Monthly Archives: July 2020

5 Essential Marketing Strategies for Call Conversions

The smartphone is arguably the most revolutionary invention of the 21st century that has drastically changed consumer behavior. Google indicates that smartphones now account for over half of web traffic, with more searches originating from these devices. 

Digital marketers have shifted focus to social media content and display advertising to tap into this large market. Greater focus is now on creating an enabling environment for mobile prospects to follow up their searches with calls. Here are 5 essential marketing strategies for call conversions.

Facilitate customer calls

Your marketing effort is wasted if you do not provide means by which prospects can contact you for more information. Provide a call number across all media platforms carrying your marketing content. Providing a phone number is the most fundamental strategy for marketing that needs no emphasis. 

It pays to optimize your digital ads and website with a user-friendly click-to-call option for a better customer experience that will produce leads. To support this effort, include a clear contact center management strategy to guide call reporting. Aceyus is a reputed name in call center solutions for their innovative software and implementation ideas.

Improve caller experience

For successful call conversions, callers expect outstanding customer care served promptly and authoritatively. This creates confidence and helps the prospect make a favorable decision that could include a request for an appointment or information on the purchase process. Key to good caller experience is correct and prompt routing through your call centers.

Train your call center staff to collect and send caller information to the sales agent before transferring the call. This prepares the sales agent to address the caller’s needs knowledgeably and satisfactorily. The upfront information also helps the sales agent to personalize the interaction with the consumer, further improving their experience.

Call attribution

If calls are integral to your marketing effort, then you need to use the data they generate to tell a story that can affect decisions. You need to know the specific marketing driver that influenced the caller and how it integrates into the overall marketing strategy. 

Knowing whether the call came through keyword search, advert, email, or marketing channel helps in budget planning and performance review.

The caller’s path is equally important since the marketing team can retrace it to assess efficiency. This can help webmasters optimize the sites for better UX.

Call data management tools

Calls provide valuable data that marketers can mine to optimize ROI while adjusting and allocating budgets where necessary. If, for instance, more calls are coming from social platforms, the marketing team can design targeted content for these consumers while allocating more resources to drive the campaign.

Integrating AI-powered tools in your system for call tracking can up your game immensely. AI automates the process of monitoring and evaluating call data generating key reports for decision-making.

Collect actionable insights

To increase call conversion rates, marketers must analyze to improve quality and relevance when creating marketing content. Important markers in call evaluation include call value, what the caller said and their experience, and how well the sales agent handled the call. The marketer can draw insights from this data to increase performance and, most especially, conversion rates.

These insights can also lead to the improvement of the call centers to align with customer expectations. Webmasters can also use this to optimize SEM and SEO content. 

Digital marketers need more than call volumes to anchor their KPI metrics. To leverage calls, marketing executives need a holistic approach that evaluates how their website, keywords, campaigns, and channels attract phone leads that have the potential for conversion. This means that calls are dependent on various other factors in the marketing strategy that work collectively to attract phone prospects.

5 Tips for Keeping Up with Marketing Trends

Each industry has its own trends that come and go making it very important for businesses to find a way to keep up with these changes. Failure to keep up with industry trends might lead to using outdated marketing techniques repelling customers further away. 

Generating more sales and revenue depends on the efficacy of the marketing strategies implemented. For those strategies to be effective, they need to conform to the latest trends. Undoubtedly, trends are very important for the profitability of a business. Here are five effective tips for keeping up with the latest marketing developments:

Keep tabs on the competition

“If you can’t beat them, join them” is sage advice indicating the importance of spying on your competition to discover new trends. Whenever you have identified a more successful competitor, try to identify what has propelled this success. Maybe the competitors have discovered a trend that you have not but could pair well with the current marketing strategy you’re implementing.

Perhaps if you implement it or find ways to improve the trend, there might be a groundbreaking marketing discovery in the market. The business might get the breakthrough they have been praying for all along.

Implementing a data-driven solution for marketing purposes

Using data to keep up with industry trends can help you efficiently stay up to date with every happening. Finding an automated solution that provides you with all the relevant conclusive data can help make crucial marketing decisions. 

That stresses the importance of implementing data-driven tools to help you make marketing decisions. Using such tools will help you save time that would be used, trying to analyze everything happening in the industry. That time could be better used focusing on other business aspects such as implementing discovered trends using the tools mentioned above.

