UX

Why You Need UX In 2019

What is UX?

In recent years, UX has gone from being a design buzzword to a full-fledged, self-contained industry, and for good reason: it gets results, makes websites do what people want them to do and keeps customers happy.

Understanding what UX does is the key to getting the best out of your UX development and the first place to start with that is knowing what it actually is.

At its most basic, UX is a methodology of putting your users at the heart of what you’re trying to accomplish with design.

UX stands for user experience and is a set of practices and techniques, aimed around how best to guide your potential audience towards what you hope to gain from them.

How UX works.

For the most part, UX deals with organising information and processes on a website in the most efficient manner, for your target audience.

Step one of that process might well be, to identify who your target audience is; more than just marketing, different demographics will have a very different approach to navigating and interacting with websites and the services they provide.

UX will take idealised version of these demographics and find the route of least resistance, (and maximum gain).

The golden rules of UX.

There are several core pillars that UX designers will generally build from:

  • The 3-click rule, which suggests that most users will leave a website if they can’t get what they want from it within three clicks
  • The 5-second test, where users, will be tested on what information they pick up from a quick, (five seconds), browse of a site
  • The 80/20 principle, based on the fundamentals of the Pareto Principle, which states that 20% of the features on a website, will drive 80% of the action that users choose to take

Know your audience.

Having a rough idea of your idealised users and knowledge of general browsing behaviours that, those users will follow, lets UX designers create precise journey maps that, you can build your site around.

Of course, these rules, give no guarantees, and there will always be outliers who don’t follow the same course everyone else would.

When dealing with large numbers though, it’s the majority who rule and finding the best way to guide that majority towards your goals, is the surest way to make your website work as efficiently as possible for you.

The best UX design agencies and development specialists make use of the full scope of resources available to them, to create the best possible user experience they can.

One moment, they’ll be crunching hard user data, the next referencing psychological handbooks, to find keys and triggers to help guide users to a satisfactory journey.

UX brings it all together.

Ultimately, while they don’t always have any particular say over the branding, coding, service, or, upkeep on your website, your UX specialist will be the architect that brings it all together and in many ways, will have the biggest impact on the experience and ultimate satisfaction of day-to-day users.

Taking their input and balancing it against technological and other considerations, is a process that should begin right at the start of the development schedule.

Once your site is up and running, it will be that much harder, to overhaul and change principle elements, so having a good UX specialist on board your development team, right from the start, can only be a good idea.

 

About The Author

Selina Murray is an International Consultant, for all things web and entrepreneurship.

She has worked on designing various websites for businesses for years now and loves researching newest technologies and processes.


Featured Image: rtsoftwaregroup.io

business_startups

The Importance of Knowing the Rules – Compliance for Startups

Can you believe there are over 80 different compliance rules for your business? If you’re just getting started it’s important to know what these rules are and how to comply with them. Since many new startups neglect to even look these rules up, it’s no wonder 8/10 businesses fail within one year. If you want to be a wise business owner, look at these four reasons to attend online corporate compliance training.

1.  Corporate compliance is a non-negotiable

There’s more at stake than the success of your business. By not complying to corporate laws and regulations you risk losing your personal wealth, your reputation and even your freedom! Simply put, you cannot afford NOT to attend some form of corporate compliance training. These issues are legal ones and should be adhered to at all times.

2.  Online compliance training is interactive

The best compliance training courses for startups are always interactive, allowing you to perceive each module on a personal level. Several online compliance courses feature real people to make your lessons come alive. When you interact with real characters you retain the information a lot better. So if you’re looking for a good course make sure it’s an interactive one.

3.  You can customize your compliance training

Another great feature about the top online corporate compliance training courses is that they can be edited to suit your specific startup company. By customizing the information on these online courses you and your managers will be able to translate the information more effectively. This information can be kept for future management and utilized to keep your leaders well informed on what to do and what not to do.

