Protect your online privacy with private browsers
If you see ads on your social media newsfeed that are suspiciously attuned to your preferences, it’s likely because your online activities are being tracked and analyzed by market researchers. These researchers likely get their data from the websites you visit as you surf the internet. If you want to stop third parties from collecting and using your data, private browsing can help you. What is private browsing? Your web browser — whether it’s Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, or Opera — stores the URLs of the sites you visit, cookies that track your activity, passwords you’ve used, and temporary files you’ve downloaded. This can be convenient if you can’t remember your login details or if you’re trying to recall a website you visited a few days ago. The feature also helps speed up the loading time of websites you frequently visit. But if someone else uses or gains access to your computer, your most private internet activities are exposed for that user to see and exploit. Private browsing is a feature known by various names across different browsers. For instance, it’s called Incognito Mode in Chrome and InPrivate Browsing in Edge. When you use this feature, the browser does not record your browsing history, passwords, and temporary files. Instead, all this information is discarded as soon as you close the browser. You’re also instantly logged out of all accounts you accessed using the private window, which comes in handy when you’re using a public or shared computer. Furthermore, tracking cookies are not stored when you surf the internet with a private browser. Such cookies are small bits of data used to identify your computer. Sites like Facebook use cookies to know your preferences based on your online behavior, such as which sites you visit. By doing this, they can personalize the ads on their platform, ensuring that the ads you see are for products and services you’re likely to take interest in. What are the limitations of private browsing? Although private browsing prevents your web browser from storing your data, it doesn’t stop anyone from snooping on your online activities in real time. If your computer is connected to the company network, system administrators can still track what you’re browsing, even if you’re in Incognito Mode. Also, if spyware or keylogger malware is installed on your computer, hackers will still be able to see what you’re doing online. Even though private browsing has quite a few benefits, you shouldn’t solely depend on it for online privacy. Instead, you should use a virtual private network (VPN) when you go online. This tool encrypts your internet connection and prevents anyone from intercepting your data. And don’t forget to use a strong anti-malware program to scan your computer and keep spyware and other malicious web monitoring software at bay. If you want to know where you can get these solutions or learn more about web browser security, call us today. We have the tools and expert advice you need to prevent anyone from snooping on your internet browsing. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
4 Ways AI can help eCommerce businesses grow
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of businesses across sectors, including eCommerce. By adopting tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, e-tailers were able to cope with the sudden spike in online sales during the height of the pandemic and even expand their businesses. In this article, we discuss how AI can help eCommerce businesses improve their operations and drive growth. Personalized recommendations Machine learning (ML) is a branch of AI that enables software applications to more accurately predict outcomes using data and algorithms. In eCommerce, ML can be used to identify customer habits and interests based on search histories (both inside and outside a specific eCommerce business’s site). With proper configuration, ML can be used to analyze shopping behaviors to customize the online shopping experience to specific users. This enables e-tailers to make product recommendations, pairings, and promotions that target individual customers. As a result, customers’ overall experience improves and, in turn, businesses’ sales significantly increase. Improved search capabilities Voice and image searches in eCommerce are gaining widespread popularity. By integrating voice and image search tools into eCommerce sites, e-tailers make it easier, faster, and more convenient for consumers — especially those using mobile devices — to find the products they are looking for. To start a voice search, customers can simply click on the microphone icon on an eCommerce site. Using AI voice recognition and natural language processing, the website will identify what the user said and display all products relevant to their search query. On the other hand, to initiate a visual search, all a user has to do is upload a photo of the item they are looking for or something similar to it. AI will then make suggestions based on the data from the uploaded image. More efficient inventory and warehouse management AI-powered demand forecasting solutions can help e-tailers better keep track of their supplies, ensuring that they don’t run out of or overstock particular items. Such solutions enable this by leveraging sales trends and consumer behaviors, projected increases or decreases in demand, or possible supply chain issues that could affect inventory levels. Many eCommerce businesses are also deploying AI robots in their warehouses. These