Why I Stopped Using Facebook

Why I Stopped Using Facebook

by | Mar 13, 2018 | Social Media

If you use Facebook, I?m sure you?ve found yourself scrolling endlessly through feeds. How often have you found yourself scrolling for 10 or 15 minutes without even realizing it?At first, it?s just a notification. Next thing you know, you?ve seen pictures of somebody?s vacation, some funny cat videos, and that little Billy lost a tooth. Who is little Billy anyways? Must be someone?s nephew. Then you realize it?s time to stop scrolling and get back to work.. but what was it you were working on again?If you think about it, when was the last time that Facebook improved your productivity? A better question might be to ask, how much time have you wasted using Facebook? Don?t worry. You might not be wasting that much time as compared to the average user. Or you might be a Facebook maniac and not even realize it yet! (probably not).Major Time WasterAn hour every day. That?s about the average time users spend on Facebook. All of those times checking notifications and getting sucked in really add up. And it?s pretty difficult to track yourself. Minutes seem to fly by while you?re scrolling.It starts off as a simple notification. That?s the bait. And if you go for the bait, you?re likely to get hooked. That quick look at your phone turns into a few minutes. Those few minutes turn into about 7 hours a week, 28 hours a month, and two weeks a year (on average)! Now here?s where it?s going to get a bit uncomfortable. That amount of time adds up to about 8.4 work weeks. It?s like sitting at a desk working full time for 8 and a half weeks scrolling through Facebook. That?s a lot of time. And this isn?t considering the amount of time it takes to refocus your mind back to work.Broken AttentionYou?ve seen how much time the average Facebook user wastes on the platform alone. But there?s another effect at play here. It?s the amount of time it takes to refocus your mind. Have you ever noticed how long it takes to get that mental momentum back after taking a break on Facebook? It could take 10-15 minutes to get back in the zone. This is a hidden cost of pulling your phone out and scrolling through the app. You think you?ve only wasted 5-10 minutes but in reality, it took you another 10-15 to get your focus back.It takes time to focus your mind on work. That momentum has to build up for you to get in the zone. And if you?re constantly looking at notifications and scrolling through Facebook every hour or so, you?re downgrading the quality of your work. How much can that cost your business, job, or school career?Negative EffectsA lot of people have said they feel negative after using Facebook. And a lot of people have talked about the joy of leaving the social network. They talk about it as if a weight has been lifted from their shoulders.I was reading Harvard Business Review recently and came across an article called A New, More Rigorous Study Confirms: The More You Use Facebook, the Worse You Feel. Doesn?t sound like a very positive article, right? Well, there are some positive takeaways. The study found that having a face-to-face social network in real life has some positive effects on overall well-being. But, on the other hand, Facebook users self-reported some pretty negative side effects of using the social network. The researchers found that liking posts and clicking links were predictors in users feeling negative in the areas of physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction. Researchers can?t pinpoint the exact cause but it may have to do with the way we compare ourselves to other people?s polished profiles and posts.Deleting the AppI personally could tell that Facebook was draining my time and productivity. It felt like I was wasting hours looking through the feeds and other people?s lives. Look, I?m happy that someone somewhere got married and someone else?s kid lost their tooth. But I don?t need to spend my attention on those things when I should be working. And that?s why I had to get rid of the Facebook app. Now I just post to Facebook via Instagram without getting lost down the rabbit hole.You might feel better too. Try deleting the app for a week. See if anything changes. Maybe you?ll find that you can accomplish more, have deeper focus, and feel better overall. The only way you?ll know for sure is to test it yourself. I did and it?s working out great for me.
Why User Experience is Important for Your eCommerce Business and Some Tips to Improve it in 2018

Why User Experience is Important for Your eCommerce Business and Some Tips to Improve it in 2018

