2024 is well underway and shaping up to be an interesting year. So, to help you keep your focus on working hard and getting stuff done, we’ve collected another bunch of helpful bits and pieces from across the web.
Saving for college is quite a daunting task. We all want to set our kids up for success, right? But, the path to financing their dreams can feel like a maze of decisions and uncertainties. While there’s no “right” way to save for your child’s education, there are a few mistakes that you can avoid to make the most of your efforts and give your kids a solid cushion to help them along the way.
Time is on your side for any type of savings. The earlier you get started, the better.
Starting early makes it much more manageable to make consistent contributions each month without disrupting your budget. The longer your money is invested, the more time it has to grow through compound interest. By making smart choices with your money early on, even a little can go a long way.
When it comes to the price tag of college, the sticker shock is real. With everything from tuition to room and board to books, figuring out how to help your kids pay for college is a goliath of a task. Crafting a clear, realistic plan helps make it feel much more achievable.
Think about how much you would like to save for your children. Being realistic here is key—you don’t have to do it all. Even a small bit can be a big help for your kids.
Make room in your budget for college savings, and make it a priority to make consistent contributions among your other savings goals.
While a traditional savings account is a good starting point, you have other options to help your money go much further and open opportunities for tax benefits. Investing your money in other options can give you better growth potential for your money. In a tax-advantaged account, like a 529 plan or a Coverdell ESA, your money grows tax-free whereas any interest earned on a savings account may be considered taxable income. Do some research on different account types and their benefits to make sure you’re putting your money in the best possible places for growth.
Diversifying your assets is always a smart decision, and that’s true for your college savings too. Different investment types—stocks, bonds, mutual funds—respond differently to certain market conditions. While one might dip, another could soar. Adding some diversity cushions your savings from major market swings.
ESAs and 529 plans are solid college savings tools, but you might consider pairing them with a UGMA account for some added flexibility. UGMA accounts hand you the reins when it comes to your investment options. You can invest in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, making it easy to balance out your portfolio.
UGMA accounts provide another layer of flexibility as there aren’t as many restrictions for using the funds. Since 529 plans and ESAs are designed to help with education expenses, your kids could face a pretty high penalty for using funds for non-qualified expenses should they not need all of it. Spreading your funds to other accounts can financially support your children through college and beyond.
We all want to be superheroes for our kids, but at the end of the day, you need to be realistic. Be real about what your family can comfortably contribute. Life is full of surprises. Be sure to reassess your financial goals as your financial situation shifts.
Your contributions may ebb and flow over time but remember to give yourself grace even if you have to change your savings goals.
While saving for your child’s education is undeniably important, overlooking your own retirement savings can be a costly mistake. Much like college, retirement is expensive, too. It’s like a balancing act—you want to fund your child’s education without letting your own financial security wobble. Make retirement savings a non-negotiable part of your financial plan alongside college savings. Work out a way to prioritize both without sacrificing the other.
Retirement may seem far away, but the years always fly by—it’s vital to be prepared for it.
The sticker shock of college can send shivers down any parent’s spine. But here’s the thing—there are avenues beyond personal savings that can lighten the load.
Other financial aid options like scholarships, grants, and work-study programs exist to ease the financial burden of college.
As your child gears up for college, sit down together and research scholarships, grants, and aid programs tailored to their interest and qualifications. Encourage them to excel academically—merit-based scholarships are often within reach for high achievers.
As you build your child’s college fund, don’t overlook the golden opportunity to impart some financial wisdom. Get your kids involved in the college savings process in age-appropriate ways.
Money isn’t always the most fun conversation, but make it a natural part of conversations. Share stories, discuss financial goals, and always encourage your kids to ask questions. Creating a healthy relationship with money can go a long way for their financial independence.
Saving for college lays a secure financial foundation for our children. Armed with this knowledge, you’re better equipped to navigate the tricky financial waters and craft a secure future for your children. So, take a breath, take those learnings to heart, and approach college savings with confidence.
Featured image by Evan Mach on Unsplash
The post 8 Mistakes to Avoid When Saving For Your Child’s College appeared first on noupe.
When we talk about using different ways to share information, it’s like picking the one that fits what you need! Words, pictures, and mixes of both have their strengths and weaknesses. Words tell a story with details and facts.
Pictures catch your eye and say a lot at a quick glance. The trick? Figure out who you’re talking to and why you’re talking, and you’ll see good results. So, communicate accordingly, try everything, find the right mix, and make your message match what your friends like!
Let’s talk about text—it’s like the superhero of content! Here are some cool and not-so-good perks in text format:
Image content is the visual media of communication, whether it’s photographs, illustrations, charts, or videos. These visuals grab attention and talk to our brains in a language they understand. It’s like a shortcut for understanding complex textual information. Here is some cool and not-so-good perks content in image format:
Image source: freepik.com
If we use only words or only pictures, it can be a bit boring. But when we mix them, magic happens. Pictures make words interesting and easy to remember. And words give more details and meaning to pictures. It’s like teamwork to make our messages better for everyone.
Image source: freepik.com
Now, let’s look at some cool ways to mix things up:
Posters that mix numbers, words, and cool designs. They turn boring facts into colorful visuals! Pictures grab your attention, and words explain what everything means.
