Starting your own business can be incredibly rewarding — but it can also be stressful and terrifying at the same time.  There are many factors to consider when starting a business.

This article walks you through the process step-by-step and makes it as painless as possible. Whether you’re just beginning your journey into entrepreneurship or you’ve already started a business, Allen Marketing Communications offers tips to help you build a successful business.

Defining Your Goals
The first step in starting a business is defining your goals. Are you interested in starting a business because you want to create new products or services?  Or do you want to work for yourself?

Defining your goals before taking action helps keep you focused and on track. The more defined your goals, the easier it is to assess business ideas and opportunities.

Assessing Your Skills
One of your first steps in deciding what business to start is to assess the skills you have. While you may be passionate about your ideas, that passion may not be enough if you don’t have relevant skills or experience.
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Carefully consider whether starting a business is a good idea for your particular situation and how much time and energy you can dedicate.

Assessing Your Current Schedule
When it comes to deciding what type of business is right for you, ask yourself two questions:
•How much time can you invest?
•What resources are available to you?
A part-time or home-based business might be better than a startup that requires high levels of personal and professional energy. If you work full-time, your options are more limited; evenings and weekends might be more feasible.

Defining Your Market
Once you decide on a business that's a good fit, writing a business plan can help you achieve your goals. If you start by trying to define your market, you’ll have a clearer idea of how to position your product and how to go about marketing it. The market is those who might buy or use your product or service.

Once you have identified your business, it is important to incorporate your business and secure the appropriate federal tax ID number.

Develop your unique selling proposition to distinguish your business from your competitors.

Researching Competition
Being an entrepreneur in New York City isn’t easy. You’ll be responsible for making and executing critical decisions, such as how much to charge customers and how many products to sell. If you try to start a business without researching the competition in your field of choice, you might fail.

Unique Business Ideas
A service business is the simplest to start, especially for a newbie. A service business is any company that sells services. In other words, instead of selling items or goods, you sell your ability, labor, or expertise.

You might also consider designing clothes and selling them online. For your apparel, create a logo for your clothing line that complements your brand. Choose from many beautifully made logo templates using an online apparel logo creation tool that you can personalize with your typeface, color schemes, backdrops, and layout.
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Your Passion
When it comes to starting a business, your decision is a personal one, and it's likely to come down to what you’re passionate about. If you do what you love, then you will be successful in your business endeavor.

For help marketing your new business, visit Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a travel and lifestyle public relations agency based in New York City.

Guest Post:  Chelsea Lamb at Business Pop

Image via Pexels

Using hashtags is an innovative means of tagging people on social media, such as Instagram, for this time and age. What you may not know is that hashtags are not only used for personal purposes.

In this article, our a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency has teamed up with Webster Solutions, to share tips on how hashtags can be used to grow your business on Instagram and boost customer engagement. Below are the reasons why this situation is the case: 

The Allowable Number of Hashtags to Post is Limited
The limitation of the allowable number of hashtags to be posted prevents spamming on Instagram. Customers can trust businesses that observe strict rules against spamming.

Many scrupulous organizations don’t sell and offer legit and high-quality products services, out to con customers out of their money. Sometimes, businesses that do what appears to be spamming of hashtags are the scrupulous ones.

Ideally, keeping hashtags to two to three or five to eight are not considered spammy according to the results from a recently conducted engagement study. Posting such several hashtags on Instagram generates a 10 percent rate improvement in customer engagement, in comparison to the posting of one, four, six, and seven hashtags.

Posting 11 hashtags generate the highest percentage number of customer engagement. Posting an excessive number of hashtags is not an issue when you do so after a couple of comments have been made. The multiple numbers of hashtags you post overshadow the older comments on Instagram. 

Hashtags Can’t be Placed Just Anywhere on Instagram’s Platform 
Instagram has a strict rule against placing hashtags just anywhere on its platform. Not complying with this rule can cause your business to be labeled as spammy. For hashtags to be considered legit, they need to be posted in the comments, photos, and videos sections. The captions below the photos and videos sections, though, are the parts of Instagram where customer and call-to-action engagements are focused. 

Hashtags Can Be Hidden 
If the moderator of your business’s Instagram account desires, they may hide the hashtags on Instagram’s comments sections. Hiding hashtags on Instagram is one way of subtly letting industry experts know your business is not spammy. Transform the hashtags to merely search words. You can do this by just putting periods and dashes at the end of each hashtag. 

