Blog

Photography Transforming Websites In The Digital Age

March 22, 2016 Social Media Addicts

A picture is worth a thousand words, this saying stays true to the hearts of a huge number of individuals. There is indeed a lot to talk about with still images making them a great topic for discussion. Many find the field of photography to work quite well in the advertising and marketing space and as such, you will not be finding any shortage of pictures that are posted in several websites found today. Let us consider how websites were transformed in the digital age with the help of photography.

The lifeline of a website revolves around the content that it provides to their online visitors. Without them, a website will feel empty and hollow having little to no life in it. It should be noted that online content does not solely revolve around the creation of articles. Photos play a very important role in keeping the attention of your online visitors intact making them feel relatively at home when they visit your website. Without them, your site will feel stale and a drop in customer interest will be experienced in just a short amount of time even if you produce high quality articles on a regular basis.

It is always good to find a good measure of balance between photos and articles. This is quite apparent especially in 2016, where some webmasters are now taking the lead in developing websites that are almost like digital magazines due to their use of images. Of course, having strong and appealing photos can not just attract traffic to a website, but also when Alt Tags are used, they can contribute towards the SEO standing of a website. This in turn makes it fairly easy to gain the much needed attention that your website requires.

Online users who visit a photo-essay style website tend to enjoy reading every bits of their content especially since it they provide them in well organized and orderly manner. It is relatively easy to read and get into giving the website a user friendly feeling or experience to its visitors. Pictures are evenly placed and well distributed giving online readers a clear overview on what to expect upon their visit to their website. Indeed, the feeling that you are reading a digital magazine on your browser or phones is what you will get with this particular form of structure.

Aside from their own websites, companies today have also shifted some of their attention towards the social media aspect of their business. This can be seen with many companies today each having their very own social media profile. The ACM Group Facebook page is quite active in the social media and they alternate their content by mixing in some videos, photos and news articles their fans and followers can enjoy as these are posted over their newsfeed. Updates coming from social media are also seamless and instantaneous making them easy to find.

It is good to see that a huge number of websites are embracing the changes that are happening in this modern and digital age. There is indeed a lot of room for improvement and we can expect new innovations on how photography and other related and noteworthy features can be integrated to some of the websites found in the present.

Social Media Risks and Security in Australia

November 17, 2015 Social Media Addicts

How secure is your use of social media online? Many of us use social media to interact with friends, family and acquaintances, but just how secure is our use of that medium? We have probably all heard stories about bosses monitoring their workers Facebook pages and people getting sacked for posting information and/or opinions about the business they work for. And those who take ‘sickies’ and then post pictures of themselves having a good time when they are supposed to be ill.

Are you releasing far too much information into the public sphere without considering the use of it by nefarious types? Burglars, who might be casing your joint, watching your street, can now find out about your impending holiday online with not too much trouble. Defrauders, who are everywhere on the internet, can plan strategies tailored to your hobbies and interests gleaned from social media. Social media posting can lead to defamation action if you are not careful. Every digital footprint that you leave is increasing your potential exposure to crime and unwanted attention.

Is it more risky for women than men? Women, generally, have more to fear than men from online stalkers and sexual perverts. Obsessed men watching your every move, can now, also track your social habits and activities. Innocent behaviour posted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and blogs can lead to unwanted attention by weirdoes. It is sad that we must consider these security issues when we are sharing online. Be careful with online dating because most people are not who they appear to be in this sphere. But what about kids and paedophiles? Yes there instances of online grooming using social media like YouTube.

Remember to lock up your property in the real world and protect your identity in the digital realm. Contact a locksmith if you do not have adequate security measures in your home, business or car. Better to be prepared for any eventuality than to blithely ignore the awful things that you hear on the news and read in the papers. Social media and security risks in Australia are very real and police are asking people to pay heed to their warnings.

The Internet is a desensitised world, meaning that you cannot trust your normal senses in this electronic digital universe. You are presented with images claiming to be this man or woman, but you don’t know who is really behind them. Stories are concocted and posted online, but they are often untrue. You cannot trust the data before your eyes and you cannot smell a rat online. Your ability to evaluate body language is completely blind online. Remember that and be prepared.

Natural Therapy Social Media: Can Individual Therapists Succeed?

November 16, 2015 Social Media Addicts

There are only so many minutes in the day and good natural therapists like to spend as much time with a client as they can. This means that your individual therapist is always going to struggle to make a good living from their occupation alone. Many extend themselves into the manufacturing and/or selling of complementary medicines; hoping that through this they can make some money and ensure the quality of the substances they prescribe. Alternatively, some individual natural therapists group together to operate a healing centre, to both, share business expenses and to pave the way for future expansion if the centre becomes successful.

