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Beginner’s Guide to Usability Testing in 2024

Source: medium

An idea that seems great in a pitch room or a project that seems intuitive throughout development can fall flat when it comes face-to-face with real users. It is not until designers, developers, and programmers understand how their products and future users interact with the website or app that they truly know how usable their product is.

Waiting to release a product to determine its usability is a recipe for disaster. Usability testing (UT) gives designers, programmers, and developers the ability to allow actual people to interact with their products, observe their reactions to the products, and then make tweaks before these products are released to the public.

UT can take on various dimensions. It could be something as simple as recording a session of users interacting with your website or app. It could be more involved and include using eye-tracking equipment and renting a lab. Regardless of how intensive the testing is, this is the only way to guarantee that you are building an app or website that is efficient and effective and that it produces an enjoyable experience for your users.

Source: Tech News code

Why Is UT Important When Building a Website?

Familiarity with the website creates blind spots. However, when real users test the product, they can identify simple issues that those with in-depth knowledge of the product lack the impartiality to visualize. Some benefits of UT include seeing how easy it is for common users to:

· Complete main actions on the site
· Have an efficient and functional experience
· Encounter or overcome usability issues
· Understand how the site works without confusion or getting lost

What UT is Not

There are multiple user experience tools designed to test and improve customer experience. However, these would not fall into the category of UT because they do not allow your customers to experience using the product in a real-world environment. With UT, your user is testing a website or app for functionality. Examples of things that would not qualify as testing for usability include:

A/B Testing: In this testing method, multiple versions of the same website are presented, allowing users to choose which one is the most effective. A/B testing may help your team identify if an approach is working. However, it can’t tell you why the approach works. Conversely, testing for usability allows your team to observe behavior and then investigate the why behind it.

Focus Groups: With a focus group, you gather a group of people together and allow them to discuss the website or app you are building. A focus group lets you know people’s opinions about the product. But it does not allow you to test or give you an insight into how they use the product.

Surveys: Surveys are an acceptable way to get a feel for user experience. But you can’t see how the user uses the product in real life. Although surveys would not qualify as UT, they might be used with it to give a more rounded out understanding of user behavior.

Source: UX Knowledge Base Sketch

Popular Methods of Usability Testing Compared

Experts from xd.adobe.com mention that, “Before you pick a particular testing method, you should have a clear understanding of your target audience, available resources (time and money), and research objectives.“ You won’t get the right answers if you don’t know the questions you want the answers to.

Remote Versus in Person: Remote testing can be done via the Internet or the phone. In person testing means that the user will complete the test in front of a researcher or moderator. In person testing allows for more data points because the researcher or moderator can analyze the user’s body language, their facial expressions, and other small clues. However, in person testing is more expensive and requires more time and resources.

· Comparative Versus Explorative Versus Assessment Testing: With an explorative test, participants can brainstorm and express their ideas and feelings. This works best during the early stages of a product’s development as it helps researchers identify additional features they might add and toss around fresh ideas.

· Assessments research can help identify how satisfied the user is. How easy was it for them to use the product? They can test the product’s overall function.

· Comparative assessments allow users to experiment with multiple websites, identifying which solution they prefer.

Once UT has been completed, it’s important to take the time to analyze the results. Identify issues, refine them, and then retest with the goal of guaranteeing that all usability issues have been resolved.

The Main Principles of Usability Testing

The usability testing needs to focus on three main things: product development, real users and their needs, and setting up proper goals. During the usability testing, you can test any document, site, or software in a complex way, where this process can find any possible issue with the interface.

The advantage is that an average user could test some of his files and websites, without the help of some experts. This process is especially useful for online store owners because usability testing could easily find any problem related to transparency and all the necessary functions on the website.

Source: usabilityhub.com

How to Complete Usability Testing?

This process requires a lot of analysis. The proper plan and participants are also part of Usability Testing. Here are the main phases.

