Affiliate marketing business has gotten a lot of buzz in recent times due to advances in internet technologies and upsurge of social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.
However, some affiliate marketers especially beginners struggle to earn profitably because they do not thoroughly understand the business.
WHAT REALLY IS AFFILIATE MARKETING?
Affiliate Marketing is the process of earning online commissions by promoting products and services. Your commissions are earned each time you get a lead (Potential customer) or sell products online.The interesting aspect of affiliate marketing business is that you can make a ton of money with a little monetary investment.
Furthermore, you can start the business without products or services of your own, work from home and earn passive income even while sleeping if you have an effective system in place.
HOW DOES AFFILIATE MARKETING WORK
Register under the affiliate program of reputable companies that have valuable products and services.
Decide on the niche products to focus on.
Get your custom affiliate tracking link for each product you decide to promote online.
Select the right traffic source to use in promoting the product.
4 MAJOR WINNING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE YOUR PROFITS ONLINE
Focus on a single niche at a time
You should choose a niche that you are both knowledgeable and passionate about. For example, Weight loss, Supplements, Nutrition, Pet training etc. This enables you to easily persuade your customers to buy your products. Also, this will allow you to learn and acquire new selling strategies that will increase your sales and multiply your profits.
Select traffic sources
It is recommended to focus on 2 traffic sources at a time. I will recommend focusing on one search engine and one social media traffic at a time. This enables you to properly track and optimize campaigns launched on each platform thereby maximizing your profits per product.The secret of super affiliates is their ability to focus on a traffic source, testing and tracking campaigns optimally.
Test marketing strategy to use
You can never know if either blogging, social media or video marketing will be most profitable until you test marketing strategies such as:
Blogging: You can write a blog post using well research keywords for search engine optimization. This attracts your clients to your blog and causes them to make a decision.
Video marketing; You can make a video describing the features of the product then you upload it on YouTube for people to watch.
Social Media Marketing: This is the commonest and the easiest method especially for beginners. Facebook is a very good platform because it has lots of groups/forums where you can find people who are interested in your product and service. You can easily send them a friend request and pitch your products to them.
Track the data/results gotten from each of the methods then you focus on the method that produces the greatest profit.
Select the traffic type
The traffic type can either be free or paid traffic.
Free traffic involves search engine optimization, social media groups, and article marketing. The drawback of this method is that it does not allow you to target your client based on their interests and demographics.
Paid traffic involves using Pay per click or Pay per view advertising on search engine and social media platforms. This method is faster, associated with increased conversion and profits because it allows you to target your clients specifically based on interests and other features.
One of the keys to successful digital product creation is picking a problem you can solve. Too often, many new Internet marketers will choose to create a product they like, but that usually doesn't solve a problem that is currently in the marketplace. As a result, there is no real demand for that product.
The common result in this case is that the person will go to a great deal of time and effort to create his/her product, but when no or few sales comes through, the person becomes disillusioned by the prospect of making a profitable living online, calls it "a scam," and often returns to their dreary job, figuring it's the only way to "make it in the world."
To have an in-demand product, you need to create a product that solves a problem. If this problem is widespread throughout the industry, and you develop an effective solution for it, people from all across the industry will want to get their hands on your item, setting you up for some nice profits. Thus, it is critical that you find a problem you can solve, then develop a solution for it, whether it's an e-book with information of an effective solution for the problem, a software program that can alleviate the problem, a membership site with information and resources that can solve the problem, etc.
You may be wondering, "how do I identify a problem I can solve?" Here, you will need to do some observation and some research. Some of the best ways is to go to your favorite search engine, type in the industry or topic you are interested in along with "+ forums." This should bring up a list of online forums that serve the people in that industry or who deal with that topic. You can go to these forums and read about the current topics and issues being dealt with in that industry. You may have to register at these forums first in order to access some sections of them, but this is not the case at all forums.
If an issue or problem continues to be brought up by several members of a forum, chances are that this is a problem you can build a product around in an effort to solve or alleviate it. This is a problem that is demanding a solution, and you have the opportunity to provide that solution and make good profits by doing it, plus build your reputation as a problem solver and solution creator.
You can also read about various topics and information in online newsletters, magazines, and ezines related to your industry to find potential problems that you can build a product around. Oftentimes, there are statistics in publications regarding common problems people in an industry are facing; if the statistics indicate a great deal of people are struggling with that same problem or issue, you have a potential product idea to build around.
Social communities are all around you and the chances are very good that you are a part of at least a few online social communities for your business. However, did you ever think about building your own online community and populating it with the people who you feel will be most effective? There are easy ways to accomplish that and before you know it, you will have created an amazing online social community of your own.
Choosing the right theme and the right people
When it comes to growing a social community online, there are certain important things that you will want to consider so that your community is really effective and it really accomplishes the goals that you have set up to accomplish over time.
Once you have been able to build your social community, you will need to grow that community and continue to populate it with the most appropriate people so that the discussions that occur help the community to flourish. That means that you not only need to work the community once you have attracted the initial number of people but that you also need to continue to attract the right kind of people so that your community can grow and grow in the right way.