Only Trending Hashtags are Recommendable 
There’s no way audiences can keep track and follow outdated hashtags. Hashtags are similar to keywords. Potential customers search for hashtags associated with the trending search phrases for the newest models and forms of products and services.

Keep in mind, though, that there are constant changes in the trending business hashtags on Instagram. Webstagram and Tailwind Hashtag Finder are among the examples of hashtag research tools. The frequent use of the same hashtags, though, can cause them to be removed and labeled as spammy on Instagram. 

Customized Tags are Useful 
Every business is recommendable to have special tags or hashtags that just going to tell the market to which the company belongs. Specifically, each project of your business is best to be labeled with an exceptional and rare single hashtag.

Spread the word of the usage of a customized tag for your business to your potential customers and followers on Instagram. Doing so may be the source of increasing the instances of customer engagement. 

Common Tagging Mistakes are Avoidable 
Tagging involves the use of a couple of single words or terms. With this said, it’s easy to avoid common tagging mistakes. Avoid adding tags at the end of posts on Instagram.

By the time you add your tags to posts, the latter would have gone live and have been seen by countless people, already. Another tagging mistake you should avoid is utilizing the same hashtag groups within 24 to 48 hours. Finally, don’t utilize broken and prohibited or banned hashtags. 

Hashtags Act as Topic Indicators 
The topic indicators associated with hashtags are commonly the subjects of interest about products and services businesses sell. Propagating the popularity of such tags makes your business appear, customer, rather than, sales-oriented on Instagram.
 
By Vishal Dudhal, partner, Webster Solutions and consultant for Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.

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As Covid-19 vaccinations increase around the world, life is back to normal. However, it is no longer the world before the disease. The long-term nature of this global crisis has changed the needs of consumers and everyday life. So, it will change what I hope the world will look like in 2022 and beyond.

In this article, our a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency has teamed up with Webster Solutions, to explore the top five technologies and digital advances i.e. SMO in digital marketing we are likely to encounter in the coming year.

1. Python
These days, the Python programming language is used by many websites. Major platforms have developed robust applications using python development services. The future is definitely in Python.

Technology has developed rapidly over the past eight to ten years, especially in information technology. As a result, the area of innovation is constantly evolving with new programming development and practices, for instance, product pricing calculator will help people let know about the price of different variables of the same product. However, one thing remains in this universe: it is continually changing. You might have guessed that Python is the most popular programming language.

Significant and widespread media such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Uber reach out to a python development company to build their most popular mobile phone apps.

These large organizations hire Python developers or Python specialists to grow their business. In 2022, Python Trends will achieve more status and recognition.

2. Java
While Java has been around for a quarter of a century, new trends in Java development pop up every day. Incorporating these features into your next Java project ensures that you stay up to date with the latest developments in the modern client.

Java tools such as Apache Hadoop, Apache Mahout, and Deepearning4j suggest that Java is the top competitor for any significant data project that may arise.  Because of the security of Java and its unique foundation, development solutions using the Java language are the most efficient. For example, creating a desktop application that provides remote access solutions for remote workers is a great way to use Java technology.

The Spring Framework is a clean, easy-to-use Java technology that any Java professional or Java development company should have in their arsenal.  However, Java developers must always look for new updates to old technologies to stay on top of the Java tradition.

And because of Java’s ease of maintenance, high portability, and clarity, Java development services are a popular choice for companies looking for good results.

Business growth does not happen in a vacuum. Therefore, it would be best to drive change by exploring new ideas and creating challenges for the company. One way to do this in a Java-centric development environment is to educate your team about Java technologies and practices regularly.

Java is a unique and powerful language that has a lot to offer. But, unfortunately, you have to use the tools to make it work.

3. React
Over the years, more and more developers are turning to ReactJS, and their number is also increasing. However, compared to the popular Python language, the need for ReactJS is higher, which leads to fierce competition between them.

The demand for ReactJS developers is growing in various business niches. This will increase the need for React professionals to work together. That means 2022 will see an increase in businesses investing heavily in ReactJS developers.

Any business wants to expand its limit by keeping its costs minimum. This means they must find a way to find a digital solution that fits their business needs. Many technologies have been deployed in 2020 and 2021, and ReactJS has proven to be a robust solution that offers a wide range of development solutions. As disease forces businesses to develop technological solutions, ReactJS’s role in helping them push their boundaries has also grown. 

