Erik Qualman's Blog, page 561

4 Cross-Browser Testing Tools for Your Website

Back then it was possible to ignore those using less orthodox browsers, like Opera; but today there is no clearly defined leader. That’s why cross-browser testing is such an important part of setting up a website – if you forgo it you will suffer high bounce rates, as a lot of visitors will be unable to view some content or navigate the site.

And to do it right you need right tools.

1.      Browserling

According to Magicdust, a Sydney web design company, Browserling is one of the most popular tools in this sphere, and it is clearly seen why: it does not simply allow you to see how your website looks in different browsers with different screen resolutions, but provides full-scale browsing sessions instead of static screenshot. In addition to that, Browserling is powered by HTML5, which means you don’t have to install anything to get it going. However, it comes at a price: free version only allows you access to Internet Explorer for 3 minutes at a time. To get full functionality you’ll have to pay $19 a month.

2.      CrossBrowserTesting

The service with self-evident name CrossBrowserTesting is an excellent way to both get rich functionality and cut costs. Full version gives you access to more than a thousand combinations of OS, web browsers, their versions, plugins and modifications. Nobody says it isn’t pricey – subscriptions start at $29.95 per month and get as high as $199, but there is always a free trial version that allows you to test your site against about a hundred combinations for 60 minutes within a week – more than enough for a small business that is just getting started.

3.      Browsershots

Another low-budget solution is Browsershots. Of course, it is less convenient and powerful than some of the alternatives, but it has its advantages, the strongest being that you are free to use it as much as you like.

It doesn’t provide full-fledged sessions with virtual browsers – instead it provides screenshots of your website made using different OS and browsers from a rather rich selection. Although lack of interaction limits its use, it still provides a pretty good picture of how your website is perceived by different browsers and devices.

Another interesting feature is web design ratings: service users can vote on website designs they like, which can help you in deciding whether the public is going to like that new look of your front page.

4.      BrowserStack

The main selling point of BrowserStack is that opens websites not in simulators, but in real browsers, providing a very decent choice of them – more than 700 combinations according to their claims. There are automatic tests supporting a number of programming languages, and Responsive Design Testing feature allowing you to dynamically check the site against a number of mobile device views. However, it is even costlier than CrossBrowserTesting, starting at $39 per month.

Cross-browser testing is an absolute must for any business that is serious about establishing online presence. Don’t ignore the possibilities it opens up.

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Skincare Advice Getting More Social

You hear so much from media all the time about the latest skincare trends, what’s good for your skin, what’s bad … it’s tough to keep it all straight!

One of the latest health trends is coconut oil. Coconut oil isn’t just for cooking, you know. But what can you really do with it? And how do you find out this information?

Well, just like just about anything else – turn to social media!

Turn Social for Better Health

As the following article shows, here are “5 surprising benefits of coconut oil” and how to use social media to find more….

Remove make up and moisturize fine lines – You can do this at the same time with coconut oil. Use it straight up to remove make up while adding moisture and plumping up the fine lines and delicate skin around your eyes.
Lip balm – A quick swipe of coconut oil across your lips will keep them moist and fix the chapped lips we all get every winter. Plus, it tastes good. You can add a little essential oil to flavor or scent it, like peppermint or lavender.
Body moisturizer – Again, go for it straight up and scoop out some coconut oil for a great hand or body moisturizer. Of course, it is better in the solid form for this, so if you need to refrigerate it, that’s fine.
Make a facial scrub – When your face is feeling extra dry, add some turbinado sugar to a bit of coconut oil and you have an      instant scrub. You can use it on your feet, too. Remember, if you are using it in the bath or shower, it will make the floor or tub slippery, so BE CAREFUL.
Masks and more – You can make other masks or scrubs using coconut oil as the base. From salt rubs to cranberry masks.

Myriad Social Sites to Visit

You may end up finding that you start keeping your coconut oil in the bathroom instead of the kitchen! It’s also a pretty cost effective health and beauty product.

It’s just a win-win with coconut oil.

When you’re ready to find those recipes for scrubs and masks or investigate more uses, take a look at social media.

Twitter is a great site for this, hashtag coconut oil or coconut oil skincare or coconut oil scrubs.

You can also use Pinterest and find some great uses (and they always look pretty); Instagram can help out here, too, with coconut oil tips.

Once you find some sites you like, follow them on social media.

You’ll be able to sift through your social media pretty quickly and find some great uses for this hot product.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of shutterstock.com

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FCC approves net neutrality rules

The Washington Post reported today that The Federal Communications Commission approved strict new rules for Internet providers Thursday in a historic vote that represents the government’s most aggressive attempt to make sure the Web remains a level playing field.