Get feedback from customers

One key aspect that dictates industry trends is the sentiments of the customer. To keep up with these trends, you can try to get the unfiltered and unfurnished truth from the customers themselves. By implementing CRM systems, you can see what they think about their customer journey.

The results of such assessments will make it possible to come up with trendy marketing content. Another strategy you can implement is using account-based engagement analysis to gauge how customers interact with the products you’re marketing. You can implement systems that help with this to get insights about what customers deem as trending.

Using Google Trends

You can implement Google Trends to identify any anomalies or changes in the industry you’re in. The tool helps mostly with identifying what potential customers are searching for at that time. You can focus on a certain geographic location or set other parameters to identify trending content that can be integrated into your marketing strategy.

Alternatively, you can widen the search as much as possible if you’re running a global business. There is great value in using Google Trends and this tool can help you identify any trends your customers might be interested in.

Keep up with industry news

Above all these strategies to keep up with industry trends, you might deem it necessary to take matters into your own hands by keeping up with industry news. For example, you can read industry newsletters or updates; alternatively, it might be more beneficial to get the news via word of mouth. 

In the latter case, you can sign up for seminars and networking events to hear what other professionals say is trending. That is one of the most successful strategies of keeping up with marketing trends regardless of the industry.

Should You Ship or Drive Your Car

Moving across the country means long transport distances are involved. If you need to start a new job and time is limited, the trip can seem an insurmountable problem with all the other arrangements that need to be made. 

You just want to wave a magic wand and get to the other side, but this is not possible. Several factors influence whether you drive yourself or get a company to ship your car to the destination.

Road trip plans

The road is long, the hours are worse and you have to fork out cash to sleep over and to eat. You may be distracted by calls from your new employer while on the road or from the transport company dealing with your home move. Depending on how long the trip is, you’ll probably want to book ahead and have to pay deposits. 

Either that or you may be the type of person to wing it. Whichever choice you make, the costs are going to be high. Your car will need a good service before embarking on the journey, and you will need to pay for fuel costs.

Shipping considerations

Hiring a private company to ship your vehicle locally or overseas might sound expensive. The truth is that once you start calculating all the costs involved in an extended road trip, the costs begin to sound very reasonable. Companies that shipvehicles.com can customize the experience for the customer whether the vehicles are high-end luxury sports cars or expensive automobiles. 

Various shipping methods are available such as enclosed or open-air transport options. Drop-off and pick-up services are available, together with full insurance. On-time deliveries are also part of the overall package to limit inconvenience.

Costs of shipping

First, obtain a quote from a vehicle shipping company. Once this is available, you will be able to calculate related costs. You may choose to fly or get to your destination by rail. Maybe friends will be available to pick you up and drop you off to take either of these transport options, of you’ll pay for a taxi. 

Factor food costs into your trip, and then weigh overall costs against the convenience of shipping your vehicle. Once at the other end, you may need to hire a temporary vehicle. All these extras cost money, which needs to be considered when planning your move.

Consider flying to your destination

Flight costs can be quite reasonable (cheap) when booked in advance. You may want to fly together as a family or take separate trips. Take separate trips means that the one flies to the destination ahead of time to sort out the new home, while the other stays to arrange the move at the current home. 

If this is a family move, it’s always more exciting to stick together for greater support and decision-making. Sticking together typically relieves some of the stress of making a big move. Flying to your destination is convenient when you decide to have your vehicle shipped ahead of time.

Opportunity costs

Calculate the lost opportunity costs of taking a road trip rather than opting for vehicle shipping. How many days of lost work will the trip cost if you decide to drive yourself across the country? If you have a family, staying over at hotels or motels is also going to be that much more expensive. 

Even if you have a partner to share the driving, an entire family in closed quarters for days on end can be trying. Gas prices differ across states, which is one additional element to factor into your calculations. Consider too that you’ll want to be well-rested when you reach your destination if you have loads of unpacking to do.

A Few Cat Behaviors Demystified

Cats are smart but seemingly complicated animals. Many of their behaviors often seem strange to us. One behavior that could have multiple meanings is when your cat licks you. According to OurFitPets.com, It could mean anything from anxiety to its way of trying to teach you how to groom.

Here are some others.

