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5 Unusual But Effective Team Building Activities

January 21, 2021 Business Advice Starting Out

When it comes to team building activities there are many tried and trusted ones that invariably help team leaders achieve the desired results. However, if you are one of those team leaders, managers, or coaches looking for something that differs from the norm, you will be pleased to know that there are numerous unusual team building activities.

One of the reasons that these unusual team building activities are so popular is that, just as with activities that you might undertake with your family or friends, the more remarkable and out of the ordinary they are, the more they are enjoyed. For a team leader looking to provide activities to help build their team, if the members of that team are actually enjoying those activities, the more they will benefit from them.

The question that might be on your mind now might be ‘Exactly what are these unusual team building activities?’. Well, for a start we going to outline 5 of them, but beyond that, a simple search online using the search term ‘team building activities’ preceded with any of ‘unusual’, ‘bizarre’, ‘unique’, ‘extraordinary’, or ‘unconventional’ is bound to provide you with loads of excellent ideas.

One thing that these activities must be to qualify as being unusual is that they must be as far removed from the normal activities that your team would normally participate in. In other words, if they are a sales team, do not use sales-related acuities or if they are a team of dancers, by all means, have physical activity, but not one which requires them to dance. Here are those 5 activities…

Axe Throwing

The bowling alley is old news so why not go to an axe throwing centre, with lanes where your team can try to hit targets with an axe. It can be made more competitive by splitting the groups into teams, and afterwards, you can all sit and have something to eat or drink whilst discussing hits and near misses. Continue reading “5 Unusual But Effective Team Building Activities”

Boosting Dental Client Numbers With Effective Google Ads Campaigns

December 17, 2020 Marketing

For any dentist who wishes to expand their client base, and in turn their dental practice, there are many ways in which it can be done. The number of marketing and advertising options is greater than the number of teeth in a healthy mouth, but there is an advertising platform that has proven time and time again to be one of the most effective, and that is Google Ads.

We should actually caveat what we just said, by including the words, ‘if done correctly’, because if a Google Ad campaign is set up without following some basic principles and implementing certain steps, then it is doomed to fail. That failure can range from you not getting any traffic to a website, to wasting lots of money getting traffic that is not really interested in what you are offering.

We mention taking a step-by-step approach and the first step you take isn’t to write and or do keyword research, but to sit down and establish exactly what outcome you want from your ads. It may not always be the case that you are trying to attract new clients, but instead, you might wish to add subscribers to an email marketing campaign, or you could want to expand your brand awareness to a wider audience.

Whatever the objective might be, that is what needs to be at the forefront of your thoughts as you progress through the rest of the process. Different objectives will mean that different keywords may need to be used, and obviously, the ad copy is going to differ also when alternate objectives exist.

If we focus on the objective of attracting more clients or patients into your dental practice for dental implants, then you need to ascertain what that audience is going to be. Parameters to consider are demographics such as age group, what their financial circumstances might be, and what locations they might live in.

Beyond these demographics you should also be thinking about what sub-groups new patients to a dental practice could be in. Are they people with poor dental hygiene? Are they those looking for a cheaper, or alternatively, a more exclusive, service? Do you offer cosmetic dental services and are trying to attract those customers?

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5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit From An Office Relocation

November 9, 2020 Business Advice

There are many office relocations that take place, not because the business chose to relocate, but due to other circumstances that arise. It could be that the building in question is being renovated by the landlords, or even sold.

Another reason could be that the business’s finances are such that continual rent increases mean the costs of remaining in the current offices is simply not affordable any longer. Of course, there are many other reasons out with the business’s control that force relocation, and the potential upheaval can also cause problems if it is not done properly by professional removalists.

Thankfully, forced relocations are rare, and a more positive type of office relocation is one which the business chooses to undergo of its own volition. These tend to occur due to the owners or senior management of a business seeing that there are several advantages to office relocation, and wishing to avail themselves, and their business of them.

An Improvement in Productivity

It is a well-known fact that if staff are happy and feel comfortable in the environment and surroundings they work in, then their productivity rates will be higher. Any business, including those that operate from offices, will benefit from increased productivity.

New premises can allow for the purchase of new and updated office equipment which can further improve the working environment for employees and provide them further ways to increase how productive they are.

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The Business Case For Not Ranking Your Home Page

October 1, 2020 Marketing Web Development

Whenever an SEO discussion takes place, and the subject matter is about ranking a website, the automatic assumption is that it is the website’s homepage that should be ranked.

In a lot of cases that will be true, but there are many arguments that differ from that thinking. Instead, the theory is that whilst the homepage might be ideal for optimising for the company’s branding, SEO rankings should be focusing on other pages, especially with regards to products and services. This is why we recommend hiring an SEO agency.

Now, this might surprise many of you, but if you read on, we will explain the justification and the business case for not ranking your homepage.

Diversity Of Products And Locations

Now it is likely that your business has more than one product or service on offer, and it is also possible that your business operates in, or targets, more than one location. Even if it does not at the moment, assuming you plan to expand, it may well do so in the future.

Whilst multiple products and locations may all be under one roof in terms of your website, each of them should be promoted on their own individual web pages, or on pages more aligned with that range or location.

If you are solely focusing on ranking your homepage, none of those inner pages ever stand a chance of finding themselves rank number one on google.

The point here is that the kinds of keyword phrases that you would target for those pages, may not actually be difficult to get good ranking for due to poor or limited competition.

This is a huge open goal being missed, as some simple, but effective SEO, could see those pages rank highly and thus your products and services being seen by a much larger number of prospective buyers and clients.

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Top 5 Tips for Creating an Eco-Friendly Office Space

August 16, 2020 Business Advice

Eco-friendly living is becoming increasingly popular in the modern world, and this environmental mindset is rapidly expanding into the business world. It doesn’t matter if you run a website design agency or a mechanics workshop – there are numerous things you can do to make your premises better for the environment.

In the rest of this article, we’ve explored our top five tips for creating an eco-friendly office space. Remember, these are just a few of our top ideas – there are plenty more things you could do to reduce your office’s carbon footprint and save our wonderful planet.

Turn Everything Off Every Night

Although it may seem a little self-explanatory, it’s amazing how many people don’t turn everything off before leaving the office. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of switching off all electronics – including computers, printers, and routers – along with lights and heating devices before you leave the office. Doing so will save electricity, and therefore reduce your environmental footprint.

Create a Sustainable Office Policy

If you don’t already have some sort of recycling and environmental policy, you need one. It’s as simple as that. Not only will these documents help you reduce your environmental footprint and transform your office into something “greener”, but they will also help you ensure you’re not breaking any laws.

Avoid Single-Use Items

Single-use plastics and other items, including stationery, coffee cups, and a wide range of other common office equipment, are the leading cause of what is arguably the biggest modern environmental catastrophe – pollution. Reduce single-use plastic in your office, and you will be going a long way towards becoming a much greener operation.