ReactJS has worked over the years; its impact will be seen on the digital front in 2022. ReactJS will pave the way for creating new solutions.

4. Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
AI has become an integral part of our lives. From improvement in classification, analysis, product ordering, machine knowledge, and control to create better environmental models and industrial applications, we see a wealth of technical expertise in anticipation of 2022.

The benefits of using AI at scale are undeniable, but there are also challenges. For example, some algorithms may introduce bias and violate privacy, and technologies such as eye-tracking may be biased. The critical challenge is to incorporate robustness and transparency into the model to expose AI in ways we haven’t done before.

Therefore, there are few instructions or rules in this area. In addition, the cost and effort required to place complete trust in AI applications can be prohibitive, and fear of public scrutiny and cultural implications has prevented organizations from using AI in the recipe — until now.

​ML is the technology that has become one of the most popular technologies by 2021. Today, almost all the famous companies are associated with machine learning techniques, such as Netflix, Google, and some small companies. They are known for their business which is also involved in machine learning to understand user behavior.
2020-2021 is the year of the epidemic, and no one knows what will happen in 2022. But developers and engineers are working to change the world by combining science and technology. 

Machine learning development company’s integration with some large enterprises such as financial business, cybersecurity, healthcare, and accounting can be very successful. Today, large companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook are using machine learning. Still, many small companies are also involved in acquiring human behavior used in adaptation and new purposes.

5. Liferay
The Liferay Digital Experience Platform (DXP) is designed with future technologies in mind, such as microservices, digital experience management, and rapid build management.

It is designed to enable digital transformation and help model-full companies address the challenges of cloud computing, digital tools, and customer experience management. With Liferay, businesses can quickly and easily solve critical business challenges.

The Liferay development will help you quickly master businesses, multi-channel support, personal information, and collaborative action. This makes it easier for users to process tasks with captions.

It also improves customer experience and engagement by implementing a personalized service portal that facilitates users, partners, and customers.

Closing Thoughts
As technology emerges and improves us all, these five technologies offer successful job opportunities now and for the foreseeable future. And since many of these modern technologies welcome professionals, it means that this is the right time for you to choose someone, educate and present the basics of these technologies, setting you up for success in the future.
 
By Vishal Dudhal, partner, Webster Solutions and consultant for Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.
 
 

As the 21st-century ushers in the digital era, websites become the backbones of businesses. With this said, it’s imperative businesses enforce effective means and systems for maintenance.
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In this article, our a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency has teamed up with Webster Solutions, to provide a step-by-step guide in website maintenance that up-and-coming businesses in the digital era are likely going to find useful:

Conduct Regular Reviews
At a minimum, annual reviews and testing are necessary for websites. Reviews and testing are also essential after any updates on websites have taken place. It’s important to note, though, that quarterly reviews and testing are likely more effective, given the fact that many changes are digitally taking place. 

Website maintenance experts may find content errors, URLs that don’t work, site components that are not loading appropriately, if at all, the sites’ download speed, and typos in the content of websites, among others. 

Conduct Device Compatibility Tests Semi-Annually
Devices and browsers upgrade in version modernity as time passes by. The only way of finding out the functionality status of websites accessed from devices is by conducting semi-annual tests. The best way to conduct these tests is to do them via Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari browsers along with the latest models of mobile devices and tablets.

Conduct Crucial Contact Testing Points Quarterly
All components that websites have had in contact with must undergo testing every quarter. After every update, websites must go through testing, as well. In other words, such testing involves the verification of websites’ forms, CTA’s, and properties of the checkout systems. Site administrators determine whether or not they have done such testing successfully by intentionally keying in inaccurate data to generate user errors. If such errors materialize after administrators enter incorrect information, it means the websites have not had any contact with harmful online elements. 

Check the Backups Quarterly
Backups for websites are likely to change within a short period. Checking backups frequently minimize the chances of loss of files and other information in case websites incur serious damage and cyberattack issues. 

Review the Websites’ Monthly Analytics 
Reviewing analytics every month is the key to determining the websites’ performances. Performances reviews cover measurements of key performance indicators (KPIs), reviews of SEO ranks, and analyses of reports. Reviews of websites’ performances are also the sources of resolutions to problems or matters that may turn into problems. Reviewing the analytics at least once a month is a key to swiftly verifying and fixing potential error issues before it’s too late to do so. 

