Staff Writer, Author at PC Tech Magazine https://pctechmag.com/author/mbvictor/ Uganda Technology News, Analysis & Product Reviews Tue, 31 Oct 2023 19:47:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/pctechmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pctech-subscribe.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Staff Writer, Author at PC Tech Magazine https://pctechmag.com/author/mbvictor/ 32 32 168022664 Best use of cryptocurrencies in casinos 2022 https://pctechmag.com/2022/08/best-use-of-cryptocurrencies-in-casinos-2022/ Tue, 02 Aug 2022 12:55:33 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=65816 With the rise of the blockchain, there has been a big change in how online casinos do business…

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With the rise of the blockchain, there has been a big change in how online casinos do business and how they use technology. The best part is that many of the casinos with the highest RTP rates also accept cryptocurrencies, which is a big plus. In Canada, as in many other places, it is very common to pay with cryptocurrency. After all, it’s quick, easy to use, and most importantly, safe. Not many people know this, but cryptocurrency has only been around for a short time in casinos.

In Canadian casinos, transactions can happen right away because they don’t need permission from a central authority. Also, you won’t have to give out any personal information when you use cryptocurrency. In this article, we’ll talk about how cryptocurrency has changed the casino business and the pros and cons of using them in casinos.

How do casinos use cryptocurrency?

In the last few years, it has become common for online gambling companies to use blockchain technology. On May 2012, bitcoin was the first blockchain-based currency to be accepted by casinos. This made it possible for this to happen.

This was soon followed by the creation of other digital currencies, known as altcoins like Ethereum and the XRP Ripple. NFTs or Non-fungible tokens are another revolutionary ideas that came out of the blockchain industry revolution.

Then people from all over the world started to use these online gaming platforms because they were anonymous and could be used from anywhere. The gambling business has grown a lot because more people are taking advantage of what these casinos have to offer.

Blockchain’s Effect on casino business

Blockchain technology made it possible for cryptocurrencies to be made. Even though cryptocurrency has been around for a long time, its rise has been sped up by the fact that many people are now using it.

Many businesses have benefited from the ease and accessibility of user-to-user payment systems due to cryptocurrencies. The online gambling industry, in particular, is in a good position to benefit from this change. This technology has the potential to improve the security, validity, anonymity, and cost-effectiveness of transactions.

Many people who bet online are afraid that their financial information may be stolen by criminals who are taking advantage of the growth of online gambling. Because of its inherent safety features, it has, blockchain technology is a good option for ensuring the safety of cryptocurrency transactions. A distributed ledger keeps a record of every transaction that takes place with a specific currency.

Cryptocurrency’s Future in Casinos

Blockchain is a technology that can’t be ignored. This is especially true in places top online crypto casinos that depend a lot on technology. In the next ten years, experts think that blockchain technology will change almost every industry, including the gambling business.

Technology makes it possible for players to make online gambling more fair and clear. The biggest problem for a business could be the regulatory issues that come up when it uses blockchain technology.

In some places, gambling businesses can legally accept cryptocurrency as cash right now. Because of this, we can expect to see more casinos using blockchain to audit, track, and record transactions between the players and the operators.

 

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Aircom Systems Now The Official Distributor of Cambium Networks https://pctechmag.com/2022/03/aircom-systems-now-the-official-distributor-of-cambium-networks/ Mon, 07 Mar 2022 17:00:54 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=64713 Aircom Systems Limited a leading company in the technology sector expanded its business relationship with Cambium Networks (NASDAQ: CMBM),…

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Aircom Systems Limited a leading company in the technology sector expanded its business relationship with Cambium Networks (NASDAQ: CMBM), a leading global provider of innovative end-to-end wireless connectivity systems.

With this agreement announced in September 2021, Aircom Systems Limited is authorized to distribute and promote its wide variety of wireless connectivity solutions in the East African Territory of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, D.R. Congo, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Malawi.

With over 11 years experience of serving the East African market, Aircom Systems intends to use a network of resellers made up of ISPs, Telecom companies, Managed Service Providers, and System integrators to reach its target market.

Aircom Systems Limited helps businesses realize the Promise of Technology. It delivers a full spectrum of global technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. Deep expertise in technology solutions, mobility, cloud, and supply chain solutions enables its business partners to operate efficiently and successfully in the markets they serve. Unrivaled agility, deep market insights, and the trust and dependability that come from decades of proven relationships set Ingram Micro apart and ahead.

“We are pleased to start the distribution of Cambium Networks’ platforms. Its network solutions align with our current wireless communications portfolio and deliver more comprehensive connectivity solutions. The ongoing support and expertise Cambium Networks gives its partners are also extremely valuable, and we look forward to helping to connect currently unconnected enterprises of all sizes and verticals across the region,” said Mr. Murali, Aircom Systems Ltd Managing Director.

“Aircom Systems Limited brings a formidable partner network and enterprise networking footprint in the region. Aircom Systems’ strong presence locally in the EAC markets, coupled with Cambium’s disruptive enterprise offerings and existing wireless deployments in these markets, will make for a successful alliance,” said Cambium Networks’ Regional Vice President for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Martín de la Serna.

