The Blog - Where Business Collides with Human Nature

Five experiments, five conclusions - in a slideshow. In a recent Web clinic, MECLABS walked through the most important discoveries of the year so you can learn the progress MECLABS analysts and scientists have made.

In the slide show below, you will see a summary of the actual research-grounded answers to the following questions: 

• When is the best time to send an email? 
• How should I design my website navigation? 
• Can a brand really make an impact on conversion? 
• Is my page missing critical copy?
• and more...

Where does the time go?  Time management is much more complicated than during the pre-Internet era.  Slipping from the Internet to the brick and mortar and back again in a flash can make even the most organized and disciplined person become distracted and unproductive.

The very software that was meant to save time soon becomes an obsession to conquer and the media hype is saying: "Do more social media" or "Get another badge".  

You can track time the old fashioned way.  Grab a yellow pad, record activities every 15 minutes and over the course of one week a pattern emerges.

Instead of doing it the hard way, use a tool like RescueTime.com.

How much of a small business marketing budget is too much? Too little? Small business owners often are confused about whether their marketing efforts are a money pit or will grow their business. We explore small business marketing budgets, what business owners want, and where they're going.

Of the many ways customers may find themselves on your website, the likely driver of traffic is via mobile phones.  The latest statistics from Pew Research tell us that 56 percent of Americans own a Smartphone and many use these devices to browse the Internet.   Does your content-marketing strategy take these changing trends into account?  As a business owner, you may run your business from a Smartphone, so you know the importance of a website that’s tailored to your mobile phone for ease of use. As you develop a winning mobile content-marketing strategy, keep in mind these key ingredients for success.

You can add fish robots to your wish list this year.  A fish robot is also known as an Aquabot.

BEJING, China, September 15, 2013 - As part of an ongoing effort by Pfizer Foundation to promote access to quality health care, to nurture innovation, and to support community involvement, Pfizer Foundation co-sponsored the Disability Prevention and Control Sub Forum  at the 8^th Annual Beijing International  Forum on Rehabilitation which took place in Beijing September 13-15^th, 2013. 

While its best to be cautious with what others say and do in surveys, it is still good to keep them handy.  This infographic gives tips about how to nurture leads and get better results.  As you look at the infographic "Planting a Seed and Nurturing a Lead" you may decide its not for you because you are in a big hurry.  If you "don't have time to nurture" or gain the confidence of people you want to do business with, then prepare for the worst.  

This infographic will help you think twice about when, where and how you will engage people whether it be via social, telephone or email.

If you believe we live in a world of transparency, you might be correct.  Unfortunately, understanding the difference between facts and fiction is very difficult.  You don't truly know what to believe about almost anything on the Internet.  

While the search engines are less likely to give you a boost in ranking because keywords are included in the domain name or url, you should continue to do so.

In the few seconds it takes for visitors recognize a website as relevant and helpful, details matter.

By creating domain names or urls which which are very specific to the product or service, you provide another way for the visitor know instantly if they are in the right place.

Get paid anywhere by taking credit cards with your mobile device. A credit card reader can be attached to a mobile device and is now a solid reality.  It is no longer "leading edge" and there are now many companies going head to head to offer you the more opportunities to get paid.  This is especially helpful to a business that needs flexibility, a large work space, in the field, or changing locations.  

Here is a comparison chart to show you the difference between Paypal, Intuit GoPayment and Square:

Where does website trafffic come from?  This infographic breaks it down for you:

As you may have noticed, everyone seems to be running a Facebook contest of sorts these days. There’s good reason for this, as Facebook contests can help increase your customer base if you them right.

Key Takeaways you can expect from this article to help you with Facebook contests:

1)  Identifying if your business needs a Facebook contest
2)  Identifying your goals for conducting the contest
3)  Tips on selecting incentives for making your contest a success while ensuring you meet the goals you have set out.