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Five Reasons Your Office Needs a Security Alarm System

July 22, 2020 Business Advice

Installing a security alarm or some other security system is a great way to ensure your office is protected from intruders and anyone else who may want to break in. This can save you significant amounts of money, especially if you hold valuable stock or other items on your premises.

There are numerous other benefits associated with installing an office security system. For example, it will help your staff feel safer – especially if you have people working night-shift or in a dodgy neighbourhood. With this in mind, we’ve outlined five of our top reasons why you should consider installing a security alarm system for your office. They include:

It Will Encourage Customers to Trust You

Having a visibly obvious security system installed will not only protect your business from fire and theft but will also help customers trust you and your services. A business that takes security seriously is much more likely to do things properly, as opposed to one that’s secured with a padlock and heavy chain or something similar. Additionally, people will be much more likely to trust you with their sensitive information if your premises are properly secured.

It Will Help Secure Your Stock and Other Valuables

Many businesses carry thousands of dollars worth of stock. If you don’t hold a lot of stock, the chances are that you use valuable electronic equipment. Or, you may even have customer items that are awaiting repair or replacement. Whatever the case, the chances are that you have a large number of valuable items on your premises, and having a reliable security system will help you protect these.

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When Do I Need to Draft New Workplace Policies?

June 2, 2020 Business Advice Legal Advice

If you’re an employer or manager of a large business, you need to ensure that the relevant workplace policies are in place. These are basically legal documents that outline the appropriate response or actions in specified situations such as covering what is or is not unfair dismissal. Many businesses use workplace lawyers to help them draft new policies.

However, it can be difficult to know when you need new workplace policies, and exactly what these should cover. To help you make these initial decisions, we’ve created a short guide outlining when you should consider drafting new workplace policies:

When Current Policies Are Out of Date

If your current workplace policies are old and potentially outdated, you should definitely think about reviewing and potentially updating them. Old policies could contain misleading or incorrect information with the potential to lead to serious workplace incidents.

If the People Using the Policy Have Changed

It often happens that when a business grows, the people working under a specific policy will change. When this happens, you need to conduct a careful review to ensure everyone is covered.

In many cases, you will only need to update small parts of the existing policy. At times, though, you may even need to draft entire new documents that complement the existing ones. If this is the case, think seriously about getting help from a workplace lawyer or other industry expert.

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How Can I Avoid Common WordPress SEO Mistakes?

September 19, 2019 Starting Out

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a crucial part of any WordPress website’s digital marketing strategy. SEO depends on hundreds of different factors, but some factors carry a lot more weight than others. This means that simply avoiding a few common mistakes when building and maintaining a WordPress website can go a long way towards improving your search engine ranking and making sure that you appear near the top of the search engine results for relevant keywords.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a short list of the most common WordPress SEO mistakes and the best ways to avoid them. They include:

Ignoring Meta Titles & Descriptions

Meta titles and meta descriptions never appear on your website design, so you might be excused for thinking that they aren’t important and ignoring them. However, to do so would be a very bad idea.

Both meta titles and meta tags are two SEO tools that play key roles in your website’s SEO score, and it’s very important to customise them for every single new page you publish. Try and write rich descriptions with keywords and a short summary of a page’s content, and make titles catchy and clickable.

Duplicating Content

A lot of people base their new website on a competitor’s site, especially if you’re working in tight niche. While this can work in your favour if you do it well, it’s important to make sure that you don’t duplicate someone else’s content, otherwise you will receive significant SEO penalties.Make sure that every single piece of writing on your website is completely customised to prevent any SEO penalties or red flags.

Using Too Many Plugins

Now, don’t get me wrong – plugins are great! However, it is possible to use too many. Most WordPress plugins are resource intensive, and they can slow your website down a lot if you’re not careful. A slow website will perform poorly from a SEO perspective, so it’s important to make sure that you only use good quality WordPress web design plugins that are relevant and useful.

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Top Tips For Managing Your WordPress Website

June 13, 2019 Business Advice Starting Out

So you’ve got a decent WordPress website with an attractive website design and all the content you want. It looks and works great, so you’re done, right?

Wrong. Running a WordPress website requires a lot of ongoing maintenance. Even if your site does work well, it’s a great idea to add new content and continue improving processes over time. Doing this will help improve the user experience for your site’s visitors, help you improve your site’s performance, and help ensure continued growth and success going forwards.

With this in mind, I’ve put together a short list of my top tips for managing a WordPress website. They include:

Update your WordPress software

WordPress regularly releases new performance and software updates. If you want to get the most out of your website, it’s important to make sure that you regularly update your software.

Luckily, the WordPress dashboard will usually tell you if your current version is out of date, and it lets you update with the click of a button.

Keeping your site up to date like this will ensure that you benefit from all the latest WordPress features and functions, letting you stay ahead of your competition.

Use a decent back-up plugin

There’s nothing worse than spending countless hours building a fresh web design, only to lose it all when your hosting provider’s servers crash. Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself against this.

Start by installing a decent back-up plugin. There are plenty to choose from, but try and find one with decent reviews that backs up your site’s content regularly.

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Building Your First Website With WordPress

April 23, 2019 Web Development

As the world’s most popular content management system, it’s estimated that over 30% of all websites are now built on WordPress. If you’re an inexperienced web developer who wants to build their first website, then WordPress is a great place to start!

However, WordPress isn’t all fun and games. You do need to make sure that you do a bit of research and learn about the platform and what it offers before you start, otherwise you will almost certainly run into problems. The following should help guide you through the basics of building your first WordPress website:

Choose between WordPress.org and WordPress.com

The first thing that you need to do when building a new website is choose which WordPress platform you want to use. WordPress.com lets you sign up and start building a website immediately. While it is certainly the simpler choice, it has a lot less flexibility and it can become a lot more expensive than WordPress.org.

This is because WordPress.org is basically software that allows you to host your own website. If you use WordPress.org, you will have to go through a lot more steps to get your site up and running, but you will have a lot more control over how you customise and design it. WordPress.org is definitely the better choice for anyone who wants to make money off their website.

The rest of this article will assume that you have chosen to use WordPress.org.

Choose a hosting provider & domain name

Before you can do anything, you need to choose a hosting provider and a domain name for your website. Make sure that you do some research and choose a hosting provider who offers at least 99% uptime and a dedicated resources. The team at Slinky Digital can make this process as smooth as possible.

Choosing a domain name should be relatively simple if you already know what your website is going to be called. Most hosting provider let you purchase a domain directly from their platform when you sign up with them.

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3 Reasons You Should Always Use An Expert Digital Marketer

February 11, 2019 Marketing

If you run or own a landscaping or landscape design business like Landscapes WA, the chances are that you don’t have time to stay up to date with all of the latest advances in digital marketing technology. The digital world is evolving at a rapid pace, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most competitive spaces on the planet.

