by Felicien | Nov 21, 2018 | Education
Anyone who has passed a high school English class can tell you two things—writing is tough and plagiarism is wrong. Hiring an outside writer from a website such as Fiverr is a great way to create great content without exerting an overabundance of effort, but not every freelancer is honest.
That’s why it is incredibly important to take a little extra time to investigate the text to ensure it free from error and completely unique. Here is a list of the best online grammar and plagiarism tools for checking your writing.
What’s the Best Tool for Checking Spelling, Grammar, and Plagiarism?
While it is one of the most expensive tools on this list, Grammarly is hands down the best option for those who want to check everything including spelling, grammar, and plagiarism. This gives you the best of both worlds—a place to test your outsourced content for errors and the ability to quickly edit your own writing before sending out a social media post or important email.
Grammarly even offers plugins for Microsoft Office, Outlook, and various web browsers to give you easy access when you need to scan a document quickly. A limited version is available for free, but to enjoy all of the robust benefits including plagiarism detection it is recommended that you subscribe to the app.
What is the Best Tool for Checking Just Plagiarism?
If your only need is to check against duplicate content, then Plagiarism Checker X is an excellent choice. Compare multiple documents to search for repeated phrasing or deeply scan the web to find sources of plagiarism. You may also input a specific web address to find other sites matching particular phrasing, which is especially helpful to determine if your website’s unique content is being ripped off by other bloggers.
The program offers a limited option with a free trial or a more substantial one-time subscription fee for additional features. As a bonus, Plagiarism Checker X also comes with a keyword analysis tool that provides the number of times a particular word is used in a piece and the density of keywords.
Which Online Plagiarism Tools Allows Me to Scan the Web Automatically for Plagiarism?
In most academic circles, Copyscape is the gold standard for duplicate content and plagiarism checking. Why? This easy-to-use tool features the option to insert a URL and find instances of the same copy elsewhere on the web without having to set up an account. However, if you want the option to copy text into the checker, you’ll need to sign up and pay for credits.
This app does include a unique feature very applicable to bloggers and digital marketers alike: a monthly subscription service called Copysentry that sends you alerts anytime it finds content from your website elsewhere on the internet.
For developers, Copyscape also provides an API integration for quick scanning. This is especially helpful for those creating software aimed at the education sector where instructors need the ability to quickly and efficiently spot instances of plagiarism.
Which Plagiarism Checker Tool Offers Support for Multiple Languages?
While most plagiarism checker apps feature support for a variety of major languages, Plagiarisma is your best bet. This expansive program offers duplication checking for up to 190 global languages. It also allows you to paste text into an in-browser box or upload a document. Accepted file extensions include DOX, DOCX, TXT, XML, PDF, RTF, HTML, and a whole host of others to help meet your needs.
Not sure you want to use an online interface? Plagiarisma has several different plugins including those for Blackberry and multiple popular software programs. As with the other tools mentioned above, both a limited free version and paid versions are available.
What’s the Best Tool for Checking Readability?
If you’re just concerned about checking readability, then the Hemingway App is an excellent option. This free web-based service and allows you to paste in any text of your choice. It then information about sentence structure, passive voice use, and approximate reading level. This is an excellent tool for use on emails, white papers, memos, and other important documents where sounding authoritative and professional is important.
Outsourcing content is a great way to maximize efficiency. Using these plagiarism and grammar tools help ensure your text is original and free from errors.
by Felicien | Nov 21, 2018 | Education
A recent survey of Canadian chief information officers expressed disappointment in IT outsourcing. The feedback the CIOs provided present an exceptional opportunity for IT companies to respond and hone their services and customer service to better serve corporate clients.
The annual CanadianCIO Census, sponsored by IT World Canada, shows that CIOs are dissatisfied with the investments they’ve made in outsourcing. Among the findings:
Twenty-five percent of CIOs surveyed note that the outsourcing relationships had fallen short of expectations. That’s similar to the 2017 results, where 28 percent reported the same sentiment.
