Tag: Shopping

How to Easily Work on Boosting Product Awareness

After putting in lots of time planning, researching, designing, developing, and manufacturing a product, it is time to set up shop and start selling. However, sales do not come naturally and gaining traction on a new product takes time, so how can you reach your target audience, get them excited about the product, build trust and grow real sales? Well, the answer is building product awareness. 

Brand awareness is how customers will recognise and recall your product and business. Businesses with better brand awareness will have a range of audiences that are familiar with its logo, messaging, stories, taglines and products. 

E-commerce is continuing to boom so it is no surprise that the Internet is now the main way to build brand awareness; thus, digital marketing is now vital for most businesses. With that in mind, here are some tips and tricks to help you boost your product’s brand awareness online. 

 

Develop and Manage Brand Identity 

The first thing you should do to develop brand awareness is to create brand assets and identity. These are varied and difficult to create, manage and enforce use throughout the company which is why some businesses use apps like BrandHub software to streamline the management and encourage the company-wide deployment of brand assets. The most common brand assets include logos, typography, legal documents, color schemes, graphics, photography and stories. 

 

The advantages of using brand awareness software are that it provides a place to organize your brand assets, present and communicate brand guidelines to a team, and create brand-specific adverts. 

Write and Share Your Brand Story

Telling a compelling story about your brand is a big part of building brand awareness, as consumers want to connect with stories, communities, and experiences rather than just buy a product. The things to include in your brand origin story are why the product was made, why it’s important to you and how it can help people. 

Use Influencers to Reach New Audiences

One way to boost brand awareness is by working with influencers to promote your brand and products. Influencers who are trusted and well-known by their audience can help to grow brand awareness by introducing and discussing your brand or product in their content. In turn, this should lead to more people and even new audiences knowing about your product. 

Focus on Social Media

There are millions of people using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram so doubling down and focusing on getting your message out on social media is vital to growing brand awareness nowadays. Most social platforms have business versions from which you can message customers and share images and content related to your brand. 

Use Relevant Keywords to Improve SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is key to customers finding your business and brand using browser search engines, the most popular being Google. For content to be found and ranked well in Google’s search results, both the website and the written content need to be set up or optimized correctly. One way of doing this is by including keywords in your content that your target audiences are looking for. To find out the most popular keywords that are related to your industry, you must first do some keyword research using keyword research tools, and these keywords must then be written into your content so customers can find you easily. 

Ask Customers to Post Photos and Feedback

When launching a product, one option for building brand awareness quickly is by contacting your first customers to ask them for photos of them using the products and their feedback, ideally posted on social media. The customer-created content provides social proof and real opinions about your product which other people can interact with and use to make decisions about buying your product. 

Advertise Using Google Adsense

If you are looking to quickly reach your target audience, then paid ads online are very effective, although it can be difficult to hone in on your audience and serve an advert that is going to get a response. The good thing about Google Adsense is that its AI technology means your adverts will only be placed on websites that are related to your brand and industry, increasing the chance of someone in your target audience seeing it. 

Give Something For Free

Every customer loves getting freebies, and this can be an effective way to promote your brand. Your brand name and logo can go on several items such as baseball caps, t-shirts, keyrings, koozies, and pens to be given away with purchased products or at events. 

 

Building brand awareness and ultimately driving sales to an online store can be a real challenge, however, if you follow the tips and tricks above, you can save some time and get your product selling faster. 

Pointy from Google is offering free devices to Irish retailers to build online presence. #Pointy #Google

Pointy from Google is offering free Pointy devices to small and medium retailers in Ireland, enabling them to display their in-store products online. Irish retailers who connect with Pointy in the next six months will also get €100 ad credit to trial Pointy’s Product Ads feature.  

Pointy works by creating a connection between physical stores and Google so that their products can appear in local Google search results, which can help attract shoppers in the surrounding area to the store.