Conduct Monthly Safety Check-ups
Software and other related apps need to be installed in their updated versions. Installing such apps is one way of conducting monthly safety check-ups for websites. Examples of these apps or software are security patches, bug fixes, and other updated tools concerning web servers, databases, CMS, and operating systems. It’s always a good idea to install patches on websites once the former is distributed in the market. However, any updates that site administrators may oversee can be fixed when monthly safety checkups are done.

Study and Update (if needed) Contact Details Monthly
Countless websites don’t get good regular management in the distribution of contact details. These sites have outdated contact details, with the likes of phone numbers, physical addresses, and team members’ data. There’s no way potential clients or customers can get in touch with businesses if the contact details posted are inaccurate.

Update Copyright Dates on an Annual Basis
Normally, the copyright dates posted on the primary pages of websites apply to other subsites, as well. As years pass by, the content on all pages of websites changes. So, it’s objective to update the current copyright years on home pages. 

Update Legal Disclaimers Yearly
Annually, there are normal changes in websites’ privacy terms, site use rules, and sales policies, among other disclaimers. Customers have to be aware of such changes. Being aware of these changes protects businesses, website administrators, and clients. 

By Vishal Dudhal, partner, Webster Solutions and consultant for Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.
 

​For any e-commerce website, ranking at the top of search engines is the number one priority. While paid exams can put you at the top of the exam results, the long-term cost of staying there can be prohibitive. You need number one, and eCommerce SEO can help you get there if you do your part to find trending products to sell online.

In this complete eCommerce SEO guide, our a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency has teamed up with Webster Solutions, to provide invaluable insights about SEO strategies for “eCommerce websites,” as well as tips and tricks to help you successfully satisfy your website.

1. Boost Local SEO
Local SEO focuses on ranking effectively on your site map. Whether you own a grocery store or sell online, almost every business is connected to the local community in one way or another. You can use local supply chains, offer countermeasures or a unique supply option, or sell defective products under specific codes. 

A massage parlor that offers services and sells products online requires local solid SEO to show up in search results for its customers.

2. Optimize Product Pages to Improve Ranking
If you want to attract and attract new users, look at the user interface. This is very important because your website receives higher rankings, which means new traffic and more conversions.

Not every aspect of your eCommerce website needs improvement, so in this section, let’s focus on the things that matter most to online shopping: product descriptions, images, and reviews.

The product page is interesting because there are so many different things that need attention. You also want a few things to stand on the page to draw visitors in and get them to click.

3. Find Keywords Through Competitor Research
If you have competitors ranking higher than you in search results, you can use their site to steal critical scores. First, submit your website to Google, select a competitor, and search for relevant information on their categories and product pages. However, don’t blindly use the exact words as your competitor! Just because they’re better than you doesn’t mean they picked the best terms – they may have a higher level of control (DA) than you.

The DA is Moz SEO’s Ranking of a website’s authority based on its link information and other factors (such as the number of backlinks pointing to the site from another site). It’s time to mention flour, an alert tool that helps Google crawl and index your site.

4. Add FAQ Content
Having the best content that meets user needs is the key to high SERP rankings. If customers don’t find value in your products, your sales will be increased, and customers won’t be able to buy from you.

Most product sections and pages have very few features, and no FAQ section is tagged in the customized FAQ data. Instead, they rely on user-generated content (UGC), which is a mistake.

5. Work on Your Site Architecture 
Improving the architecture of your site by simplifying its structure is the cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy used effectively. For e-commerce websites, this means using your website’s hosting and search engines.

But how? Organize your website so that visitors can make only a limited number of clicks (the rule of thumb is three or fewer) to go to any product from the main page.
By doing this, you will improve the user experience and help reduce the spam caused by cyberbullying on websites.

6. Start a Link-Building Strategy
Off-page SEO for eCommerce sites and backlinks are powerful for stores looking to improve their search engine rankings. Backlinks are when other websites include a link to your site. This is also called internal or external communication. The more links other sites provide to your website, the better for your SEO position.

