What is a QR Code?

So you may have heard that QR Codes are set to become the ‘next big thing’ but thinking to yourself, what is a QR Code!? QR or Quick Response Codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode that can be read using smartphones and dedicated QR reading devices, that link directly to text, emails, websites, phone numbers and more! You may have even got to this site by scanning a QR code!

QR codes are huge in Japan and across the East, and are slowly beginning to become commonplace in the West. Soon enough you will see QR codes on product packaging, shop displays, printed and billboard advertisements as well as in emails and on websites. The scope of use for QR codes really is huge, particularly for the marketing and advertising of products, brands, services and anything else you can think of.

Why should I care about QR Codes?

With as many as half of us now owning smartphones, and that number growing on a daily basis, QR Codes have the potential to have a major impact upon society and particularly in advertising, marketing and customer service with a wealth of product information just one scan away.

Ordinarily we think of a barcode as a collection of vertical lines; 2D Barcodes or QR Codes are different in that the data is stored in both directions and can be scanned vertically OR horizontally.

How is a QR Code different from a normal 1D UPC barcode?

Whilst a standard 1D Barcode (UPC/EAN) stores up to 30 numbers, a QR Barcode can store up to a massive 7,089! It is this massive amount of data that enables links to such things as videos, Facebook or Twitter pages or a plethora of other website pages.

How do I scan a QR Code?

If you have a smartphone like an iPhone, Android or Blackberry then there a number of different barcode scanner applications such as Red Laser, Barcode Scanner and QR Scanner that can read and decode data from a QR code. The majority of these are completely FREE, and all you have to do once you install one is to use your phone’s camera to scan the barcode, which will then automatically load the encoded data for you.

We’ve included one in this article for you to try, if you have a smart phone give it a go.

Cloud Storage

People collect “stuff”! Quite a sweeping statement but true nonetheless and once they’ve gathered enough stuff, they have to find places to store all of it. If we think of computer information, the same statement holds true and everyone with a computer spends a lot of time acquiring data and then trying to find a way to store it.

For some computer owners, finding enough storage space to hold all the data they’ve acquired is a real challenge. Some people invest in larger hard drives. Others prefer external storage devices like thumb drives or compact discs. Desperate computer owners might delete entire folders worth of old files in order to make space for new information. But some are choosing to rely on a growing trend: cloud storage.

While cloud storage sounds like it has something to do with weather fronts and storm systems, it really refers to saving data to an off-site storage system maintained by a third party. Instead of storing information to your computer’s hard drive or other local storage device, you save it to a remote database. The Internet provides the connection between your computer and the database.

On the surface, cloud storage has several advantages over traditional data storage. For example, if you store your data on a cloud storage system, you’ll be able to get to that data from any location that has Internet access. You wouldn’t need to carry around a physical storage device or use the same computer to save and retrieve your information. With the right storage system, you could even allow other people to access the data, turning a personal project into a collaborative effort.

For more information on cloud storage or to get it set up contact sean@retinamedia.co.uk

Increase Traffic with Blog Content

No matter how you look at it your blog content is the seed from which the site will grow! It is a combination of the quality of information reflected in your blog posting and your success at getting others to view it! What you are ultimately trying to do is get more traffic to your blog platform and our discussion here is how to do just that! It starts with getting more people to see your blog posting efforts which can be accomplished by combining your fine quality content with some strategic linking!

Here are 3 simple yet very powerful ways in which to attract a larger viewing audience to your blog platform by the effective use of linking!

Internal Linking

Whenever you are doing any blog posting to your platform it is always recommended to link the new update with others on your site. What you want to do is determine a relevance between the new entry with any others formerly posted. This helps viewers navigate your platform much easier when seeking additional information they might have otherwise overlooked! In addition search engines will find it much easier to navigate the site and the more relevancy they find between and amongst varying updates, the higher your ranking!

Visiting Your Neighbors

It is always a good idea to go out and visit other sites within your niche to see what is happening and capture new ideas. When you land on a blog platform that has a discussion going on that captures your attention, do not be afraid to join. When contributing always try to add value or insight to the discussion and ALWAYS be sure you leave a link back to your own site! This is NOT a guarantee of having other sites linking back to you since your comments need to be sincere, constructive and without blatant self-promoting. On the other hand when they do it opens the door for you to get more traffic back from these sites. If what you got to offer on your own platform is worth their visit you can be sure they will refer their friends as well!

Killer Updates

Everything starts and ends with the quality of your own blog posting. You can invite any and everybody to come take a look, but if they do not like what they see you will not see them again! On the other hand updating your site with useful, informative or otherwise entertaining information will get you noticed! If what you display is good enough, other sites will notice and refer their own readers by linking to a particular post on your platform. In fact ‘resource blogs’ thrive on the quality information that ‘others’ create to update their own sites. The fact is this is yet another source of incoming traffic you did not have to actively invest the effort to generate!

