Four ways online video sites can help a business grow and thrive

Deb Dey
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Four ways online video sites can help a business grow and thrive

One particular area of the internet that can drive customers into a buying frenzy is participation in online video sites. Internet video streaming sites, like YouTube, can complement a business by serving as a marketing campaign, educational tool, informational aid, and even skew into entertainment.

Businesses use online video to complement existing articles relating to travel, which is a perfect example of how video can be a short-form guide that makes a difference for a business. The content presented for viewing can enhance and elevate a brand, which is the ultimate goal of any type of marketing effort.

Marketing campaign

The cost of a video production has been amplified in recent years thanks to the added cost of purchasing airtime. Quality timeslots can quickly dwarf the cost of the production, but for online video sharing, the cost of air time is virtually free.

Videos can be embedded into social media feeds, articles, and even emailed, which increases their effectiveness. Using video as the heart of marketing campaign is again a possibility, which opens the door for many creative processes that can really attract attention.

Educational tool

Online video can also be the perfect how-to companion to aid in the education world. When viewers have a quality video to refer back to at any given moment, the cost of training and number of mistakes becomes greatly reduced.

Better yet, the same instructions are given to everyone that watches, which delivers a level of consistency that human educators simply cannot offer. Plus, the additional savings by training via video include using any location with a computer, smartphone, or tablet. In short, video can be a powerful help to any organization with any type of learning curve.

Informational aid

Video can also be produced in the form of a news broadcast or other informational aid. The content can lead customers to certain locations and offer glimpses of topics that can be explored in greater detail at another time.

That being said, a series of videos that explores a topic in-depth can become an important resource for customers or employees from around the world. Companies that embrace the tool have an easier time showcasing specific areas to spark different areas of interest. In short, one video can lead to another. The resulting drive in traffic can have a sparkling impact on the bottom line.

Entertainment property

Perhaps the most interesting side effect of online video is the entertainment factor. Because video sites offer easy embedding into websites and blogs and sharing via social media, when a video is entertaining it can generate huge amounts of interest. In short, a fun segment can even become an additional revenue center for the company, and every business is looking for a way to increase cash flow without added expenses.

Case study video

Video case study is a new age marketing tool. You need to encourage your customers to provide a hones and positive review about your business in a video format. It does not have to look stunning with lots of amazing effects. Rather you need to make it look professional. The video should follow this following format:

  1. Problem that he was facing
  2. How your company / product helps him overcome the problem
  3. What he thinks about your company / a personal note

The length of the video should not be more than 5 minutes and try to make it to the point otherwise people would lose their interest.

Support videos

People hate to go through long and boring manuals. Therefore, it makes sense to develop a series of support and maintenance tutorials in video format so that your customers can solve the problems themselves. This will take off pressure from your support team and this will have a positive impact on the overall customer support experience.

In the end, online video can create an entertainment property, serve as an informational aid, become an educational tool, and play a key role in any marketing effort. Quality videos have a way of capturing the attention of the watcher, which helps any business drive brand awareness.

By inspiring customers and elevating the reputation of the company, an online video can offer several different solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes. The benefits of using video to complement existing efforts can be staggering.

How to start a dental practice from scratch

Sasha Duncan
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How to start a dental practice from scratch

If you’re a dentist, you have made an amazing choice for a life’s calling. Dental practices all around the world are growing and some are even becoming world-famous, so starting your own dental practice might just be the best decision you’ve ever made. However, starting and successfully running a dental practice is not without its challenges.

There are lots of things you really need to take in consideration when you’re thinking about starting your own dental practice from scratch. Various factors affect the way you might develop your business, and that’s why you need to follow some rules and guidelines.

We did a bit of researching and we’ve come up with this short guide of the things you need to keep in mind when starting a dental practice from scratch. Hopefully, these tips will point you in the right direction, and your new practice will soon have a sign “Welcome, we’re open” right on its front door. So without further ado, let’s get straight into it.

Prepare a business and financial plan

As with any other business, in order to start a successful dental practice, you need a solid business plan. In order to really achieve what you’re hoping for, you need to and write up a business plan. Basically, a business plan defines your goals, customer base, finances, as well as potential projections, and what may the future hold. There are loads of examples on how to write a business plan online, so do your homework and talk with professionals once you have something. This way you will ensure your business plan is bulletproof.

