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Category Archives: Tech – Business

Relocating Your Business
Posted on Author Roxanne Demakis Categories Managed Services, Tech – Business

The Biggest IT Concerns When Relocating Your Business

When you decide to get involved in the process of relocating your business, it’s vital to take the time to map everything out so that the relocation is as smooth as possible and that you stay within the budget.

Here are the top concerns that you should keep in mind when relocating your business.

Equipment and Internet Installation

Many things go into pre-planning. One of the key ones will be thinking about how your equipment and internet will settle into the new environment. That is why you should always include your IT department when making plans for a big move. They are the ones that will be able to tell you if the real estate properties you found are suitable for the scale of your current and future operations.

Not only should you think about the hardware, but you should also think about the internet connection and software. Keeping these things in mind will save you heaps of money – imagine picking out a place, signing a lease, and finding out it doesn’t suit your business!

Another player to factor into planning is your internet provider. Not only are they great for consulting on these issues, but they’re also essential for setting the moving date. Since they need to be part of the moving process and relocate your IT infrastructure, you should look in advance if their schedule has an opening that suits you both.

If the provider is unavailable for a longer bout of time, it may be time to look for another internet provider.

Potential Loss of Productivity and Downtime

There may be a period of lower productivity you should account for, as well as a time when your systems are down. Even the best companies need to deal with those things when packing up equipment, scheduling providers, and moving from one place to another. Try thinking of a plan B that will lower the blow of losing time due to relocating the business. That way, it’ll be easier and quicker to set everything back up.

An efficient way not to slump in productivity is to have cloud-based solutions that let you work from anywhere, anytime. That way, your employees will be able to work from home temporarily. 

Possible Impact on Employees and Stakeholders

People are drawn to companies that make it convenient for them to come and work there. No one wants to spend 30 minutes each day looking for a parking spot. Your company can deal with this by renting a lot or paying for parking. But once more, this will affect the price of your move and needs to be considered.

Next, from the perspective of commuting, the location should be in a convenient area. Take into account the fact that nobody wants to commute for more than 30 minutes to work.

Thinking About Future Growth

Relocating Your Business IT Growth

When relocating your business, it’s crucial to consider how the new location will affect you in the long run.

It is essential to check whether the labor pool at your new site can accommodate any potential employee increase. It might not be a major concern if the majority of your growth will come from business professionals like developers, accountants, lawyers, and marketers.

However, if you need to hire 50 more people with in-depth knowledge of agriculture, you might want to research to see if the local labor pool genuinely has the potential for that.

This is not limited to human capital. It also applies to the requirement to expand your facility’s space.

Renovations

A thing to factor into future growth before relocating the business is possible renovations. Whether you need a server room, meeting space, or restroom facility, you must consider these updates and check with the professional IT team if their needs are met. For instance, they can let you know the ideal spaces for outlets and other tools if you’re building a new conference room.

Final Word

Once you have decided where, when, what, and who you’ll move to, make someone the designated point of contact for the relocation. They will be pretty busy with tasks of all sorts – from soliciting bids from movers to keeping staff in the loop about the plans.

In business, not every move works out. But by making sure the chosen location meets your needs, you increase the odds that the grass really will be greener and that your staff and yourself will flourish at the new location.

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Structured Cabling Design
Posted on Author Roxanne Demakis Categories Network Security, Tech – Business

Few Important Considerations When Planning for Structured Cabling Design

A strong structured cabling design is the foundation of a reliable IT network. It’s vital to take the time and money to design a properly structured cabling system for your organization’s requirements and goals. There are many things to consider – the locality of your operations, bandwidth requirements, code compliance, indoor aesthetics, and more.

Without proper planning, design, and maintenance, there is no scaling your business or operations.

What is Structured Cabling Design?

Companies and organizations love structured cabling design because it’s the best solution for a fast network and lower power consumption. Structured cabling design refers to limiting wires used for your network system at your company while increasing high-speed data transfer.

