Cloux Gaming WordPress Theme Review

Cloux is a WordPress theme made primarily for gaming websites, esports organizations, and game review websites. However, it’s quite versatile and customizable and it can be made to work for any purpose. The built-in customization options are quite advanced, and it fully supports page builders. If you want to use the Cloux theme to build a WooCommerce store around it, it’s perfectly doable.

Overall it’s a great theme to use if you’re managing an esports organization or if you own a gaming clan and are looking to build an infotainment system directly on a WordPress theme. In this review of Cloux we’ll go over all of the details you may be interested in, but first, let’s look at an overview of everything this WordPress theme has to offer.

Cloux Theme Key Features:

  • eSports Features
  • Full WooCommerce Integration
  • Customizable Blog System
  • Multi-language integration
  • Responsive and SEO Friendly
  • Customizable Colours and Fonts
  • Gallery and Dynamic Image Resizing
  • Advanced Theme Customizer
  • Contact Form and Mailchimp Integration
  • Integrated Membership System
  • Social Sharing Widget
  • Full Customer Support

For a great example of a well-built website with this theme, you can check out Solitaire Social. Check out the platform to see how powerful Cloux is. This is an overview of the features that come included with Cloux. Next, we’ll go in-depth on how Cloux performs in real-case scenarios.

Is The Theme Mobile Compatible?

The mobile device market is constantly evolving, and new devices are popping up around every corner. This can be a real problem for inexperienced theme developers, as optimizing a website to run on every mobile device is very hard. One of the key elements a WordPress theme must have is full mobile compatibility to maximize its usability and ease of use.

To make sure that Cloux runs on mobile devices we put it to the test. Cloux was tested both on iOS and Android through Safari and Chrome and there was no difference in how the theme looked on different size screens and different operating systems. All elements were placed correctly, and we did not notice any overlapping or overshadowing of elements anywhere on the website. The padding on the sides of the page is just the right space, making the website look smooth and clean on a mobile screen.

We ran the website through Google’s tool called Google Mobile Compatibility Test, and the theme passed it with flying colours. Google didn’t notice any issues with the theme, and with Google being the number one authority on everything web-related, we’re inclined to trust them.

Overall Theme Design

First impressions matter and this is even more important when you’re designing a website. Users can bounce off the website in seconds if they don’t like what they see, and this can negatively impact your SEO score, which will, in turn, lead to your website ranking poorly, practically making it invisible to the search engine, and impossible to find for users and customers. That’s why it’s important to carefully think about the customizability of the hero section of the website.

Luckily, Cloux has an advanced page builder which is packed with features and allows you to do pretty much whatever you want with your website’s main page. The overall interface you start with is very clean and easy to navigate, which is a staple of User Experience Design. You can use the page builder to make the landing page up to par with any of the world’s leading websites. There’s a search tool you can integrate into the design so customers can search for the information they want, you can sort reviews by category due to the theme’s integrated review system.

The included WP Bakery Page Builder also offers some ready-to-go presents that you can just implement and use right away if you’re not in the mood for designing the website pixel by pixel. A shop page, contact page, review page and esports ready page are just some of the templates that WP Bakery has made ready to use.

How Fast Is Cloux?

A website needs to have a fast-loading time to stop users from leaving the website when it fails to load quickly. This is the second most important reason for user bounce off, so having a fast-loading time on your website is of paramount importance.

The overall speed when tested with the Pingdom tool results in less than 2 seconds of loading time for the theme, mostly due to the low size of about 3MB. However, the results scored a total of 79 which is a grade of C, meaning that the theme still has some room for improvement. These are improvements that the user himself or herself can try out such as minifying CSS and compressing JavaScript.

It’s a good performing theme overall, but with some minor issues which are not deal-breaking and can be looked over.

Is It Optimized For SEO?

We used the website SEO Site Checkup to see how well Cloux performs when it comes to SEO. However, do have in mind that a demo template will always score lower than a template in use because the SEO score mostly relies on parameters that are supposed to be provided by the user, and those parameters are not necessarily present in the demo template.

Cloux scored a score of 61, which is beyond the average for a WordPress template. The parameters such as a favicon and meta descriptions that are impacting the score are things that are supposed to be provided by the user of the theme, so you can expect a much higher score if you decide to implement this theme by yourself and set it up according to the best SEO practices.

Included Plugins

The Cloux theme has some nice plugins that come along with it and that can help with the easier setup of your website. The WP Bakery page builder is a good addition to the package which will allow for more customization of your website. A MailChimp integration plugin is a lifesaver as MailChimp is the most used email marketing tool today. There’s a bbPress plugin that will make the creation of a forum structure much easier and of course, WooCommerce which is one of the best online shop tools.

Verdict

Overall Cloux is a great theme to use if you’re an avid gamer or a clan leader. It offers nice plugins from the get-go and with some little tweaks, it can truly perform like a beast. As long as you’re fine with making some adjustments to the theme, it’s one of the best gaming WordPress themes on the market.

paying using tether

Where Can I Pay With Tether?

Guarda Wallet is one of the few places where you can buy Tether directly with fiat currency. Guarda also allows you to exchange other cryptocurrencies for Tether, as well as send and receive Tether payments. You can find out more about Guarda Wallet and how to use it to exchange Tether buy other currencies by visiting their website.

If you want to buy Tether with another cryptocurrency, you can do so on most major exchanges that list the coin. Some of the most popular exchanges for buying and selling Tether include Binance, Kraken, and Bitfinex. You can also find a full list of exchanges that support Tether trading on the Tether website.