“As a service” computing is taking the place of many traditional outsourcing products.
Data indicate that more companies are investing in in-house staff, despite continued projected growth in outsourcing services. Gartner expects the outsourced IT market to reach $363 million by 2020 with 6.3 percent annual growth.
There is a gap in expectations versus reality when it comes to what an IT provider does.
It’s evident that the opportunity to deliver better services is high.
What Are the Gaps in Expectations Between IT Providers and Clients?
Too often, businesses that outsource believe that once the contract is signed, the provider is going to take care of everything. Executives may not understand the need to establish and maintain an ongoing dialogue and relationship with the IT provider.
This disconnect raises an important consideration for IT company leaders. It’s imperative that you’re transparent with clients about how to make the relationship work. Many IT providers position themselves as virtual CIOs and tout their ongoing advisory services. IT companies should establish their executives as thought leaders who will be available for ongoing consulting and brainstorming. Reinforce that your commitment to the client includes recommending new technologies and solutions as they emerge and analyzing performance data to support improvements that will advance business goals.
What Is Needed for Transition Planning?
When you present a plan to refine, add or replace technologies and processes, there’s a critical need to be sure that project management is clearly outlined. The client and provider need to be on the same page about what the transition to new solutions will mean, scoping out the sequencing, significant milestones, timelines and impact on operations. Transition and project planning are essential to managing expectations from leadership, employees and customers.
The project management plan also needs to focus on information sharing and knowledge transfer. IT companies can position themselves as comprehensive service providers by focusing not only on what happens on Day but what will be done to ensure the client’s organization will be ready and prepared.
When Is Customization a Problem?
Many IT providers tout their ability to customize solutions for each client, taking into account the unique needs, challenges and opportunities. This is an important marketing point and should continue to be front and center. However, customization can often cause frustration.
For example, when a new solution needs to fit the way the client does work, there needs to be a lot of dialogue about processes. Sometimes, the client has not documented those processes, the processes are inconsistently applied within the organization, or existing documentation is inaccurate. At that point, the outsourced service provider often has to build new documentation, a time-consuming process that can add additional hours and cost to a client’s bill. Clients that are not expecting that expense can become unhappy quickly.
IT providers can avoid these issues by being clear at the front end about time estimates and identifying typical unforeseen problems that might add to the final project costs.
How Can IT Providers Help Clients?
One approach to improving the experience for clients … and their satisfaction levels … is to suggest a three-pronged approach to management and governance:
Encourage clients to train their staffs on how to work best with your company. Offer to help develop that training and help staffs prepare for change.
Suggest the client’s company build a governance structure. A management committee, for example, could draft a charter defining the key metrics that determine the outsourcing efficacy and how problems will be addressed.
Recommend the client appoint relationship managers that have the authority to work closely with the service provider and report back regularly to company leadership.
by Felicien | Nov 21, 2018 | Education
Experts estimate that as many as 42% of websites may have been impacted by Google’s Medic update that dropped mid-summer. And, as with so many Google algorithm changes, it came out of nowhere, leaving a wake of destruction.
Did you see your own company website’s ranking plummet as a result of the Medic Update? Here’s what you need to know to determine if you were affected and how to fix damage from the medic update.
Were You Impacted By Medic Update?
Do you want to know the truth? You very likely were impacted in some way even if you didn’t feel the brunt of it. It’s known as the “Medic Update” because it disproportionately affected health-related websites early on. But as the waves continued to roll, other industries and sites felt the aftermath:
Fashion
e-Commerce
Local businesses
Affiliate marketing websites
Among others
Chances are that you fall into one of these categories. If you saw your search engine rankings dip — even slightly — in August 2018 with little to no recovery, you’ve very likely felt the wrath of Medic. Like many updates, it’s rolling out in sections so the decline may not be over.
