Nothing launched their first-ever product a while ago. The product in talks here is the “Nothing Ear 1”. We were all waiting for the price to drop for this gadget and it’s finally here! The company is well known because of Carl Pei who used to a co-founder of OnePlus.

Nothing Ear 1 will be available to purchase in India from Flipkart as suggested by its landing page. The product is currently priced at Rs. 5,999 which seems like they are in the sweet spot between the budget and the high-end ear pods. The launch event for Ear 1 is confirmed for 27th July at 18:30 IST.

Talking about the pricing, its global price is approximately close to Rs. 10,000 but for India, they have slashed the amount by almost 30-40%. It’s definitely a fair move keeping the competition in mind. This will be a tough call for a lot of consumers as they will have to choose Ear 1 from brands like Oppo, RealMe, and OnePlus.

There have been a lot of leaks and speculation around Nothing Ear 1 but nothing can be confirmed as of now regarding its features and specifications. We will get to know more about the product and its specifics on the launch date itself. Presently, we know that the Ear 1 will support Active Noise Cancelling and sports a transparent body that gives somewhat of a futuristic look to it.

This is going to be an interesting watch as Nothing has other gadgets planned to launch over the upcoming months and years. Nothing has also hired Manu Sharma to overlook their operations in India. Let’s see if this particular wireless earphone can make big waves in the Indian market.

You’ve worked your fingers to the bone to build a strong business that can survive the test of time. You have it all – a highly-trained team, top-notch products, and agile systems that promise to over-deliver. You’ve trounced all the bootstrapping ghosts that threatened to derail your huge ambition. Congratulations! You are a shrewd entrepreneur.

While everything looks good to you, your business is still struggling to stay afloat in a turbulent sea of competition. Sales volumes are dwindling. No referrals are coming your way. And you are increasingly getting worried.

7 Customer Service Mistakes

Your biggest undoing: your customer service stinks. Sooner, your business might come tumbling down like a pack of cards. Since customer service makes the backbone of any successful business, you can’t afford to turn off a customer. Here are munchable customer service mistakes that may be contributing to that “I’m not buying anything from you again.”

1. Over-automation

Sometimes, adopting technology can be a curse cloaked in a thin layer of blessings. While the urge to automate everything to cut costs may be so strong, you don’t automate just because you can. Technology can’t provide a perfect replacement for that “one-on-one” experience. You can’t afford to erase all direct contact you have with the customer.

Plus, different customers prefer different modes of communication. According to Dana Brownlee, founder of Professionalism Matters, a consulting firm that handles communication bottlenecks, you need to “give the options” so that your customers are not treated to “the frustrating phone trees.” Where possible, provide phone numbers, live chats, emails through which your customers can reach you.

2. Urge To Handle Customers As Quickly As Possible

Customers are always looking for efficient and respectful solutions. The problem is that most reps just don’t listen. You need to take time to listen to your customers, understand their specific problems, and give a solution that solves their problems. Unfortunately, most representatives always assume they know what the customer want.

And when they pick calls from their customer, they rush to give them a solution to their factious problem. Finally, your disgruntled customer will end up resenting your company. To avoid losing customers, teach your customer representatives effective listening skills. When you try call center outsourcing to the Philippines, you’ll know that all their agents are trained in showing empathy to every customer they communicate with. They teach them how to develop processes that prioritize listening to customers. Encourage them to get rid of CSR scripts.

3. Being Satisfied With Small Wins

Avoid taking a reactive position. Instead, be proactive when dealing with your customers. Customer service always happens on the front end of your business. Not a back-end affair. Find ways of winning the hearts of your customers on the front end. Concentrate more on one-to-one interaction – calls, messages, and live chats. To succeed, conduct process analysis of your products, root causes, and improvements that can really give your products a competitive edge. Also, to maintain a connection with the customer, Brownlee recommends taking at least “five customer service calls” every month.

4. Sickly Outages

The truth is, no system brags of a perfect uptime. Even the most acclaimed cloud-based systems have their fair share of trouble when this outage monster strikes. The tragedy is, if your customers can’t reach you, the hundreds of liters of midnight oil you burned grooming your business will be in vain. At the end of the day, you want to make a positive impression.

So to be on the safe side, look for a reputable web service provider that offers fast page loading time and reliable round-the-clock uptime. Ensure that your customer can reach you during the hours you promise support for those who provide support via email and telephone. If you are not reachable after hours, build a system that allows them to put in a request or a ticket. Then call back when you are available.

 5. Slow Turnaround

Today, ordering anything on demand is just a click away. Thanks to the power of technology, we have completely become impatient. We want everything fashioned in terms of “quick turnaround time.” Customers will frown at you if you keep them waiting. The speedy response will draw them in, winning their long-term loyalty to your company. Respond promptly to your customer’s questions and feedback on social media. Otherwise, your competition will be laughing all the way to the bank.

6. Undervaluing Customer Service Team

Your customer representatives are the people that interact with your customers. They make the face of your business. Unfortunately, they are also the least paid and regarded employees. Sinking their morale will sink your business to rock bottom. You have to find a way of motivating them to go the extra mile to satisfy your customers. Also, hire top talent, pay them well and reward them whenever they post great results. You will also attract top talent to your service desk if you build a reputation for treating your employees well.

