Tech

Is4profit’s tech section covers a variety of features on how small and medium enterprises can utilise technology hardware, digital software, business broadband and hosting and mobile apps to help them grow and succeed.

Business Software
How Much Outdated Technology Can Cost Your Business

How Much Outdated Technology Can Cost Your Business

Heidi Finigan March 29, 2017 Tech

Buying all new tech for your business sounds intimidatingly expensive – but it may not be as expensive as sticking with the old tech you already have lying around. Squeezing a few more years out of your old computers isn’t thrifty – it can actually be dangerous. If you’re looking for reasons to justify the costs of a major technology overhaul, you’ll find that there’s no shortage of them. There’s no better way to save money and make your business better than by making the jump to better equipment. It consumes more power Newer tech is designed with environmental concerns in mind. Optimized performance allows newer tech to perform to its highest potential without drawing up as much power. Not only is this great for the planet, it’s also great for your wallet. When you think about long term s... »

4 Signs That Your Business Website Needs a Change

4 Signs That Your Business Website Needs a Change

Chris Danks December 8, 2016 Tech

As a business owner, you should always be looking for ways make your company more efficient — and a big part of that is staying on top of what’s working and what isn’t. We’re in the midst of the digital era and, in the business world, a website has become the most valuable tool for marketing and sales. Of course, this means that a site that’s not providing you with the necessary results needs to change. Take a look the four telltale signs that the website of your business is in dire need of improvement. 1. High bounce rate Your site’s bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave your website after only looking at one page. A high bounce rate is bad for business because it means that your audience isn’t taking the time to look at the awesome website you’ve spent hours designing. ... »

Top 10 Essential IT Security Questions You Need To Ask Yourself

Top 10 Essential IT Security Questions You Need To Ask Yourself

Adam Harling November 22, 2016 Tech

Your business will be attacked by cybercriminals, that’s a given – but there are things you can do to prevent your data being compromised. Adam Harling, director of managed services provider, Netitude, explains how to check your company’s IT security is in order and if it’s not, what you need to do about it. 1. Do you let staff choose their own secure passwords? Your staff should have passwords they set themselves, which are known only to the account holder and your systems should be configured to force a complex passwords of a suitable length (eight characters or more) to prevent ‘brute force’ hacking attempts. 2. Have you bought computers but not installed any virus protection software? Get advice on the best computer anti-virus and anti-malware software available for your environment. D... »

How to Arm Your Small Business Against Cyber Attacks

How to Arm Your Small Business Against Cyber Attacks

Gemma Baker June 17, 2016 Tech

In the past year, two-thirds of UK businesses have been the target of cyber attacks involving viruses, spyware or malware, according to Government research. Ed Vaizey the digital economy minister has said: “The UK is a world-leading digital economy and this government has made cyber security a top priority. Too many firms are losing money, data and consumer confidence with the vast number of cyber-attacks. It’s absolutely crucial businesses are secure and can protect data.” After the cyber-attack on Talk Talk last October, the government released The Cyber Governance Health Check also known as “the Tracker”. The Tracker is a non-technical governance questionnaire comprised of 37 questions. It assesses FTSE 350 Companies’ boards and committees and their extent of understan... »

The Importance of Creating Digital Customer Service

The Importance of Creating Digital Customer Service

Jon Cano-Lopez June 17, 2016 Tech

“The customer is always right.” Those working in customer services will have this mantra imprinted on their memories, and as customers ourselves most of us will have used it against a disgruntled member of staff. In the digital age this motto has become more important than ever. The avenues for customers to raise a complaint have increased rapidly with the continued growth of social media and with it businesses short fallings are being laid bare in front of a global audience. Of course, in reality, customers are “not always” right but they do expect you to have up to date and immediate information to hand. Use tech as an opportunity to engage the customer I find it hard to understand how such a large proportion of companies can still get customer service so wrong. Yes, the digital age has ... »

How to Boost Profits By Utilising Software

How to Boost Profits By Utilising Software

Howard Williams June 14, 2016 Tech

Business software has come a long way since the early days of project management programs in the late 1980s. In its infancy stages, this software – then little more than a collection of spreadsheets – was so revolutionary that it retailed at several thousand pounds. Now, software is a fraction of the price and can provide functionality that keeps track of figures and can complete tasks remotely, improve process efficiency and even boost profits. If you were to ask most businesses how they would go about widening profit margins, the chances are that one of the first suggestions would be to cut departmental or staff funding. This idea of cutting from the bottom and putting a freeze on spending is a traditional approach to increasing net business profit, following the logical thou... »

Order Tracking Systems for Your Business

Order Tracking Systems for Your Business

October 20, 2015 Tech

If you are an e-commerce business or other firm that delivers goods to customers on a regular basis, or you order goods from suppliers regularly putting an order tracking system in place delivers instant tangible benefits. Not only will you be able to keep on top of your own orders from suppliers much more efficiently, customers appreciate knowing where their goods are and how long they will take to get there. This article provides an overview of order tracking; covering whether it is right for your business, the different systems available, and some useful contacts to get you started. What are some of the benefits of order tracking? An order tracking system is one that tracks goods from the moment the order is placed to when they are physically delivered to the destination location. Diffe... »

5 Ways to Make Your Website Work Harder for your Business

5 Ways to Make Your Website Work Harder for your Business

Kath Dawson April 23, 2014 Tech, Web Services

The world of digital content and search has completely transformed over recent years, with Google algorithm updates eliminating ‘black hat’ (unorthodox or unethical) SEO techniques, and pushing the industry towards quality digital content that targets and pleases customers, as well as Google’s own rules. Failure to toe the digital content line can not only result in ranking relegation, it adds nothing to the business’s online offering. With this in mind, here are five key considerations for businesses looking to ensure their website performs at its peak. Make it personal A key element of creating effective digital content is an understanding of who it is being created for, and what the desired outcome of the content is. To increase conversions and interest in the company’s products and ser... »

First Past the Post: How to Make your Website Fast on its Feet

First Past the Post: How to Make your Website Fast on its Feet

Jack Bedell-Pearce February 7, 2014 Tech

When shopping, research has shown that people expect a web page to display in no more than two seconds, and 40% of online shoppers will abandon your site if it takes longer than three seconds. Moreover, Google will penalise your ranking if any page takes longer than 1.5 seconds to load. The result of such poor performance is likely to have a dramatic effect on your bottom line. So how do you make a website fast and dynamic? The best and quickest way is by reducing the number of HTTP requests. Each unique object in a web page will require a round trip to the server (an HTTP request and a reply). Minimising the number of objects in the web pages cuts the HTTP requests required to render your page. With fewer requests, the server can turn them around faster, and visitors in turn will enjoy a ... »

What the Daily Commute Could Mean for Your Data

What the Daily Commute Could Mean for Your Data

Christian Toon January 16, 2014 Operations, Tech

The latest intelligence on Al-Qaeda, a high profile Child Protection report and plans for policing the London 2012 Olympics; three very different documents with two things in common: firstly, they all contained highly confidential information and secondly, they were all left on a train. In each example, an inquisitive fellow commuter picked up the folder, took one look at the contents and promptly handed it to a newspaper. In each case, the newspaper in question was happy to return the folder to its rightful owner after having used the information to craft a front-page news story that was both embarrassing and reputation damaging for the companies ultimately responsible for managing the information. On reading the subsequent news stories, no doubt many people wondered how anyone could have... »

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