Once you have Tether, you can use it to pay for goods and services online or send it to other users. To find businesses that accept Tether, you can check out the directory on the Tether website. You can also find a list of online merchants that accept Tether as payment on the Guarda Wallet website. Guarda platform also has a built-in exchange so you can easily convert your Tether into other cryptocurrencies or fiat currencies like US dollars, Euros, and more.

If you want to hold onto your Tether for investment purposes, you can do so by storing it in a cryptocurrency wallet. Guarda service offers a secure and easy-to-use Tether wallet that you can use to store your coins. You can also find wallets for Tether on the websites of most major exchanges that list the coin. When choosing a wallet, be sure to pick one that is compatible with the device you will be using it on and that offers good security features. Guarda Wallet meets all of these criteria and more, making it a great choice for storing your Tether.

Now that you know where to pay with tether, head on over to Guarda Wallet to get started!

A Short History of Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency

A Short History of Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency

What is Blockchain?

The UN says the fast-rising popularity of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum is a reminder of how important the internet has been to our economy, but it also highlights how much we have yet to learn about blockchain technology. What exactly is blockchain?

We’ll start with what blockchain is not. It’s not Bitcoin or Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies. The blockchain serves a completely different purpose than those currencies, even though cryptocurrency value is derived from it, and cryptocurrency markets swell and ebb by its hand.

Blockchain is essentially a decentralized ledger that records transactions across an almost unlimited number of computers simultaneously—a system naturally suited for storing data securely, without any single point of failure or loss of access. This technology can be used for any type of information, for example, medical records, intellectual property rights, or even financial transactions. 

In case you’re wondering if there’s such a thing as a cryptocurrency without blockchain at its core: your answer probably depends on whether you’re talking about Bitcoin or Ethereum. The former was designed on top of blockchain as part of its protocol meaning it uses blockchain under the hood, while the latter was built from scratch by its developers and doesn’t utilize the underlying technology so much though, more are bound to appear in the future. 

Just keep in mind, though: they both use blockchains under different circumstances—not entirely dissimilarly, but distinctively enough to warrant their separate existences and no copyright disputes between them.

Blockchain, History, and a New Path Forward

First, let’s review the basics of blockchain technology:

An essential part of the digital currency known as Bitcoin, a blockchain is a decentralized storage and transmission device that keeps records of any transaction involving Bitcoin. The whitepaper for its existence was published by the mysterious Satoshi Nakomoto in 2008, and the first Bitcoin was mined in 2009 by Nakamoto himself. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, it’s important to note that “decentralized” in this sense doesn’t mean “distributed”: although many computers hold copies of the blockchain, it’s still a single entity, not an infinite number of scattered ones.

What’s more: as a result of its distributed nature, no one has control over it. It can’t be controlled by any single person or group; instead, it is open-sourced and maintained by everyone who participates in the process. This is what comprises the cryptocurrency market.

In order to change something in the existing chain or create something new, all users must participate to reach a consensus on the new data—and only then will they act on it. The blockchain has proven to be remarkably effective at this task: according to BlockchainHub Inc., an independent research firm focused on cryptocurrencies and distributed ledgers, more than 90 percent of all transactions are validated within ten minutes from initiation.

The True Potential of Blockchain Lies in its Ability to Disrupt the Status Quo.

One of the most exciting emerging technologies is blockchain, a digital ledger that recorded transactions for the purpose of eliminating fraud. Its lower transaction cost and faster processing power have made it ideal for use in the Internet of Things (IoT) and other applications where security, speed, and efficiency are critical.

On Thursday, May 23, 2016, IBM announced its first implementation of private blockchain technology with the Hyperledger Project. Like Bitcoin’s public blockchain, Hyperledger allows different organizations to collaborate on a common system while maintaining data privacy controls. In this case, IBM has partnered with financial institutions and others to explore ways to more securely share data on conditions such as trade finance or supply chain management between them.

Conclusion

When the futuristic technology of blockchain was first introduced, it was in the form of a digital currency—but now it’s coming to be used for a wide variety of other applications. Blockchain was initially designed to promote transparency in an industry that previously operated largely outside the regulatory purview. 

The decentralized nature of blockchain has made it perfect for use as an alternative payment channel, and its properties of security, reliability, and immutability have fueled its widespread adoption by large corporations and governments alike. Even though we’re still in the early days of blockchain’s evolution, you can bet that these innovations will continue until the technology becomes ubiquitous.

One thing is certain: if you want to get involved with blockchain right now, you shouldn’t wait too long, although you should do your research! As prices continue to rise rapidly and new investors pour in, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to invest in Bitcoin or Ethereum at low-risk levels before jumping into high-risk investments later on. 

It’s important to remember that investing isn’t rocket science —it’s just putting some money into stuff you believe will go up in value over time. If you don’t know where to start, your best bet is this simple guide on how to buy Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, or Ethereum the second-largest cryptocurrency.

 

wed development and other terminologies

What does web development mean?

What Is Web Development?: The Key Points

Have you ever wondered what web development is in simple words? Let’s take a closer look at this issue.

Web development is the programming that allows a website to work according to its owner’s specifications. It focuses on coding and markup writing, and web design and development encompasses everything from simple text pages to large web-based apps.

Most developers employ HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the development of websites.