Aircom Systems distribution partnerships deliver wireless communications that work for businesses, communities, and cities Africa wide. Millions of our radios are deployed to connect people, places, and things with a unified wireless fabric that spans multiple standards and frequencies of fixed wireless and Wi-Fi, all managed centrally via the cloud. Our multi-gigabit wireless fabric offers a compelling value proposition over traditional fiber and alternative wireless solutions. We work with our Cambium-certified Connected Partners to deliver purpose-built networks for service provider, enterprise, industrial, and government connectivity solutions in urban, suburban, and rural environments, with wireless that just works.

With lingering effects of the COVID pandemic, 2021 was a difficult year. Cambium Networks correctly predicted that remote work was not going away and that people would migrate out of the congested city centers. We also predicted a growth in private broadband networks. On the technology front, they foresaw that millimeter-wave technology would have an impact on city centers, which is starting to appear.

In Uganda, users saw improvement and expansion of wireless microwave broadband internet across several locations outside the city center to mainly residential areas.

According to industry experts, 2022 will see continued demand for high-performance wireless broadband driving the deployment of hybrid wireless/wired networks for service providers and enterprise private networks. Adoption of Wi-Fi 6 technology and the opening up of the 6 GHz frequency bands will drive rapid adoption. Specifically:

  1. Hybrid networks (combination of fixed wireless and wired) will become the mainstream network architecture, regardless of funding model – not just in rural areas but in suburban and urban as well. It’s simply a matter of economics (when it can be wireless, it will be wireless) and time to deployment (we can’t wait years for wired networks).
  2. Wi-Fi 6 adoption will grow exponentially, pushed by the shortages in Wi-Fi 5 chipsets, and fueled by iPhone 12/13 adoption. Also, most Wi-Fi 5 based access points will be discontinued (End of Life announced) during 2022. Intelligent and connected home devices will continue to proliferate, continuing to drive demand for bandwidth.
  3. National, state, and local government connectivity will grow. Smart city / safe city applications will remain front and center for every municipal government. Healthcare applications will continue to propel the need for increased bandwidth. As such, the challenging terrain will drive many network extensions to be wireless.
  4. Adoption of 6 GHz will be fast with brief Proof of Concept (PoC) trials which are well underway.
  5. Millimeter-wave adoption will be rapid as network operators have more options in 60 GHz and 5G fixed 28 GHz, frequency bands. For both service providers and enterprises, hybrid networks of 5G, fiber, fixed 5G, and fixed wireless technologies will provide increased end-user capacity and reliability while delivering a solid business case.

In 2022, Uganda continues to experience some of the most profound changes we saw in the past year, including new spectrum allocations and supply chain challenges.

There will also be continued increasing demand for high-speed connectivity at home to meet the needs of remote work, distance learning, better entertainment, and fulfilling the dream of a smarter home.

Even though the economy has “fully opened”, all tech-savvy workers have realized new ways to work from home, hotel, or happening place.

All the above can be designed using Cambium Networks Specialised free software tools, such as Link Planner, Wi-Fi designer cnHeat, and Value Profiler.

One thing remains true. Technology innovation in the wireless space will continue to accelerate in 2022 to bring more affordable high-speed internet to more locations to improve communities.

For more information visit; http://aircomglobal.com

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Why Adult Online Dating is Here to Stay https://pctechmag.com/2021/07/adult-online-dating-are-here-to-stay/ Tue, 13 Jul 2021 07:23:43 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=63041 A secret weapon can come in many forms, but what if it came in the form of a…

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A secret weapon can come in many forms, but what if it came in the form of a webcam chat? Where adult online dating sites are concerned, webcam chats are their best feature – and it’s what sets them apart from regular online dating platforms.

Can webcam chats really be all that special? They can, and you’ll find out why below. Thanks to their versatility, sites like Shagle have attracted millions of users worldwide – and they show no sign of slowing down.

Typical dating sites can cramp your style, but adult dating sites give you a lot more options.

While it’s obvious that regular dating platforms are massively popular, they have some pretty obvious shortcomings. For one thing, if you aren’t able to meet your date in person, you’re stuck with text chat as your primary means of communication – and of building the relationship in general. For another thing, most dating sites have pretty strict policies about nudity and sexual content. In fact, some of them actually employ moderators who patrol the site for violations. Lastly, your average dating site is a popular choice of venue for romance scammers, especially since it’s so easy to sign up with fake profiles.

Text chats vs. video chats

Even if you’re the most active person in every group chat, you may still have a hard time hitting it off with someone online if the only possible mode of communication is text chatting. When you text family and friends, you’re talking to people who already know you. They don’t care if you just aren’t the kind of person who proofreads texts, and they remain unbothered by your lavish use of emojis. This is because they’ve met you in real life, so even if your texting style isn’t 100% coherent, that doesn’t really affect the way they perceive you.