If you want your landscaping business to remain competitive, then you need to make sure that you’re maintaining a strong online presence. There are many ways to do this, including through a high quality website, through social media and by using things like search engine marketing. A high quality digital marketer can help you do all of these things, especially if you’re not very technologically minded.

Our top three reasons why you should always use an experienced digital marketer, such as Slinky Digital Marketing, to promote your landscaping or landscape design business include:

Digital marketers know what they’re doing

Being familiar with the digital space and how it works is a crucial part of digital marketing. Since professional marketers spend their entire working life in and around various aspects of digital medial, they need to make sure that they’re staying up to date with advances in things like search engine technology and social media marketing.

When you employ an experienced digital marketer to work with your business, you can rest easily with the knowledge that they will do the best job possible. You won’t have to spend hours of your own time researching the latest online marketing techniques, and they will probably be able to show much better results in a much shorter space of time.

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Why A Business Should Use A Professional Car Mechanic

October 11, 2018 Business Advice

DIY mechanics can save you a lot of money. However, they can also lead to a huge range of problems, especially if you don’t have a lot of mechanical knowledge. If you’ve got an old car that’s not worth a lot of money, then DIY mechanics can be an acceptable option. However, owners of newer or luxury vehicles should always use a professional car mechanic for all repairs and maintenance.

Although something like a Mercedes Benz service can be expensive, according to MB Star Motors it’s worth paying the money to get it done properly. Using a professional car mechanic has a whole range of benefits, including:

They Will Identify Small Problems Before They Become Big Ones

Often, it’s hard to find small problems with your car unless you know what you’re looking for. An experienced mechanic who services cars for a living will know exactly what they should be looking for, which will help them spot problems. Fixing these problems before they got too big can save you a lot of time and money in the long run, especially if you’ve got an expensive car.

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AdWords vs SEO For Law Firm Marketing

August 31, 2018 Legal Advice Marketing

People throughout the world need lawyers on a daily basis. As a law firm, you want them to employ you, right? However, people can’t employ you and make use of your services if they don’t know that you exist, which means that it’s absolutely essential to build a strong online presence. A strong online presence will help more people find you, and can put you at the head of the pack as one of the leading law firms in your area.

Making sure that you appear in the search engine results when people search for lawyers and lawyer related keywords is a major part of building a strong online presence. You can do this in two ways – through Google AdWords, or through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). In this article we will compare the pros and cons of both.

SEO

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the act of making your website appear highly in the search engine results pages for certain keywords or subjects. It is relatively cheap, it is effective, and it brings results. However, it also takes time to get yourself to the top of the search engine rankings pages.

Pros:

SEO is relatively cheap compared to AdWords, especially for law firm marketing.
It isn’t all that hard to get yourself to the top of the search engine results pages, especially if you focus on location based keywords.
A well crafted SEO strategy brings results. The majority of people click on one of the first couple of results on a search engine page, which will send them to your website if you rank highly.

Cons:

SEO takes time.
SEO takes a fair bit of work, especially creating content and building backlinks.
Competitive keywords like ‘lawyer’ or ‘law firm’ can be quite difficult to rank for.

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Settlement Agreements

July 19, 2018 Legal Advice

All good lawyers will tell you it’s a fact most cases settle before they ever come to court. This is both a necessity and the logical outcome of the judicial process. It is a necessity because if every case were to continue through trial and a decision by a jury or judge, the judicial system would quickly be overwhelmed. It’s a logical outcome because the very nature of the legal process is designed to illuminate strengths and weaknesses of each party’s case and give them incentives to settle.

Furthermore, settlement allows parties to exercise more control over the terms of the settlement and have access to remedies that might not be available from a trial court.

But what kind of settlement ought to be achieve? And what type of process should govern settlement negotiations. Here are some tips:

(These 6 tips are based on the Ethical Guidelines for Settlement Negotiations produced by the American Bar Association)

Purpose: The purpose of settlement agreements is to satisfactorily resolve any disputes the client may face. The attorney represents the client both legally and financially and must always be acting in the client’s best interest.

Honesty: A lawyer’s conduct in negotiating a settlement should be characterized by honor and fair dealing.

Communication: Good lawyers must consider and discuss with the client promptly any and all alternatives to resolving the dispute outside of litigation. Without assistance from lawyers, clients often are not aware of potential alternative methods for dispute resolution. A lawyers desire to convince the client of the lawyer’s support for the client’s position ordinarily will not justify delaying efforts to discuss early settlement. As negotiations progress the attorney owes an obligation to constantly communicate the status of the discussions as well as the subject matter of the negotiations to the client.

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How Can An Accountant Save Me Money?

May 19, 2018 Business Advice

When it comes to running a business, forking out the money to hire an accountant can actually save you a lot of money in the long run. Although many small businesses can’t afford to hire someone full-time, even hiring a bookkeeper for just a couple of hours per week can make huge differences.

There are numerous ways that an accountant or bookkeeper can save you money. They can make your business run more efficiently, they will help you minimise your tax bill as much as possible, and they will be able to identify potential problems in your business model before they become major. Some of the main ways that accountants can help you save money include:

Via tax deductions or offsets:

Although you may not realise it, you may be missing out on a lot of potential tax deductions or offsets by doing your tax return on your own. Employing an accountant to both manage your books and complete your tax return can help you minimise these losses.

However, it is important to make sure that you use a seasoned professional who knows what they are doing. Try and find someone with experience relevant to your business, and don’t be afraid to pay a little more for someone who knows the rules inside and out.

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Why Your Business Needs a Commercial Lawyer

April 27, 2018 Legal Advice

Many Australian business entrepreneurs hire lawyers only when a problem crops up. It’s much wiser to seek the services of commercial lawyers as they can identify potential problems before they occur. It’s natural to be extremely busy with financing, loans, hiring staff, marketing etc as you launch your new business. In our minds, these issues often take precedence over legal problems which don’t seem to be of immediate concern. However, the truth of the matter is that smart business planning involves preventing problems before they occur and this includes working with a business lawyer right from the start.

Even if your business is a small one, many legal problems could crop up in the early years and interfere with successful operation. In general, commercial law is complex and so is the language that is used with it.

A reliable business lawyer can help you understand your options and select the ones that correspond to your business requirement. Dealing with legal issues can be frustrating, exhausting and demoralising. Your lawyer will be on your side from the time of inception of the business and will help you create partnership agreements in case of multiple owners. Lawyers can also help with drafting employer, contractors and other business agreements. While these may seem like extra work during the early days, the contracts become very important as the business becomes valuable. Even if you are an efficient problem solver, it always pays to forestall legal issues before they turn into problems.

Business owners cannot be expected to be familiar with every facet of Australian commercial law.

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Do You Think Your Lawyer Has Overcharged You?

April 19, 2018 Legal Advice

While the majority of workers in the legal industry will deal with clients in an ethical manner, there are those who might take advantage of their clients. The average person relies heavily on the expertise and skill of their lawyers, to make sure that they do not wind up in serious legal trouble. They also depend on their lawyers to disclose costs, and deal with them fairly regarding fees. Since the costs for legal matters can become exceedingly high, there are laws in place to protect clients.

