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Keeping up With the Times in a Fast-Paced World

Today’s society is ever changing—and rapidly so. In the not so distant past, we communicated by telephone (a stationary one) and kept business records on paper in towering metal file cabinets. In the “old days,” before smart phones, personal computers and the Internet, business was done by traveling to meetings and sending paperwork out through the mail or by overnight services. How quickly it all has changed!

Since the dawn of the computer age (the 1970s) and the rise of the Internet (the 90s), our world has been transformed by the ideas developed by computer geniuses working out of garages in Silicon Valley and elsewhere.

Technology has taken us very far very quickly. Not only have we become able to communicate quickly and stay in touch with people globally, we’re also able to receive new ideas on a greater level.

This ability to communicate also helps us stay in tune with changes globally, from the restructuring of corporations to the realignment of the banking industry and even changes in health care. Ideas that were once considered very “alternative,” like acupuncture and holistic health treatments, are now becoming part of the mainstream, largely due to our exposure to so much information and so many new ideas.

Here at Portalmes.org we’re committed to bringing our readers everything there is to know about new developments in communications technology and how it affects us in business and in our daily lives. Our blogs and articles will continue to stay in touch with the rapid changes in our ever-evolving society, so check in with us often for updates and news on what’s happening in our fast-paced world.

Filed Under: Businesses, Computers Tagged With: , ,

How Finance Companies Develop Loyal Customers

In today’s world, with so businesses going all-out to win new customers, it’s critical to maintain loyal customers for your finance company. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend millions of dollars in advertising. The old adage, “actions speak louder than words” would be an effective business model. Show your customers that you care about them as individuals, and that you are honest, and there’s a high probability that they will remain loyal to your company.

One of the ways that you can do this is by offering a variety of car refinancing options. In today’s economy, people who were once on solid financial footing are now struggling against the current. Offering them the opportunity to renegotiate their loans so that they can pay them off quicker, reducing the amount of overall interest shows them that you care about them as individuals.

A personal touch is rare in today’s business world. When you take time to talk with your clients, perhaps through emails on the Internet, there is a good chance they will remain loyal to your company. If you hear that they are struggling financially, consider offering a car refinancing option that gives them immediate cash in their pockets.  Explain that they can do this by renegotiating loan terms so that they pay for a longer period of time.

People today are overwhelmingly busy. In reality, your clients don’t want to spend time hunting around for a different company. When you show them that you care about them and offer good deals, they know they can trust you. You’ll have a loyal customer for life.

 

Filed Under: Businesses, Technology Tagged With: , , ,

The Impact of Smartphones on Communication

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Image via Wikipedia

There is no denying how much the advent of the Smartphone technology has changed the way we communicate. Granted, many people still use their Smartphones primarily for making and receiving calls, but they are heavily utilized for other purposes. The impact of Smartphone technology can be seen in the workplace, home and educational arena. The improvement in communications technology has also resulted in cheaper calling rates and Internet access.

The Power of Smartphones

Few things have had quite the impact on social networking as Smartphones. Just about every application enables people to easily log on to and update their status on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all the other sites. People can quickly receive and answer emails once they have internet access.

In the business arena, this technology has enabled constant contact between people all over the globe. Many businesspeople can now have a conference using their Smartphone. This has resulted in cost-savings on travel and hotel costs. The fact that almost all versions of Smartphones now come with Wi-Fi, means going on the Internet is relatively easy. The technology now enables network connectivity from just about anywhere which encourages collaboration between colleagues.

While when use inappropriately, Smartphones can be disruptive, they do help in the educational sphere as well. They enable quick access to research and information. Teachers and students can use them to communicate and pass on information or questions and answers concerning assignments.

The few disadvantages inherent in the use of Smartphones pale in significance to the advantages. In fact, over time some disadvantages may cease to exist.