A structured cabling system itself refers to the wiring network that handles your communications systems – unified communications, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), data, multimedia, security, PoE (Power Over Ethernet), and wireless. The structured cabling system spreads those communication systems through company and organization grounds.

The meticulous design of this infrastructure absolutely impacts daily operations and can help companies scale their business. With structured cabling design, companies can say goodbye to confusing bunches of tangled wires. That makes the job of network managers easier – thanks to organized cabling structures, they can spot problems quicker. Moreover, structured cabling design limits the overall risk of mistakes in cabling. That also contributes to less downtime.

5 Things to Consider When Planning for Structured Cabling Design

To maximize the chances of business success with structured cabling design, there are a few things you should take into consideration. Let’s start.

Indoor Vs. Outdoor Cabling Systems

Will the cable system be indoors or outdoors? That choice has a significant impact on the type and layout of your cables. For instance, indoor cabling must be installed in a way that doesn’t interfere with the appearance of a building’s interior. For outside wires to operate as much as efficiently, you should approach such cabling design with a different installation method. The wires must be sturdy and able to withstand harsh weather conditions. If installing cables outdoors, consider direct burial cables.

Structured Cabling Design Cable System Lifespan

Cable System Lifespan

Plan for your organization’s anticipated structured cabling system lifespan.

The minimum life span to plan for is 10 years, the average life expectancy is 15 years, while you should probably strive for a lifespan between 10 and 20 years. Although network cabling makes for just 5% of the entire network budget, replacing it is the hardest and costliest part of the network to replace. The labor it takes brings significant disruption to an organization. So of all the network elements, the cabling system should have the longest life cycle.

Required Bandwidth

Are you a company and organization that regularly transfers large files? It’s important to understand such basic needs of your organization before you install your cable system. And that includes knowing the bandwidth you require. Proper and robust equipment means almost nothing if you don’t have the bandwidth to match your needs. So talk to a contractor or your outsourced IT experts to make sure your structured cabling system design matches the data transmission rates and hardware.

Bear in mind that you should maybe aim for a slightly wider bandwidth than you currently need. That goes for all organizations and companies that plan to grow their operations or business in a few years.

Government Regulations

Based on the design of municipal electricity networks, certain states and cities mandate the use of a particular type of cabling system. Before you set up your cabling system, make sure you are fully aware of the legalities ruling the locality.

If you have any questions concerning the legislation of cabling in your area, contact the authority that controls such regulations and ask them for directions. For instance, find out which cables should be in the conduit. And thoroughly research which ones should be plenum and which ones non-plenum.

Test Phase

The design phase doesn’t end with installation. After finishing the initial structured cabling design, you should test it with testing equipment you can find on the market. That way, you’ll know if you’re ready to set up your cabling system or make some tweaks and other changes.

Without testing, you risk startup delays, downtime, callbacks to the manufacturer, and other problems that can lead to unplanned expenses

But if you test your design and do well in tests of scheduled shutdowns and other scenarios, you’ll be more protected from sudden issues.

Final Word

As we’ve seen, when setting up new building projects or adding wiring to existing structures, there is a myriad of things to factor in your structured cabling design. If you’re unsure how to set up a cohesive system with uninterrupted service and no downtime, consider enlisting the help of proven IT experts.

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UX Design In The Metaverse
Posted on Author Roxanne Demakis Categories Tech – Business, Web Design

The Future Of UX Design In The Metaverse

As the metaverse gradually yet relentlessly seeps into our everyday lives, businesses and digital professionals are asking what this change could mean for their future endeavors. And among those posing the question are UX designers. So what will be the state of UX design in the metaverse?

The best we can do is make educated guesses based on research and moves already made in the metaverse field, although they are not as far-reaching as the term “metaverse” caught buzz. In this article, we will explore how a growing virtual world could potentially help immerse users and incentivize them.