Imagine reading a story, and suddenly, there are pictures helping you understand the important parts. That’s what we call image-enhanced text. It’s like having a guide along with your words, making it easier to read and understand.
This means using videos, podcasts, and animations altogether. That is a fun show where some people like to see things, some like to hear, and some like to read. Multimedia helps everyone learn in their favorite way.
So, in simple words, mixing words and pictures is magic. It makes our messages not just heard but also seen and remembered.
So, when it comes to creating awesome content, you’ve got to think about who you’re talking to and what you want to achieve. It’s like picking the right subject for the right profession, you know?
Let’s chat about your audience’s choices, background knowledge, cultural factors, and what will most engage them. If you’re talking to intelligent policy experts, maybe complex reports may work for policy experts but not for the general public. But if you’re searching for cool kids on social media, think of beautiful visuals.
Also, think about what you want to do with your message. Do you want to make people happy or get them to do something? If you’re sharing scientific facts, use graphs and charts. But if you want to touch hearts and get donations, a strong photo could work.
In simple terms, understand who you’re talking to, achieve your goals, and pick the right way to share your message. Be clever, and interesting, and hit the right points!
Let’s talk about what’s coming up in the world of content. Technology is doing some pretty cool things!
Advanced technology keeps changing how content looks. Virtual reality, 3D stuff, and pictures that you can play. But today they are making content really exciting. Short videos and podcasts with people are getting a lot of attention.
If you’re always on Instagram or TikTok, people engage most with photos and short videos instead of text. Pictures and quick videos are the stars, grabbing everyone’s attention. They’re fast, and they’re attractive, but sometimes they don’t tell the whole story.
But you know what is more interesting? Written words are still important. While pictures catch your eye, words are like the brain behind beauty. They give you details and the meaning of the text.
Looking ahead, creators, pay attention. Keep up with what’s cool, sure, but remember your goals. Fancy tools might be tempting, but the real magic happens when you mix pictures and words like a pro. Words bring the smarts, and pictures bring the feelings. Put them together. You’ve got content that teaches and entertains.
Words and pictures are both great for telling stories, but when we use them together, it makes things even better. Mixing them up really grabs the attention of the audience. As new ideas come along, it’s still important to balance cool pictures that catch your eye with words that have meaning.
One thing alone can’t do everything; think of it like teamwork. Pictures attract attention like magnets, and words build a connection that stays. Always think about your goals and your audience. Using both pictures and words isn’t just about looking nice; it’s about making your message clear, easy to share, and something people truly connect with.
The post Text vs. Images: Which Content Format is Effective? appeared first on noupe.
We are pretty sure that in the last couple of years, you have found yourself amazed at how quickly the world of design is evolving. It’s like every time we blink, there’s a new tool or technique that’s changing the game.
And right now, the biggest game-changer of all is AI – Artificial Intelligence. It’s not just a buzzword; it’s reshaping how we approach design in ways we never imagined.
Whether you’re sketching logos or coding websites, integrating AI into your work can elevate your designs from great to mind-blowing.
But where do you start? That’s the question we found asking not too long ago. Well, after diving into the world of online learning, we’ve surfaced with some treasures.
From beginners to those looking to add new skills, these resources are your gateway to becoming a part of this incredible AI-driven design revolution. So, let’s dive in and explore these tools that are just waiting to unleash your creative potential in ways!
As per the finding from a recent survey report on ‘How AI is Impacting the Design Industry in 2024?‘, clearly, AI is rapidly transforming design, bringing in new tools, techniques, and perspectives. Here’s what a senior designer at HDFC Bank has to say about the role of AI in design –
(source: AI in Design Report)
As we see, it is an exciting time for designers to embrace these changes. And speaking of embracing changes…Why Designers Should Learn AI?
Let’s talk about why it’s crucial for designers to get on board with AI.
Let us break down why it is super important for designers to jump into learning AI.
The design world is like a fast-moving train, and AI is its latest locomotive. If you’re a designer, learning AI is not just about adding a new skill; it’s about keeping up with the industry. Without it, you risk falling behind while others embrace these new technologies.
AI opens up whole new possibilities in design. It’s like being handed a new set of colors you never knew existed. With AI, you can explore design options that might not occur in a traditional process, pushing your creative boundaries.
What if you could reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, allowing you to concentrate more on the creative aspects of your work? AI has the power to automate certain parts of the design process, such as resizing images or generating color schemes, freeing you up for more exciting and innovative tasks.
Design decisions need to be backed by data, In today’s world. AI helps you understand user behaviors and preferences, allowing you to create designs that are not just aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and user-centric.
AI in design isn’t just about making things look good; it’s also about solving problems in smarter ways. By understanding AI, you get better at identifying and addressing the challenges in your design projects, making your solutions more effective and impactful.
As AI becomes more prevalent, the demand for designers who understand and can work with AI is skyrocketing. By learning AI, you’re not just enhancing your current skill set; you’re opening doors to new career opportunities.
learning AI is no longer a nice-to-have for designers; it’s a must-have. It’s about staying relevant, being more creative, and efficient, and opening up new career paths. And the best part? There are plenty of resources out there to get you started.
Meanwhile, the results from the AI in Design survey report suggest these top skills –
Now that we’ve talked about why it’s essential for designers to learn AI and the important skills around AI in the design world, let’s look at where you can actually start learning.
