Managed Service Providers Benefits

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Managed Service Providers can decrease the overall IT support costs of small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) by as much as 30% to 50%. While a managed service provider can most assuredly assume full responsibility for IT operations, and operate as a remote IT department if desired, they can also be a valuable asset to an in-house technician or team. MSPs can support existing internal IT staff by taking on the more routine proactive and reactive daily responsibilities. Many of which can be automated. This allows in-house IT personnel to focus more on the company’s business needs and revenue generating projects. Download the E-Guide – THE VALUE OF A HELPING HAND – Reducing the Business Costs of Network Failure with a Managed Services Provider In This E-Guide You Will Learn: How to once again focus on core business operations with a managed service provider monitoring and securing your network. The advantage of breaking away from a sure-to-stay-small break/fix mentality with the support of a team of experts helping you accelerate growth The benefit of having access to the expertise, best practices and world-class tools and technologies offered by managed service providers

7 Key Areas that are Important for your Website

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thumb-3Your website represents your business and so building and maintaining it need to be of primary concern to you as a business owner. We often find business owners struggling with their websites saying things like: “My website looks great, but I am not able to convert” or “I invested so much into creating my website, but I don’t get many hits.” These things are very common pains faced by businesses, especially small business. If you aren’t sure where to start your site improvement project, this post will get you rolling in the right direction with seven key areas you need to pay attention to when it comes to your website. 1. Content – Make sure your site has a significant amount of content and that the content is relevant and meaningful. Having the right amount of good content adds value and appeals to your target audience. Don’t fill the site with jargon and keywords just for the sake of it, lack of relevant content won’t help you improve your conversion rate. 2. Testimonials – Nothing has more impact on your prospects than them hearing about your product/service from their peers. So make sure your site showcases testimonials from your satisfied customers. 3. Social Media Icons – Social Media, when done correctly, it is a great medium to enhance your brand presence online. Get on popular social media networks and invite your website visitors to join you there – that way they will hear more about you from your fans at the social network. 4. Contact Information – Tell your web visitors how to get in touch with you. They shouldn’t have to search the entire site before knowing how to contact you. Provide your contact information/contact form very clearly for them to use. 5. Tracking – Incorporate a web-site tracker that helps you track the leads that come in from your website. You can use services such as Google Analytics that are free and provide you basic details such as number of hits, location, time spent on pages, etc. 6. Loading Time – Web visitors today have little patience and lots of choices. So, it is important that your site loads quickly, otherwise they move on to the next search result. 7. SEO – Search engine optimization is a key factor in determining the ROI of your website. Make sure your site is optimized for search engines so that it shows up when your prospects search for you.

Why is my internet so slow?

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We often get asked… “Why is my Internet connection so slow?”

We recently read an article on http://windows.microsoft.com that does a great job addressing this question.

No matter how fast your Internet connection is, there are times when things will slow down to a crawl. This article will help you sort out what kinds of things can go wrong, learn what you can do about them, and discover how to get the most from your Internet connection.

The type of Internet connection you use is the most important factor in determining your connection speed. The three most common ways to connect to the Internet from home are dial-up, DSL, and cable. If you have a choice, cable is usually the fastest, but both DSL and cable are faster than dial-up. Many Internet providers also offer Fiber Optic Service (FiOS), which connects to the Internet using light over an optical network. In your home, you still connect your computer through copper wiring.

The advantage of FiOS is that it can provide higher speeds than traditional copper wire connections such as DSL or cable. Some Internet providers offer multiple options, depending on the area you are in. More populated areas are more likely to have FiOS available. Check with your phone company or Internet provider for more information. If you use a dial-up connection, there are a couple of good ways to optimize your Internet speed. First, use the fastest modem you can. The fastest modem you can use will send and receive information at a rate of 56 kilobits per second (Kbps).

You won’t get a full 56 Kbps speed most of the time, but with a good phone line, you should approach at least 45–50 Kbps. Second, make sure that your phone line is in good condition. If the telephone wiring in your home or business is old or deteriorating, you might be picking up stray signals or cross talk from other phone lines. These problems will slow your Internet connection because the modem will have to send the same information over and over until it is transmitted without interruption. Check your telephone wires to be sure they are not damaged, frayed, or twisted around power or other telephone cables. If you notice crackling in your phones, you might want to contact your phone provider to have them check the lines inside and outside your home to make sure they are in good condition.