But there is also a significant downside: it’s essential to make sure you’re building good links from other trusted, quality websites. Google Ultimate is one of those smart cookies, and it detects if you act on a shadow backlink (and penalizes you accordingly).

7. Add Rich Snippets
Display snippets allow you to provide search engines with additional information about specific types of content — products, reviews, recipes, events, and more— so they understand more about your pages. Further information will also be displayed in the survey results, showing the increase in click-through rates.

8. Fix Crawl Errors
Crawl failures occur when Google bots encounter problems crawling your content. If search engines cannot find all of your pages, products, and sections, they will not be indexed or displayed in search results.

But how do you know if there is any issue in crawling? Start by setting up a Google Search Console account, which allows you to connect directly to Google, resolve any problems, and view important information. If you create a new account, fill in the data in Google Search Console and wait for a few days to fix all the crawling errors on your site.
 
By Vishal Dudhal, partner, Webster Solutions and consultant for Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.

 
As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, we can all agree that there are significant changes in culinary tourism, also known as food tourism – vegan menu options and alfresco dining at restaurants, chef-inspired gourmet meals and artificial intelligence as it pertains to restaurant reservations.
 
“AAA’s latest travel survey found that an estimated 22 million Americans expect to take a culinary-focused vacation in the next 12 months. Seventy-five percent of Americans feel that food and dining are an important part of their travel experiences and four in five say they have engaged in such unique activities as touring wineries and distilleries, eating with local families and engaging in hands-on experiences such as cooking classes led by local chefs while traveling." (Source:  Travel Agent Central)
 
In fact, “The younger generation is particularly interested in culinary travel, AAA said, with 88 percent of Millennials having participated in food-related experiences while vacationing, outpacing members of Generation X and Baby Boomers.”  In this blog,
Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a boutique food and beverage public relations agency in New York City, highlights key trends as it pertains to culinary tourism.
 
Chef Selected Gourmet Menus
As the Covid-19 restrictions are being lifted across the country, chefs are starting to put their creative hats on again by making meals to showcase their culture.  Chefs are inspired to show off meals native to their country that they grew up on as a child.
 
Not only this, but chefs will continue to use more locally grown, fresh and organic ingredients with healthier items on menus. This year, food lovers will discover menus featuring chef collaborations, meaning dishes will culinary influences from multiple chefs.
 
Artificial Intelligence AI Technology
Restaurants have started to use much more artificial intelligence technology-oriented systems during the pandemic – to order food or make reservations. These minimal contact forms of technology have been found to be considerably easier to operate and are here to stay.
 
In addition to AI technology, restaurants are moving towards implementing deposits or ticket sales when it comes to reserving tables. As restaurants have fully felt the pain of a no-show guests, restaurants are moving in changing the traditional way to make a restaurant reservation.
 
Alfresco Dining
Alfresco dining, also known as outside dining, is one of the most significant implementations of social distancing during the pandemic. Alfresco dining has also been a lifeline for restaurants by providing customers with more sustainable, conventional outdoor seating structures.
 
Restaurant goers liked these outdoor dining so much that many restaurants have decided to keep them permanently. In addition, cities around the world are shutting down car passage in streets to accommodate the new world order of outdoor dining.
 
Vegan and Plant-Based Options
As we enter the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a plethora of vegan and plant-based menu options at restaurants and fast food establishments.  Self-health and living healthier lives became tremendously more popular.
 
Disney has implemented plant based and vegan options at nearly all of the restaurants and food businesses in its parks. Epcot, for example, where guests are encouraged to “eat around the world” are now able to do so with far healthier options, such as their Boneless Impossible Korean short rib dish.
 
This change to the dining world is truly an exciting one as chefs are getting their hands on new ingredients which we haven’t seen before and are coming up with recreations of some of our favorite meat-heavy dishes or even creating never before seen dishes for customers to try.
 
Food Festivals
Food festivals have traditionally presented an immersive platform for consumers to savor a diverse selection of foods.  During the pandemic, food festivals have pivoted online to provide a more intimate experience for food lovers to have virtual tastings at home.
 
There has also been a new twist on something old by offering a drive through experience – servers bring food to cars – at the festivals.  The Covid-19 vaccines and boosters have also injected a desperately needed lifeline for in-person gatherings for food festivals
 
Our talented team of food and beverage professionals are here to help clients maximize the potential from food tourism.  Give us a call.
 
By Robert Goldsmith at Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.