The rules would dramatically expand the agency’s oversight of the country’s high-speed broadband providers, regulating them like a public utility. They were adopted by a 3-to-2 margin with only the commission’s Republican members voting against them.

Under the rules, it will be illegal for companies such as Verizon or Cox Communications to slow down streaming videos, games and other online content traveling over their networks. They also will be prohibited from establishing “fast lanes” that speed up access to Web sites that pay an extra fee. And in an unprecedented move, the FCC could apply the rules to wireless carriers such as T-Mobile and Sprint — a nod to the rapid rise of smartphones and the mobile Internet.

“This is no more a plan to regulate the Internet than the First Amendment is a plan to regulate free speech,” said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. “They both stand for the same concept: openness, expression and an absence of gatekeepers telling them what they can do where they can go and what they can think.”

The proposed regulations reflect more than a year of deliberation by the FCC and a surprising turnaround by Wheeler, a former cable industry lobbyist, who had initially supported a proposal that was much friendlier to Internet providers. It’s also a significant victory for consumer advocates, grassroots organizers, Internet companies and Democrats, all of whom spent months pressing for what President Obama described as “the strongest possible rules” on net neutrality.

“Providers here in the United States have in fact, blocked applications on mobile devices, which not only hampers free expression, but also restricts competition and innovation, by allowing companies, not the consumer, to pick winners and losers,” said Democratic FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn.

Internet providers already have signaled that they are likely to challenge the rules in court, while conservative lawmakers have slammed them as a government takeover of the Internet and vowed to overturn them.

“We have never argued there should be no regulation in this area, simply that there should be smart regulation,” James W. Cicconi, senior executive vice president-external and legislative affairs, said in a blog post. “What doesn’t make sense, and has never made sense, is to take a regulatory framework developed for Ma Bell in the 1930s and make her great grandchildren, with technologies and options undreamed of eighty years ago, live under it.”

Brewing presidential politics could pose another danger to the long-term viability of the rules. Should a Republican win the White House in 2016, analysts and industry lobbyists say, a GOP-led FCC could decide to reverse any regulations passed by Wheeler’s commission on Thursday.

Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai slammed the rules as an attempt to “micromanage” the Internet. “President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet is not the solution to a problem. His plan is the problem,” said Pai, warning that the regulation would “let a Washington bureaucracy — and not the American people — decide the future of the online world.”

The FCC opted to regulate the industry with the most aggressive rules possible: Title II of the Communications Act, which was written to regulate phone companies. The rules waive a number of provisions in the act, including parts of the law that empower the FCC to set retail prices — something Internet providers feared above all.

However, the rules gives the FCC a variety of new powers, including the ability to: enforce consumer privacy rules; extract money from Internet providers to help subsidize services for rural Americans, educators and the poor; and make sure services such as Google Fiber can build new broadband pipes more easily.

The rules cover Internet service providers’ relationships with customers. But more troubling to the industry is that it also will govern the relationship between Internet providers and major content companies such as Netflix. The agency could inspect, on a case-by-case basis, deals that content companies strike with Internet providers for better access to their customers. (Last year, Netflix, which makes up about a third of North American Web traffic during peak periods, and Comcast, the country’s largest Internet provider, signed such a deal.)

This is the FCC’s third attempt to establish net neutrality rules since 2010. The last version of the regulations was thrown out by a federal court that found that the FCC had overstepped its authority.

 

Article by Brian Fung from The Washington Post

Thumbnail from shutterstock.com

 

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Finding a Great Job on LinkedIn

At CareerGlider, we’ve been writing a series on how to use LinkedIn as a tool for finding new opportunities and great connections. If you’ve followed the previous posts, you’ve learned how to create a strong profile, and how to build your network. This week, we’re bringing it all together and discussing how to search for a job.

Searching LinkedIn Jobs

LinkedIn Jobs is powerful, but LinkedIn keeps some of the features hard to find. Start by selecting “Jobs” from LinkedIn’s menu bar. If you know the tricks, you can set up a carefully-tailored search and automate a lot of the work.

If you look closely, you’ll see a blue “Advanced Search” option beneath the “Search” button. That opens up a wider range of options, but don’t be satisfied with those. You’ll see another blue Search button, and next to that, faint gray text that says “More options.” This is where the good stuff is hidden.