As you define your business goals, you will have to start putting those numbers and costs down. You will have to think about payrolls, equipment, taxes, insurances, legal fees, and loads of other costs and expenses. That’s why the financial plan is essential if you really want to succeed, so find the way to learn all the challenges and key components of financial planning.

Find location

When you decide to start the business, and you reach that point where you get to pick the location, make sure you do it in a cool-headed way, with a lot of planning and researching. Take your time when searching for the best possible location, as it can make a significant effect on your success. You will have to understand what is your target market, and how do they spend their time. Then you will have to look for the place that fits your needs, and yet doesn’t cost too much. Your business space matters more than you might think, so better wait a bit for the best possible location, than to waste resources on a place that might end up hurting your business in the long run.

Find the best equipment

Starting up your own dental practice is challenging, but it can also be a lot of fun. When you finally reach the point to start thinking about filling up that amazing space you’ve rented, that’s where the fun starts. Of course, this process can get out of hand quite quickly, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing or how much resources you can spare. That’s why you really need to do your research and focus on finding the best possible equipment for your practice. Of course, you should find furniture, lighting, and decorations, but in order to really make a difference, you will need high-quality dental products and equipment. You will have to think about equipment like crowns, bridges, splints, and orthodontics. The equipment for diagnostics is also important as well. You can find all of the necessary equipment in professional laboratories like Oceanic lab or at similar well stocked dental service providers. Finding the best provider for all the equipment you need will help a lot with the success of your practice.

Attract patients

Your practice is only going to succeed if you have patients. There are various ways how you can attract patients, but one of the best ways to this day is definitely word of mouth. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should forget about investing in a proper website or in a marketing campaign. However, you really need to try and get the word out as soon as you start working. Use the internet to your advantage, and try to expand your reach, but most importantly, make sure that your patients are leaving your practice with a smile.

Wrapping it up

There you have it. There are lots of other things we might’ve skipped, but if you’re really serious about setting up your new dental practice, these tips and guidelines should help point you in the right direction. Hopefully, you now have a clear picture on some of the things you have to do to succeed on your own as a dentist, so keep planning and learning and one day you might become one of the best dentists in Australia!

How using Instagram stories can help you increase your brand awareness

George Papdan
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How using Instagram stories can help you increase your brand awareness

In a world where technology keeps developing, changes and improvements are inevitable. Willingly or not, we can only adjust and adapt to it as time goes by. The same goes with socialising and communication.

Back in the day, we used to only use telephone or send letters to interact or communicate with other people, and if we lost contact with some of them, we would never know where they were and what happened to them.

As time passes by, communication is now made easy with social media platforms, where you can find the people you may have lost contact with before just by typing their full name on any social media platform and you can finally get in touch with them again. Not only that, you can also meet new people. We never know, right?

Setting socialisation aside, another way of using social media platform is also taken to another level by business owners where they use it for business only. The aim is to reach as many people as possible so their target audience will know about their business and what they offer. One of the most popular social media platforms frequently used for business is Instagram.

Basically, it is easier to use Instagram for business because Instagram focuses on photos and videos that can straight-forwardly deliver business. However, just as mentioned in the first paragraph of this article, changes and improvements are meant to happen as time goes by.

Of course, Instagram has been evolving from time to time. Now, ever since its new feature launched in 2016, Instagram has been more popular than ever. Yes, you may have used that feature before this article was written – the Instagram story. This article tells you how Instagram story features can help strengthen your business’ brand awareness. Keep reading to find out.

First of all, what is Instagram story and why is it popular?

Instagram story is a feature on Instagram that lets you share a photo or a 15-second video above your timeline or home feeds that can only last for 24 hours. Once it has reached 24 hours already, the photos or videos you have shared will disappear (unless you highlight them – this highlighting is also a new feature in 2018). Not only that, the feature also lets you know who views what you share. So, what makes it special for business use? Well, here are…

The benefits of using Instagram story for business

Just like you as an individual, your target audience is also using Instagram story feature and almost all of them use it on regular basis. Some of them are even addicted to it. Therefore, the key point here is that your business can get more opportunities to be discovered by your target audience if you use Instagram story feature for your business. It gives you a chance of interacting with them and they will also be well-informed about what’s new in your business, what kind of promotions you are offering, as well as how improved your business is – all can be said in a single photo or video using Instagram stories. In short, using Instagram stories can let your target audience know that you are “alive.” That being said, you can only get the benefits if you do it properly with these…