4.  Good compliance courses are regularly updated

When you seek out a compliance course for your startup be sure to find one that is updated at least once a year. Rules and regulations are continually updated, and your course should be too—or it will become obsolete within a short time. Confirm that these updates are conducted by legal professionals who understand business regulations.

A good corporate compliance training course will always be quick to complete. As a new business owner you’ve already got a lot on your mind. Sign up for a good online course and learn everything you need to know about how to run your business successfully. You’ll be glad you did!

Chris Phipps is a freelance writer with a keen interest in finance and business solutions

.ng domains

Why are Nigerians avoiding .NG domains?

Yes! This is a very interesting question that is begging to be answered or maybe it is simply me making assumptions on the use of .ng domains?

Frankly, it is quite amazing that a country with close to a 100 million or more (depending on whose data you choose to use) Internet users has sold less than 100,000 .ng domains to both local and international owners. Yes, it is a somewhat interesting irony especially when I look at the number of .co.za domains that South Africa has been able to push out to the world.

Again, I ask why do you think Nigerians have simply refused to use .ng domains? Who is to blame or is that we believe .ng is not good enough or we don’t just understand its importance to our national brand or we probably need some sort of Government policy to make it somewhat compulsory?

Forgive me for asking too many questions at the same time, I am simply looking for answers.

Yes, I am a .ng ambassador ordained by NiRA – the association responsible for managing the string and part of my National service is to get more Nigerians to use this domain string. Yes, I get to convince some to switch but a majority of people give me all sorts of reason, why they won’t use .ng domains and some of these reasons are simply based on assumptions or hearsay and not facts.

So, if you are reading this post and you have a domain, I’d like you to share why it is not a .ng brand?

Again, let me stress like I stated in my post on Who is to blame for pay on delivery? the foundation of any proper and sustainable development especially in the knowledge economy is the enactment and enforcement of policies.

Imagine, if we had a policy that states that every registered company in Nigeria must use .ng domains? We know this is not an impossible feat, after all the UK and a few other countries are enforcing such policies whether covertly or overtly.

Here are some reasons I believe you should use .ng domains:

1. It is a matter of Nation Pride

Nigeria as a Nation is blessed with this unique domain string known as .ng and we ought be proud of this gift of nature. However, we should not stop at just appreciating it but owning one at the very least.

2. Foreign Exchange is Scarce

I used to be happy paying for my VPS server but not anymore because of the ever-increasing exchange rate and the same goes for .com domain names that I own.

Using the .ng range of domains will contribute to saving our scarce FX.

3.  SEO/Speed/Reduced Latency

Why do you think that Google would rather serve you results using google.com.ng when you search for stuff within Nigeria and if you travel to say Ghana and use the same device it will go ahead and serve you results via google.com.gh?

What is even interesting is that in the case of Nigeria, Google has both com.ng as well as .ng domains, an example of a forward looking company.

4. Local Content Development

We must develop local content by supporting what is ours, imagine what will happen if only 1% of the reported 170 million+ Nigerians decide to own domains that fly the Nigerian colour online, that will be over 1 Million domain names that would eventually serve as the foundation for businesses, ventures and causes on the world-wide web. Would that not further strengthen the Nigerian brand and dignify her on the Internet?

I must commend Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) for a good job and here is a call for more advocacy and education in order to get more Nigerians to appreciate what is ours and get Government to lead the way and let others follow.

The reality is that if Government at any level still uses .com or .org domains, why should average small business owners, who obviously do not have as much resources as Government be urged to switch?

I’ve switched my blog from www.techwithcfa.com to www.techsmart.ng in support of .ng and I am super excited to have made the move.

