Why is a Website and Social Media Great Business Tools?

The article aims to help small businesses and start-ups improve online sales and marketing of their products and services. You'll find out how easy it can be for *new* businesses to create a business website and use 5 useful tools to make the website stand out above the rest.

Write articles to rank on Google

A 600 – 800 word post is just right to get a good Google ranking. You may not need plenty of mobile phone *data* or 24-7 WiFi to publish your work. Write offline (using Microsoft Word for example) and post when you are online.

So if you have not started your start-up/business website, take a look at how easy it is to create a website.

(Here is how I started PNG Insight from scratch - learn about how to get a suitable URL, Host and run a successful business website.)

5 useful tools to make your business website standout

Here are the 5 online tools that will make your blog stand out from the others.

1. Grammarly

Grammarly valuable tool for Spelling & Grammar Checks.

Grammarly is a useful online grammar and spelling checker. Just copy and paste your final assignment or blog post into the window pane and click Check Your Text. 

Obliviously, English is the second (even third) language for many Papua New Guineans. Grammarly, the Grammar and Spelling checker tool, is one blogging tool I'd recommend highly, even if you are a savvy writer, you will also benefit from it.

Make sure you have used the correct English version by choosing English (US) or English (UK), or whichever one you prefer. Grammarly 'spelling check' is free on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox browsers. 

You can install the app as an add-on on Chrome or use the online version to check your work for both Grammar and Spelling errors.

2. Use Social Media Platforms (prioritise YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest)

It is important to create social media accounts for your business website. Social media is the most important platform for reaching customers without spending money on paid advertisements. 

Here is why you should prioritise YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest

My top picks (in the order of getting organic search customers)  are YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. The first three social media platforms (YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest) are proven organic (Google) search drivers for your business, in addition to your website. Also called the evergreen online platforms. One article (like this one) will rank for years to come.

Twitter and Facebook are simply message-sharing platforms with no (or very little) organic search ranking. They can be used when there is a need to get a recent ad/message out en masse.

If you are planning to use images, try Pinterest. In fact, Pinterest is a useful tool for showcasing your work as well as getting visitors to your business. 

Another way to find the ideal social media platform fit for your website is to experiment with various platforms. This can take years to find social media platform that complements your business website, once you find it, stick with it.

3. Images/visuals and messages

Attractive visuals and powerful messages are best for your business website. Think of it this way: 

• images attract readers, and
• messages give the readers a taste of what the post is about. 

So, make the images appealing to attract readers and messages stimulating so that the readers will want to read further.

You can do all these without spending money on image apps.  For beginners, the two free image editors I have been using are Canvas and IShot. You can auto-edit photos, add texts, use free photos and do many other formatting styles. 

These two image apps are also available on Google Play Store for free.

Many of the photos on PNG Insight are examples of what you can do with an image editor like Canvas and IShot. 

My top tip is to always keep your photos the *same size*. Consistency is the key to making your business website stand out amongst the others.

4. Google Search Console & Google Analytics

Google Search Console can help optimise your website. GSC is, in simple terms, the platform where you tell Google about your website by creating sitemaps and submitting URLs, inviting Google to come to your website. It should be the first step of a structured SEO plan, why buy expensive SEO plans when Google has this tool you need for free?

On the other hand, Google Analytics is the platform where Google provides you (the webmaster) with data and information about your website. That means that Google has recognised your website - its structure (sitemap) and individual URL.

So, if you want to understand how your website works (and improve its performance) you’ve got to use both platforms provided by Google – and they are free!

Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics (GA) provide insights into the performance of your business website. 

Moreso, these two are powerful data insights Google provides free of charge. It can never get better than this when you are looking for Search Insights and how customers behave on your business website.

5. Google Trends and Adwords Keyword Search

Rank well on Google - visibility!

This is the important part of writing that many beginners ignore or did not know about. If you want to rank well in Google’s searches, you must learn to identify (and use the keyword in a post) what you want Google to rank you for. 

It’s not rocket science!

You just have to identify what is trending on Google and used Adword Keyword Search to choose a keyword. Then, use the keyword in your writing (and also in the post’s search description before publishing it). 

It is the anchor text that Google shows to people in search results when the search matches your keyword.

