Remember when launching a mobile app was a must for organizations planning to go digital? Time files and the new digital wave is here to conquer the world. Now having a mobile app is just a basic need for businesses. This new wave is not limited to a single technology or product. It goes without saying that to live up to the expectations of end users, efforts must be directed in a direction that adds a value proposition to the front line of the business. A study by Forrester highlights the importance of knowing your digital predators. It also suggests that those who overlook this factor are likely to fall behind their counterparts.

This article attempts to shed light on several factors that can help make your digital journey a rich experience.

Focus on creating a personalized experience for your customers

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), digitization is spreading everywhere. Like it or not, most business strategists take for granted that Google and Siri know best what actions we’re taking and from where. There is no denying the fact that digital assets have become so ingrained in our daily lives that life seems incomplete without them. According to many research companies, IoT will be directly proportional to customer expectations. Simply put, the faster the IoT grows, the faster and higher our expectations become. It doesn’t matter if you’re a B2B or B2C organization, your end users expect a first-class, personalized experience from your offerings. To stay ahead of their competitors, each business adopts innovative techniques that have the potential to help them add agility while bolstering the revenue-generating cycle. Not all applications are the same, just like technologies. It must be verified that you are going to invest in the right technology that can generate multiple benefits.

It is true that today’s digitally driven customers shape their perceptions based on their ability to integrate your products or services. These expectations can only be met if companies collect comprehensive information about their customers, such as their requirements, the features they are looking for, their budget criteria, and the evaluation of their demands.

All clouds are not the same shape

It is truly difficult to become part of an end user’s personal value system as it requires unparalleled agility and guts to take calculated risks. If I have to define today’s world, I would rather call it a world of sensors, real-time data analytics, connected devices, and of course cloud computing. Here’s the problem, not all cloud computing platforms follow the same metrics or are designed using a standard scale. Most public cloud hosting providers focus on building the cloud as a commodity. However, organizations that only view the cloud as a utility model are not yet able to take advantage of its full capabilities.

Related to this, a report by North Bridge and Wikibon suggests that the adoption rate of cloud computing is not only increasing due to its scalability and simplicity, but also its ability to add agility to an enterprise. The report further states that an approximately 20% increase in the rate of hybrid cloud is a testament to previous proclamations. Wikibon also predicts that within the next 10 years, hybrid cloud computing will dominate all other computing models.

Cloud security concerns don’t go away: cloud experience matters

Without a doubt, the adoption of cloud computing is on the rise, and companies from all verticals with different demands are taking advantage of it to achieve their stated goals. However, concerns related to security and the cloud experience show no signs of abating. Well, this is due to the fact that the early cloud providers were more focused on cost. Apparently, many of the CEOs now believe that cloud expertise, including security, compliance, and privacy standards, is a must for a cloud benefactor. Here, industry-wide experience in the cloud domain can help meet these challenges.

The cloud is the future

Believe it or not, we have all entered a new era of cloud computing, in which reliability and interoperability challenges are beginning to be tied to security regulation, privacy, and blocking. Enterprises today exercise considerable caution when moving their business-critical data and applications between public and private cloud instances, so that every single point of failure can be mitigated.

The next decade of the cloud will be defined by its convenience and the level of agility it brings to its end users. It would not be surprising at all if it were mentioned that a single company will leverage multiple instances of the cloud to serve its different purposes, such as marketing, accounting, human resources, and operations.

Remember, don’t go for a cheap public cloud service provider; instead, focus on selecting a bidirectionally scalable and security-compliant provider. This will not only help reduce operating costs, but also provide a way to maximize ROI. Invest in a cloud that lives up to the always-on, always-available mantra, as it will ensure room for innovation and growth.

It is time to extend your conventional position to a better and innovative cloud space without compromising any of the necessary factors for business, such as security, performance, agility, to name a few.