  1. HTML defines a website’s basic framework, on which everything is built. It comprises blocks that define the layout, format, and essential components of a page.
  2. CSS is a technique for styling a website’s content with a minimal set of files shared throughout the site. Whenever a change needs to be made, such as changing the colour of all the buttons on every website page, a web developer only needs to edit one CSS file.
  3. The JavaScript programming language can be used to add different interactive components and alter the look of icons and drop-down menus.

What Does Full-stack Web Development Mean?

Front-end developers, back-end developers, and full-stack developers are the three types of web developers.

A front-end developer is responsible for the website’s visual aspects (navigation bar, layout, etc.) and its interaction and the tying together of all its pieces.

Back-end developers manage the website’s hosting services, database, and apps, among other activities that ensure the website operates successfully.

Full-stack web development encompasses all aspects of a computer application system, and full-stack developers work on both the front and back ends. Working with CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to create client-facing platforms is a full-stack developer’s daily responsibility.

Also included:

  • taking care of databases and servers,
  • programming for cross-platform and multi-language functionality,
  • monitoring new technologies that may be useful to the company,
  • creating Minimal viable products (MVPs).

Difference between Web Development and Software Development

Web development, as previously mentioned, is the process of creating a website for the internet, which varies from creating simple web pages to E-commerce websites. Its main goal is to deliver high-quality content on the website and add and update information regularly and build confidence among users.

Software development is a method of building software products that involve understanding user needs and then designing, testing, and producing software to meet those goals. It primarily focuses on locating and implementing the appropriate code and ensuring that standard quality is met.

We hope our article was helpful to you and you learned more about web development.

The Evolution of Text to Speech in Gaming

In 2021, the video gaming industry is estimated to total $178.73 billion.

As voice technology advances, synthetic voices are no longer a luxury feature for the gaming industry. But rather a requirement.

By providing realistic voice interaction elements, AI text to speech has brought a completely new experience for gamers. From enemy bots to neutral characters, developers leverage text to speech (TTS) for a better gaming experience.

Online text to speech is not just limited to user experience. TTS technologies are transforming the way video games are developed. As a result, tech-giants like Sony and Microsoft have begun to research and experiment progressively with AI for gaming.

Let us see how.

The challenges

It takes years to build plot, gameplay, characters, and game mechanics. Moreover, high costs are involved in a successful video game in terms of design, content, and voice.

Recording audio involves recording voiceovers with actors as well as translating everything for multiple countries. On top of standard video game localization, developers must consider accents, dialects, and even complete languages for gamers from various cultures.

There are just too many events in open-world games for game developers to run through, test, and produce the content for.

In the past, Online text-to-speech technologies could not bring the desired experience to the gaming environment. The voices of evil and silly characters were indistinguishable. TTS had a bad reputation in the gaming industry.

Even after everything is figured out, creators come to the challenges to attract and retain users. It is often contingent on the emotions and attachments a player builds with the gaming environment and characters.

Functionality and Accessibility

When you enter a game, the features, instructions, and suggestions are often presented in the form of text or speech.

A lot of games have storylines, which we consider the glue to make users stick to the game.

A natural-sounding voice, which can actually come with the right accent and expression, can create an emotional connection with the user. Needless to say, for general gamers, text-to-speech will enhance the user experience and help with understanding the game better.

According to NOVIS, over 23 million video game players worldwide are blind or visually impaired. It is impossible for visually challenged players to progress forward in the game without online text to speech.

Prototyping

Prototyping is the phase of game development when the scripts are tested. It involves first-time user experience, guides, game mechanics, animations, and player interactions, among many other things.

Before they get their hands on the actors’ version of the script, game producers frequently employ TTS to get an idea of how long phrases and sentences take to say. In order to optimize the recording process. TTS solutions bring significant financial and time savings to prototyping.

Red Dead Redemption 2’s prototype included 500-plus hours of dialogue recording. Imagine the reduction in the development cost, if they had used online text to voice.

Voice artists iterate and refine their dialogs. They come for multiple recording sessions. It necessitates a significant investment of time and money. TTS reduces the cost and can completely take over the process of recording.

Localization

As mentioned above, a game needs to be translated into different languages across the globe. Pokemon Go has been created in nine different languages. While you may think of other options like dubbing and subtitling, Dubbing is not economical, considering the charges of voice artists. While general public reviews show that people hate reading subtitles. Furthermore, it is not an option for visually impaired gamers.

Hence, for players as well as developers, text to speech is the most efficient solution.

Personalization

Gamers love their avatars. They devote hours of time and a significant number of game credits to adding a personal touch. Personalization has not been extensively targeted yet by companies. But with AI-based online text to speech, it is possible. AI TTS can capture the required voice of users and, furthermore, produce outputs in the same language and accent.

Character Voice

Unlike the tedious voices of the past, every character in a game has a unique voice and accent. Today we witness the heavy and evil voice game villains. Avatars pause and breathe at the right time. It is essential to bring adequate liveliness to the voice of avatars.

Online TTS brings a precise level of intensity to dialogues and narratives.

Voice talents come with a heavy budget. Even with just a few recordings of the hired actors, TTS can expand the dialogue and save a lot of money.

Games and their levels expand. Characters change and grow. AI text to speech is dynamic, with just a click software like Murf can create and edit a new character voice for your video games.

 

5 Reasons Why Link Building Is Important For Website Development

 

Simply put, link building is a process of getting visibility when other websites link to your site. These links are called inbound backlinks. It is an essential part of search engine optimization (SEO).