If you are not using .ng domain yet, I’d like to know why. Some say cost others say security but I like to hear from you.

nitec_1-800x300

NITEC 2016 Set To Deepen Tech Conversation in Nigeria

The Nigerian tech ecosystem is no doubt growing in leaps and bounds. Therefore, the need to create platforms and structures that will further deepen the conversation and help new innovations grow have become imperative. The Nigeria International Technology Exhibition & Conference (NITEC 2016) is set to serve as a catalyst to achieve this goal. It is planned to be an outstanding event produced by Neo Media & Marketing, a foremost public relations and event management company backed by an experienced Board of Advisors with different professional background.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos recently introducing NITEC 2016, the Managing Director/CEO of Neo Media & Marketing, Ehi Braimah, explained the concept behind the event which is to showcase Nigeria’s technology ecosystem and promote innovative ICT solutions. Braimah, while speaking at the event, admonished the public and private sectors particularly entrepreneurs to embrace technology and its disruptive nature.

This is why the slogan for what will become an annual conference and exhibition is “Trending Technologies”, a slogan that will ensure each year’s edition captures all the trending issues in echnology around the world.

To this end, he said that NITEC 2016 is positioned to bridge the gap between the private and public sectors and the international technology community in re-engineering the African technological ecosystem for greater impact on the continent’s GDP.  Top reasons to exhibit at NITEC 2016 include exposure of products & services to thousands of attendees; exhibition booth (2 days); placement of brand logo on event brochure and website; complimentary wifi, place web banners and share branded gifts at booths.

Also speaking at the event was a member of the Board of Advisors, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. He opined that NITEC will serve as a platform that will bring together the public, private sectors as well as young innovators. Confirmed speakers at the event include Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, country manager, Google Nigeria; Sunday Folayan, President, Nigeria Internet Registration Agency (NIRA); Vincent Olatunji, Acting Director General, Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Tunde Coker, MD, Rack Centre; Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Zubair Abubakar, Co-Founder, Chopup Games; Simeon Ononobi, Founder, MyAdsApp.com, Yele Okeremi, CEO, Precise Financial Systems; Nkem Begho, CEO, Future Software and many more.

The theme of NITEC 2016 is the “Role of Disruptive Technologies in Catapulting the African Continent’s GDP” and it comes up on June 23 & 24, 2016 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event will run from 9.00am to 5.00pm daily, while there will be cocktails and networking forum on the second day.

Hopefully, NITEC will reflect the diversity of decision makers in industry, government, mobile network operators, mobile payment service providers, online shopping services, e-commerce companies, among several organisations that offer services using technology.

Google Inc

Using any Google Services? Watch out anything can happen o!

Hate or like Google, on the Internet you just cannot do without them, they have so taken over the Internet that one begins to wonder what would life online be without a company like Google? Let me say without any benefit of doubt, Google is one company I have a lot of respect for because they are always ahead of the game. However, I am mindful when I use Google services and the simple reason is that anything can happen with our without reason.

google services
R.I.P Google Reader

Earlier in the year, I received a mail from Google that one of my email accounts (coachcfa@gmail.com) has been blockedin violation of Google’s terms and services which were never explained in detail even when I tried to find out; all my pleas fell on deaf ears and my account was never restored. Now do you know why that was quite painful because that is the email connected to my affiliate paypal account which had close to $200 worth of affiliate payouts and that is now history.

Recently, Jide Ogunsanya of Ogbonge Blog and I were on the same panel at the Digital Marketing Nigeria Summit where we both argued for and against using Blogger and WordPress CMS – he is a fan of blogger while I am that of wordpress and our lines of argument made our points clear.

But on that very day, I got back to my work desk and saw this email:

Dear business owner,

At Google, we want businesses like yours to get the most from the web, and we hope that your Get Nigerian Business Online website cfagbata.gnbo.com.ng has helped you to connect with more customers.

We are announcing that Business Sitebuilder websites within the Get Nigerian Business Online Program will no longer be accessible from December 31 2014, but there are some great alternatives available to you.

Earlier this year, we introduced Google My Business to connect you directly with customers, whether they’re looking for you on Search, Maps or Google+.

You also have the option to move your existing website to our trusted partner, Hostgator, an international provider of cloud-based web presence solutions with over 15 years of experience helping small businesses succeed online. Their family of brands, through parent company Endurance International Group, serve over 3.7 million subscribers worldwide.