Social Media Marketing seems to be the latest buzzword for anyone looking to increase their online presence and sales, but is Social Media Marketing (SMM) all it seems to be?

SMM companies are now popping up all over the place these days and they are telling anyone who will listen how incredibly important social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are to their business but, for the average small and medium business, it does social media marketing. Do networks really live up to all the hype? Is it really worth spending a small fortune to hire an SMM company? And has anyone really researched this before hiring someone to set up a Facebook business page? Some SMM companies are setting up things like Facebook business pages (which are free) for $600 to $1,000 or more and telling their customers they don’t need a website because Facebook is the biggest social network in the world and everyone has a Facebook account. Now, while it may be true that Facebook is the world’s largest social network and yes, Facebook members are potential consumers, the real question is whether they are actually buying. Social media marketing companies are very happy to point out the positive aspects of social media like how many people use Facebook or how many tweets were sent last year and how many people watch YouTube videos etc. But are you getting the full picture? I once sat next to an SMM “expert” at a business seminar talking to anyone within earshot about the amazing benefits of setting up a Facebook business page for small businesses (with him, of course) and sell on Facebook. So, intrigued by the aforementioned “expert” advice, I looked him up on Facebook and found he only had 11 Facebook friends (not a good start). So, being the research nut that I am, I decided to take a hard look at SMM in regards to selling to see if it really worked, who it worked for, and if it did, why did Social Media Marketing work for them? And should businesses rely so heavily on social media for sales?

As a web developer, I was constantly (and now increasingly) faced with various social media challenges when potential clients said that having a website sounds good, but they had a Facebook business page and various sources (the ever-present but anonymous ones). they told me. them”) that social media was the thing to do, but after discussing their needs it became pretty clear that those potential customers didn’t really know why they needed social media or SMM to generate online sales, they just wanted it. small and medium businesses always recommended building a quality website on top of any kind of social media, why? Well actually it’s simple because social media is Social The media and social networks are Social networks that are No business media and business networks (which would be more like LinkedIn). I know it sounds simple, but it’s true and the statistics back it up. The fact is that social media marketing doesn’t tell you that Facebook is a social network, not a search engine, and even though the number of users on Facebook and Google is about the same, people don’t use Facebook the same way. the same way they use a search engine like Google (which has about half of the search engine market), Yahoo and Bing to search for businesses or products. They use it to stay in touch with family and friends or for news and entertainment. In a recent study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, about 55% of all social media users said they don’t engage with brands through social media, and only about 23% actually use social media to purpose to interact with brands. Now, of all the people who use social networks and who interact with brands, whether on purpose or not, the majority (66%) say that they need to feel that a company is communicating honestly before they interact.

So how do you use social media marketing? And is it worth doing?

Well first of all I would say that having a well optimized website will still bring you a lot more business than social media in most cases, especially if you are a small or medium local business because a lot more people will type in “hairdresser”. Port Macquarie” on a search engine like Google, Yahoo and Bing than ever on any social networking site and if you don’t have a website you are missing out on all that potential business. Yet despite all the statistics (not so good), I still think it’s still a good idea for companies to use social media, but not in the same way that many SMM professionals do today. Why? Because it’s clearly not working the way that they say it does.Basically SMM Companies and Business as a whole saw social networks like Facebook as a new market and ready to be picked and when Facebook started having users measured in the millions PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel invested US $500,000 for 7% of the company (in June 2004) and since then some venture capital firms have made investments in Facebook and in October 2007 Microsoft announced that it had bought a 1.6% stake of Facebook for 240 million dollars. However, from Facebook’s humble beginnings to now (2012), both SMMs and businesses have failed to truly capitalize on the sheer number of Facebook users online. The truth is that numbers do not equal buyers. Is it in the best interest of a Social Media Marketing company to talk about social networks? Absolutely. Is it in a Social Network like Facebook the best thing for people to believe that companies can sell en masse by advertising and marketing with them? Of course it is. In early 2012, Facebook revealed that its profits had jumped 65% to $1 billion in the previous year, as its revenue, which comes primarily from advertising, rose nearly 90% to $3.71 billion, so clearly the concept of SMM is working for them, but is exercising for you? Well…not statistically, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it never will.

