Category Archives: Blog

A strong internet connection is important for any kind of business wanting to succeed in today’s competitive market arena. But searching for the best plan is a challenge, especially when you are just starting out in your field.

Once you start a business, there are plenty of things to organize. Whether your business is located in an office or at home, you have to make sure that everything is operating smoothly. And since your business will most likely depend on uninterrupted internet service to function, you must make finding the best internet service provider a priority.

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you find the right internet service provider:

Step 1: Understand the Different Business Internet Packages

Although all plans will enable internet connection for a certain price, not all of them will work the same way. Cable, digital subscriber line (DSL) and fiber optic providers are common in urban areas and cities, but most businesses rely on satellite service in less populated areas.

Understanding the differences among these internet options will help you identify which type will best meet your internet needs.

●   DSL

DSL makes use of local phone lines to provide high-speed internet. As compared to a dial-up service, DSL makes use of separate frequencies for internet and phone. Therefore, you can use both of them at the same time.

Of all the broadband options, DSL is considered the most affordable yet the slowest. The actual download speeds are often slower than the speeds that most providers advertise, which is not the case with fiber optic or cable.

●   Cable

Cable internet service makes use of cable wires to deliver internet. It tends to be more reliable than DSL. Depending on the package you get, it may be faster than fiber optic. But cable internet might not be available in your area – if there is, there might only be one provider.

●   Fiber Optic

Fiber optic is the fastest internet option. It trumps other broadband options when it comes to upload speed. But this option is not as widely available as the other internet service options since it does not use existing telephone or cable lines.

Instead, new fiber optic cables must be installed for it to deliver high-speed internet. These cables make use of tiny and light glass fibers to receive and send data.

●   Satellite

Satellite internet service can be slower and more expensive than other options. However, it can only be your choice if your business is in a rural area. It usually performs better than dial-up.

Also, it does not use a phone line, so you can freely use your landline even when you are connected to the internet.

Step 2: Determine What You Need in a Plan to Successfully Run Your Business

Determining what your business needs will have a direct impact on the amount of bandwidth your business data plan should have. Some of the important considerations include:

• Will you be uploading or downloading files into the cloud?
• Will you be sending and receiving emails regularly?
• How often will you need to open Skype or stream videos?
• What is the size of the files you will be dealing with?

You can use usage calculators online to determine your bandwidth needs. You may also get the services of an IT or telecommunications professional to help you out with this.

Step 3: Ask Questions

Most internet service providers will present perfect-world situations where nothing falters or breaks down. But in reality, things won’t always run smoothly. Outages and drop-offs in service will occur at some point. So it is crucial for you to know how the service providers will handle such situations before you commit.

Here are some questions you must ask a provider:

• Do they employ local service technicians?
• How many subscribers are sharing a connection?
• How many hours do they lose to downtime every year?
• Will the customer service centers be open 24/7?
• What is the average hold time for clients who need help?

Step 4: Discuss the Data Cap

Data caps refer to the threshold at which the provider may start charging you if you go over your maximum in a billing cycle. Some providers have data caps while others don’t, so be sure to find out before working with any provider.

Step 5: Know What You’re Paying For

Apart from the data cap, you should also consider added expenses like equipment and hardware. Some internet providers offer these as part of the package while others don’t. So make sure that you understand what is included in the quote they’ve given you.

Reputable providers are upfront with such information. Also, they usually have a feedback form that allows their clients to send reviews so they can improve their services.

Once you have chosen the best plan and have it in place, you can look forward to reliable, speedy internet. The last thing you want, especially when your business is starting out, is to let your customers down because this will tarnish your reputation. By working with the right internet service provider and choosing the right package, the risk of this happening will significantly be minimized.

 AUTHOR BIO

Azhar Abulhamayel is the Head of Marketing – National Segment and High Value at Zain KSA. The company was the first operator in the Middle East to commercially launch the 4G/LTE network. Zain serves +10M customers, has extended its network coverage to 94% of the population, and attracts thousands of new customers daily.

Google’s first digital skills program in Arabic designed to help youth find jobs, grow their careers or start their own businesses.