A few natural therapists also teach their modality to students at either, established schools of natural therapies or under the auspices of their own centre. Some successful natural therapists and teachers, even, publish books; which can, occasionally, provide extra income. There is no shortage of entrepreneurial spirit in the natural health world; with large training institutions growing out of the ambitions and hard work of a few in the industry. With two out every three Australians visiting a natural practitioner in their lifetime; the market continues to expand.

Osteopathic practitioners, homeopaths, naturopaths, body workers, acupuncturists and many more exponents of healing modalities are all contributing to the health and wellbeing of Australians. The standards in this country are high both in the training and the association accreditation within the various fields. There is a body of high quality literature available for both, consumers and practitioners. There are industry exhibitions and lecture programs, which continue to educate the public and inform those within the natural health industry.

All of these things are still, however, dependant on effective marketing, now, within the digital sphere. Social media is a great boon for the industry with online communities sharing the good and bad about particular therapists, healing centres, training institutions and products. Savvy businesses are utilising different forms of social media to generate interest in their goods and services. As in the case of the Instagram account for a rapidly growing natural therapy business called Conscious Living. These new channels of communication are linking up therapists and their clients to good effect.

Natural therapy social media: can individual therapists succeed? They are better off outsourcing their social media to professionals who have the expertise to properly take advantage of the marketing opportunities it presents. There are social media managers with niche specific experience in the natural health world and they can present their clients in the spirit they would expect. Healing centres are, now, being represented professionally in the digital realm.

 

Horse Racing Social Media is at a Gallop

August 4, 2015 Social Media Addicts

We traditionally associate social media with women and Generation Y, and so it is interesting to see the rapid increase in the medium being utilised by lovers of horse racing. This age old equestrian pursuit, being the usual domain of men, and, indeed, older men; blokes who love a punt. However, horse racing in Australia on social media is taking off at a gallop right now, with Twitter and Facebook alive with tips, news and racing banter.

The-ill-fated-Midsummer-Sun-1438642924_1352x900

Social media being a form of communication, and a rapid response one at that, it should not really be surprising that the racing game has cottoned onto its effectiveness in this regard. The whispers in the mounting yard, the stable gossip, and the sure thing passed on in the pub are now going viral. The flow of information has moved beyond the grasp of the old media platforms, newspapers, radio and television. These channels of communication are still heavily involved in horse racing but they do not rule the roost as they used to.

Facebook is where people nest with a brand, often as a prelude to becoming a customer.

Twitter spreads the information via retweets of industry players: jockeys, owners and trainers.

Pinterest can capture the buzz of horse racing as an event with images of fashions, beautiful women and horses.

Instagram is not so much about the clicks it is a destination in itself with over 5 million Aussies now on Instagram!

uQwMStH1_400x400

Social media and the digital age has allowed racing in all its strands of being to reach its audience like never before. Participants like trainers, jockeys and owners can communicate directly with horse racing followers through social media. Promotion of events and races can be achieved without the previously essential involvement of the ‘old media’. So why has this suddenly accelerated down the main straight to post a winner for the racing community? In two words – online gambling.

When gambling on horse racing and, more generally, sports was freed from on course restrictions by the advent of online gambling and the governing bodies permitting of it, horse racing embraced the digital age. Technological laggards were transformed overnight by the online opportunities suddenly presented to them through their smart phones and computers. Masses of money flooded into the development of apps capable of harnessing these new rivers of gold. Big international betting agencies began buying up smaller local operations. Free bets are being marketed to punters as an enticement to sign up and get on board. There are tipping services on Facebook and Twitter and a host of associated information to make betting on horse racing much closer to industry sources. If punters are better informed then gambling may be a fairer field, but we will have to see.

With all this new blood and technological change it is important to promote the online gambling services now provided by the Sportsbets, William Hills, Bet 365, Crownbet and a host of others. Instant forms of communication directly linking the betting agencies to their market have become invaluable to the growth of these businesses. Money is pumping around like blue blood in a healthy body; just look at sports betting on the AFL and rugby league.

Dating Sites: Which Ones Use Social Media Best

May 26, 2015 Sam T James
Dating Sites

Loveless? Do not ever throw away your expectations. The advent of dating sites and social media presents the perfect solution to humankind intimate concerns. The trend seems to be on the rise and amongst them all, here are the top dating sites around the world that use social media best.

1. Match

www.match.com has been around for almost 20 years. Currently it has presence in over 25 countries, cutting across all the five continents in 15 different languages. It incorporates the use of mail messages, games, instant messenger, mobile apps, Facebook linking, windows live ID integration, amongst many other communication tools. No matter where you live, you can easily find your best match.