At this point, you are probably wondering exactly you should go about establishing and growing your social community and you should understand that it is not as intimidating or difficult as you may think it is.
Recognize that establishing and growing your online social community is a really good thing: There are several positive aspects of this. First of all, if the community belongs to you, you have control over who you admit and who you don't admit. You can choose to put limits on the types of discussions that occur or to let the people who are interacting to have a tremendous amount of freedom with the discussions that they are having. It is totally your call. Of course, the other people have free will. They can choose to be a part of your community or not.
If they choose to leave, so be it. On the other hand, if they find your community to be valuable and to support their values and what they are trying to accomplish with their own businesses, they will probably be with you for quite a while. Another thing that is totally under your control is the types of people you want to have in your community.
You can promote the community in different ways and you can customize your promotion to appeal to the people you want to have around you. You should remember that if you populate your community with the right people, the quality of the interactions that you share with the community members will be very high.
Do it for the right reasons: If you are going to go through the effort and time to establish your community and then to populate it with cherry-picked members, you need to make sure that the commitment that you are making to the community is for the right reasons. Your community is a reflection of you and of the members of your community.
That means that you will express your values and anyone who is involved with your community will understand your position on a whole bunch of issues, not to mention that your core values and your mission will be apparent as well. Just as is the case with the other communities (belonging to other people) of which you are a member, you will need to revolve around top-quality, relevant, valuable content that allows the community to grow in the right direction.
It is important to remain well aware of the fact that your community is made up of human beings. That means that you all interact on an emotional level. That fact alone will allow you to grow the groups successfully because the relationships that you share with the other group members will become deeper and more meaningful over time.
Choose the right members: In addition to establishing your social community for the right reasons, you also need to choose the right people with whom to populate your community. Without them, your community will not be successful. You will want to be very careful about the demographics that you choose. Considering that it is an online community, geography may not play an extremely important role. However, each community is different and your community may end up being a combination of online and in-person. That is entirely up to you. Whatever demographic aspects you choose, you will want to make sure that the people who possess those features actually enhance your community.
Ensure that your community experience is valuable to your members: The truth is that there is a lot of information out there and, let's be honest, a lot of garbage out there as well. The fact is that, once you establish your community, you have a responsibility to the members of that community. You should make certain decisions right at the beginning, as you are building the foundation of your community. It is important to remember that your social community is not just for your benefit. The members of the community deserve just as much as you do.
The only difference between you is that you are in a position in which you can make decisions. In your quest to attract the most appropriate people, you will need to make a tremendous effort to let those people know that not only is your community worthwhile for them but that you will also do your best to make them want to stick around for a long time. Smoke and mirrors can be very impressive; however, if you have not substance or real meaning to your community, what is the point?
The people are what is important: The reality is that you will need to tell the right people about your community; however, the promotion of the community is not nearly as important as the people themselves. Your community is a democracy (to a great extent). That means that your members have opinions, thoughts, and feelings that matter to you and that matter to the community as a whole. You must always make the community members understand that you are not in it by yourself. Without them, there would be no community. Human beings love to be valued and they love to feel that there needs and want are important.
Conclusion
Your online social community can really do a lot of great work. Your online social community will increase your business' visibility and your credibility will increase. The people in your community will take you a very long way if you choose them appropriately. For that reason, you will want to take your time and choose them carefully. If you combine the right people (who have all sorts of amazing ideas) with the right information (content that is on target and extremely effective), you have a winning combination that will be a raging success.
Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
You probably interact with several different social networks. As a business owner, you are probably familiar with online marketing because you recognize the need for social media marketing. The reality is that since everyone else is doing it online, you need to do it as well. If you don't have that approach, you will be left in the dust and everyone else will move past you. However, what you may not realize is that there are several different types of social networks that may benefit your business.
The popular social networks and then some
The chances are that you are involved with the popular social networks, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. You may also be interacting using Instagram and YouTube. On the other hand, you may not even be aware of the other social networks and how amazing they may be for your brand and for your business. What you may not realize is just how much there is to social media and how much more you may be able to get out of it than you are aware of right now.
Social networks: The function and purpose of a social network are really simple. Social networks connect people to each other. That is exactly why they are called social networks. Social networks can benefit your business in several different ways, such as allowing you to do market research, generating leads, building relationships, etc.
Discussion forums: A discussion forum is a great place to get involved if you want to share your opinions with other people, hear their opinions, and really get a stimulating conversation going. All sorts of interesting nuggets of information can emerge as a result of a discussion that you have on a discussion forum.
Networks that share media: A network that shares media does just that. It is a network where people can share all types of media, such as photos, videos, and any other type of media that you can imagine. This type of network can benefit your business in similar ways to what happens with social networks. They can help you to build your brand and to build relationships, engage your target audience members, and generate leads, among a whole list of benefits. In many cases, these types of media are more effective than words (if used in combination, your content will be highly effective). It is important to remember that many people are visual, which is why they respond so well to visual content.
