Mad little raven
Code Pineapple
Seven Hotels
sweet writes
BBC 'The Tapestry’
Post pobrano z: BBC 'The Tapestry’
How to Boost Profits for the Second Half of 2018
Post pobrano z: How to Boost Profits for the Second Half of 2018
We’re hitting the mid-mark of this year and if your profit margins aren’t what you had hoped and predicted, it could be time to make some changes. You might automatically think cuts in personnel and the like will be the first thing we’d recommend and, although some cuts will likely have to be made, there are plenty of areas in your business that you could tweak ever so slightly and see bigger dividends.
In the end, it really is all about the bottom line if you want to stay in business. Wondering how to boost your company’s profits for the second half of 2018? Read on for some suggestions.
Take Advantage of Customer Referrals
If you don’t have a referral system in place, now is the time to start. If people are happy with your company and/or products, they’ll likely want to tell others anyway. Reward them for it, see their motivation to do so increase, and watch more money roll in.
Cut the Fluff
If you’re offering costly services and products that are losing you money, what are you waiting for? Go leaner on your offerings and streamline what you do sell. You should also do an audit of your workflows and systems and cut out any processes that aren’t working well.
As this Inc.com article notes, “Every dollar you save by eliminating the cost of things that don’t add value to your company or to your customer drops directly to your bottom line.”
And, as painful as it may be, employee cuts could be necessary, too. You might have to run a bit leaner until profits pick back up. It’s also crucial to hire the right people in the first place. Transunion’s new employment background check service, ShareAble for Hires, is an easy online screening solution that takes just minutes to complete. It might seem like an oxymoron to invest in a service like this when you’re trying to cut costs, but placing a great employee in an open position now could save you thousands in turnover costs down the line-and improve productivity (and therefore profitability) at the same time.
Up Your Marketing Game
While cutting might be the name of the game in most areas, marketing efforts are the ones you want to increase. Boost your presence on social media, as that is the biggest way to reach customers these days. Using a social media marketing company like Metric Theory to streamline your social media efforts.
And people always like to get something for free, so offer tutorials, webinars, and podcasts whenever possible. Make sure to use a CRM tool like Zoho to measure which marketing techniques are working, and which ones aren’t.
Put a Sales Hat on All Team Members
Even if you have a sales department, spreading the word about your company and its happenings shouldn’t lie solely on their shoulders. Give all your employees a reason to want to brag about where they work. Whether you have some folks head up roundtable discussions or you offer incentives to anyone who regularly posts pertinent items on social media, everyone in the whole company can and should become walking spokespeople. In fact, you should hire Millennials, as they are known for sharing a lot about their work and work lives on social media.
Negotiate With Suppliers
Suppliers will often offer discounts for paying in cash and/or paying in full, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask about perks that you should be getting for vendor loyalty. Also, be diligent about checking your supplier bills. While it might not be on purpose, there are many times suppliers overcharge for goods or services. Catching these errors could save you thousands of dollars.
Up Those Prices and/or Drop Those Discounts
This can be a last resort but you can’t count it out entirely, as this will help your profitability. Customers know that overhead increases and, although you might lose the odd customer, the boost in profit margin more than makes up for this.
As an alternative, you might think about ditching your discounts. As Guest Writer Brad Sugars notes on Entrepreneur.com, “I once coached a men’s clothing store that regularly ran a 20 percent off promotion on men’s suits. If someone bought a $500 suit, the store lost $100 in profit. I counseled instead to give away a $100 shirt that cost $50. Customers perceived it as the same dollar value, but the store retained more money (and margin).” This same kind of logic can really be applied to any business.
Looking to end the second half of 2018 on a profitable high note? Follow these tips and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your bottom line changes.
All Images by Raw Pixel
Passing The VMware Certification Exams – The New Industry Standard
Post pobrano z: Passing The VMware Certification Exams – The New Industry Standard
The VMware certifications validate the candidates with virtualization concepts that facilitate the IT operations in IT infrastructure, cloud computing, data centers, and mobile devices. The VMware together with the EMC Corporation is among the mighty technologies under the Dell organization.
The VMware training and certification are divided into four distinct categories namely:
- Cloud- any certification that involves vCloud and its products.
- DCV- these are certifications that focus on the vSphere as well as vCenter technologies.
- Desktop mobility-this is concerned with the management and configuration of VMware environments such as the Horizon 7.
- Network Virtualization- the key aspect here is the networking as well as security software definition.