Say I want to look for a job in social media in Los Angeles. I search for “social media” in keywords, and narrow it down:

Date posted: I’ll prioritize jobs posted within the last week, as older listings are more likely to be stale;

Location: I’ll search “Greater Los Angeles Area” rather than zip code;

Experience level: this is a really useful filter, because it brings up only jobs at or around your seniority. I’ll set it to Associate;

Job function: I’ve checked any that I think might be relevant.

Notice I haven’t touched the “Industry” filter—all kinds of companies need social media experts, and I don’t want to exclude any results.

Filter your results by Relevance—the filter’s not perfect, but it’s the best way to search. Finally, you can save this search (top right-hand corner of results) and have the results emailed to you.

Introductions & Follow-up

Don’t just send in your CV and hope for the best. Find someone you can reach out to in the company, to learn more about the work environment or the job, or to keep yourself front of mind. This is where having a good network comes in.

Groups are incredibly valuable here. Before you start applying for jobs, find people in your industry and see what groups they’re part of. Join any that are appropriate. That gives you the ability to send messages to members of the group who aren’t connections (here’s how). It will make your message more effective, of course, if you’re visible as a genuine contributor to groups.

If one of your connections knows someone at a company that interests you, ask for an LinkedIn introduction—introductions are a powerful tool. If you have no other option and you’re feeling brave, you can also make a connection request to the person directly—but be aware of the consequences of the person saying they don’t know you. Whatever you do, make sure you personalize your message.

Groups

Not everyone realizes that LinkedIn Groups have their own jobs pages. Go to the group’s page and click on “Jobs” under the banner. Jobs posted in groups give you three big advantages: you’re seeing postings others might miss, your group membership shows a demonstrated interest in the position, and you have an ‘in’ when you apply.

Make yourself visible

If you’re actively looking for work, you want to be able to see who’s viewed your LinkedIn profile. In your Settings, click on “Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile.” Set it so that others can see who you are. That’s the only way for you to see who’s viewing your profile, which is important.

Remember—your activity on Jobs is private, but other things you do on LinkedIn are public, so if you have a job, don’t advertise that you’re looking for another one.

We hope these tips are useful—and good luck in your search!

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Are You Social About Developing Your Career?

Think about traditional ways of advancing in your career.

You most likely would consider furthering your education, working longer hours, going out of you way to impress your boss and hoping you get that promotion you’ve always wanted.

While that can still work, there are now other, more creative, ways to advance your career, especially if you’re willing to switch companies.

Thanks to the power of the internet and social media, networking has made it possible for millions of Americans to land their dream jobs and further develop their careers.

Being More Social

If you want to grow your career and work in a challenging environment day after day, look no further than social media to get you there.

Here are five ways you can use social media and the internet to develop your career:

Further you education online – Years ago if you wished to further your education, you would have had to attend a brick-and-mortar university. As the following article shows, now, you can get your professional development hours and get your degree completely online. The advantage of this is you can still keep your full-time job and complete your school work on your own time – whether that’s early in the morning, late at night or on weekends. You can take as many or as few classes as you want and complete the degree according to your time frame, not the schools.
Join LinkedIn – LinkedIn is the number one networking site for professionals. Build a profile, find other people in your area and worldwide that work in your industry, join groups and chat with others who work in your field, and network with as many people as you can. You never know when someone will be looking to hire, and you want to be recommended when that chance arrives.
Keep your social media pages professional – As much fun as it can be to post selfies and share your weekend plans, it’s not going to help you advance in your career. Use social media to your advantage by keeping it professional and business-oriented.
Keep people informed – One of the beauties of social media is you can keep people up-to-date on your job situation. If you were recently laid off and are looking for work, don’t be afraid to post that on your pages. This lets friends, family members and business associates know that you’re available. An offer may come your way sooner than expected. Or perhaps you run your own business and are accepting new clients. Let people know through your social media pages. Social media is one of the best – and free! – forms of advertising.
Discover new careers – Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of using social media to grow your career is learning about other new and exciting career paths. Perhaps you’re an accountant and you’ve always dreamed of owning your own firm. Social media can help get you there by introducing you to those who have already succeeded. Or maybe you work in construction but prefer to teach people how to perform do-it-yourself projects around the house. In this case, you may consider starting a blog with paid advertisers to showcase your projects.

Even if you’re not currently looking to further your career, you should be actively engaged in social media.

Sometimes the best opportunities come when you’re least expecting it.

Social media can help improve your chances of that happening.

Photo Credit: Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Apple to bring more diversity to emojis

TechCrunch – Apple is adding more diverse emoji options to both iOS and OS X, new developer preview builds reveal. These includes various skin color options for emojis featuring people, faces, hands and other exposed skin, as well as new country flags that add to the rather limited original set.

