Digital Grog — Australia’s Tech, Gadgets & Digital Life Unfiltered

Digital Grog is Australia’s go‑to tech blog for sharp reviews, digital trends, AI tools, gadgets, cybersecurity updates, and practical how‑tos covering the latest in Aussie technology

The Basics of a Strong E-Commerce Website

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Whether you are selling expendable luxuries or crucial items that people need, a well thought-out and practical approach to an e-commerce site is critical to achieving those sales. Some people will try and model their site on another one or spend hours online searching for the key to unlock the secret to an effective site. Inevitably, scores of people end up turning to professionals like 4040 Creative to help them achieve the competitive edge.

Curious on how to get started? Read on and discover the three basics that you need for a strong e-commerce website.

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Simplicity

Don’t get carried away with fancy widgets and distracting nonsense. A tasteful and effective e-commerce site has just enough style and flair to highlight the products, but not so much that it distracts or adds clutter that can make the site difficult to navigate.

Simplicity and ease of usability is what is strived for. Avoid disguised or hard to find navigation buttons and try to stick with normal website conventions. You want your website to stand out, be memorable and, most importantly, make sales, but try and step out of your shoes and pretend to be a customer navigating your site. Are buttons and sliders where you expect them? Do the browsing and purchasing processes feel familiar and hassle-free?

Branding

As an e-commerce site, you want to strive for not only more customers, but return customers. To help you get those repeat purchases, have a strongly branded site. When people think about going online to buy something, they may have an idea of where to go to get it and a mental picture of that site in their mind. To achieve this, have an eye-catching logo and use a consistent colour palette throughout the site.

Tools

Every website has a goal and with an e-commerce site, that goal is to make sales. To make these sales, you need to be selling what your customer wants, but you also need to make it as smooth and painless as possible for them to conduct a transaction from start to end.

From the get-go, if people can’t find what they are looking for quickly and easily they will move on. Studies show that people have extremely low attention spans and little patience when looking for something in particular online. Having a streamlined search function will help connect interested customers with the products they are looking for quickly.

Providing customers with the ability to create an account is another effective way of getting them to make future purchases. If customers can create an account which saves their billing information, purchase history and shipping address, the purchase process will be expedited for them the next time. This should be optional though, as forcing them to create an account to make a purchase may turn some people away.

There are many features of an e-commerce website that make it an effective one – being familiar with some of them will help you make informed decisions when planning yours.

Mobile Broadband Speeds | How Much Speed Does Mobile Internet Deliver?

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smartphone mobile speedsWith the world on fire for mobile broadband technologies, everyone is wondering just how much speed mobile broadband services really deliver. Mobile Internet connectivity makes our lives easier. We can stay constantly connected, ensuring that we miss nothing in the way of business communications, payments, customer service, or even just receiving that much-awaited Facebook update, you can learn more here.

The point is that we demand to be wired, preferably at all times. But we wonder if mobile broadband technologies are developed enough at this point to provide a fluent and dependable Internet experience.

The answer is YES!

Mobile broadband internet connectivity is no longer a thing of imagination and wishing. It exists, and provides excellent speeds, especially for those in prime locations. Generally speaking, the larger the city you are in, the better broadband connectivity you will receive. It’s also important to distinguish between mobile Internet and Wi-Fi. If you are using the free Wi-Fi at Starbucks, that’s not the same as using your broadband hotspot connection device.

In the past few years, mobile internet connection services have begun to drop in price. That’s directly due to the fact that on-the-go Internet is an awesome technology that almost everyone has a demand for. Even for the casual surfer who just watches a few videos here and there, and maybe checks her email every couple days, mobile broadband connectivity is desirable. Why should be restricted as to where we can access our online lives?

Mobile broadband connectivity has become so heavily demanded in fact, that it is beginning to be a common replacement for cable, DSL and satellite Internet providers. It costs less, and more and more of us are graduating to tablets and other mobile devices instead of our traditional, heavy, cumbersome, laptops.

Mobile broadband Internet vs. Cable & DSL

If you are a heavy web surfer that loves to burn data, then it’s still going to better for you to go with a traditional ISP like Comcast, Time-Warner or Direct TV. The data plans for heavy users in the mobile realm can get astronomical. This is especially true for teen users who still have no concept of what it takes to pay those large usage bills every month.

If you surf heavy, then use a home-based Internet service for the majority of your online adventures. Save your mobile broadband data for staying touch via email, Facebook and the like. Stream videos, play games and other high-data activities at home.

If you do decide to go with a mobile Internet service provider, consider the following tips to choose the best for your needs:

If you are a frequent traveler, then research the coverage areas of major providers like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. The business moguls have incredible R&D budgets and will most likely blow away the coverage limits and areas of smaller, less reputable providers.

Consider how much monthly data you actually go through. There’s no sense in buying a plan that is more than you will user – and it’s very frustrating to always have to be counting every megabyte if you don’t buy enough. If you are a heavy gamer, then you should choose a plan with at least 6GB/month. On the other hand, if you just want broadband Internet to be able to stay in touch on email and social networks, then you will probably only need a Gigabyte or 2 per month. Experimentation will show you more specifically what you need – and almost all plans are able to expand at any time you want or need to.