I think the main difference between social media and search engines is the intent. People using Google are deliberately looking for something, so if they’re looking for hairdressers, that’s what they’re looking for at that particular moment. With something like Facebook, the main intention is usually to connect with friends and family. In October 2008, Mark Zuckerberg himself said, “I don’t think social media can be monetized in the same way that search (search engines) did… Three years from now we have to figure out what the optimal model is.” But that’s not our main focus today.” One of the biggest problems businesses face with social media and SMM is perception. According to the IBM Institute for Business Value study, there were “significant gaps between what companies believe consumers care about and what consumers say they want from their social media interactions with companies.” For example, in today’s society, people won’t just give you recommendations, Facebook likes, comments, or details without getting something in return, so the old adage “what’s in it for me?” comes into play. So the main reason most people give for interacting with brands or businesses on social media is to receive discounts, however brands and businesses themselves think that the main reason people interact with them in social networks is to learn about new products. For brands and businesses that receive discounts, it only ranks 12th on their list of reasons people engage with them. Most businesses believe that social media will increase promotion, but only 38% of consumers agree.

Companies need to find more innovative ways to connect with social networks if they want to see any kind of results. There were some good initiatives shown in the IBM study of companies that had gained some control over how they use social media to their advantage, considering that when asked what they do when they interact with companies or brands through social networks, consumers list “get discounts or coupons” and “buy products and services” as the top two activities, respectively, an American ice cream company called Cold Stone Creamery offered discounts on its products on its Facebook page. As an alternative, there’s a great program launched by Best Buys in the US called Twelpforce where employees can answer customer questions via Twitter. With both Cold Stone Creamery and Twelpforce, the profit is clearly in the prospect’s favor and the great trick to social media marketing is to sell without trying to sell (or look like you’re selling). Unfortunately, most social media marketing is targeted the wrong way. .

Building a tangible buyer-to-consumer relationship through social media isn’t easy and is probably the biggest benefit for businesses that use social media to boost their websites in Google rankings. But businesses need to understand that you can’t just set up a Facebook business page and hope for the best. SMM takes effort and potential customers need to see the value of what you have to offer through your social media efforts. Offer them something worth their social interaction and time, and then you can get better results.

Now, as a footnote, Facebook stock is down to less than $20 a share, that’s half its original price…and lawsuits are flying.

When shopping for golf equipment online, many people think of eBay (particularly for used clubs) and the ‘major’ online golf stores. However, there are many more options available to buy golf clubs online.

AUCTION SITES

Yes, there’s eBay, and it really is unbeatable for online auctions. eBay is unmatched when it comes to options and volume. However, it’s possible to get stung on eBay if you’re not careful (see the tips section below). Here are some other auction sites you might want to try:

o Online Auction (US) – I found over 200 golf items available for auction here. Mainly golf balls, gloves and other bits and pieces…not much in the way of clubs. It may be worth taking a look

o Golfbidder (UK/Europe): Sells primarily second-hand golf clubs, sourced from golf club professionals across the UK (a small percentage is sourced directly from the public). While most clubs are sold as ‘Instant Buys’, some are auctioned off. Usually more than 30 items are auctioned at any given time and you may be able to get a good deal.

o Grays Online (Australia) – Sellers on this site are primarily manufacturers, distributors or retailers trying to move excess or slow-moving stock…not consumer-to-consumer auctions. Not necessarily a bad thing, as this reduces some of the risk, but it also reduces the range. While there were only about 40 golf items up for auction when I last looked, there were some good deals. worth a look

In general, I would avoid buying new golf equipment through online auctions. While you can take some precautions, it’s hard to tell if you’re getting the genuine article or just a knockoff. The big, well-known eBay sellers are probably an exception.