Best examples of using Instagram stories

  • Share articles. Just like sharing articles on Facebook, Twitter, etc., you can also share articles on Instagram stories using swipe up feature there. This can also lead more traffic to your website.
  • Share behind the scenes. Sharing your behind-the-scene projects can also make your followers aware what you are up to and aware of your activity. This can build trust and credibility within your brand.
  • Become interactive. Using Instagram story will allow you to be more interactive and engaging with your followers, making sure they know you will always stay up to date. Another good example of using Instagram story to be interactive is by asking questions or creating polls. This will let them know that you care about their opinions.
  • Takeovers. If you are having special guests to promote your business, you can let them take over your Instagram account and let them communicate with your target audience. Special guests, whether they are Instagram “celebrities” or real celebrities, are influential people who know what they are doing. Letting them take over can help you increase your brand awareness and make more people – especially your target audience, recognise and trust your brand.

That’s how Instagram stories can help you with your brand. Remember to always use it properly and avoid using bad languages that will kill your followers’ interest. Using it wisely while having fun at the same time can boost your natural interest in attracting more target audience to your business.

The 7 best gifts for Australian travellers

Mike Smith
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The 7 best gifts for Australian travellers

These are, in my humble opinion the 7 best trаvеl giftѕ fоr thоѕе ѕеtting off tо trаvеl thе wоrld, оr tо соnquеr just one ѕmаll piece of it. Whеthеr trаvеlling fоr buѕinеѕѕ оr for рlеаѕurе, thеrе аrе ѕtill long quеuеѕ, documents to be organized, luggage to pack and limited baggage ѕizеѕ to contend with.

With these giftѕ your travel loving friends and family will have the home comforts and practical travel aids they need to be able to concentrate on having the best adventures possible.

All items on our list have fast, easy and cheap shipping to Australia and many of them are even from local down under companies!

Travel Tech

headphones travel
Photo: Kaboompics, Pexels

A super practical gift for any modern traveller is often going to be something tech related. This doesn’t have to be expensive either, sure there are some pricey items that would go down very well such as noise cancelling headphones or an e-book. However, there are also some very affordable tech options that make great gifts such as a subscription to Spotify, Itunes or Netflix for easy entertainment during transit or queues.

A voucher for ebooks from Amazon or Kobo or an app store voucher where they can download some of their favourite games and travel apps can also be a wonderful and more affordable idea.

Pасking Cell Set

Pасking Cell Set
Photo: Porapak Apichodilok, Pexels

Take it from an experienced travel writer that any avid traveller is going to be very excited with a gift of packing cells. Packing Cells are a bit of a hidden secret for travelling, they are lightweight, usually square shaped pods that you pack your items in for easy travel organisation. Packing cells kind of work like fabric drawers helping to fit more into your bag, reduce clothing wrinkles and maintain some semblance of organisation inside your suitcase or travel bag.

We found some packing cells that come in a range of exciting patterns by local Aus/NZ company Elephant Stripes, they are good quality, strong and light and much cooler than any other options we have seen. Mix and match the patterns or collate a styled set for the perfect travel gift.

Phоtо book

Among the more unique and great looking travel giftѕ iѕ the photo book. Probably better as a gift for the recently returned from travel so that you can print all their latest adventures or, even more ideal as a gift to the person or people with whom you travelled so you can all remember the great experiences you had together.

A photo book is personal, meaningful and shows a great deal of thoughtfulness you are sure to be in the ‘good books’ so to speak with this great travel gift.

Trtl Trаvеl pillow

Tired blonde casual caucasian lady napping on exit window seat while traveling by airplane. Commercial transportation by planes.
Photo: Kasto, Bigstock

At some point everyone has experienced neck pain, ѕtiffnеѕѕ, headaches and lack of sleep аftеr travel. Trtl Travel pillow iѕ a nice rеmеdу for thiѕ, scientifically proven and ergonomic it is the next generation in travel pillows.

This trаvеl ассеѕѕоrу could be the key to having a relaxing and wеll-rеѕtеd trip or being grumpy, sleepy and in pain. Sinсе it’ѕ thаt important, рiсking thе best travel pillow iѕ clearly a muѕt so why not give the gift of the Trtl Travel Pillow and show you are up with the latest trends in travel necessities.