The more backlinks your website gets, the better. This practice helps your site to get recognized as an authentic source of information by Google and other search engines. This in turn improves your search engine ranking. Furthermore, Google recognizes your website as an expert and gets authority links from other sites. 

But, it is important to get good quality backlinks to be successful.

Link Building & Website Success

If you are running a business, your website is your digital showroom. Just like promotion and marketing are important to attract customers and increase sales, similarly, link building helps your website to succeed. 

Backlink building is important for improving your sales digitally or monetization. So, while building your website, it is essential to be careful while writing its content. 

While it is important to receive good quality inbound backlinks to attract more readers and consumers, internal backlinks also play a key role. It ensures that your website visitors have a seamless user experience and can navigate to the information they seek. 

Besides, you must ethically receive your backlinks. Many website owners are exploiting the loopholes in Google guidelines to drive traffic to their sites, receive the best backlink, and rank higher on the search engines. 

While these black hat link building tactics may deliver quick success, they may lead to massive penalties and a ban from Google. This is where white hat link building services providers come into place.

What is White Hat Link Building? And How Can It Help Your Website?

You might have already guessed what white hat link building is? In simple words, white hat link building service providers help professionals to build and receive high-quality backlinks for SEO purposes in an ethical way.

By abiding by Google’s guidelines, you can ensure your brand maintains its place in the SERPs in the long run. By practicing white hat link building strategies, your brand is safe from getting penalized by Google. As a webmaster, you don’t want to deal with Google penalties on your site.

If you do not have much time to spend in link building practices, the best alternative is to reach out to professionals who provide link building services for you. Look for ethical link builders for quality links that won’t get you into trouble. Since they are reliable and follow Google’s regulations, many bloggers prefer white hat link building services to create outreach and guest posting strategies.

Now let’s discuss how Google-friendly SEO linking strategies can drive the success of your website development endeavors.

5 Key Benefits of Link Building for Website Development   

 

     1. Improves Your Website’s Credibility

Google aims to provide you with the most relevant search results. It considers sites and domains with greater ‘authority’ to achieve this. Backlinks work as third-party indicators for your site’s authority strength. 

The more authoritative sites link to your domain, the higher your credibility score is. Try to build links from high-quality, trustworthy websites because five powerful links are always better than 50 poor links. 

     2. Backlinks Get You More Website Traffic

The best way to gain the attention of relevant audiences from your niche is manual link building. This increases referral traffic to your website. You can establish yourself as an authority link by creating and populating valuable content for a particular niche. 

This, in turn, translates into higher site visitors and greater traffic. Website traffic is a greater indicator of your site’s health.

    3. Enhances Brand Visibility

It is applicable mostly if you guest post or are active on social media. Every website and social media has its own set of visitors. When you share your valuable content on other platforms and sites, your chances of getting brand visibility are higher.

Furthermore, when you post good SEO-worthy content, you are adding value to your host’s platform as well. This method is highly beneficial for both parties.

    4. Better Conversion Rate

Superior link building strategy, SEO-optimized content, and keyword planning can organically improve your website’s visibility and authenticity. This results in better conversion rates.

When your site comes on top of search results, more potential customers approach you, widening your avenues of revenue. This way, you can sell more products and services.

    5. Reduces Bounce Rate

Bounce rate means the number of visitors leaving your site without looking at the rest of the website. Google considers this as well while determining search ranking. The lower your bounce rate is, the greater your chances are to appear on the first page of google search results.

To improve your bounce rate, take internal links into account. The perfect combination of inbound and internal links makes it easier for Google to navigate your site. This also helps website visitors to navigate your content effortlessly. 

So, when developing your website, be sure to make it easier for visitors to find the content they want. Thereby, you’ll succeed in keeping people on your site longer and reducing your bounce rate.

Easy & Sustainable SEO Linking Strategies

Link building is immensely beneficial for your website and business success. Try these practical and trustworthy strategies to improve your link building game.

  • Create compelling content that people find resourceful and want to link to or refer to.
  • Start guest posting.
  • Reach out to influential people and request blogger backlinks.
  • Avoid stuffing your content with keywords unnecessarily.
  • Try to include original infographics for easy information consumption.
  • Submit any news related to your venture for press releases and your site to directories.
  • Find broken links and replace them with your relevant links
  • Create media awareness about your website and brand on social media.
  • Follow your competitor’s backlinks and replicate their strategy if it works for them.
  • Lastly, take help from white-hat links building services.

Key Takeaway

I hope this post has given you enough resources and inspiration to start your link building process for website development.

But remember, avoid buying links or generating backlinks using free link building tools because they do not guarantee long-term effectiveness.

It is best to follow the manual link building process. Although it will take time to give you desired results, try to get referral links from high authority websites.

How to Add a Live Chat to a Website For Free

How a live chat can benefit a website

Live chat software is a flexible communication tool that you can use on your website for online technical support. If clients need help, they can ask an online consultant a question and get a quick response. That’s not all, though.

Unlike email support or FAQs, when you download live chat, you can provide clients with a live and personal experience. The faster the support, the more satisfaction, trust, and even more sales.

Effective use of live chat software allows generating a huge number of new leads, which will ultimately lead to increased sales. Numerous studies have shown that providing support through live chat can increase conversions by 20% or more.

Using an online consultant leads to an increase in the average cost of the order, as customers receive recommendations and answers to questions in real-time, without delay. You should take advantage of all the benefits of live chat software and download this tool now! The good news is that your business does not even have to spend any extra funds as there is a free live chat software download option.