MAIN ONLINE STORES

There are quite a few well-established online golf stores that stock a wide variety of equipment and have invested heavily in their brand. Some are better than others, but don’t be surprised and expect quality service, fast delivery, a refund policy, and lots of information for buyers (eg buying guides). Some of the best include:

or Golfsmith

or The Golf Warehouse

or Callaway Golf

or Rockbottom Golf

o US Golf Outings

or Golf Discount

or Austad Golf

oGolf Galaxy

Snainton Golf

online golf

ONLINE GOLF FORUMS

Some great online golf communities have formed in recent years and now you can choose from literally dozens of online golf forums to be a part of. Some of the largest have an area for buying, selling and exchanging golf equipment.

Because golf forums are small (sort of) communities of people with a shared interest, it’s a fairly safe and supportive environment to buy and sell equipment. If you are not sure if a golf club seller is genuine, you can simply ask other members of the forum.

There is a lot of combined knowledge on these forums, so bad apples are quickly discovered.

I find these to be the best and they have a very active buy/sell/trade area:

or Golf WRX – approx. 79,000 members (mainly US)

o Magic Golf – approx. 77,000 members (mainly UK/Europe)

iseekgolf – approx. 75,000 members (mainly Australia)

OCCASION GOLF EQUIPMENT STORES

Stores that sell used equipment are a very good alternative to eBay, classified ads, and other online auction sites. Larger online stores typically have: (1) a used club inspection and certification process, (2) no-questions-asked return policy, (3) 12-month warranty; and (4) shipping damage warranty.

While many of the big online golf stores sell used and new golf equipment, there are some online stores that only sell used equipment:

ONLY USED

o Second-hand Callaway: also sells other brands, eg Nike, Titleist, Ping, TaylorMade. Offers 12-month warranty, 90-day money-back and buy-back guarantee

o TaylorMade Pre-owned: 14-day money back guarantee and 12-month warranty

o Golfbidder (UK) – 7 day ‘no quibble’ returns policy, 12 month warranty and some good buyer’s guides to help you choose the right clubs

USED ​​AND NEW

o Golfsmith – 30 day return policy. No Warranty – Differs from the manufacturer’s warranty (which has probably expired!)

o Edwin Watts Golf – 30 day return policy. No Warranty: Differs from the manufacturer’s warranty.

o Direct Golf (UK): Used clubs obtained from trade-ins at Direct Golf stores. 14 day money back guarantee. No warranty

AMAZON

The Amazon marketplace is big…very big. And here is a good variety of new and used golf equipment.

The Amazon marketplace is a bit like eBay in that sellers (big and small) sign up with Amazon to sell their new or used golf equipment. The difference is that the items are not auctioned, they are sold at the advertised price. It’s also a little less risky with Amazon’s purchase guarantee: they’ll refund your money if you don’t get the item you paid for or if it’s not what you expected.

Amazon also offers a free subscription to Golf Digest or Golf World if you spend more than US$25 (US only).

Take a look at Amazon Golf.

SITES OF EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS

There’s really only one premium club manufacturer that sells online, and that’s Callaway. The others, like Titleist, Ping, Nike, etc., obviously have websites to market their equipment, but they usually sell clubs through retail stores.

Some manufacturers (listed below), while not selling equipment online, do provide information and tools that would be helpful to online shoppers:

o Titleist: Titleist provides a comprehensive description of its products (including Vokey wedges and Scotty Cameron putters) as well as a catalog of its past models. There is also information on how to spot fake Titleist equipment.

o Ping – The Ping site has an online club setting tool that would be helpful if you plan to purchase Ping equipment online elsewhere. Ping also has information on how to spot fake computers.

o Odyssey – here you can find a pretty good online tool to find the right putter. You can buy Odyssey putters on the Callaway website

o Callaway: You can buy gear directly from Callaway on their online store

ONLINE CLASSIFIED

Online classified sites are another option, primarily for used golf clubs. The local classified newspaper has moved online, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a classifieds website for your local area. While you may not find the largest variety of golf clubs, if the seller is nearby, you can drive by to see the clubs.