These laws are intended to allow sanctions against any lawyers who charge overly high fees. Costs are also able to be reviewed by independent bodies. Under some circumstances, agreements regarding costs can even be set aside.

Overview of Costs Disclosure Requirements

When starting a professional relationship with a legal representative, it is best to get the retainer in writing. This serves as the work contract, but it is not a prerequisite. However, ensuring that you do get it in writing is a smart idea. This will allow future costs to be compared to what the lawyers claimed they would be in the beginning.

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Setting Up A WordPress Email Campaign With OptinMonster

March 5, 2018 Marketing

Setting up an email list is one of the most important steps on the road to website success. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t realise just how important it is, and therefore fail to do so for a long time after creating their WordPress website.

Current statistics say that over 70% of people who visit your website won’t ever come back unless you can get them to subscribe to your emailing list. Once someone is subscribed to your list there is a fair chance of them returning sometime in the future and who knows – they might even become a regular visitor!

There are a number of very good options when it comes to setting up an email marketing list that is directly linked to your WordPress website. Our favourite is definitely OptinMonster. Although it isn’t free, and can be somewhat difficult to get your head around to begin with, it is an extremely useful tool for all web developers once it is mastered.

What is OptinMonster?

The best thing about OptinMonster is its extreme versatility and the sheer number of features that it offers. Sure, you might have to pay for some of these features, but it will be worth every cent – I promise!

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The Important SEO Tips for Small Businesses in Australia

February 23, 2018 Getting Online Marketing

Do you want to improve your business visibility online? Ever wondered why everyone prompts you to improve your SEO marketing techniques? It is because this technique is the foolproof way for you to tap into an ever wider customer market, knowing no geographical boundaries or limits.

Search engine optimisation techniques are the magic formula which let you attract, draw in and ensure customer conversions, and make a success of your business in a unique way. As the popularity and impact of SEO techniques are gaining momentum and fame, it is fast becoming the foolproof way to reach out to and penetrate a large potential market, and enjoy business and success for your company.

To compete in a highly aggressive Australian market, it is essential that you play all your cards right. Remember, even if your business has a good website and a social presence, but lacks the search engine optimization techniques to boost its business, then you will have no chance to gain any visibility in the market.

Want to know great tips on how to build up, develop and improve on your search engine optimisation techniques? Then read on…

Recognize SEO Importance

The first step is to make sure that you understand how important SEO is for your business. You need to know how relevant it is to the success of your business. To sum up the necessity of having SEO, you just need to understand that with no efforts in this field, you won’t be able to attract any visitors from the different search engines.

With no SEO methods, search engines will not able to categorize or rank your website for any business relevant keywords.

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Who Is Responsible For Fire Safety In Your Workplace?

January 15, 2018 Business Advice

Fire safety is a huge concern in workplaces throughout Australia, especially in the hotter, drier parts of the country. While fire protection equipment like fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems can help protect your workplace, effective fire safety is about more than just installing the right protective gear.

Ultimately, you can have the best fire safety equipment in the world, but if no one knows how to use it, it will be pretty ineffective. It is therefore extremely important to make sure that you understand who is responsible for fire safety in your workplace, and to make sure that they understand what their responsibilities are.

So, Who Is Responsible?

Under Australian occupational health and safety laws, the management of any business or company has the responsibility to make sure that all health and safety risks – such as fire – are minimised. If a fire does occur, there must be someone on site who knows where fire safety equipment is kept, how it is operated and what sort of fire safety gear is appropriate for different types of fires.
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However, it is also the responsibility of employees to cooperate with a workplace’s fire management policies and procedures. In a lot of workplaces, these will include some sort of safety induction at the start of a job or when you enter a new workplace. This will often include an identification of where fire safety equipment is kept, and a brief explanation of how it is used. It is your responsibility, as an employee, to make sure that you take note of any safety information provided by your employer.

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Developing Eye-Catching Email Copy

October 15, 2017 Marketing

Email marketing is a major part of any large marketing campaign. It lets you connect directly with anyone who is interested in your business, your products, or what you do. Sending an email is a great way to deliver information directly to a lot of people, especially if you are finding that your website’s visitor numbers are dropping.

If done right, a marketing email sent out to your email audience can have extremely positive effects. The first (and arguably, most important) part of email marketing is the words themselves. You need to develop email copy which is eye-catching, engaging, and which will encourage the reader to choose your email over all the others in their inbox.

Get the subject line right:

The first thing that anyone sees when they open their email inbox is all of their new messages. Each of these messages is accompanied by a subject line which, ultimately, helps them choose whether or not the email is worth reading.

It is therefore extremely important to make sure that you get your subject line right. Even if you have average content within your email, a catchy subject line will still lead to a lot of people reading it. However, if you have a poor subject line, you will find that a lot of people don’t even open your email.

Keep it short, but strong:

People don’t want to spend hours reading an email. Keep your email copy to the absolute necessities. Once you have written a draft, go through and edit out any words which are not absolutely necessary. Doing this will help you create content which people can engage with, and will increase the chances of people reading your emails through to the end.

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7 Ways To Keep Your Social Media Followers Engaged

August 13, 2017 Getting Online Marketing

There are lots of social media sites with each having different formats, visuals, and means of communicating with followers. To explain how to keep your social media followers engaged on each individual site would be impossible, but here are 7 ways that should cover most of them, especially the most popular ones.

#1 Post Regularly With News and Comments

Failing to do this means your followers will think you are disinterested in them, and they will soon go elsewhere. An active social media presence with updates appearing regularly will have followers checking your pages or profile every time they log in. More importantly it will encourage them to share your posts which can increase your follower numbers significantly.

#2 Mix It Up

On sites which enable you to use content other than text, take advantage of this. Posting videos, graphics, memes and audio are great ways to keep your followers interested in your posts and keen to share them with their friends.

#3 Answer Questions Quickly

This is a very good way of letting your followers see you are active and more importantly interested in helping them. Often a question will be answered by you which could turn a potential customer into an actual one.

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Top 4 Benefits of Using Linux Website Hosting

July 2, 2017 Getting Online

Affordable and reliable web hosting services may be hard to find, but every web hosting service worth his salt knows that Linux and Windows are staples. However, it is the former that has the bigger piece of the pie when it comes to satisfying the needs of online entrepreneurs and publishers. Here are some of the top reasons why it is favoured:

Easy Modification and Experienced Developers

Since Linux is an open source platform, programmers can easily teak, distribute and improve it through different stages of development. Plus, the industry is filled with quite experienced developers who are constantly working to improve its functionality and fix issues as they crop up. Since they are not part of a corporate culture per se, most Linux developers are extremely disciplined, experienced and motivated. In other words, when you opt for a web hosting service that offers Linux, you can rest assured your website is in good hands.