7. No Complaints Pretty Customer Service

You are always working hard to get into the veins of your customers. You have trained your staff to handle different questions. You don’t want them to give awkward answers that may alienate your customers. And you are happy that you are not getting any complaints. Don’t mistakenly think that your customer service is pretty good because you are not getting any complaints.

Studies have shown that only 1 out of 26 disgruntled customers will complain. And that means for every complaint you receive, there are another 25 dissatisfied customers who don’t bother to complain. On the flip side, if you receive an avalanche of compliments and little to no complaints, you have reason to smile. Maybe you are doing things right. Businesses are all about the balance sheets.

No one wants to be treated to a horrible customer experience. If your customer representatives are not up to the mark, it will be the surest way to send your business to the bin. As a shrewd business owner, you need to create an environment that pumps up employees’ morale to offer excellent customer service.

About the Author:
Sanjay Darji works as a software analyst at SoftwareSuggest. His interests include top CRM software, helpdesk software, photography, and food. He likes to spend time with his son and catch up on the latest technologies in his spare time. You can follow him on Twitter at @sanjaydarji01.

You may jazz up a product, tie it with a cute little bow, and offer the same at the best price- But this does not matter while generating leads with digital marketing.

No matter what price you offer, if your product is unknown in the market, it is likely to fail, and your business will be on the verge of doom. This is because products with the most leads win in the market.

If you have an average product but with a high number of leads, it will win because more leads result in more revenue and more profit.

So, if you want to survive and lead in the competitive market, you have to focus on generating more leads. Well, do not worry because we will unpack some of the best tricks for you to generate leads with digital marketing.

But before we jump on to the tricks, here is a question for you. Did you know that, on average, an online user is flooded with about 11,250 ads every month? No wonder the number is enormous. But to survive the stiff competition, one has to come up with new and creative ways to grab the user’s attention and generate more leads.

So, let us now discuss the ways to generate more leads using digital marketing.

Different ways to generate leads with digital marketing

Let’s begin…

1- Take Advantage of Social Media

Accessibility of the internet is shaping the world in a new and better way, and social media is the lovechild of the world wide web. It comes in many forms, including forums, blogs, live chats, business networks, and, last but not least social networks.

Speaking of social media, are you aware that around 3.5 million people are using social media actively? Yes!! The number of social media users is this big, but don’t get shocked to hear this since the number is already on the rise.

With many social media users, no one can deny the fact that it is one of the biggest platforms capable of generating leads. But, to successfully acquire leads via social media, you must invest a lot of time and effort to build an engaged audience to convert the audience into leads.

So, one of the best ways to generate leads is staying active and creative on social media by regularly posting appealing explainer videos, infographics, slides, etc.

2- Engage with Leads Directly

Direct engagement with the customers should be on your priority list if you want to generate leads. Most businesses opt for indirect involvement such as FAQs, but this is not the most effective means to engage with the customers.

With direct engagement, companies use live chat, help centers, and forums to ensure that every customer query is appropriately handled. Just to let you know, a more engaged customer means better word of mouth, which ultimately results in more lead generation.

3- Informative Content

In the internet world, content is the king and a great source to create more web traffic, which will ultimately result in more lead generation. The importance of content is one thing, but it does not mean that you may use any content.

The audience today is smart and looks for content that may provide relevant information. So, make sure that your content is well-informed and has videos, images, and infographics to increase engagement and share count.

You may use these tricks to get the most out of your content:

• Post informative and valuable content that compels the user to fill in their information
• Add visuals to your content since users are more likely to retain the visual information
• Clarify what your customers are getting and how it will be beneficial for them

4- Share Videos on Youtube

With 1.9 billion logged-in users visiting every month and a billion hours spent every day watching videos, Youtube is one of the biggest platforms in terms of popularity and population. If you see it only as a video hosting platform, you might need to re-think it because it is also a massive search engine. As a result, it is more popular than any other platform like Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Since the videos posted on youtube remain for a long time compared to other platforms, it is the best channel to send referral web traffic.

So, you may create and run your channel on Youtube and share the best-animated explainer videos, imperative tutorials, etc., to make sure that you strive among your competitors and attract more leads.

5- Email Marketing

Email marketing means direct engagement with the customers, and as mentioned in the first point, direct engagement with the customer is a must-to-do task if you wish to see your business rising with more leads.

Now, while creating content for generating leads via email, you must consider the following tips:

• Create an enticing subject line
• Keep your content crisp and concise
• Embed images and videos in your email
• Integrate a Call-to-Action (CTAs) button in your email (preferably in the first half)
• Link your social media accounts to redirect the customer to your social media pages

6- Write Guest Posts

Writing guest posts is a useful digital marketing hack. With guest blogging, you get potent backlinks, a bigger audience, and a chance to do personal branding. According to HubSpot, guest posting helps you multiply the number of your leads and is a great way to double your revenue.

While you focus on the guest posting, make sure you choose the high authority sites and offer valuable (but actionable) advice to your target audience. Make sure that you create a post using related videos and images.