Content curation and bookmarking networks: If you are searching for new content, this is the type of network to do it. There is a good chance that not all of the content that you share is original content. You may be curating some of your content, which is an intelligent part of your online content marketing strategy. There are networks that can help you to get where you are going in this regard. This type of network can benefit your business in several different ways, including increasing your brand awareness, engaging your target audience members, and increasing traffic to your website.
Networks where you can leave product and/or service reviews: This is an important type of network because other business owners count on your opinion and similar opinions from other people. The fact is that everyone considers and buys a variety of products and services. Why not go a step further and share your opinion about what you have researched and purchased? It will certainly help the business owners if you do so.
Networks for publishing content: Content is the bread and butter of all businesses. No matter what you do and what you offer, the fact is that you will need to tell other people about those offering and your brand. Otherwise, the person on the other end will not know about you and if they don't know about you, you will not be able to establish a relationship with them and they will not buy anything from you at any point. Content marketing is a necessary approach for all businesses. The networks that specifically enable business people to effectively share their content for maximum impact are a critical tool to the success of those businesses (yours included).
Networks where people with common interests can get together: This type of network can apply to personal or professional interests. They are very effective and very successful on the whole. Because this type of network helps people to build relationships, that also means that you will be engaging the other person and build your brand.
Networks where people can shop for products: Since shopping is necessary and everyone does it, this type of network will be around for a very long time. Similarly to the other networks that have been discussed here, this type of network can also build brand awareness, enhance engagement, and sell products to other people.
Networks where people can trade: This one is probably obvious. If you have things that you don't want or need anymore, there is a very good chance that there is another person who does need and want it. It is a great way to clean up and build some sort of relationship at the same time.
Networks where people can be anonymous: One of the most attractive features of the Internet for many people is the idea that they are anonymous. Before the Internet, many people were reluctant or afraid to communicate using their own name. Now they can hide behind anonymity, which feels safer. Of course, it is not always the right approach to take but it is how many people feel.
Conclusion
Even if you don't get involved with all of the different types of social networks, it is important that you are aware of their existence and understand exactly what they are for and how they work. It is interesting to note that most of the different types of social networks have common threads: building brand awareness, engaging audience members, and establishing new relationships. It is only then that you will be in the position to reject them if you don't feel that they will work effectively for your business.
Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
There are rules of thumb but there are no hard and fast rules. The 'things people do every day to become successful' in what they do has so many variables.
Some swear by morning coffees, others a 20-minute nap. Give or take, that's almost always the story. Like I said, variables.
Routine, or better yet, discipline is what makes people successful. I will never claim to be a 'successful person' but what I HAVE been doing is working from home for the past 18 years. I hope you can share YOUR story about how you soften the rough edges off of your everyday work week too because it helps. Every little bit of advice helps, actually, because most successful people listen.
1. No Emails - Most people start their days off by rolling off their beds with everyone screaming at them. Your alarm is screaming. Your boss is screaming, your kids are screaming, your email is screaming. So, one of the things that I DON'T do early in the morning is to check my emails. People who know me know not to expect an instant reply from me early in the morning. That's when I am trying to sort my shit together so that I can get stuff done for you throughout the day. So, no emails in the morning. Only coffee is allowed.
2. Stay Dressed - This one is for those who work from home. One of the things that I've noticed in nearly 2 decades is that I dress for work (even if I will be in my home office or living room) the whole time I am going to be working. I don't know about you but the moment I slip on my cutesy 'lil comfy clothes, my zest for life and roaring enthusiasm to get things done slithers off from me like a layer of dead skin cell.
3. Meditate -Oprah's said it. So did Deepak Chopra and Cameron Diaz. It's not the woo-woo-woo stuff, trust me. It's more like sitting there in complete silence or with soft music gently caressing my ear, or just sweeping the floor (the movement is meditatively repetitive, try it!). Instead of thinking of it as a 'new age fad', think of it as Loading Your Gun Ready to Kick Down the Doors of the World. Badass when reworded, huh? I use an app to 'help me along' - Insight Timer. It has music, guided meditation, and... well... complete silence.
4. Don't multitask - It's something I was really proud of and multitasking was the only way for me to move the needle forward when the list of things-to-do was just way too long. I don't do it anymore. Instead, I think doing things in spurts is far more productive. One example would be that if I found vacuuming the floor THE daunting task of the day, I would mindfully vacuum the living room and leave the rooms and kitchen for tomorrow.
Silly example, I know, but when applied to work, it's pretty amazing when you give the tasks at hand short bursts of active, productive attention. When I am tired, I will come back with a whole lot more to contribute AFTER I've dealt with my brain fog instead of muscling through it. I mean, who am I to argue with the chemicals in my brain?
5. Coffee - I am just going to leave this right here. Explaining it any further is going to make me angry if you don't understand it. It's my survival poison.