There are very few surprises ventured from major mobile ISPs. They tell you exactly what you are in for in terms of costs and fees. You just have to read through those user agreements that everyone blindly clicks "Accept" on. If you want to develop a clear understanding of what you will be paying, just read that fine print!

Why betting on your mobile is becoming popular

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Today, we all run our lives using our mobiles. Whether we’re paying the bills, keeping track of our diary or checking out the latest news on Facebook or Twitter, there’s no easier way to stay on top of everything than by using your mobile.

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The same goes for entertainment, too, with a huge range of gaming apps available. So it stands to reason that we’ll do our sports betting on the mobile too. With all the bookmakers offering mobile betting apps, it’s never been simpler to get a bet on a sports event, wherever you are.

The real benefit of online and mobile betting is that you can now place in-play bets, so wherever you’re watching a game of tennis, a footie match or the golf, you can place live in-play bets within a couple of taps.

So what makes the best betting app? Of course, the starting point is compatibility with your mobile device – whether you’ve got Android, Blackberry or an iPhone. Pretty much all the betting apps are compatible with all three operating systems, but it’s worth checking out the reviews to see how people rate an app you’re considering using.

The other thing to look out for is whether any security issues are highlighted in the reviews. When you’re using an app to move your cash around, you want to be able to rely on it. Check out the user interface, too. Some of the betting apps are a lot more user-friendly than others. The speed with which you can place a bet is obviously crucial for live in-play betting.

You may want the betting app for putting money on particular sports fixtures but if you can use it for other gaming options it’s a bonus. A lot of the betting apps also give you access to casino games, bingo and the like. See what an app has to offer in terms of variety.

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There are lots of incentives available when you sign up to a betting site via your mobile. You’ll get the same deal as you would signing up on online at a pc or laptop. For example, if you join bet365 you’ll qualify for a 100% bonus bet when you first place a bet using your mobile. You don’t have to claim the bet; you’ll be emailed a promo code as soon as you’ve placed that first bet. All the betting sites offer similar kinds of perks for choosing to use their app.

As the industry is so competitive, there are always further offers to cash in on if you use a mobile betting app. That’s probably why many people install more than one betting app on their phones – when the sites are giving away free bets, why wouldn’t we take them up on it? However, if you bet on a regular basis, you may be better off sticking with one particular app – you’ll accrue more loyalty points that way. It’s also easier to keep track of your gambling spends if you only use one mobile betting app.

5 Signs Your Website Needs a Redesign

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Your website is often the first impression that people will get of your brand or business and while revamping it may be a significant time and cost expense, sometimes it’s not something that you can afford to delay. How do you know when it’s time to redesign your website? Read on to find out.

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It Isn’t Mobile Friendly

Mobile matters. At the TechCrunch conference in early 2014, Yahoo! Chief Executive Marissa Mayer told attendees that their mobile users are already up 43% from this time last year and they expect that figure to keep climbing in 2014 to a point where they will potentially outnumber desk top users before the end of the year.

There Is No Social Media Integration

Including links to your social media platforms from your website is the absolute minimum you should be doing. Ideally, you should be making it as easy as possible for people to share your content across Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter. Incorporating social sharing tools enables your customers to help spread the word about your business organically across their digital profiles.

It’s Cumbersome to Update

Do you still have to email off changes to your web design team or allocate half a day just to upload a new special to your website? Websites were never meant to be a static medium and regularly updating your content means that your site visitors have a reason to keep coming back. If you can’t update it yourself or your content management system is hard to use, it may be time to consider and upgrade.

You’re Losing Traffic

Have your website visitors declined in recent years, or do they leave your site quickly after finding it? It may be that your content – or your whole design – needs to be updated. Things that you can immediately do to remedy this is do an audit of your website and remove anything that is obviously out of date – a promotion that expired six months ago or even held last year for example. Regularly updating your website with useful information not only helps with your search engine rankings, but also ensures that there is a purpose for people to visit – and revisit – your website.

You’ve Rebranded

This one might seem a little obvious but there are a surprising number of businesses out there who’ve updated their logo and branding but haven’t transferred the new look to their website. The same look and feel should be consistently applied across all facets of your business – if the website doesn’t match your Facebook page or what people experience when they come into your premises, it can have a negative impact on how they view your brand.

If your website can identify with any of these five warning signs that it might be time to redesign, you should start making plans and enquiries now. A professional audit by an integrated digital agency like Simple can arm you with tips that can help your current site while planning ahead to make sure that you’re maximising your online potential and staying ahead of the competition.

When was the last time your website was revamped?

Mobile casino gaming on the increase

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clip_image004 by gailjadehamilton

It’s not so long ago that if you wanted to play casino games online, you’d have to download the software and take up space on your hard drive. But now, of course, with so many online casino sites offering instant play few people bother downloading the casino software. Maybe if you’re a poker player, it’s worth doing, but for most recreational gamblers, the instant play selection is fine.

