The real reason why your customers are abandoning their carts

Victoria Tran
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The real reason why your customers are abandoning their carts

Your online shopping boutique has finally taken off. Your marketing campaign is on point and the website is gaining traction in terms of traffic. However, sales conversions are low. This doesn’t make sense because all of the proper processes are in place, including an awesome sales funnel. One of the reasons behind poor sales could be shoppers not willing to fully commit to a purchase. In most cases, this is shopping cart abandonment.

Shopping cart abandonment is one of the reasons why an online store loses out on sales. It is estimated that around 6 out of 10 customers who place store items into their cart never end up completing their purchase. Any store that can recover at least a portion of these missed out opportunities can easily boost its revenue.

Read on for more info on shopping cart abandonment and the reason behind why it exists and what you, as an online store owner, can do to combat this issue.

What is shopping cart abandonment?

Shopping cart abandonment takes place when a customer places items from an online store into their cart, only to leave the website without completing their purchase. Any product from a store that enters a shopping cart but never passes the checkout process is considered an abandoned product.

Cart abandonment is common amongst most online e-commerce stores. It is estimated that more than 60% of online shoppers with items in their cart do not complete the checkout process. This is a major concern for online merchants as they are unable to recover more than 25% of their potential sales. This makes shopping cart abandonment an important aspect of e-commerce that online store owners need to focus on.

The shopping cart abandonment rate is used to determine the percentage of viewers that visit an online store with the intent to buy something. This can be calculated by dividing a store’s successful sales by the total amount of cart entries.

What are the causes of shopping cart abandonment?

The reason behind a customer not being able to complete a purchase differs. It could be related to the actual store. It may even be something small such as timing.

It is important to understand some of the reasons behind cart abandonment before you can start asking your customers to come back.

Payment options

People who shop online love to have as many options available to them as possible. As an online store, you should never just settle for one payment method. Add additional methods such as bank deposits, transfers, and PayPal.

Some customers may receive cash from a relative and will want to deposit that money directly into your account. Many people out there receive payment for services via PayPal. These are the sort of people who will appreciate your store hosting these payment options.

Accepting payments through various rewards programs in your location is also beneficial to both the customer and the store.

Just looking

There are plenty of online shoppers who are just simply “window shopping”. These kinds of customers have low buying intent. Some customers place items in their carts with the hope of a future price drop.

Lack of trust

It’s very common for people not to trust online stores enough to share their credit card details. Especially if your store is not an established brand. It can be very difficult to sway some people. It’s best to keep promoting reviews and testimonials on your website.

Too expensive

One of the big reasons for customers opting for online shopping over physical stores is the fact that it is possible to find some amazing deals. Marking up products to prices similar or even higher than traditional stores can be of inconvenience to shoppers.

It will actually be easier for them to go directly to the store around the corner than to wait for your store to deliver a product.

What can you do about shopping cart abandonment?

It is important that your store satisfies your target audience as best as it can. A store needs to meet the needs of its customers. Not just by offering the right products, but also by efficiently delivering those products and services.

A store should try and meet all of the criteria mentioned above. This alone will give an online store’s visitors little to no reason to abandon their carts. However, this doesn’t mean that there will be no abandoned carts at all.

Abandoned carts are unfortunately here to stay and will always be a part of e-commerce in general. People will always display questionable behaviour in regards to completing the checkout process. This is why online stores should consider making use of abandoned cart software.

What is abandoned cart software?

Abandoned cart software is used to assist stores in getting back customers who may still have items in their online shopping cart. This is done by automatically sending out emails to these customers to kindly notify them about the items that they are interested in.

Abandoned cart software is designed to help online stores recover some of the potential sales that it may have missed out on. Sending out emails to these customers may not seem like such a major task, but it still is a highly effective way of reminding customers to take action by completing a purchase that might have just been interrupted.

Such software is developed by people with years of experience in marketing. The emails that are sent out to customers are fully responsive and optimised to inhibit some form of response from the recipient.

The purpose of this strategy is to help persuade customers to revisit an online store. This means that abandoned cart software can also aid in boosting a stores traffic.

Should your store install abandoned cart software?