Embracing AI can be a game-changer, and the best way to start is through education. There are plenty of courses available but below is a compiled list of the top online resources, each tailored to different facets of design. Let us now go through the first course.
This course is perfect if you are just stepping into the world of AI. Taught by Andrew Ng, a big name in the AI field, it breaks down complex concepts into digestible chunks.
You won’t be coding here, but you’ll gain a solid understanding of what AI can (and can’t) do, which is crucial for applying it to design.
Enrolment: Free
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Pros
Cons
Course link: Coursera – AI for Everyone
Now, this is where things get more specific to design. This course is a gem for graphic designers eager to explore AI.
It covers how AI tools can enhance graphic design work, from automating tasks to creating more personalized designs. It is a practical course that gets you hands-on with AI in your field.
Enrolment: Varies; Udemy frequently offers discounts.
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Pros:
Cons:
Course link: AI for Graphic Designers
It is a specialized course designed for professionals and enthusiasts interested in blending the innovation of artificial intelligence with product design. This course typically offers a comprehensive dive into how AI can be utilised to enhance and streamline the product design process, exploring creative AI applications for innovative product solutions.
Ideal for designers looking to expand their skill set or anyone curious about the intersection of AI and design, this course aims to equip learners with the knowledge and skills to push the boundaries of traditional product design using AI technology.
Enrolment: Access through LinkedIn Learning subscription.
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Pros:
Cons:
Course link: Product Design in AI
This course is likely designed to introduce designers to the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it can be applied in various design fields, such as UX/UI, product design, and more.
It is probably aimed at design professionals and enthusiasts who want to integrate AI into their design practices, as well as those curious about the potential of AI in enhancing user experiences.
Enrolment: IxDF usually operates on a membership model, providing access to all courses for a subscription fee.
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Pros:
Cons:
Course link: AI for Designers
Using AI in the UX Design Process” on LinkedIn Learning is a course tailored for UX designers interested in integrating Artificial Intelligence into their design workflows.
This course likely dives into how AI can be leveraged to enhance user experience design, covering topics such as utilizing AI for user research, automating repetitive tasks, and creating more personalized user experiences.
Enrolment: Free
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Pros:
Cons:
Course link: Using AI in the UX Design Process
Each of these courses offers a unique perspective on AI in design, catering to different aspects of the field. So whether you’re a graphic designer, a web developer, or a product designer, there’s something here for you.
Remember, when choosing a course, consider your current skill level, specific learning needs, and how the course content aligns with your goals in AI and design.
Now that you are armed with resources/ courses around AI in Design, let’s talk about how you can start implementing AI in your design work. The next section of the blog will focus on practical tips and strategies to integrate AI into your design projects.
Here are some key areas where AI can make a big difference, along with some real-time tools you can use.
One of the biggest perks of AI is taking the grunt work off your plate. Tools like Adobe Sensei are revolutionizing the way designers work by automating time-consuming tasks like cropping images or creating patterns.
It’s like having a personal assistant who knows exactly what you need and does it in a fraction of the time.
AI can analyze user data to inform design choices, making your work not just beautiful, but smart. For example, Google Analytics offers insights into how users interact with your website.
This data can be invaluable in understanding what works and what doesn’t, helping you make designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and functionally effective.
Tools like ChatGPT (from OpenAI) can be integrated into your designs to provide real-time, AI-powered user assistance.
Just imagine having a website that not only looks good but can interact with visitors, answer their questions, and guide them through your site. It’s like adding a new level of interactivity to your designs.
AI can help tailor the user experience to individual preferences. Dynamic Yield, for instance, is a tool that allows you to personalize websites based on user behavior.
This means your design can adapt to show users more of what they like, making their experience feel more personal and engaging.
Lastly, AI can streamline the prototyping and testing phases of design. Look at Adobe XD’s auto-animate feature, which allows you to create and test interactive prototypes quickly. It means less time building and more time refining and perfecting your designs.
By integrating these AI tools and techniques into your workflow, you can enhance efficiency, creativity, and the overall effectiveness of your design projects.
Featured image by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
The post Learn AI for Design: 5 Online Resources appeared first on noupe.
In web design, colors are more than eye candy. They shape your feelings, guide your attention, and even tell a brand’s story. Have you ever noticed that 85% of online shoppers pick products based on color? It’s not about looks; it’s about making their online experience memorable. Think of them as the mood-setters and storytellers in the digital world.?
Imagine you have a toolbox with ten easy tricks to pick the perfect colors for your website. These hacks, from understanding feelings behind colors to following trends, are here to make your digital design good-looking but also exciting and memorable. Let’s make your site pop with personality!
Effective web design creates positive first impressions, ensuring seamless navigation. It establishes a consistent brand identity. It adapts to various devices and optimizes loading speed for user satisfaction and search engine visibility. This professional edge sets the website apart, impacting conversions and integrating analytics for insights. It connects with social media, extending content reach. While providing a competitive edge, the upfront investment in professional design proves cost-effective, ensuring long-term success and minimal maintenance needs.