If you’re on a dating site, though, text chatting could be your first, last, and only provided method of communication. If you aren’t that good at getting your point across via text, that could result in all kinds of misconceptions about you. Not only will you be spending a lot of time with few results, but you could also end up with a lower overall success rate.

By comparison, video chats let potential romantic interests see what you look like, what you sound like, and generally the kind of person you are. Sure, people can still misrepresent themselves on a video chat, but it’s a lot harder to pull that off than it is over text chat. Even if you aren’t that good with words, the other person can still see that you’re being sincere simply by looking at your body language.

What about later on in the relationship? Between strict user policies and the inherent limitations of text chatting, there’s only so much you can do to escalate an online relationship on a traditional dating website. Relax the policies and add webcam chats, though, and you’re officially cooking with gas. You and your special someone can go on webcam dates, talk in real-time when either of you has something on your mind, and even get intimate – virtually, of course.

Differences in allowed content and behavior

For what it’s worth, it does make sense for most dating sites to restrict sexual content on their sites. The whole idea is to help people meet each other, with the goal of getting together in real life if all goes well. If that’s what eventually happens, online couples don’t really need a platform that lets them go all the way.

Unfortunately, that isn’t always what happens. Maybe they just don’t have time for that kind of relationship, or they live too far apart for that to be feasible. In those circumstances, a typical dating site would have pretty limited usefulness.

This is why so many people choose adult dating sites instead. They can choose a site that focuses on one-time interactions between singles who are looking for a fling, or they can go with something that supports long-term relationships as well. Either way, they don’t have to limit themselves in order to satisfy the terms and conditions; as long as everything’s legal and consensual, they can pretty much do as they please.

Since you’re able to use webcam chats for conversations, dates, and intimacy, there isn’t nearly as much pressure to move the relationship offline. You can both take your time getting to know each other, without feeling like something crucial is missing.

More trust in the people you meet

Would you like to know how much money was lost in romance scams just last year? According to reported cases, the number comes to USD$304 million. People are lonely, and it seems like they’re willing to overlook some red flags in the hopes that their special someone is real and will take that flight from South Africa really, really soon.

If romance scammers depend on one thing, it’s the ease with which they can impersonate someone else on most dating sites. All you need is a few profile pictures and a story that pulls the heartstrings, and presto – it’s time to layout the bait and see who bites.

If webcam chats are the main form of interaction, though, this type of scam becomes a lot more complicated. Sure, it’s still possible for people to create a false identity on a webcam chat…but you can at least tell that the people you’re talking to aren’t misrepresenting themselves too drastically. This means that most romance scammers will avoid adult dating sites, so you don’t have to be quite as skeptical when you meet someone online.

Adult dating sites aren’t for everyone, but they’re just the ticket for the people who want to actually date online.

What does dating look like for you? Chances are, you can find whatever you’re looking for on the right adult dating site. If you’ve been having a hard time finding that special someone, maybe you just haven’t been looking in the right places.

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5 Barriers to Entry Facing Tech Startups in 2021 https://pctechmag.com/2021/07/barriers-to-entry-facing-tech-startups/ Sat, 10 Jul 2021 04:32:07 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=63037 The theory that dictates only the fittest survive is nothing short of the truth in the world of…

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The theory that dictates only the fittest survive is nothing short of the truth in the world of tech startups. The world of startups is a vicious place brimming with rivalry, which is why many startups close within the first three years. The reason is that it is not easy to withstand the challenges almost every startup company faces in today’s advancing technology realm. However, the biggest challenge in the present time is that the current market has completely changed the working paradigm of startups. Therefore, to understand some of the obstacles and barriers startups face, let us discuss them in detail.

1. Managing the Startup Capital 

Most startups fail within the initial years of their commencement because they fail to maintain sufficient resources and capital to manage all the expenses. This barrier arises when the entrepreneur fails to estimate every function’s reasonable cost in their business plans. For example, you will need extensive resources and capital to cover the expenses of infrastructure, license and permit for production or service, equipment and machinery, and overhead expenses. Any failure to estimate the reasonable cost to launch and run a business can result in bankruptcy.

The reason why capital management is a barrier is that many entrepreneurs miscalculate their resources and splurge unnecessarily. They convince themselves that they have more than they need when the truth is the opposite. In such cases, their startup faces high losses during the initial years and eventually leads to bankruptcy. To avoid this problem, entrepreneurs should opt to secure capital through funding, angel investment, etc. Apart from that, they must prioritize different aspects of the business plan and make smart investment decisions. But how can they ensure this if they don’t possess relevant and updated accounting and financial knowledge? For mastering new industry norms and honing financial skills essential to making lucrative investment decisions, it is imperative to learn the ropes of the finance world.

An online degree will suffice for this endeavor as it allows you to work on your startup side-by-side. For instance, an online master of accounting will help you polish your skills for financial planning, creating business strategies, managing investments, cash management, etc.