Most customers appreciate this service as they see it as not only a kind gesture but as an initiative taken by the seller. Those who may have initially been discouraged to proceed to checkout may now feel a bit more inclined towards finalising their purchase.

Abandoned cart software also comes with additional features such as analytics and follow up emails that are suited for different time zones worldwide. Installation is usually quick and simple, especially if your online store is based on the Shopify platform.

So to recap, a piece of software that can manage potential lost sales with the hope of capturing and managing them. This alone makes abandoned cart software a must.

Love Island Australia’s Erin Barnett speaks out on abusive relationship

Annie Li
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Love Island Australia’s Erin Barnett speaks out on abusive relationship

As the runners up for Love Island Australia, Erin and Eden seemed to have a strong relationship going in the outside world. However, Love Island fans were confronted with their shock split earlier this month on the 2nd September in an Instagram post. The former pair thanked their fans for their support.

The surprise break up seemed mutual enough, but little did we know.

After Eden’s exclusive with OK! Magazine, Erin took to Youtube to reveal more about what actually happened between them. It was said the pair had an agreement not to go to the media about their break up, however Eden went against that promise. Erin later recounts three incidents in which Eden was allegedly abusive toward her.

In the first incident, right after the Love Island finale and prior to returning to Australia, Eden became “very in (her) face, was yelling, was throwing things … really scaring (Erin).” This was followed by another, when Erin was visiting Eden in Sydney,  “Eden got very angry and said, ‘Well if you don’t want to be with me, then I’ll kill us both.’” Despite these red flags, Erin stayed in this relationship. In the third and last incident, Eden “was getting right up in Erin’s face, pushing my head with his head, trying to intimidate me.” This was the last straw and result in Erin packing her bags up from Eden’s house and leaving Melbourne, with Eden’s parents apologising for their son’s behaviour.

Erin reveals that immediately after the break up, many women reached out to her claiming Eden had cheated on various occasions. The reality star recounts how Eden brought stripper to a Sydney hotel and fooled around with them.

Watch the full statement here.

If you know anyone experiencing domestic abuse call 1800 737 732 (1800RESPECT) for help.

NRL preliminary finals wrap up – the two best teams go through

Christian Woods
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NRL preliminary finals wrap up – the two best teams go through

After the NRL’s preliminary finals matches on the weekend the Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters will meet in the grand final this Sunday. These two teams finished first and second on the ladder, and have gone undefeated through the finals series, so they are clearly the two best sides in a very close season – and they looked it on Friday and Saturday night.

On Friday the Storm gave the Cronulla Sharks a thrashing, winning the game 20-6 and giving themselves the opportunity to defend their 2017 premiership title. The match was marred, however, by a try saving (alleged) shoulder charge from Billy Slater which threatens to see him suspended from the grand final – and his last match.

The decision to charge Slater has attracted a great deal of controversy, since that his tackle was not dangerous. However, given that the NRL has a zero tolerance policy on shoulder charges they had little choice as it seems clear that this was what happened. Even a low-grade shoulder charge carries a minimum suspension, so Slater will miss the final if he is found guilty at the judiciary tonight.

The Saturday night blockbuster between the Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs never really lived up to expectations, turning into a grind. The Bunnies only managed to score off penalty goals, while the Roosters could score tries but not convert them in the absence of suspended goal kicker Latrell Mitchell (who will return for the big dance).

Star Sydney recruit Cooper Cronk also looked to be playing with one arm after copping several heavy blows to the shoulder. It has been confirmed that he suffered a rotator cuff injury, and will be at long odds to play in the final.

The prospect of a Roosters-Storm grand final with neither Cronk nor Slater playing seems unthinkable, but is growing more and more likely.

PM suggests separate Indigenous day instead of moving Australia Day

Christian Woods
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PM suggests separate Indigenous day instead of moving Australia Day

In response to calls to move Australia Day, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested a new holiday especially for Indigenous Australians.

Mr Morrison’s proposal addresses a long-going debate about whether or not the date of Australia Day should be moved. Many argue that the current date, the 26th of January, is commemorative of European colonisation and displacement of Indigenous people and should not be celebrated.

The Prime Minister strongly rejected calls to move Australia Day, saying that it was a part of Australian history that shouldn’t just be ignored or covered up. He said that he wanted to “chat” with the Australian people about the prospect of a new holiday celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history.

