry news, local stories or a company announcement packed with local SEO keywords. This sort of content should be placed on your blog and promoted on your Google Business Profile. It should also be promoted on social media using local hashtags and taglines. Be sure to also follow other local businesses to ensure your content gets as much traction, including likes and shares, as possible. You can also tag relevant businesses mentioned in your local content.

Local SEO services for accountants can really improve your traffic, so start honing your strategy today.

10 Clear Reasons Why You Need Digital Marketing

By Kyzer Smith

On June 13, 2022

In Blogging

10 Clear Reasons Why You Need Digital Marketing [Updated] | Ballantine

Digital marketing is significant since it links a firm with its clients while they are online and is effective in many sectors. It links businesses with ideal clients while they are on Google via SEO and PPC, on social media via social media marketing, and via email marketing. You can definitely learn all of these from digital marketing institutes providing digital marketing courses.

Every firm need digital marketing. It is critical that you comprehend the benefits of digital marketing for firms, which include:

1. Affordability

Digital marketing is far less expensive than traditional marketing strategies. Prices vary depending on what you’re doing, but ad expenditure is often cheaper than other types of promotion.

2. Mobile Access

Most adults own a smartphone and are likely to use it or another mobile device for news, social networking, and a variety of other purposes. While they are doing this, digital marketing allows you to reach them. You may reach your target audience when they are using various mobile applications by using remarketing advertisements, email and SMS marketing, and social media.

3. Flexibility

High-quality digital marketing takes numerous shapes and applications, including banner advertisements, email marketing, content marketing, and social media postings. Thus, by learning how to promote oneself imaginatively online, you open up a world of options for future publicity methods. Through digital marketing, you can also evaluate and discontinue underperforming campaigns in real time.

4. Expansion

Many shoppers nearly do all of their shopping online. Digital marketing allows you to reach out to these folks and therefore broaden your company’s reach. You may increase brand recognition and revenues by combining Google Shopping Ads with brand awareness efforts.

5. Multimedia

Customers are more likely to interact with marketing materials that include different sorts of information, such as photographs, video clips, and audio. All of these content categories are considerably easier to include into digital marketing than any other sort of exposure – and this is critical.

6. Interactivity

Through website comments, mails, reviews, and social network postings, digital marketing allows you to engage directly with people who read your content. This demonstrates to those consumers that you value what they say and think, making them feel appreciated and a member of the community you’re creating. It also helps you to collect useful data on client reactions and preferences.

7. Tracking

In addition to allowing, you to communicate with clients, digital marketing allows you to track their activity. You may track the advertising and kinds of content they have seen before making a purchase. This informs you of the most effective marketing strategies, allowing you to fine-tune and optimize your plan.

The Future of Digital Marketing is Different than You Think

8. Authority

Commenting on issues and debates related to your product or business is simple with digital marketing. You may position yourself as an authority on such issues in this manner, enabling readers to trust you, return for additional information, and finally make a purchase. Digital marketing helps you to appear as the industry expert that you are, instilling trust in your company.

9. Influencer Engagement

Many of today’s most important personalities market themselves online or through social media. You may engage with these influencers and acquire their esteem through digital marketing. You can convince them to recommend you if you play your cards well, which will lead to their following becoming clients and spreading brand awareness.

10. Print Enhancement

Digital marketing allows you to supplement your print marketing efforts. You may go into deeper detail by generating web material that justifies claims made in print advertising, optimizing the efficacy of all sources of publicity and combining your efforts.