Unmatched Flexibility

If a web hosting service offers Linux then it means it can take care of a number of important tasks that a website needs to remain supported 24/7. This includes hosting business applications, multimedia applications and even blogging websites such as WordPress. Plus, since the platform can be modified at a moment’s notice, it can be updated if required and issues can be fixed as they crop up. In other words, you can rest assured that your ecommerce website will remain online 24/7 if this platform is supporting it.

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Court Fees Deter Average Australians from Seeking Litigation

April 20, 2017 Legal Advice

Australian citizens often do not appreciate having access to a fair legal system. Being able to have a hearing is something that should be available to everyone. However, the costs associated with legal trials is often a deterrent to people who do not earn high incomes. Steep increases in litigation costs are one factor that is making it harder for “average” Australians to seek their own justice. And then there are the alternatives for dispute resolution, which seemingly work to encourage people to forgo litigation.

A problem arises because there is a risk that people who have enough money, including government bodies and large corporations, have access to litigation. If they cannot use mediation to get what they want, this is a viable option for these groups. On the other hand, people without the monetary means are left accepting alternative dispute resolution (ADR) decisions. Even when your average person wants to pursue a matter with litigation, they often just do not have the money to do so.

It does save a lot of time and money, when people are encouraged to seek mediation to solve their disputes. It can also save people the hassle of entering a courtroom, and dealing with a full-blown trial. Using the high costs as a way to drive people toward ADR could be creating a two-class system in regards to the law. Read more on Alternative dispute resolution

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Why Your Website Needs Terms of Use

March 10, 2017 Legal Advice Web Development

If you are in the middle of getting a website built, by a professional web design team, to conduct an online business, you may not have thought of the Terms of Use that are needed. Commercial lawyers would tell you that these are needed to protect you as well as to inform users of your website what to expect when using your website. Any visitors to your website become potential customers or clients and so need to have everything made clear to them about what you offer and what they should expect.

Without this important document, you leave yourself open to being sued if the customer finds that your goods are faulty or if the instructions on your website are followed and they don’t get the result they expected. For the best result, the Terms of Use document should really be drafted by a lawyer so that it is specific to your business.

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12 Aspects of Business a Financial Planner Looks at

February 23, 2017 Finance Advice

According to experts Andep, correct financial planning is an essential part of conducting business successfully. If you are considering purchasing a business or starting up one from scratch, having a financial advisor will be a great help and can save you a lot of money. If you are new to business, you might be wondering exactly what role a financial planner would play in your business.

Here are some of the aspects of business a financial expert would look at to help you: –

Income protection
Identifying business goals and aims
Business debt management
Risk management – insurance
Long term planning for expansion and growth
Investment strategies to maximise income
Managing tax to maximise deductions
Wills and trusts for when you sell the business
Asset protection
Estate planning
The financial planner may also work with other professionals such as accountants or lawyers.

They don’t just fix up your finances and then leave. Working with a financial planner is a long term thing as circumstances and rules tend to change over time. This means that what was once a good plan may need to be tweaked or changed completely in order to continue as a plan that is successful. It takes time to review the strategies and work out if they are still right for your business and then if they are not, to advise of and implement different strategies that meet your goals better.

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Have a Unique Product, Want to Sell Online?

February 22, 2017 eCommerce Getting Online

Have a Unique Product, Want to Sell Online? Are Your Prepared?

Congratulations!!! After months of rattling your mind you have decided on a lucrative online business opportunity and have accumulated capital to launch it. However, without a professional digital agency, starting an online business would not be easy as it appears, there are roadblocks before you can achieve a break-even in terms of profit. So, here is a 5-step checklist to guide and steer you toward success.

Did You Actually Get a Feedback on Your Product Before Launching?

If you thought your family and friends found your business idea or product highly useful, think again! Feedback obtained from people who are emotionally close to you would appreciate every business idea that emerges from your mind. Seeking a nod from them is a disaster for your launch. To validate if your product/service is unique and sell-able, you must conduct a market survey. Connect with potential customers on the social networks such as Twitter, What’s App, Pinterest, Google+, and FaceBook to gauge their interest in your product or use customer insight survey tools, such as Client Heartbeat and Qualaroo.

Know Your Competitors and Customers

Research the market competition before you can pitch your uniqueness to your audience.

Use tools like SimilarWeb, Google Alerts, Google Trends, and LinkedIn to gauge what your competitors are offering, how they are delighting their customers, and which are the popular sites in your niche. Use this knowledge to make your product different from your competitors.

Often, entrepreneurs first gauge the market response by launching a prototype of the product/service. They use the forums, blog sites, and social media channels to encourage potential customers to participate in their survey by offering them free samples or holding a contest.

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Main Issues to Consider In a Commercial Lease in Australia

January 21, 2017 Legal Advice Starting Out

If you are thinking of setting up a business, then either you have your eye set on a property or are scouring the market for the suitable commercial setup. If you don’t have the finances to buy the property at once, then you must surely be looking through different leasing options on offer. Commercial leasing in Australia for small businesses is quite common, and that is why there are many options available to accommodate the needs of different businesses in the segment.

While commercial leasing is a good option for anyone trying to setup a new business, there are also some important issues and regulations linked with the process. If you want to make sure that there are no legal irregularities, then you need to pay close attention to meeting all the requirements without error.

Some of the important issues related to commercial leasing for small businesses in Australia, include the following,

Rights as a Tenant

The lease details all your rights and related obligations as a tenant. If you want to make any changes or add any adjoining space to the property, then make sure that you have the right to do it, under the negotiation terms made with your landlord. Some important rights as a tenant that you would probably want to include in your lease documents include,

Use of any common area
Access to all areas of the premises
Use of certain facilities like toilets
Putting up additional shelving and partitioning
Putting up any sign on the property

It is important that you discuss all the details before signing a lease contract.

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How to Make the Most of Your Business Prospects

January 16, 2017 Marketing

Many people start off with high hopes of climbing the corporate ladder only to find as the years go by they didn’t get as far as they expected. There could be many reasons for this and appearance is one of them. You might think that there is no need to worry about your appearance when you have great business skills, but when you have wrinkles that age you prematurely it does matter. Some women even choose to have Botox treatment in order to remain looking younger.

The trouble is that most companies tend to look for younger employees who can be trained and stay with them for many years. This saves them the cost of constantly training new staff. They also want to present the image of a company with a workforce that is young enough to be up with all the latest technology. If, in your work you have to deal with the public a lot, looking older may work against you.

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Dividing Finances Equitably After Divorce

December 15, 2016 Legal Advice

Before you can get a divorce you need to have been separated for 12 months. Family lawyers will tell you that this does not have to be in different accommodation; you can be separated while still living in the same home if moving would cause financial difficulties. However, one way to prove to the court that you are separated is to have separate bank accounts.