robots can be programmed to retrieve products once an order has been placed or to store items once they’ve been delivered to the warehouse. This facilitates product dispatch and delivery, so customers receive their orders on time. Better customer service eCommerce businesses can leverage AI chatbots to deliver more efficient customer support. These bots can be programmed to facilitate simple transactions that simulate conversations with a live agent, such as questions about when orders will be delivered or the availability of an item. This frees up customer service representatives to focus on addressing higher-level or more complex issues. Learn more about AI and how it can foster your business’s growth by getting in touch with us today. We’ll tell you all about AI and other innovative technologies that will enhance your operations and improve your profitability. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Easy steps to make Google Chrome faster
In 2008, Google introduced Chrome web browser, and it quickly became widely popular because of its remarkable speed and user-friendliness. However, it can become sluggish over time, especially if you’ve installed extras such as extensions and other add-ons. Follow these easy steps to ramp up your Chrome browser’s speed. Use the latest version of Chrome Google continually optimizes its products, so make sure that Chrome is always updated to keep it working as fast as possible. Disable or delete extensions Extensions are downloadable programs from the Chrome Web Store that you can add to your browser to give it more functionality and a personalized touch. For example, you can add an extension that blocks ads, one that shortens URLs, or one that shows your most important tasks of the day. While these extensions are useful, they can slow down Chrome if there are too many installed at once. Most extensions are accessible beside Chrome’s address bar, and you can quickly uninstall them by right-clicking on their icons and selecting Remove from Chrome. You can also manage all extensions by typing chrome://extensions in your browser’s address bar and hitting Enter. From there, you’ll find a list of all the extensions you have. Simply scroll through the list and click Remove to delete the extensions you don’t need. Close unused tabs or put them in sleep mode The more open tabs you have on Chrome, the more processing power the web browser requires from your computer. The best way to reduce your browser’s workload is to close unused tabs. As of this writing, Chrome can’t yet put tabs on sleep mode like Microsoft Edge can. To be specific, that feature is still in the experimental stages. If you’re willing to try that feature out, then follow these steps: In Chrome’s address bar, type chrome://flags/ and press Enter. Type Freeze or Reduce User-Agent in the search bar. In the drop-down menu next to the Reduce User-Agent request header, select Enabled. When the Relaunch button appears, click it. The relaunched browser will detect inactive tabs and put these on “sleep” mode. Chrome warns users to save their work before proceeding — and with the feature being experimental, there may be yet-unknown bugs that may ruin your Chrome experience. If you don’t want to take those risks, you can use Chrome extensions like Session Buddy and Tabby to help you manage the processing power consumption of your tabs. There are other extensions available, but these may be riddled with bugs, so choose carefully. Shut down unnecessary tasks Unbeknownst to you, Chrome may be running resource-intensive tasks that you no longer need. To close them and make your browser run faster, do the following: At the top-right corner of Chrome, click the More button (i.e., the circular icon with three vertically aligned dots inside). Click More tools > Task Manager. Click the Memory footprint heading to sort tasks by how much memory they use. Select the task you want to shut down, then click End Process. Keep in mind that you’ll lose any unsaved work that that task was doing, so think before you click. Clear your browsing data Chrome stores cached copies of websites you visit so it can load pages faster when you visit them again. It also keeps a database of your browsing history and cookies for the same purpose. As you visit more and more websites, these pieces of data accumulate in Chrome and can slow the browser down. Thankfully, the solution is easy: clear your cache. Simply access your browsing history by entering chrome://history in your address bar. From the left panel, select Clear browsing data. Choose which data to delete by clicking on the checkboxes of all items you want deleted, like cached images or cookies. You can also select the time range that will be affected by the deletion. You can delete your history for the past hour, the last 24 hours, the last seven days, and from the beginning of time. Once you’ve selected the files you want to delete and their corresponding time range, click Clear data. Remove malware and ads Sometimes, Chrome slows down because of malware or adware extensions. Extra toolbars, recurring pop-up ads, and web pages redirecting to other addresses are clear indications of these. To remove the unwanted software, type chrome://settings/cleanup in your browser, and click Find to detect and remove harmful software on your computer. A top-performing web browser benefits your business in many ways, including enhancing your employees’ productivity and speeding up communication. If your web browser is performing poorly or takes forever to load a page, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us so we can identify and fix the problem right away. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