Let’s use our knowledge of color in digital design. Complementary colors can jazz up buttons; analogous colors create a smooth, connected feel. It’s like choosing the right ingredients for a tasty recipe. Using colors to guide your visitors and make your website a treat for the eyes. Complementary colors, like pieces fit perfectly and bring excitement. Analogous colors, the neighbors on the color wheel, create a chill and coordinated vibe. It’s like learning the ABCs of colors to make your designs sing.
The dynamic duo known as UI UX design comprises two essential components. UI (User Interface) ensures your website looks fantastic, while UX (User Experience) ensures visitors have a blast exploring it. Think of them as your website’s best buddies, working together to keep things cool and accessible. It’s a smart move for a website people love using again and again.
Colors on websites are like emotions in a movie—they make you feel things. Warm colors like red can excite you, while cool colors like blue bring a calm vibe. It’s like choosing the right mood for your website visitors. Think of color psychology as your website’s mood magic—it helps you pick colors that speak to people in a way they understand and enjoy.
Think of contrast in web design, like making essential things bold and exciting. It makes your website look cool. Imagine dark text on a light background—like magic for your eyes. Using vibrant colors next to each other is another trick to catch attention. The contrast makes everything unforgettable.
Color wheel tools are the go-to magic for web designers. They unlock a world of inspiration and simplify the color selection process. From the trusted Adobe Color Wheel to the interactive features of Colors, these online tools introduce creative exploration. Designers can experiment with different color schemes, preview their combinations, and receive color theory-based suggestions, making choosing colors an efficient and enjoyable journey.
Nature is like a secret color guide for web designers. It’s about grabbing colors from sunsets, forests, or lakes and giving your designs fresh air. Imagine taking the magic colors you see in nature and using them in your creations. Nature-inspired palettes make your designs not only colorful but also refreshing.
Colors have stories in different parts of the world, like a particular language. Red might mean luck in one place, and blue could stand for trust in another. It’s like learning the incredible tales behind colors. Whether it’s the excitement of a festival in bright red or the calm vibes of blue, using colors that mean something to different cultures makes your designs like a friendly conversation. Everyone understands it, regardless of their location.
Discovering cool tricks in graphic design can make creating stuff easier and look even better. Check out these favorite design hacks:
| Aspect | Web Design | UI/UX Design |
| Scope | Broader skills for website creation | Focus on enhancing digital user interfaces |
| Visual Design | Aesthetics, layout, and look | UI elements like buttons, icons, and navigation |
| Responsibilities | Appearance and feel of the website | User journey, usability, and experience. |
| Tools | Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, Figma | Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, InVision.? |
| Collaboration | Works with UI/UX designers. | Collaboration ensures cohesive design. |
Colors can look different on your computer, phone, or tablet. It’s like they have a little adventure on each screen. Figuring out how colors play on other devices is essential. You want your design to look awesome everywhere! Now, the trick is to pick cool and vibrant colors no matter where someone sees your design—whether on a big computer screen or a tiny phone. It’s like a secret recipe for ensuring your colors always shine, and your design looks fantastic, no matter the device.?
Think of colors like a big box of crayons. Adding shades (darker colors) and tints (lighter colors) is like using different shades of your favorite crayon to make your drawing more exciting. It’s about playing with the darker and lighter versions to make your picture pop. For example, using a darker blue for the background can make your words stand out, or adding more delicate tones of green can give a little extra flair. It’s like coloring with style, making your designs look cool and exciting.
Think of keeping up with color trends, like catching the cool vibes in design. It’s like having a design radar to know what colors are in style. Trendy colors are like adding stylish accessories to your favorite outfit. You want your designs to be fresh. But here’s the trick: blend in the right amount of trendy colors to keep things cool without losing that classic charm. It’s like having a style guide to ensure your designs look up-to-date and have a timeless touch that lasts.?
These ten color hacks within web design offer a gateway to a world of creative possibilities. From understanding harmonies to exploring emotional impacts and staying updated with trends, they provide a simple roadmap for designers to infuse their work with personal flair. Your unique color journey is the key to crafting designs that tell your story energetically and distinctly. So, let your imagination rise, experiment, and watch your designs come to life with a splash of your style.
Featured image by Dulcey Lima on Unsplash
The post 10 Color Inspiration Hacks Revealed by Web Design Experts appeared first on noupe.
The rise of remote work and rapid advancements in internet technology have made cybersecurity vital, especially for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
According to a recent study by BlackFrog, 61% of SMBs suffered at least one cyberattack in 2022. Even more alarming is that 87% of these respondents reported suffering multiple cyberattacks within a year.
The problem is that even though SMB owners and decision-makers are fully aware of the importance of cybersecurity measures, they don’t have the human or financial resources to make this happen.
That’s why, in this article, we’ll provide you with actionable cybersecurity tips and strategies to keep your business safe from cybercriminals without breaking the bank.
What makes a cyber attack devastating for SMBs is that the consequences are as significant as they are far-reaching.
For starters, an average data breach resulting from a cyberattack costs a company $4.45 million.
And that’s only the beginning!
Search engines will blocklist domains they consider suspicious, malicious, or dangerous to keep their users safe and prevent them from appearing in their search result pages (SERPs).
Browsers will also prevent people from visiting a website by displaying a message like this.
Not only will this cause a significant dip in SEO traffic, but it’ll also damage a brand’s reputation and credibility, so much so that new and existing customers will be discouraged from doing business with them.