6. Laugh a Little - A sense of humor provides a buffer against the build-up of stress and anxiety in your system. So, occasionally, load up your Tumblr or Twitter (where you are encouraged to follow people like 9gag - just a personal preference, of course) and just laugh a little.
Experts say that humor provides a powerful buffer against stress and fear. "Humor is about playing with ideas and concepts," said Martin, who teaches at the University of Western Ontario. "So whenever we see something as funny; we're looking at it from a different perspective. When people are trapped in a stressful situation and feeling overwhelmed, they're stuck in one way of thinking: This is terrible. I've got to get out of here. But if you can take a humorous perspective, then by definition you're looking at it differently - you're breaking out of that rigid mind-set."
7. Being understanding - I know this doesn't fit into the normal mold of 'things people do to be successful' but I think it's pretty important. Because most of us work with others, whether in the office or remotely, we often assume that people are being evil of mean when they're being a little less than nice to us. Sometimes, it's because they're tired just like you, exhausted just like you, overwhelmed just like you, have to pay bills just like you, are worried about their kids/parents just like you, or simply had an argument with a friend/spouse just like you.
I think this point is particularly important in the digital world. With the digital divide, we sometimes forget that we're dealing with human beings. Just like you.
Marsha Maung is a mother, writer, social media consultant, internet marketer and human. Her mission, as far as her work is concerned, is to bring brands, products, services and companies exposure. Find out more about her life from her personal blog (cooking, life, sense, parenting, writing, etc) or her professional WordPress blog MarshaMaung.Me. Hope to see you and connect there.
In this day and age, there are several people who work from home on a regular or on an on-and-off basis. The reasons could be numerous, starting from health issues, long commute, maternity, and so on. The belief that an employee needs to be in the office to be efficient is now gradually changing, with benefits of working from home arising aplenty. However, for some people, especially if you have just begun to work from home, things can get a bit overwhelming. Here are a few things you can do to organize your 'home office'.
A Constant Office Space
Setting up one room (or a portion of a room) as your office can go a long way in creating a sense of mood and motivation that might otherwise be lacking when you are not in office. Fix a table, an ergonomic chair (yes, it is an investment you will not regret if you work from home regularly), and other essentials you might need for work, for example, a charging station for your computer or mobile phone around that area. Stick to that place the best you can while working and move away when you are not. You can still visit that area when you are not working, but make sure it is not close to the bed that you sleep in. In smaller houses this might be difficult to arrange but try to set up your workplace in a different room than your bedroom. This is not because you might accidentally climb onto your bed, and sleep during working hours, but because your quality of sleep at night might be affected by the presence of your work things.
Air Quality
While you are indoors through the major portion of the day, it is important to ensure you get sufficient ventilation, and good quality air to breathe. If you live in an area where the pollution level is low, keep your windows open at all times for the fresh air to stimulate your brain, and improve your efficiency. If, unfortunately, you live in an area where the outside air is horrid, an air purifier is recommended. Remember, your health is of utmost importance no matter from where you work.
Exercise
Although exercising is a mandate for everybody, it is even more crucial for people who work from home. When you are in office, you might take frequent breaks down to the cafeteria or a roadside tea/coffee shop, but when you are home, these breaks are eliminated from your routine. Hence, it is of utmost importance to exercise regularly. Choose whatever works for you - yoga, aerobics, weights, cardio, but be regular and diligent about it.
Venture Out
Make it a point to get out of the house at least for ten or fifteen minutes every working day. You could either run a quick errand such as going to the ATM, picking up dry-cleaning, buying dinner, and so on, or you could take a simple walk in your neighbourhood at the very least. Going outside once in a day and seeing other people on the road helps your brain relax, because, after all, we are all social beings.
Do Not Overwork
Many people, especially in the beginning, tend to feel guilty about not working from the office. They feel that they are not working enough, or something is missing. Some people have it even worse because others who go to office regularly have a tendency to point fingers and condemn those who work from home. Snide remarks such as "Oh, what do you know about the hectic traffic we go through", or "You work from home, that must mean you have plenty of time", to "I don't think people who work from home actually get any work done", are very commonly heard. Do not get bogged down by such things. Just because you work from home does not mean you should work longer hours. Fix your work hours as you would if you were in office, and stick to it.
Affiliate marketers earn money by selling products created by other companies in exchange for a commission. But things online have become much more competitive than when affiliate marketing first started out nearly 20 years ago. Affiliate marketing is still a good way to make money online, but the rules have changed in recent years.
Today's successful online entrepreneurs have figured out how to make affiliate marketing work more effectively so their efforts bring the results they want. How do they do it?
The best way to make affiliate marketing work effectively is to increase the exposure of your affiliate links. These are the links that take your prospects to a sales page or website and which track sales back to you.
Your Own Website
One of the most important elements of affiliate marketing today is to have your own website or blog. This is where you produce content relevant to the products you want to sell. You can write general articles and provide links to suggested products at the end of the content. The most important things to remember are that everything you write should be the factual and the truth. This helps position you as an expert worth paying attention to.