He said that there was “a lot to celebrate” around Indigenous culture and that Australians did not “have to pull Australia Day down” in order to “recognise the achievements of Indigenous Australia”.

He added that “Australia Day is Australia Day” and that Australians “can’t pretend” to ignore their history.

Ken Wyatt, a Government frontbencher and Aboriginal from Western Australia, said that the suggestion of an Indigenous celebration day was a “great step forward” and even suggested that it be held during July’s NAIDOC Week.

Mr Wyatt agreed that Australia Day should remain where it is because the holiday had transcended its historical context and was “about us as a nation”.

In response to calls to change the date of the public holiday, Bryon Shire Council decided to hold its annual citizenship ceremonies on the 27th. The Government stripped the Council of its right to hold citizenship ceremonies as a response.

Last year, 3 councils in Melbourne were similarly punished for moving their Australia Day celebrations.

On Twitter, Scott Morrison described calls to move the date as “indulgent self-loathing”.

Japanese Prime Minister to make historic Darwin trip

Christian Woods
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Japanese Prime Minister to make historic Darwin trip

The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, is set to make a historic visit to Darwin 75 years after his country bombed the coastal city during World War II.

The move is part of an effort to cement modern relations between Japan and Australia by commemorating the site of a famous battle between both nations.

Mr Abe is set to be welcomed into the Northern Territory in November by Prime Minister Scott Morrison before both leaders head to Port Moresby for the APEC summit.

A major $34 billion Japanese gas pipeline project is expected to be the primary focus of Mr Abe’s visit, although the usual discussions on military cooperation are also predicted to occur.

This visit marks the first time a Japanese leader has visited the city since it was attacked during the Second World War. Darwin was a key military port and strategic target for the Imperial Japanese Navy and over 250 people were killed across several bombings at the height of the war.

During his trip to Japan earlier this year, Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull agreed to an increase in military cooperation between Australia and Japan, mentioning training exercises specifically.

This month, the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) was scheduled to commence an exercise codenamed “Bushido Guardian” with Japan’s Air Force, but it was cancelled because of earthquakes in Hokkaido.

Officials expect China to be watching any defence negotiations between Australia and Japan closely after already expressing concern over the recent redeployment of American marines in the Northern Territory.

During his visit, Mr Abe is expected to visit the Darwin cenotaph to pay respect to the war dead of both Australia and Japan.

How women can stay safe through self-defence

Zane Todd
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How women can stay safe through self-defence

According to Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), 92% of women in Australia are physically assaulted by a male perpetrator. More alarmingly, 41% of assaults are by a former partner. However, these statistics are just a few within a much larger, concerning trend of domestic violence. Have a look at the details of the personal safety survey in 2016.

Women’s safety and protection have always been some of the most important topics of public discussion. Sometimes, perpetrators believe that women are more submissive and will not fight back. With more mechanisms in place to enhance public safety, women are continually becoming more aware of safety.

Living safe and free from violence is everyone’s right; reducing violence is everyone’s responsibility. Having said this, there is always room for improvement in order to better society. Here are several self-defence tips that women can utilise to stay safe and avoid violence.

Join a self-defence class

It is always better to stop something bad from happening than to deal with it after it happened. Joining a self-defence class will give you the self-confidence that you need to deal with your enemy. It will also give you the technical skills necessary to confront your attacker.

One of the best forms of self-defence is Personal Protective Measures (PPM). It’s also known as Bujinkan Ninjutsu, which is a form of Martial Arts. This self-defence training in Adelaide is designed to help people deal with assailants who have dangerous weapons, improving one’s chances of staying safe.

Do not hesitate to hit

Woman boxing
Photo: skeeze, Pixabay

Most of us hesitate in hitting other people as we have always trained to tame our nerves and remain composed. In a dangerous situation, however, this hesitation might be a dire mistake. Feel free to cause as much pain as possible to the attacker because if you don’t, they probably will. Defending yourself might just give you enough time to move to a safer place or seek help. It’s a judgement call of the moment, which you should use to improve your chances of making it through unharmed.