 Online learning platform offers 100 lessons across 26 core topics, all in Arabic and free of charge

• org to award $1 million grant to INJAZ Al-Arab, a regional nonprofit organization, which will offer in-person trainings to students in rural areas and underprivileged communities
• Google signs agreement with MiSK Foundation to roll out in-person trainings to students across Saudi Arabia in one year
• Total of 200,000 people to be trained by INJAZ Al-Arab and MISK Foundation, with a target of 50% female participation

 Monday, April 16 (Dubai) — Google announced today the launch of ‘Maharat min Google’, a free digital skills-building program in Arabic, in an effort to help people in MENA find jobs, advance their careers or grow their businesses. Based on a blended learning model, ‘Maharat min Google’ provides free courses, tools, and in-person digital skills training to students, educators, job seekers and businesses.

The online platform — g.co/Maharat — has 100 lessons across 26 core topics in digital marketing that include search engine marketing, social media, video, e-Commerce, geo-targeting, and data analytics, among others. Google will provide a certificate upon completion of the full course, which takes about nine hours to complete.

“We’re delighted to be bringing ‘Maharat Min Google’ to the Middle East and North Africa — our contribution to the future of the workforce in MENA. This program is free of charge, available in Arabic and accessible on any platform. ‘Maharat Min Google’ draws on our 20-year history of building products, platforms, and services that connect people and businesses, helping them grow and succeed online. We know how valuable digital tools are to MENA’s future and we at Google are proud to be an engine supporting their growth,” said Matt Brittin, Google’s president of business operations across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Google also signed an agreement with Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Foundation (MiSK) which will conduct in-person trainings to more than 100,000 students across Saudi Arabia. Both collaborations with Injaz and MISK will target 50 percent female participation. Google is looking for further local partnerships across the region with governments, universities, private-sector businesses and nonprofits to expand the reach of its ‘Maharat min Google’ program.

“At the Misk Foundation, we emphasize the importance of this initiative as it is an extension to the our commitment to develop the Saudi youth’s skills, focusing in particular on 21st century skills which will result in a ready-to-market generation as well as prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovator. And since obtaining digital skills is the cornerstone to achieve this, the Misk Foundation partnered on this initiative with Google and the other participating and sponsoring organizations,” said Deema Al Yahya, Adviser and CEO of MiSK Innovation.

Google also announced at the launch event that Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, is granting $1 million USD to INJAZ Al-Arab, a regional nonprofit organization, which will roll out in-person trainings to 100,000 students across 14 countries in MENA focusing on youth in underprivileged and  rural areas.

Akef Aqrabawi, CEO of INJAZ Al-Arab, said: “We are very happy with Google’s support to offer digital literacy skills across the MENA region and to expand the reach of a program like ‘Maharat min Google’. We share a common vision with Google and want to support the Arab youth, especially those in rural areas and underprivileged communities, in preparing them for future job opportunities and in empowering them to become successful entrepreneurs.”

In a recent study by the World Economic Forum, 1 in 5 jobs in the Arab world will require digital skills that aren’t widely available today. 51% of youth consider unemployment their biggest concern and only 38% believe their education gives them the skills they need to enter the workforce. In MENA, there are 30 million women educated, connected and of working age, which represents the largest economic opportunity in the region today.  More than 50% of university graduates are females, yet only 25% participate in the workforce.

Courses are available on g.co/Maharat and new lessons will be added in the future.

According to Sharad Agarwal, CEO of Cyber Gear, “Domain authority is a measure of the power of a domain name and is one of the most important search engine ranking factors. Domain authority is based on three factors: Age, Popularity and Size. Web site owners need to focus on domain authority to ensure that their brand is popular on the web.”

‘Domain Authority’ of a web site is also important since it can ascertain the following:

• Prestige of a website and its authors
• Quality of the information presented
• Information and website centrality
• Competitive situation around a subject

Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). A Domain Authority score ranges from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank based on an algorithm and weighted level metric.

Domain Authority is calculated by on the basis of age of domain, evaluating linking root domains, number of total links, MozRank, MozTrust, etc. into a single DA score. This score can then be used when comparing websites or tracking the ‘ranking strength’ of a website over time.