While it never feels good to see your website lose ground in Google searches, know that Medic continues Google’s goal of elevating the highest authority websites which can best answer a searcher’s query. These are the ones that deserve those coveted top spots on page one.
If you take steps to adapt to the Medic Update, you have the potential to outrank the many websites that don’t. You could actually come out better than you were before when you learn how to fix damage from the medic update.
Step 1: Align Content with Searcher Intent
Before websites were impacted by the medic update, searching for a product or service may have sent you straight to a sales page. But this doesn’t reflect the modern buyer’s journey. Google knows that. This appears to be at least one thing that this algorithm change attempted to rectify.
70% of the buying decision is made before a person reaches a sales page. The Medic updates reflect this by pulling up more informational pages that help a potential customer make that decision.
If your website strategy largely revolved around the end of the buyer’s journey (sales), it’s time to put more focus on helpful content like blog posts, videos and interactive tools on your website.
Step 2: Utilize Google Shopping Ads
Ad clicks don’t directly impact your search engine ranking. But they do help you stay top of mind and build brand awareness over time when combined with a comprehensive brand awareness strategy. Google shopping ads have enjoyed a 47% increase in visibility year over year.
Don’t blame Google. It’s one of the main ways they make money. Increasing you pay per click (PPC) marketing budget will help you take advantage of this increased visibility and restore organic ranking indirectly.
Step 3: Check Your Link Profile
The number and quality of inbound links is still a known ranking factor. Relevant links from high authority websites help establish with Google that your company has an authoritative website. But Google search is getting smarter every year. It can more easily spot unnatural links that were likely purchased or otherwise unscrupulously acquired to manipulate your ranking. The aftermath for sites using questionable link-building strategies was swift and brutal.
It’s time to revisit your links using Google Search Console and more advanced link analysis tools like AHrefs, SEMrush or Moz.
Look for links coming from low authority and spammy websites. Disavow them using Google Disavow Tool.
Step 4: Be Clear About Ownership
Do you have a sneaky agenda for your website? You probably don’t. But some websites do. They leave it unclear who owns the website. For example, a business could create what appears to be a 3rd party review website and then review their own products. That’s not full disclosure.
Learn how to fix damage from the medic update on sites where ownership is unclear. Add your contact information to every header or footer. Or create a detailed “About Us” and “Contact” page. Make sure every page on any owned site has a link to these pages.
Step 5: Build Credibility
Some of those most impacted by medic update was giving health advice when it was unclear what credentials they had to do so. But this applies to any industry.
Consider adding a full, short bio on each blog post or informational page. Clearly, state the education and/or experience that qualifies the person to write and publish this content.
Remember E-A-T with every piece of content you produce. That’s…
Expertise – Your content demonstrates that you’re an expert in your field and you have the credentials to prove it.
Authoritative – Being authoritative is more about outside recognition. Do others in your industry recognize you as an authority? This may come in the form of reviews, links to your website, awards or ratings from organizations like BBB, Pulitzer or JD Power. Showcase this social proof of your authoritativeness on your website and work to get more recognition off-site.
Trustworthiness – Trustworthiness comes in many forms. For one, you should be careful with the facts you communicate on your site. Stretching the truth or failing to cite sources doesn’t evoke trust. Second, trustworthiness comes in the form of your physical site. Your site is secure (HTTPS), easy to navigate and looks professional.
Step 6: Do Historical Optimization
Have you learned a lot about how to build a better website over the years? Most businesses have. There was a time when you could fairly easily rank low-quality content that wasn’t mobile-friendly or on a fast-loading page. But those days have passed.
You may have content on your website that is so far below your current standards, that it should be removed from the site. But you’re also likely to find pieces of content that would be excellent if you:
Make them a little longer – the average blog post on page one is now over 1000 words. In some industries its over 2000.
Beef up the content – Thin content that doesn’t really add value doesn’t rank well. Add real value, not fluff.