2. Economies of Scale

Economies of scale serve as another challenging barrier to entry for startups in the tech field. It is a cost advantage that large tech companies enjoy due to their size and production scale. This barrier makes it difficult for any startup to enter a market and mark its position. It is usually the result of different factors related to technological products’ demand and availability. But there are cases when this barrier is artificially set in place by the giant companies that hold a competitive edge in the market or by the state’s government.

This barrier generally discourages small startups from entering a market or targeting some niche. Because if larger firms enjoy economies of sales, then the startup firm will face a heavy disadvantage in cost and return ratio.

3. Product Differentiation 

Similar products or services with slight variations give startups a disadvantage. This disadvantage is more prominent in the tech industry as people develop loyalties towards a specific brand they identify with it the most. To stand out in such a scenario and attract customer attention, startups have to spend hefty amounts to gain attention and shift loyalties. Startups can try by designing a unique technologically advanced product or innovating the current market offerings.

Even offering augmented products or supplementary product solutions can help penetrate the tech market. However, to attain a large chunk of the market share, innovation and differentiation are the key ingredients.

4. Technical Knowledge Base Barriers

Many startups face an issue in launching their idea in the market because they cannot afford or acquire the level of high technology they need to fulfill the demand. For example, to create an application or software, the startup must possess a competent team having the capabilities to develop unique software. At the same time, they will need to rely upon creativity and innovation if they aim to stand out amongst the competition. The high-competitive companies with advance tech knowledge can often beat startups by introducing a better version in the market and destroying competition. Therefore, the technical knowledge and expertise base of tech giants act as a considerable barrier.

5. Customer Switching Costs 

Many tech giants have control over the market when it comes to the tech industry because of their brand identity and customer loyalty. For a startup to stay in business in such cutthroat competition would demand them to spend resources to switch customers. Convincing a customer that your services and products are worth the cost of switching from the competitor brand is not simple. It creates fierce competition in the market and calls for extensive marketing campaigns to establish a name for your startup. Take the example of telecommunication service providers. The cost involved in switching from one carrier to the other is not high. Yet, it takes a lot of marketing and effort to retain switching customers. The startup, hence, has to make the switch worth the cost, which can prove to become a barrier.

Conclusion
Startup companies face many barriers and challenges that often have them closing shop or bankrupt in the market. These barriers are the reason why many tech startups shut down within the initial years of their launch. However, if your startup can devise strategies to overcome these barriers, you can rise above the competition. You can overcome these barriers by increasing capital investment, hiring the best talent, and managing your resources. If you can secure investment and capital from multiple places and create strategies that utilize these resources properly, overcoming these barriers won’t be a problem.

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The Instagram Algorithm in 2021 https://pctechmag.com/2021/07/the-instagram-algorithm-in-2021/ Fri, 09 Jul 2021 23:00:03 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=63016 Do you have an Instagram account that is relatively new and wants to know what you should be…

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Do you have an Instagram account that is relatively new and wants to know what you should be doing to be recognized by the algorithm? Are you having trouble getting your name out there and want to know how the Instagram algorithm works?

Instagram started as a simple photo-sharing platform where you could share images with your friend. Back then, you would see all of the posts in chronological order and this was great for a while. These days Instagram has really stepped up its game and completely changed social media. Here you can now share both photos and videos on a multitude of features.

Instagram also has a new algorithm which means you don’t see your followers’ posts in chronological order anymore. Oftentimes, this means that smaller, or less popular accounts get left in the dark. If you want to know how the Instagram algorithm works in 2021 and how to beat it, here is what you need to know.

It is all about engagement
Success on Instagram is all about the algorithm and knowing your way around it. In past years many people have had their complaints about the algorithm and how it works, but in the long run, it is incredibly effective. The Instagram algorithm shows people what they want, and typically this is the most popular content. When it comes to the algorithm, engagement is a key factor. But in order to work on the engagement, you need to get a solid number of followers. An Instagram growth service like Growthsilo allows you to quickly build up your follower base, so you can invest more time in engagement.  When Instagram started the algorithm used to let you see everyone’s posts in chronological order on your feed, but these days it is a little more advanced than that.

In fact, the algorithm works almost purely off of engagement. The more you receive, the better chance you have of being noticed by the algorithm and having your content pushed to a larger audience.

If you are struggling with getting people to engage with you on the platform, you should try engaging yourself. Due to the fact that engagement is such a key element on Instagram, they have implemented and introduces a plethora of ways that allow you to communicate and interact with your audience, from commenting or direct messaging, to something more subtle like sharing and liking other users’ content. This is a great way to get noticed, encourage others to engage with you, and also gain more followers that really like you.

Mind your Timing
Timing is another factor to consider when thinking about the Instagram algorithm in 2021. It is so important to track your timing and make sure you are timing your posts to be uploaded when you know your audience will be the most active. Although Instagram works mostly off an engagement, it has some sense of time and more recent posts will be shown first.

This means that if you want your content and account to be successful, you need to be posting when your followers are most active. Typically, this will be in the morning before work or school and in the evening before they go to bed, but it will vary from niche to niche depending on the make-up of the people in that niche.