7- Stay Updated with latest Trends

In a fraction of a minute, a lot can happen in the world of digital marketing. So, staying updated with the latest marketing trends is yet another useful digital marketing hack. Moreover, since the digital marketing sphere keeps evolving, it becomes essential to devise the marketing strategy time and again.

So, make sure that you keep your eyes open to what’s happening in the digital world to ensure that you are not lagging.

Read more about Why digital marketing is better than traditional marketing.

In a Crux

The business world is competitive, and these are a few digital marketing tricks that businesses use to stay on top. If you do not want to miss out on an opportunity, make sure that you keep your eyes on these tactics, and you will be able to attract potential customers, generate traffic and leads, and boost the conversion rate.

Also, we feel great to hear from you, so if you have any other tricks to help generate more leads, feel free to share your knowledge with the community in the comment box below.

It does not make much sense for users to browse the internet without using antivirus software in today’s world. However, there are so many great options out there, and with free Antivirus Software solutions.

What are the major benefits of a free antivirus software solution? First, by understanding how these programs work, users can feel confident that they are not putting themselves at risk when online for any reason.

Benefits of a Free Antivirus Software

Protecting a computer from all threats

By the 1980s, viruses and malware were already becoming an issue for computers. Early versions of antivirus software were developed around this time and have been in existence ever since.

In today’s world, there are more potential threats out there than ever before. Malicious activity continues to thrive. However, users do not have to worry nearly as much with the right software and general knowledge.

There are plenty of paid versions that are outstanding solutions, but this article focuses more on free antivirus software. So when users ask themselves, “Should I get free antivirus software,” it’s a no-brainer to try at least a few of the top-rated options and see what works best. The best ways to maximize free antivirus protection effectiveness

These are the best ways to benefit greatly from free antivirus software. Some of these tips are pretty self-explanatory, but those who are using this type of software for the first time should be aware that their computer is protected as much as possible.

Enable the antivirus software

It sounds like a simple step, but many users download antivirus software and never fully enable it. Having it running at all times will ensure that a computer is protected as much as possible. There are also numerous settings for users to play with to get the type of protection they want.

Stay up-to-date

Downloading free antivirus protection is a great first step, but it needs to be updated to prevent potential security problems. There are always new issues popping up that need proper protection, and out-of-date software will not provide the best level of care. The good news is that many software updates automatically, but it is worth checking once in a while to make sure that the latest version is installed.

It’s tempting when an update is available to postpone it for later. That might be necessary for the middle of the work or school day, but putting it off for too long could cause a user to miss a critical update.

Stick with one antivirus option

There are many free antivirus software options out there but stick to having one downloaded at a time. There can be potential conflicts with different software versions, which causes more trouble than it’s worth.

Scan all new software

Whether it is new software or a brand new program, users should scan everything before putting it on their computer. It’s an extra layer of security that can help users have a bit more peace of mind. The vast majority of downloads will be perfectly fine, but it just takes one with a virus or malware attached to cause significant issues.

One thing to keep an eye out for is imposter software solutions. Users believe that when they see a trusted brand, it is automatically safe to download. However, there are clever ways to disguise official downloads.

Schedule full scans during non-peak hours

Antivirus software is constantly running checks, but a full scan is also necessary once in a while. Those who do not want to be bogged down by these full scans can schedule it during non-peak hours.

Antivirus software scans do not take up too much time, but they can be inconvenient if they happen during the middle of the workday. Scheduling full scans during non-peak hours is the best way to keep that from happening while still maximizing protection.

Pay close attention to email messages

Many problems originate with emails, so it’s important to scan both incoming and outgoing messages to ensure no viruses, worms, malware, or other issues. Most software can be set up automatically to do this without causing an inconvenience to the user.

Backup all files routinely

If possible, have a setup where files are backed up automatically. If that isn’t possible, make sure to back up critical files in case anything does happen. Some computer infections can wipe a computer clean, and the last thing a user wants is to lose all of their valuable files.

Need more assistance? Consider paid versions

A lot of users will be more than satisfied with free products that provide anti-malware solutions. With so much competition, they are becoming better than ever; users often do not need to spend money to get the protection they need.

However, some advanced users might want to spend a little on antivirus programs. There are some great options, including some that are part of bigger utilities that improve computers in various ways.

One of the top options is System Mechanic® Pro or System Mechanic® Ultimate Defense™ from iolo. Users can purchase either suite, which automatically comes with the tools to fight against viruses and malware. In particular, their tools System Shield, Malware Killer, and Privacy Guardian all ensure that people are at a low risk of anything happening to them. (System Shield is available in both Pro and Ultimate Defense suites. Malware Killer and Privacy Guardian, along with ByePass password manager, are available in the Ultimate Defense suite.)

Paid versions are very affordable options, and most come with quality customer support. Of course, not everyone will find it necessary to make an actual purchase, but it is worth exploring if free is not cutting it.

When it comes to running a large eCommerce business, you have a lot on your plate. But, first, you want to make sure that your workers are alright, that your business is running well and that you are always growing. You must Increase Employee Morale to get best output.