  1. Determination of a particular part of the website or a product that needs testing.
  2. Choose the right tasks for the participants during the test.
  3. Set your standards for the outcome of various tasks in the test.
  4. Create a plan that will give a purpose to your study. Also, you will have to know the level of knowledge of the participants and their reliability.
  5. Each participant should have a role. For example, a person that is persistent at staying neutral during the task should be a moderator in the team. Also, you will need someone to take notes.
  6. Find the right participants. The best choice would be people for whom you can say are familiar with the matter and will take the tasks seriously.
  7. Start the test. It is important to give the participants enough time to finish tasks without the rush. What is most important is to get productive feedback.
  8. Data analysis. After participants finish their tasks, you will have to analyze their results. Also, the most important is what they feel about the product, and what are their performances.
  9. Finishing the report. When you collect all the necessary data about the project, you can finally see what might need to be improved in the product, and is there a need for another round of testing after the upgrade.
Source: User Interviews

Most Common Types of Testing

There are three main types, testing of random people, remote testing, and, and moderated testing. During the random testing, you can go out and ask what people think about the product, or share an online survey. Using this method is a great way to see if people are interested in the particular software or a website, even if they never heard about it before.

During remote testing, you can choose participants by using some outsourcing methods, which is great if you want to perform the test in less time. The main advantage is that people can test the program, or any other product from their home, which makes them much more comfortable.

Moderated usability testing is the most useful one since you can directly speak with the participants about the product and their opinions about it. Also, you can introduce them to the product to fully understand the purpose of the testing.

Will Heavy Construction Equipment Go All-Electric – 2024 Guide

img source: topmarkfunding.com

Going all-electric seems like the way to go in 2024. Are you up for this step as well? However, a lot of people are unsure about heavy equipment, as well as different kinds of vehicles. Are these going to go all-electric as well in the upcoming years? If you plan on buying a new car sometime soon, or you want to understand the pros and cons of electric equipment, keep on reading! We have answers to your questions and if you need more information you can visit minifinaldrives.com..

What will go electric?

In the next 30 years, we can expect to see loads of different improvements in the techno world. Most equipment will go electric, such as dozers, graders, and even backhoes! If you wish to stay on-trend, make sure that you focus on purchasing the best equipment that is available out on the market. However, with industrialization, you may want to get insurance for most of your things, and especially your electric cars. At a2zvehicle.com you can look into different car insurance coverage policies, motor insurances, as well as JCB price lists! They will have your back covered at all times, especially as we move into this modern area.

What does EPA think about this?

img source: usaid.gov

EPA stands for The Environmental Protection Agency, which is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. Although they are not making any drastic changes at the moment, the EU has approved the fifth stage emission standards which will allow for further developments in this field.

In the last 2-3 years, the industry has been reaching for loads of different electric vehicles. In fact, some countries plan on reducing carbon emission, and they will also ban the sale of gas vehicles. You can expect to see these changes in countries such as Norway, India, Ireland, as well as the Netherlands by 2030. Do you fancy their move?

We can also thank Tesla for making such drastic and dramatic changes to the automobile industry. After Tesla, GM, Volvo, as well as Jaguar and Land Rover have felt to need to produce only electric models in the upcoming period.

Unfortunately, this industry is responsible for 11% of energy-related carbon emissions, which is why it is a good idea to switch to electric cars sooner than later.

Top 5 big players and their plans on going all-electric

1. Volvo

img source: pinterest.com

Volvo came out with its first electric excavator in 2017. This was an amazing prototype that was an electric model, 10x faster yet quieter than any other model.

Thanks to its amazing lithium batteries it can deliver great speed at 38kWh and it can operate for 7-9 hours!

Volvo CE will come out with other excavators and wheel loads pretty soon. Most of their models will all come with a battery-powered drivetrain.

2. JCB

img source: download.com

In 2019, JCB came out with its own all-electric excavator. It was the 19C-1 E-Tec model that performed amazingly on most fabrics and materials for up to six hours thanks to its amazing electric motor and three lithium-ion batteries. Because of these key components, it could deliver 15kWh of power. JCB plans on using this motor to perform on the load-sensing hydraulic system.

3. Caterpillar

img source: pinterest.com

Caterpillar is a name that everyone knows of, and people love their 28-ton CAT 323F excavator that switched from diesel to electric. Their electric motor performs thanks to its 300kWh lithium-ion battery, which weighs 3.4 tons. Men and women love it since it can stay on for up to seven hours during the day, without having to recharge at any given point.

Also, Caterpillar invested a bit of money into a company called Fisker – an amazing company that makes electric cars along with its high-tech battery technology. This only shows that they don’t feel like stopping any time soon.