How to add a chat to a website

The live chat download and setup process takes only a few minutes and does not require any special knowledge. For WordPress websites, txt.me has created a free plugin that makes it even simpler to add live chat to your website. Chat software downloading is typically done by copying an html code.

  1.     Got to txt.me and create an account, if you do not have one yet. Otherwise, log in to your account.
  2.     Navigate to the Widgets tab at the top of the website, then select Installation on the menu on the left.
  3.     Copy the code that appears in the box by clicking the blue button.
  4.     Go to your website and paste the code in the </head> section on every page you would like to have a live chat widget appear.

Installation is complete, so you can now customize and test your widget.

How to use a chat for different communication channels

Instead of sitting and waiting for a client to contact you, you can take a proactive approach and encourage them to interact. Live chat not only helps to provide an answer faster compared to let’s say email but also provides a more personalized level of service. Sometimes, though, clients find it more convenient to use a phone. During non-working times, an email or contact form may substitute for live chat and phone communication.

An omnichannel approach to customer experience assumes that the company uses various sales and marketing channels. The client can make purchases or communicate with it in any convenient way, using any channel, seamlessly, while maintaining the history of communications and sales. The client is the focus of such a strategy.

A holistic customer experience platform helps to show your customers that you care about them. For instance, a customer can click on a banner and go to a website that sells the item they want. There, they are welcomed by the sales team through a live chat message and can ask for more details in real-time.  Then, the customer can make an order on the go using an app, while being assisted via chat by a tech support member. Afterward, the sales team might call back via phone to confirm the order and ask for shopping experience/product feedback that can be provided using a link that was emailed to the customer.

How to use communication with a chat support team to your advantage

Do you want to get something more than just a live chat software free download option? The chat support team is not there only to answer your questions when you have issues setting up and using the software. They can help you get the most out of the new tool and customize it. After all, they know all the available features and how they can be used to your advantage.

If there is a feature you would like to see in the live chat software, you can send the support team an inquiry if the widget can be further customized to meet the specific needs or preferences of your company. Although it is likely going to cost a little extra, the investment will soon pay off in the form of new leads, more loyal customers, and less time spent by your employees assisting them. On that note, it is a good idea to ask chat support if your company can get a discount.

 

 

5 Ways Technology Has Improved Time Management Skills

Photo from Pixabay

With the integration of technology in everyone’s lives, the amount of time to do a task has been significantly reduced. And this is important since managing time can be difficult to do on your own. Technology brought about tools that help people with time management.

Some of the most useful time management tools are Microsoft Excel, Gmail, and Dropbox. They help with communication, consolidation of files for quicker access, and analysis of huge amounts of data. By learning how to use these tools, you’ll be able to build your time management skills. 

Having said that, technology has a huge part in time management, and they go hand in hand. Let’s look at some of the ways technology can help you with managing your time. On the other hand, the article will also tackle the problems with technology when it comes to time management.

How Technology Helps You Manage Your Time

Whether you’re a professional or a student, you are expected to finish a lot of tasks. Fortunately, you’re living in a digital world where you can use tools that help delegate your time to more important tasks. Some of these tools are straightforward, and some require a little bit of training for you to maximize their use.

But don’t worry! With platforms like Acuity Training, you can also attend online courses to build your technical skills. They provide a medium for you to learn how to work your way around different Microsoft Office programs. Not only that, but you can find courses for other apps and programs like Adobe Photoshop, SQL, and AutoCAD.

We provided a list of how you can use technology to manage your time better.

  1. Provides Easy Access to Documents With Cloud

With technology, you don’t need to fill out bookcases with important documents that are at risk for any natural disaster. You can save your library of work-related documents online through cloud-based programs. This eliminates the need to look for a specific document in a pile of paper, reducing the time to get the information you need.

Below are some software and tools that can assist you with a cloud-based filing system.

Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most well-known cloud storage services available right now. It’s free, and your account initially comes with 2GB of storage. You can increase the storage and gain some perks by purchasing specific plans.  For example, their standard business plan lets you have 5Gb storage and can share to more than 3 users.

It is a great application since it syncs instantly across all of your devices wherever you may be. As long as you’re connected to the internet, your files are automatically uploaded to the cloud. You don’t have to worry about saving work files to a USB drive again. And more importantly, you are given access to your files through your smartphone, laptop, or tablet.

Google Drive

Google Drive is ideal for generating documents and spreadsheets. Through apps like Google Docs and Google Sheets, you don’t have to remind yourself to save every once in a while. As you work, the system saves the file to the Drive automatically. 

You can simply log in to Google if you need to make changes or view files from home.

Sharing and collaboration are other important features of Google Drive. You can organize projects into folders, share them with others, and work on papers at the same time. This will help get your project done quickly.

  1. Helps You Plan Your Day and Manage Your Tasks

Technology makes it easy to keep track of your schedule. You don’t need to go through paper calendars, emails, or old text messages to know which tasks are scheduled for the day. Some apps are integrated into other apps where they automatically remind you of the tasks you need to do.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is such a useful tool as it syncs with the majority of third-party task apps. This significantly makes it easier to manage your time to do tasks across many apps.

nTask

nTask is a project management tool with a wide set of features that are flexible to use. It allows you to schedule, plan, and manage your tasks through a calendar view. You also get access to the meeting management feature. This enables you to schedule and manage meetings easily.

Most importantly, it has third-party integrations, which let nTask remind you of your to-dos for the day.