Building an Email Marketing List
It can be challenging to build an email marketing list these days because people have such jammed inboxes. That being said, knowing your niche and your target audience are two of the best ways to come up with an incentive they will be keen to get and so will be happy to give you their contact information.
Two good incentives would be an eBook or eCourse on a hot topic related to your niche. Think of the kinds of problems people have in your niche and create an information product which offers real solutions.
Be Careful About What You Sell
Don't promote anything you would not use yourself or are not impressed by. You don't want to get the reputation of being an affiliate who will pretty much sell any old rubbish just to get a commission. Rather, you want to show you're in the know, with great deals on products that really work.
Keywords In Your Content
Keywords related to your niche will help drive free traffic via the search engines. Your keywords should be related to your topic or niche. They should be words that an ordinary person interested in your niche would search for. Keyword all media files such as images and videos as well.
Companies are happy to pay commissions to people just like you, in return for selling their products and services. You have the potential to make a great income when you choose the right niche, stay committed, and understand your audience. For a no-nonsense, kick-start guide to getting started, download my free checklist, Affiliate Marketing For Beginners at https://jonallo.com/affiliatechecklist
A website with responsive web design is a site that is able to adjust to the screen it is being utilized on, regardless of what device it is. The website consequently reformats to give the user a superior experience that is appropriate to their device and can give your site various advantages & in addition be in accordance with Google recommendations.
Increase in mobile usage
Over the last five years, mobile browsing has increased very rapidly, and more recently, with the launch of 4G, it's become almost as speedy as desktop browsing. Over that, the price of data plans has routinely dropped over the last few years, which means an ever-increasing number of individuals can comfortably spend hours tooling around and browsing on their phone, with no financial repercussions.
It is important that to have a responsive web design which works better on a smartphone or other mobile device screens, due to a large number of people who could be using your website through a smartphone or tablet.
Benefits of responsive web design
With a responsive site, all content and pages are adaptable to all screen resolutions and devices. Whether you're seeing a site on your cell phone or a laptop, it will be bound together and easy to navigate despite the varying screen sizes. Providing an ideal experience for the client no matter how you look at it, responsive web design means your user can read and navigate the web page with least resizing and scrolling.
Responsive web design can enhance user experience which will convert into a positive impression of brand and business. If the client can access site easily on all platforms, will probably come back to the same site for more business in the future and it more than likely means a higher conversion rate for the website. In reality, as we know it where so much traffic comes from mobile devices, it's essential that you're accommodating this factor through your website.
Responsive website design is now also important as a ranking factor. Websites that are responsive will generally load faster which is probably going to support the website ranking and decrease the bounce rate. Responsive web design can also make social sharing easier, helps to grow a bigger audience for the brand.
SEO campaigns and website support are also a much smoother process with a mobile-friendly website. Responsive web design implies you just have 1 website to take care of; it's also quicker and more affordable than making a stand-alone mobile application in addition to your desktop website.
Responsive Web Design is Especially Crucial for E-Commerce Sites
Do you know what one of the most serious issues for online stores is? Abandoned shopping carts. People getting bored or getting cold feet midway through the registration procedure, and essentially taking off. Billions of potential sales disappearing.
You must inquire as to ask why individuals are abandoning their purchases, and past the conspicuous doubts component, you have the way that a considerable measure of online stores still has long and challenging registration forms, an issue aggravated by poor responsiveness
The less demanding you make for customers to make buys on your site, the more deals you will appreciate. By incorporating responsive design, you're gaining an edge on the competition, and giving your customers an uncontrollably smoother experience.
SEO and Digital Marketing
It's long been confirmed that mobile speed and responsive web design is an effective ranking factor used by search engines to decide as websites rank, so ensuring that mobile-friendly design is a priority that improves your website performance in more ways than one.
Another shelter is that mobiles are hugely more social media friendly, with clients considerably more liable to exchange over to a websites social media links on mobile than on laptop or PC. And we as a whole know how significant social media marketing can be to any business.
Montek Learning Solutions is also offering Web Designing Course and Graphic Design Courses in Pune which covers extensive points required to become a specialist. Read more: http://monteklearningsolutions.com/web-and-graphics-design-training
Recent years have revealed some of the most stunning website designs since the dawn of the internet. Be it non-traditional navigation or mind-blowing imagery, we've come a long way. But as the landscape evolves, popular trends change in web design... like in all creative arenas. Indeed, much has changed and will continue to change. So what will be the web design trends for 2018?
Website design concepts in the coming year will offer interactive animations, chatbots, intuitive assistance and more rich experiences. Technologies like virtual reality, machine learning, and voice recognition are now advanced enough to be mainstream. You can expect streamlined, clean, and no-frills. Simplistic designs that don't overload the senses, and leave room for those new technologies to entice the online visitor.