4. Wacker Neuson

img source: pinterest.com

Wacker Neuson has loads of different electric items and products that will come in handy for everyday lives. Some of them are their electric wheel loaders, as well as power excavators. Wacker produced one of the best miniature versions of excavator batteries ever, known as the EZ17e. This item can stay on for hours and hours on (usually around six) and it can quickly charge overnight.

5. Hyundai CE

img source: acppubs.com

Last, but not least, Hyundai is a big player who is constantly coming out with new changed and improved versions of plenty of their models. One of their creations is the battery-powered mini excavator, which runs on eight different kinds of batteries. The BM4.4E battery has the 35.2 kWh of energy. This amount of energy can come in handy and will last you for eight hours.

Hyundai CE will most likely focus on different components, such as battery storage, faster-charging cycles, as well as power outlets.

Key rule: always recharge

The most important rule that you should think about, always, is that you need to recharge your electric equipment. Not a lot of people are used to this step, but you will slowly transition onto it, just take baby steps. Also, the best way to remind yourself is to turn on an alarm or a reminder on your phone that will beep every 6-8 hours, which will remind you to plug your tools, accessories, or cars! You may have to change your route and your plan for the day when it comes to cars, but you have to know that this is crucial and beneficial, as well as good for everyone in your life in the long-run, including you.

img source: eco-volta.com

Ready for new products and innovations?

So, how do you feel about new gadgets that are going to come to the market? Are you a fan of electric vehicles, bicycles, scooters, as well as everyday home items already? If not, do you plan on making that switch sometime soon? Sooner or later, everything will upgrade on its own, it’s just a matter of time, + this can depend a lot on your country of living. Take your time and slowly make these transitions, you will love them!

4 Ways to Gamble Responsibly and Not Get Addicted – 2024 Guide

img source: chiefexecutive.net

Gambling became famous because of the large sum of money involved in it. Even during the ’80s, throwing money was considered fashionable. It was a fashion until recently when awareness regarding the adverse effects of gambling was raised. Gambling didn’t remain just a game for the rich brats, but poor people also got involved in it. Furthermore, people started to get addicted to gambling.

People’s involvement was not something to be worried about, but the addiction was what makes society anxious. Gamblers get so into the bets that they lose their sense of making decisions. Thus, they make wrong judgments. Moreover, it is not just a one-time thing. Gamblers spend most of their time in casinos losing and winning money. This level of addiction also increased the crime rate.

So if you want to play casino games but don’t want to get addicted to them, you can try the methods we describe in this article. Visit casinofy.com for the best online casino experience.

1. Limit your playtime

img source: kidcheck.com

The best way of getting yourself out of addiction is to limit its use. Whether it’s a game, bet or anything to eat, you need certain limitations. Why? Because “Excess of everything is bad.” Therefore, if you want to play games but don’t want to get addicted to gambling, you should set limits. These limitations are for your own-selves.

For example, you are going to play the game of poker. Usually, poker lasts for few hours. Therefore, if you want to limit the casino time, you can simply play a single poker game in a day. Or if you have got more free time on your hand, you can try any other game that takes less time than poker. It will help you not to get addicted to poker only. Furthermore, you will be able to manage your time well.

With all the complaints against addiction to casino games, even online platforms give you the option of time management. You can set the amount of time you want to spend in the casino. So when your time is up, you will be notified. Thus, you will be able to get track of time because you can easily lose it while playing games. Moreover, you can adjust the time daily, depending upon the availability of free time for you.

2. Taking breaks frequently

img source: youtube.com

If setting the time limit isn’t an option for you, you can try out taking breaks frequently. How will it help you? It’s quite simple. Taking breaks while doing anything breaks the rhythm. For example, you are watching a movie and someone knocks on the door. What will you do? Of course, you will go and open the door. And what if this thing happens frequently. Someone keeps calling you or you got things to do. It will reduce the pleasure of your watch time.

The same thing happens when you take breaks during gaming. When you are playing poker, you know it will take a few hours. So if you play it continuously for the required hours, you won’t like to leave it. But when you take several breaks while playing the game, you will eventually wait for it to end. Or you might actually leave the game while playing as you get bored. Thus, it will break down the rhythm and you will not get addicted to it.

Leaving the casino page for a few minutes will refresh your brain instantly. Thus, you come back to the world of reality. It makes you think sensibly and helps you make the right decisions too.