Moving your website to the Hostgator platform lets you continue with your website, and also allows you to access a range of powerful business features, including eCommerce, website security, backup and restore, and 24 hour support. Learn more at africa.hostgator.com/nigeriagetonline.

Remaining online is a huge asset for your business, and you can do so by independently signing up for Google My Business, or filling out this online form for assistance. The team of experts at Hostgator can then guide you through the process of signing up for Google My Business, transferring your current website, or creating a new one.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

The Get Nigerian Business Online Team


The first comment I made after reading this simply here is another reason to be mindful of any Google services one uses. Imagine how many small business owners will become websiteless because of this decision? Besides this point, I remember supporting this project with everything I had and wrote repeatedly about it on various blog – don’t take my work for it, just Google “GNBO Nigeria” and you’d certainly find at least one article written by me in support of the project.

For Google, it is usually a policy or business decision so I do not exactly blame them afterall it is their company, they have pulled down a number of services in the past that hurt me personally such as Google reader but I am happy to have found a very cool alternative by the name Feedly, so life goes on 🙂

I love Google and I’d continue to use some of their services but I’d not hesitate to switch to an equally good alternative so I can at least spread my risks because just like this physical world is important, the digital world is also quite important.

I heard about what happened to Linda Ikeji from wife and my only comment was another silly mistake: “How can you grow this big and not decide it was time to move onto a more permanent platform such as wordpress?”

I am not big on gossip, infact I really do not want to know what is happening in other people’s lives so Linda Ikeji’s blog is not where I would readily visit except I happen to land there through research or something but I am conscious to quickly move on because I don’t want to get used to sensational stories which by the way is very addictive.

Linda Ikeji's Blog
Deleted Page of Linda Ikeji’s Blog

That said, Linda is arguably one of Nigeria’s most successful bloggers and her experience with Google simply lays credence to the fact that when using any of Google’s services have it at the back of your mind that anything can happen o!

If you are serious about blogging then wordpress is your best bet. Need help setting a wordpress blog? Get in touch!

dell laptops

Buy a Laptop (Brand New) from N20,000 in CFA’s “Operation Laptonize Nigeria.”

Everyone who knows me personally or reads this blog know that I am very passionate about the Internet and information and communications technology (ICT). This is why I have devoted the last 2 years to not just mastering the Internet but also helping others leverage it through CFA Leverage – an organisation that can help you grow your brand online through SEO in Nigeria or PPC services.

You will agree with me that the impact of ICT has been massive but just as I say regularly this is just the beginning  we ain’t seen nothing yet 🙂 a lot of us still don’t get it. Well, as another way of contributing further to the massive ICT revolution of the future especially in Nigeria, I have decided to launch what we tagged “Operation Laptonize Nigeria.”

buy a laptop

To this end, I have teamed up with a formidable and credible organisation who believes in the CFA brand to “laptonize” Nigeria by partnering with anyone willing to commit at least N20,000.00 to buy a laptop.

The laptops available at the moment are DELL and HP with the following configuration:

  • Windows 7 & windows 8
  • 320GB Hard disk drive
  • 3GB Ram
  • Intel Processor
  • Bluetooth
  • Wlan/Wifi

All you need to do to own a laptop is to pay a deposit of N20,000 and spread the balance over 6 months.

The cost of each laptop is between N80,000.00 & N90,000.00 depending on the make you want. For further enquiries please call: Wale on 08053533156 (BB: 2936220) or Joe on 08036245734 (BB: 29659EEB)

Partnership possibilities

Yes. I can guarantee you a percentage of between 2-5% for each laptop if you decide to partner with me on this project. All you need to do is refer a friend or member of your family and if they buy then you get your percentage as simple as ABC. I guarantee this on my CFA brand name that is trusted by so many including Prof. Pat Utomi, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Punch Newspapers and its chairman Mr. Wale Aboderin and many others.