2. Sense2love

www.sense2love.com is an exceptional matchmaking platform that integrates social networking trends with traditional matchmaking traditions. Members will join per invitation. This can be either as a single looking forward to finding a partner or a matchmaker aiming to connect single friends, thus bringing their social circle along. The site operates on the principle that our great love often lies within our social network. It’s an exceptional path to finding true love.

3. Friendfinder

www.friendfinder.com is a unique online community that will keep you coming back for more. It’s packed with plenty of attributes you could ever wish to find on a dating site, including blogs, chat rooms, message boards, forums, online magazines, and linking to your social media profile. With it you can scout your social media network and possibly come across your dream match. It’s the ideal online dating sites that fully capitalizes on social media networks, which explains its huge presence online.

4. Lavalife

Launched in 1997, www.lavalife.com is based in Toronto, Canada with widespread presence across the United States, UK, and France. Since its upgrade which brought in an array of brilliant features, including excellent communication platforms that involved the use of social media profiles and linking, it has been able to reach 15 million registered members. Its popularity, not only on the web, but across a good number of social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, and others makes it a flourishing online community.

5. Scout

Scout is currently regarded as the latest global network for meeting new people and also one of the best online dating sites in social media. It will allow you to scout out for people in your area with the use of GPS positioning. Majority of the social media companies are trying to get more people actively involved through this technique. The fact that it’s been successfully integrated into this dating service implies that there’s increased wider access to the audience, which is why the site tends to have millions of members.

Social networking sites boast millions of people with diversified interests, dating being among the top. With the integration of dating sites into them, you have the option to combine both and capitalize on the prospects of finding your dream partner. Find your match today.

The influence of Social Media on Chlamydia prevention

May 10, 2015 Tags: , Social Media Addicts
The-influence-of-Social-Media-on-Chlamydia-prevention

Social media sites and applications like blogs, email, forums and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube allow us to connect with people and share information regardless of geographic location. More than 62% of Australian visit social media sites regularly. Australian under 25 years old ranked as “the world’s most prolific users.” About 97% of 16 and 17 year olds login to update their profiles, post comments and messages everyday.

Young people spend an additional three hours per day on the internet using digital technologies like cellphone, tablet and smart devices. They spend more time with social media and other digital media than they spend in other activity. The internet become their primary source of
information about sexual health topics like contraception advice and sexually transmitted infection screenings before they speak to doctors. Yet in this era of technology, a lot of youth still lack awareness on safe sex and sexually transmitted infections.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the youth today. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection transmitted through oral, anal and genital intercourse. It is often asymptomatic so most people did not know they have it. 64% of people infected with Chlamydia are under 25 years old. The increasing number of Chlamydia cases can be attributed to the failure to practice safe sex by using condoms. If left untreated chlamydia can lead to serious health consequences including ectopic pregnancy and infertility. However it is easy to diagnose through urine test and swab and can be treated with antibiotics.

Health organizations are now using social media to get the message to young people about the importance of chlamydia screening to prevent infection and reinfection. Social media have been the preferred medium because it is the place where young people get information and communicate. It appealed to youth because of convenience, privacy and anonymity. 50% of teenaged users disclosed information about sexual risk behaviours in social media.

An example of social media campaign is #YorClear, it’s a Chlamydia innovative awareness campaign launched in Instagram. This campaign aims to promote the message that everybody should get tested for Chlamydia. Users were asked to take a test and join a picture wall of others who took the test and post it in their Instagram account. The result of the campaign was 30% increase in the uptake of Chlamydia screening.

Social media networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn are now being used for sexual health promotion. The influence of social media on chlamydia prevention was evident in some studies made to measure its effectiveness. Studies found that social media is a good way to make the youth become more aware of the chlamydia and its long term effects.

Studies also found that social media can be a tool for sexually transmitted infection testing as well as online counseling and education. Findings cover 23% self-reported increase in condom use, and a 54% reduction in reported chlamydia cases among 15-17 year olds. Chlamydia campaigns on social media were effective for encouraging high risk groups to use condoms and get themselves tested. Key factors for success is the large active user base, this intervention can also be used for other future health promotion activities.

The Menopause Generation on Social Media

April 1, 2015 Tags: Social Media Addicts
The-menopause-generation-on-social-media

Menopause is a natural biological process that women go through as part of the ageing process. Menopause happens when the ovaries stop producing eggs each month and menstruation stops for a period of twelve months. Menopause marks the end of women’s reproductive years. Natural menopause happens between 45 and 55 years of age, the average age of menopause is 51.