Priority On Mobile Browsing
In 2018, design concepts and engineering for mobile devices will take precedence over desktops, notebooks, and other gear. While this won't make headlines, cell phones and tablets have recently taken over as the choice equipment for online browsing. A fundamental in the coming year will be Mobile Performance (or digital experience optimization), so 2018 will see innovations to the functionality on cells and tablets. Things we've never seen before, on any medium.
A Sleeker, Cleaner Layout
In recent times, designers started creating sleeker, cleaner website concepts for better browsing performance. Image-heavy pages are slow to load and frustrate visitors. Simplicity will be elevated to a whole other level in 2018, making smarter use of Negative Space. White space is nothing new, but among the web design trends for 2018, developers will find better uses for it. Particularly on mobile, speedy light-weight downloads will be essential.
Flamboyant, gimmicky designs are out. Everything is there for one purpose now: to increase conversions. Negative space draws attention directly to the engagement or conversion point, with less distraction.
Eye-Catching Typography
Beautifully crafted typography is known for imparting character, stirring emotion and setting a mood for a page. As visual displays evolve, designers will innovate on typography even further, appealing to users and attracting more visits. Already we're seeing bold, expressive, and artistic fonts taking the place of images, and we should expect to see more unique, hand-rendered typography. Among other web design trends for 2018, expect to see lots of bold headers and text links instead of buttons. This will have a trickle-down effect on SEO techniques and Content Marketing practices, too.
Video Takes On More Importance
All of 2017, we observed the continued rise of short video use on corporate websites. While video isn't new, it remains a multipurpose medium used for marketing, educating, and with a more modern twist than still photography. Indeed, an alternative approach to storytelling for businesses. Yes, video is taking over, and will become an even greater web design trend in 2018. Inspiring greater engagement, we find most online giants are giving more weight to video as time marches on. Facebook, Twitter and Google are among those.
Websites in 2018 will take video to new, thrilling places that seemed like crazy fantastic dreams not that long ago. You'll see websites equipped with 360 vids, 360 modeling, video mapping, and interactive applications.
Subtle Animations
Technology has evolved and web browsers handle animations much more efficiently than they did before. Animations used to be tacky and distracting, but 2018 will welcome a new dawn of subtle, informative animation. Expect to see cinemographs and scroll-triggered animations, among others.
Cinemographs: Achieving balance between a static picture and traditional video, cinemographs will be seen all over web design trends for 2018. Not as slow or data-heavy as a video, these quick clips create dynamic imagery that does just enough.
Scroll-Triggered Animations: while not new, they'll be used differently in 2018. They'll be employed for a purpose: to draw attention to critical locations on the page. Simplistic and tactical, these scroll triggers will be designed to increase engagement and conversions. The animation entices the user to keep scrolling, drawing them down to the conversion-point, while informing them on the product.
Voice User Interfaces
Perhaps the next major breakthrough that will revolutionize web browsing. Voice user interface is otherwise known as Voice Search, Digital Assistant, or Natural Language Processing (NLP). It refers to a person's interaction with a computer (or mobile device) through spoken word. Don't be surprised to encounter websites with their own voice user interfaces among web design trends for 2018. With voice search on the rise, be sure your company's website content is compatible, as people speak another way when using voice commands directed at machines. This will be especially important for open-ended searches, starting from an engine like Google or Bing.
Micro-interactions allow the user to interact with a website without reloading the page. Historically, the internet has been very static. Every new submission meant a page reload. While this appears minor from the outside, it actually creates a hiccup or bottleneck in the user's enjoyment. Some visitors will simply lose patience and abandon ship, and you'll lose consumer data or possible conversions. Micro-interactions help eliminate those hiccup delays, yielding richer interactions for the visitors, who are now more likely to stay and engage with your site.
Progressive Web Apps
Many designers, recognizing the popularity of mobile apps, have begun developing a blend of traditional app behaviors with web page behaviors. This website-app hybrid is called a Progressive Web App.
As progressive web apps become more popular, we'll see the upgrading of functionality of websites to include things like push notifications, splash screens, offline mode, and animated page transitions. We will see greatly refined cognitive capabilities, greater dependency on natural language processing, and more automation. Apps will learn and then react to your personal preferences and style.
The Power Of Facebook
Facebook is becoming equally valuable, if not more valuable, for offering all the content generally found on a business' website. Facebook is fighting to become a destination for content, offering a blog platform, reviews, live chat, and live streaming. This is especially true since the public has discovered how to use hashtags on Facebook. In many cases, clients discover a Facebook page before a business' website and never even click-through; they'll simply call or message online and become an immediate prospect.
In 2018 building your business' experience on Facebook will become more important than ever. It will use Facebook to drive people to your website, instead of the other way around.
Responsive Design
If you haven't heard of responsive web design before, it's a method of building a website using CSS media queries and flexible layouts to design one single, dynamic experience. It then adjusts the display of content, according to the type of device it's showing on. There will be a large increase in the number of companies who leverage this among their web design trends for 2018. Businesses will be utilizing responsive design to achieve the search rankings they desire; keeping consumers happy and informed during their online visit.