Never reason with your attacker

The person who is attacking you is not in a perfect state of mind. Moreover, they do not think like you. You can never properly comprehend the human mind or criminal minds. In a situation like this, reasoning with your attacker can be dangerous. Always remain calm, yet focused, looking for any avenue of escape. At the same time, try to assert your dominance, as this may lead your assailant to question their decision.

Scream for help

If you think you are in a dangerous situation, do not hesitate to scream. Scream like you have never screamed before. Firstly, your loud voice might frighten your attacker into thinking they’ll be caught. Secondly, you may be in a crowded area, or at least, close to an area of people, whom may hear your scream. This will increase your chances of someone coming to assist you. When someone is holding a weapon to your head, there is no shame in doing whatever you need to do. Scream to survive.

Stay fit

Two people stretching
Photo: 12019, Pixabay

In a dangerous situation, having an above average-level of fitness could go a long way in deterring your attacker. To increase your level of safety and confidence in dealing with such situations, consider the need to work out regularly. Daily exercise not only helps improve your body but also the mind. It can increase your self-esteem and improve your reflexes, which will greatly help in unprepared attacks. Put simply, the fitter you are, the more chance you have of escaping the clutches of your attacker.

No matter how much training you receive, there will always be predators out to attack   women. Preventative measures can help you stay safe, but this will only do so much.   In such situations, women need to stay focused and rely on their instincts to remain safe. So, learning self-defence techniques through martial arts might help anyone stay alive in the worst situation.

How to calculate the ROI of promotional giveaways

Mike Smith
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How to calculate the ROI of promotional giveaways

Promotional products can be one of the most cost-effective ways for you to advertise your business. However, it can be difficult to ascertain the exact ROI of the promotional products that you giveaway.

You need this information to gauge whether your promotions are working. Luckily this doesn’t have to be too difficult. We will explain how you can calculate the ROI of promotional giveaways to have a better idea of how effective your promotional campaigns are running.

What is ROI?

When trying to work out ROI, it is first important to have a clear definition of what this term means for your business. It is usually a fairly simple formula; however it becomes far more complex when trying to calculate it for promotional products. The “Return on Investment” is the figure that will show your overall profitability.

Promotional products are measured by impressions which are how many people see your product. This focuses on the brand image which is the main target in a promotional product campaign. So to help you gauge if your promotional giveaways are making you sales, here are some ways that you can measure impressions based ROI without needing a calculator.

3 ways to calculate your ROI

1. Longevity

 Many products go viral and can become successful, but often this is only for a limited period. The success of your brand will ultimately depend on the staying power of your products.

If they bring real-world usefulness to your customers, then they will return to purchase them. This is why creating giveaways that last for a few months or longer can increase your ROI.

It means more potential consumers have a chance to see your product. Every new customer that sees your promotion is vital as they would essentially be promoting your product everytime they use it. Therefore you can measure ROI by viewing long-term impressions of your promotion.

2. Image

In the world of advertising, the image is everything. One of the benefits of promotional products is that they can rapidly spread your brand image.

A promotional product will allow for far greater brand recognition. It is important to remember that the perception that customers have of your brand will ultimately be pivotal in its overall success. Promotional products are a very powerful method of increasing awareness.

A promotion can allow your brand image to be more positive and memorable. Therefore another way of measuring the ROI of your promotion is by conducting tests to see how your brand image is changing as a result of the promotion. This change in perception is hard to quantify, but the qualitative data can show you just how effective the promotion has been.

3. Consumer reactions

The consumer response to your promotions will be highly significant. Promotions are far more personal than regular forms of advertising. TV and online ads are generic and designed to reach a mainstream audience.

A promotional item is different because it allows a consumer to develop a meaningful bond with the product. This makes it hugely different from traditional advertising where a customer would most likely not give the product a second thought.

If your product improves your consumer’s life in some way, then the consumer would develop an appreciation for both the product and your brand. If you focus promotions on satisfying the customer, then you can be sure to improve the ROI. Customers are fond of items that are useful and ones that can catch their attention.

Calculations

If you prefer a more quantitative method alongside these other methods, then certain formulas will allow you to work out the ROI of your promotional campaigns. Just keep in mind that quantitative ROI’s for promotional products will not carry the same accuracy as other digital marketing campaigns since the primary goal is different.