Commenting, Mark Cummins, General Manager, Pointy said, “Being visible online has become critical for brick and mortar retailers throughout the pandemic, but that can be a challenge for smaller retailers who may not have the resources to build and maintain an e-commerce platform. Pointy creates an online presence for these retailers automatically, to help them showcase their product offering.” 

Irish shoppers are actively supporting local retailers, and 66% of people who shop local say they are doing so in a conscious effort to support local businesses. Displaying products on Google will help these retailers leverage current consumer sentiment and encourage more footfall to their stores, as consumers can see that the products they are searching for online can be bought locally.

“Pointy is an essential tool for businesses in Ireland,” said Lorraine Higgins, Secretary General, Digital Business Ireland. “Helping online shoppers find the products they need in their area is a new way for businesses to connect with their customers and boost their visibility in an ever-competitive digital marketplace”.

COVID-19 continues to challenge retailers and the economic impact on small and medium businesses has been severe. Google is committed to helping these businesses recover. With a 100% increase in  searches for “available near me” since last year, these new tools will help Irish retailers reach more customers and ultimately drive sales. 

Setting up and using Pointy is simple and efficient, taking only minutes. Qualifying businesses simply scan their products with a standard barcode scanner to add them to Google, making their inventory visible to local shoppers, along with their store location, opening hours and contact details. 

To sign up retailers should visit: pointy.com/ireland. 

DPD parcel wizard and Parcel Motel closing. #Logistics #ecommerce #Shopping #ParcelWizard

Over the years many of us has adopted the route of using virtual shipping addresses for online shopping which is a great ecommerce solution to get products cheaper and get products that normally would not ship direct to Ireland and with big players like parcel motel and parcel wizard this made life easier most of the time but come this time of year it does turn out to be a bit of a disaster, but time may be running out for other players going forward with Brexit.

DPD are the first to step up and tell us they will cease the option for its customers to use a UK virtual address to get their packages delivered and recently Parcel Motel decided to up their prices which is shooting themselves in the foot, however it may mean a good percentage of parcel wizard customers might migrate to the service just to tide them over the xmas period which could be a risky move..

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up this is typically a very busy period for the companies and to add to it Christmas does not help either and also recently DPD and UPS formerly Nightline have advertisements screaming for extra delivery drivers to cope with the demand over the next few weeks and this often runs into late Jan and sometimes later, Having worked in the industry some years ago it is a stressful time for drivers and become such a cut throat business with not so great pay and change is needed, staff turnover is huge and this is seen by the constant advertising looking for drivers throughout the year and in short needs to be addressed, I had a delivery last Saturday night in fact at 7pm which was a first and this shows the strain these companies are under.

Address Pal changes.

From January 1st 2021 deliveries from the UK are changing due to customs.
When shopping online use your Home Delivery AddressPal virtual address (see below for address examples).

From this date, your Post Office/Collection Point AddressPal virtual address can no longer be used when importing items.

However, once the parcel has been processed we will let you know by email or text and you will then have the option to redirect your parcel to any of the following:

  • A Post Office/Collection Point
  • A Parcel Locker
  • A neighbour
  • A safe place
  • Or select an alternative date for delivery

This will apply for UK and USA AddressPal items.
Payment details:

From January 1st 2021 payment for all AddressPal items must be taken from a Credit/Debit card that is saved on your AddressPal account. Without a valid card your parcel cannot be delivered. You will only be charged once we process your AddressPal deliveries.

Note: All UK items will be subject to Revenue customs rules from January 1st 2021.
If there are customs fees related to your item, you will be contacted with more information.

For now however you can use the alternatives such as An Post( Address Pal/ Delivery box at your house) , Parcel Motel, and there is some drop off point/collect points, there is some other smaller operators around but this is not a service for ecommerce etc but more so intra company services and special sectors in some areas of business. There is also word of alternatives that might be arriving soon but more on that as it becomes more transparent and solid. But I would be looking at Amazon going forward. With Amazon being a key player and recently opened a warehouse here in Ireland it makes sense going forward and they are also seeking new premises from what I have heard and this is most likely to hold stock which would be a real win and the right route for Amazon to take with its customer base.