These categories are offered in four levels: the associate, professional, advanced professional, and design expert. The candidate starts from the associate to the expert level if one has successfully excelled in each of the preceding certifications. However, each level has several certification exams that lead to the award of a specific VMware certification. In some instances, the candidate needs to complete only one certification exam in order to receive the designated digital certificate.
The following are the certification exam that a candidate can channel through to receive a certification upon the achievement of the requirements:
- VMware Certified Associate(VCA)- it is the basic level of the VMware certification where the candidate will learn the VMware technologies. Anyone interested is required to have already passed the VCA-DBT (1V0-701) exam in order to claim a certificate.
- VMware Certified Professional(VCP)- it is the most common certification and a bridge to proceeding to the advanced certification under VMware track. One has to pass either 2V0-620 or 2V0-602.
- VMware Certified Advanced Professional(VCAP)- is designed for professions who have been utilizing VMware at an advanced level. It is a requirement for the candidates to pass 3V0-732 Exam.
- VMware Certified Design Expert(VCDX)- achievement of this certification involves commitment and ability to demonstrate the design of VMware architecture. It is mandatory for candidates to submit a design and defend his/her design against the review panel.
Why VMware Certification
The certification covers a variety of technological study which is not only available for those who have been in the industry for quite some years but also for those who are starting their career in the IT industry. The certified professional will advance their credibility with their clients, employers, and colleagues regardless of their existence in the industry.
Finally, VMware is an ideal program for the leaders in the virtualization arena. In fact, it is a must-have certificate which IT professionals in the virtual environment should possess. It is a proof of one’s competency in his/her place of work.
Proven Techniques to Tackle VMware Exam
Having decided to do any VMware certification exam, many questions may arise. The most common is how to prepare for a specific VMware Exam choosing the appropriate certification program. It is demoralizing when one registers for an exam with the intention of passing but yet fails. I have prepared the useful techniques that you can utilize to become a successful VMware expert, I got them first hand from the respected VMware experts.
Consider yourself
It is important to know oneself despite the fact that we sometimes compete with friends using the same pace. Do not read to complete a certain concept because your friend usually completes within a given time limit. Consider your own pace and the rate of understanding concepts than reading VMware as a fiction novel. Everyone’s ability differs.
Register for the appropriate exam
VMware has so many certifications that are related and connected in that one is a bridge to another. If you do not meet the requirements for the exam there is no need to do and fail because you will neither get certified nor advance your knowledge. Whatsoever the case, start from where you are familiar with.
Manage your time well
Time management is often the important step in our journey to excellence. It is the tool to reach our goals. While preparing to do the VMware exam, it is recommended to be stuck to the timetable you have created for efficient preparation. However, you should not squeeze your time so much that you cannot clearly understand the concepts within a given time or even get time for a break.
Find the training materials
The only way you can make yourself familiar with the course outline is training and preparing for Vmware Certification. The material can be acquired online in any format you like depending on your satisfaction limits. They are elaborative and concise. Many successful individuals recommend some specific websites which are good at the training of VMware courses. These sites are testking, prepaway and examcollection. They also offer valid VMware exam dumps and courses which are considered to be a great help to prepare for the exam.
Always have a course outline
The point of reference at all time during your studies is the course outline. It ensures that you are on the right track on the way to getting the certification. It is necessary to keep track of yourself and your learning. Without the study guide, you may end up learning other concepts that are out of the curriculum content.
Engage in discussion groups
The discussion that you have with friends or colleagues who have done the exam or yet to do is often beneficial. It is a chance to prove to yourself that you have understood some concepts. The discussion builds your ability to think critically and apply the right solutions to obstacles.
Conclusion
The introduction of the VMware certification has never been an unreasoned decision. It has helped in shaping the IT industry in various aspects that can neither be explained in writing nor in oral form, the rapid technological inventions explain better. All the effects of VMware concepts can be traced in all organizations in different spheres from virtual databases to cloud computing. The knowledge gained through the training designed for the VMware certification cannot be achieved by attending an institution only. VMware certification is an advantage for everybody from the IT graduate to the professional to keep pace with technological development as well as it boosts your personal growth.
Featured image by Nathan Dumlao
10 Sport & Healthy Lifestyle WordPress Themes
Post pobrano z: 10 Sport & Healthy Lifestyle WordPress Themes
People got used to saying that a healthy mind is in a healthy body. If you also believe in these words and want people to take them in their consideration, you should promote a healthy lifestyle on the web. Nowadays you don’t need to make a lot of efforts in order to create a tailor-made website. You can just take advantage of professionally-looking WordPress themes and get your success almost immediately. How can you put an emphasis on sports using these powerful ready-made solutions? Let’s find out reasons for a choice of this feature-rich platform together.