Formulas:

No of Items x Cost Per Item = Total Spend

Impressions per product x No. of Items = Total Impressions

Total Spend/Total Impressions = Cost Per Impression

Conclusion

The concept of ROI is different when applied to promotional giveaways. This is because the main motive of promotions is not monetary value, rather it is to gain important impressions from customers.

These methods of measuring ROI do not require any complex calculations. Rather they provide a qualitative way to assess how effective your promotional giveaways are and whether they are fulfilling their purpose of further developing the perception of your brand image.

How to bridge the gap between study and work with Premium Graduate

Mike Smith
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How to bridge the gap between study and work with Premium Graduate

Youth unemployment is one of the rising issues we face in Australia today. The rate of unemployment amongst people aged 15-24 currently sits around 12.5 per cent – twice as much as the general rate.

There are multiple factors contributing to this statistic. Younger people tend to combine work and study. They also tend to be employed in sectors that are more cyclical, such as retail.

However, perhaps the most worrying contributor of youth unemployment is the gap that exists between tertiary study and full-time work. While there has been an increase in the amount of people pursuing a university education, it has simultaneously become harder for graduates to find a job after school.

This suggests a prevalent mismatch between the skills gained from a university education and the skills needed to thrive in the workplace. So what can we do about this?

Revolutionising study

The theory and hard skills gained from university are valuable, but employability requires more than this. It’s no longer the case that you can just finish a degree with a strong academic record and be guaranteed a graduate role.

Softs skills and experience are incredibly important components of employability. Due to advancements in technology, jobs are prone to change – and hard skills with them. The job market has changed dramatically and still continues to.

Developing skills and experiences that are transferable is essential for showing your potential value as an employee. Getting rid of the mindset that full-time university study easily transfers to full-time study is important.

University should be seen, instead, as a way to build the foundations of your career through knowledge, fostering connections, and developing interpersonal skills.

Encouraging future planning

Thinking ahead and having foresight about your future career can give you a direction for your efforts. Having an end goal for the job you want will advise you on the skills and experience you should develop.

It’s become more often the case that the degree we study does not lead us to a specific career. Understanding how what we study will play out in the future, and how to supplement it in order to get where we want to be is important.

This will help the transition from studying to working, as you will become a more suitable candidate for the role you are pursuing, bridging the gap between your skills and the employment criteria.

Getting in the field

Gaining practical experience is a huge advantage that will benefit you in multiple ways. Having exposure to the day-to-day activities of a firm will allow you to discern whether it is truly what you want to do – and show any future employer that you have relevant experience under your belt!

In pursuing any type of career, there’s a great deal of emphasis on gaining valuable practical experience. An internship gives participants the chance to develop practical skills in a real working environment.

Traditional job searches are phasing out, and new platforms which aim to bridge the divide between employers and students seeking work are in. These platforms, such as Premium Graduate, offer benefits to both parties. Through a training program, students gain career guidance, interview training, and feedback on their resume.

Students are also reassured that the company they are interning at is safe, reliable, and that their experience will be worthwhile. As for employers, they are able to gain new talent without handling the entire recruitment process.

Through programs such as these, students can gain a better understanding of the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. This puts them in a much better position when it comes to finding full-time work out of university.

Improving youth employability is a complex issue that involves multiple stakeholders, entities, and changing ways of thinking. The ongoing development of new initiatives and change in existing structure is necessary to combat this issue.

The psychology behind Instagram’s popularity

Mike Smith
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The psychology behind Instagram’s popularity

Eight years ago, photography giant Instagram was released upon the world. The app, which allows its users to share photos and videos with friends, family and admiring strangers across the globe, quickly accumulated over one billion users, becoming one of the top social networking apps on the planet. But why is Instagram so popular? A lot of it has to do with human psychology.

The desire for self(ie)-actualisation

The desire to attain self-actualisation; that is, to fulfil the drive for self-development and creative expression, was suggested as being a basic human need by Abraham Maslow in 1943. The process of creating and maintaining an Instagram account is an inherently creative act – it allows people to curate a persona; they can decide which photos to post (and which not to post), which accounts to follow and which photos to like.