What you need to know about web hosting
Every business, regardless of size and industry, needs to have an online presence these days. One of the best ways to achieve this is to create your own website, and for that, you’ll need a web host. Here’s a quick overview of what a web host is and the two most common types of hosting. What is a web host? A web host sells or leases memory space on its servers so your website can have a virtual location on the internet. Their services include online storage for all of your site’s files and web pages. Many web hosts also offer domain name hosting, which creates a web address that users can type into a web browser to access your website (e.g., google.com, inc.com, etc.). Combine these two hosting services and you have the main foundations for your website. You can also get domain-based email addresses (e.g., robert@acmeenterprise.com) and website databases from web hosts. Essentially, your web host can store everything your website needs. When you sign up with a web host, you will usually pay a monthly fee, which the company uses to maintain and invest in new servers for hosting, increase access speeds, and provide better services. What are the two most common types of web hosting? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of web hosts around the world, but they usually fall into one of two categories: Shared hosting – Multiple, different websites are stored on one physical hosting server. Sites have their own partition (section of storage) that is kept separate from other sites on the same server. Dedicated hosting – One website is hosted per server. This means you have all of the server’s capacity to yourself. Which hosting type is best for my business website? Most websites use shared hosting because it’s more affordable while still offering generally stable access and access speeds. This is the ideal hosting type for most small- and medium-sized businesses with fairly simple websites. If your website is going to be large (e.g., thousands of pages) and you are going to host complex features like advanced eCommerce, streaming, communication portals, and other web applications, then it would be best to opt for a dedicated hosting service. Examples of large sites include Google, Amazon, and government sites, among others. With numerous web hosts out there, selecting the right fit can be quite challenging. But with our IT expertise and solutions, we can help you find the web host that will work best for your business needs. Contact us today to get started with your online presence. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Basic web conversion strategies you need to use
Making sure your website is easy to use is crucial to attract prospects and convince them to buy your products or services. Here are five tips that improve user experience, site trustworthiness, and conversion rates. 1. Optimize your website for mobile devices More people are now surfing the web via smartphones and tablets. If you want a piece of this traffic, you need to make your website’s design responsive to all mobile devices. To give your visitors a seamless mobile experience, make sure your website design fits the screen of any device. Additionally, all elements of your website, including inner pages, resources, and call-to-action buttons should be easily accessible. If not, visitors will get frustrated and move to another site. 2. Make it easy for customers to contact you Displaying your phone number in the upper-right corner of every page and providing a simple contact form is crucial for conversions. While some people prefer not to give up their email address for fear it will be picked off by spambots, it can serve as another contact option for those who hate web forms. At the very least, your customers will have more than one way to contact you. 3. Keep it simple People don’t always have time to navigate a complicated website, dig through dozens of pages to find a contact number, or figure out what it is that you’re selling. So when it comes to design, simplicity makes sense. When producing a simple website, every page, word, and image you create must have a singular purpose: to get visitors to contact you. Don’t distract them with excessive information, silly games, or flashy animations. Instead, have a nice clean layout so they can quickly understand what you’re offering and can contact you in just a click. 4. Include original photos whenever possible Imagine having to choose between two different websites that sell the same thing and look virtually the same. The key difference is that one uses real photos of the owner and his or her staff, while the other uses stock images of business people. By using original and authentic photos, visitors can get a better sense of your company as well as its products and services. It also gives you better control over how you can compose your photos and determine how you want your company to be perceived. So the next time you need images for your website, invest some time and money in having quality pictures taken by a professional photographer. 5. Move social media icons to the bottom of the page Everyone loves throwing social media icons on their websites. And while it’s not a bad idea to show your credibility, putting social media icons at the top of the page makes your visitors more likely to click on them immediately. When this happens, you just gave them a reason to leave your site and never return, and we all know how easy it is to get distracted on social media. Instead, place your social media icons at the bottom of the page or in the footer area. Remember, the goal of your website is to convert. If your visitors leave before they get a chance to explore your services, content, and offerings, you’ve lost them before you even had them. For more tips on enhancing your digital presence, give us a call and leverage our IT expertise for your business today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