 

 

Filed Under: Businesses, Internet, Technology Tagged With: , ,

Etiquette for Commenting on a Blog

The Internet has made information more and more accessible. Instead of sitting through an hour of news to find out what it going on, type a few words into a search engine and everything is immediately right in front of you. Looking for a specific recipe? Instead of searching for the cookbook and looking through the pages, visit a site online, type in the ingredients that you have on hand and a solution to dinner pops up on the screen. Many people are looking to blogs for information as well as a sense of connection.

While “stalking” a blog is reasonable, there may come a time when you would like to be more of a participant. In this case you can leave a comment on a post to let the author and others know your opinions, feelings, and ideas. However, you don’t just want to start typing without thinking about what you are going to say and how you want it to come across. You don’t have to agree with everything said; in fact, debate is healthy.

Make sure that your comment is on task with the post. You want to be contributing to the discussion, not just randomly speaking. If you are planning to disagree, be prepared for a response. Interestingly enough, everyone on the Internet isn’t friendly or nice and they may say unpleasant things. Just be sure that no matter what you don’t resort to name calling or personal attacks. While it may be tempting, people that do that just lose credibility. You can comment as often as you want and most bloggers enjoy having some that reads their posts frequently and provides feedback through comments.

Filed Under: Businesses, Internet Tagged With: , ,

Internet Shopping Vs. Brick and Mortar

You can do almost anything from home now.  You can go to school online, you can make appointments from home and you can shop from home.  You can buy nearly everything online.  You can get the shopping experience from your desk chair.  Shopping from home can even be a competitive activity.  Choosing where to shop and how to save money can become quite addictive.

You may need to purchase a new pillow, but you want a specific pillow.  You were able to check customer ratings online and decide that the top rated pillow is the one you want.  Now it is time to hunt.  You can become a detective.  You can search out the best prices and quality by researching thoroughly.  Then when you find your target, you pounce.  Your “target” being the deal and pounce meaning to “purchase”.  Shopping online can be turned into an activity that you enjoy more than shopping in brick and mortar stores.

There is no substitute for shopping in a store and trying things out before you buy them.  The best part about shopping in stores is that you get to take your purchases home the same day, whereas purchases made online, take days and sometimes even weeks to make its way to your home.

Grocery shopping can be done online too.  The items that you purchase on a regular basis, can be purchased and delivered to your home because of the advances in technology.  You do not have to get up or dressed, you can shop fro groceries in bed if that is what you want to do.

Shopping for goods using internet technology has made our lives a little easier and a little more entertaining, but you can only get a real shopping experience when you get out of that bed, put on your clothes and drive to the store.  This will help give you a little more fresh air and vitamin D.  Shopping online is fun but should be utilized with caution, do not turn into a hermit.  You need fresh air.

 

Filed Under: Businesses, Internet Tagged With: , ,

Programming Your Website to Ask Visitors Survey Questions

Businesses and website owners like to know a lot about the people that visit their websites. They want to know about their experience and any feedback that their website visitors might have. While you could always put a contact up link up there many visitors will not take the time to email you and let you know about their experience. Luckily, websites have a feature that allows you to get feedback in a quick, effective way that doesn’t take too much time.

Almost all websites have the ability to utilize survey tools to create a survey that will appear on your website. The way that these tools work is that the website or webmaster creates a survey with two to five questions on them. The tools will program the survey to pop up when the visitor visits a page on the website. This allows you to get customized feedback for the specific pages that the person is visiting.

Common questions that are asked in website surveys include any products that the visitors would like to see on the website, how customer service is and even a fill in the blank section where customers can leave a sentence or two about their experience on the website.

The best part about the survey tools that come with the website is that the webmaster and business owner do not have to allocate a large amount of their business budget to purchasing surveys or seeking out their website visitors via email. The survey goes directly to the website visitors, only has two questions on it and the customers can complete the survey in a short span of time.

With online surveys for your website there is no reason you should still be in the dark regarding issues that surround your customers and website visitors. Take a few minutes to use the research tools that are available and get a customized view of your website visitors.

Filed Under: Businesses, Internet Tagged With: , ,