You can view a website’s DA by using MozBar (a free Chrome-extension), Open Site Explorer (a backlink analysis tool), the SERP Analysis section of Keyword Explorer and several other SEO tools across the web like Websiteseochecker.com.

Sites with a very large number of high quality external links are at the top end of the Domain Authority scale, whereas small businesses and websites with fewer inbound links may have a much lower DA score. Because of how Domain Authority is calculated, it’s best used as a comparative metric when doing research in the search results and determining which sites may have more powerful link profiles than others.

The best way to influence the Domain Authority metric is to improve your overall SEO. In particular you should focus on your link profile by getting more links from other well-linked-to pages.

GuestPosts.biz can help you build links from reputed portals.

The much awaited Apple Pay made its debut today in UAE. Six local banks – Emirates NBD, Mashreq, RAKBank, Emirates Islamic, HSBC and Standard Chartered are the first to offer Apple Pay in UAE, supported by Visa and MasterCard.

Recent research reveals that card spending has increased substantially in the last couple of years and UAE is heading towards a digital economy with cashless environment. Interestingly, the UAE is now among only 20 countries worldwide that now enjoy this payment facility.

How Does It Work?

Using Apple Pay is as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Add your credit cards information to your iPhone’s Wallet app from the ‘Settings’ tab and following the prompts. You can even upload cards by using your phone’s camera to read the card details.
2. Hold your device near a contactless card reader at where you’re making a purchase and use Touch ID to complete it. You can also do this action with your Apple Watch and even if you leave your iPhone far away, you can still use the Watch for Apple Pay.
3. The Touch ID step is also available on iPads and Macs that support it. For in-app purchases, a user just needs to tap the ‘Buy with Apple Pay’ button.

In the soon to be launched, iPhone X. Face ID will be used to authenticate an Apple Pay purchase.

Who Can Use It?

Users will have to update their devices to iOS 11 or later and select United Arab Emirates as their region as well as have an iCloud account.

Apple Products Supported

• iPhone 6 or later in stores, apps, and websites in Safari
• iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 and later for use on apps and websites
• Apple Watch in stores and apps
• Mac introduced in or after 2012 running macOS Sierra or later and Touch ID on Macbook Pro Touch Bar

How Secure Is It?

With Apple Pay, your card number isn’t exactly stored on the iPhone, on Apple servers or shared with merchants. Instead of the traditional method of storing details in devices, a unique device account number is assigned and encrypted, which is securely stored in a secure element on the device. Each transaction then, is authorised with a one-time dynamic security code.

You can view your last transactions in your Apple Wallet, and some allow you to see the last ten transactions. Each bank differs on what information will be displayed, so it’s best to check with your bank to see exactly how this works.

And even if you lose your iPhone, you don’t have to panic. By using ‘Find My iPhone’ or by going to iCloud.com, you can put a device in Lost Mode, which automatically suspends all the cards in Apple Pay.

What’s Coming?

Soon, you’ll even be able to send and receive money over iMessage. Move over banks!

Cyber Gear is now offering regional ecommerce web sites and mobile apps, the facility to integrate their shopping carts to accept payment through Apple Pay.

1. USP

State clearly your ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ upfront. It should be a game changer.

2. Attractive ‘Look and Feel’

Everybody is drawn to a pretty face. Ensure your images are eye catching.

3. Video Sells

Multimedia is a big winner on the web. Social media is driven by video content.

4. Create Curiosity

Unravelling a ‘First of its’ kind’ offer helps.

5. Benefits, Benefits, Benefits

The benefits should be very straightforward, practical and appealing.

6. Testimonials

Proof of concept always convinces newbies.

7. Call for Action

‘In the face’ is a good idea.

8. ‘Responsive’

Over half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices, so be sure your landing page is mobile-ready.

9. Speed Test

Use Google Webmaster Tools to ensure your page downloads within 6 seconds

10. Monitor the Response

Optimise the design and concept based on analytics.

Thanks to Donald Trump, Twitter is one of the most popular social media platform.