Travel guidе

Travel guidе
Photo: Porapak Apichodilok, Pexels

Trаvеling to a nеw рlасе tends to nееd a lоt оf рrераrаtiоn, it is easy to search online but sometimes it is hard to know what information to trust.

That is why guidebooks are still so valuable, they deliver the exact information thаt уоu need and wаnt fоr where уоu are travelling to and exclude the opinions and conflicting sources that can cause trouble when doing your research online. F

or a long time Lonely Planet has been the go to for travel guides and they now also offer e-books, whether in digital or physical form, a travel guide book makes a great gift for travellers.

Sсrubbа Wash bаg

Scrubba wаѕh bag iѕ a practical yet mоdеrn gift idеа for trаvеlеrѕ. Even when traveling the washing still piles up and being able to wash clothes easily can make a big difference when you have a limited wardrobe with you. The Scrubba wash bag makes it easy to clean clothes while on the road and is an ideal gift for travelling families and backpackers in particular.

Solid Toiletries

people, toiletry and concept - woman packing cosmetics to cosmetic bag at home
Photo: Dolgachov, Bigstock

A new movement in the world or travel is transitioning toward solid toiletries and beauty items instead of liquids which are restricted in carry on luggage and can easily spill in check in luggage. Ethique Beauty does a great job of leading this movement with a stunning range of products from haircare to bodycare to meet all your needs while traveling and at home.

They smell great, work well, are better for the environment and perfect for travel. A great gift idea is to create a travel beauty kit by putting some ethique beauty bars inside a hanging toiletry bag to set your travelling friend or family member up with everything they need to look, feel and smell great during their trip.

Whether уоu аrе buying travel giftѕ for friends, fаmilу, соllеаguеѕ, or treating yourself, thіnk аbоut thе рrасtiсаlitiеѕ оf ѕizе and weight, аnd stick with travel essentials that will mаkе thе trip mоrе comfortable, enjoyable and hаѕѕlе-frее.

Is the Hayne Train back? NRL round 19 previews

Christian Woods
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Is the Hayne Train back? NRL round 19 previews

Round 18 saw the return of the Hayne Train, with Jarryd Hayne back from injury and almost managing to single handedly lift Parramatta to an upset win against the Knights. Against the Bulldogs, who are the only club in an even bigger crisis than Parramatta, he could well take them all the way.

This round will see first in a long while that is unaffected by Origin, with all clubs expected to name full strength teams barring injuries. The first match will be tonight, with the Eels taking on the Bulldogs in a battle of the two wooden spoon favourites. Both sides have been horrendous on the field all year, but the Bulldogs are a mess off it as well, and the Hayne Train is looming. Parramatta should win this, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jarryd Hayne inspire them to a rout.

On Friday the Sharks will face the Raiders in Cronulla, followed by the Broncos and Panthers in Brisbane. The Sharks and Panthers will both be looking to put a stamp on their premiership aspirations, while the Broncos are racing to stay ahead of the Raiders in 8th. The Sharks should beat the Raiders at home, while the Panthers will be close to full strength and are probably too strong for Brisbane.

Saturday features 3 games, with two of them looking tough to tip. First up the Knights (with Mitchell Pearce but without Kalyn Ponga) will take on the Titans. Both teams are probably locked out of the finals, but are still respectable enough sides. At home Newcastle look to have the edge, after grinding out a win against Parramatta despite the heroics of the Hayne Train.

The second match up is between the high flying Rabbitohs and the lurking Tigers. Wests will need to win this game in order to keep their finals hopes alive, while Souths are attempting to cement top spot. The return of Robbie Farah, and his combination with Benji Marshall, sparked the Tigers last week and they will need to hope the old magic is still there this weekend. With Moses Mbye at the back they are a real chance of snatching this game.

The final match up of Saturday night is between the Cowboys and the Dragons. The Dragons will clinch this one – if they don’t, we can write them off completely this year.

Sunday has two more matches, with the Warriors facing the Storm in Auckland and the Roosters playing the Sea Eagles at Lottoland. The first match will be tough to tip, as the Warriors have the better line-up while the Storm are more consistent. Coming off a big win in Brisbane the New Zealanders could look to get on a roll, and a win over the Storm would be a big help to their September aspirations.