However, it can be difficult to juggle all of this, which can mean that you might not be giving enough attention to things as you probably should be – namely, your workers’ morale. So here’s how you can raise the morale of your warehouse workers, and it can have positive knock-on effects on other areas of your business too.

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Increase Employee Morale of Your Warehouse

#1 Have the right equipment and keep it well maintained

Having the right equipment for warehouse work, such as an automated forklift or a pallet lifter. It can raise productivity levels and make your workers’ jobs far easier. But the trick to really helping your workers’ morale is to make sure that it’s well maintained.

This can sound like a bit of a handful, but it’s better that your equipment and tech go for check-ups and nothing is found wrong with them every month or so than to have downtime because the equipment is broken or the worst-case scenario where one of your workers gets hurt. 

#2 High levels of organization and investing in helpful software to achieve goals

Good organization is imperative to making a business work. So, there is no shame in bringing in software that will help you keep on top of everything that needs to be done.

There are a lot of upsides to working with tech-based software. Firstly, you can use it over long distances to be operated between work floors and different warehouses across the country. This can be useful if there is a lot of miscommunication within your business. Secondly, you can easily keep track of how your other groups are doing. Lastly, you can ensure that everyone knows exactly what they are doing and manage their time accordingly.

#3 Keep your work environment safe

This isn’t just safety when it comes to equipment. This can be the safety of people in cultural minorities and actively combatting racism and sexism in the workplace. People will work better if they feel safer, and having support from internal or outsourced HR services or even a workers’ union, can help with this. At your level, you should enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards hateful or aggressive behaviour against underrepresented groups in your company. 

A few final thoughts

When running a large eCommerce business, you want to make sure that all of your workers are feeling safe and well looked after. In addition, you want to make sure that your morale is high among your workers; otherwise, they won’t work as well, and you might even get a rapid turnaround of employees because nobody wants to work for you for more than a few months, which can effectively mean an end to your business.

Have you ever wondered why professors assign you so many writing tasks? Wouldn’t it be easier for students to express themselves in oral form? The logic behind essay writing is quite simple; teachers help you develop your essay writing skills.

Remember that before you graduate, you’ll be required to write and present a dissertation before judges to determine if you’re ready for the job market. So, writing all these essays throughout college prepares you for the biggest assignment you have to complete before finishing school.

And if you enjoy expressing yourself in oral form, you get an opportunity to do so when you’re presenting your dissertation. Note that your oral presentation will only be as good as the paper you’ve written. After all, you cannot present something you’ve not researched, studied and written. That said, don’t let the prospect of writing a dissertation in your final year scare you. You can always rely on professional writers for hire when you get stuck.

Essay Writing Skills Is Important

When you take essay writing seriously, you’re able to develop your writing skills, vocabulary and a unique writing style. As you can already tell, you can’t possibly achieve these skills with oral activity because the mouth only speaks of what the brain already knows. But writing allows you to encounter new information and explore new ideas.

With time, thinking logically and writing creatively will come naturally to you. Ensure you always write in a peaceful environment so that you can polish these writing skills. Even if you’re tackling a difficult essay, a conducive writing environment allows you to think outside the box and find the right approach for your arguments.

So, you see, essay writing is part of the process that prepares you for higher levels of learning. Good essay writing skills will offer you the opportunity to simultaneously catch on to many other vital facets of academic learning. Continue reading to learn why essay writing skills are important.

Source: Pixels

Improve Your Communication Skills

Communication is a skill that will come in handy even after you graduate. Communication includes both oral and non-verbal practices that play an essential role in relaying information. When you master impressive communication skills, you’ll be able to succeed throughout life in academic and non-academic fields.

If you look carefully at how life works, you can tell that life has no essence without communication. So, when you improve your communication skills, you ensure that you can experience life in its full glory. Since writing is deeply ingrained in school curricula, educators understand its role in boosting students’ communication skills.

Through writing, students can use an avenue to learn all the rules of different languages and how to apply them. Because language is the life source of communication, when a student masters a given language, they can better organize their thoughts and ideas. Coherent writing not only gives you more points but it boosts your social experience with the school community.

Punctuation, spelling, grammar, and paralinguistics are all aspects of writing that improve a student’s communication skills. Likewise, you can improve your communication skills when you learn how to use all elements of non-verbal communication the right way.

Sharpen Your Creativity and Imagination Levels

When was the last time thinking outside the box enabled you to find a quick solution to a problem bugging you? Did you know that all of us are naturally creative, and some students are more creative than others because they flex their creativity muscles often? If you don’t remember the last time you flexed your creativity muscle, this is your cue to get out of your comfort zone.

Your brain is capable of great things, but it cannot achieve greatness if you don’t command it to. So, the next time you find yourself in a sticky situation, rather than solving the problem the conventional way, be creative about it and see how that makes you feel.

An excellent way of gradually sharpening your creativity is to write often. The more you let your brain explore new ideas, the deeper you’ll be able to think. Writing changes your whole perspective because you begin to see that life is not always black and white. Writing activates certain areas of your brain that are usually dormant when you are doing other activities. By awakening the seat of creativity, you also boost your imagination.