1. Head rubbing, also known as Bunting

Cats have pheromones in their cheeks that allow them to leave their scent on whatever they rub against. It is also one way of showing affection. However, it’s just as normal for them not to bunt on their humans so don’t worry if yours isn’t in the habit of doing so. Cats have many different ways of showing affection, such as raising their tails on your legs and face.

2. Chattering or Chirping

Chances are, your cat probably does this when it sees birds or other potential prey from the window. House cats were originally bred to hunt small prey-or farm pests-in ancient Egypt and they kept rats at bay during the Black Plague. Those instincts still remain intact to this day. The chattering is the kind of biting down that they wish that they were doing to the birds or whatever potential prey they’re seeing. It’s also their frustration over not being able to catch them.

3. Constantly Chewing on Inanimate Objects

Some do it out of anxiety or an illness. In others, it may be because they were weaned too early and try to “nurse” on soft items, such as blankets.

Either way, this is worrisome because it could cause choking or other intestinal blockages. As a result, it’s recommended that you take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

4. Ignoring You When You Don’t Want To Be and Then Clamoring for Attention When You Least Want Them To

If they’re ignoring you, chances are, it’s not because of something you did. Unless you scared them with something noisy like a vacuum cleaner or patted them too hard. Cats are more independent than dogs and seem to crave some “me time”. It’s usually best to leave them alone when they do.

However, as soon as they see you doing something like checking things on your phone or working on your computer, they get right in your way. They’re not trying to be annoying as much as they’re curious and want in on the other something taking your attention away from them. They’re a little similar to young children that way.

5. Knocking Things Off of High Places

Yes, we understand that this is annoying. However, one of the primary ways that cats explore things is with their front paws. It also doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that they probably think that stuff’s in their way. And, yes, they sometimes do it for your attention but not usually. After all, as far as they’re concerned, they’re the real owners of the home. You just get to live with them because they get their food and love from you.

Most experts recommend ignoring it because it seems to encourage them otherwise. However, we recommend using your best judgment and not leaving anything super valuable where they tend to hang out the most.

Best Financial Budgeting and Planning Tips Following a Job Loss

Losing your regular employment can be daunting if you don’t have savings in place. But, you may be due for certain benefits that will supplement your income while looking for further employment. 

Also, you may have a second job that you can rely on to fill in some gaps. Depending on how long you’ve been permanently employed, the future may not seem as bleak as you originally thought. Put your thinking cap on and start making inquiries into hidden benefits. Once that’s done, you’ll have a better idea of where you stand.

Severance pay

Severance packages are typically compiled for employees whose jobs have been made redundant, or for those who have been laid off. Find out details about what type of severance pay you can anticipate, and how long your medical insurance will be covered.  

It is also in your best interest to access a counseling service through your employer. Make use of whatever benefits they provide in this situation to strengthen your position as much as possible. 

They may offer training of aid in finding you a new position. Your employer may also offer assistance in updating your C.V. Whatever help they offer, take advantage of these additional benefits.

Calculate your income and expenses

In this type of situation, it is best to calculate your current financial status. Make use of the time to determine any annuity payment that might be due from insurance benefits that you’ve made over the years. 

Factor in your severance package, a second job or household income, and determine your monthly overheads. As soon as you’re clear on incoming and outgoing finances, you’ll be in a better position to make future plans. If necessary, approach loan providers to reduce installments until you acquire full-time employment again.

Draw up a financial plan

After sorting out your budget and contacting creditors to reduce payments, draw up a financial plan to get you through this tough period. Look at how you spend money and check to see where you can cut down on expenses. 

Budget for minimal groceries, cut out luxuries and calculate savings on transport costs while at home. Every little bit extra helps at the moment, so you need to be really strict about where your money is going. Look at retirement plans and contact the provider for a payment holiday. 

This will extend the period in which you will pay for these savings for several months but may help until you find new employment. Check to see what government unemployment benefits may be due and whether you can dip into any savings you may have.

Financial counseling or review

If your situation seems worse than first anticipated, find out how financial counseling can help. There are many credit counselors available who can offer free advice. They can help you develop a workable plan to see you through the next few months or more. 

Find out what types of services they offer, what is free and what they charge for, if the counselors are trained and licensed. Many are non-profits, so it shouldn’t be a problem to source valuable free financial advice from these organizations.