Get rid of ungrammatical keyword usage – Google hasn’t used “exact match” keywords for some time. Google disregards unnecessary words and even many prefixes and suffixes when ranking websites. Keywords like “Luxury furniture Houston” that can’t grammatically fit in a sentence should be changed to “luxury furniture in Houston.” If the content used keywords unnaturally or every 100 words, find a synonym.
Interlink – Content should link out to some reliable websites and interlink with one or more other relevant pages on your website.
Connect with the target audience – Did your hook fall flat? Did people bounce off your website? Then you may need to evaluate how you’re connecting with that audience.
Visuals – Pages that have more relevant images rank better.
If you’re not doing these things in current content, then it’s time to update your website.
How to Fix Damage from the Medic Update
The Medic Update hit a lot of websites hard. But the good news is that when you adapt by applying these 6 steps, you can come out on top. To learn more about marketing, follow our blog.
by Felicien | Nov 21, 2018 | Education
The festive season is fast approaching, and it is a well-deserved opportunity to celebrate with friends and family. However, the joy of the holidays can quickly turn tragic if you are not careful. Emergency rooms visits and the number of calls to first responders see a sharp increase during the final few weeks of the year. It is possible to avoid a holiday disaster by following a few simple guidelines to help safeguard you and your family.
Ways to Stay Safer During This Year’s Holidays
Avoiding Decorating Disasters
Inspect your holiday decorations before putting them out. Even if you took the time to double check your decorations before storing them, look again. Check for frayed wires, loose connections, broken bulbs, and other fire hazards.
Ensure outside decorations are weather-resistant. Never assume that all decorations are suitable for hanging both indoors and outdoors. Look at the tag and make sure that the item has an outdoor rating from Underwriters Laboratory (UL) before using it anywhere it may get wet.
Don’t put yourself at risk for injuries. While decorating your entire home in lights and figures may look amazing, don’t try to do more than you can do safely. Make sure you know what you are doing before you try to climb a ladder or secure a holiday scene to the top of your roof.
Stay away from candles. While no one can deny that real flames add a magical warmth to your home, burning candles can significantly increase the chance of a house fire. You are more at risk if you have young children or pets at home. There are many LED candle lights which offer a similar, but much safer, candlelight effect.
Don’t leave your decorations on the entire night Besides saving energy and money, using a timer switch to turn your decorations off at a reasonable time each evening can prevent a fire from breaking out while you sleep. Homeowners who have plans to go away for the holidays should completely unplug decorations until they return home.
Don’t Cook Up a Disaster
Keep kids out of harm’s way. Cooking with your kids during the holidays can be a great experience. Prevent little ones from being injured by ensuring they stay away from the stove and never allowing them to use sharp knives. Instead, give them simple, safe tasks like kneading dough or decorating cookies.
Watch your food temperatures. Many cooks only cook large roasts or whole turkeys during the holidays. For cooks with less experience, it is easy to undercook the meat resulting in serious illnesses. Always follow a recipe and use a meat thermometer to ensure the food thoroughly cooked.
Make sure your stove and oven are off. It is easy to become distracted and forget to turn appliances off. Do yourself a favor and double check before going to bed for the night.
Keeping Healthy and Secure During Holiday Travels
Give yourself plenty of travel time. Driving during the holidays often means huge delays, so leave early enough so you won’t need to rush to get to where you are going on time. Take the time to plan out food and bathroom breaks before hitting the road. This step is particularly helpful if you are traveling with children or other passengers who may need special considerations.
Always use seat belts and properly installed car seats. Seat belts and car seats save lives, so there is no excuse not to use them correctly. Buckle up even if you are only heading down the street to pick up a last-minute gift.
Never use a cell phone while driving. Increasingly people are depending on driving apps to find the best way of getting to their destinations. Although these apps work well, they can become a distraction if you need to interact with your phone physically. Set your destination before leaving or have a passenger handle the navigation and concentrate on the road.