So on the day you separate, you should set up an account in a bank or other financial institution in your name only. Even if you have no money, you can often simply set up the account with a zero deposit or a low deposit of one dollar. After that, if you are on a government pension or benefit, you can to go to Centrelink and have them pay the money into your new account.

While you are there, ask whether you can also have the child benefit payment redirected into your account if you are the main carer for your children. You will need to have at least some money in order to apply for the divorce because there is a fee involved. You can reduce the costs of a divorce, if you are on a government benefit or have financial hardship, but if you’ve set the account up on the day you separate or shortly after, you’ll have the chance to save some money in readiness.

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Content Strategies To Boost Your Site’s Ranking

September 19, 2016 Getting Online

None of these are “sneaky” in the sense of being gray-hat SEO or even immoral – they’re perfectly square strategies to become recognized as an expert on your topic. But they’re all strategies beyond “blog and hope” and link-mining, too. Consider what each of these content ideas can do for your ranking:

Interview a famous expert in your field – can’t get the Google Juice away from your competitor? Why not invite them to speak on your dime? Do a podcast interview with a leading expert in the field of your site’s focus. Many experts in small fields seek greater publicity, and there’s nothing like an interview invitation to boost somebody’s ego. Now Famous Competitor is linked to your site inextricably!

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Misleading Product Promotion

July 18, 2016 Legal Advice

Misleading Product Promotion Leads Federal Court to Order Significant Fines

According to www.lawyerslist.com.au it pays for businesses to get advice from lawyers and be careful with the way they promote their goods and services. In the case of ACCC versus Reebok Australia in 2015, the Federal Court gave Reebok Australia a fine of $350,000. They were found as having falsely advertised their footwear in Australia. In addition to these fines, there were also restraining orders issued, an order to correct the advertising, and $45,000 in legal costs. This was paid to the ACCC. Of particular interest is the fact that Reebok’s parent company, Reebok International, had already been dealt with for similar conduct in the United States.

The Federal Trade Commission, which fills a similar role to the ACCC in Australia, investigated the issue of false advertising and dealt with it accordingly. Reebok Australia was fully aware of the problem with false advertising, but did nothing to bring the practice to a stop, as far as the Federal Court viewed the matter.

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How to Create a More Comfortable Office Environment

June 21, 2016 Business Advice

If you conduct your business from your home or from a small complex that includes an outdoor area, it’s a great idea to provide alfresco furniture for staff to relax on during their coffee or lunch break. Being outside for just five minutes is so refreshing that they will come back to work full of energy, not to mention much healthier for having been in the fresh air and sunshine.

The idea of creating comfort in the office may seem at odds with that of getting staff to work in a brisk, efficient manner. But if employees are uncomfortable at their desks, they will take a lot more breaks simply to ease the aches and pains they feel. In addition, it is much harder to focus 100% on any task if you are feeling physically uncomfortable.

Creating a more comfortable office is not difficult and your staff will be much happier and more productive. Experts tell us that it is not good to sit at a desk for hours at a time. Employees need to get up and walk around a bit and they can do this when they take business calls on their mobile phones. But they may not always want to walk, especially if space is limited, or if the call is a confidential one.

Instead of walking around – or as well as – provide an easy chair for them to relax in while they are taking calls or even talking to clients. This will give them a chance to move from the computer chair and sit somewhere else that is different and so uses different muscles. Their position will have changed at least six times, when –

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eBooks and iRecords – Director’s Duties in the Cloud

April 14, 2016 Legal Advice

Cloud storage, cloud accounting packages and similar applications for communication and recording of information have changed the face of business forever. Before you run off to your lawyers in a panic, please read some of the following information.

While these advances have been beneficial to company directors who can discharge their duties at greater speed and from almost any location, we should pause for thought about whether or not these advances can potentially place directors in breach of their duties to the company.

Financial Information

Good commercial lawyers in Perth can explain and advise on Section 286 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (“Corporations Act”) requires the company to maintain records of financial information that accurately reflect the financial position of the company. The records can be kept electronically on the proviso that the electronic records can be converted into paper records within a reasonable time after a request is made (s288).

Pursuant to s289 the company can decide where to keep its financial records, however if they are kept outside of Australia the company is required to keep sufficient information to allow preparation of accurate financial information inside Australia; and notify ASIC of the place where the records are kept.

The cloud implications of this are clearly the location of the records. More often than not, the cloud server on which your data is stored will be located in a low-cost jurisdiction, generally not inside Australia. Financial information, pursuant as defined in s9 Corporations Act includes all source documents, statements, entries and adjustments in books of account.

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How Web Design Techniques Affect Search Engine Rankings?

December 15, 2015 Getting Online Marketing Web Development

Captivating web designs always have a competitive edge over any other website design. It is essential for a website to be listed high in search engine rankings so that it can be easily found by the searchers.

Higher the ranks, easy the search

A nicely built website designed by web design professionals entwined with artistic designs and precise yet detailed information is the one desired for exploration. Imagine, who would want to mark his presence on a website that has incomplete information and a dull composition? The searchers need a reason to visit the website. Each website must have certain design structures in order to rank high in a SEO campaign.

Let us have a look on few of the web designing tips required to accelerate the search engine rank through search engine optimisation.

1. Increased Number of Pages

A large website can increase your chances of ranking high in search engines. So if you have a good number of pages added to your website as compared to your counterparts, you are likely to mark a top page ranking for your website. Make sure that your pages are relevant and do not deviated out of the context. Search engines like a huge number of relevant pages with information. Also, since you have a huge website, you can possible keep the visitors engrossed for a longer time, thus resulting in potential sales.

2. Include Graphic Representation

Only content and no graphics appear to be a boring option. You may have concocted a really good content and filled your website but it doesn’t serve the purpose of those who are more inclined towards exploring the graphics. If you are selling a product, putting up pictures with relevant amount of information will be more preferable for visitors to comprehend the essence of product. Read more on the importance of images here.

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Importance Of Online Presence For Your Brand

December 8, 2015 Getting Online Starting Out

The traditional means of marketing have become quite dull to grab audiences’ attention. Digital marketing methods on the other hand are very impressive in bringing the audience close to any brand. Therefore, every brand that is part of the online world needs to ensure that they have maintained an appealing image in the eyes of the audience. Without a solid and easily recognizable online image, brands will be unable to attract customers and succeed.

Greater Business Opportunities

The world of internet is overflowing with opportunities for businesses to grow. A brand can easily reach out to its target audience through online platforms and even interact with their customers to build good relationships as part of its overall online reputation management. These opportunities cannot be utilized by traditional means, which is the reason a sound online presence is important for every brand.

Furthermore, due to the popularity of internet, consumers now prefer researching about a company online then go out and make the purchase immediately. If someone is looking for a good dine in place, they will first look for restaurants online. This provides business a great chance to entice customers with their appealing online image. Similarly, bad reviews on your brand can really mean losing business.

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How to Reduce Overhead Costs of eCommerce Business?