The Basic Fibers of a Metaverse

The term “metaverse” is far from getting attached to one proven definition. Whatmore, the term is, so soon after its birth, already on the crumbling edge of becoming a buzzword. Companies and tech CEOs are throwing it around, attaching it to their ambitious pitches and presentations, disguised as definitions.

We’ll provide a broad definition. The important thing for this article is to keep in mind that both a broad and narrow definition wouldn’t change the upcoming trends in UX design we’ll list below.

The Influencer Marketing Hub defines the metaverse as an ever-active and self-contained virtual space that evolves in real-time, full of users that generate content. Notice how they used the phrase “self-contained”. It’s important to keep that in mind, as many visionary (and problematic) tech CEOs try to speak of one supposedly unified metaverse. Such an endeavor is far from being made. Who would create it, and which rules and regulations would it follow? A unified metaverse would be akin to our planet unifying in the real world into a single country – a nearly impossible and unwelcome undertaking.

So instead of talking about “the metaverse”, it’d be more correct to talk about “a metaverse” or simply “metaverses”. Social media platforms, various organizations, and video game companies are, in droves, working on creating their self-contained digital ecosystems. These virtual spaces could radically reshape how users spend time online while interacting with platforms, companies, and organizations.

Now that we got that out of the way, we’ll move on to the trends that could dominate UX design in the metaverse.

UX Design In The Metaverse VR

How To Approach UX Design In The Metaverse

There are some universal rules to UX design (User Experience design). In the world of business, the goal is to provide users with a great experience while they interact with the online services and products of a company or brand. So, when making money online, it’s more about creating brand experiences than appearances.

Here are some (both new and evergreen) trends set to dominate UX design in the metaverse.

Design Stories

Good design needs good storytelling. We engage with enticing design through compelling stories, whether they be in the form of graphics, video games, products, brands, or services.

As the metaverse gears up, designers will need to visualize stories. That will help insightfully connect the infinite virtual experiences of a metaverse.

With the limitless design options provided by such a space, immersive storytelling – which is already crucial in video games – will undoubtedly be front and center of metaverse design.

Include Observational Design

Before you start weaving far-spanning narratives and user journeys, you should sit back and observe. As functional metaverses are in their infancy, you can learn a lot from following ambitious endeavors from companies, as well as their tweaks along the way. And you should understand how your users may potentially react to a metaverse setting.

Examine your competitors more closely and begin user testing. A solid base for progress is conducting an assessment of your current engagement statistics, audience demographics, and site analytics utilizing programs like Google Analytics.

And as we’ve said, UX designers must be aware of how their target demographic currently engages with the metaverse and grasp how their products and services will function in novel virtual settings.

Focus on Ethical Design

The bad follows the good. While metaverses may enhance positive experiences, think about how bullying could be more visceral than today’s cyberbullying. UX design decisions could be crucial for managing toxicity and limiting hurtful behavior.

Ethical design will be a focus as UX designers begin to create interconnected 3D environments that will allow people to work, buy and hang out securely. 

Work On Your 3D Design Skills

One of the most obvious shifts in UX design in the metaverse is the shift towards 3D design. Your user experience designs will be required to be 360 along with intuitiveness. A large chunk of metaverse experiences heavily relies on VR (virtual reality) headsets. Some startups and tech giants already offer users immersive 3D shopping experiences.

So a practical thing to do as a UX designer would be to move from 2D sketching toward 3D modeling software (if you haven’t already).

Final Word

Change is an opportunity, but for now, the best advice is to be proactive and conduct extensive research. Start observing user behaviors outside of brick-and-mortar and the usual digital experiences. As a UX designer, start treating the metaverse as a new channel to add to a brand’s experience. That way, you’ll be much more ready to make the change and innovate when the time comes.

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Business Roadmap
Posted on Author Roxanne Demakis Categories Managed Services, Tech – Business

How to Develop a Strategic Business Roadmap

A plan must be put into place for any viable business to move forward. While the most successful company CEOs and visionaries got far by following their instinct, rest assured they had a roadmap made beforehand. They went over their goals, initiatives, and resources to develop a strategic roadmap that served as a guiding light for everyone involved.

