Has your business fully harnessed the power of social media?
By 2018 the number of active social media users is expected to grow to 2.55 billion. If your customers are there, and if you intend to grow, that’s where you need to be. Step 1 is to become visible. Once you have a good presence, here are six things you can do next: 1) Promote your products and services. 2) Provide personalized offers to your consumers based on how they behave online. 3) Build channels with influencers. 4) Engage your followers with quizzes and contests. 5) Put buying options on your social media pages. 6) Gather customer feedback. Above all, make sure your website comes across great on cell phones and tablets. That’s where users are accessing social media.
-SmallBizTrends.com
Google Home vs. Amazon Echo: This should be good…
The battle for an always-listening virtual assistant has begun. Scheduled to launch this fall, Google Home seeks to unseat Amazon Echo, which launched in 2014. Both devices act as personal assistant, music hub and smart-home control point. Echo has a big head start in smarthome control, breadth of features and “charm.” It answers to the name “Alexa,” whereas Home’s “OK Google” just doesn’t have the same appeal. Yet Home has a more attractive, customizable look. And, unlike Echo, Home can carry on a more intelligent conversation with you, answering questions in context rather than having to ask for more information each time. All that, plus Home’s connectivity with streaming devices, makes it a formidable challenger.
-Cnet.com
Smart-chip credit cards may actually cause fraud to increase in the near term.
Yes, you read that right… A recent study from anti-fraud company Iovation and financial industry consultant Aite Group shows that a mad rush in the dark web has begun. Fraudsters want to get the most value from stolen data before newer systems recognize the old magnetic-strip card numbers as clearly fraudulent. These attacks can be especially hard on merchants. Average losses range from $980 to $2,379 per incident, according to Javelin Strategy and Research LLC. To avert losses, businesses can use fraud-detection software, 3-D Secure or “tokenization” – the core of ApplePay and AndroidPay. But the problem won’t just go away with the new chip cards. Cyberthieves aren’t about to get honest and get new jobs… It pays to remain vigilant.
-CNBC.com
Curl up in your hammock this summer with these three tech-savvy books.
Don’t Make Me Think Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, by Steve Krug, focuses on intuitive navigation and information design. It’s short, witty and packed with illustrations and a good dose of common sense. DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online, by Russell Brunson, shows how low traffic and conversion may just be symptoms of a bigger problem. The good news is that the real problems are easier to fix. And finally, How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro, by Steve Stockman, helps you create amazing videos you’ll be proud to show the world.
-AlleyWatch.com
