Moving to Online - Is it for you?

Posted At : March 29, 2021 10:14 AM | Written By : used with permission by HP Tech@Work
Related Categories: Your Business

 When to Move from Brick and Mortar to Online

 
 

 

If your business sells products, should you have an online presence? Something to consider. For the past several years, The Computing Center has had a small online presence. We sell printer inks and toners through the Amazon platform. Prior to March 2020, that platform provided us with a small additional outlet for these consumables. However, since last March, this area has grown quite dramatically. Daily, we ship toners and inks all over the US. Those additional sales provided our business with a demonstrable extra boost during a year when normal forcasting went out the window. While we have absolutely no intention of changing our business model, online definitely helped us in 2020.

This article from HP Tech@work outlines some of the steps necessary to create an online presence. We'd be happy to discuss our experiences and what we've learned from being "online". 

While the transition from in-store sales to ecommerce began long before the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 accelerated online sales growth in a way that no one could have imagined!

A recent survey revealed that a shift in buying habits favored online shopping for everything from magazines to hygiene products. The pandemic specifically motivated up to 31% of shoppers who would have normally purchased in-store to take their business to the internet.
 
Restaurants, booksellers, and clothing retailers all saw a shift, but how can you know if it’s time for you to make the move?

Brick and mortar vs online sales

First, it's helpful to review the differences between in-store and web-based shopping. Some stores stick strictly to in-person sales, with others moving online for ordering while still asking shoppers to stop by in person to pick up their purchases. Brick and mortar, whether it uses web-based tools for sales and logistics or not, exists mainly as a physical store you can visit for an in-person experience.

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Employee Recognition Ideas

Posted At : February 22, 2021 12:56 PM | Written By : used with permission by HP Tech@Work by Linsey Knerl
Related Categories: Workplace, Your Business

 21 Fun Employee Appreciation Ideas for Small Businesses

Editor's note: It's been a tough year for all of us. For business owners, it's been incredibly challenging. All of our employees have done incredible work staying safe, taking care of their families and doing great work for our companies and organizations.  Here are some ways to recognize them now and always.
 
Engaged employees are more productive and likely to share good things about your workplace. They are, in a way, the best kind of brand ambassador. But how do you improve employee engagement? One way is to recognize them with employee appreciation awards, though not every idea will work for every employee.
 
Use our list of best practices as a jumping-off point for your own ideas, and incorporate what makes your workplace special into both the planning and execution stages.

Best staff appreciation ideas

How do you currently show your employees that they matter? You may already do some type of appreciation program. If you haven’t revamped it in years, however, it may be time to take another look. Here are some of the perks other companies are using to show their appreciation for their workers.

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Managing Remote Workers Without Micromanaging

Posted At : January 28, 2021 3:20 PM | Written By : used with permission by HP Tech@Work by Tom Gerencer
Related Categories: Workplace, Your Business, Hewlett Packard

 Managing Remote Workers without Micromanaging

 

OK, managing a remote workforce is a BIG topic.  There are books written about how to do it. Many of us are in the unenviable position of having a hybrid workforce with some employees in-house, others remote and still others doing both. This article from HP Tech@work is a broad overview and since it comes from HP, it's HP centric when they pick certain computer technologies. While we don't do everything it recommends, there are some nuggets that can make your life easier.  

Picture it - you’re suddenly tasked with managing remote workers, on the fly. Zoom, lack of oversight, and IT headaches can make it a huge challenge. And without traditional physical views into your employees’ workflows, it’s tempting to micromanage. But pump the brakes.

 
Research shows it’s better to establish productivity targets and let employees build their own paths to success. Successful remote managers trust their teams for the transition, then coach lagging members as needed to get performance up to snuff. The good news? It’s not hard to step back and encourage success without micromanaging.

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Working in the Post Covid World

Posted At : January 28, 2021 2:29 PM
Related Categories: Your Business, Working from Home

The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 changed the world in many ways. Its rapid spread worldwide has changed the way we work, perhaps permanently. Now with vaccines rolling out here in early 2021, businesses and organizations need to begin exploring how their workforces will operate going forward. 

We know that the crisis led many companies to make dramatic changes, for example: Non-essential organizations unfortunately were forced to close due to low demand, while other industries had to chance their production to aid the national efforts against COVID-19 in order to survive. Still others were able to successfully pivot and actually thrive during the pandemic.

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Making Your Website Stand Out

Posted At : January 28, 2021 2:16 PM | Written By : Bhavesh Patel - WelkinMKTG
Related Categories: Internet, Your Business

Editors Note: We are continually surprised with how poor some websites are.  Some big names do a terrible job in website design and programming.  The Computing Center has been doing website programming pretty much since the beginning of the world wide web. We generally leave the design to design professionals.  Our specialty is programming, making the "feel and flow"  work well with the "look". Here's a review of what it takes to make your website stand out and reach your intended audiences.

In a digital world with close to 2 billion websites on the internet, users have a tendency to bounce around from site to site in search of a suitable answer or solution to the problem they have or to find the information that they seek.

Did you know that the average user spends 15 seconds or less on a website? With the attention spans of viewers decreasing at an alarming rate, it is safe to say that with only 15 seconds, it’s a really good idea to know how to make your website stand out.

High bounce rates and the loss of business opportunities are a reality without a strong and unique website, especially with the large number of competitors, standing out can be a grueling task. Here at WelkinMKTG management, we’ve got experience with making our Digital Agency’s website engaging and relevant for users. We suggest that you use these tips and pointers for helping your business website stand out in a saturated market.

How to make your website stand out?

Consider the following when creating your company website:

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