The good news is that there are cybersecurity measures you can immediately implement to significantly minimize – if not eliminate – your chances of becoming a cyber attack victim.
Let’s take a look at these right now.
Website security is one of the SEO principles Google considers when evaluating your website’s page experience, which, in turn, impacts your search rankings.
One of the easiest ways to keep your website secure from cyber threats is by ensuring your website URL begins with HTTPS.
Unlike HTTP, HTTPS uses a specific protocol called an SSL/TLS certificate that encrypts all requests and responses happening on your website’s front and back end.
This ensures the information your website visitors and customers provide can’t easily be read and deciphered by cyber criminals, making it more difficult for them to hack your website and steal your customers’ data.
SSL/TLS certificates ensure that websites adhere to data confidentiality and privacy required in specific industries like finance and healthcare.
More importantly, SSL/TLS certificates assure your visitors and customers that your website—and their information—are secure.
In addition to checking your website’s URL, a website with an SSL/TLS certificate will show up with a padlock on Apple’s Safari.
Cyptnox’s website’s SSL/TLS certificate on Safari browser (left) and Google Chrome (right)
There are three SSL/TLS certificate types:
This is the lowest SSL/TLS certificate and provides only basic security for your website.
As such, it’s also the easiest to get because all you’ll need to do is confirm that you own your website’s domain through a phone call or via email.
Compared to DV certificates, OV SSL/TLS certificates provide websites with a higher level of security, including the ability to encrypt sensitive information like credit card details and purchase history.
If you’re planning to apply for an OV certificate, be prepared to go through a screening process that involves providing proof of your business’s physical address and ownership.
As you may have guessed, this SSL/TLS certificate has the highest security level. Financial institutions, hospitals, insurance companies, and healthcare providers commonly use it.
It’s also the most expensive and requires applicants to undergo an extremely stringent verification process.
On top of the security features available in the first two, EV certificates also protect your website and its users from unauthorized access from third parties.
This protects users when performing various online transactions requiring them to provide sensitive information like filing an insurance claim or requesting medical records.
Having the correct SSL/TLS certificate ensures that you’re providing your website visitors the level of protection and security they expect from businesses within your industry.
In turn, visitors will be more confident doing business with you, and search engines will reward you with higher SERP rankings and more SEO traffic.
Negative SEO (aka “black hat SEO”) uses sneaky tactics to boost a website’s search rankings by damaging its competitors’ online reputation and rankings.
One of the most common tactics is link farming.
This negative SEO tactic creates backlinks from sites tagged as dangerous or malicious by Google and other search engines.
Tools like Ahrefs can help you identify and remove these potentially dangerous backlinks from your website.
Although you won’t find any specific tags specifying that backlinks from a particular domain are toxic, there are a couple of red flags to watch out for.
One is the referring domain’s site traffic.
If the website’s traffic is 0, it may be a sign that search engines and browsers are blocking users from visiting it.
Another red flag to check is the URL anchor text pointing to your website.
A properly executed link-building strategy uses descriptive anchor texts with targeted keywords.
Link farming tactics don’t.
So, if you see random letters and “Empty Anchor” anchor texts listed, these could potentially be toxic backlinks.
You can further check this by clicking on the dropdown menu next to the anchor text in the “Ref Domains” column.
This will display a list of all the domains with backlinks to your site using that specific anchor text.
Again, check the Traffic column to see if any domains are not receiving traffic. If so, these may potentially be toxic backlinks.
You can then use Ahrefs’ Disavow Tool to submit these to Google so that search bots will ignore these backlinks so that they won’t be factored into your overall search rankings.
Schema markups help structure the different pages on your website in a way that search bots can easily access and understand its content.
Google uses this information to provide users with links to specific pages on your website under your homepage URL.
Take Novaalabs, for example.
Notice how its structured data allows Google to display multiple product pages underneath its homepage URL on its SERP.
This makes the checkout process quicker and easier for Novaalabs’ new and existing customers.
And since Google would often list sites with sitelink schema markups at the top of their SERPs, Novaalabs increases its chances of its target customers visiting them instead of their customers.
If your business has a brick-and-mortar establishment, schema markups allow you to display detailed information about your business and appear on local search results.
The French Laundry, for example, uses schema markups that allow them to display both sitelink markups and local business profile information that includes customer reviews.
This allows them to transform the entire above-the-fold of Google’s SERP into one giant digital billboard promoting the restaurant, significantly reducing their target customers to dine elsewhere.
More importantly, displaying customer reviews and ratings helps the restaurant build a level of trust that will convince them to dine at this restaurant. It also increases the chances that diners will spend more once they get there.
However, schema markups are still code your SEO specialist creates for your website or generated by a plugin. This makes them prone to errors and vulnerabilities that cybercriminals are eager to exploit.
That’s why, before using it, make it a point to test it using Google’s Rich Results Test Tool to check your schema markup for errors, warnings, and vulnerabilities.
You can then fix the flagged areas directly on the tool. That way, you can be sure that your schema markup will help boost your search rankings and keep you protected at the same time.
Mobile security in the post-pandemic workplace should no longer be limited to cell phones and tablets.
With businesses adopting remote work and Bring-Your-Devices (BYOD) policies to help boost job satisfaction and reduce overhead costs, ensuring that your cybersecurity policies align with these changes is critical.