by | Mar 12, 2018 | E-commerce

User Experience is Important for ecommerceBy some estimates, every 1 out of 10 websites on the internet is an eCommerce site- putting its number in millions. And even if we take into account the top 1 million eCommerce websites, the top 50% sweep away 97% of the revenues. Now if you have a digital store to run, this should make two things very clear to you: 1. With so many eCommerce platforms out there, it is almost certain that whatever you are selling, there is someone else doing it as well; 2. eCommerce is a winner takes all industry and unless you are among the top, you are a failure.Our apologies if that seemed a bit demotivating but we have a different point to make. If most of those eCommerce sites sell more or less the same products, how come a few succeed over the others? That where user experience comes into the picture. While having a wide catalog and competitive pricing are the basics, it is not the products themselves that deliver success but how consumers feel while purchasing it, is what makes the difference. That is, if you want your eCommerce business to be successful, the user experience is where you need to excel and here is how you do it:UsabilityRemember this- the easier customers find your website to use, the more they will engage. Finding a product description is as important as looking at the way it is displayed on screen. Proper indentation, spacing, font style, font size, colors and figures with labels ? all adds up to the overall aesthetics of the content. And while businesses agree that their store should be easy to use, the problem arises when it starts to conflict with the interface or aesthetic beauty, as some call it.The solution is simple- if you have a layout that looks very good but isn?t simple to use, don?t deploy it. The best example is Amazon.com. They have all the expertise and resources to create the most beautiful site on the internet but yet choose to be more efficient. Keep all your products in neat categories, provide images with a description, provide links on images, allow express sign-in, are just a few of the small details that can make or break the mood of your potential customers.Minimize frictionBut how do you test the usability? The general rule of thumb is to look for friction, i.e clicks. You should aim to minimize the number of clicks that a user has to do to make the purchase.While it is tough to quantify for those customers who are just browsing, it is the single most important factor for regular customers- they should be able to make the purchase without having to use their mind even once. If it takes more than 4-5 clicks from the product page to the final invoice, you need to cut down the complexity.Feature-rich shopping cartPeople are generally confused while shopping and having a shopping cart that can?t handle even the simplest of tasks like changing quantity or size, is simply off-putting and generally results in cart abandonment. That is if you want your traffic to convert, get any seasoned eCommerce development service capable of building a sophisticated shopping cart for your store.Payment optionsMost of the internet traffic comes today from mobile devices but the majority of the businesses still rely on payment methods designed for desktops. After all, it is okay to enter credit card details on a full-size keyboard but on a 5-inch screen when on the move? Not really. This is something eCommerce developers must take into account- responsive design can take you only so far. after that, it is only a mobile-first strategy that can deliver a superior experience.As an eCommerce store, you must provide the widest possible options in terms of payment. The aim should be to not force customers to use any payment mode they haven?t used before- because people generally aren?t comfortable sharing financial details!
Taking Your Blog as Far as It Can Go

Taking Your Blog as Far as It Can Go

by | Mar 2, 2018 | Business, Web Design

So, you own a blog, but you want to do more than just own it, don?t you? You want to do more than just leave it sitting on the Internet. You want to do more than only upload a few pieces to it every so often. Yes, you want to take your blog as far as it can go, don?t you? Well, if you do, then you've come to the right place because comprehensive advice on doing so can be found below.Run an e-commerce site concurrently with your blogYes, blogging success is not just about blogging. Yes, you have to offer more than just your blog if you want to take it as far as it can go. What this means is that you should offer more, and this more should come in the form of another site. And, there is a little better site to run concurrently with your blog than an e-commerce site.By running an e-commerce site concurrently with your blog you will give your blog a genuine stamp of approval, a genuine stamp of approval being that the audience will see your blog as being professional. And, your blog is seen as professional in this sense is what it needs if it is going to be taken as far as it can go. But where will this feeling of professionalism stem from? Well, first of all, it will show your audience that you not only interested in informing and entertaining them with blog posts but that you are interested in offering them something to take away from their experience with you too. This will show that you value your audience and are not interested in them as traffic numbers, and that will make you seem as professional as a fully-functioning company as that is what the best ones do.So, if you want to get your quest in taking your blog as far as it can go to the next level, make sure to focus on more than the blogging by opening up an online store. By doing so, you will even make some extra cash on the side through the selling of whatever it is that you sell.Engagement is your best metric, so use itNo matter how big or small your blog is if you want to take it as far as it can go you need to be using engagement as its best metric. Why? Well, because a blog that is not engaging is not something the audience will want to go out of their way to click on, and a lack of a clicking audience in this sense will do nothing for you in your quest for blogging superstardom.When it comes to engagement, first of all, you should be ensuring that you are uploading pieces to your blog frequently and that it never turns into a barren, post-less wasteland. Whether this means you writing and uploading the blog pieces yourself, or whether this means delegating it to contribute writers if you simply do not have the time, you simply must be ensuring your blog is always active. And, the pieces you do upload should always be thought-provoking or informative in some sense or another, and they should never be a repeat of any pieces you've uploaded before.Something else that you should be doing when it comes to boosting your blog?s engagement performances as far as they can do is to work on your SEO. By doing so, and by doing so alongside a professional in the field of doing so such as SEOJet.net, you would be able to get your blog right to the front of every search engine search that takes place in your blog?s field or market. And, only when this happens will you blog be attracting the high volumes of audience numbers it needs to see itself go as far as it can go.Keep your blog up at all timesSomething that is just as detrimental to your blog as uninspiring content and a lack of content is it going down and becoming inactive. You see, when it does this, quite simply, those that clicked on it with the attention of scouring it for entertainment and information purposes will bounce right back off it, and them bouncing right back off it as a cardinal sin that must be avoided. So, make sure your blog is up and running and is accessible at all times.To do this, you should enlist the assistance of something known as an uptime operator. What such an operator would do is watch your blog at all conceivable points for instances of downtime, and would alert you to it happening via SMS or email. It would then be your task, as the owner of your blog, to do everything in your power to get the blog back up again before anybody else clicks on to it and bounces away from it due to a lack of patience with it.One of the best uptime operators on the market is UptimeRobot, and it would be wise of you to use it.Blogs are precarious things. One moment they can be fruitful and attracting, the next they can be a wasteland that doesn?t offer anybody anything. So, first things first in your quest to taking your blog as far as it can go, make sure you are avoiding that fate! Second of all, make sure you are taking heed of all of the advice above and implementing it into your blogging practices ? when you do, your blog will flourish in no time.For more advice on how to make your blog better, make sure to head here.
6 Crucial Web Design Tips for a Professional Website