Craigslist hosts classifieds that serve the entire world, so you should take a look here as well. It is the 8th most popular website in the US, with around 50 million unique visitors per month!

Are you thinking of renovating your bathroom?

So it is very important that you make an intelligent decision about the tiles that you are going to choose for your bathroom.

And this is why we are here to help you achieve an amazing look for your bathroom.

3D tiles have been in fashion as bathroom tiles for quite some time, making them a hot product to try in your bathroom. There are a wide variety of 3D designer mosaics available for you to choose from for your bathroom redesign.

If you want a sophisticated finish for your bathroom interior decoration, these bathroom tiles are the best choice for you. These 3D tiles add an elegant and decorative look to your bathroom. Having a unique design and looking around, people today prefer these tiles. Plus, they’re crack-resistant, which is one more reason to definitely give them a try.

Why 3D designer wall tiles for your bathroom?

1. Many options – When it comes to 3D bathroom tiles, they come in so many varieties that you don’t have to compromise at all. Get the best! With so many colors and designs available to choose from, you can satisfy your and your family member’s preferences.
2. Great design and appearance. – Do you want your bathroom to look elegant and classy? Or do you want a more vintage look? Or it could be that you are a fan of something different and twisted. Whatever your preference is, you can achieve it through these 3D designer bathroom tiles. Have fun with your bathroom remodel and give it a new look.
3. crack resistance – Usually one of our biggest concerns regarding tiles is that they fade very quickly and crack easily. Right! But no more stress as these 3D mosaic tiles are crack resistant. So no more ugly cracks in the tiles making you spend money on them over and over again or go through the embarrassment of your guests seeing ugly cracked bathroom tiles.
4. highly durable – Another amazing benefit of these bathroom tiles is that they are very durable which means you don’t have to replace them again. Now, you can enjoy your great bathroom walls and great interior by investing in these 3D mosaic tiles. These wall tiles will last you a long time.

Given so many benefits of these 3D designer tiles, it only makes sense that you would remodel your bathroom with these tiles. These are perfect for people with different preferences but expecting supreme quality. So, make your bathroom new and stylish with these 3D tiles!

There are many quadcopters for beginners. The Smya X1 is one of the most popular. I like it because it has a 2.4GHz transmitter, it’s very durable and very easy to fly. You can also make him do somersaults at the touch of a button to impress your friends.

But I just recently got the Blade mQX, and I have to say I’m pretty impressed. It’s actually similar in size to the Syma X1, but has better performance with 4 x 8.5mm brushed motors, 5.5in fan blades, and a 4-in-1 receiver/ESC/mixer/sensor that acts as a dashboard. flight check. The built in DSM2 receiver is one thing I really like about the Blade mQX, many quadcopters come with proprietary transmitters and receivers and it can be difficult without hacking the hardware to make it compatible with your existing transmitter. With the Blade mQX, you can pair it with any DSM2 compatible radio, like Spektrum radios. So instead of lugging around a multitude of radios, you can program all of your models into one transmitter.

Out of the box, it comes in what is called a + configuration. This means that the upper arm of the + sign is forward. The + setting is a bit better suited for beginners as it will be more stable and respond a bit slower to commands. As such, it will be more difficult to lose control. You can easily switch to X mode, and this provides a slightly more advanced flight experience. Personally, I prefer X-mode. If you switch to X-mode, I would recommend changing one of the fixtures so that you have two fixtures of one color on the front and two fixtures of the other color on the back.

The battery that comes with the model is a 1S 3.7V 500 mAh LiPo battery and provides approximately 10 minutes of battery life. The battery takes about 45 minutes to charge, so you may want to get a couple of extra batteries to be able to fly for longer periods of time. They are quite cheap and provide much more fun!