The ideal internet bandwidth allocation for WFH staff
Internet access is one of the most important resources people need to be able to work from home. However, poor internet quality can lead to poor job performance and a dip in productivity. If you want to know how much internet bandwidth is needed for remote work, this guide can help. What is bandwidth? Bandwidth refers to the maximum data transfer rate possible in a network or internet connection. It indicates the amount of data that can be sent over a connection in a given amount of time, and is usually expressed in bits per second (bps). Imagine two computers with the same internet speed at 100 megabits per second (Mbps): the first computer only has a 50 Mbps bandwidth, while the second one has 100 Mbps. If they were to download the same packet with 500 megabits (Mb), the first computer would be able to do it in 10 seconds, while the second one could do it in just 5. This is because the first computer’s bandwidth is capped at 50 Mbps — even with a high-speed internet service, the limit of transfer would still be low. Therefore, the higher the bandwidth, the more data can be sent over a connection, contributing to faster uploads and downloads and a better internet experience overall. How much bandwidth do you need for remote working? To answer this question, you need to factor in the type of work that you do and the apps that you use. If your job mostly consists of sending emails, editing and writing on Google Docs, and communicating on Slack, then you can do your job with ease even with a low bandwidth. On the other hand, if your day-to-day tasks consist of frequently attending meetings through video calls, then you’d need a plan with higher bandwidth. Once you have a clear picture of how much data you send and receive on an average workday, you can start looking for plans that can support your needs. And while you don’t need to conduct virtual meetings in 4K quality, you also won’t want your clients and colleagues to appear pixelated during a meeting. Neither would you want a session that gets choppy or cut off mid-conversation. Here are the minimum requirements for the most common video chat apps used by remote workers today: Zoom For 1:1 video calling: 600 Kbps (up/down) for high-quality video 1.2 Mbps (up/down) for 720p HD video Receiving 1080p HD video requires at least 1.8 Mbps (downspeed) Sending 1080p HD video requires at least 1.8 Mbps (upspeed) For group video calling: 800 Kbps/1.0 Mbps (up/down) for high-quality video For 720p HD video: 1.5 Mbps (up/down) Receiving 1080p HD video requires at least 2.5 Mbps (downspeed) Sending 1080p HD video requires at least 3.0 Mbps (upspeed) Google Meet HD video quality: Outbound signals must always meet a 3.2 Mbps minimum bandwidth requirement. Minimum inbound signals: 2.6 Mbps with two participants; 3.2 Mbps with five participants; and 4.0 Mbps with 10 participants Standard definition (SD) video quality: Outbound signals must always meet a 1 Mbps minimum bandwidth requirement. Minimum inbound signals: 1 Mbps with two participants; 1.5 Mbps with five participants; and 2 Mbps with 10 participants Skype Video calling: HD: 1.2 Mbps (up/down) SD: 400 Kbps (up/down) The more participants, the higher the bandwidth requirement for downloads: 512 Kbps for three participants; 2 Mbps for five participants; and 4 Mbps for seven people. Upload requirements remain constant at 128 Kbps. Microsoft Teams Teams requires the same upload and download internet bandwidth for the following scenarios: At least 30 Kbps for peer-to-peer audio calling At least 1.2 Mbps for peer-to-peer HD-quality video calling at 720p At least 1.5 Mbps for peer-to-peer HD-quality video calling at 1080p At least 500 Kbps/1 Mbps for group video calling If you’re worried about your internet bandwidth, you can opt for audio calls instead of video calls. This considerably helps lower the information you need to upload and download. For more tips and solutions on how you can work from home without a hitch, call us. We’d be happy to help. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Gmail: Manage your emails better with these 5 simple tricks
Security, ease of use, and free service are just some of the main reasons why many businesses use Gmail. But despite the email service’s ubiquity, there are still plenty of ways for users to improve their Gmail experience. Gain better control over your inbox — and your workday — with these tricks. Undo Send In the fast-paced world of business, mistakes happen. And because everybody deserves a second chance at writing that email, Gmail has provided a way to recall sent emails — as long as you do it immediately after hitting Send. To rescind your email, simply click on Undo or View Message > Undo beside the “Message Sent” prompt at the bottom left of your screen. Gmail templates Gmail templates, formerly known as canned responses, are pre-written email formats that you can use as is or as the starting point of a fresh email. These are great for