6 Crucial Web Design Tips for a Professional Website

by | Mar 2, 2018 | Guest Post, Web Design

An adorable and user-friendly website design is essential to keeping visitors on your site longer and to reduce your bounce rate. The longer a visitor stays on your website, the more chances of business and sales are there. In how much time your visitors determine what your company does? If the answer is over 5 seconds, then your website needs a lot of improvement. Web designing is an art, If you want to stay ahead of your competitors, you need to be constantly aware of the latest developments in technology and designing to make your website easier to explore and helpful for your visitors. In this article, I?ll reveal six crucial tips to make your web designing more professional and top notch.Use Customized LogoHaving an attractive logo is very important to your website and for the branding of your business; your business logo is the icon that symbolically represents what your company is all about. An eye-catching logo will undoubtedly attract new customers. Make your logo visible prominently on the website; many business owners underestimate the importance of customized logo for their company. There are many freelancers and companies available on the internet that can provide you an incredible customized logo which will reflect your business.Collect RequirementsAfter logo designing the second step is to collect the requirements of the website which you are going to design. This is an extremely important step since it requires a substantial understanding of the business and its goals. Many designers start the work with all good intentions but end up delivering a website which their client never wanted. So, it is necessary to ask for the requirements before starting the work. Here is the example of some questions you need to ask.
  • What your business is all about?
  • What features do you want on your website?
  • Do you have some specific colors that need to be used?
Use Easy to Read FontsA lot of time a font style is a thing which separates a professional website from an amateur look. Choosing the right font style doesn't take much effort or time, but can give a purposeful improvement to your website. Your first point to look when choosing a font for a website should be that it matches the theme of your website. The right and simple fonts will enhance the visitor experience.Quality Navigation MenuThe navigation bar is among the most crucial elements of a website design, as it literally allows the user to navigate through your site. The navigation bar should be simple and same on all the pages of the website. If your website's navigation is poor, then customers can easily become frustrated and leave your website. The only thing to remember is to always make sure visitors understand what you have done. If users don't know how to navigate your navigation menu, it has failed.Call to ActionA call to action is a marketing term which is used to direct your audience to take the action that you want. Highly focused calls to action will insanely increase your website's conversions. Make your call to action as simple as possible. Calls to action should be appropriate for a visitor's level of engagement with your company. If your website is new and emerging, only invite them to subscribe to the newsletter. Always remember to include a call to action at least once on every page.Optimize ImagesThe longer it takes a website to load, the more likely you?ll lose an approaching customer. If you don?t want search engines to hate your website then you have to reduce your image?s file sizes to improve your website's loading speed. There are a lot of both free and premium tools and programs on the internet, which you can use to optimize your images on the website.So, there are 6 crucial designing tips for a professional website, by working properly on them you can take your skills to the next level and provide your users with a better and pleasant experience.Author Bio: Jessica Watson has been writing for websites and blogs for four years now, currently, she is working with Aurion International who is very famous for providing ISO certification in Sharjah and across all UAE.
5 Web Design Trends For New Ecommerce Sites 2018

5 Web Design Trends For New Ecommerce Sites 2018

by | Mar 1, 2018 | Web Design

2017 was a year for bold, brutalist web design. Take a brand like Balenciaga.The use of negative space and clean lines makes for a highly functional web environment. It looks immaculate on all devices. However, this year, trends are evolving towards the bold and immersive. Picture bright, saturated colors, pattern, and artful typography. Whether you?re looking to draw users into your opt-in pages, or show off your products, this post will talk you through five web design trends for new ecommerce sites in 2018.