The problem is that with so many people embracing Twitter as a channel for communication, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a Twitter account name (called ‘handle’) that relates to your identity, personal or business related. Each day, an average of 460,000 people sign up for a new account. This means about 320 people sign up for an account every minute. So your favourite name could be gone any second now, visit Twitter and find and reserve your favourite Twitter name as soon as you can.

Twitter awards the first person who requests for an available name and then prohibits their resale. Eight years after Twitter’s launch, it has become extremely difficult to secure short handles without resorting to the inclusion of middle initials, dashes, numbers or abbreviations.

If the handle you want is taken, there are ways to mutually negotiate with its owner to transfer it to you. Twitter can in some cases help in the case of impersonation or trademark violations. And, despite Twitter’s prohibition, there is an unsanctioned secondary market!

Twitter says that in order to keep an account active, a user needs to log in and tweet at least once every six months, or risk permanently losing an account. But Twitter’s standards for inactivity can be more complicated than tweets alone. The company also states, “Inactivity is based on a combination of tweeting, logging in, and the date an account was created. Please note that you may not be able to tell whether an account is currently inactive, as not all signs of account activity are publicly visible.”

Here are some guidelines for selecting your Twitter handle:

1. Keep the name as relevant to your company name as you can if you want to be recognized and found with ease.
2. The shorter it is – the easier it would be for someone to mention you in their Tweets because of the word limit. Initials are a good idea.
3. The more unique your Twitter name is the easier it will be to find it.
4. You also want your Twitter name to be easy to remember.
5. Keep it consistent with your other Social Media addresses.
6. Adding your location as part of your handle can sometimes he helpful.
7. Special characters are not such a good idea.

If you are totally flummoxed, try http://twitternamegenerator.com

Digital Marketing moves at a frightening speed these days to be completely honest; and being in the know at all times is proving to be next to impossible. Regular reads and checkups on blogs are the only way to stay ahead of the game. Our blog here is quite a substantial source of information with regular posts coming in, but we don’t resort to keeping the advertising all to ourselves; let it be known that there are other magnificent blogs, pools of wisdom if you will, out there that are worth your time. But with thousands of blogs out there and only so little time, how do we figure out which ones are worth the read and which ones are overlookable?
Here are our top favorite Digital Marketing blogs for you to check out!

1. Marketing Land Our favorite thing about Marketing Land is that it includes every day breaking news stories about all parts of the digital marketing industry so you can get the greater part of your digital marketing news from the one place. The journalists at Marketing Land frequently let you indulge upon down to earth tips and hints you can use in your own particular digital marketing efforts. On the other hand, one of our most loved things about this site is that it highlights authority articles composed by topic specialists. This website also sends you notifications ahead of the crowd about the latest launches and announcements in the fast paced digital marketing industry.
2. Kiss metricsWhat we love about this website is that it represents considerable authority in analytics, advertising and testing; its blog entries mirror this expertise. You can anticipate a fleet of flawlessly outlined infographics containing the most recent digital marketing insights, studies and tests. You’ll likewise discover a variety of valuable digital marketing guides that handle fields like email promoting, online networking and client examination. In addition, it’s a great source for blog posts of your own; with statistical aid provided straight from the website.
3. Moz Blog If your company is an absolute gem in the SEO world, then this blog is right up your alley.  Says www.orbonline.co.uk. Moz Blog tackles a wide variety of topics, from specialized matters like how to conquer copy content issues to correspondence strategies like substance and relationship building. Our most loved thing about Moz Blog is that it helps you follow along and comprehend the mechanics behind the most recent SEO updates. With neatly laid out list guides, this blog will redefine your knowledge about SEO.
4. Content Marketing Institute With a rockstar level of fame, this blog provides unique content showcasing research, including data on the substance promoting the industry’s set bars of achievement, budget plans and patterns. The blog is home to various convincing articles expounded upon the content strategy system, narrating and blogging’s best practices. If that wasn’t enough, it also keeps you refreshed with the most recent content marketing launches and events. If content marketing strategies are your forte, then so is this blog.
5. Social Media Examiner As the name suggests, it acts as a professional counseller on all things social media, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest; the sky is the limit. While here, anticipate exhortation from online networking specialists on the best way to define a successful web-based social networking system for each channel. Blog entries and articles incorporate masterful interviews, creative contextual analyses, audits of the most recent industry inquire about, podcasts and the most recent web-based social networking news. Gather as much information as you possibly can from here; you can be sure they will be a great deal of help to your business.Follow these spectacular blogs and stay ahead of the game; Always!