  1. Helps Keep Track of Your Time

Knowing where you focus your efforts is a vital aspect of time management. This doesn’t mean you need to keep track of every minute of your work. This just means that you need to have a basic idea of how you spend your time. And technology can help you in this aspect.

Toggl

Toggl is an essential tool where you can accurately monitor the time you spent working on each task. Perfect for allocating enough time for more important projects. It’s a useful program that works on both your phone and your PC. You can manage your time according to projects and tasks, and you’ll obtain a detailed report in the form of graphs and charts.

It’s also useful for getting a sense of how you spend your time. You may think you’re being productive for the majority of your day, but sometimes, that’s not really the case. 

Toggl can help you see your workflow during the day by showing how much time is spent doing non-work-related activities. Knowing this can help you revisit your process and make it more efficient in the future.

  1. Provides a Medium in Delegating Tasks

Whether you’re a manager, a corporate director, or a team member, delegating tasks is an important aspect of your job. Fortunately, technological advancements provide an efficient way of managing a team. You won’t have to do meetings or conference calls as this can take up much time for both you and your team. 

Trello

Trello is an incredible tool for visualizing tasks, especially for groups. It allows you to create boards used to represent projects and simply assign tasks to each team member. You can also create various lists inside each board and include tasks in the form of cards.

  1. Helps You Focus on Your Task

While technology is useful in many aspects of your job, it can also distract you from important tasks. Receiving texts, emails, and calls, for example, disturbs your focus on the task you’re currently working on. 

The only solution to this is to turn off your phone and concentrate on the task at hand. Luckily, you don’t need to be rude to other people when they try to reach you. There are apps with features that automatically send a message that you’re currently away.

Auto Response Feature in Emails

You need to stop responding to emails as soon as they arrive. It distracts you from your concentration and ruins the momentum while you’re working. Is the email urgent? Do they really need an immediate response? If not, you can set an auto-response email to let them know you’re currently unavailable to answer their questions.

To maximize such features, you need to establish a system where you only respond to emails during specific times of the day. If it’s an emergency, they can contact you through other means. 

Create an email auto-responder that informs recipients when they can anticipate a response. Schedule a time of your day for responding to emails and leave the others to the auto-responder.

Final Thoughts

It’s a known fact that technology helps people improve their time management skills. The list above provides some of the examples of tools that you can use to manage your time better. However, some challenges also arise when it comes to using technology. And these can get in your way of doing tasks.

The key here is to avoid becoming distracted or overworked. Schedule a time in your day for non-work-related activities and avoid being on your phone all the time. Technology has its pros and cons. Use technology to your advantage and make it work for you rather than against you.

Want to share other apps and programs for time management that are not on the list? Let us know in the comment section below!

 

Social Media Manager Salary: How Much Should You Earn?

Everyone wants to have a decent pay for their work. It is very important to figure out how much you should be getting. Just look at the statistics of earnings and and you will be surprised at what salaries the qualified specialists receive.  Today we will talk about the salary of an SMM specialist.

So who is an SMM and what does he do?

The profession of an SMM manager can be said to be that young, although in terms of the speed of development and changes, it is quite comparable to SEO, and in terms of volume it is in no way inferior to it. How much does an SMM-specialist earn, what the salary depends on, what skills will help you increase your salary and where big money is hiding in SMM. Today it is one of the most popular professions. But every year, the potential of social networks is increasing, which means that work here requires maximum involvement.

An SMM manager is a specialist who is engaged in promoting a business; there are various companies, brands and individuals in social media: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and others. Its tasks include increasing customer coverage, improving the visual and filling image of the customer, communication with subscribers.

Social media platform managers are implementing various innovative ideas to generate modern projects and formats. They also control analytics and along with the dark indicators of the effectiveness of the projects carried out. Those who used to make money thanks to not entirely honest services for boosting subscribers and likes, today remain without the desired and so necessary activity today. Now the work of an SMM manager should show not just a beautiful picture: a neat profile, a general color palette, individual icons for relevant stories, but, of course, an impressive number of subscribers.

How many SMM specialists work?

There are SMM specialists who are employees of companies and are listed in the states. They work either in the office – usually a co-working space – or from home.

We have much more time to use a programming language in any language. In most cases, the working day will be irregular – this applies to both weekends and work at night, because some weekends or contests need to be held in the evenings, for example, drawings dedicated to Halloween – exceptionally shortly before this day or on the holiday itself.

Average salary for a social media manager

Let’s move on to one of the most important topics for those interested in this profession: the salary of an SMM manager. It certainly cannot be called big, but only because the remuneration depends on the company and specific ones (which we will consider with you below).

It is clear that an SMM manager without experience or an intern earns several times less than a senior SMM manager or a head of the SMM department, who clearly have a lot of experience and their disorderly skills are better than those of a beginner.

How much do professionals with the title of “social media manager” earn in the US? According to Glassdoor, the base salary in the US is $ 50,473, and this role usually does not include bonuses or additional compensation.

PayScale reports a slightly higher average annual salary in the US at $ 51,262, which includes bonus, commission, and profit sharing:

 

How to negotiate a manager’s salary on social media 

Applying for a new job as a social media manager? Be sure to have an idea of ​​the wage range that you can expect from the offer. If you need to find a job but don’t know where to start, check out the expert advice.

But what if the offer you received doesn’t match your needs or doesn’t match what you think you deserve?

Take a look at some of the most effective ways to negotiate a paycheck and demonstrate how much value you add. 

What can affect your salary? 