So, if you are wondering why you need an IT strategic roadmap to move forward in the market, as well as some tips on crafting a successful roadmap, read on below!

What is an IT Strategic Roadmap, and What Does It Contain?

An IT business roadmap is a high-level visual overview of a complex IT undertaking. It details all the goals and plans for a predetermined time. IT roadmaps are used by businesses to plan and manage internal IT projects.

So, one could say that an IT strategic roadmap is a subcategory of a broader business roadmap that assists in underlining priorities.

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to IT strategic roadmaps, here is a rundown of what most businesses should put into their business roadmaps:

Strategic Business Roadmap
  • A strategy statement outlining the company’s strategic aims (not IT-specific).
  • A chronology of the activities and projects that will take place over the next several years, with estimated start and finish dates, lengths, and scopes.
  • A prioritized list of corrective actions. This is created collaboratively by the business and IT and should be renewed regularly.
  • Explanations of planned projects. These should be comprehensive assertions for projects within the next 12 months and shorter statements for projects beyond that time frame.
  • The projected time and expenses of each project. Again, get more detailed when writing about projects happening soon, and describe distant projects more vaguely.

To support the roadmap, IT departments should maintain updated versions of:

  • Systems architectural diagrams for the entire business, including interfaces, manual data moves, and platforms.
  • A system inventory that is updated regularly and includes end-of-life dates, a basic usage statement, the number of users, and the system owner.
  • An ongoing list of new issues that the IT support crew is encountering. That should be tracked by good help desk software.

The Importance of a Strategic Roadmap

Significant technical initiatives, such as implementing new corporate systems like CRM or ERP, can be daunting. They are frequently costly, take a long time to finish, have a high failure rate, and can be inconvenient to the company’s day-to-day activities.

While less expensive, apps that specialize in specific business processes, like scheduling software, can have their own set of issues, such as limited capability and the need to integrate numerous systems.

Despite these obstacles, businesses that have engaged in digital tech report better productivity, reduced expenses, and higher product quality. Such businesses also have higher growth possibilities and are better equipped to respond to market changes more quickly.

The Perks of a Good IT Roadmap

An IT roadmap can assist a business in determining the best strategy for implementing an IT change in the business.

Here are some key benefits of a useful IT business roadmap.

Understanding the Possibilities and Limitations Better

By precisely identifying your company’s technological initiatives and goals, you will be able to more quickly identify technical goals that correspond with the overall structure of your enterprise or startup. Then you can prioritize those objectives. When you don’t look at the big picture, it’s far more difficult to establish achievable objectives. By placing everything on paper, you can easily see where your business will gain the most, what short-term goals are preferable, and what goals may take longer to achieve.

IT Strategic Business Roadmap

Reasonable Budgeting

Being unreasonable about your budgeting possibilities can lead to absolute failure and bankruptcy. Shaping a good IT strategy means that your IT infrastructure is carefully laid out in one place, and you can easily see what’s reasonable to achieve and what not.

From the very start of crafting a strategic roadmap, you can spot some pain spots that have been causing you to lose money. For instance, you will see systems that aren’t operating and should be put to an end.

Then, you can use those resources to fund another project or department.

Keep Your Systems Running Smoothly.

Finally, having a simple document that keeps the IT department or your future outsourced managing service provider up to date on all the systems they manage is really beneficial. Because there are so many diverse, crossing systems in so many businesses, sustaining the entire system necessitates understanding all parts of it. An IT business roadmap gives the ideal overview, keeping both new and experienced team members on track.

Finishing Word

Every proper fantasy hero uses a map to get to their treasure, castle or loved one. Your goal of sustaining and growing your business is no different – you need a map that can help you navigate the changing and murky waters of today’s disruptive, albeit sometimes interestingly challenging, world.

Good luck!