Why Work With WordPress to Build an Impressive Sports Website?
- If you’re interested in sports more than in coding, you don’t need to worry. For the reason that WordPress provides all people with a perfect chance to launch an attractive website without some amazing technical skills. Everything is pretty easy and understandable.
- Yet if you stuck at one or another stage of building your online-project, you can always get some help. To start with, it’s possible to get familiar with some information on your issue that is already presented on various forums. In addition to this, a lot of web-developers who have a perfect knowledge of WordPress are also ready to assist you in creating your website.
- Don’t forget that WordPress offers a bunch of amazing plugins that will enrich the functionality of your website. This means that you will be able to attract more people to your online-project and convince them of the importance of sports.
Are you ready to get your website into shape? Are you ready to make people become interested in sports and healthy lifestyle? In such a case, we want you to take a glance at these impressive ready-made solutions here and now. We are sure that you will find something out-of-the-ordinary and powerful in this collection…
ShapeForce – Excellent Sports Studio WordPress Theme
ShapeForce is a bold solution that will convince people of challenging themselves and taking up sports. With the help of the impressive bunch of powerful pre-made pages, it will be possible for people to find out more about your sports studio. You will also get a lot of plugins that will enhance the functionality of your online-project.
Bhakti – Marvelous Yoga WordPress Theme
Bhakti is an eye-catching template that will capture the attention of those people who are interested in yoga. The ultimate pack of Cherry Plugins will provide people with a full range of details about your services. Furthermore, you will get attractive bonus images that will allow you not to browse the Internet in search of a high-quality imagery.
Fastlek – Impressive Running Club WordPress Theme
A brand new theme that will make people believe that everything is possible together with your jogging club. With the help of multiple layout options, it will be possible to create the most stylish and powerful pages. Moreover, a great timetable plugin will assist you in building online-schedules and customizing the appearance of your events.
EirWorth – Remarkable Golf Club WordPress Theme
One of the most incredible golf WordPress themes that will make people become interested in this very sport. Thanks to a wonderful events calendar, it will be possible to create various schedules from the simplest to the most complex one. In addition to this, a feature-rich WordPress Live Customizer will allow you to tweak your colors and fonts.
Proshot – Bold Tennis Club WordPress Theme
Showcase a lifestyle that will keep people energized using this tailor-made theme. Thanks to a fully-fledged drag-and-drop builder, it will be possible to build pages without any knowledge of coding. You will also get a stunning TM Gallery to showcase your photos in the best possible light.
Hardrod – Vibrant Fitness & Bodybuilding WordPress Theme
If you think that your crossfit studio at its best, you should definitely pay your attention to this good-looking variant. With the help of four blog layouts, it will be possible to get more interest from your potential clients. A fully-functional WordPress Live Customizer will assist you in working with different aspects of your website.
Fitpress – Attractive Fitness WordPress Theme
Introduce the world of fitness using this unique and original template. A wide variety of Cherry Plugins will allow you to present your services and their benefits in the best possible light. A simple slider and post carousel will showcase your high-quality pictures in an eye-catching way.
Navy Blue – Bright Snorkeling WordPress Theme
In order to showcase your diving services, you just need to make use of this attention-grabbing template. People will be ready to request an appointment on the website thanks to a powerful appointment booking. Furthermore, different background options will certainly allow you to create a top-notch appearance of your online project.
FlexUp – Powerful Fitness Magazine WordPress Theme
A great solution that will impress your imaginations with lots of amazing features. A bunch of incredible bonus images will allow you to refresh the look of your website. Take advantage of different custom widgets to promote your website all over the web.
WildRide – Incredible Sports WordPress Theme
Be on the top together with this nice-looking and remarkable template. A video and audio integration will definitely make your website look more visually attractive. In addition to this, a Facebook Likebox, Instagram Feed, and Twitter Feed will allow you to catch the eye of people who adore social networks.
Promote a healthy lifestyle together with one of these vibrant templates. They have the power to bring you lots of new visitors who will definitely take up doing sports. For this reason, there is no need to lose your time. Just start building your amazing website here and now. We wish you to impress everyone with your attitude to sports and thanks for reading!
How to design websites with great user experience
Post pobrano z: How to design websites with great user experience
When a client hits on your site, statistical research shows that you have 8 seconds to capture his attention. Human attention span is decreasing rapidly with digital use. There is therefore only a short period of time to capture user attention.
This information is important to site designers who are able to understand how important it is to capture user attention quickly. Without this, your user will bounce off your site.
How do you create a website which is engaging enough to hold your viewers’ attention?