The world has changed pace today with almost the entire human population being connected on social media. This connection breaks fences and brings about a sense of unity and empathy. In the business field, this connection is what started a brand-new revolution in content advertising; Influencer Marketing. Consumers now depend on other consumers to educate them of the right purchases. Rather than taking an interest in the opinions of other organizations, as they did previously, they now take a gander at each other and at their most loved social media influencers, who amass vast followings on media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and many more.

In the minds of forward thinking marketers, rising stars in social media make ideal candidates to be marketing influencers, thereby, creating a universe of potentially beneficial outcomes. It opens up another channel for brands to associate with customers all the more straightforwardly, more naturally, and at scale. Through well targeted social media identities, brands can clarify their message while alluring their intended interest group.

Influencer marketing is based on a lot of trust between two or more parties and that is why it is still a relatively unknown revelation. People are not ready to invest in small time social media identities without the guarantee of an ROI. We are here to tell you that influencer marketing is the future of effective digital advertising; and here are 10 reasons why you should believe us.

1. It is highly InfluentialWord of mouth is the most effective marketing tool till date. It provides an air of trust and security, feelings that people want to experience before making a purchase. A recent study showed that “marketing-induced consumer-to-consumer word of mouthgenerates more than twice the sales of paid advertising.” And of those that were obtained through informal exchange of words had a 37 percent higher degree of consistency.
2. It is SocialOnline networking isn’t only another option to customary media—it’s turning the conventional model on its head. Customarily, buyers settled on choices considering the advertisements that they saw or listened to. Today, it’s less demanding to interact with different buyers through online networking and settle on better choices by finding out about their level of satisfaction with an item.
   Consumers today turn a blind eye to traditional ads listing out the benefits of a product. They want the brand to converse with them, in a personal manner. If businesses partner with the apt online identities, they can create a buzz on social media about their product.
3. It’s BrilliantConducting business with influencers and trendsetters will impart to the market that your brand might just be the next big trend. Also, you can repurpose the content created by them to inspire your current clients.
4. It’s Up and ComingOver the past year, influencer marketing has become a worldwide sensation with even Forbes magazine recognizing the benefits.
5. It is an ArbitrageAn arbitrage exists when something is being offered for less than its true worth. If you purchase this good, you will receive it at a reduced cost since the good’s real value is more prominent than its market cost. Lying in between the good’s market cost and actual value is your profit. To put it plainly, it is a chance to make huge benefits with minimal exertion.
   Influencer Marketing at the moment is classified as an arbitrage. The services of social media influencers are selling for much lower that their actual worth. This means that if you are one of the few marketers running influencer campaigns now, you can expect huge ROIs.
6. Rising CostsThe disadvantage of arbitrages is that it doesn’t last for a very long time. Once marketers catch on to this phenomenon and begin investing, the arbitrage will soon close, thereby drying up everyone’s ROI. For maximum profit today, invest in influencer marketers now!
7. Paid Ads are a painPeople on social media are exposed to over 5000 advertisements per day. The fact that we can’t remember a huge chunk of that statistic is scary to marketers running advertising campaigns as consumers are now turning a blind eye to traditional ads. This is why influencer marketing is definitely the way to go; it’s a fresh new approach to marketing and the public is responding well!
8. Native AdvertisingAs opposed to conventional publicizing, which intrudes on the purchaser experience, native advertising places brands and items inside organic content, making viewing ads a more pleasurable affair for consumers and an all more capable marketing answer for brands.
9. Helps with SEO OptimizationAlong with building your image and enhancing your business numbers, influencer marketing additionally helps you with SEO optimization. The more individuals specify your brand via web-based networking media, the more well-known and pertinent you will be on Google.
10. Targeting and Tracking Enabled

In the olden days, advertisers had minimal amount of information to go on to advertise their products. However, today in the digital world, analytics help us monitor every social media share and like, aiding your brand in segregating the audience and presenting targeted content; which in turn, brings about a greater buzz for your product.