Be consistent
Last but not least consistency is a big part of the Instagram algorithm. While it may not necessarily mean your posts will be seen more often, it will mean that you will be more likely to receive more engagement from your followers and other users. A previous point discussed that engagement is by far the most important element of the Instagram algorithm and the more you have, the better your chances of being noticed.

However, the more content you have, the better the chances you have of being engaged. And this means posting consistently. You should be posting at the same time every day so that people know when to expect content from you and that you have a steady flow of content for people to engage with. The lifespan of a post on Instagram is relatively short and it is easy for it to get lost among the other posts after a few minutes. By posting more frequently, you give your account the best shot at being noticed.

Ultimately, even though the Instagram algorithm is tricky to wrap your head around, it is in place to gives users the best possible experience. If you want to make your account more noticeable for the algorithms you just need to put in the work and you will see the results.

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At the Heart of Successful Smart Devices is an Effective Data Analytics Strategy https://pctechmag.com/2021/07/successful-smart-devices-have-an-effective-data-analytics-strategy/ Fri, 09 Jul 2021 07:23:46 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=63013 Successful businesses depend on data: this is true no matter what sector you are currently operating in. industries…

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Successful businesses depend on data: this is true no matter what sector you are currently operating in. industries such as aviation, agriculture, supply chain, manufacturing, and healthcare, in particular, all rely on the data provided by connected smart devices to make key-critical business decisions. Smart devices offer embedded solutions to harness greater insights into both the way businesses operate, as well as the way their products and services are being accessed and utilized by consumers.

That’s why, at the heart of successful smart devices, is an effective data analytics strategy. Here we assess how data analytics can be aided by smart devices, and how you can harness that to improve your own business success:

Improving Customer Experiences
One of the main draws of using smart devices to assist or drive your data analytics strategy is that these devices can improve your customer experience, by helping you to better understand your customers’ needs and the way that they utilize your products in the first place. Retail is thriving in this data-driven arena, and harnessing customer information in this way is successfully driving a new technology-driven strategy within this field. But the potential is much wider than simply retail. Using this data-driven strategy is how retailers such as Amazon have thrived in the past five years.

Retailers now focus on connecting with their customers, making the journey to purchase as easy and as friction-free as possible for them, and anticipating their needs. New data streams and applications are what make this possible.

Increased Operational Efficiency
If you’re operating within a manufacturing arena then smart devices will be most useful for your business to help improve operational efficiency. Your machine downtime can be managed and limited, for example, because you will be instantly aware of how much use a machine is having and when it will be next due for service or repair. Digital twin technology is the latest development in this field, enabling workers to learn on the job, and allowing operational costs and system downtime to be slashed considerably when something goes wrong. AR headsets, tablets, and smart goggles can all be used to make maintenance or part upgrades faster and smoother than ever before.

The drive to reduce waste is something that is closely linked to operational efficiency, and something that can also be enhanced using smart device digital data. Smart devices can help businesses to better control their supply chain, ensuring that wastage is either removed or becomes a minimal concern, potentially saving millions.

Putting Data at the Heart
When designing a smart device, the way that the data that the device collates can be assimilated and used effectively should be considered. The role of the device as a tool for data gathering is just as important as its primary function because this data can be utilized in such a wide range of different ways. Putting data at the heart of your design is a smart choice and one that will ultimately lead to increased business success.

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2021 Guide: Practices and Tips to Improving Customer Satisfaction https://pctechmag.com/2021/07/practices-and-tips-to-improving-customer-satisfaction/ Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:39:36 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=62977 Customer satisfaction has a significant influence on your business’s success. Low levels of satisfaction mean that your customer…

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Customer satisfaction has a significant influence on your business’s success. Low levels of satisfaction mean that your customer loyalty and retention levels will likely below as well. In addition, low customer satisfaction levels also indicate poor customer service, a big problem that costs businesses more than $60 billion a year!

In this article, we’re sharing 6 practices and advanced tips that can improve customer satisfaction regardless of your company’s size and industry.

1. Rely on Data and Databases

By utilizing advanced data analytics, brands can create a fast and easy customer experience. The right database gives organizations real-time insights that can increase productivity and efficiency in sales, marketing, and customer service departments. It can also help deliver personalized experiences that make your customers feel valued and appreciated, which is what a great customer experience is all about.

Through tools such as MongoDB, companies can collect, store, and analyze customer data in order to improve the experience at every stage of the customer’s journey. You can make a Tableau MongoDB connection to seamlessly create the Tableau dashboards and visualizations that will help you extract and analyze the insights from your multi-structured data.

2. Build a Mobile App

Nowadays, companies are looking for innovative ways to improve customer experience and, in turn, boost their customer satisfaction levels. They’re increasingly using multiple channels to communicate and interact with customers and mobile is definitely one of the channels that deserve special attention.