Debt consolidation and refinancing

Your financial counselor may suggest that you consolidate your debt to reduce your overall monthly expenses. The interest on a consolidation loan may be higher and extend over a longer period than desired, but this is a solution worth considering following a job loss. 

Alternatively, if you own property, you can possibly take an additional loan out against this asset to reduce your monthly debt. The goal is to stay positive, weigh all your options and come up with the best solution to create stability until you find a new job.

5 Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games

Playing video games is often believed to lead to aggression, violence and addiction. Negative findings related to gaming addiction have led to public condemnation of playing video games. 

However, the cognitive benefit of playing video games is coming to light in current research. Contrary to certain beliefs, the average American gamer is a 35-year-old adult and many adults play games regularly for at least three hours per week. 

An article in American Journal of Play summarized research that found evidence of the positive effects of playing video games on some basic mental processes, such as memory, attention, decision-making and perception. 

Most of this research related to action video games where players had to move quickly, keep many details in their minds at once and make speedy decisions. Here are five cognitive benefits. 

1. Improves problem-solving skills

Video games all have certain rules and players have to think carefully about how to deal with specific situations while staying within these rules. Decision-making and strategizing are important skills players learn. 

They have to predict an opponent’s thoughts, weigh risks and rewards and make educated guesses about the moves they should make next. The speed at which a player makes the right decisions often determine success. 

When playing World of Warcraft, a WoW classic boost from boostcarry.com helps to improve different aspects of the gaming experience, from leveling up and farming to mastering skills and killing demons. 

2. Enhances memory

Players need to read or listen to instructions before playing the game and then recall them throughout playing of the game. Visual working memory has been effectively trained by researchers using both action games and adventure games. 

Games that are move-based require control combinations that need to be memorized and practiced in order for successful execution. Repeatedly performing complex actions can also contribute to hand-eye coordination and help to train muscle memory 

3. Affects attention and focus

Studies included in a review of 116 scientific studies published in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience show that video game players were able to sustain attention and selective attention. Playing video games seems to not only change how the brain performs but affect its structure too. 

Researchers found that the regions of the brain playing a role in attention were more efficient in gamers compared with non-gamers. Gamers are able to stay more focused on demanding tasks. 

4. Helps with multi-tasking

An action video game often requires a player to be very observant and to perform certain actions with a joystick or keys while also paying attention to features on the screen. This requires paying attention to various factors at once, such as watching for oncoming adversaries on the screen while moving the joystick and tapping keys. 

Many popular games require players to keep track of complex information, character levels, resources and much more at the same time. Players have to learn how to prioritize their resources to accomplish their goals and work with many elements simultaneously. 

5. Improves spatial navigation

In a paper published in American Psychologist, researchers found that players of shooter games had improved ability to think about objects in three dimensions. Gamers tend to display greater sensitivity to visual contrast and are able to rotate objects more accurately. Think about how useful this skill could be for all kinds of careers, such as for a pilot trying to navigate in heavy fog. 

Researchers have found that in long-term gamers, the right hippocampus is enlarged. This is the part of the brain responsible for identifying visual and spatial relationships among objects. 

Independent Teens: Safety Tips for Going Out Alone

Before you know it, your sweet toddler is a big, surly teenager spending nights over at a friend’s house. Maybe you don’t even know both parents, and you certainly haven’t been informed by your teen about what they’ll be getting up to while they’re there. 

As a parent, you no doubt spoke to your child about stranger-danger and you instilled some simple rules for them to abide by. You know that as they grow up, your ability to shield them and keep them safe starts to diminish. And yet there are safety tips they need to be aware of for going out alone.

Safety tips for teens 

Just as you warned your small kids about the dangers out there, you need to still be involved with your teens. Before they leave home, whether in a group or alone, you can give them a reminder of the tips you have been instilling in them to keep them safe. 

One of these is to always be aware of their surroundings and the people moving around them. By now, teens should be able to sense when things don’t feel right after teaching them how to identify safe people. 

Make sure your teen always has their charged cellphone with them so that you’re just a phone call away. Remind them again never to get into the car of a friend who has been drinking.  

Parental control tools

It is illegal to install an app on someone else’s phone without their knowledge. As a parent, however, you need to be involved with your teenagers and know what they’re getting up to. You will need to explain to them the necessity of parental control tools such as blocking and filtering software.