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Increasing Company Revenue Through Website Design
Posted on Author Roxanne Demakis Categories Tech – Business, Web Design

Increasing Company Revenue Through Website Design

As the pandemic rampaged through the economy in the last two years, many businesses were forced to conquer new plains that were unbeknownst to them so far. For instance, lots of brick-and-mortar businesses had to build a strong online presence to survive. And thus, more and more companies and organizations face the reality that many factors go into successful conversions that lead to sales.

One of those factors is a user-friendly website design. A successful website presence plays a huge role in retaining visitors to your website and leading them down the funnel.

So here are the best rules for increasing your revenue with a sleek website design.

Rule #1: The Simpler the Navigation – the Better

Here is something to go by: if the user can land on any page on your website and find what they need within three clicks – you’re good.

Clear and concise navigation along with a search bar are staples of good website design. Because bear in mind that navigation is a huge part of your bounce rate. To remind you, bounce rates are the percentage of single interaction visits to a website. The average bounce rates for websites fall between 26% and 70%, with a percentage between 26 and 40 being considered a great bounce rate.

Increasing Company Revenue Through Web Design

Rule #2: Uniformed Colors and Fonts

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with picking the right color palette for your business and brand and sticking to it.

But creating a recognizable brand identity is crucial. It makes you look more professional since picking 2-3 colors and fonts gives a website a well-designed and clean look. Moreover, it indirectly helps users navigate the website intuitively. All of this accumulates to better UX (user experience) and makes the user spend more time on the website.

Rule #3: Evoke Emotion

Just like marketing relies on waking up emotions in people to make the sale, evoking emotions through smart website design is also a valid tool.

Good storytelling helps funnel users and connect them with products and services. Your strategy then leads to the action of making a purchase.

Website designers must consider the emotions that their site evokes. It’s not enough to ensure that a website conveys the message you want to impart. Sites that do not elicit an emotional response are forgotten quickly. Emotions must be taken into consideration when designing your website.

Rule #4: Add Lots of Infographics

Sure, evoking emotions is a huge part of the deal when designing websites. But another thing you have to work on continuously is authority. Building brand authority is done by not just diligent customer service but by fact-checked infographics, as well.

Increasing Profit Through Website Design

People love seeing clean infographics and other statistical content. It immediately makes you feel more trustworthy. Here are a few simple tips for constructing reliable infographics:

  1. Stick to a simple design and a few colors.
  2. Keep the content easy to understand.
  3. Highlight the most vital content of the statistics.
  4. Add the source of the information below the infographic if it was taken from a reliable source. Don’t forget to link to the original content, too.
  5. Avoid infographics that rely on unchecked data or data you haven’t collected yourself.

Rule #5: Highlight the Value You Offer

Through design, you can further emphasize the value of your product or service. After all, sales are all about convincing potential clients and customers that you offer the solution to their problem through the value of your service or product.

So, a good rule of thumb is to allow users to “test drive” or “preview” products before buying them. Letting visitors apply for a demo or download a report to get a closer look at the product is an ideal solution.

In short – allow users to make their own choices by gently nudging them towards your freebies and discounts and demos.

Rule #6: Add Testimonials to Your Website

Customers are more likely to purchase goods or services from businesses that have been recommended by others. If you’re a real estate agent, for instance, you’ll want a 5-star profile on Opendoor.

The issue with review-based platforms is that you generally do not influence them. You want to control the majority of the content that surrounds your company as a business owner. Having a testimonials page on your website can help you better showcase your products and services if they are honest and legitimate.

testimonials for website design

In other words – for the love of God, don’t add fake testimonials under fake names and stock photos. That crumbles your trustworthiness. No testimonial is still better than a fake one.

Final Word

We could go on and on about rules for making your website more likely to convert visitors. But that would probably make you bounce off our blog a lot faster. So if you made it until here, then we thank you, and we hope that this rundown of basic website design rules will set you on the right path to more conversions in the future.

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