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Great results from long-term SEO monitoring

Ascend 7 has been working with Dynamic Engineering  Australia (DEA) for a number of years, and since 2018 has been performing search engine optimisation (SEO) services on their main website, and a products catalogue sub-site, which was introduced later. The results have been very impressive.Before the SEO work started, DEA was seeing under 50 users on its main website, and less than 20 organic searches per month. Now, 6 years later, DEA see over 800 user sessions per month and 440 organic s...

How to handle consistently bad data

You don't have to put up with consistently bad data. Our friends at the Product Data Experts have written an interesting blog about how you can start improving your data quality by first fixing the processes you have around data management, and then introducing integrated and/or new technology to ensure your data is well kept and useful.Read more here. ...

Business processes mapping...cross-functional flow charts work best

More and more organisations are recognising the importance of mapping their business processes - good reasons to do business process mapping range from capturing your current process (the AS IS processes) to documenting improvement opportunities (the TO BE processes). Business process charts can also help with compliance, risk, and training.There's a few ways to describe or represent a business process. You might be familiar with a workflow diagram, a flowchart, or a swimlane diagram. We think a...

How to reinvigorate your business

If you're thinking of selling your business, or you just need a "spring-clean", here's some tips on what you can do to reinvigorate your operations.Just like how you spruce up your house before putting in on the market, if you're thinking of selling your business in the next few years, there a number of improvements you can make now to smooth your operations and increase the potential value.Enhance your digital marketing efforts with a:Website refreshWebsite auditSEO updateContent reviewSocial m...

Microsoft Copilot – what is it and why would you use it?

Microsoft’s Copilot generative AI is popping up in Windows, Edge, Office apps, and Bing. But just what exactly is it? Here’s everything you need to know (but keep in mind, Copilot is still under development, and is constantly changing/updating).Copilot is a conversational chatbot interface that lets you search for specific information, generate text such as emails and summaries, and create images based on text prompts you write.It is primarily meant to support Microsoft 365 users with automa...

Seven AI Mini Goals for Small Business

Here's a streamlined list with seven realistic AI goals for a small business to achieve in the next quarter:...

AI, online shopping, and the importance of good product data

AI is changing just about everything, including online shopping. It's enhancing personalization, convenience, efficiency, and security, and ultimately providing a more seamless and enjoyable shopping experience for consumers, and a more efficient, secure and profitable outcome for sellers. There's now visual searches, chatbots, in-store-like experiences using virtual assistants, augmented reality with virtual try-ons, the ability to do voice commerce, dynamic pricing, stronger fraud detection an...

Have you thought about your data’s privacy and security before using ChatGPT?

If you’re using ChatGPT to write up reports, translations, research, social posts, client emails, and even internal emails, be careful what information you put into the query before you press SEND. If you put proprietary information into ChatGPT (or other AI tools), there’s a risk that that data then becomes available to the general public, meaning you could be at risk of losing your IP.53% of respondents to the recent Cisco 2024 Data Privacy Benchmark Study* said they have used internal pro...

Why you should turn on Microsoft’s multi-factor authentication if asked

If you’re a Microsoft customer (you have a Microsoft account), you may have been asked recently to turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) when you’re using certain applications. If you’re wondering why this is happening, it’s because Microsoft has now added the extra layer of security to their accounts to prevent easy access to hackers. There have been many recent incidents where hackers are able to gain access to an inadequately-protected account, and then get further access into an ...

Showcase sustainability with effective product descriptions

Did you know… 51% of customers would shop again from a retailer with sustainable or ethical practices?(Source: Power Retail 26/2/24)Consumers are definitely shifting their spending towards companies with environmental, social, and governance initiatives (ESG); products that can claim they are or have:Animal welfare eg cage-free, not tested on animalsEnvironmental sustainability eg eco-friendly, compostableOrganic positioning eg organically farmed, organic certificationPlant-based eg veganSocia...

Ensuring successful implementations in medium sized organisations

Recently I have been musing about ensuring successful system implementations in medium sized organisations.As a system implementor I am always a little nervous that the systems being implemented won’t be as enduring as the investment in them needs to be.  Often, when the project comes to an end, everyone has been trained, the system is handed over to local resources to manage, the IT Department or Managed Service Provider has taken over support and vendor management, and we are already up...