Here are some tips to help you update your mobile cybersecurity policies to keep your business protected:
At first, multifactor authentication can be a nuisance because it’ll require you and everyone else in your business to undergo several verification steps before accessing the tools you use at work.
However, these additional steps mean that different layers of security are put in place on your devices, making them more secure for you and your employees to use at home, in a co-working space, or at your favorite coffee shop.
Mobile device users make up 56.2% of the traffic visiting websites, including yours!
Unfortunately, mobile devices also account for 73% of significant cybersecurity breaches experienced by businesses.
That said, it’s vital to ensure your website is user-friendly for mobile device users and secure to prevent malware from getting into your website through your contact forms.
One way to secure your online forms is by adding data encryption and security tokens like reCaptcha.
This helps prevent your business from getting flooded with spammy responses, including malware cybercriminals can use to steal sensitive information and hostage your website for ransom.
This is particularly important if you’re implementing a hybrid work model and BYOD policy in your business.
Since cybercriminals know that personal devices are less secure than those furnished by companies, they would use these as an entry point to hack your system.
Restricting the number of devices that can access your internet can help significantly reduce the chances of this happening.
Migrating your website to a new web hosting provider is risky and should never be taken lightly.
For starters, you must take down your site to begin the process.
When that happens, your target audience and search bots won’t be able to access you’re website, causing your search and domain rankings to drop.
Part of the site migration process involves temporarily disconnecting any security measures you have in place, leaving your website and business vulnerable to data breaches and other cyber attacks.
On top of that, you run the risk of potentially losing content and valuable data about your customers.
Before starting the site migration process, back up your entire website onto an external drive. That way, you eliminate any chance that cybercriminals can get access to it.
Also, conduct a comprehensive website and SEO audit once the site migration is finished and before you bring your website back up. This allows you to thoroughly check your website to ensure there are no errors and vulnerabilities that’ll serve as a backdoor for cybercriminals to enter and wreak havoc.
Finally, submit your sitemap and robots.txt to Google through your website’s Search Console account. This will prompt Google bots to start crawling and indexing your newly migrating site and display it on its SERPs again.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology advancements are both a blessing and a curse.
On the one hand, AI has made it easier for businesses to adapt their SEO strategies to ever-changing industry trends and customer behaviors. It’s also helped streamline workflow processes, increasing employee productivity and job satisfaction.
These same advancements, however, equipped cybercriminals to become more sophisticated in their infiltration techniques.
AI writing tools like ChatGPT are a perfect example of this.
ChatGPT can help businesses and cybercriminals write personalized and compelling email copy to convince readers to act.
Not surprisingly, the number of people and businesses victimized by email phishing spiked by a whopping 1,265% since ChatGPT launched.
That’s why cybersecurity professionals are deploying and enhancing AI-powered cybersecurity solutions that recognize patterns in malware code and scripts used by cyber criminals, allowing them to block these before they can do any damage.
AI-powered cybersecurity solutions can also help identify and address negative SEO tactics like link farming, artificial traffic, and bots filling out forms on your website.
As long as the internet exists, cybercriminals will always be out there, ready to attack your website when the opportunity presents itself.
The tips and strategies shared in this article won’t eliminate the threat of a cyber-attack. But they can significantly reduce the chance of your business becoming a victim if you diligently put them into practice.
The war against cybercrime can’t be won’t a few people within your business. Everyone has a role to play. Creating a cybersecurity policy and having open communication with your employees ensures that everyone will do their part in protecting your website and themselves from cyber criminals.
Featured image by Dan Nelson on Unsplash
The post Cybersecurity and SEO: Balancing Protection and Accessibility appeared first on noupe.
In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, the ability to communicate effectively with AI tools has become an indispensable skill. Whether you’re generating content, solving complex data problems, or creating stunning digital art, the quality of the outcomes you receive is directly influenced by the prompts you provide.
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems offer businesses a powerful tool for creating lasting customer relationships in today’s highly competitive environment, helping to manage contacts efficiently while streamlining operations and driving growth. By 2025, CRM industry revenue is expected to exceed the $80 billion mark, reflecting its growing ubiquity as an integral element in modern business strategies.
In this blog post, we’ll examine the top CRM features tailored for small businesses, while discussing their transformative benefits. From contact management to sales automation and insightful analytics, CRM systems are more than simple technological solutions.
A quality CRM system is a strategic asset that increases efficiency, enhances customer satisfaction, and allows sustainable expansion, which are invaluable tools for small businesses looking to thrive in today’s increasingly competitive business world. Join us as we uncover how these tools can act as catalysts in propelling success forward.
Contact management serves as the core of any quality CRM system, actively centralizing and organizing a plethora of contacts for small businesses. This includes customers, leads, suppliers, and partners. Integrating a CRM system enables businesses to effectively organize and manage this information.
Active management ensures quick and easy access to all relevant details about each contact, providing a holistic view that enables personalized communication and strategic decision-making. The streamlined contact management process in a CRM system optimizes efficiency and enhances overall business operations.
In the realm of small businesses, each lead holds the promise of potential growth. CRM systems play an essential role in actively tracking and managing leads throughout the sales pipeline. By prioritizing leads efficiently, businesses can channel their efforts toward high-value opportunities with higher conversion rates that may generate substantial revenues.