Remember the days when catalog shopping was the buzz? Purchasing clothes, electronics and even furniture; all by flipping through a few pages of a book. Times have changed drastically now with the digital world almost completely eclipsing the simplicity of man; everything, these days, can be found on the marvel that we call, the Internet. And since everything has a relation to the web these days, the need for effective marketing gets called to action. Digital marketing is a giant industry in today’s world and Content Marketing plays an equally giant role within that realm. Suitable content marketing can tip the scales of your business, from success to total bust. So, when content marketing is such a vital component to the businesses of today, staying up to date with its trends is essential, if not critical. We are here to help you with that! Listed below are the 5 latest most influential trends in content marketing; to not just keep your business afloat, but to help it steam ahead.

1. Creating user-friendly content in bulkThe online user community is ever increasing; this also increases the amount of content consumed, drastically. Over the years, millions of businesses have capitalized on this by churning out content paired with effective content marketing. More to the point, 70% of B2B marketers have set themselves to producing a greater amount of content in 2017. But keep in mind, content cannot win alone; it is important to pair it in the right context. Google has advanced light years in recent times with new bots being able to spot content that is relevant and content aimed at optimizing SEO. There is no getting around it so relevant content is a must! Also, marketing your content in the intended context pulls in a greater audience.
2. Influencer MarketingInfluencer Marketing has existed in the past with companies reaching out to celebrities to endorse their products. This strategy has worked out well in the past but it does have a downfall; the costs. Buying the time of a celebrity does not come cheap. That’s where 2017 makes a revolutionary discovery; Micro-influencers. Micro-influencers are small, but trusted, authorities that businesses reach out to; they ask these people to review their products on their blogs, social media platforms and other online channels. Micro-influencing seems to be the next up and coming content marketing trend that is sure to stick.
3. Personalize your ContentAdding your flair to your content will target a specific section of your audience and will resonate with them well. Many businesses use analytics to help with the segregation of their audience, to create more targeted content. Although, this process doesn’t have to be so technical. Anyone can churn out targeted content by relating to at least one common factor with a section of your audience. For example, using the location tag or hashtag features on social media is a great start to targeted marketing that doesn’t require a highly technical approach.
4. Video MarketingUsing visual aids to market your content is no new feat. Businesses, small and big, have been doing it for years, even decades now, with great results; because why not? Humans are visual creatures and visual aids help us focus better. However, that focus is what matters. If the focal point of your video marketing campaign is not your product or if the whole project isn’t engaging at all to even have a focal point, then you’re in trouble. Video marketing is tricky; it is about producing eye-catching, engaging content coupled with the right ideas. Without the right ideas, your video marketing campaign will never take off.
5. Talk on Social MediaThe era of the newspaper is dying in today’s world as everyone has transitioned to receiving their news, on the go, through social media platforms. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter are the biggest in third party applications to provide news to the public. This is a boon in business terms; there is nothing easier than marketing your content on social media. If there is news within your business about a new product or a grand new innovation, make sure it is being talked about on social media. This will be your biggest, most widest platform to get through to the audience you want.
   Digital Marketing is and always will be a wave of change. It will change tomorrow, the day after that and the year after that. There is no stopping it. The only way to keep up, is to ride the wave through. Follow these 5 trends to keep your business afloat! 

Are you in the mood for some new furniture? How about a new laptop? A new piece of artwork? Or even a new car? All without leaving the comforts of your couch? This is the simplicity of the world of ecommerce! In today’s day and age, almost every product imaginable is purchasable online; pay the prize required and bam! The product is at your doorstep. This ease of shopping has now almost completely eclipsed conventional ‘brick and mortar store’ shopping as everyone prefers to shop from the comforts of their homes. As of last year, the ecommerce ventures have snowballed to become a trillion-dollar industry. This megalith amount of revenue has pulled many an entrepreneur to join the ecommerce realm; and today with the help of this article, you can too!