By choosing a particular persona (such as fitness-freak, animal lover, world traveller or artist) users are able to network with other likeminded people and bolster feelings of belonging, positive self-esteem (fulfilling other basic needs according to Maslow’s theories) and creative expression. Instagram also offers young people the opportunity to experiment with and choose an identity during a time when many may be trying to figure theirs out.

It is, however, important to be wary of any potential need for external validation and likes, as this may be a sign of insecurity. Instagram should not replace having a healthy, balanced real (and social) life!

Humans are visual creatures

Much of the success of Instagram is due to the fact that humans are visual creatures, and in a world dominated by images, Instagram offers us an easy way to consume a lot of them in a very short amount of time. We’re simply wired to process visual information faster than other forms of data (up to 60,000 times faster than text, in fact!).

The significance of a good visual image cannot be understated; the attractiveness of an image has a huge effect on how well that image is received, how many likes it garners and whether or not it goes viral. Studies have found that photos which are dominated by cool colours such as blues, are less saturated rather than oversaturated, include a background and contain fewer dominant colours are more likely to attract likes.

It’s a gender thing

With 58% of Instagram users reporting as female, there is some evidence to suggest gender differences in the use of Instagram. Whilst there are a range of diverse subcultures on Instagram, from the gothic to the architectural, Instagram is perhaps most famous for the smoothie bowl, the boho girl and New York fashion models – typically feminine content.

With the majority of accounts portraying conventional beauty and lifestyle trends, and the app’s inbuilt emphasis on ‘filtering’, the focus on appearance, which tends to be more important to women than to men, may be the reason for this divide.

Influencer marketing

Instagram’s heavy emphasis on beauty, makeup and fashion has, over time, naturally engaged the interest of brands and businesses, which benefit hugely from the marketing potential of the app. Instagram offers brands a massive reach and the highest engagement rate of all the social media platforms. The power of a visual image is hugely valuable in marketing, with few things being more effective in driving brand engagement than having thousands of people see your product being used or worn by an influencer they admire.

There are several factors at work behind the power of influencer marketing. Robert B Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion offers six: consistency, liking, social proof, reciprocity, scarcity and authority. The concept of social proof refers to the idea that influencers who are sharing your product are giving social proof as to that product being valuable and desirable, thereby increasing the likelihood that their Instagram followers will value and desire the product also.

Conclusion

By better understanding the psychology behind why we use Instagram, we are not only better able to employ effective marketing campaigns, but we are able to gain insight into our positive and negative behaviours and make any necessary changes to improve our happiness and wellbeing.

Checking Instagram too often or spending too much time scrolling through cat photos (ahh, dopamine!) may be a sign of addiction, which is probably worth addressing.

This is what we currently know about ‘Avengers 4’

Christian Woods
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This is what we currently know about ‘Avengers 4’

The Avengers won’t stop coming. With Avengers: Infinity War having been released in April of this year, and its sequel planned for release a year afterwards, fans won’t have long to wait before they find out what comes next, including which characters (if any) survived the previous finale. With Infinity War being heralded as the most ambitious Marvel movie to date, number 4 has big shoes to fill – and fans are hoping it won’t disappoint.

Here is what we know about Avengers 4 so far (note: there may be spoilers, so read at your own risk).

Its release date is scheduled for the 9th of May 2019 in the US, though the Australian release date is uncertain. The film is, as of yet, unofficially titled, hence the filler name.

The directors of Infinity War – Anthony Russo and Joe Russo – are also directing the fourth film. This should help ensure both films have a similar feel. They began filming shortly after finishing work on the last title in the series.

The film hasn’t been given an official rating yet, but it is likely that it will obtain an M (for mature audiences) rating in Australia, in the same vein as the previous three titles. The previous movies in the series received an M rating on the grounds of violence.

The story of Avengers 4 is closely linked to the events of Infinity War. Marvel president Kevin Feige has said that the ending of Avengers 4 will be conclusive, meaning that after 2019, the Avengers series will be no more.

This doesn’t mean the end of all Marvel movies, of course; there are plenty more Marvel projects in development, such as the new Guardians of the Galaxy film scheduled for release in 2020.

From what we know so far, Avengers 4 is set to be an interesting ride. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype.

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