 Now let’s figure out what most employers want and what is important when applying for a job. What do they pay attention to, what do they require from the applicant and what salary do they offer?

Researching marketing, advertising, or communications can help you qualify for the position. However, these areas of study are not the only ones that can help you increase your earning potential. In fact, social media managers with journalism and political science degrees have some of the highest average salaries.

Your educational level can have a significant impact on your earning potential in marketing. Also, how much an SMM specialist gets is influenced by the person’s position and qualifications. However, if you have an advanced degree, you may have additional negotiating opportunities.

Candidates with a master’s degree earn an average of $ 55,000 per year. Earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree can bring you closer to an average of $ 60,000 per year.

Responsibilities of an SMM specialist:

  • development of a strategy for promotion in a social network;
  • generation and design of content: text, photos, videos, infographics and other visual components;
  • attracting subscribers, increasing the audience;
  • building and increasing brand loyalty;
  • monitoring the effectiveness of page promotion;
  • work with brand mentions in social networks, reputation marketing.
  • you need to be able to develop and approve strategies for brand promotion in social media;
  • competently use modern trends and current trends;
  • generate new ideas and test new hypotheses in the field of promotion;
  • analyze the market, competitors and audience;
  • clearly implement the approved content plan;
  • increase: subscriber engagement, brand awareness, brand loyalty;
  • increase the audience;
  • generate content for posts and stories;
  • work with brand mentions (on Instagram, Twitter);
  • reply to comments;
  • communicate with subscribers in Direct / messages;
  • carry out analytical work to monitor the effectiveness of page promotion;
  • prepare regular reports on the effectiveness of page promotion;
  • be creative, literate, stand out;
  • create advertising campaigns and run them.

What shouldn’t be your responsibility:

It is widely believed that an SMM specialist must perform absolutely all tasks, at least indirectly related to social networks. But in fact, this is just a myth, because not every good targeting scientist knows how to write high-quality, useful text and vice versa.

I do not exclude the possibility that there are SMM specialists who are able to single-handedly cope with setting up and running advertising campaigns in social media, writing posts and designing visuals, strategic planning and communication with users in 4 social networks. But the employer should remember that the remuneration for such work will be asked for much higher.

With the correct organization of the workflow, the tasks of an SMM manager should not include:

  • Self-writing texts for posts on social networks – there is a copywriter for this.
  • Creation of designs and creatives for publishing, creating photos and videos, retouching illustrations and editing video sequences for the next dynamic visual. Hand over this case to designers, photographers and cameramen.
  • Independent communication with customers about the purchase of goods or services. Only sales people should do this! After all, they work in the company for this and to sell. And not only through offline communication channels with the target audience.
  • Set up targeted advertising. To obtain a high-quality result and a high return on investment in the promotion of funds, it is worth transferring this functionality to Internet marketers or targetologists.

Important!

Although an SMM specialist should not be able to do all of the above on his own, he must understand the technical aspects of such work, how everything works and why: how to determine the effectiveness of an advertising campaign, how correctly the message is used in the text of the post, which visual element will be appropriate – all this should know the SMM specialist.

Professional skills:

As a rule, in the job descriptions of an SMM specialist, you can see the following requirements:

  • Ability to write attractive texts, competent speech: both oral and written;
  • Knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of social media :, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and other platforms.
  • Understanding the specifics of promotion in each of the social networks. Again, how it works and how to work with it;
  • Experience with web analytics services. For example, Google Analytics and others;
  • The presence of basic competencies in interaction with graphic editors and photo stocks;
  • Understanding of the general principles of SEO and CMS functioning;

Knowledge of the English language also improves the level of the CMM manager, allowing him to follow all foreign trends and open the way to foreign customer companies. Then, how an understanding of marketing and PR processes in a company and the connection of different communication channels: advertising on TV and radio, placement of promotional materials at points of sale, peculiarities of interaction with the media – help to get a complete picture of the specifics of the profession.

The necessary personal qualities include: curiosity, creativity, communication skills, analytical and systemic thinking, independence and internal discipline – they are very much appreciated. The latter is especially important for those who choose the path of a “free artist” who does not depend on the busy schedule of a particular organization and who cooperates with many customers.

By the way, if you look at the ever-growing number of social networks today, you can see that it is becoming more and more difficult to manage multiple accounts, and here SocialPilot will help the specialist, which will serve as a “cloud with a silver lining.” A number of advanced functions of which will help you easily manage multiple social media accounts, which is a very convenient and modern solution.

What are the pros: the ability to cue content and lay out publications in multiple accounts, Chrome Extensions Over To You, creating and managing multiple groups at once. You can also use SocialPilot to create a new group through your dashboard and add related LinkedIn and Facebook groups to it, and it also helps you get to know the latest content on a variety of topics, allows you to curate content, and allows you to intelligently change your posting schedule. This will save you research time as you get quality content with just one click.

Conclusion :

An SMM manager is a person open to new things, ready to constantly learn to improve their own competencies, who loves to stay in trend, who knows how to find language with different people and who is not afraid of stressful situations.

SMMs agree that the market does not have a clear understanding of how much a specialist needs to be paid. Business representatives do not fully understand how evaluate the work of an SMM-boxer and why overpay. So how much to pay ?! Assess work adequately, analyze your capabilities and needs – and set a decent salary.

AUTHOR BIO :

David Walker economic writer and content creator. Strives to meet your requirements within your given deadline. David have acquired over ten years of work experience in finance and investing. Now he working for the company ICOholder.