The new skin tone options are available as alternates when a user clicks (or taps) and holds on any of the face, hand or people emoji, offering a further six skin color selections for any given enjoy in the People section where it’s applicable (meaning not the space invader, ghost, poo, skull or mask emojis, for instance).

Images from techcrunch.com

The additional flag set adds 32 to the total collection, including a range of new countries that go beyond a few European, Asian and North American choices. These are offered on their own in the Travel & Places section of the emoji keyboard on iOS, or special character palette in OS X.

In addition to the diversity changes, Apple has also switched up some of the gadgetry imaging, including offering an iPhone 6 for the smartphone image, and an Apple Watch instead of a more traditional timepiece.

Article from techcrunch.com

Thumbnail from shutterstock.com

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7 Obvious Reasons Best Employees Quit Their Job

Employees quit their day job for various reasons. It can be because of their family, financial matters, career growth, location, so on and so forth. But the most common reason people jump ship is because of the company management or their direct employer. This only shows that the conventional wisdom is in fact true– people quit their bosses, not their jobs.

The employer affects all important elements in the workplace such as the culture, environment, worker’s perception on their job and other opportunities. When the managers are incompetent and inconsiderate, the top performers will definitely entertain offers to work elsewhere. Skilled people are difficult to find. Once you lose the majority of your best talents, it would surely affect the business’ morale. Moreover, it would also cause some financial implications and leave a skill deficit in the company.

To ensure your business stays innovative, efficient and successful, better find ways on how you can retain your great staff. Check out these top 7 obvious reasons top employees disengage and leave their current job.

1. Lack of Growth and Advancement Opportunities

If quality employees sense that their career advancement isn’t going anywhere or isn’t going as planned, they will be tempted to look for a better employment. According to SuperiorPapers.com, salary is not enough reason for them to stay. They also want opportunities to learn, grow and work for a boss who encourages and supports excellence in all they do. It’s normal for employees to seek opportunity for advancement. Failure to build a clear career path for them will lead them to find their way out the door and go for another organization.

2. Lack of Management Leadership

Poor leadership leads to poor productivity and turnovers. A key employee who doesn’t trust and respect their boss or supervisor will easily lose motivation and become unproductive. Managers are responsible for employees’ morale, open communication about the business and directing their career path. When they fail to perform their job properly, it would cost them the best people. If the boss is hard to get along and work with, they won’t waste their time and skill to remain and be part of the team.

3. Lack of Recognition and Rewards

To assure that outstanding employees stay committed and loyal to the company, offer them rewards and incentives, which the staff will value. They deserve to be rewarded and recognized for their hard work by the top management. Some employers thought that money is the top motivator of all but the truth of the matter is there is actually a case by case basis that motivates best talents. It could be a token of appreciation in the means of internal gratification, promotion, extra vacation time or a flexible schedule.

4. Lack of Effective Motivation

When workers are devalued and unrecognized in their respective department they become bored and unchallenged by their work. Remember, your people is one of the organization’s most valuable assets. Do not take them for granted because through them the company will succeed. As a manager, you are responsible for their motivation to work well. You need to engaged them to drive high and quality performance at work. Secure that every employee is fully engaged, excited and challenged to contribute to the team. Otherwise, you will lose them.

5. Lack of Organization’s Financial Stability

Constant layoffs, employee turnover, low profit, salary and hiring freezes are all factors that could lead to a worker’s feeling of instability and distrust. Exceptional staff need to feel connected and relevant to the company. They need to be aware on how the business is doing and the long-term plans of the organization. If top workers do not have a voice in business matters, there’s a high possibility they may leave.

6. Lack of Feedback

If performance problems occur in an organization, the main reason of it is the lack of feedback. Feedback is a powerful yet most underutilized management tool in many companies. To achieve satisfaction, efficiency and meaningful works from your subordinates, employers must regularly coach and provide feedback to the team.

7. Lack of Training

There are times that workers suffer from stress due to overwork. Some employers don’t provide enough training, mentorship or clear instruction about a new assignment yet they expect their employees to deliver greater results. A lack of training often results unnecessary errors and creates problems in the company, which often leads to low morale among employees. When there is no training, workers do not understand how to do their jobs properly and none of their goals will be achieved.

The better way to keep your best people in the job is to know what they need. Find out what will make them stay, recognize their efforts, inspire them to grow and avoid these common mistakes that most employers overlook.