October 29, 2015 eCommerce

eCommerce is one of the best and most effective ways to earn windfall returns on investment. The online platform offers the perfect tool to attract great number of qualified leads. The digital arena is full of online marketing tools that can be harnessed to generate large number of online leads. Social media advertising, search engine optimization, online forums, press release sites, and business directories are just some of the few online tools that can be used to funnel maximum number of visitors to the site.

One of the greatest benefits of starting up an ecommerce store in Australia is that it does not require investing large amount of capital. With just a few hundred dollars, individuals can set-up an online store offering goods and services to the consumers. Moreover, the overhead costs are little as compared to running a brick-and-mortar physical store. And the best part is that there are various ways that entrepreneurs can cut online eCommerce costs thereby boosting online revenues.

Below we have listed 5 effective measures that eCommerce businesses can implement to cut overhead costs.

1. Streamline Supply Chain Distribution Process

Streamlining supply chain and distribution process is one of the best ways to cut online costs. Incorporating supply chain management measures such Just in Time Inventory (stocking just the required products), integrated supply chain methods, vendor managed inventory are some of the ways online companies can streamline their supply chain process and earn above average return on investment.

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The Fundamentals of Trademark Law

October 18, 2015 Starting Out

Customers Puzzled by Business Names:

According to commercial lawyers Fletcher Law, “Trademark”- in simple terms, a brand indicator that lets customers know the basis of a good or bad service. Thus, a central role of concern in trademark lawsuit cases is played by the fact whether a customer is puzzled by the origin of a product or service.

The court came out with 7 factors in order to find out if customers were puzzled (or were expected to be puzzled) by the businesses’ names. The court carried out a balancing test to conclude if score was in support or in opposition to consumer confusion.

The 7 factors that they weighed which you might wish to think about when naming your business:

The Mark Strength

A mark is a business’s trademark (the name word, design or symbol that classifies the business, product or service) in trademark law. Marks could range from quite low and weak to very strong: generic, descriptive, suggestive and arbitrary. The more the mark is strong, the higher the protection it gets under trademark law.

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3 Common Challenges Faced by eCommerce Start-ups in Australia

October 18, 2015 eCommerce

With estimated online sales totalling $40.83 billion for the year 2014 and more projected in 2015, the eCommerce industry in Australia is becoming more attractive each passing year. Online businesses have revolutionized the way retail sales are conducted in Australia. And it is projected that online sales will continue to grow in popularity in the coming years presenting significant opportunity for eCommerce businesses.

Online selling can be conducted 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This presents a great opportunity for online businesses to earn windfall returns on investment. Thanks to the ease of setting up a business online, budding entrepreneurs can easily create a start-up business without investing huge amount of money. However, there are certain challenges and roadblocks that business owners have to face when setting up an online business. Here we will take a look at three main challenges faced by fledgling online businesses and the tactics that can be employed to overcome them without much difficulty.

Challenge #1: Constant Flux

The foremost problem faced by online businesses is that the technology and consumer trend is always on the flux. Keeping up with the evolving technology is important if the online businesses want to remain afloat. If the start-up business does not adjust its tactics in line with changing technology and trends, it will lose out on the opportunity of boosting revenues, and even go out of business.

Challenge #2: Satisfying Online Customers

The survival of online business depends on satisfying online customers. Satisfied customers will lead to repeat clients increasing revenues of the company. However, keeping online customers satisfied is no easy task. It may be easy to cater to needs of customers when interacting face to face with them. But catering to online customers requires completely new strategies and tactics. Some of the ways online business can satisfy online contacts include offering 24/7 customer support, buyer friendly return policy, and free shipping. This simple acts will go a long way in ensuring happy customers and making them repeat clients.

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Electronic Signatures, How Valid Are They?

October 14, 2015 Legal Advice

There is no escaping the rapid advance of technology. People are interacting in ways that would have been completely alien to businesses and their employees just decades ago. Keeping in step with technological innovation, people are always seeking easier and faster ways to carry out their business. Doing business with people all over the country leaves little room for physical documents, or the signatures that are commonly used on them.

The electronic signature is commonplace now, but there is still concern about just how valid they are. Would they be legally binding in court, for example? According the the law in Australia, electronic signatures are in fact considered valid for signing agreements. Trouble arises when it becomes difficult to identify who actually signed a contract, or whether they were aware of the implications of signing. There are special tools that can identify the parties, and these can help to reduce the risk of a signature being declared invalid in court.

Overview of Electronic Contracts

All contracts, both physical and electronic, must meet certain requirements. Signing parties must be aware that they are entering into a legally binding contract, that they are accepting an offer, and must be given a chance to benefit from the exchange. This could include something as simple as being paid for a promised service. These are the standard guidelines of a contract, and they do not change in the digital world.

A digital contract needs to be stored in a way that it can be accessed by the parties after being executed. And each party much agree to using an electronic agreement, as opposed to a traditional one of ink and paper. Legally, the originator of the agreement is bound by the contract, provided that they consented to sending it. This becomes a problem when it is hard for each party to verify the identity of the other, and confirm who sent the digital agreement.

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Ecommerce Business Trends in Australia – What the Industry Has To Say

October 10, 2015 eCommerce

The ecommerce industry says that the amount people spend online is heading in just one direction and that is upwards. If you own an ecommerce business in Australia, it is time to ask yourself if your business is going the way you had planned. If it isn’t, then it means that you are not following the top ecommerce business trends in Australia.

The fact is that the retail industry has gone through several changes, and is on the verge of a new ecommerce era. The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the net income from internet sales between 2011 and 2012 was approximately $237 billion, which is a big achievement. As an increasing number of people are choosing online retail stores to shop for their goods, competition between various players in the industry continues to grow. Therefore, your best shot is to follow the latest trends and lead the market.

Here’s a list of the latest ecommerce business trends to follow in Australia, based on the behaviours of the ecommerce customers in the country.

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Why You Should List Your Business on Local Search Directories

October 9, 2015 Getting Online Starting Out

In online marketing, the greater the visibility of your business is, the greater the chances of conversions will be. As of today, nearly every business wants to leverage on getting qualified leads more quickly and efficiently than their competitors. Other than online marketing campaigns and advertisements, business listings on local search directories is an effective way to get more exposure, and affordable too.

In fact, Bright Local states that 31% of SEM activities are focused on building local SEO strategies. Despite that, seosydneypro.com.au says that some businesses may fail to understand the ability of local search directories, even through 8 out of 10 people would look up in those places when finding products and especially services such as electricians and plumbers. If you’re still not sure about local search directories, here are five reasons why you should list your business today!

Improved Visibility

As mentioned before, most, if not all internet users, will look for local information in search directories. Hence, if your website is listed and gives the users information they need, then you have a great conversion potential. Following this, if your website is listed in several directories, then your online visibility increases.

Accessibility

With more visibility on local search directories, it will be easier for people to find out more about your business and get in touch with you regarding products, services, and solutions. Effective content marketing and SEO will help you convert users into paying customers. In this case, local search directories are the gateway to your customers and vice versa.