This article offers guidelines on constructing a website which will offer a great user experience.
Unique value proposition (UVP)
As a designer, you need to make your website stand out. The internet is saturated with websites or blogs which aim to grab attention. Your site will, therefore, need to make an excellent impression.
However, when it comes to internet design, it is not merely first impressions which count. Overall user experience is important to take into consideration. This means offering great value to your clients so that they become loyal visitors to your site.
Researchers share that when it comes to converting your viewers, value proposition is one of the most important elements. Your value proposition shares how your product or service will assist your clients to solve their problems. Your value proposition should also state why you stand out from your competition.
What is important to consider when creating your unique value proposition?
Location
Many internet designers consider the top part of a site, before the user scrolls, to be the most crucial area of your site. Research shows that viewers tend to track the site in an F shaped pattern. The majority of users place their attention on the upper left-hand side of the site.
These studies show why many designers place their most important information in the upper part of the site (above the fold). However, this part of the page shouldn’t feel cramped or chaotic. If the page is cramped, your user experience will be less pleasant.
There is a lot of competition to hold users’ attention online. This means that when you place content above the fold, you would need to include your value proposition here. Speak to your users and share what you offer from a user’s perspective. Keep your site clear, so that you don’t overwhelm your viewer.
If your information is easy to digest, your viewers will be willing to stay on your page.
Use imagery
Imagery can have a powerful emotional resonance. When you use imagery on your site, you will connect with your viewers on a deep level. A picture says a thousand words. Viewers are also far more able to process imagery quickly than they are able to process text.
When you show your viewers your message (rather than tell them) you will have a greater impact. Images, illustrations, photographs and screenshots can share complex information without being too demanding.
Video clips keep viewers over 100% more engaged. They are also a very effective means of sharing a message. Users will grasp and retain a message far more quickly if it is presented in video format.
An important tip: when you place visuals on your site, they have to be relevant. If your visuals are either irrelevant or contradict your audience’s expectations, they will be dismissed as irrelevant. If your visuals do not support your site’s value proposition, your site may seem to lack integrity.
Besides imagery, you should also take colors into consideration. Using muted colors, for example, may help you keep your visitors on the site. Nobody wants to see flashing colors in front of they eyeballs.
Unique content
There is so much information available online that brands often find it hard to connect with viewers. Marketers struggle to come up with content which will convert their viewers into clients.
Oli Gardner shares that in order to come up with original content, it is important to consult your customers. Your customer queries or topics can assist you to create a headline. By addressing their unique needs, you will be able to come up with original content which speaks directly to them.
Your clients will also be able to share why they chose to go into business with you and what they value about your service. Your clients will also be able to share their pain points with you so that you can address them online.
When you set up your content, it is also important to address keywords in order to increase your search engine rankings. If you structure your content around a client’s questions, you will save them time. This will create a positive experience.
When you offer up unique content, present it aesthetically, using appropriate typography and great imagery. An attractive and well laid out page will offer a valuable user experience.
Greater Use of Negative Space
Whitespace, or negative space, offers up breathing room to your site. It assists you to create a cleanly designed and sophisticated site. When you use whitespace well, your content will be clear, simple and easy to understand.
When you create a site, keep in mind that many readers are more interested in scanning information than actually reading it. When you create divide your content using subheadings and use whitespace to divide up your topics, your viewers will be able to select what they want to read most. Great use of negative space will, therefore, improve your user experience.
Mobile influences on desktop designs
As people are using mobile devices to explore websites, design trends for mobile are starting to reach desktop sites. At one time, hamburger menus or large and well-spaced typography was often limited to mobile designs. However, as sites are made to be responsive to mobile use, these features are now being placed onto desktop sites too.
Another change which may reach desktop sites is the change from a navigation menu on the top of the site to one on the bottom of the site. This keeps the buttons easily accessible.
Summary
When you’re designing a website, focus on user experience if you wish to achieve all of your site goals. Sites with a great UX have a high conversion rate. Ineffective websites are easily abandoned and will not achieve their site goals.
An understanding of psychology will help you to explore how users relate to your site. By focusing on user experiences, your viewers will have an enjoyable online experience and you’ll end up getting the conversion rates you need.
How to design websites with great user experience
When a client hits on your site, statistical research shows that you have 8 seconds to capture his attention. Human attention span is decreasing rapidly with digital use. There is therefore only a short period of time to capture user attention.
https://dribbble.com/shots/559643-Pair-s-new-homepage
This information is important to site designers who are able to understand how important it is to capture user attention quickly. Without this, your user will bounce off your site.