3. Make yourself busy

img source: nyt.com

The people who get addicted to gambling are the ones who have nothing much to do in their life. Therefore, all they are left with is gambling. So if you can get yourself some hobbies that would help you out. If you don’t like doing much and don’t even have a life routine to get busy, you can try something different. For example, you can try out the old hobbies that you enjoyed in the past.

Even if you are low on self-esteem and want to cut yourself from the outside world, this will help you. You get interested in things when you are confident. So if you can try out the hobbies you used to do in the past or your childhood, they will boost your confidence. Furthermore, they will increase your self-esteem. In addition to increasing your self-esteem, it will also make you busy. Thus, you will have a better way to spend your time.

The amazing thing about trying out old hobbies that they remind you of your best time. Therefore, if you are addicted to gambling, these hobbies will make you go to your previous self. Even if you are just starting online casinos and haven’t got addicted yet, try to add some physical activities to your daily life routine.

4. Avoid temptation

img source: livelikepros.com

As you already know that excess of everything is bad for you, why would you get tempted over things? Although it is human nature to have temptations in worldly things, but you can lessen the extent. One of the common behavior that has been observed among gamblers is related to money. They do not cash out the money when they are winning. Thus, they get tempted towards the money and gamble with what they have. This behavior increases the risk of losing all of your money.

What you can do here is to cash out your money. This is especially important when you won the game. Otherwise, you will make the bet with all of your money. Firstly, it reduces the risk of losing more money. Secondly, it prevents addiction. When you start playing the casino, it becomes really hard to leave it in between. So when you leave the game and transfer the cash, it breaks the gaming feel. Furthermore, your greed remains reduced and you can stop yourself if you want.

Best Hidden Camera Detectors – 2024 Guide

Source: cocospy

You fight with the code on the front of the rented vacation house, and finally, get it unlocked. As you stumble into the house with your bags, you breathe a sigh of relief

But, before you can use the bathroom, you should probably check for hidden cameras.

While we want to believe that most people are good and kind, there have been too many stories of vacation renters finding hidden cameras in the bathrooms or bedrooms.

It is difficult to identify a hidden camera. That smoke detector? It might be a video camera. That USB phone charger the homeowner left for you? It might be watching you while you sleep.

High tech surveillance cameras are everywhere and provide high definition footage from a pinpoint lens.

Surveillance cameras are cheap and can be purchased by anyone. In America, there are some state laws regarding how video is recorded. For example, a hidden recording device should not have both image and audio recording. Reputable American sites like SpyCentre, only sell legal recording equipment and bug sweepers.

However, it is easy to purchase surveillance tools with audio recording from international suppliers, and unless the user happens to be caught and prosecuted, it is going to be nearly impossible to deter widespread use of these illegal recording devices.

Because there is little definitive evidence linking a device with a specific perpetrator, it is very difficult to prosecute.

As a result, we only hear of a handful of successful cases each year. Generally, the greatest success comes in the form of a refund and the house host being removed from whatever vacation platform on which their house was listed.

For the renter, a good protection system is lacking.

This means it is up to the traveler to protect themselves. The enemy? A tiny surveillance device with a lens the size of a pinhead.

While other travelers are trying a system that suggests using their cell phone to find the hidden camera, let me introduce you to the hidden camera detectors that professional private investigators use.

Professional Hidden Camera Detectors

Source: brickhousesecurity

When a wife suspects that her abusive husband is spying on her at work, a private investigator has the tools to “sweep for bugs” and find the hidden recording devices.

We call this “counter-espionage.”

A bug sweeper has an antenna with a range of frequencies that it can scan the room at. This helps you find the threats that are actively transmitting. The RF signal finder can help you uncover those wifi and radio signals that are most commonly used for transmitting signals.

If there is a wifi-connected lens hidden in the picture frame, a good bug sweeper should sniff that out.

However, there are many devices that record silently to an SD card and hold the images for later retrieval.

These insidious devices are a little harder to find.

To combat these specific threats, the bug sweeper has a colored lens, surrounded by LED lights.

You hold the lens up to your eye and activate the infrared LED lights. This setup helps you to see the reflection from the lenses of hidden recording devices instantly.

Additionally, night vision video recording requires the use of infrared light. Turning off all of the lights in the room and then sweeping will further increase your chances of finding any night vision equipped recorders since you can see the infrared light it puts off.