Security
Security Will Gain In Importance
In 2017, malicious hacking became an even bigger issue than before. Malware was bad enough, but the Ransomware outbreak was much worse. As you think about your web design trends for 2018, be sure to consider the security of your customer's information. Make sure your security certificate is always updated, and on all pages.
Trust will always be a major concern of users from now on. Your downloads? Your contact form? Their personal information? Will your website infect their desktop or other device? People will only interact with your website, download, and share their info if they trust your technology.
As there are thousands of innovations and patterns that quickly emerge every year in the world of web design, it is hard to predict the future. One thing is certain, the online landscape will continue to change, and change quickly. The important thing in business is not to get left behind... in 2018 or beyond.
The recent changes to the Facebook algorithm has set many entrepreneurs who were using Facebook to promote their businesses into a tailspin. In basic terms, Facebook will now prioritize relevant content from friends and family on timelines.
The reason for the change was, to some extent, a reaction to the issue of "fake content" on the social media platform. Facebook now wants to promote "real content" from real people, not international propaganda agencies disguised as people.
This means that posts from businesses will be less visible and is particularly hard on ordinary, honest businesses that are producing genuine content without trying to misinform or damage anyone.
So what does this mean for your business?
Good Content Will Always Be Shared
If you have plenty of engagement in regards to your content, you have a better likelihood of being in the new news feed. But even if you're not, those who genuinely like what you do will generally come to visit your page specifically to see what's new and to interact with your content.
Create a Facebook Group
Your personal Facebook page is for socializing. Your Facebook group is for socializing, and communicating with others that are interested in the topic or market in which you are doing business. When people join a group that you create, on a topic they're interested in, they look at you as a leader in that area. This means that you can promote your business while being in control of the process, something you can't do in someone else's Facebook group, or successfully from your own personal profile page.
Leverage Influencers
Influencers are folks who have grown a significant following on Facebook over time. They often keep to one niche or subject and offer their thoughts, opinions and expertise. Interact with their content, and you will become more noticeable. When people click on your name, they can go to your account, like your page, and start receiving your posts on their data feeds.
Offer A Variety of Content
Don't limit your marketing on Facebook to one kind of content, for example text only. Include things like memes, video, live video, short content, long content, infographics and so on. Videos should be short, sharp, informative and entertaining. Don't forget to ask for comments and shares.
It's not the first time Facebook have made major changes, and at least they informed people about them on this occasion. It's just a case of being more innovative and thorough, and watching how things unfold in the future.
Facebook wants you to succeed using their advertising platform. This just makes sense. If you achieve your business goals while spending money on Facebook advertising, you're likely to use that marketing practice again in the future. To learn how to make your Facebook marketing successful and profitable, download my Free Checklist, Successful Facebook Ads at https://jonallo.com/FBads
Alexander Pope said "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." it goes perfectly with the amateur usage of social media especially in the 21st century. We take social media for granted and do whatever we want which comes biting back later.
Social media has brought about new opportunities and avenues for the world to connect at large. With social media, the world has become a smaller place. On one hand, it is a great invention, and a lot can be done to better our lifestyles. But if we look at it with thousands of immature users it is becoming a somewhat scary place to live in.
There is a reason why most parents or older siblings try to keep the young ones away from social media handles these days. From being a platform to connect or share worldviews it has narrowed down to bring a platform to boost and troll. That is sad given that we can do so much with social media, it is sad to see how low to stoop.
Today kids of ages 10 have the access and accounts on social handles; it can turn into over addiction and an escape to a fantasy world. This fantasy world that we create behind the 15-inch laptop screen might be a scary affair. The fit models with perfect bodies, exotic travel locations, and photo-perfect moments most often don't match with the lives we lead on a daily basis. This disconnect might want us to aspire for more which might not be possible in reality and can affect our mental health.
The thrust for more followers or likes has a dangerous effect on our mental health. You start feeling anxious, a lack of identity, less sleep causing insomnia, a negative body image can be some of the significant issues that a social media addict might, face. You make yourself as desirable as the models you see around you, you keep adding filters and edit your pictures to look 'perfect, and your sense of self is lost. You want to become someone you are not. You start hating yourself for not having the ideal body, the perfect shape, so on and so forth.
Researchers across the globe have found that the "fear of missing out" created across all popular social feeds can substantially lower self-esteem and fuel issues like anxiety and depression among individuals.
On a large scale, not only teenagers but people nowadays take the social platform too literally and believe in a lot of fake news of hoax that is being circulated just for publicity purposes. People today are falling for dangerous trends that they see on social media or think it is cool to be a part of. The trend of being a part of a social group is what is causing more harm than good.
You have to understand you being social has nothing to do with the number of friends or followers you have on social media. It can all be a farce, just by seeing another peer having many followers you cannot be jealous and want that life. Don't let social media be a drug that is so addictive that you cannot live without.
All of these leads to identify threats that take place due to the sharing of too much personal information on the net unnecessarily. You can also see a rise in hate speech and social disgust across social media accounts which is completely uncalled for. The most disgusting thing that is coming up a lot in the 21st century is cyberstalking. It can be too dangerous and is even taking lives. Immature usage of social platform has to stop and stop now.