How do you create a website which is engaging enough to hold your viewers’ attention?
This article offers guidelines on constructing a website which will offer a great user experience.
Unique value proposition (UVP)
As a designer, you need to make your website stand out. The internet is saturated with websites or blogs which aim to grab attention. Your site will, therefore, need to make an excellent impression.
However, when it comes to internet design, it is not merely first impressions which count. Overall user experience is important to take into consideration. This means offering great value to your clients so that they become loyal visitors to your site.
Researchers share that when it comes to converting your viewers, value proposition is one of the most important elements. Your value proposition shares how your product or service will assist your clients to solve their problems. Your value proposition should also state why you stand out from your competition.
What is important to consider when creating your unique value proposition?
Location
Many internet designers consider the top part of a site, before the user scrolls, to be the most crucial area of your site. Research shows that viewers tend to track the site in an F shaped pattern. The majority of users place their attention on the upper left-hand side of the site.
These studies show why many designers place their most important information in the upper part of the site (above the fold). However, this part of the page shouldn’t feel cramped or chaotic. If the page is cramped, your user experience will be less pleasant.
There is a lot of competition to hold users’ attention online. This means that when you place content above the fold, you would need to include your value proposition here. Speak to your users and share what you offer from a user’s perspective. Keep your site clear, so that you don’t overwhelm your viewer.
If your information is easy to digest, your viewers will be willing to stay on your page.
Use imagery
Imagery can have a powerful emotional resonance. When you use imagery on your site, you will connect with your viewers on a deep level. A picture says a thousand words. Viewers are also far more able to process imagery quickly than they are able to process text.
When you show your viewers your message (rather than tell them) you will have a greater impact. Images, illustrations, photographs and screenshots can share complex information without being too demanding.
https://dribbble.com/shots/3457011-Mackey-Saturday-on-Freelance-TV
Video clips keep viewers over 100% more engaged. They are also a very effective means of sharing a message. Users will grasp and retain a message far more quickly if it is presented in video format.
An important tip: when you place visuals on your site, they have to be relevant. If your visuals are either irrelevant or contradict your audience’s expectations, they will be dismissed as irrelevant. If your visuals do not support your site’s value proposition, your site may seem to lack integrity.
Besides imagery, you should also take colors into consideration. Using muted colors, for example, may help you keep your visitors on the site. Nobody wants to see flashing colors in front of they eyeballs.
Unique content
There is so much information available online that brands often find it hard to connect with viewers. Marketers struggle to come up with content which will convert their viewers into clients.
Oli Gardner shares that in order to come up with original content, it is important to consult your customers. Your customer queries or topics can assist you to create a headline. By addressing their unique needs, you will be able to come up with original content which speaks directly to them.
Your clients will also be able to share why they chose to go into business with you and what they value about your service. Your clients will also be able to share their pain points with you so that you can address them online.
When you set up your content, it is also important to address keywords in order to increase your search engine rankings. If you structure your content around a client’s questions, you will save them time. This will create a positive experience.
https://dribbble.com/shots/3651278-Less-Is-More
When you offer up unique content, present it aesthetically, using appropriate typography and great imagery. An attractive and well laid out page will offer a valuable user experience.
Greater Use of Negative Space
Whitespace, or negative space, offers up breathing room to your site. It assists you to create a cleanly designed and sophisticated site. When you use whitespace well, your content will be clear, simple and easy to understand.
https://dribbble.com/shots/4337906-Feature-Page-Design-for-Invoicing-SaaS-Company
When you create a site, keep in mind that many readers are more interested in scanning information than actually reading it. When you create divide your content using subheadings and use whitespace to divide up your topics, your viewers will be able to select what they want to read most. Great use of negative space will, therefore, improve your user experience.
Mobile influences on desktop designs
As people are using mobile devices to explore websites, design trends for mobile are starting to reach desktop sites. At one time, hamburger menus or large and well-spaced typography was often limited to mobile designs. However, as sites are made to be responsive to mobile use, these features are now being placed onto desktop sites too.
https://dribbble.com/shots/3503732-Responsive-Lasso-Screens
Another change which may reach desktop sites is the change from a navigation menu on the top of the site to one on the bottom of the site. This keeps the buttons easily accessible.
Summary
When you’re designing a website, focus on user experience if you wish to achieve all of your site goals. Sites with a great UX have a high conversion rate. Ineffective websites are easily abandoned and will not achieve their site goals.
An understanding of psychology will help you to explore how users relate to your site. By focusing on user experiences, your viewers will have an enjoyable online experience and you’ll end up getting the conversion rates you need.