Paypal Account

I thought it was very interesting that when we were designing our webpage, we could not add any products to be bought without having a Paypal account. This is very smart on the part of the webdesigners because it makes sure that there is a proper system set up that allows the business owners to get paid. When I did research on Paypal, I feel like it is the most reliable paying system that is used on the internet. I think it is also the one that is most trusted by consumers and by having Paypal, it makes your business seem more legitimate. For this reason, we used Paypal on our website.

Using Klout

            Another tool that I would recommend using is a tool called Klout. I do not understand how the calculations are made because it is made with complex algorithms, but it seems to provide some good feedback. Essentially what Klout does is that it measures the amount of traffic on a webpage, Tweets, re-Tweets, Likes, Un-likes, and other information, and calculates then how many people your social media has actually reached.  This can be a very effective tool because one can see how there can be a domino effect in one person seeing the website, and how a re-Tweet can then be seen by hundreds or thousands. With the use of social media, one can spend very little money, and have it be seen by thousands.

Google Analytics

            After doing research on how to measure if social media is profiting a company, I feel like the best way is to use Google Analytics.  This is a tool that allows you to track what page a person is on when they “Like” like your website or business. This allows people who are assigned with Google +1 button to track activity on their website.  This can also be used for Tweets in a way where if a person Tweets a something from your website, it will be tracked in Google Analytics to see where on your website is being affective. Practically, you can set up a social media campaign and track the activity of people who are looking at it. Using Google Analytics you can track where people saw it, how long the spent on it, and updates can be sent directly to you. One can then compare the sales of their business when the campaign was started to before the campaign, and use a cause and effect analysis to determine the most likely reason for an increase in sales.

Shopping Trends

A recent article that I just read talked about how everything is seemingly going mobile. People are using smartphones to access their data, to check stocks, and to purchase products. What a smart producer will do is have applications for their business that people can easily use on their mobile devices. This will create convenience for customer that will in turn make them more willing to purchase the products the producer wants them to buy. However, they have to understand that the trend of society is going mobile. If all a company has is a website that is hard to work on a mobile device, it could definitely hurt them in the long run.

Using Facebook to Help Website

On a recent article that I just read it made a good point that using Facebook is key to having your business explode. They talked about how Facebook is a place where people can go 24/7 to buy your products so you need to have a welcoming Facebook page that can direct them to your actual website. I think this is a step many people forget about or forgo. They feel they need to just have a good looking website, but they do not understand that a bad looking Facebook page will hurt their business. I think this is why so many companies are paying people to setup AND maintain their Facebook pages.

Enhancing our Websites Appeal

I just got done reading an article on 4 ways that a person can easily make their website more appealing. I feel that the number 1 solution is the most effective way is the most effective. If we can make the website visually appealing it will draw the attention of customers to a greater degree. There have been many website that I have been on that have a very poor design and I simply leave the site because of that. They could have exactly what I am looking for on their site, but I do not want to look at unappealing stuff. Another thing that will greatly affect how well a sight is received is by showing good looking materials on the website. If you are selling a product, you do not want to put up pictures of the product that make it look bad. Unfortunately, there are many websites that this is true of. Fixing these two problems will help generate more business from a website.

Tweets on Commercials

There is a new Taco Bell commercial that is out that is advertising for their new taco that is made of a Doritos shell. In the commercial, they have what a supposedly actual Tweets from customers who have eaten the new taco. They pop up a Twitter box with the Tweet in it, and then a person reads the Tweet and says who it was from. They are all about how good the new Taco is, and my guess is the reason they are using actual customers is to show that real people like the new product. I still find that this type of advertising is a little weird, but if it works, who am I to say otherwise?

Getting Licensed

I just got done taking my Life, Accident & Health test and I passed! This is a big relief to get done with as now I can start studying for my Series 7 and Series 66 exams. In order to pass this exam, I had to take 40 hours of classes that taught us the information. It was essentially a semester class given to you in 1 week. It worked best in my schedule to take the class during an actual school week because of other commitments I had after school is out. This was a huge blessing to get done, but it also cost me some in school because I had to miss a week of class. I am thankful that some good studying will make up for any of the missed time!

Things I have learned

I have recently done 30+ hours of community service at a homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. During my time, there have been many things that I have learned and I have also got hit with some major doses of reality. The first thing I realized is that I am very blessed to have everything that I have. I have nothing to complain about and I have to thank the Lord for everything that He has blessed me with. It really resignates with me how the Bible says to care for those who are in need. I realize that it is my responsibilty as a Christian to watch out for my fellow humans and try to help them out in anyway that I can.  Even though the long hours are tough, this has been a good expierence.