The final game will see the Roosters crossing the Harbour Bridge to face the Sea Eagles. While Easts have a gun squad, recent form and the motivation of cementing a top four spot, a Sunday afternoon clash in Brookvale against a team with the Trbojevics and Daly Cherry-Evans in it, fresh off starring Origin performances, screams ambush. Manly could well win in a huge upset here.

So settle in, every game has something to look out for this round – even the wooden spoon play-off has an in-form Hayne Train coming through.

An interview with Famoid, a rising social media tech company

Mike Smith
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An interview with Famoid, a rising social media tech company

How did Famoid Technology come about?

Famoid Technology is actually built on the structure that provides many kind of social media services in one hand. Together with my business partner, we thought that such a system was missing in the world market. We had our venture in this direction about a year ago. Within a year we have constantly developed our systems to meet the needs of our customers and now we are one of the most preferred social media services companies in the USA and Australia. It was a very honorable development for us.

What kind of business background and experience do you have? How has this shaped how you developed the company?

Actually we are software engineers (me & my business partner). We have been developing many web applications and mobile apps as well. About 3-4 year ago, we have created an app that shows the statistics of social media accounts of people like “who unfollowed you” etc. We met a very large demand and thus entered the social media services sector. At the end, we have established Famoid in order to transfer our experiences to our customers and to make everybody happy in this sector.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in establishing your company?

The social media sector is not as simple as it looks. For example, structural changes made by major social media companies, such as Instagram, have a direct impact on the software we create and you have to be in constant updating. I can say that this is one of the biggest problems.

How has the field of social media consultancy changed since you’ve been in business? How have you adapted?

In particular, changes in social media circles, such as Facebook, can change the demands of our customers. For example, with the addition of a new feature of Facebook like adding “Stories feature” into Facebook, our customers want to buy this feature through our system, and we have to make software developments for this. The demanded structures of digital products can change very easily and you have to keep up with it very quickly and effectively.

What is the most important objective for Famoid Technology in its day-to-day operations?

It is our most important operations to deliver the service to our customers as fast as possible and to provide customer support 24/7, as well as keeping our software constantly up to date.

How would you describe Famoid Technology’s philosophy and place within a rapidly changing industry like social media?

Famoid Technology, regardless of changes in the industry, will work hard to become a customer-focused company. We will try every way to give our customers the best quality service.

What is your vision for the company in the future?

As Famoid team, as I have mentioned before, we will always give our customers the best and highest quality service regardless of the changes. Besides, we will be the most preferred social media services company in Australia and USA in a very short time with our different production and customer approach.

There are many companies that provide social media services. However, Famoid is the one which provide essential social media services in one website, you can reach them at: https://famoid.com

NBN Co continues purchasing copper for “multi-technology” mix

Christian Woods
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NBN Co continues purchasing copper for “multi-technology” mix

A recent report has revealed NBN Co has purchased enough copper to run halfway around the planet.

Since last October, an extra 4,478km of copper cable has been purchased, which is enough to line the distance by road between Perth and Sydney.

The investment, revealed in Senate estimates, brings the total tally for copper to over 21,000km.

Mitch Fifield, the Government’s Communications Minister, supported the use of copper in the original NBN rollout and has said that his NBN has connected more homes each month than during Labor’s entire time managing the network.

Mr Fifield cited that countries “like the USA, UK, Germany, France and more” were all using multi-technology mixes for their networks in order to reduce costs while sacrificing download speeds.

He also said that his government’s “faster, more affordable NBN” was “keeping your internet bills down and your taxes lower”.

In order to speed up the rollout of the NBN, the Coalition Government mandated that the NBN use more existing copper-based connections. The copper wiring is mainly used between the “node” and the “pillar”.

Michelle Rowland, Labor’s communications spokesperson, said that the continuing purchases of copper were a “bad investment”.

She said that the Labor party had urged the Government to stop using its “second-rate copper” and enforce a minimum “fibre to the kerb”.

She went on to say that a greater mix of fibre would “deliver a better outcome for consumers and taxpayers”.

Currently, more than 1/3 of houses will be connected with fibre-to-the-node technology.

As the next federal election looms around the corner, Labor has yet to announce its alternative NBN plan.