The part of the brain known as the frontal cortex is responsible for letting you experience life like you’re not used to. The more you activate this part of the brain, the more likely it will dominate and intervene in your normal day to day life. Enhancing the whole of your brain allows you to generate novel ideas when needed. That’s when you’ll start solving real-life problems more proactively and efficiently.

Widen Your Knowledge Base

Writing automatically widens your knowledge base because every time you’re tasked with an essay assignment, you have to conduct extensive research before you start writing. In addition, interacting with new information ensures that you know more than is taught in class.

Reading is a surefire of learning because when you internalize new information, the brain stores the newly found knowledge for future reference. So one day, you’ll be having a random conversation with friends, and somehow, you’ll have something to contribute because of your proactive reading every now and then.

To be a good writer, you first have to be an avid reader because how else will you access the information you’ll put down on paper. You especially widen your knowledge base when you’re tackling a challenging essay paper that requires extensive research every step of the way. The more you write throughout your college years, the more information your brain stores, and the better your memory gets. You end up with excellent memory retention because necessity breeds invention. The brain makes itself better because it has to be sharp when you have a lot of information to remember.

Wrapping Up

Essay writing plays an essential role in molding independent thinkers who are not afraid to explore non-conventional solutions. The more you write, the more you’ll be prepared for challenges, academic or otherwise. Even if you still don’t have your way with words, trust the process because one day, you’ll be grateful that your professor gave you so many writing assignments.

Carl Pei, one of the co-founders of the company “OnePlus”, left it last year to start a new journey of his own which is named “Nothing”. This news made a lot of stride in the tech world, and people were eagerly looking forward to what the company has to offer with Nothing Ear 1.

Nothing Ear 1 earbuds

Nothing sounds really interesting, and the name itself grabs your attention for a while. This company was founded in October 2020 and has gathered a load of investors since then. And, people do have quite high expectations from this brand. Nothing announced in May 2021 that they will be launching their first product – Nothing Ear 1 earbuds.

Nothing Ear 1 earbuds were earlier said to be launched in June, but it looks like it has been delayed until next month. So now we have a timeline and a launch date on our hands for the company’s first product. The “Nothing Ear 1 earbuds” is said to be launched on July 27 at 6:30 PM (IST) and 14:00 PM (BST). It is set to be launched globally, and as of now, we know that Nothing partnered with Flipkart. This was tweeted by Manu Sharma on June 25th this year.

With their first launch event set for the 27th of July, the tech enthusiasts are looking forward to getting their hands on-ear(1). The company website is currently running a countdown until the date of launch where it says “Nothing Ear 1 earbuds” is the first step in our journey; combining raw beauty and precise engineering for a pure sound experience.”

We know this for a fact it’s going to be an audio-related product, but the features and other specifications can’t be confirmed. They may have great sound or great active noise cancellation; we may also see a couple of new features which we didn’t expect. I guess we will just have to wait for further information from the Nothing team or its members.

Other details and pricing for the gadget are yet to be revealed, but we can only hope it fits the budget for most. The aesthetics and vibes that I can sense from this product seem to be futuristic. The company has said multiple times and has been quoted in several places saying that “the current tech has gotten boring”. Of course, I am paraphrasing here, but it basically means the same.

The hype is being created, and the marketing team has been doing a great deal to promote their product. Many tech YouTubers like “MKBHD” and “Unboxing Therapy” have been provided with a glass plaque that carries a scannable code on the top, which leads to Nothing’s website. And guess what? There are only 50 pieces of these glass plaques that would have been sent to different places around the globe.

A lot is yet to be uncovered; we can see many leaks in the upcoming days regarding Nothing Ear 1 earbuds design, features, pricing, and so on. There will be many variables in play here, so we should probably look into verified sources only until the product is launched in a couple of weeks.

How to Stop Phishing Emails? A phishing attack used to be quite common to deceive people. A massive chunk of people got smart along the way and understood how to deal with such cybersecurity issues. But, there’s a matter of concern again as many people have shifted to online classes/working. It creates a massive opportunity for hackers to spoof your email and steal your sensitive information. 

What is a phishing attack & How to Stop Phishing Emails?

For those who are not aware of this, a phishing attack is generally made with the help of emails where a corrupted version of an email of a popular site, bank, friend, etc., would be sent to you. It’s majorly done in bulk, and they try to impersonate something or someone you know. If you are not careful enough, you may find it quite professional in some cases. If you click the link, that can lead to the theft of sensitive data. 

I mentioned the term “spoofing” in the first paragraph. It means the forgery of an email header so that the text’s message appears to have originated from somewhere else other than the actual source. This is done majorly to trick the recipient into opening a message or unknowingly installing malware. 

How can you spot a phishing email?

With time, attackers have gotten smart with their approach. But there are some common things to look out for to spot a spoofed email. 

1. It may often start with an impersonal greeting. Example – It wouldn’t mention your name; it will display a statement like “Dear Valued Customer” 
2. You need to be careful about how they spell things; there’s a good chance you will spot many spelling mistakes in the text they have sent. 
3. There can be a phishing email that acts as an urgent notice or creates an urgent call for action, such as a mail with the subject “Your Account has been suspended” or “Your Bank verification is Pending” so that they can trick you into clicking those links and causing a lot of damage if you are not careful. 
4. The spelling in the URLs or the email from which the text is sent often is not semantically correct most of the time. You should keep an eye out on such factors too! A good fear-inducing message can actually trick you into clicking the link they want you to. 