The new generation of menopausal women is increasing their use of the internet. Social media use is now strong for those in the 50-64 and above age bracket. 73% of online adults are now using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 42% of adult online users are now using multiple social networking sites and checking the sites on a daily basis. The dominant social networking site in number of users is Facebook. So expect to be making friends with more seniors on your account.

Social media isn’t just for teens and young adults anymore. Older people are becoming computer and social media literate. Study shows that the menopause generation is flocking to popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. They are creating profiles on social network and keeping in touch with family members and friends. It only shows that senior citizens are more active in social media than we thought. Seeing the trend the internet has begun launching networks specifically for them.

Some of the most popular social networking sites created for the menopause generation are:
Senior.com is a free website which provides users with information that is useful for communication. This helps seniors stay connected with family and friends plus some tools to find helpful services in the area. It also features articles about health, money, food and relationship.

MyBoomerPlace is the place to meet, congregate and develop new relationships. This is a site designed for seasoned travelers in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Registered members can view forums, videos, picture galleries and classified ads.

The Cool Grandma is a social networking community for seniors. There are chat rooms to interact with seniors of similar interest. Members can post in active forum and view news and information about social science, cooking, home and garden and a lot more.

AARP Online Community this free networking site offers picture sharing with friends and family. This site is user-friendly for seniors and has fun applications like senior e-news, photos, videos, games and discounts. Members have easy access to webletter with latest news and information.

Greater numbers of older adults are joining these sites. Researchers have discovered the benefits that arise following adoption to social media. The study found that participation in social networking can bolster cognitive health for seniors. Members of the menopause generation with positive social interaction have elevated moods and fewer instances of negative habits like smoking, depression or disease.

Being active on social media allow seniors to remain informed on the latest technological trends and connects them to family and friends even on different location. Social media help seniors to engage in research and learn topics of interest. These activities can lead to formation of new business, new hobbies and health information. Other benefit of social media to seniors is the ability to access education opportunities. Some state colleges offer free tuition fee for senior citizens.

Seniors who engage more on social media sites are more likely to participate in leisure and health activities like cooking and cleaning the home. Researchers also found that older adults active on social media had fewer instances of diabetes and lower blood pressure compared to those who were not active.

Lenders Are Screening Borrowers through Social Media

January 5, 2015 Christine
Lenders Screen Borrowers through Social Media

Does having a lot of friends on Facebook or being popular in certain circles constitute a creditworthy image? Apparently, some lenders think so. Some banks and lending companies think that a person’s social standing, professional connections and online reputation are important factors to consider when extending credit, particularly to someone with a poor credit history who might have trouble getting a loan.

Due to the personal data found on many social media profiles, it’s now become a trend for bankers and financial institutions to use social media accounts in screening loan applicants or borrowers for any undesirable traits or opinions. They turn to social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to look further into a borrower’s identity and creditworthiness. These social media sites have become an Intel of some sort in helping credit companies make better-informed choices.

This practice is something consumer groups and regulators have been expressing concern about. The reason it’s become alarming is due to the perception that borrowers could very well be targeted with higher interest rates and people who have missed payments would automatically be considered risky bets and denied credit entirely based on the state of their social media accounts. There are no federal laws currently in place to govern this system or to protect borrowers from unfair scrutiny.

Although this scheme appears to be limited to smaller financial institutions that provide smaller loans and operate with a larger degree of risk, it’s expected that the use of social media accounts by lenders will gain popularity in the years to come.

Bad credit happens and when it does happen, people struggle to find funding. Fortunately, there are lending companies that provide bad credit loans to those with a poor credit history in competitive interest rates without any judgment.

If you answer yes to the question “Is social media standing in the way of you getting the financial assistance you’re applying for?” then it’s time to clean up your social media profile. Social media will remain to be, well, social which means all of the information that’s freely provided by the users to the social media sites could turn out to cost them not just their stature but the financial assistance they need.

The Search is on for a Great SEO Consultant

December 12, 2014 Tags: , Social Media Addicts

According to Google, sooner is better than later when it comes to hiring an SEO (search engine optimization) consultant. You may be creating a new website or re-tooling your current site. Either time is optimal for putting the services of an SEO consultant to good use.

What’s your time worth?

The path toward effective SEO marketing can be very steep unless you are already SEO knowledgeable. If you are not SEO knowledgeable, it might be worthwhile to hire an SEO consultant. These are people who specialize in using SEO techniques to increase traffic to their clients’ websites. Some advantages are:

  • Advice – a consultant can advise you on which methods will optimize your website for increased traffic.
  • Expertise – you will be paying for the consultant’s expertise in building SEO. The consultant will more objectively review your website to spot its SEO weaknesses.
  • Lengthy overhaul and penalties – retooling your website can be lengthy when you are doing it yourself.
  • An SEO Sydney specialist can update it more quickly utilizing techniques that optimize traffic and keep your website from being flagged and penalized (or shut down) by search engines.
  • Results – the ROI on your SEO campaign may be fairly quick with the help of a consultant.