A spy phone app that your child is aware of means that parents can be aware of their child’s location at all times. The software enables real-time GPS tracking. So, if you’ve got doubts about where your teen is, you simply check the GPS for confirmation. There is also a camera that is activated for parents so they can view their teen’s surroundings. 

Watch those drinks

You can’t expect clubs to not be policing their establishments. Many teens get into clubs and other venues and drink. Those that haven’t been warned by the parents need to know that they can have their drinks spiked. Are you as a parent, even aware that your teens are frequenting these establishments? 

Management can only do so much to ensure the safety of patrons. They can’t stop drink-spiking and the damage that happens as a consequence, and your teen needs to know this. 

As a parent, you need to educate your teenagers that they shouldn’t allow people they aren’t totally familiar with to buy them a drink and to leave the drinks unattended. 

Online safety

The Internet is a wonderful world of entertainment and information. For a child, you need to teach Internet safety from the moment your kids start using a connected device of any sort. Kids need to know that, particularly social media sites are full of false identities.

There are many dangers online and parents need to be vigilant. Your teenager can be exposed to a host of people and images. Risks don’t only include exposure to sexual material but also sexual exploitation and harassment. 

As a parent, arm yourself with important information, such as acronyms that have been designed to dupe unsuspecting parents. Constantly be reinforcing to your teen that you are there to listen to them. Keep your cool and don’t admonish any admission as this may well shut down the impulse to disclose further info.

When You Need an Immigration Lawyer

While you may not be required to hire an immigration lawyer when filling out applications and paperwork, having one by your side can come in handy. Even the slightest of mistakes in your visa and work permit applications can result in rejection. To enhance your chances of success, here are situations when you need the services of an immigration lawyer.

1. You’re Unsure About Your Options

Say you have viable streams of income, maybe you’re a proficient worker, or you’re looking to start up a business. Or, maybe you qualify to apply for citizenship, or you need to change your VISA to best suit your needs. With the constantly evolving regulations in place, it can be easy to stay outdated.

An immigration attorney can help air out your options and put you in track with recent developments. They can help you pursue opportunities you were previously incapable of noticing. This can mean the difference between living a successful life in Canada versus one with woes and struggles.

2. Attending the Immigration Court Proceedings

In the worst-case scenario, maybe you’re in the process of being deported. An immigration lawyer can help determine a possible avenue of support to aid your case in any way possible.

Furthermore, a lawyer helps you answer any pending questions asked by the judge and represent your matters in court. This means handling all paperwork, attending hearings, and represents you in the court of law.

3. You’re Encountering Delays

You applied, and it has been ages since you last got feedback. While an immigration attorney may not hold the keys to your application, they can access inquiry lines. But, don’t mistake this as a guaranteed application outcome. Even the most qualified attorney can experience difficulties while looking for an answer, but it’s worth giving it a shot.

4. Need Help Finding a Legal Job

As an immigrant, it can be quite difficult finding a job, let alone secure a decent salary to sustain your new life in Toronto, Canada. More so, if you’re unfamiliar with the paperwork involved, it can be strenuous without the aid of a professional. An immigration lawyer can assist you in the process of seeking employment.

5. You’re Seeking a Path to Citizenship

Most immigrants seeking a newfound life in Canada will eventually walk towards the path of obtaining citizenship. By 2020, Canada expects to welcome over 350,000 newcomers. This is why learning how to increase your odds of acceptance is vital. An immigration attorney has the knowledge on the rules, regulations, and procedures involving applying for citizenship.

We understand that no immigration process is easy. That’s why, with an Immigration Lawyer Toronto Firm, you can expect a team of well-trained professionals to assist you with the complex Canadian immigration problems.

6. You Find It Difficult to Weave through Permits

As a newcomer to Canada, it can be tough maneuvering through the works and regulations in place. Furthermore, if you’re interested in obtaining a work permit, the whole process can be overburdening, especially when you’re handling alone.

A skilled immigration lawyer knows how to effortlessly guide you through your application and help you fill in the correct information required. The last thing you’d need is a rejection simply, because you filled in incorrect data.

In Summary

The process of handling immigration procedures can be daunting. With an immigration attorney, you boost your chances of a favorable outcome.