Please Note:

  1. This is B2B (business to business) transaction.
  2. This offer does not apply to you if you are not gainfully employed in an organisation whether as the owner or employee.
  3. Posted cheques must be issued to cover the said 6 months period.
  4. Only valid for residents of Lagos, Port Harcourt or Abuja (due to logistical issues).
  5. Laptop will be handed over to you once the first installment is made.
  6. We have a right to carry out an investigation on you at our own discretion.
  7. Bulk order attracts further discounts

Hurry!!! This offer is only valid while stocks last.

It’s Operation Laptonize Nigeria! Help CFA achieve this goal by sharing this post or leaving a comment below.

PUNCH-logo

Read CFA’s ICT Clinic Page in Sunday Punch Newspaper

I am glad to inform you that you can now read and share my ICT column in the Punch newspaper – Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper. Henceforth you can simply call me Dr. CFA – I used to have the dream of earning a PHD degree (that was before my courtship with the ICT industry) but besides this moment, I have not given it a 2nd thoughts in recent times.

I remember Shaggy’s song “Why Me” a song that became a hit because of the high emotional connect it has. Because the truth is that life will sometimes play tricks on us as we journey through it, which could be either good or bad, depending on how we have developed our minds to see life issues.

Late 2011, life dealt me a heavy blow with the demise of my kid sister, late 2012, I was  blessed with a bouncing baby boy. And now almost the end of 1st quarter 2013, I now have the good fortune of being the resident Dr. at Punch’s ICT Clinic, one that is bound to positively add value to the society at large.

Key Life Lesson: when life hits you hard, turn to God for strength and succour.

So, what is the ICT Clinic all about?

Put simply, a place to discuss ICT issues and answer pressing questions to the benefit of readers. In today’s technology driven world you need to stay ahead by constantly updating yourself.

Read CFA's ICT Clinic page in the punch newspaper published every sunday

What is in it for you if you read the ICT Clinic on a weekly basis? 

  1. You will know and understand the latest trends in the ICT field.
  2. We would deal with new tools on a weekly basis thatt would give you a whole new online experience.
  3. You have the opportunity to send in your ICT related questions?
  4. Have access to an ICT consultant.
  5. Enjoy the pleasure of reading Nigeria’s most respected dailies.

All content written for this page would not be published elsewhere expect on Punch Website.

So what do you think about the title ‘ICT Clinic’?

When my Editor asked me to suggest names, I sent in some page names such as Digital Media with CFA, ICT Matters with CFA. To my amazement and satisfaction, my editor sent the final name – it’ll be called ”ICT Clinic” – a name that I find to be very innovative indeed. What do you think about the name?

I plan to devote a full day towards ensuring that the content submitted for publication is of high quality and best value. So what do you think? Feel free to leave a comment below.

CFA of www.cfagbata.com speaking at IT Leaders West African Summit on Digital Marketing Trends_023

Lessons from the IT Leaders West Africa Summit Produced by Kinetic Events

Awkaaba Ghana was the very first words I heard when I got into Accra, Ghana. In my usual style, I immediately started asking many questions about Ghana, her people, the opportunities etc. It was fun. Almost immediately I wanted to grab some food and I chose the local food over the fast food, so I stopped by the road side to buy a pack of cooked rice for gh5 (about $2.5 or N450) – I did this to have a feel of down town Accra and I did 🙂

The following day, the IT Leaders West Africa summit produced by Kinetic Events kicked off at the prestigious Movenpick Ambassador Hotel (where I also stayed). Guests started arriving at 8.00 GMT, I was among the very first that appeared at the summit venue because I love taking the lead. Getting a chance to speak at the IT Leaders West Africa Summit left me truly happy 🙂 – Click here for more photos.

kinetic events
Some of the Naija Team Members 🙂

Also, I got the chance to meet and learn from great minds who are committed to the growth and success of the ICT industry across West Africa. As a professional networker, I exchanged cards with between 70-80% of the participants and I did not stop at that, I focused on creating partnerships and synergies which I firmly believe, is a sure way of succeeding as an entrepreneur.