Ask questions

Before you begin your search for an SEO Expert in Sydney, review the current state of your website and business. Ask yourself:

  • What are my business goals – to increase brand awareness and revenue, other?
  • What are my current online business challenges?
  • What am I hoping an SEO can do for my business?

Once you have answered those questions and booked appointments with prospective consultants, it will be time to ask questions of each SEO:

  • What is your SEO marketing experience?
  • What changes will be made to the website?
  • What linking programs do you suggest be used?
  • What is included in your pricing model?
  • What other Internet marketing services do you offer?
  • What monthly reports will you provide?
  • Will you outsource any work on my project and what quality controls do you have in place?

Red flags

You should receive clear and easy-to-understand answers to each of your questions. Here are some “red flags” to be aware of:

  • The consultant won’t explain his/her linking tactics to you.
  • The consultant offers a one-size-fits-all solution to your online marketing concerns.
  • The consultant promises your website will have first position of a major search engine like Google, Yahoo, or Bing.

Maximizing your SEO efforts

Take a bit of time to learn about SEO functions, the terms and functions commonly used in an SEO campaign, and about using consulting services. Define your business objectives. Interview several SEO consultants and check their references. Disregard any candidate who does not clearly answer all your questions or promises incredible results.

Follow these steps and you may be well on your way to finding an excellent consultant to help you and your online business.

SharePoint Online: A great tool for Small and Medium Enterprise

November 2, 2014 Tags: , , , Stewart Dawes

SharePoint Online is a Microsoft cloud service included as part of Office 365 or separately as SharePoint Online. It provides a comprehensive framework for integrating internal communications, content management, document management and enterprise search working seamlessly with Microsoft Office products.

SharePoint Online is tremendous value for business with 2-10 employees as it addresses the price point issue, it offers enterprise level software on per user per month subscription. It includes several features perfect for small or medium size businesses as it can grow with your business and does not require an upfront investment in infrastructure or licenses.

Reasons why SharePoint Online is great for Small and Medium Enterprise
1. SharePoint Online requires minimal startup costs. SharePoint Online does not sit on your own servers, does not require an enterprise license, and does not require Client Access Licenses (CALs). The cost structure is simple and does not include the hardware needed. Also, if your company is a nonprofit, you might get a significant discount from your local SharePoint and Office 365 partner.
2. Ease of Deployment – there is a significant amount of development needed up-front for your SharePoint implementation but anyone with basic HTML experience will be able to create and maintain pages. It is easy to customize the entire site with colors and fonts. There is no need to install and configure SharePoint like you would need to on your own server, it comes pre-configured with a single site collection ready to go, out-of-the-box.
3. SharePoint is best to be used as database – it allow organizations to create spaces online to upload and share important documents. SharePoint Online enables your employees to access their documents from anywhere using any mobile device. It’s particularly useful when your employees need to work remotely or from home.
4. Easy integration with existing system, the possibilities are almost endless with SharePoint online. It removes the need to email documents around or keep multiple versions of the same file – the old versions of a document are always available.
5. SharePoint Online in Office 365 now includes the ability to operate a simple public facing website. This allows you to build a very simple website using SharePoint. It’s particularly of great value to small businesses currently without a web presence. With SharePoint Online, your employees can create mini-sites and use them to share documents securely over the internet.
6. SharePoint Online (and Office 365) makes it easier to collaborate with suppliers and customers, which increase the ease of communication between businesses. This result in more business and return on investment.
7. SharePoint Online makes a low cost and simple option for creating and managing your company’s intranet. The tools for managing content are simple to use and familiar to all Microsoft Office users. Your tech savvy users can make use of more sophisticated features like content query web parts, calendar apps, news and announcements.
8. The licensing model of Office 365 and SharePoint Online, allows SMBs to just pay a fixed price per month for the number of users that are working on their SharePoint Online environment. If the business grows then they can just purchase more user licenses against a fixed price per month. So at the end, the price is very low for the use of an enterprise platform. The bottom line is that Office 365 lets Small and Medium Businesses have access to an Enterprise Platform at SMB Pricing.

Large or small, every business has a different way of working. WebVine can tailor a SharePoint solution to meet the modern needs of your business, your demographic and your industry. Contact WebVine today on 1800 022 990 for a free SharePoint consultation.