Now, things are moving on again, and we’re seeing more and more people choosing to play on their mobile rather than on a pc or laptop. This makes sense; we organise most of our lives through the mobile – why not be entertained there too? Of course, mobile gaming apps are nothing new, but it seems that more people are switching to cash games now. Obviously there’s an added level of interest in a game if it can win you a heap of cash!

Even though the number of people playing cash games like roulette, blackjack and slots on their mobiles has increased, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re all playing those games on the move. A recent survey into UK mobile gaming by market research group comScore showed that 20 million people played games on their mobile and 6 million of those played on a daily basis. However, nearly two-thirds of those mobile gamers play in their living room, 45% play in bed and around 20% play in the bathroom. This makes a lot of sense when you think part of the reason many people choose to play games is to relax. Sitting in front of your pc doesn’t seem like the most relaxing place to play when you could be playing on the sofa instead.

You’d imagine that the most mobile gaming would take place on a commuter journey, as it would be a great way to while away the time, but only a third of mobile gamers in the UK actually play on the way to and from work. Meanwhile, 27% take a bit of time out at work to play games on their mobile.

The British aren’t alone in their appetite for games on their mobiles. Mobile gaming revenue in the States is predicted to reach USD3 billion by 2016 and it’s anticipated that the global mobile games market will be worth around UDS9 billion by the end of this year.

Added to these stats, Juniper Research has predicted that 64.1bn mobile games will be downloaded onto mobiles or tablets by 2017, triple the amount downloaded in 2012. More and more people will opt to play on their mobiles as game choice widens and functionality of playing on a small screen improves.

At the moment, the most widely available games from online casinos like 32red are those that are best suited to play on a smaller screen. Hence you get a wide choice of slots, as well as some variants of blackjack and roulette. And there are lots of promos available for playing these games on your mobile – every site wants to win over customer loyalty while the market is in its growth phase!

Google will help you out with your online business

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Google has done it again!!

online yoga classes via webcam with google helpout

An amazing service for online business has launched a while ago, that many people know about. This service helps businesses or people looking to start a business for which they can deliver their work online via the internet. It’s called “google helpouts”. It enables people looking to start a business where they can provide a service via video camera or webcam.

For eg a cooking class , a computer repair or support via webcam, a yoga class, a piano teacher teaching student piano via webcam , a corporate training class providing sales training via webcam .

With this service google allows you to charge customers per hour or per lesson or even deliver your service or skills free to online customers who are seeking a skill or lesson.

 

Your online business Delivered via video or webcam and google helpouts

These are the different kind of opportunities for new and existing businesses to expand online. Google provide the business platform including payment processing and software and all you need is a google account , a webcam and a internet connection

Finally, there is a truly profitable way to cash in online with your skills or business acumen – with what you already know. So if you’re a consultant, working from home, or heck just admits it… you’re simply looking for Ways to share your knowledge and get paid…… Then this is your ticket!

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HOW TO APPLY FOR GOOGLE HELP OUTS ?

How to sign up with google helpouts and start teaching people or offering your service

You need a Google+ profile to create a Helpout and also an invitation code. You can request a invitation code for google helpouts. However entry into this service is very strict and limited. All applications are screened by google manually to keep out people that are not suited for this service or can be a risk or liability to this service. In fact there are many people who get rejected due to the strict entry screening for this service . Google also hold a a one on one interview to validate if it’s a genuine business looking to do business online and if that business fits in with the google helpouts criteria.

Luckily there is a service that helps you out with this process to increase your chances of making it through this admission process with a higher chance of you getting your business online with google helpouts to start making money. You can check out this service Here.

First, go to this page at the official Google Helpouts site. Then, underneath the box that says “Enter invitation code,” there’s a smaller button labeled “Request a code.”  Click on it. From there, you’ll be taken to a page that asks you what topic you’d like to teach. Select one from the drop down list and click Submit. [ i highly recommend you check out this service before your apply]

With google help-outs you can Instantly stream your in-studio classes either to a customer or a global audience live and give real-time feedback. This service is also like a teleconference or more like a video conference where you can give lessons to multiple people at a set time making it a multi-conference  teaching lesson. This also enables to multiply your earning potential or making money online.

For what google helpouts are useful

  • Corporate Classes via webcam
  • Cooking classes via webcam
  • Learning guitar via video
  • Learning or teaching ,speaking italian online via online classes
  • Self-computer or gadget repair via webcam
  • How to fix a household problem or issue via webcam
  • Yoga classes or language classes via webcam

This service enables you to Record your classes to create your own video library and subscription plans. It also helps grow your client base with live webcam classes and on-demand videos.

Helpouts is an extension of Hangouts that allow professionals, educators, or those who want to instruct on pretty much any topic to charge money for live training. Helpouts is new and one of the most exciting opportunities in a long time that’s going to help consultants, instructors, infopreneurs and even ordinary folks like YOU to make more money!

For years, people have always asked how they can make money online without:

· -Having their own product

· -Having a list

· -spending many hours setting up and maintaining a website

You don’t need any of the above to get started! Don’t get me wrong having a website with your google help outs account will definitely help , but it is not a necessity. For help with admission for google helpouts check out his video giving details of Google helpouts and go to this link if you want to speed up your admission process with success.