Your blog content is the key to how you will get more traffic which of course is what you will need to operate a successful site! Updating the site with your high quality blog posting efforts is only half the battle, the other being making others aware of what you have posted! No matter what the quality of information that may be found on any blog platform, if you have no viewers your efforts are for naught! The 3 suggestions offered above simply make use of some strategic linking in combination with some already existent content to help you get more traffic to your site! Once people do arrive the rest is up to you insofar as what you have to offer them since it must be good to get them to return!

Good IT Support

Having an internal IT department is an expensive affair especially for small and medium businesses. Thus, it is common for many of these businesses to outsource Network Support. Many times when there are connectivity issues a call has to be made to bring in outside help. A network support company therefore ensures your network runs smoothly and that everybody is back online whenever a problem occurs.

Network Support Issues

Network support issues range from minor hiccoughs which people can fix themselves to major problems or issues which require you to call in the experts. Minor issues may include simple things such as disconnected or loose cables or wrong password entries. Major issues on the other hand may include problems such as damaged cables, wrong configurations and poor wireless reception. When major issues such as these are experienced a network support company should be brought in order to fix the problem in a professional manner.

Upgrading

There may also be times when a small company realises that they have outgrown their current capabilities and need to upgrade to a more superior network. In such a situation, a network support company will help to identify the right equipment and upgrade the network.

How to Select a Network Support Company

The most important thing to look out for when selecting a network support company is reliability, knowledge and cost. These three are the necessary ingredients to ensure that you receive seamless service.

• Reliability – this is extremely important because an unreliable provider can cost you a lot of money when they fail to restore your network on time. You need to be sure that when you give them a call, they will be at your premises within the shortest time possible or least provide a short term quick fix solution over the phone.
• Knowledge – they need to know their stuff. They must have answers at their fingertips. There is nothing as annoying as a technician who doesn’t know what s/he is doing or can’t seem to figure it out. Their knowledge of networking systems, protocols and procedures must be impeccable. The only way to tell whether their expertise is top notch is to speak to existing clients. If they have references, call and find out whether they are as good as they claim to be.
• Cost – at the end of it all, it is pointless to outsource network support if you end up spending more than if you had simply hired an in-house techie. You must weigh the total cost against what you are getting and compare this against what it would cost you to employ your own IT staff.
• Network support has become an important service to businesses today due to the pivotal role that IT plays in a business. Downtime of even a few hours can lead to massive losses in productivity especially for companies that are IT intensive. It is therefore important to ensure that you identify the right company to assist you in case things go awry.

Find Your Niche

Niche web directories are a great way for small online business owners to list their information in a place where others in the industry and potential customers can easily find them. Directories group sites that are all related to one theme or subject. What niche web directories would best suit your business?

Niche Web Directories Versus Search Engines

Niche web directories are different from search engines in that they are highly specialized. Go to a craft directory, for example, and type in the words ‘space travel’ and you’ll probably come up with craft supplies to make planetary systems. Very specific! You won’t find NASA’s website or scientific analyzes of recent space shuttle flights in an arts and crafts niche web directory. But go to space or science niche web directory and you may find a link to the craft site that specializes in making model space shuttles.

Niche web directories do relate to search engines in that search engines rank them highly. Due to the intensity of filtering that most directories apply to the sites that they include, search engines highly respect them. This level of respect is good for the page rankings of all the sites listed in the directories. Getting your site listed in appropriate niche web directories provides you with a one way link from a reputable, highly ranked site and that’s one of the most important aspects of the page ranking formula for search engines.

Traffic

When you get web traffic through listings on search engines, you may or may not be what the web surfer was looking for. Yes, there is the chance that the person didn’t know that you existed and, now that she does, will bookmark your site to return for purchases at a later date. However, this is a big ‘if.’ Traffic that you receive as a result of niche web directories will generally be more apt to buy because a higher percentage of them were looking specifically for you and what you have to offer.

Partners and Competitors

Because niche web directories are based around themes or industries, the editors are usually experts in the chosen theme. This helps them to choose neighbor listings that are relevant and high quality, minimizing spam entries and putting you in good company. Just as a customer may search these listings in hopes of finding everything he or she needs to, you, too, can search them to check out your competition. What else is out there? Who is competing for your target audience? Perhaps you will see a niche within a niche that needs attention and fill it.

Also, because links raise your page ranking with search engines, niche web directories are a great way to find companies who sell complimentary products and services with whom you can trade links. If you sell antique car parts, you may want to have a link page that includes links to antique car show sites or fan sites for antique cars. Building up your links to other relevant sites in your industry will help increase your page ranking in search engines and will increase your traffic as well.

Niche Web Directory Options

Some niche web directories are so focused on attracting the most qualified sites that they will pay to list if you apply and qualify. This is always a great sign of a specific, reputable niche web directory. Some will also offer you highlighting options like placing your website listing in bold, brackets, or highlighting it for optimum visibility.

It’s important that webmasters do not ignore the opportunities that niche web directories provide. Exposure, especially in this form, can do nothing but boost your traffic, boost your sales, and boost your profits.