Being easily accessible via smartphones has become a priority for many brands and mobile apps have become a powerful marketing and consumer engagement tool. Providing your customers with a tech-smart option is a great way to increases your brand’s popularity, boost customer loyalty, collect valuable feedback, and much more!

If you’ve been wondering how to create an app that will make your business stand out from the crowd, you should know that this is not nearly as complicated or as expensive as it sounds. By using an app builder, you can easily create an app without coding. There are platforms out there that provide a ready-made structure with examples. Depending on the platform, you can start from scratch or use ready-made templates for specific app types or niches and finish the app within hours.

3. Provide Effective Customer Support

When customers face an issue with your products or service or they want to ask a question related to your brand, they expect you to be easy to reach and respond quickly offering a decent solution. This makes sense, considering the fact that people today don’t have much free time, so forcing them to spend an hour dealing with ineffective customer support can significantly impact your customer satisfaction levels.

According to Forrester, more than 70% of Americans claim that the best thing a company can do to offer excellent customer support is to “appreciate their time.” In order to achieve this, consider offering omnichannel support, i.e. make sure your customers can reach you via multiple channels like email, phone, and live chat. You should also respond on time on social media and provide self-help options on your website, such as a FAQ page and/or a knowledge base.

4. Use Customer Communities

These communities offer valuable insights into customer expectations, desires, and needs and they can help you significantly improve your approach to customer service. Today more than ever, the most advanced companies are leveraging their customer communities to test new products, generate product ideas, and improve their customer service.

Research data confirms the importance of using a customer community:

  • Nearly 70% percent of brands use customer communities to gain customer feedback on products or services, which leads to increased retention and engagement;
  • More than 25% of community managers said that customer support is the single most important benefit that people get out of their community;
  • About 65% of consumers trust online reviews, which makes collecting and promoting customer feedback crucial for your company.
5. Reward Loyal Customers

According to research, 75% of customers would switch brands for a better loyalty program and more than 50% of them will prioritize the brands where they have points and rewards in their account. Running a loyalty program not only enables you to provide your customers with a personalized experience but also makes it easy for you to collect relevant customer data.

If you put customer needs at the center of your marketing efforts and execute a loyalty program well, customers will feel good about buying from you and that will give your brand a competitive edge against your competition.

6. Measure Customer Satisfaction Regularly

Studies have found that companies with a customer-centric mindset drive 4% to 8% higher revenues than their competitors. If you want to know where you stand when it comes to customer satisfaction, measuring your customer satisfaction scores can give you valuable insights into what works well and what areas need improvement.

The three most important customer experience metrics are:

  • CES (Customer Effort Score) – measures how much effort a customer has to exert to get a request fulfilled, an issue resolved, etc.
  • CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) – measures how satisfied a customer is with a particular interaction or overall experience.
  • NPS (Net Promoter Score) – measures the willingness of a customer to recommend a company’s products and services to others.
Final Thoughts

While there is no single universal solution for improving customer satisfaction levels, it is vital to develop a customer-centric mindset that will help inform your company’s direction and business decisions. The above list of tips and practices can serve as a great starting point but the possibilities are endless.

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10 Amazing Web Design Portfolio to Spark Your Brain https://pctechmag.com/2021/07/amazing-web-design-portfolio-to-spark-your-brain/ Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:01:29 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=62973 All graphic and web designers must carry a beautifully designed portfolio. It’s one of the best ways to…

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All graphic and web designers must carry a beautifully designed portfolio. It’s one of the best ways to set themselves apart from beginners and display their professionalism. Many designers uniquely create a web design portfolio to showcase their best work to their customers and promote their skills.

A navigable and unique web design portfolio will tell you a lot about the design aspects, besides the technical perspective of creating a website. It will give you an excellent idea about the type of abilities the designer has in store. Apart from that, the portfolio stands out to reflect the designer’s professionalism, attitude, and passion. Creating an excellent portfolio will help all the designers establish credibility and rapport with their customers.

10 Amazing Web Design Portfolio

If you wish to create the best website portfolio for yourself, you can check out some of the currently available portfolios on the internet. These uniquely designed and the best web design portfolio examples will surely provide you with many ideas for your own portfolio. Check them out.

1. Alex Coven

Web and graphic designer Alex Coven has a beautiful portfolio. His website has a hamburger menu located on the left side and has smooth scrolling animation and effects. Alex also utilizes his portfolio to highlight all his projects with full-screen pictures and also enables individuals to learn more about his work through his case study work.

2. Ben Mingo

Ben Mingo is a graphic designer from California. He has one of the best design portfolio websites where displays his unique work and employs an out-of-this-world strategy to magnify the user’s experience. He has replaced the mouse wheel with a drag and clicks option to traverse the whole website.

3. Etienne Godiard

Etienne Godiard is a professional graphic designer from France. When compared with others, Etienne has a website portfolio that is truly one-of-a-kind. The entire website is powered by WordPress, where people have to scroll through the portfolio products by scrolling down or up.