regular messages that follow a specific template. Instead of writing the same lines of text over and over again, you can simply choose any of the customizable templates with a few clicks. Make sure the feature is enabled by clicking on the gear icon at the top-right corner of the screen and then See all settings. Go to the Advanced tab, and select Enable in the Templates section before clicking the Save Changes button at the bottom. Once this feature is enabled, you can access your Gmail templates by composing a new email and clicking Templates > Insert Template. Send large attachments with Google Drive Need to send a high-resolution RAW image to a client but Gmail’s attachment size restrictions won’t let you? You can simply upload your files to Google Drive and click on Share to get a sharing link you can send to your client or your boss. Alternatively, you can click on the Google Drive icon at the bottom of your email composition window and choose the files you wish to send. Turn on Priority Inbox The Priority Inbox feature organizes your messages by importance using machine learning. You’ll be able to divide your inbox into five categories, where the messages will be displayed in the following order: Important and unread messages Starred messages [Customizable category] [Customizable category] Everything else Enable advanced settings Configuring Gmail’s Advanced Settings is an excellent way to increase email efficiency. Some of these features include Multiple Inboxes, Preview Pane, and custom keyboard shortcuts. Access them by going to Settings > See all settings > Advanced. Spending the right amount of time with emails while managing other crucial business areas is a balancing act many business owners find difficult. If you have questions or need further assistance regarding Gmail or IT in general, feel free to contact us. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Why you should implement single sign-on for your business
Password creation and management can be a bothersome process, with different websites imposing different password parameters and the like. Multiply that by all the online services you use and it all starts to look overwhelming. Fortunately, a simple tool called single sign-on can make all of that much easier. What is single sign-on (SSO)? Single sign-on allows you to use one username and one password to provide secure access to multiple websites. If you’ve ever clicked “Continue with Google” on a non-Google website, you’ve already enjoyed the benefits of SSO. It’s faster, simpler, and more secure. With SSO, small businesses can accomplish the same level of efficiency between their employees and cloud platforms. Instead of requiring in-office and remote workers to track separate accounts for Office 365, Slack, Trello, and other cloud apps your company uses, you can give them a single set of credentials and manage what they have access to remotely. All employees have to do is come enter their designated username and password, and they’re all set for the day. Why is SSO more secure? There are a number of ways to set up a small-business SSO solution, but most of them focus on removing login information from your servers. Usually, you’ll provide your employees’ logins to an SSO provider (sometimes referred to as an Identity-as-a-Service provider) and each employee will receive a single login paired with a secondary authentication — like a biometric scan like iOS’s FaceID, or a one-time PIN (OTP) code sent to a personal device. Every time one of your employees visits a cloud platform, such as Office 365 or Google Workspace, the SSO provider will verify the user’s identity and the connection’s security. If anything goes wrong, your IT provider will be notified. Should your network or any of the devices connected to it gets compromised, hackers would find nothing but logins to your SSO accounts, which are meaningless without fingerprints or mobile devices. How to get started with SSO The first step is making sure you have a healthy and responsive IT support system. You need a team that’s constantly available to review suspicious alerts and troubleshoot employee issues. If you don’t currently have that capacity, contact us today and we’ll help you out! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Improve your customer reach with a well-designed website
Most modern businesses build and maintain their own website to reach more customers. It’s good to have an online presence, but know that your competitors are also doing their best to optimize their websites for better brand awareness and profitability. Don’t fall behind — follow these web design trends to increase web traffic and boost your bottom line. Mobile-friendly layouts Many websites today are designed to have a mobile version. With around 47.07% of all internet traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s safe to assume that you are losing a big percentage of your viewership by not having a mobile-friendly website. Implementing a thumb-friendly mobile web design is also critical, as most people who browse websites on mobile do so with one hand while on the go or doing another task or activity. Putting important navigation features within reach of a mobile user’s thumb on the screen will greatly improve your website’s user experience. Website load time One of the most important web design features these days are high-speed website load times. Site visitors seem to be more impatient than ever, and they would most likely close websites that take three or more seconds to load. According to a study