And don’t worry about crashing, as long as you’re on grass, you can crash it all you want. The carbon fiber stringers are strong and the plastic cover is durable. It is so light that not much momentum is built up in a crash, so not much damage can be done. But if you DO break something, there are detailed tutorials online on how to fix your little quadcopter. It also comes with spare propellers and you can buy replacement parts online.

If you ever get a chance to explore the British Virgin Islands (BVI)… do it! The US Virgin Islands are great too, but there’s something about the beach bars and snorkeling in the British Virgin Islands that I really love. The best way to see the British Virgin Islands? We have BVI Boat Charter of course!

The Virgin Islands are made up of 4 “official” US islands and 15 British islands, there are actually more smaller islands, but these are the inhabited ones.

Each island on its own is enchanting and beautiful, but the best way to see the VIs is together. There are tour group trips you can take, but the real magic happens on private charter boats. These charters, or day trips, can be customized specifically for you. You get a boat and an experienced captain as your personal car and guide and a trip tailored to your tastes.

Are you a snorkel addict? The islands are packed with incredible reefs for beginners and novices alike. There are many guides on what fish can be found where and at what time of year. Virtually every island has a great snorkeling spot and the captain of your charter boat is bound to have some secret spots up his sleeve. The boat will usually have snorkel gear that you can use during the day as well, so there’s no need to bring extra luggage, but be sure to ask before your day trip.

Not a diver? No problem. Land lubbers love to spend the day in a sundeck at the rear of the ship. Many of the popular beach bars have a boat congregation where people are hanging out in the water, playing ball, dancing to the music, and jumping off the boats. These are great places to visit during your day trip. If you’re looking for somewhere a bit more secluded, there are plenty of islands with deserted beaches. Wild horses, donkeys, and iguanas roam freely on various islands. Ask the captain of your charter boat about the best places to see them…or stay away from them!

Does anyone drink? Rum is part of island life and there is as much rum as there is sand and water! There are plenty of watering holes around the islands, and you could even make your whole trip one big beach bar crawl! The Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke doesn’t have a dock, so the soggy dollars make you swim ashore. Try their signature “Painkiller” as you lie in a hammock and listen to island music. Just around the corner, a bay over, is Foxy’s. Foxy’s is an iconic place where Foxy himself will tell you jokes and stories. The Willie T on Norman Island is an old barge set up in the middle of the bay that you can jump off of or drink from, but I wouldn’t recommend doing both. If you bring young children, do it during the day or risk them getting an anatomy lesson from the girls who like to go topless. The Pirate’s Bight is there too, and it’s a great place to eat.

See the islands the way they were meant to be seen: by renting a boat! Whatever your idea or paradise, the Virgin Islands have it!

The mobile first world has brought a number of game-changing market opportunities for businesses. Apps have become a main source of information for people, from buying movie tickets, shopping online, making payments, scheduling routine tasks and much more. From education to entertainment, from business to banking, from travel to healthcare, a variety of categories have emerged. Following the same, here are the 8 main and most evolved trend categories of 2017 to consider in your next project.

online shopping
Nowadays, the popular online shopping apps are greatly stimulating the trend of mobile shopping. It helps users to purchase desired items by simply downloading them. With advanced search options based on different categories, age groups, prizes, special discounts, and other holiday offers, you can help users shop online smoothly and faster.

service on demand
From shipping your package on vacation to booking an instant car ride, on-demand service apps perform functions that make human life easier. These are a subset of traditional exchange and delivery services. Popular on-demand services are emerging as a highly accessible and reliable source of technology-enabled transportation for people, making their daily lives easier.