After using social media handles many people decide to keep themselves away from it as there is no or very minimal privacy with the extensive use of social platforms. If not handled sensibly your life becomes a window to the world. A subject of discussion.
We as a world lack smart users. We either take everything for granted, or we take things too literally. Having said all of this it does not mean that social media is all that bad with only negatives. Of course, not, there are plenty of benefits of social media. It keeps us connected across vast distances, let's us find our school buddies and long lost colleagues. If your motive is to stay connect or share an opinion about life and other stuff but if social site is your source of news or emotional upliftment it is undoubtedly a bad idea.
A big number of videos are being viewed on Facebook every day. And now that Facebook's algorithm prioritizes video over other types of posts, you've probably also included video in your Facebook paid advertising strategy.
Like every other piece of content on that site, yours is competing for your target audience's attention. This means that while your videos are getting views, they might not actually keep your audience's interest for long. Worse, it won't lead to your ultimate goal-getting conversions.
Luckily, Facebook has a feature to measure how long your audiences view your videos, and then some. By understanding all these tools, Facebook allows you to work around what your audiences consider interesting. It can help you develop better strategies for video marketing.
Audience Retention
This feature shows your video's retention over time. That includes:
• the average view duration
• the total views for the first 28 days since it was uploaded, and
• the number of users who watched your video to completion or for 30 seconds.
Audience retention is useful for knowing how long people spend watching your videos. For instance, you could find that within ten seconds, your audience views dropped by 40 per cent. With this information in mind, you can create shorter content to keep your audience intrigued by what you offer.
If in the middle of your video you find that there was a large drop in views, try to find what people didn't find engaging, and work on it.
Facebook will be adding new and even more useful features to measure audience retention. They are currently not available yet, but we're rounding up how it can benefit content creating more.
Followers vs. Non-followers
This metric segregates viewers who are followers and non-followers of a page. This can help provide insights as to which people are able to reach your content and the kind of audience you want your page to attract.
Zoom Chart
The Zoom Chart helps you manage your data more accurately by letting you look closer at your stats to see which moments in your video are more engaging than the rest. This can help you create more content that focuses on something your audience considers engaging.
Audience Demographics
This metric helps you measure your audiences' retention by gender. In other words, you'll be able to see whether male or female viewers have longer video retention.
While creating content is not always easy, measuring what your audiences consider interesting can help. In the golden age of videos, it can seem like your advertising campaign could be fighting to stay relevant. By understanding what your customers want, you can come up with more ways to create engaging videos.
Whether you're hiring a company to assist you with your videos for Facebook paid advertising or creating them by yourself, it helps to know how to use these features for measuring your videos' impact on Facebook.
As I've said repeatedly, "It's called social media for a reason." How do you gain traction with people on social media? Not by telling them things, but by asking them questions.
When you make a post, go ahead and finish it with an open-ended question, something like "What do you think about the topic? Post your thoughts below." BTW, and open-ended question is one that doesn't automatically elicit a short, one or two word answer like "Yes" or "No," "red" or "blue." It asks people to express their inner views on a subject, to answer expansively.
Of course, the other part of the social media equation is interacting on other people's posts. In order for you to be seen, you need to do more than write your own posts. Of course, other people are asking questions on their social media posts. Some of them are asking closed questions, to be sure. "Am I right - yes or no?" A few people will be asking open-ended questions. Either way, when you reply, your voice is added to the conversation. More importantly, your on-line name or handle is added to the stream of information flowing past the eyeballs of others.
If you look for advice on marketing, a metric crap-ton of people will shout a single-word piece of advice at you - "Content!" What they mean is that you should be creating unique information to put in front of others to grab their attention.
But here's a bit of content the so-called experts tend to overlook: asking your own questions on other people's social media posts.
Let's say, someone makes a post about carpet cleaning. Yes, I use that industry in a lot of examples. So let's say a person posts that you should steam clean your carpets at least every six months. Go ahead and ask your own question! Like with your own posts, open-ended is best. "In addition to the 6-month cleanings, should I also clean before a holiday gathering?" You could switch that to a closed-ended question: "Which is best, cleaning before or after a holiday gathering?"
If you can't think of a relevant question, it's okay to ask for examples and clarification. I can guarantee there are plenty of other folks out there who would like additional examples or a different explanation. "Is there a different schedule you'd recommend for a carpet in the reception area of a business?" "Can you give an example of a hotel lobby carpet cleaning process?"
Asking relevant questions, ones that dig deeper into the subject of the post, are often nearly as good as - and sometimes better than - the original informational posts, and will get your name out there as someone who knows what they're talking about.
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Scott Gardner is the founder of boutique firm Agile' Marketing Services, LLC. They specialize in working with their clients to become Recognized Experts, and using that status to leverage the clients' marketing efforts. For more information, please visit http://www.AgileMarketingServices.com.