conducted by Pinterest, efforts to speed up web page load times reduced perceived wait times by 40%, resulting in a 15% increase in search engine traffic and sign-ups. One technique for cutting down load times for content-rich sites is to lazy load the page instead of fully loading it before it can be viewed. Lazy loading is when a browser is configured to only load the portion of the page that is currently viewable on the screen. The parts of the page that are currently off-screen won’t be loaded so that they don’t consume too much processing power. This works great for websites that are configured to have infinite scroll, like Pinterest. Micro-interactions Micro-interactions are small animations that provide subtle feedback after they complete an action. These are usually found on navigation and tool buttons to further emphasize the purpose of each button. For example, if your cut button is a pair of scissors, you can make it do a couple of snip motions during mouseover. Or if your delete button is a rubbish bin, you can make its lid pop open during mouseover. These actions will make your website more lively and easy to navigate for site visitors. It’s also a great way to keep them on your site for longer periods of time. Micro-animations Although similar to micro-interactions, micro-animations are more for aesthetic purposes. You can use them to make your site more visually appealing, as well as to subtly direct visitors toward certain parts of your site that you would like to gain more attention. For example, if you run a coffee business, your website’s micro-animations can be a pot of coffee brewing for page loads, or a big puff of steam from an espresso machine for page transitions. Dark mode Many users appreciate dark mode because it helps them conserve device power and lessens the strain on their eyes when they browse the internet before bedtime. Websites that offer this option may entice visitors to stick around to read articles and learn more about the product offerings, simply because the site is comfortable to use. If you need help staying on top of website design trends or adapting to an ever-changing digital landscape in general, give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Learn why you should only visit HTTPS sites
Everyone uses the internet daily for a variety of reasons: to work, shop, or communicate with other people. Browsing the internet has become so commonplace that we often forget to check whether the websites we visit are safe. Let this serve as a reminder: a website can be deemed safe if the website’s URL has an “S” after the “HTTP.” Learn why that “S” matters. HTTPS encryption The “S” in HTTPS stands for “secured.” It was introduced in 1995, so older websites that have been left on their own without regular maintenance usually don’t have it. But even to this day, unsecure websites exist, and fraudsters can easily take advantage of them. When you visit a site with an HTTP connection, everything you type or click on that website is sent without encryption. This means that anyone who intercepts the data transferred between the website and your computer can view them as is. Cybercriminals know this, and they can exploit this fact to gain access to your Social Security number, credit card information, and other personal data. This puts you at risk of identity theft and other fraudulent activities. HTTPS certificates When you visit a website, your computer uses an online directory to translate its alphanumeric name into a numerical address. It then saves that information on your computer so that it doesn’t have to check the online directory every time you visit the same website. In case your computer gets compromised, it could be manipulated into directing a perfectly safe web address like www.google.com to a malicious website. Most of the time, users are sent to sites that look exactly like the legitimate site but are actually fake copies designed to trick them into divulging their credentials. To prevent such incidents from happening, the online directories mentioned earlier issue an ecosystem of certificates that turn HTTP into HTTPS, making it impossible for anyone to be redirected to a fraudulent website. How does this affect our daily browsing habits? We often visit a multitude of websites in a short period of time without checking each one for padlocks and certificates. Unfortunately, we can’t ignore the importance of HTTPS, so here are a few things to consider the next time you browse the internet: If your browser marks a website as “unsafe,” think twice about clicking “Proceed anyway.” Click the prompt only if you are absolutely certain no confidential data will be transmitted. Add web browser extensions such as HTTPS Everywhere that create encrypted connections to unencrypted websites. These extensions encrypt your communication with websites and are compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers. Always be vigilant. Some sites may have HTTPS, but it doesn’t mean they’re safe. For example, goog1e.com (with the “l” replaced with a one) could have a certificate, but the misspelling clearly indicates that it’s an untrustworthy site. Cybercriminals use similar spellings of authentic websites to fool people into thinking that they’re on a secure site. This is called typosquatting or URL hijacking. And perhaps, just follow the easiest step of all: avoid sites that don’t use the HTTPS prefix. If you want to learn more about safer browsing habits and endpoint security, give our office a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.