Next month, NBN Co expected to release an updated corporate plan.

What are the benefits of outsourcing paralegal?

Adriene Raynott
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What are the benefits of outsourcing paralegal?

Law practices are like any other business with the “bottom line” getting precedence over everything else. Hence the focus in high or low seasons is to reduce costs without affecting productivity. However, this is easier said than done as expenses for salaries and benefits to lawyers as well as rentals on office space can be quite high and lowering manpower can drastically affect the quality of services.

The best option, therefore, is to outsource legal administrative work to external paralegal services that have the expertise and experience to meet your expectations and complement your in-house team.  

The benefits that accrue from outsourcing certain paralegal function can be categorized into general and cost benefits and these two will be seen in some detail here.

General benefits

There are a number of general benefits that can be had from outsourcing certain key functions to agencies offering legal support services.

Easy delegation of work

Most support services have wide experience in this field having worked with different law firms and attorneys. Thus they will be very conversant with all types of work and office procedures and can easily adapt to any work delegated to them.

Flexible working hours

Paralegal outsourcing agencies do not have fixed working hours unlike general business times followed by law firms. Hence you can delegate work to them and have it completed and returned to you quickly and in a time bound manner. You can thus maintain a better work-life balance without compromising on meeting deadlines.

This is more so when you outsource to offshore paralegal services. The difference in time zones means that the work uploaded at the end of your business hours will be completed and sent back at the opening of office next day.   

Focus on core activities

Your core activity should be to expand and develop your client base and spend more time on meeting clients instead of micromanaging routine tasks. By resorting to outsourcing you can have time to attend seminars and concentrate on devising business development strategies.

Specialized training is not required

Most law firms spend considerable time and money in training freshly recruited paralegals in areas of special software training, computer training and other systems training. Outsourced legal support services, on the other hand, have a great deal of exposure to the working methodologies of different attorneys and can quickly adapt themselves to any work pressure and procedure.

Savings in costs

Law firms around the world are optimizing their profitability through the simple act of outsourcing legal services. This is because there are a number of avenues for cost reduction and increase in savings, dollars which can be put to better use for business expansion and diversification.

Here are some of the ways law firms stand to gain through cost savings by spinning off paralegal functions to external agencies.

Medical and dental benefits

Medical and dental benefits have to be paid to hired paralegals and when required to their spouse and children too. This expense is not payable to external agencies. The average of one employee can exceed $5,000 perannum.

Pension plan

Many employers offer a 1% to 3% matching contribution to what employees pay into their pension fund. If there are a number of paralegals working in-house, this can add up to large sums annually. This amount is saved once paralegals are not hired but the functions are outsourced.

Paid vacations

Full-time paralegals are paid two weeks paid vacation every year and about five sick days in a calendar year. All these can be negated when outsourced paralegal services are hired to carry out the work. Moreover, these services do not charge overtime if they have to work extra to meet deadlines which is not the case with in-house paralegals.

Annual review and raise

Paralegals have contracts with a provision of annual raise in salary after the review which can be anywhere in the range of 2% to 5%. This is not required for hired legal support service seven though in some cases contracts may be renewed with a raise depending on increased volumes of work.

Outsourcing paralegal is a sure way to increase the productivity of your law firm, reduce expenses and boost profitability.

How to transform your retail store into a customer magnet

Lilly Connors
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How to transform your retail store into a customer magnet

Retailers have had a rough couple of decades with the exponential rise and popularisation of e-commerce, but that doesn’t mean that they are out of the race just yet. In fact, even though the online marketplace is gaining traction more than ever, retail stores are also on the rise across the globe, as the modern demographic has cultivated a culture of shopping as a laid-back, enjoyable pastime experience.

Such an experience is tough to replicate in the online arena, which is why retailers should exploit this opportunity as much as possible in order to ensure continuous growth in the future. With that in mind, here are the steps you, as a retailer, need to take in order to transform your store into a customer magnet.

Perfect the art of customer satisfaction

In the modern world of personalised shopping, diversity, and the never-ending race to appeal to a wider audience, customer satisfaction plays a vital role. In fact, customer satisfaction might just be the thing that will define your future in the competitive market, and help you become the leader in the industry.