 

Thumbnail from shutterstock.com

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Google acquires marketing start-up Toro

TechCrunch reported that Toro, a startup that helps developers promote their apps on Facebook, just announced that it’s been acquired by Google.

The company was originally known as Red Hot Labs, and it’s led by Amitt Mahajan and Joel Poloney. They previously co-founded MyMiniLife, which played a key role in the creation of FarmVille.

Mahajan and Poloney said last fall that the company’s aim was to make launching and optimizing a Facebook ad campaign as easy as possible for mobile app developers, by automatically creating and testing “hundreds of variants” for each campaign.

In its announcement, Toro writes that joining Google will give team members access to more resources and distribution, allowing them to “continue our mission of making the lives of app developers easier.”

If you think this might shift Toro’s focus away from Facebook, well, looks like you’re right. The company says it will continue to optimize campaigns and provide reports for existing customers, but it won’t be creating new campaigns: “We recommend working with an alternative Facebook PMD for new campaigns going forward.”

The announcement does not disclose the financial terms of the deal. Toro had raised $1.5 million in funding from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock Partners, SV Angel, General Catalyst, Keith Rabois, Chris Dixon, Bill Tai, and Guitar Hero co-creators Charles Huang and Kai Huang.

According to Bloomberg Business, Google is investing in new ways to help companies market on smartphones and tablets as users increasingly access digital services via wireless devices. The Mountain View, California-based company last month reported fourth-quarter sales and profit that missed estimates as its advertising business faced more competition on mobile gadgets.

 

Image from blog.usetoro.com

Article from techcrunch.com and bloomberg.com

 

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Gmail users dealing with auto-complete bug

Business Insider reports that Google’s email service seems to have a bug in its auto-suggest feature that’s causing a bunch of people to send messages to the wrong contacts. Instead of auto-completing to the most-used contact when people start typing a name into the “To” field, it seems to be prioritizing contacts that they communicate with less frequently.

The bug doesn’t seem to be affecting all users  but it’s definitely not an isolated problem, based on the Twitter response. Gmail users have flocked to Twitter to complain about their emails sending to the wrong person.

Gmail tweeted out a series of tweets acknowledging the problem.

They are still working on a solution so in the meantime make sure you are sending your emails to the right person!

Article originally from businessinsider.com

Thumbnail courtesy of shutterstock.com

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Social Media Tips for Small Businesses

Today social media are the most effective ways to let the world know about your small business – with a certain degree of creativity it can lead to great results even on a small budget. Let’s talk about the practices that lead to the best value for money.

1.      Prepare Your Toolbox

The Internet is rife with tools, software and platforms that were created to make the life of social media marketers easier. Some of them are aimed at professionals, others can be useful to anyone, and especially those who are willing to get better results without doing a lot of things manually. So ask around, read a couple of reviews and choose your own instruments that will save you time and money.

2.      Don’t Try to Learn Everything in a Day

Many amateur entrepreneurs try to master all the ins and out of their business. They strive to run the enterprise, communicate with clients, develop strategies, and so on. And while it is a good idea to have some understanding of all these aspects, the truth is that one person cannot do everything. That is why it is important to learn how to delegate. Hire a professional who will develop your social media strategy but make it your business to learn at least the basics on the go. Probably later, when your business is stabilized, you will be able to do it on your own.

3.      Capitalize on Your Uniqueness

The worst mistake you as a business owner can make is to attempt to be too many things for too many people. Remember: it is no use to try and interest everyone. The road to success lies in carefully choosing a very narrow value proposition and making it look unique. If you are just another store, there will be dozens if not hundreds of alternatives, and potential customers won’t have any reason to choose you and not someone else. Instead, tell a story. Show that your product is unique. Develop a personality for your business.

4.      Use Images

In social media, images produce an effect similar to that of an explosion: an image is much more likely to attract attention and turn a casual visitor into an interested one, and in turn – into a client. Images tell stories much better than text, especially if they are multiple images or collages. There are, after all, such social media as Instagram, which are completely dedicated to images – don’t hesitate to use it.

5.      Experiment

If your results leave much to be desired, it doesn’t mean that social media marketing doesn’t work. It may not even mean that your strategy is fundamentally wrong – perhaps it just needs a little tweaking. Do some A/B testing: make meaningful changes and record differences in results in a scientific manner, so as to eliminate external influences on the results as much as possible.

Social media marketing is an important and incredibly powerful tool, especially if you don’t have a lot of money to spare on your advertising campaign. If done correctly, you may get much greater results than with any kind of traditional ads!

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