Looking ahead there will be another issue for consumers with Brexit and that is returns, With the option to return packages it was a great business move over the years giving people a quick option to return packages via virtual addresses easily and the main problems here was wrong size, wrong item and wrong colour, when it comes to colour everyone’s screen is different and the brightness settings differ and was one of the most problems for consumers buying online. This may all be about to change in the coming weeks but stay tuned for more..

Ebay changes

Parcel Motel – Suspended.. 

Parcel Motel has been the most prominent player in the locker business and have also issued notices to its customers however things could be weighing up different here as they claim their service is suspended with a new Virtual Dublin address just a stones throw away from their main office, UPS bought the business if you remember and have now in the EU more channels to work with there has been talk of amazon lockers due to the infrastructure already here but also setting up new bases in the EU which makes sense, Whilst many people shop on Amazon UK they have other stores like de and fr you can shop from and is often cheaper and this again makes sense for setup in such countries particularly for the likes of Amazon and also Amazon now have a base here in Ireland but this is not a fulfilment centre but does now open the doors for them to set up such warehouses and there is rumour they have been. Many in the logistics industry do know more and did know they where looking for units here in Ireland and that today still is the case. Amazon is here for the long haul..

Irish Google Maps Trends and Updates for the Festive Season. #GoogleMaps #Trends #Shopping

Google Maps has analysed data before and during the pandemic to see how people have been getting around, where they are spending their time and what type of food they’re craving. If you have not already known you can now check shops online to see what the flow is like prior leaving your house which is also handy as you will see just below is a live example for my local Dunnes Stores and I use this anytime I need to venture out to get some things done.

Interest in cycling is up 

Across the country, people are opting for solo ways to get around safely. Unsurprisingly, driving continues to be the most popular mode of transportation while cycling has  emerged as an alternative – interest in cycling has increased 32% percent nationwide and 36% in Dublin compared to pre-pandemic days.

Social distancing in a winter wonderland 

 

Popular times and live busyness information in Google Maps have always been essential festive season tools, helping you avoid unwanted crowds. These tools help you know in advance when places are going to be busy so you can save precious time and also social distance.

So if you find yourself in need of a caffeine fix to tackle your Christmas errands, make sure to avoid coffee shops on Saturday mornings at Midday when coffee shops across Ireland  tend to be most packed. And if you’re planning to shop for your Christmas feast, avoid your local supermarket on Saturday afternoons between 1-2 p.m. when you’re likely to encounter long lines.

Chinese is the most searched cuisine in Ireland

With indoor dining shut for many months of the year and indoor dining capacity reduced, search interest in Take-aways has soared throughout the year. As for what people are eating, Chinese is the most-searched for cuisine followed by Indian, Kebabs and Italian.

Time to embrace the outdoors

Across the country, people are using Google Maps to search for parks, waterfalls, beaches and gardens within driving or walking distance.  While searches for outdoor locations decreased by 456% in April, when the toughest restrictions were in place May was the most popular month for outdoor searches with an increase of 84% in searches. The Top Outdoor search queries for Dublin are:

  • Phoenix Park

  • Marlay Park

  • Bushy Park

  • Saint Anne’s Park

  • Ticknock Forest

The festive season is going to look a little different this year because of COVID-19. Family gatherings may be smaller or take place virtually to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy. Indoor activities could  move outdoors. And the holiday abroad might become an Irish road trip to discover some  local hidden gems. But even still, people are looking for ways to experience winter and finding new ways to be together.

No matter what plans people have this winter these Google Maps tips will help them to stay informed, stay connected, and save time.

Stay informed even while shopping and travelling

 

  • Check out how busy a place is: Popular times and live busyness information can tell you how crowded a place typically is on a given day or time–and even how busy it is right now. This is especially handy during the era of social distancing, Check out busyness on Maps before you head to a restaurant, store, business, or place to avoid holiday crowds and long waits.