The comprehensive lead and opportunity management facilitated by CRM systems ensures a dynamic approach to business development, contributing significantly to sustained success and expansion.
CRMs allow small businesses to automate repetitive tasks, including data entry, follow-up emails, and appointment scheduling. Sales automation enables these features to be used more efficiently, by optimizing time spent by sales teams while simultaneously decreasing manual errors and keeping consistent communication channels with prospects and customers. Not only does this increase efficiency but it also frees up valuable sales representatives’ time so they can focus on cultivating relationships and closing deals successfully. Coupled with small business marketing automation tools, CRMs can become one of the best assets in a team’s sales and marketing toolbox.
Understanding customer interactions is critical to providing exceptional service. CRM systems enable small businesses to easily consolidate all communication channels such as emails, calls, and meetings in one central place for easy tracking of interactions. This provides teams with a complete picture that allows them to respond promptly to inquiries, anticipate needs, and create tailored experiences that create customer loyalty among their client base.
Tracking tasks and deadlines is essential to any business, especially small enterprises that have limited resources. CRM systems offer task and calendar management features that assist teams in staying organized and on top of activities. This helps them stay on schedule with key activities and ensure nothing falls through the cracks while taking a proactive approach to managing operations.
Small businesses rely on various tools to manage different aspects of their operations. A CRM system with strong integration capabilities enables seamless communication with essential applications like email, marketing automation, and accounting software. This helps small businesses eliminate silos while improving collaboration. It also guarantees that data flows smoothly throughout their organizations.
At a time when remote working and on-the-go business activities are the norm, having a CRM system with mobile accessibility is a necessity for small business teams. This feature enables accessing important information, updating records, and communicating with clients whenever, wherever they may be located, as well as increasing flexibility so no opportunities are missed due to geographical restraints.
CRM systems play a pivotal role in substantially enhancing the efficiency of small businesses. Through task automation, streamlined communications, and centralized information management, these systems empower teams to navigate core activities more seamlessly.
This results in heightened productivity and a notable reduction in time wastage, allowing small businesses to allocate resources strategically and thrive in a competitive landscape. The comprehensive capabilities of CRM systems actively contribute to operational excellence, facilitating sustained growth and success.
Small businesses utilize CRM systems to actively cultivate strong connections with their customers. These systems facilitate personalized communication, timely responses, and a comprehensive overview of interactions, aiding businesses in fostering long-term customer loyalty and elevating overall customer satisfaction.
Effective lead and opportunity management combined with sales automation is the cornerstone of higher conversion rates and revenue growth for small businesses. CRM systems enable these organizations to prioritize the most promising opportunities and pursue them aggressively for increased profit potential in their sales pipeline.
As small businesses expand, so do their needs. A scalable CRM system can adapt to meet these evolving demands of a growing enterprise, making sure that its tools continue to support and enhance operations.
Small businesses seeking success in an increasingly competitive marketplace should see CRM as a strategic imperative. Small businesses can increase efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business expansion by harnessing its features and benefits. Through its capabilities, they can position themselves for long-term success in an ever-evolving landscape.
Featured Image by Canva Studio
The post Top CRM Features and Benefits for Small Businesses appeared first on noupe.
Most product teams think in terms of features. Features are easy to brainstorm and write requirement docs for, and they fit nicely into our backlogs and ticketing systems. In short, thinking in terms of features makes it easy to manage the complex task of product delivery.
However, we know that the best products are more than the sum of their parts, and sometimes, the space between the features is as important as the features themselves. So, what can we do to improve the process?
The vast majority of product teams are organized around delivering features — new pieces of functionality that extend the capabilities of the product. These features will often arise from conversations the company is having with prospective buyers:
The company will then compile a list of the most popular feature requests and will ask the product team to deliver them.
For most companies, this is what customer centricity looks like; asking customers to tell them what they want — and then building those features into the product in the hope they’ll buy — becomes of key importance. This is based on the fundamental belief that people buy products primarily for the features so we assemble our roadmaps accordingly.
We see this sort of thinking with physical products all the time. For instance, take a look at the following Amazon listing for one of the top-rated TV sets from last year. It’s like they hurled up the entire product roadmap directly onto the listing!
Now, of course, if you’re a hardcore gamer with very specific requirements, you might absolutely be looking for a TV with “VRR, ALLM, and eARC as specified in HDMI2.1, plus G-Sync, FreeSync, Game Optimizer, and HGiG.” But for me? I don’t have a clue what any of those things mean, and I don’t really care. Instead, I’ll go to a review site where they explain what the product actually feels like to use in everyday life. The reviewers will explain how good the unboxing experience is. How sturdy the build is. How easy it is to set up. They’ll explain that the OS is really well put together and easy to navigate, the picture quality is probably the best on the market, and the sound, while benefiting from the addition of a quality sound bar, is very clear and understandable. In short, they’ll be describing the user experience.
The ironic thing is that when I talk to most founders, product managers, and engineers about how they choose a TV, they’ll say exactly the same thing. And yet, for some reason, we struggle to take that personal experience and apply it to our own users!