It should go without saying that your customer service, both offline and online, should be par excellence if you want to stay relevant in a sea of competitors. Remember, you have an advantage over your online counterparts, and that is the intrinsic ability to create a deeper bond with your audience through personal interaction. So don’t waste the opportunity to dazzle everyone who walks into your store with a warm smile and professional assistance.

Exploit the power of social media

Online marketing is not only for online businesses. In fact, retailers should take advantage of this powerful mass media tool to reach new audiences, spread the word of their brand and attract prospective customers to their physical stores. How do you achieve this, you ask?

Start by taking your brand identity to the online realm and disseminate your stories, visuals and promotions across all relevant social media platforms for maximum engagement. Share your photos, content, communicate with your audience, and be sure to throw frequent promotional events that will get customers into your store. Stay consistent and don’t forget that social media management is a journey, so don’t allow your SM accounts to fall silent or your brand will lose its credibility quickly.

Design the perfect layout

Arguably, one of the most important aspects of a successful retail store is its interior design. Creating a perfect floorplan with a striking and functional layout, all beautifully portrayed and accentuated with colours, lighting, and focal points has become an art form as much as a psychological strategy that guides the customer on a memorable shopping journey.

This is why current office refurbishment trends for retail spaces emphasise layouts that evoke the right emotions, inspiring positivity and comfort every step of the way. With a meticulously organised layout, ample, warm lighting, plenty of free space, and a clear path to guide the customer through every corner of your store, upselling your products and creating an amazing shopping experience will be a breeze.

Stay in touch, spread the word

Your business is only as good as your follow-up strategy, at least in the overly-competitive modern marketplace. Think about it, if you do not maintain communication with your customers, what’s to stop them from giving your competitors a chance? After all, consumer trends are shifting constantly, and you want to keep your competition from stealing your customers behind your back by maintaining communication through follow-up emails, discounts, and promotional material.

Build a loyal brand following

In the overly-saturated market place where every brand is fighting for their piece of the proverbial pie, branding is the thin red line that separates the winners from the losers. Keep in mind that shopping is an emotional rather than a rational experience, and if you want to build a loyal customer base, you need to build a strong brand, boasting beautiful visuals and relevant, relatable stories and messages.

Lure customers with promotional events

Finally, retailers should never stop offering promotions and discounts to their customers. When your customers know that something is always on sale at your store, they will naturally gravitate towards you, eager and curious to find out what you have to offer this time. It’s a simple, yet highly effective luring strategy you should always have in your arsenal.

With retail stores of every kind popping up at every corner, business owners might find it difficult to stay relevant, let alone drive new traffic into their store. That said, you can easily solidify your position in the market and reach new heights by introducing these several key offline and online solutions.

Usain Bolt looking to move to the A-League

Christian Woods
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Usain Bolt looking to move to the A-League

Sprint king Usain Bolt has been linked to the Central Coast Mariners in a move that has stunned both the athletics and football worlds. Reports have emerged that Bolt and the Mariners have agreed to a 6 week trial to see if Bolt is good enough to make the squad, with a potential season-long contract on the line.

Usain Bolt has made no secret of his desire to play a professional team sport following his retirement from sprinting. He grew up playing football and cricket, and assisted the Australian cricket team in their preparations for last year’s Ashes series. Bolt has also featured in numerous celebrity cricket games, where he has proved a handy fast bowler and powerful batsman.

The world’s fastest ever man has trialled with professional football clubs before, attempting to break into the team of German giant Dortmund earlier this year, as well as Stromsgodset in Norway. Having failed to make it in Europe, Usain Bolt will now try to enter professional football in the lower level A-League.

The main problem is money, with the Mariners saying that they will need the A-League to use some of its marquee player fund to attract Bolt. Many in the Australian footballing community believe the money could be better spent on luring football stars to Australia, but even the full marquee player fund is only $3 million, which is not enough to get recognisable names into the A-League for even a few months.

Usain Bolt has undeniable drawing power – 1400 people came to watch an open training session during his trial with Dortmund. He would likely massively increase crowds at Mariners matches, especially away games where he would only be at the stadium once or twice over the season, as well as merchandise sales. If he has even mediocre ability (by A-League standards) there is a clear financial imperative to sign him.

The only problem is that if Bolt is clearly not up to standard, the A-League will lose a lot of status as a footballing competition. He will need to impress during his trial period in order to overcome the doubters and earn his place.

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