4. Oliver Guilleux

Oliver Guilleux is a French freelance WordPress developer, and his website is powered by WordPress as well. Apart from that, he also uses his own design for his portfolio website. Guilleux likes vibrant shades and gradients, which you will come across throughout his entire website. Apart from that, he also uses a background, which is fully animated.

5. Eugene So

Eugene is a web designer from Rhode Island. She has a unique graphic designer portfolio website that has a modern-style split-page design. Eugene’s one half of Eugene’s website displays the pictures of her project, and the other half contains information about her work. All the products in her portfolio open up on the same window without any loading delays.

6. Kuon Yagi

Kuon Yagi is a professional UX and web designer from Tokyo, Japan. Yagi’s portfolio stands out as one of the best web portfolio examples for all beginners or amateurs. His website is filled with vibrant shades and animation, along with an interactive background. Also, the transition effects are one of the main reasons that make his portfolio stand out.

7. Marco Marino

This Italian UI & UX designer also has a unique portfolio. Marco Marino utilizes a static site with no-scrolling and an animated background. Marino is huge in minimalism because the homepage of his website uses only 20 words. The portfolio page is the critical feature of Marco’s website, and it only displays the name of the projects he worked on.

8. Karen Song

Karen is a user experience and visual designer and works with numerous well-known companies, such as Ford and Microsoft. Song’s website features only a minimal, which displays all her previous work. Her site has a primary image gallery option that shows a bit of information on each picture when you hover over them.

9. Daniel Polevoy

Daniel is a professional and skilled product designer, and his website utilizes a scrolling design, highlighting all his past projects. You can see all his projects one at a time while you keep scrolling down. On the other hand, his website is also powered by WordPress.

10. Julie Bonneymoy

Julie Bonneymoy is a freelance web designer from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Her portfolio contains a fun welcome message, an animated background, and a quirky design. It will start getting a lot better when you keep scrolling way down further. Julie’s website also carries a lot of transition animations.

Useful Tools That Will Help You Design Better And Faster

When you have decided to create one of the best web design portfolios for yourself, you require an excellent tool for the job. This is where Wondershare Mockitt comes in. It’s the best software for creating beautiful portfolios. Mockitt provides some powerful tools to help you make one of the best design portfolio websites with no hassle. Look below!

Wondershare Mockitt is one of the best software for creating beautiful portfolios. (SCREENSHOT)
Wondershare Mockitt is one of the best software for creating beautiful portfolios. (SCREENSHOT)
  • Flow chart tool: The tool will enable you to understand the progress and flow of your design. Apart from that, it will also tell you how far you have reached within your project. In return, it will help you send out a clear message to your customers once the project is completed.
  • Design tool: The design tool can provide you with real-time collaboration with your designing team. It comes with a diverse range of vector tools, widgets, pen tools, and page layout tools. You can easily make design standards and specifications for your design team so that they can follow them.
  • Prototyping tool: This particular tool can help you build a mockup that looks appealing in the eyes of the consumers. The tool comes with a drop and drag option along with a wide range of templates and widgets.
Conclusion

Creating or building a web design portfolio takes time, energy, and patience. It’s essential to make a portfolio that can easily grab the attention of the users or consumers. Whether you want to upgrade a current portfolio or wish to create a brand-new one, you can use Wondershare Mockitt for the job. The software comes with unique features, and it’s like the other designing tools you come across in the market.

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Why Are Native Ads Better Than Display Ads https://pctechmag.com/2021/07/native-are-ads-better-than-display-ads/ Wed, 07 Jul 2021 00:00:16 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=62967 Both native advertising and display advertising are important tools for digital marketing. Oftentimes, publishers are stuck in between…

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Both native advertising and display advertising are important tools for digital marketing. Oftentimes, publishers are stuck in between choosing either native ads or display ads.

However, the fact that using advertising as a tool to earn more revenue from your site remains unchallenged.

While some publishers are not ready to let go of native display ads as a tool for digital marketing, some have embraced native advertising and they’re already putting it to effective use.

Also, you might be wondering since they’re both paid ads, what then is the difference between them?

The purpose of this article is to shed more light on why truly native ads are better than display ads.

But before we go on to that, let’s understand the meaning of the two components of digital marketing.

Native advertising

We could say that the term native advertising was derived from how it approaches advertising. This form of advertising was designed in such a way that it blends in smoothly with the original content making it feel less obstructive and disturbing than other forms of advertising.

How to recognize a native ad
More often than not, it is hard to recognize native ads on a website or social media platform. But there are ways by which you can tell when content is infused with a native ad.

You can tell by the inscription of words like sponsored or paid content posted at the top of the content. Save for these tell-tale signs, it is usually difficult to decipher a native ad from the original content.

Display advertising

As a tool for digital marketing, display advertising has been an effective one. It used to be an effective way of advertising and earning revenue well before the inception of native advertising.

How to recognize a display ad

As the name implies, display ads come in visual forms. It makes use of videos, images, or pop-ups to pass across messages. It was formerly known as banner ads.