Making The Most Of Customer Reviews

88% of customers check out reviews online before deciding to buy. You need to make sure that you are doing what you can to maximize the increased traffic customer reviews can bring.Sites like AO.com use layered review options, optimizing for the user?s preferences in the features of the products. Dynamic bars also animate to show the ratings. This is a useful design feature that adds a sense of authenticity to the user-generated reviews.The data collected in survey content can help you structure your data for easier consumption on your website. Highly technical reviews can be separated from everyday ?happy customer? comments, satisfying different audience segments.Reviews can also be thought of as a form of social proof. Developments over the last year within Facebook have enabled business pages to leverage all social media interactions towards their star rating. All comments, likes, and check-ins can count towards your site?s online clout. And so to encourage interaction across platforms, social plugins can help draw in new responses.

One-On-One Recommendations

Chatbots and voice command A.I are starting to become mainstream. In the year ahead, ecommerce brands should be looking for ways to incorporate machine learning wherever there?s a fit. Chatbots are one of the easiest ways to make your site feel more personable and customer-service oriented.There?s a lot that goes into marrying UX, personalization and live chat, and it starts with a brainstorming session. List all of the possible commands and questions your website could pose. Next, consider how they may be rephrased using different terms and start creating your own chatbot responses to common questions.On-site chatbots are commonly seen on the bottom right-hand side of a website. However, the best ecommerce brands are using Facebook Messenger and unique hooks to encourage the user to interact long-term.

Typefaces: The Bolder The Better

Many brands are embracing the bold, serif typeface trend. In many cases, the header text spans across the length of the hero banner.However, for a fresh new look, headers are also being scattered throughout landing page designs.Left, right, center justification, or entirely animated ? bold text is being used in modern designs to create more immersive scanning patterns across the landing page copy.Unconventional scanning patterns can keep visitors interested and reduce bounce rates.Further, bolding certain words and phrases can help your messages sink in and trigger specific emotions in the reader.In all of your on-page copy, you can use exciting typefaces to draw attention to the subheadings and keywords that you want your customers to focus on.

Easy-To-Scale Social-Friendly Sites

The number of selling channels is ever-increasing. Running a website that can evolve with the ecommerce trends is key to staying afloat in the saturated online market.Open source CMS systems are enabling more brands to experiment with bespoke design elements, while maintaining scalable functionality.Subscription as Service (SaaS) models allow you to create an online store, customize it, and access all of the backend features to keep it running it smoothly.? For those who are new to ecommerce and web design SaaS hosts offer useful 24/7 support. You can even buy one that?s already set up & running.As a reflection of the domination of social media in ecommerce marketing, many sales sites are mirroring the aesthetics of networks like Instagram. A simple product grid can easily match that of an Instagram profile, in the case of the Nick Mayer art store site:Homepages that focus on the products make for a layout that?s easy-on-the-eye for smartphone users. The nested menu options are also easy to navigate on any device..

Inclusive Design

Designing websites for accessibility is not a new thing. But, it is undoubtedly becoming more normalized as awareness of Inclusive Design Principles grows.?The days of making assumptions about how, where, and why people consume content in the ways they do, are over. The need for inclusion is now ubiquitous.? ?? Leonie Watson, Brand Consultant @ Heydon Pickering? Accessible Design gives people of all ages and abilities a clear path to conversion on any given webpage. As just one small example, if you are supplying video, you must ensure you include closed caption subtitles.Bold and graphically exciting landing pages may look interesting. But, if the mix of fonts and colors is inconsistent, many users may have difficulty finding what they need from you.Also, trends like parallax screens may have been trendy in the past. However, according to the outlined principles for web designers to follow, parallax sites can make some users feel nauseous.Bear this in mind when considering your scroll options, on-screen animations, and use of video. You also need to present controls for turning these features off.There you have five web design trends for new ecommerce sellers to look out for in 2018. One of the key takeaway points to consider is how you can use your layout, typography, and imagery to create a visual brand narrative. As long as your site is accessible and scaleable with the latest customer interaction trends, there?s plenty of creative leeway for businesses looking to push the aesthetic envelope.