Key Lessons from the IT Leaders West Africa Summit produced by Kinetic Events SA

Before I state some of the lessons, let me re-publish the welcome letter to give you an idea of the producers set out to accomplish;

Dear IT Leader,

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the 1st annual IT Leaders West Africa Summit.

The IT Leaders Summit has brought West Africa’s leading IT and business professionals together to interact and focus on the most noteworthy IT challenges facing the business industry today – this will be tackled through interactive panel discussions, CIO led workshops, strategic keynotes and networking sessions.

Information technology is continuously transforming itself, creating a catalyst for new challenges facing IT leaders. To cope with the rapid rate of growth in Africa, IT leaders are upgrading systems, implementing new technologies and restructuring their organisations to meet the ever-increasing demands of their business all while trying to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

We wish you a successful event.

Regards,

Kinetic Events

Here are some lessons and takeaways from the summit:

  1. For West Africa to move to the next level, the cost of broadband must be brought down. – Dassey
  2. We need political will to create a broadband revolution across the region. – CFA
  3. The African continent is particularly vulnerable to cyber security threats. There is little understanding,knowledge and expertise in the Cyber Security space and a huge lack of awareness in general. The various governments should demonstrate leadership by collaborating with the private sector and the academia to fund and develop academic programs in Information Assurance / Cyber Security in some selected institutions. The media is central to awareness creation. Dr Peter Okenyi; CEO – AISEC Group
  4. Governments has a huge role to play, unfortunately, they are playing lip service to the ICT needs of the region. – Emeka Okoye
  5. All IT leaders gathered here owe this region a duty to bring about the change quickly because Africa is indeed the last frontiers. – Fatumata Soukouna
  6. Proper education and enlightenment are necessary to bridge the digital divide across the West African region. – Dr. Mohammed Sani-Abdulahi

  7. Place the right technology in the right place. – Mario Paes

  8. CIOs must understand how to collect and analyze data to the benefit of the entire organization. – Seyram Akotey

  9. Social Media has changed the way live and communicate on every aspect. – Chidi and Chika Nwaogu

  10. First bank Plc is at the forefront of the ICT revolution, that is why we have issued over 5 million debit cards to date. – Chuma Ezirim

  11. Multinationals have a huge role to play towards helping the region attain her ICT goals. – Saidu Abdullahi

  12. Analytics are an essential tool for increasing speed, improving the understanding of customer behaviour and shaping the future of your company. – Fayo Williams

  13. and many others…..

My Verdict on the IT leaders west Africa summit

In fairness to the Kinetic events team, I think they produced a world-class, richly rewarding IT leaders west Africa summit, that will always bring good memories to all attendees especially yours truly 🙂

Let me express my happiness over the fact that I got a chance to meet and interact with most of the Kinetic events team;

  1. Laura
  2. Shannon
  3. Jamie
  4. Eugene

Finally, I kind of like agree with the choice of Accra, Ghana as the first place for the summit in our region. However, I made it clear to the organisers to bring the next summit to Lagos, Nigeria. Personally, I am open and committed to working with them to achieve a hitch free and highly successful 2nd IT Leaders West African summit.

About Kinetic Events

Kinetics Event is am International business to business company based in South Africa – a key provider of timely information for the ICT industry. Follow @KinecticEventsSA

CFA of www.cfagbata.com speaking at IT Leaders West African Summit on Digital Marketing Trends_025
CFA alongside other Participants
CFA Nigeria Blackberry Group

4 Simple Ways to Maximize your Blackberry Phone

This post will teach you how to Leverage your Blackberry Phone to grow your personal brand as well as business.

So, let’s get started.

Change has a lot of enemies. It is still a mystery why humans don’t easily accept change, this trend cuts across nations and cultures. I am also guilty of not easily accepting change until reality dawns…..

