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e_Marketing Blog Squidoo New Look Squidoo seems to have a new edit and publish interface. I've always found it a bit clunky in the past, but now it seems quite a bit easier to add modules. The process makes more sense to me. I just created a lense about Car Repair for a client. SmartyPig Social Saving Here's an interesting idea. SmartyPig.com is like an online piggy bank with a social twist. You create an account where you set a specific savings goal. Say you want to save for a new computer. You need $1,000. You create an account and then let your friends and family know what you're saving for. They can make contributions (or not). You can contribute to their accounts too. SmartyPig also has partnered with "top retailers" to offer you deals and cash incentives. It's free and you can even earn interest on your deposits. Communicating With Your Real Estate Agent In an article called The Future of Real Estate Communication Phoenix area real estate specialist and blogger Jay Thompson suggests that agents who want to be in the loop with the next generation of home buyers had better understand the communication media they use. Text messaging is something that has become second nature to young people as young as 9 or 10 years old, and it has basically made email obsolete as a way for teenagers to communicate with one another. Thompson reports that in December his two teenagers sent and received about 10,000 text messages - that's about 83 messages each per day - while his 17 year old son claims to have sent maybe 10 emails in the whole month. On the other hand Thompson himself - a technology savvy parent and real estate agent - has more than 5,000 email messages in his inbox, and most of his own text messages have been back and forth with his children. So there is clearly a "generation gap" when it comes to the use of electronic messaging. As he says, "The point is, the way we communicate is changing. According to some researchers there will be 2.3 trillion text messages sent this year. Wikipedia says that 80% of 13 – 24 year olds use text messaging (compared to 18% of 40 – 49 year olds). That’s a whole lot of texting by a whole lot of soon to be first-time home buyers." The other change that has already taken place over the last couple of years is the way an increasing number of people use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. People who would not think of using a stuffy email message to talk to each other find themselves commenting to each other back and forth through Facebook and Twitter. Not only are these becoming mature communication channels between people, but companies and entrepreneurs are finding innovative ways to interact with customers and prospects through these massively popular media. The bottom line is that real estate agents will have to accommodate themselves to the communication media used by their clients. That means if they want to reach young people who are plugged into these non-traditional modes of communication, they themselves will have to become plugged in. |
Cottage-Sales.com - Looking for a cottage or summer home in Canada? You've come to the right place. We have valuable background information on cottage sales and what to look for in a summer home. If you've done any searching for cottages or summer homes, you know this market changes daily. Cottage-Sales.com is a member of the Linknet network of websites. Top five technology trends to watch for in 2006Jan 22, 2006 - Linknet Product News Top five technology trends to watch for in 2006 22 January, 2006 - By Doug Cooper, Country Manager, Intel of CanadaWith 2005 in the history books and this month's highly touted Consumer Electronics Show (CES) complete, here are the top five technology trends to watch for in 2006. Small business, big approach Research conducted by IDC reveals Canadian small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) spend about 42 per cent less per worker on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) than their U.S. counterparts. While there does exist shining examples of Canadian SMBs using ICT to improve operational efficiencies, studies have also shown that these examples are few and far between. In 2006, technology companies will assume a greater responsibility in educating the SMB market about the importance of investing in ICT to remain competitive. As a result, a responsive SMB sector -- the just under one-million SMBs (one to 20 employees) that account for 86 per cent of Canadian companies Statistics Canada, Business Register, December 2004 -- will see an increase in business efficiencies and market penetration. You can take it with you 2006 will be the year you can have your cake and eat it too. A new generation of thin and light notebook PCs have been designed to provide superior performance, enhanced wireless capabilities and improved battery life. And they won't have your daddy's processors inside. Notebooks with dual core processors will support surround sound, enhanced graphics and high- definition TV, allowing users to blend work and play in new and exciting ways largely where they want, when they want. With the proliferation of wireless notebooks growing and enlightened companies recognizing that employees want more flexible working hours and locations, expect to see more changes in where and how people work. In homes, small businesses and on campuses in Canada notebooks are rapidly becoming the computer of choice. We are seeing computers become truly personal. Computer downtime not a pastime Canadian IT managers' and employees' long-held complaints about computer downtime will begin to be resolved in 2006. Beginning this year, many PCs will ship with Active Management Technology (AMT). This new technology will allow companies and services to diagnose and repair PCs, software, operating systems or hardware failures remotely, 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week even if the PC is off. Employees will be able to complete tasks without interruption, while IT support staff can instead concentrate on higher-value generating functions. With five per cent of help desk calls accounting for 52 per cent of total support costs, AMT will reduce IT maintenance costs by 30 per cent and reduce desk side visits by 41.5 per cent, saving companies thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in productivity. 2003 Intel IT Trouble Tickets The need for speed ... in a smaller package (power and small machines) Not only will PCs get faster in 2006, they'll also get smaller, and quieter. The distinction between notebooks and traditional desktop PCs is blurring and is leading to the next wave of new devices designed for communication and entertainment. As computing devices gets smaller and more portable, the need for low power and extended battery life increases. In the coming year, businesses and consumers will see new, sleek PC designs being offered by original equipment manufacturers that will allow consumers to manage digital home content and work remotely with more ease than ever before. Division in the digital divide Home entertainment will make a dramatic leap this year and content will be king. With millions of hours of digital material poised to become available online, Canadians will increasingly turn to PCs to download, store, view, buy, manage and share their favourite music, movies, photos and more. Look for the digital home to find its groove in 2006 as Canadian companies offer new on-demand content and services over the Web. Trade Show Displays Trade Show Graphics and Display Graphics
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