Tip: As a fun little trick, next time you find yourself arguing about features over experience, ask people to get out their phones. I bet that the vast majority of folks in the room will have an iPhone, despite Samsung and Google phones generally having better cameras, more storage, better screens, and so on. The reason why iPhones have risen in dominance (if we ignore the obvious platform lock-in) is because, despite perhaps not having the best feature set on the market, they feel so nice to use.
Seeing Things From The Users’ Perspective
While feature-centric thinking is completely understandable, it misses a whole class of problems. The features in and of themselves might look good on paper and work great in practice, but do they mesh together to form a convincing whole? Or is the full experience a bit of a mess?
All the annoying bumps, barriers, and inconsistencies that start accruing around each new feature, if left unsolved, can limit the amount of value users can extract from the product. And if you don’t effectively identify and remove these barriers in a deliberate and structured way, any additional functionality will simply add to the problem.
If users are already struggling to extract value from existing features, how do you expect them to extract any additional value you might be adding to the product?
“As a product manager, it’s natural to want to offer as many features as possible to your customers. After all, you want to provide value, right? But what happens when you offer too many features? Your product becomes bloated, convoluted, and difficult to use.”
— “Are Too Many Features Hurting Your Product?”
These barriers and inconsistencies are usually the result of people not thinking through the user experience. And I don’t mean user experience in some abstract way. I mean literally walking through the product step-by-step as though you’d never seen it before — sometimes described as having a “beginner’s mind” mdash; and considering the following questions:
While approaching things with a beginner’s mind sounds easy, it’s actually a surprisingly hard mindset for people to adopt — letting go of everything they know (or think they know) about their product, market, and users. Instead, their position as a superuser tends to cloud their judgment: believing that because something is obvious to them (something that they have created and have been working on for the past two years), it will be obvious to a new user who has spent less than five minutes with the product. This is where usability testing (a UX research method that evaluates whether users are able to use a digital product efficiently and effectively) should normally “enter the stage.”
The issue with trying to approach things with a beginner’s mind is also often exacerbated by “motivated reasoning,” the idea that we view things through the lens of what we want to be true, rather than what is true. To this end, you’re much more likely to discount feedback from other people if that feedback is going to result in some negative outcome, like having to spend extra time and money redesigning a user flow when you’d rather be shipping that cool new feature you came up with last week.
I see this play out in usability testing sessions all the time. The first subject comes in and struggles to grasp a core concept, and the team rolls their eyes at the incompetence of the user. The next person comes in and has the same experience, causing the team to ask where you found all these stupid users. However, as the third, fourth, and fifth person comes through and experiences the same challenge, “lightbulbs” slowly start forming over the team members’ heads:
“Maybe this isn’t the users’ fault after all? Maybe we’ve assumed a level of knowledge or motivation that isn’t there; maybe it’s the language we’ve used to describe the feature, or maybe there’s something in the way the interface has been designed that is causing this confusion?”
These kinds of insights can cause teams to fundamentally pivot their thinking. But this can also create a huge amount of discomfort and cognitive dissonance — realizing that your view of the world might not be entirely accurate. As such, there’s a strong motivation for people to avoid these sorts of realizations, which is why we often put so little effort (unfortunately) into understanding how our users perceive and use the things we create.
Developing a beginner’s mind takes time and practice. It’s something that most people can cultivate, and it’s actually something I find designers are especially good at — stepping into other people’s shoes, unclouded by their own beliefs and biases. This is what designers mean when they talk about using empathy.
Towards A Two-Tier Process (Conclusion)
We obviously still need to have “feature teams.” Folks who can understand and deliver the new capabilities our users request (and our business partners demand). While I’d like to see more thought and validation when it comes to feature selection and creation, it’s often quicker to add new features to see if they get used than to try and use research to give a definitive answer.
As an example, I’m working with one founder at the moment who has been going around houses with their product team for months about whether a feature would work. He eventually convinced them to give it a try — it took four days to push out the change, and they got the feedback they needed almost instantly.
However, as well as having teams focused on delivering new user value, we also need teams who are focused on helping unlock and maximize existing user value. These teams need to concentrate on outcomes over outputs; so, less deliver X capability in Y sprints than deliver X improvement by Y date. To do this, these teams need to have a high level of agency. This means taking them out of the typical feature factory mindset.
The teams focusing on helping unlock and maximize existing user value need to be a little more cross-disciplinary than your traditional feature team. They’re essentially developing interventions rather than new capabilities — coming up with a hypothesis and running experiments rather than adding bells and whistles. “How can we improve the onboarding experience to increase activation and reduce churn?” Or, “How can we improve messaging throughout the product so people have a better understanding of how it works and increase our North Star metric as a result?”
There’s nothing radical about focusing on outcomes over outputs. In fact, this way of thinking is at the heart of both the Lean Startup movement and the Product Led Growth. The problem is that while this is seen as received wisdom, very few companies actually put it into practice (although if you ask them, most founders believe that this is exactly what they do).
Put simply, you can’t expect teams to work independently to deliver “outcomes” if you fill their their calendar with output work.
So this two-tier system is really a hack, allowing you to keep sales, marketing, and your CEO (and your CEO’s partner) happy by delivering a constant stream of new features while spinning up a separate team who can remove themselves from the drum-beat of feature delivery and focus on the outcomes instead.
It’s January, and what better time to revisit our typography and freshen up our designs for 2024.