I was a staff of Globacom when Blackberry Phones first hit Nigeria and if am not mistaken Glo was the very first among the telecommunications companies to launch them sometime in 2006 (not exactly sure now).

But, I can vividly recall that most customers would rather by a Nokia or Samsung phone than a blackberry. If you asked me though, the cost of a Blackberry Phone phone back then coupled with the monthly fees were expensive (up to this moment but of course much more affordable) and that discouraged a number of people.

My job as a salesman demanded that I learnt as much as I could about the product. I honestly did fall in love with the whole concept of BIS and BES, such that in 2007 I bought a Blackberry Phone for my friend who preferred a Nokia phone like everyone else (including me).

The question I want you to please ask me is: if you had all this knowledge and you were aware of this facts why did it take you almost 5 years to acquire your own blackberry phone?

My Answer: Resistance to change and Excuses – nothing more!

Apart from the fact that I had a special “something” for Nokia phones, I heard of how weak blackberry batteries were (which is just the truth) and the big one was that I claimed that being a little popular figure (hehe not like Mark Zuckerberg 🙂 but you know what I mean, more like a local champion), a lot of people would contact me for time wasting reasons.

Tell you the truth, I know better now, these are all but excuses. Fact is that if I don’t wish to be know then I might as well shoot my online brand dead and also shut down this blog or simply live with the realities of building a brand online.

3 months after joining the blackberry messenger (BBM) network, I have over 100+ connections so what is there to hide anymore?

[box type=”note”]So, here is my pin 29659EEB, connect with me on BBM if you want to receive great tips[/box]

4 Tips to Leverage your Blackberry Phone

1. Use Compelling Display Pictures

……Pictures speak a thousand words

CFA's Blackberry profilebb profile display image

Every BBM profile can add display pictures as often as possible. Therefore, you should always use an image and they should be compelling, the type that will wanna make people check out your profile.

One good thing about using images on your BBM profile is that issues of copyright infringement is much more reduced unlike the Internet. So download and use any image you think is compelling enough.

2. Write thought provoking personal and status messages

Do you want to convert prospects to clients? Then, you have got to use effective Call to Action a lot of times. If you images attract contacts to check your profile then you should lead them to do something else which is the purpose of a good CTA. It could be to encourage them to visit your site, buy your product or service, sign up to your newsletter or just them informed.

You’ve got to be careful here because you don’t people to regard you as someone who is just a pushy salesman. Personally, I try to avoid outright sales laBlackberry Phonenguage i.e. Buy this or for sale, instead I go for value-before-pitching. Because I love to create and add value, I have no qualms if I make an immediate sales or not. I understand how powerful relationships are and I do everything with my power to build them.

3. Start a BBM Newsletter

Are you an expert or authority in any field? If yes, what stops your from sending out periodic tips and updates that will help people perform better in your niche or industry?

I send out mine weekly and focus is on Internet Marketing, SEO, New Media, Social Media and anything technology related.

Blackberry Phone

Here is what Chukwudi Udeagbunam of www.strictlyonlinebiz.com had to say after he received one of my BBM newsletter.

Response to Last Biz Tips

This a very experienced and successful blogger cum Medical Doctor but I was able to add some value just as he has added so much value to me through his blog. Now, you see what its all about, adding value. Read Giving is the

4. Start or Participate in a blackberry group

Two days after I subscribed to blackberry services, I launched the CFA Nigeria group because I wanted to have a platform on the BBM network.

Join the CFA Nigeria Blackberry Group

FYI, I am not to be blamed for wanting to maximize any platform – my background as a Network marketer and salesman should be blamed.

I remember I wanted to build a blackberry group of over a 100 members, until my friend Donald said it was limited to only 30 people. Boy was I sad?

I wish you could have access to our group discussion, we are like one big family with some sound reasoning. It isn’t a must you have to start a group because you don’t want to start a group only to have it become stale. So, what’s the use in the first place? If you don’t have the time and patience needed to keep a group alive then just find one and participate.