In a 2015 study, 97% of people were unable to identify sophisticated phishing emails. Phishing can be extremely personalized if someone goes out of their way to make the perfect phishing mechanism. A friend of yours can have a public profile, and a hacker can get some basic idea on how to interact with you or trick you into believing that he’s the same friend of yours, and in turn, you can probably send him money (in case of money required urgency created by the phishing). 

What can be done to avoid this scam?

1. You should go through the above pointers and ensure that you gauge the authenticity of the email with the suggested criteria mentioned above.
2. Exercise extreme caution when you come across website URLs that seem fishy. If you feel like you are receiving an email from a friend or family, call them to be sure about the same. 
3. Keep deleting suspicious emails. You don’t have to open it or click it; just make sure that you constantly delete the emails and report them as spam or inappropriate, or phishing where needed. 
4. Open the original website to make sure that you are using the correct link. Use the company’s number to confirm where needed based on the email. 

A lot of emails can pass through any spam alert or, in worst cases, even antivirus software.

• A good antivirus may help in some cases to avoid these emails, but you still have to be on your toes when it comes to this. You will have to be super smart about this and tread very carefully. 
• There are options attached to every email that you get in an inbox that says “Report Phishing.” So, if you suspect something, choose to use that option freely and at all times when needed. 

In conclusion, ensure that you are actively checking your inbox for spam or spoofed emails. The least we can do is act smartly! In case of extreme doubt, just go ahead and delete the mail entirely after reporting it for phishing.

The current pandemic has had a significant impact on the working environment of small businesses. Some companies had to initiate work-from-home procedures to accommodate regulations while ensuring that their employees remained as safe as possible.

However, the time has come to ensure that these teams are brought back to their offices, particularly now that vaccines have been widely distributed. During this time, small businesses might undergo massive struggles to ensure that all shifts are covered. As such, looking into scheduling early on can be beneficial for large and small businesses alike.

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Schedule Employees for Your Small Business

To help you maximize efficiency and effectiveness during this challenging time, here’s how to schedule employees for your small business.

Adopt The Right Scheduling Software

No matter your field of speciality, having the right tools is essential to getting the job done properly. When corporations are rapidly moving to cloud integration, it is also important to select a solution that stays in line with the latest technologies.

Getting the right employee scheduling software makes it easy to adopt efficient schedules in small business settings. Software solutions with built-in templates, customizable scheduling rules, and employee guidelines help you get the work done without any hassle.

Create the Schedules In Advance

You must assess the staffing needs of your small business. This deep understanding of your staffing requirements puts you in a better position to comprehend your small business’s seasonal and production variations.

In turn, you are able to figure out how to fill the existing gaps in your scheduling, which goes a long way towards putting together early schedules. Posting an early schedule to the employee portal or workplace bulletin board also gives you ample time to initiate reviews and make changes whenever the need arises.

Have a Clear Understanding of Employees’ Needs

Besides establishing your scheduling needs based on your available staff, you also need to assess your employees’ expectations from you. Remember that employees may have other commitments or restrictions on their plate that they will need you to work around. Your recruitment interviews can help you determine whether prospective hires have any special scheduling needs. Make sure to note unique scheduling requests from your employees, so you can reference these notes during scheduling.

At the same time, you should follow the lead of organizations establishing empathic management by opening a direct communication channel with existing employees, like a company-wide messaging app. By noting down key information such as employee availability and the number of hours they will work in a day, you can make optimal decisions while rolling out your schedule.

Have a Clear Absence Management Plan

What if an employee falls sick? What if an injury occurs? It is best to think about such issues when you are scheduling employees or posting a schedule. To manage these issues, you should establish a standby or on-call team that could come in to help when such emergencies happen.

On the other hand, you may get more creative by initiating a cross-training program. Instead of depending on on-call employees, you can ensure that all employees understand the day-to-day operations of your small business. In addition, you may encourage your employees to expand their job skills, which would be beneficial whenever one of your employees is absent.

It Is Essential To Think Beyond The Ordinary

Since your needs may vary from other businesses in your sector, it is best not to blindly adopt other organizations’ approaches to scheduling. Instead, treat your small business as a unique venture that is free to explore diverse options and innovate as much as you can to meet your specific needs.

You may indeed have been used to the traditional spreadsheet in your scheduling agenda, but business needs are dynamic, and organizations must adapt to changes in technology and processes. Therefore, to make the most out of your scheduling efforts, you should try out other creative scheduling options that are available in the market.

Each organization has a different approach to scheduling, employee management, and resource allocation. As a result, your system will need to account for your specific needs and requirements, which opens doors to overall flexibility and productivity.

By taking the above ideas into consideration, you can ensure the long-term efficiency of your business. Don’t be afraid to get creative with scheduling and take your own approach to make sure your business is staffed and your employees are happy.