 

 

 

The Ultimate Guide: Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses

As a small business owner, you may be wondering whether or not social media marketing is worth your time and effort. The answer is yes – social media can be an extremely effective way to reach new customers and grow your business. In this guide, we will provide you with everything you need to know about social media marketing for small businesses.

The Value of Social Media for Small Businesses

The use of social media for small businesses can be extremely valuable. It provides a way to connect with customers and promote products or services. In addition, it can help build brand awareness and create customer loyalty.

Tailoring Your Social Media Marketing Campaign

When you tailor your social media marketing campaign to your small business, it becomes more effective. You need to find the networks that are most relevant to your customers and target them with content that is interesting and useful. Additionally, be sure to respond to comments and questions on time; this helps build customer loyalty.

Another important aspect of tailoring your social media marketing campaign is using the right tools. Many free and paid tools can help you manage your campaigns more effectively. For example, Hootsuite allows you to track multiple social networks, schedule posts, and measure results.

Finally, be sure to keep up with changes in the social media landscape. Networks are constantly evolving, so it’s important to adapt your campaign as needed.

Best Social Media Platforms for Small Business

Many social media platforms are great for small businesses. The ones that you choose to use will depend on your business’s goals and the demographics of your customers. Here are some of the most popular social media platforms.

Youtube

Youtube is a great way to market your small business. You can create videos about your products or services, and post them on your channel. You can also create playlists of related videos, and add links to your website or blog in the descriptions.

You can also use Youtube for advertising. You can create a video ad that promotes your business and target it to people who are interested in what you offer. 

Instagram

Instagram is a visual platform that can be used to show off your products or services. You can also use it to build relationships with potential and current customers by providing valuable content.

You can post photos and videos of your products, behind-the-scenes footage of your business, or posts that show off your company’s culture.

You can also use Instagram stories to engage with your followers. Stories are a series of photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours. You can use them to share sneak peeks of new products, answer customer questions, or give a tour of your office.

Facebook

Facebook is the perfect place to start when it comes to social media marketing for small businesses. It’s a great way to connect with your customers and create a community around your business. Here are some tips for using Facebook effectively:

  • Create a page for your business. This should be separate from your profile.
  • Make sure your page is complete and up-to-date. Include a profile picture, cover photo, and description of your business.
  • Post regularly. You should aim to post once or twice a day.
  • Engage with your customers. Reply to comments and questions.
  • Use hashtags. Tags help people find your posts when they search for related topics.
  • Promote your page. Share it with your friends and followers on other social media platforms, and add a link to your website.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful platform for small businesses to connect with their target audience. With LinkedIn, you can build relationships with potential customers, partners, and employees.

To get started on LinkedIn, create a profile that highlights your business’s strengths. In your profile, include a link to your website and describe what you do in detail.

Next, join relevant groups and start networking. Share your content with group members and connect with people who might be interested in what you do.

Finally, use LinkedIn Ads to reach more people. Target your audience by location, job title, company size, or other factors. You can also use LinkedIn’s Audience Insights tool to learn more about your target audience.

Twitter

Twitter can be a great way to connect with customers and followers. It’s also a great way to share news and updates about your business. Here are some tips for using Twitter effectively:

  • Make sure your profile is complete and up-to-date, including a link to your website.
  • Create interesting and engaging tweets that will capture the attention of your followers.
  • Include a call to action, such as asking followers to visit your website or sign up for your email list.
  • Respond to comments and questions from followers on time.
  • Use hashtags to reach a wider audience.
  • Monitor your Twitter analytics to see how well your tweets are performing.
  • Use Twitter advertising to reach a wider audience.

Tips for Small Businesses Social Media Marketing

  • Establish your goals and objectives

What are you hoping to achieve through social media marketing? Increased web traffic, more leads, higher customer retention rates? Once you know what you’re aiming for, it will be easier to determine which channels and tactics will work best for you.

  • Define your target audience

Who are you trying to reach with your marketing messages? Knowing your target audience will help you craft more relevant and effective content.

  • Choose the right channels

Not all social media platforms are created equal – some work better for certain businesses than others. Do some research to figure out which channels will be most effective for you.

Quality content is key to success in social media marketing. If you can provide your audience with useful, informative, and engaging content, they will be more likely to stick around and interact with your brand.

  • Engage with your audience

Social media is all about interaction – the more engaged you are with your audience, the more successful you will be. Respond to comments and questions, and join in on conversations.

  • Monitor your progress

Keep track of how well your social media marketing efforts are performing by tracking key metrics such as website traffic, leads generated, and customer engagement rates. This will help you determine what’s working and what needs to be tweaked.

  • Be patient

Social media marketing takes time and effort – don’t expect to see results overnight. Persevere, keep creating valuable content, and you will eventually see positive results.

Conclusion

Social media marketing is an incredibly powerful tool that small businesses can use to reach a larger audience. By creating valuable content and engaging with your followers, you can create a strong social media presence that will help you grow your business.

Also, don’t forget to use social media advertising to reach even more people. By targeting your ads correctly, you can get your message in front of the right people and see a big return on your investment.

Social media marketing can be a great way to connect with customers and promote your small business. In this article, we’ll discuss what platforms are best for small businesses, how to create a social media strategy, and more.

Author-Bio

Mark Hensley is an ex-Senior Hardware Engineer at Hewlett-Packard, an IT Professional, and the Founder of Povverful, contributor to ByRossi.  Website – https://ca.byrossi.com/