Source: travelandleisure

A dedicated hidden camera finder increases your chances of finding the most well-hidden cameras.

When you sweep a room, turn off the lights and pay close attention to all areas of the room. Cameras are often disguised as clocks, pens, USB chargers, USB memory sticks, Wall sockets, Digital TV boxes, DVD Cases, Books or Desk Plants.

They may hide two devices near each other so that the infrared signal from the one hides the other.

Also, look for any blinking lights in the room. Sometimes there is a small light on the device that turns on to inform you if it is recording.

Most all-in-one professional hidden camera finders will combine all of these features into one tool. This allows you to quickly sweep the room for each signal type and ensure your privacy. They also find hidden microphones.

It also means that even when you are extremely tired, you can quickly do a professional sweep and verify that your privacy and safety remain intact for your stay.

How To Detect Hidden Cameras With Your Phone

Source: makeuseof

Similarly, the occasional traveler will appreciate this hack for finding hidden cameras without spending a lot of money.

The idea is that you can find networked cameras in your area. Start by looking for wifi devices you can connect to in your phone’s wifi section.

If there is a networked device, you may be able to locate it.

Unfortunately, most phones cannot be used to see infrared light since the manufacturers add a physical filter to their lens to hide it.

(After all, most of us don’t want our images mottled with infrared).

There are some apps that claim to use your phone’s camera to detect infrared. The accuracy of these apps will rely on whether your phone is able to see infrared or whether there is a filter installed.

Check The Mirrors

One-way mirrors are a unique threat. You want to check all areas of the mirror closely for any pinhole spots where a small camera can be in use.

Additionally, use the fingernail test:

Put your finger to the mirror

Observe that there is a gap between your fingernail and its reflection.

If your finger is touching its reflection it indicates that you are looking at a one-way mirror.

Hidden Camera Detectors For The Business Traveler

Voyeurism is on the rise. In 2016, South Korea found thousands of hidden recorders in bathroom stalls throughout the country.

Hundreds of people lost their privacy to individuals looking to make a quick buck selling bathroom footage.

While most of us won’t bother sweeping public bathrooms for spy devices, a vacation rental is a slightly more intimate place, and it deserves the extra effort and investment to ensure your privacy.

Top 13 Surface Finishing Innovations in 2024

Source: bfi

Surface treatment combines different processes and technologies that modify the surface properties of manufactured components and models. We enable the improvement of the surface functions of the prototype, as well as the components in small series. For example, glossy paints, logos, and more can be applied to your components.

Where is it used?

It is used after the company’s production processes and services. Surface treatments are used to obtain the desired designs and perfect surfaces with appropriate properties – optical and functional. That is why surface treatment is especially important as the end of various production processes.

With a variety of services, you can meet your individual requirements for component surfaces. Coating in particular to ensure that each component achieves the best possible qualities. Of course, the whole production process is adapted to the needs.

Source: cets

Which processing processes and technologies are a complete hit in 2024?

1. Color

Painting of components according to color specifications and color samples. In order to achieve the highest quality painting, painting is often preceded by other surface techniques, such as sanding. After intensive cleaning, the component is finally painted individually. Painting allows to improve the decorative properties of the produced models. Once the prototype is completely dry, further surface coatings, such as printing or laser marking, may follow.

2. Rays

Blasting is a mechanical process that cleans the surfaces or prepares them for further processing. In blasting system, different blasting material enables the appropriate processing of grains according to the desired requirements.

Source: heygom

3. Colorize

Dyeing as a specially developed process has the property that dyeing takes place without the application of material. In addition, the properties of the components do not change. Dyeing is especially used for components produced by the SLS process. In this surface treatment, the component is completely dipped in the desired color. In this way, each joint and column is carefully recorded without coating. Staining can be combined with chemical smoothing, sanding and infiltration.

4. Steaming

Vapor deposition as a performance of our surface coating produces components that, after vapor deposition, have a completely identical appearance of chromium. The decisive factor is, above all, the correct finishing and precise preparation. In order to achieve a particularly smooth coating with a high degree of reflection, a primer is applied in the inner paint compartment as needed. Steaming is used, for example, in reflectors (mirrors).