Generally, display ads are easy to find. From the small or large ads that appear when you open a website to the images, texts, and audios you see as you continue on that site, they’re all display ads.

Having understood what the different types of ads mean, let’s continue with why native ads are considered to be better than display ads.

Native ads are better than display ads, True/False?

True! Native ads are better than display ads. We’d be comparing and contrasting the different types of advertising to establish the fact that truly, native ads are better than display ads.

While native ads have a knack for driving traffic to your site, that can’t be said about display ads.

As earlier stated, native ads embed themselves into the contents that it’s hardly passable for an ad. This increases users’ interest and engages them. They’d hardly know when they come across an ad and click on links that the ad is advertising.

But display ads, although used to be effective, come with many inconveniences. It not only disrupts users’ experience, but it shortens users’ stay on a site. This is in no way helpful in driving traffic to one’s site.

Also, due to its advertising approach, native ads earn more revenue from your site because of the high clickability rate. It increases sales and influences brand awareness greatly.

This is not applicable to display ads. Because of the consistent pop-ups, videos, and images, consumers may opt to block out ads to ease their experience on a site or they can choose to ignore it deliberately.

This doesn’t contribute to the growth of a brand and it definitely cannot increase revenue. Once the purpose of advertising is defeated, what then Is the essence of advertising?

Bottom line

As this article has shown, native ads contribute greatly to the growth of a brand by promoting brand awareness and it also earns more revenue or profit for a brand.

It engages users and prolongs their stay on a site. In case you’re still in doubt, native advertising is an improved version of display advertising.

It is better to adopt this new development so you can thrive in this ever-developing digital marketing environment.

The post Why Are Native Ads Better Than Display Ads appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

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Editor’s Pick: How To Fight Counterfeit Sales Online https://pctechmag.com/2021/07/fighting-counterfeit-sales-online/ Tue, 06 Jul 2021 22:00:40 +0000 https://pctechmag.com/?p=62963 Online shopping has become tremendously popular over recent years. While it comes with plenty of benefits, it also…

The post Editor’s Pick: How To Fight Counterfeit Sales Online appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

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Online shopping has become tremendously popular over recent years. While it comes with plenty of benefits, it also comes with its share of challenges. For instance, the possibility of consumers buying counterfeit products is very high.

Counterfeit goods can hurt a brand’s image. This is why brands need to protect their customers from not only buying counterfeit products but protect their image too. Counterfeit goods are all over the internet. They crop up at the top of search results, making it difficult to differentiate them from genuine goods. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways that brands can fight counterfeit sales online.

In this article, we are going to explore some of the top ways brands can combat counterfeiters online. Let’s delve into them.

  1. Get the full picture of the counterfeiting problem

It is pretty difficult to fight something if you don’t understand it fully. If a brand wants to fight counterfeit sales online, it must get its full picture. Brands need to review and analyze each sale and distribution channel. For instance, social media is one of the most channels consumers use for shopping. So they need to examine it closely to understand the scope of online counterfeit. Brands can also use monitoring software to help them detect where counterfeits of their brand are present on the internet.

  1. Monitor marketing and promotion efforts

Another thing, brands ought to be on the lookout for marketing and promotion efforts. When it comes to the internet, illegitimate sellers also use similar promotion practices as legit sellers. Counterfeit sellers can also use effective practices, such as search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, backlinks, paid search advertising, etc., to increase traffic to their illegal offerings and reduce the marketing return on investment of legal brands. So, monitoring for these promotional efforts is critical as it enables the next best practice.

  1. Prepare intellectual property

Registered IP rights like copyrights and trademarks are a requirement for enforcement. For instance, registration is essential for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seizures of counterfeits. In addition to that, it is a crucial tool for brands that want to approach marketplaces. So, one of the best ways brands can protect their image is by registering their name, a logo, and a trademark. Trademarks are protective. Brands must register their trademark in every jurisdiction in which they manufacture, market, and sell their products.

  1. Educate teams across the organization

Another perfect way that brands can fight counterfeiters is by educating their teams on how to protect against online counterfeit. Your employees can potentially spot and report counterfeit products. After all, your employees have your organization’s interest at heart, that’s why they can identify anything that may harm the brand’s image. Brands need to educate their team on how to identify counterfeiting, who to contact, and the tools they need to use when with dealing counterfeiters. Of course, this can go a long way in fighting counterfeiting.

  1. Be proactive

The best way brands can stop counterfeiters from winning is by fighting back. If a brand can’t fight to stop counterfeiting, it gives these counterfeiters more reasons to continue breaching its intellectual property and make a profit out of it.

On the other hand, when brands fight to stop counterfeit products from online channels like AliExpress or Amazon, they make it quite difficult for counterfeiters to breach their rights.

  1. Come up with an effective strategy for monitoring and enforcement

Understand the online counterfeiting issue holistically and then come up with the best protection strategy that suits your needs. To achieve maximum results, brands need to prioritize their enforcement based on threats and efficiency.

The post Editor’s Pick: How To Fight Counterfeit Sales Online appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

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