My question to you is why acquire all the gadgets and yet under utilize them?

Bonus Tip

You probably might not give a s*** about all 4 tips above, so let me add this very simple tip as bonus. A tip that anyone can simply do and that is to give a thumbs up for every single message you receive as long as it is good. Good here means it aligns with your values. For example, if I receive a message that says “that there is no God” – I will give a thumbs down straight up 🙂

Think about it, how would someone send you a fantastic message and you move one like nothing happened. Then, you expect the person to be responsive when you send yours tomorrow. No babe! Life doesn’t just work that way.

My decision to wait this long can also be seen positively because I have squeezed every bit of USD out of my laptop, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and other devices and trust me if I say my BB phone has already won deals of 5 figures but most importantly built new relationships for me which I can’t quantify materially.

So, before you buy that latest Blackberry Phone think about what you have done with your current one? Why not set a goal that you ain’t gonna buy a new one, come what may, until certain milestones are achieved with these one?

Since, I am a new entrant to the BB world, I am certain I missed a couple of things, so what tip do you think I missed? Kindly share with us in the comment box below.

Please share this post if you find it helpful. Thanks!

website for your small business

4 Reasons why you should create a website for small business

Have you considered the need to create a website for your small business?

As a small business owner and small business coach, I usually ask small business owners certain questions i.e. do you have a website? When did you create a website? Are you properly positioned online? Can your customers or prospective customers find you easily? Sad to say but I get more negative responses, hence my decision to write about the need to create a website.

4 reasons to create a website today!

1. Easily reach a wider audience

You can cheaply and effectively reach a wider audience if you create a website for your small business. The internet is a huge network of nations, people, businesses, content etc. How you reach an extended audience through your website depends on how creative you are, just because youcreate a website have a website does not mean traffic will come automatically – you have to generate traffic. Use the following simple strategies to increase traffic;

  • Start a blog. Read how to blog.
  • Advertise online using Facebook, Google, yahoo etc.
  • Get involved with social media
  • Print the website address on all your stationeries
  • Leave a link to your website in your email signatures

If you can do all these and much more then I assure you that you will definitely reach an extended audience over time. CFA Leverage can help you in this regards. We provide low cost web related services to help small businesses grow.

2. Reduce your advertising cost

Having a website for your growing business can help you reduce your advertising cost. As a matter of fact, I believe that every small business owner should have a website because as you are reading this, so also are your customers and potentials customers doing “stuff” online, some are reading, while others are shopping, majority are trying to explore something new and these activities are going on every minute.

The conventional ways of advertising are not reaching as many people as they used to, infact the growing trend is that a number of people especially the younger generation are now spending more time online rather than watching TV. Conventional advertising is expensive and if you are unlucky, you may spend money and still miss your target market. If you create a website it will be like a billboard for your business, available 24/7.

3. Improve your Brand

One of the benefits of creating your website is that it helps increase the awareness and perception of your brand. Do you know a strategy as a simply as sending an email can fetch you new customers? The process of having a website for your small business includes purchasing a domain name, with you own domain name, you can easily create your own “branded” email address(es). Imagine, all of the emails you send bearing your business name in the address field! This is not only more professional but can be a form of viral advertising if your emails get forwarded to others for whatever reason.

4. Control your overheads

The question is if you create a website can it help reduce your overhead? The answer is yes it can! For example, you can place a shopping cart on your website which can help you shorten the time needed to make a sale or close a deal – the longer it takes you to close any deal, the more expensive that deal becomes to your small business. You can also sell your products and services 24/7 on auto-pilot.

You can also run promotions – online promotions can be very inexpensive when compared to the conventional ways of promotions. A loyalty program like the one currently on my blog will not only help you drive traffic but will also attract new customers. So I urge you to go on and create a website for your small business today!

CFA Leverage offers SEO friendly small business websites at very affordable rates or better still win a free website here.

How important do you think it is to create a website for small business.