Experts are noticing something interesting with cybersecurity attacks. Some malicious hackers are shifting focus away from exploiting technical vulnerabilities in software. Instead, they’re using social engineering attacks.

A social engineering attack uses psychological manipulation to trick people into sharing confidential data or installing malicious software like ransomware or spyware. A hacker may use malicious software to commit financial or identity crimes.

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Social Engineering Attacks

Let’s look at some common social engineering attacks that are hitting businesses and home users alike:

Scareware

This type of social engineering attack uses fear to commit cybercrimes. For example, in an IP address scam, a hacker may bombard a person’s computer screen with popup ads that claim that he has a dangerous computer virus. The message may ask the victim to call a “tech support representative”. But, of course, the technician happens to be part of the hacking team.

Honey Trap

A honey trap is a romance scam where a hacker team may take months to earn a victim’s trust by pretending to be romantic interests. Then, after gaining their target’s trust, they may try to commit financial crimes or yield confidential company information.

Phishing Campaigns

A phishing attack usually uses a fake email, text message, or social media message to trick people into downloading malware or share confidential data. Generally, phishing is easy to spot because it targets a broad range of users.

For example, a phishing email from your bank may look real until you scratch beneath the surface and notice spelling and grammatical mistakes, low-resolution images, and a link that leads you to a strange URL.

Spear Phishing Attacks

A spear-phishing attack is a more targeted phishing attack that uses personal information to appear more convincing. For example, a spear-phishing email may appear to be from your boss, employee, colleague, vendor, or potential business partner. In addition, cybercriminals can use your social media data to craft a spear-phishing attack or information from your hacked accounts.

Trojan Horse Attacks

A Trojan horse attack looks like a legitimate piece of software but is loaded with dangers. For example, a trojan malware may come in the shape of free accounting software that carries malicious infectious software designed to breach your network security defences.

Baiting

Baiting is a more physical type of social engineering attack. It functions a little like a Trojan horse attack. For example, an corporate espionage agent may leave an enticing-looking piece of media like a DVD or a USB drive in an office and hope that an employee may try to use it out of curiosity. Of course, the media is infected with malware.

Pretexting

Some social engineering attacks, like hone traps, are made more convincing by pretexting. Here, a cybercriminal crafts a realistic backstory, or pretext, to win the target’s trust. For example, they may befriend their target online, pretending to work remotely for the same company. Over time, they may ask for a password or another type of sensitive data.

As more people work online, many cybercriminals realize that social engineering attacks are a cost-effective way to breach networks with ransomware, spyware, and other types of malware. The best way to counter a social engineering attack is education. Verify a suspicious piece of communication immediately to stay safe.

Responsive web design implies any website that is designed with mobile-friendly features, content, and with media. In addition, responsive websites can adapt to change and adapt as per the devices being used by the user, including a smartphone, a tablet, a desktop, or a laptop. 

Responsiveness is another web design technique and a crucial investment for building brand awareness, diversifying the user experience or UX, and converting many website visitors. 

Not just this, with the perfect responsive design, you are more likely to save your valuable business time. It is not feasible to design a separate website for every potential device that a visitor is using, and we cannot miss out on the upcoming technologies.

An effective web design ensures that the website is compatible with each device and screen to get that robust and delightful experience, both the modern-day devices and those that are yet to be invented and launched. 

Let us now try and dig more into why responsive web design is important in the modern age and future-oriented websites.

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Why Responsive Design Is the Key to Success?

A responsive web design has a fluid and flexible layout that can adjust as per the screen dimensions. It is a crucial aspect as it will offer an optimized and smooth browsing experience to the users. In addition, the website will have an interactive appearance and look and have great functioning over PCs, tablets, and smartphones. 

Responsive design empowers a perfect reach towards a broader, highly engaged audience no matter where and what method they choose to browse. But, the more important part, a lack of responsive website design can also do the opposite of the same; it might also alienate the website from the customers searching for an engaging mobile experience. 

Several types of research have claimed that one can even lose up to 90% of their potential customers because of the poor mobile experience. This simply means that many customers and a lot of revenue cannot be missed out on. 

Let us mention some of the well-known benefits of having a robust responsive web design: 

1. Responsive web design will make the consumers be able to see your website much clearly

Today, innumerable people are accessing Google on their mobile devices at an approximation of 63%. Google has also commenced penalizing websites that are not offering robust, responsive web design.

The mobile-first indexing is also affecting how the website is being ranked and can cause it to be bumped down on search engine pages favouring the websites that can offer the consumers a mobile-friendly design.

Thus, if most of your target audience is searching on their respective smartphone as per some statistics and your website does not feature the responsive design, the customers might not find your website at any cost. 

2. Responsive web design will keep the users on your website for a longer period of time

The rate of website bounces on smartphones is continuously increasing by up to 40% compared to just 27% for tablets. Not just this, a web page that can load in just five seconds or less can also guarantee viewing sessions with about 70% positivity. Almost all mobile users expect a fast, superb quality website experience, and so does Google; these are the expectations that meet up with a responsive web design. You can check on several professionals that can guide you on how to improve your website for free. 