Why are a Website and Social Media Great Business Tools?

All in all, these may seem like a mountain of work to do. It, probably, is. 

But having a business website that puts your products and services on the front page of Google searches can never get better. is fun and easy if you do it right from the start.

All small business owners and start-ups have to know that having a powerful website is the key to sales and marketing; and the overall success of selling online.

Use Google's Find-My-Device to Find Your Lost or Stolen Phone Without App

Have you ever had a stressful time when your phone is on silent mode and you can't find it? Even worst, someone stole your phone and you felt as if the world is ending?

The good news is that you can find your phone even if it's in silent mode. Better still, you can delete everything on your phone remotely, and lock it dead.  But there are certain things that you should do immediately to find or lock your smartphone.

Here are the three functions and how to connect your phone using your Gmail.

How to use Find-My-Device (FMD)

Google makes it so easy to find your smartphone when you lose it, regardless of the make or brand of your android device.

Firstly, connect your android phone to Google's FMD. Here is how to do it:

1) Visit  https://www.google.com/android/find

2) Enter your Gmail o phone number to connect to FMD

3) Follow the prompt and complete the connection

Once your phone to set up to FMD, you can call up the 3 functions below when you need them.

How to find a lost phone - use 'Play Sound'

Use the 'Play Sound' function on Find-My-Device to find your phone if you misplace it or lost it somewhere near you. 

All you need is another smartphone, PC or lab top. You must use the Gmail that you used to connect your phone to FMD.

You'll hear a high-ping sound, even if your phone is on silent mode. The ping will go on for 5 minutes, if you cannot find it you can ping it again. 

Once you've found your phone, press the power key to stop the sound.

Can't find it? Secure your phone to protect your data. Try the next function.

Use 'Secure Device' to lock a lost phone, remotely

You must sign in to your Google Account to lock the device, there is no need to download any mobile apps or applications onto your device. 

Click on the 'Secure Device' tab, and add a message and optional phone number so that anyone who finds your device can contact you. 

Then hit 'Secure Device' and log out of your Google Account. This action will secure your device.

More so, if you want to completely delete all the data, files and apps on the lost/stole device, use the last option.

How to erase phone data permanently from a stolen phone

Using the 'Erase Device; option will delete all the data permanently from this device. After your device has been erased, you can’t locate it.

If your device is offline, erasing will begin when it next comes online.

To erase your device, you may need to sign in to your Google Account again.

What you need for Find-My-Device to work

To find, lock, or erase an Android device, it must be:

• turned on.
• signed in to a Google Account.
• connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi.

You do not have to worry if your phone is on silent mode or the location is turned off. It will still work.

Why it's important to use Find-My-Device?

Here is a Google Find-My-Device instructional video on how to find your device if it is lost, misplaced or stolen. 

Check out PNG Insight on YouTube & Subscribe.

The important thing is to act quickly if you want to find your device.

If your smartphone is stolen, it may mean that all your passwords, login and authentication apps are under someone else's control. You will have to delete the data, files and apps, so act quickly and swiftly.

 

FaceApp - Why You Should Delete or Never Install It

FaceApp is a mobile application for iOS and Android. The Face app is developed by a Russian company called the Wireless Lab.

How FaceApp Works

According to Wikipedia FaceApp uses artificial intelligence to generate highly realistic transformations of faces in photographs.

The app can change a person's face to make it smile, look younger, look older, or change gender.

The Russian developer Wireless Lab released the app in January 2017. It is becoming popular among young users who want to predict their appearances or play around with one's looks.

Access to iOS and Android photos

The viral smartphone application has seen a new surge of popularity. The app requires "full and irrevocable access to their personal photos and data". This could pose "... privacy risks for millions of users' according to one report from the US.

Many of the app's users will recall the breach of privacy laws in the US involving Facebook and Russians in a bid to influence the last presidential election.

What happened is that Facebook was slapped with US$5 Billion fine [Forbes report] for its part it this saga.

Unfortunately, other parties got away since they are in jurisdictions where privacy and data protection laws are weak.

So, next time you want to install FaceApp, ask yourself if that is the right app to use. And, importantly, would you want to give a Russian tech company *access* your phone?