GPS navigation
Numerous highly accessible and informative navigation maps have entered the scene now that offer real-time traffic updates, turn-by-turn directions, bike routes, and offline map viewing as well. In addition, there are a number of applications that help you plan your most convenient road trip, find the fastest route to reach your destination and avoid traffic jams on the road.

business improvement
Mobile apps come with a wide variety of lucrative long-term benefits. Due to this fact, many organizations are trying to develop powerful mobile applications that try to simplify their intricate work processes. Enterprise, hybrid, cloud-based, small business, security-oriented, and many more advanced features propel businesses to a whole new horizon to explore their growth.

Social networks
Social media apps have a big place on both the Play Stores these days. Most of the smartphone users like to access their social media profiles through them instead of using the desktop versions. Also, social networking apps help users to stay connected with social contacts from anywhere and anytime.

Messenger service
Messaging is also one of the top trending categories in 2017. The reason for its growing popularity is its free availability along with other powerful features like video, voice call, chat and much more to communicate and connect efficiently, easily and fast. Also, most of the messaging apps these days facilitate regular updates along with high-end features that enhance the user experience.

Gaming
Gambling is one of the most profitable and popular categories of recent times and entrepreneurs see it as a great opportunity to earn money. Based on various effective revenue models, game apps are generating huge revenue in recent times by using various ways such as paid or free usage as well as in-game item purchases.

Music
While listing the top trending categories of 2017, music apps are gaining wide acceptance. Many music apps are available on both app stores, allowing users to listen to their favorite tracks and watch videos both online and offline. With the help of online streaming, users can get access to a variety of unmatched features like sharing music with friends, creating playlists and much more.

last word
These popular trending categories have gained a lot of momentum so far in this digital world. It goes without saying that entrepreneurs have a huge scope to earn money by developing highly intuitive and needs-specific mobile apps. However, professional assistance is a must when it comes to the development process. Therefore, it is very important to discuss your specific requirements with a reputable application development company for proper development and sustained success.

There is a docu-drama on Netflix that has gotten a lot of attention and caused many people to completely delete their Facebook accounts.

It apparently shows all the sneaky ways social platforms collect and use your data, force you to keep coming back, and even influence you to some degree.

I don’t know. I haven’t seen it

But I had my own ‘social dilemma’ a few years ago.

In mid-2018, I got a random call from a reporter in the UK who said he had Facebook data (millions of users) on his hands that the powers that be weren’t too keen on.

He called my cell phone, he knew where I lived in 2014, he knew who I lived with and he also knew our personality traits with respect to the other.

It was pretty…creepy to say the least.

Not only did it give me a good reason to delete Facebook, but it also showed me the incredible power of its algorithm.

Which, if you’re using it to advertise, you can take advantage of.

Because that same data makes Facebook extremely good at finding people who will take certain actions that you want them to take.

However, it can also work against you.

When you create a new campaign in Ads Manager, you’ll be presented with 11 different options. And many of them sound like what you want. But like I said, Facebook is really good at finding people who will do what you tell them to.

If you set up a ‘Reach’ campaign, you will reach a lot of people at a very low price.

If you set up an ‘Engagement’ campaign, you’ll get a lot of people liking, commenting, and sharing.

If you set up a ‘Traffic’ campaign, you’ll get a lot of people who like to click on the link, but not do much else.

You almost always want to use the “Conversions” campaign objective if you’re looking for leads and/or sales in your ads.

I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve attracted who are running other types of campaigns that just aren’t generating any results.

You see, every time someone becomes a lead or buys from another advertiser, Facebook tags that person as a “lead” or “buyer.” That way, when you tell Facebook what you’re looking for, it can show your ads to those people first, since they’re more likely to take that specific action.

You’re ready to make web videos for your business, but how do you go about making it yourself? Well here are the very basic essentials you need to create your own internet videos.

First of all, you are going to need a video camera. Now some people will tell you that you need to go out and buy a super expensive “prosumer” camcorder. That is wrong. You can produce high-quality web videos with a cheap video camera.