3. Responsive web design helps in building positive recognition for your brands and trust with the consumers

Lastly, about 57% of consumers think that they are not likely to suggest a good business with a poorly managed designed mobile website. A similar report has shown that more than half of online shoppers who are not really satisfied with the business’s online presence are much more likely to think negatively about the business itself. The responsive web design will delight the online shoppers and encourage them to recommend the business to bring them back to get more from you.

Must-Follow Ways For a Result-Oriented Responsive Design

A responsive site is undeniably a crucial aspect, and the website that can convert the website is also crucial. The objective here is to create a presentable website where one can easily navigate and is user-friendly. Keeping all these things in mind, here are some of the powerful trends in 2020 and are expected to be on the same track for holding the same importance in 2021. 

1. Place The Content Of The Website Sharp and Clear

If any user has ever visited their favourite or used news website both on a desktop or a browser, then they are much likely to be aware of the experience they both offer, which in general has much difference. For example, the desktop functions or version can have multiple columns and stacked headers; the mobile version, on the other hand, tends to be much cleaner. 

The reason for this is that on mobile devices, one is having a less real estate. Thus the most essential content will always be and needs to be at the top of your screen. One should keep in mind that mobile users do not want to scroll horizontally, so you need to streamline the crucial aspects of the website for a single column superb experience.

2. Provide Your Call-to-Action (CTA) Button Adequate Focus

Whether you are on a desktop or any mobile device, the CTA you offer should always be obvious and easier to find. On desktops or laptops, or mobile devices, you can place the CTA buttons on several locations, just like directly on your page or on the navigation bar. 

Whenever possible, try to keep those CTA buttons above the field even on your mobile displays. But, the navigation menus are somewhat shortened on mobile devices, which implies that the CTA button might be on the chopping block. You should work around this issue by placing the CTA buttons in various places while thinking of the mobile renditions of your respective website. 

3. The Usage Of Scalable Vector Graphics And Optimized Images Only 

Responsive design schemes definitely need agile graphics. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a crucial aspect because they have the ability to automatically adjust with the screen size constraints without any risk of pixelation. In contrast to them, the much known traditional image files such as JPG or PNG are not really scalable without compromising the quality. 

Another bonus point with SVGs is that they are quite smaller files that can load quickly. Along with those similar lines, do not forget to include versions of images to ensure that the mobile pages are not bogged down when they are trying to load their files.

4. The Links Should Engage in Rich Accessibility

One should always keep in mind that several people use tablets and smartphones with their fingers and not a mouse. Thus, the buttons and any other interactive areas on a page, such as text links or areas to be clicked, are required to be huge enough so that a person can tap them with accuracy. 

Many development professionals suggest keeping the clickable element’s minimum at about 48 pixels or more in height. But, this can also be difficult for in-line links like in many articles or blog posts. 

5. Font Always Plays The Crucial Role

Font sizes and styles are undeniably an important aspect of any website, its readability, and the responsive website design. A website that is very complex in reading is like a recipe for page abandonment. There are some chances that some typefaces look amazing on desktops, but they might not translate well on your mobile devices. Alongside the real font faces, one must be in the want to think about the dimensions of the headings versus the size of the body. 

The content must be legible, but it should also not be so large that it might feel like an exaggerated one. Do not forget that picking up a font that is too big in their respective size can often lead to excessive scrolling, whereas a font that is too small in size might be hard on the eyes. 

6. Leveraging The Performance Of Your Mobile

Today, many modern smartphones and tablets can automatically dial linked telephone numbers or open any email compose screen with the “to” recipient auto-filled if any email is being trapped. In the same way, the social buttons can also be coded for opening if you have installed them on your device.

You must benefit from all of these opportunities to offer a seamless, intuitive experience that is user-friendly. When you will do this, this keeps the mobile users in a comfortable and safe digital environment that will not require some extra push efforts on their part for the interaction with your website. 

 7. Never Overlook Testing

When you create a robust and streamlined mobile browsing experience, always remember that you need to focus on the backend and the structural concerns. The websites that load and clickable elements that can freeze or randomly shift after the page loads are trouble. 

It is not just Google’s upcoming Page Experience algorithm that will punish you for these kinds of errors, but you are also likely to lose the trust of your potential customers. For example, no person would like or intend to click on an advertisement because the page shifted or bought any product because the submit button just got clicked unintentionally.

The prime solution to counter such errors, responsiveness-related challenges, and making your website a hit, using a responsive testing tool like LT Browser. The tool provides you with the features to check your website’s responsiveness across many devices through their digital clones. In addition, it has brought in many other important features that allow you to test your website and report those loopholes more efficiently for fast rectification.

In the Nutshell

With innumerable consumers shopping and browsing online through their devices, responsive web design is a kind of absolute must-have. Today, having a responsive web design is crucial for any website to provide the target audience with the best and robust experience no matter what device they are using. 

Without the responsive web design, you miss out on leads, customers, and profits that could be large enough. However, with the proper understanding of these strategies, you can convert the leads into audience and audience into potential customers in no time. 

All these strategies have been started keeping in mind the current trends and practices being followed by the businesses and the expectations of the shoppers who are surfing online. Thus, get yourself clear with all these strategies that will mark your success and are going to trend in the upcoming years.