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Things You Need to do to Qualify for a Business Loan

October 7, 2015 Starting Out

Applying for a business loan is Australia requires you to follow a standard set of guidelines as issued by the local government. One of the preliminary requirements for a business loan is to have a detailed business plan and contingency plan prepared that informs the potential lender(s) about your venture.

While a contingency plan is not really necessary like the business plan, it can help increase your chances of being awarded a business loan. Let’s take a look at some of the things you need to consider in order to qualify for a business loan in Australia.

Questions to Ask

Once you have created a business plan, you should ask yourself the following questions:

How much money do I need to borrow to start my business?
What type of loan do I need?
How long will I need the loan for?
Can my business repay the loan in the specified time period?
What interest rates, ongoing fee, and one-off terms are going to be associated with the loan?
What securities can I offer to the lender?
How will the securities affect the interest rate?

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The Significance of Getting your Business Online

September 23, 2015 Getting Online

It’s a prerequisite that any start up or established business today must have an online presence, regardless of whether it’s an active one or just for referrals. Other more standard business strategies, from team building to customer service are still of utmost, one of the key drivers of success for an Australian business today is having an engaging and reliable online presence.

While tracking ROI on online investment can be difficult, there is no denying that a good online marketing and branding strategy can turn around the fortunes of your business. If you’re still thinking about whether or not you should take your business online, consider these factors that will change your mind!

Virtually Limitless Marketing Opportunities

Just think about this for a moment – almost 90% of the population in Australia has access to the Internet, which means there are more than 21 million Internet users in the country. However, only 52% of the people use it for business and work purposes. In other words, there’s a huge market and potential for your business on the Internet that you are wasting by not going online.

Getting your business online enables potential customers to know more about what you offer, something which they didn’t have access to, with traditional marketing strategies. Online marketing gives your business the opportunity to reach out to a large number of customers that would otherwise spend their money on your competitors.

For instance, if you are opening a new sushi bar in Melbourne, you will be able to get more customers by creating an online presence and through marketing, than with traditional flyers, brochures, and newspaper advertisements. While we are not asking you to give up on traditional marketing because human interaction can never be replaced, online marketing helps you do much more for less!

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How to Setup Your Online Ecommerce Business

September 15, 2015 eCommerce Web Development

Do you plan to set up your very own ecommerce business? Have you planned out each detail and see great potential in your new enterprise for business success? Then what are you waiting for? Get started!

But before you set out to begin your business, make sure you know the steps to setup an ecommerce business and run it successfully in the industry without any problems.

To get started in ecommerce, you need to be aware of all the details and trends in the industry. Know the dynamics which govern the market and be aware of what you can do to make the conditions beneficial for you.

Be mindful of the following things before you setup your online business and designing profitable websites.

Know About the Work Involved In Your Online Business

To start an online store, you will need to have a clear idea of the competition in the industry, the prevalent trends and the essential factors needed to initiate a successful start-up.

Make sure that you know how to manage needs of online customers and their orders, and have a team to constantly update and add new content on the online store site. Employ the best people for managing the different marketing and social media channels and give your business the exposure and boost it deserves in the initial phase.

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Marketing with style through WordPress

September 2, 2015 Marketing Web Development

WordPress acts as a catalyst to promote businesses, big or small, digitally. In this global world, people opt for products that are more popular and trending. Therefore, to increase the views on your business content you must make the presentation alluring.

WordPress is not only used as a blogging website or plugin, but it also facilitates in marketing your products in which you can use features such as themes that goes with the industry you are doing business in. Themes give your product a more professional outlook and are custom-built which has necessary features essential to run a business online. These themes consist of functional designs and unique varieties that you can choose from.

There are two types of themes that can be used on WordPress:

Paid themes
Free themes

You can choose from thousands of themes from a WordPress Themes List or you can invest in premium (paid) themes. Premium themes offer support and are dependable and that’s the advantage of paying for it. Some of the paid themes offer you the preference of customizing the design and page layout.

Following are some of the themes you could utilize while using WordPress:

Sparkling

This theme adds classiness to you website and is absolutely free. Bootstrap technology is used to create this contemporary and even theme. It is also consists of a number of amazing features which are available in the paid themes of WordPress. It appears exceptional on smartphones because of its sharp design and flowing arrangement. The full-screen glider feature brings attention to the images present on the website. The plug-ins it supports includes: Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, W3 Total Cache, and many others.

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Online Marketing Trends

August 2, 2015 Marketing

Three Online Marketing Trends Dominating 2015

Online businesses achieve commercial success in leaps and bounds for a reason in this era. Since information is literally available at our fingertips through smart devices and cloud technology, consumers are way more informed and practice caution when it comes to making purchases. So, it stands to reason that today’s marketing tactics must be tweaked accordingly as well. The following are some of the biggest trends in 2015 that have taken online marketing by storm.

Valuable Content is More Important than Ever!

One of the main channels businesses are harnessing to establish authority in their industry and gain customer trust is by creating and publishing relevant content. This typically includes specific industry based information that can not only entertain target readers, but provide them insightful information regarding a brand along with its services/products. Not only does this help a business build a rapport with its demographic, but it also increases credibility both online and off. Typically, social media, blogging websites such as WordPress, videos and articles are used for such endeavours.

Diversity in Social Media Marketing Trends

Social media has literally connected the world via multiple social platforms and the trend just keeps getting bigger with time. Besides offering online businesses a plethora of advertising options, it allows them to utilise multitudes of media forms and access new audiences through more channels than ever before! As a result, social media has become a staple marketing trend in the current business landscape. Now most businesses prefer to branch out and experiment with a number of networks, which in turn allows them to target specific demographics and thus create more focused business strategies.

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Top 5 Tricks to Reduce Web Page Load Times

June 21, 2015 Getting Online

Fast loading websites hook users. On the other hand, slow websites repel visitors. Hence, to grab your web page visitors, reducing web page loading time is a must! Moreover, minimalist web design techniques that allow websites that load quickly are also ranked better on the search engines.

Here are 5 ways you can lessen web page loading time:

Existing Website Speed Analysis

To decrease your web page loading time the first prior step is to check the current time taken by your web page to load. After you find out the loading time of your website, you will be able to estimate the improvement is required. You will also know whether the tricks applied are working to lessen your web page loading time.

Three free tools that can be used to analyse web page loading time are-Pingdom, Web Page Test and Page Speed.

Optimize Your Images

It is essential to identify when you need to format your images and which file is ideal for the image formatting process. Certain file formats reduce the image size radically so being aware and knowing the details is necessary.

Three options most popularly used are JPEG, GIF and PNG.

JPEG is to be selected for those images which contain lots of colours and elaborate detailing such as in case of photographs.
GIF is best suited for the images that consist of a few colours such as logos.
PNG is the right alternative when you require transparent images with high quality.

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