Be extra careful when driving in neighborhoods. During vacations from school, expect to see more children outside at all hours of the day and night. Reduce your driving speed and stay alert for people who may dart out in front of your vehicle.
Even one drink may be too much. If you are planning to attend holiday parties where they serve alcohol, imbibe responsibly and never drive unless you are completely sober. It is always a better idea to have a designated driver or use an alternative means of getting home to avoid a life-changing accident.
Keep these tips in mind this holiday season, and we wish you a joyful time full of beautiful memories.
by Felicien | Nov 21, 2018 | Education
Google launched its Google Maps web mapping service in February 2005. The service stood out as innovative for the times, providing users with detailed satellite overviews of countries, cities, and streets. It provides a “bird’s eye” or “top-down” view of an area using satellite imagery as well as aerial photography taken from between 240 and 460 meters. Images used in Google Maps are no more than three years old, with frequent updates performed.
The core functions of the program includes an API (application program interface, a set of building blocks used by programmers to create a program such as Google Maps) that allows maps to be placed on external websites (such as those of an Australian business) and a locator service for companies to provide information, including URL (uniform resource locator – web address).
Interestingly the initial program for Google Maps was developed by a pair of Danish brothers, Lars and Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen and their company Where 2 Technologies. Where 2 Technologies was a start-up mapping related business that is based in Sydney. The company’s mapping technology, which became the engine for maps, was acquired by Google in October 2004.
Google Maps as a Social Network
Social networks, such as the popular ones like Facebook and Twitter, and business-oriented networks like LinkedIn, provide a perfect avenue for facilitating communication locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. The ability to cross borders in a seamless matter allows businesses a way to broaden their appeal, gain additional market share, and extend boundaries for their products and services.
The thought of a mapping service as a social network entity is not as far off an idea as you may think as your business’s IT thought leader. More than half of smartphone users (either iOS or Android) have used Google Maps and its companion service Google Earth. This makes the service one of the most widely used apps by mobile users and a further indication that its use as a social networking medium should be strongly considered by businesses.
Add also Google’s Local Guides service and businesses can use the functionality of maps to post information about just about anything and everything that there is to know about the company. The service provides a real-time (or near real-time) way to interact with maps users, post searchable links, and provide users with valuable information about your business, products and services.
Social Network Usage in Australia
Consider these metrics when deciding if the use of Google Maps is an appropriate consideration for you doing business in Australia. Facebook is the most extensive social network used by Australians. It is reported that more than 60 percent of the population are active Facebook users and that more than half of the country’s population logs into the platform at least once in a day. Based on information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, this number of active users represents a population of about 25 million.
Other platforms popular in the country (based on monthly active or unique users) include YouTube, the video sharing platform, with an estimated 15 million monthly active users and Instagram, the photo-sharing platform, with also an estimated 15 million unique users. These numbers are good signs for those businesses engaged primarily in delivering their goods on a business-to-consumer (B2C) basis. For business-to-business (B2B) providers, there are approximately 4.5 million monthly active Australian users.
How Australian Businesses Utilize Google Maps as a Social Network Tool
Using Google Maps as a social network tool should receive strong consideration by businesses across Australia. The tool’s design as a locator service provides businesses with a way to direct potential customers to their doorstep and provide imagery and other enticing data points to bring in more business. Maps are designed to create a greater interactive experience with a higher-level prospect as the user who accesses this service primarily for information or directions.
Whether B2B or B2C or both, tapping into the potential Google Maps offers as a social network platform unleashes unlimited potential. Linking maps with your other social media outlets, such as the popular Facebook and Instagram apps for B2C contacts or LinkedIn for your B2B connections, provides business with a dual messaging threat. Information supplied via casual social network contact on one of the country’s popular platforms can direct users to maps for specific company information, driving instructions, and real-time location-to-location mapping. In these terms, Google Maps indeed represents the potential to become the next great social network for Australian business.