A great option to start with is something like the Flip Ultra camera from Pure Digital. Sure, it has a limited zoom and no external microphone, however, it gets the job done in a jiffy. You can get a Flip camera from sites like http://www.buytheflip.com or at any local electronics store. Another option is any portable mini-dv. Sony is a great brand. Look for a camera that costs less than $500.

Once you have a camera, you’ll need some lighting. The inexpensive way to light an appliance properly is to purchase a few “working” lights from a store like Home Depot. Work lights are lights used by construction workers. They were not designed for video shooting. However, they can work in a pinch. Pick up a light kit at a stand and pay no more than $50.

Ok, so you have made your video, now you need to edit it. There are two free video editing programs you can use to get started (if you have a Mac, use iMovie, it’s free). The first is Windows Movie Maker. The second is from Pinnacle called VideoSpin.com.

Edit your video together and put it on your website and see how your customers react! You should see more leads, sales, and advertising coming to you because of this.

When productivity is important, the system or process you have in place must keep pace with your demands. For the mobile professional, carrying a laptop doesn’t always work and is rarely the most convenient way to maximize productivity. As for paper planners and to-do lists, their volume and limited capabilities quickly slow down even the best laid plans.

Fortunately, the evolution of smartphones has reached a turning point. Much more than a means of mobile communication, smartphones are a powerful and effective means of maximizing your productivity. I have explored and experimented with various smartphones and have landed squarely on the Android operating system. Not only to handle my communication needs, but also to help design and implement my organizational and productivity system.

Being a small business owner of a part-time business, a sales manager for a Fortune 250 international corporation, a civil servant in my hometown, a husband and father or two, my time needs to be maximized, productive, and organized. With the help of a few apps on my Android-based phone, I can accomplish all the tasks I need for my business life and still have plenty of quality time for my personal life.

This is how I do it.

Google Apps

The Android operating system seamlessly integrates with many of Google’s free apps. The most important ones for productivity are Google Calendar, GMail, Docs, Tasks and Voice. Each of these apps is free and only requires setting up a Google account.

Google Calendar integrates and automatically updates the calendar on my Android phone wherever I am. With the added ability to share my calendar, my business partner can view, edit, and add events to my calendar. These changes are synced directly to my phone. Since I’m rarely in my office, having live updates through the Google Sync app on my phone gives me the confidence that I always know what my ever-changing day is like.

The built-in email box on Android phones is capable of handling many of my personal and business emails, including my GMail account. I keep my Gmail account separate from my other accounts as I use this account for personal use only. Keeping personal and business separate is a wonderful productivity enhancement made easy by the Android operating system.

Google Docs allows me to store files for future review, as well as share files to collaborate. Being responsive to my clients is critical in my field and having the ability to have collaborative files sent directly to my phone has allowed me to respond to clients quickly and accurately.

Google Voice is by far my favorite Google app. The Google Voice app, which is a free download from the Android market, works perfectly with my Voice account. Not only can I have my voicemail transcripts emailed directly to my phone, but I can also set up multiple outgoing messages. I have messages specifically for clients, my business partner, family and friends, as well as strangers. The level of customization is incredible and if used creatively it can make an important client feel like they are the most important person in the world. Being able to manage and edit all of my Google Voice features from my phone is a powerful productivity boost that I now depend on for my business.

For those trying to use all the free Google apps, Astrid is a simple yet effective app that is free to download. With its ability to sync with your account at “Remember The Milk.com”, the Astrid app can be automatically backed up and synced directly to and from your Android phone. Astrid provides a different level of control over Google Tasks and its simple and clean interface makes managing projects or task lists enjoyable.

Having used or owned many different smartphones, I feel confident when I say that the Android operating system and the myriad of Android apps provide the most powerful and effective combination available for improving productivity. Although there are many other apps for Android OS and other smartphones, this combination has worked wonders for me and my business. Also, every app I listed here is 100% free!