 

  • (New!) Find the latest information about COVID-19: Are you visiting family in another country? Use the COVID layer on Maps to quickly see how cases are trending in the area. You can also access quick links to authoritative local resources so you know at a glance if there are specific guidelines or restrictions in the area you’re visiting.

 

  • Quickly understand safety precautions from a business: If you’re eating out or getting a head start on your Christmas shopping, you can easily learn more about what safety precautions a business is taking. Find out if they’re sanitizing between customers, if there’s safety dividers at checkout and if they require staff to have regular temperature checks.

 

Connect with family and friends this season 

 

 

  • Meet up with ease with Live View: If you’re meeting up with friends for a socially distant gathering, it can be hard to pinpoint where they are. If your loved one has chosen to share their location with you, you can use augmented reality in Live View to see where and how far away they are–with overlaid arrows and directions that help you know where to go.

 

Save time so you can spend more time enjoying the festivities

 

  • Easily find a local restaurant offering take-away: If you’re taking a low-key approach to festivities this year and opting to order in instead of going out or cooking an elaborate meal, Google Maps can help. When searching on your phone for restaurants nearby, you can easily sort by places that offer takeaway or delivery and place your order directly from Google Maps.

Tutorial- Nokia 515 back cover removal! #nokia #ireland #515

We have had several requests on how to remove the back cover on the nokia 515.

Not the usual standard of removing a cover but here it goes.

1 Sim re tractor tool as its known mostly for.

2 Your 515

3 Insert sim re retractor tool into hole at bottom of phone.

4 Push gently until the back pops off slightly,it will be stiff as its new

5 Put the bottom rounded end of the retractor tool in between gap of backplate and device and gently twist.

VIDEO

#Nokia sells 8.8 million #Lumia and #Asha sales up too in Q3 2013 #Nokia

Nokia has some interesting figures released today which continues to show that the Lumia and asha range is a success in the current portfolio from the finish company.

Last quarters number was 7.4 million and its proving the lumia range is a success despite what some analysts say .This trend is growing each quarter and proving all the nay sayers wrong.

Lumia is here and its here to stay.

 

You can read the full report here  well done to nokia and may this continued growth get better.

 

 

Adrian Weckler of the irish independent on the Nokia Lumia 1020 #Nokia #Ireland

The tech editor of the irish indo has another say on the 1020,although at this stage his thoughts and impressions on nokia and windows are well known here is what adrian says this time,he crowns the SONY Z1 as the best!

 

Nokia Lumia 1020 Megapixel king is slightly underpowered Sony Xperia Z1 All-round top pick with the odd glitch  Samsung Galaxy S4 Solid camera – but it lacks the firepower of its rivals Apple iPhone 5S Small screen but bigger pixels and slow-mo video

With screens power and gimmickry all but maxxed out, there is one feature that distinguishes the very poshest smartphones – their onboard cameras.

But are megapixels really the measure of quality? And how do the top models compare?

nokia lumia 1020

If megapixels are a metric by which to measure the prowess of cameraphones, Nokia’s 41-megapixel Lumia would appear to have the game wrapped up.

However it’s not quite so straightforward.

Megapixels achieve one main goal: detail. Thus, photographs taken on the 4.5-inch Lumia 1020 (in Procam mode only) reveal an extraordinary degree of detail when the photo is blown up. By this measure, and by the generous 32GB of onboard storage, the 1020 blows the competition away.

But there is more to a (non-blown-up) photo than simply detail and, here, I found that the 1020 performed more closely in line with its rivals.

The mega-megapixel shots typically measure over 10 megabytes per photo, meaning that only lower-resolution backup shots are really suitable for sharing online.

The camera is also a little slow, being slight-underpowered by its dual-core chip. Still, having an external camera button is good, even if it defaults to the lower-resolution format.

 

Rating: HHHH

 

Source

http://www.independent.ie/business/technology/sony-xperia-z1-gets-gong-for-best-cameraphone-29655309.html