What is a digital transformation assessment?

The roadmap for your digital transformation journey......

The positive impact of Google Reviews - 7 reasons why

Google reviews are crucial for any business. They influence consumer decisions and search rankings, provide valuable feedback, establish trust and credibility, and help manage your online reputation. Positive reviews can encourage potential customers to choose your business over competitors, while negative reviews can turn them away. The more reviews your business has, the more likely it is to appear in local search results. Having a high number of positive reviews provides social proof that you...

Help! Our website isn’t performing!

It's time for a website refresh, and maybe migration to a better platform...

7 Ways to Write Product Descriptions that Inform and Persuade Customers

Writing product descriptions are often overlooked by entrepreneurs and people who run an eCommerce site but should be considered one of the most crucial marketing tools to compel potential buyers to purchase your products/services. A product description explains what the product is and why it’s worth purchasing – and should supply customers with important information about the product’s features and benefits, so they are persuaded to buy. However, many marketers and entrepreneurs...

Are we in need of a digital transformation?

If you’re asking this question, then the answer is probably YES because you’re already on the right page (literally and spiritually). Congratulations for getting here!There’s a few signs to look out for if it’s time to think about how your business can move forward. The first would be to review your technology to see what could be modernised, and identify what is outdated or no longer supporting your business processes. It’s likely you’ll already know where there might be cost-saving...

7 mistakes to avoid when running an eCommerce store

Getting into eCommerce has been one of the best educational experiences of your life. The things you learn by actually starting a business would be challenging to find in an MBA or any business course.With that said, you are bound to make mistakes when first starting up your business. Each mistake sets you up to do better in the future, as long as you reflect on what you could have done differently. Here are 7 missteps you can hopefully avoid to succeed even faster. Mistake 1: Rus...

Enhanced user experience features

Rocketspark is always looking at ways to improve the platform to sharpen the user’s experience and make content updates quick and easy.  The latest new features now available on the Rocketspark platform are:   Stack hide & show - Being able to hide particular stack designs on your live website enables you to privately craft a stack on your page before revealing it to your site visitors. Once you've completed your edits, you can effortlessly make it visible to the public with...

Media Statement: Subiaco Community Men's Shed has gone online

The Subiaco Community Men's Shed now has a web presence and its own web address, with their new website going live last month. Located at www.subished.org.au the new website is now a destination for interested people to find out about the Shed and its activities, such as opening times and a gallery of some projects and events, as well as sign up to become new members.Gary Gaunt, President of the Subiaco Community Men's Shed, said his team was delighted with the new site, built by locally-based A...

AI-powered CRM solutions

See what the future of selling looks like in an increasingly digital market.Data gathered for LinkedIn’s 2022 State of Sales report shows that the actions of top performing sellers are paving a better pathway to selling the way buyers want to buy. Top performers use technology, yes, but they don’t use it to simply knock on more doors. Instead they use it to knock on the right doors, finding the welcoming buyers and delivering the right message at the right time.AI-powered CRM solutions - lik...

NFPs & Technology - 10 Myths Debunked

Not-For-Profits (NFPs) make an incredible impact with limited staff and resources. In your effort to do more with less, often times it can be tempting to keep using free consumer technology solutions or just stick with the technology you have because your staff already know how to use it. The problem is you may be missing out on solutions that will help you to better deliver your mission.Many NFPs consider moving to the Cloud to help them with their biggest organizational challenge — to do mor...

How Can a PIM Help My Team?

If you're wondering how a Product Information Management (PIM) system could benefit your business, then read on....

Effective Management of Product Data Resolved for Sydney Plumbing Equipment Supplier

Business process improvement and implementation of Sales Layer, an off-the-shelf Product Information Management (PIM), now makes life easy for Enware....

How to Handle Negative Online Reviews

Receiving negative reviews online can be frustrating and detrimental to your business, but it's important to handle them professionally and constructively. In this post, we outline seven (7) strategies for handling negative online reviews and another seven (7) strategies for handling fabricated, non-genuine negative reviews....

To SEO or SEM? How to make sense of digital marketing

So you may have been told, heard or read that in order to get ahead with your business marketing, you need to do SEM or SEO. But you don’t really know what that means. Let us assure you, it isn’t really all that complicated or overwhelming, but like most marketing, it does require some thought, planning, and process....