Source: bergundvoss

5. Printing

You can enhance the models and prototypes with letters or logos if desired. This includes an appropriate printing process for the various requirements for the smallest images on prototypes, as well as logos for components in small batches using screens, pads, and digital printing.

6. Laser marking

Optionally, models and prototypes can be displayed with the letters, engravings, or logos you need using laser technology. There is a wide range of laser marking applications, as a wide range of engravings can be applied to a wide range of contours. In addition, laser inscriptions are particularly resistant to environmental influences.

7. Surface grinding / tumbling

It is especially used for metal components. In the case of vibratory grinding, the grinding wheels are located in a rotating bowl. The movement of the grinding wheels smoothes and degreases the surfaces as needed. Learn more about the vibratory machines.

Source: postprocess

8. Chemical smoothing

Chemical smoothing is used as the technology of our finishing of plastic components produced by the SLS process. The surfaces of the prototype are smoothed in different thicknesses, depending on the requirements. In this process, the SLS components on the top layer liquefy and rearrange the powder particles. This change creates surfaces that are smooth and have a Shiny Smooth layer. After this process, prototypes also have the advantage of being more resistant to dirt.

9. Heat treatment

Heat treatment is especially aimed at improving the functions of the components. The properties of metal finishing materials are improved by this method in terms of the degree of hardness, resistance or temperature resistance. Heat treatment involves various services, some of which are integrated into a particular process.

During hardening, the components are first heated to a specific temperature and quenched after a short period of time. Hardening, like tempering, is therefore one of the thermal heat treatments. Hardening as a metal finish improves the resistance of components in particular. The remuneration takes place after hardening by tempering the steel components. It is used when the components require high strength and low crack formation.

The nitriding is carried out by a supply of nitrogen, and also achieves hardening of the surface. It is used for steel components that require temperature resistance. The components can also be completely manufactured before the heat treatment since no further deformation takes place.

Source: european

10. Infiltrate

During infiltration, the components are sealed with impermeable liquid, without applying materials or coatings. This affects the porosity and strength of the material. The components are immersed in a certain infiltration, such as epoxy resin or acrylic, so that sealing occurs even in hard-to-reach places.

11. Polishing/grinding

Polishing and sanding are used depending on the surface preparation requirements. On request, mechanically produced or additively produced components are polished using rapid prototyping to high gloss.

12. Powder coating

Powder coating as a technology achieves a resistant protective layer. The baking process combines the powder particles into a solid layer. Surfaces can have different structures and colors according to your wishes.

13. Anodizing

Anodizing refers to a process in which an oxide layer is produced electrochemically. Anodizing is used for components made of aluminum that should have a protective layer against mechanical and weathering. Anodizing produces pre-treatment structures (eg grinding, polishing, sandblasting).

Source: theadvint

Conclusion

A central feature of surface technology is the ability to produce additional models and prototypes. If, for example, you need components with improved properties, such as corrosion protection, our suggestion is to look for a solution through surface finishing.
Another important advantage is the ability to optically finish the components and thus improve the aesthetic and decorative properties. After the appropriate manufacturing process for your prototypes, the painting optically ensures the actual realization.

Social Media Marketing With a Proxy

Social Media Marketing with a proxy helps social media managers create and use multiple accounts, avoid getting banned, unblock geo-restricted content, scrape web data, test ads, and more. Proxies ensure full anonymity and are capable of extending the network to diverse countries and even different types of devices.
Cybersecurity experts at Smartproxy say that “proxy is an intermediary server between two devices on a network.” You can dig deeper at their blog and find out more about proxy.
In this post, we’ll go through the challenges of social media marketing, what can a proxy do to solve that, and the benefits of using a proxy for social media marketing.

Table of Contents

  1. The Challenges with Social Media Marketing.
  2. What is a Proxy
  3. Social Media Marketing with a Proxy
  4. Final Words.

The Challenges with Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing (SMM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) companies manage hundreds of social media accounts simultaneously. These companies have to access different social media accounts, from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, etc., from different clients every single day.

These companies are responsible for identifying and connecting with customers, developing opportunities, promoting products and service, maintaining relationships, research competition and market, answer questions, commenting, and the list goes on.

Although there’s nothing wrong with what an SMM or SEO company does, social media websites protect themselves and their users from certain traffic. Social Media websites use intelligence IP services (such as WAFs or CDNs) to detect traffic or signature-based behaviors coming from specific IP addresses.

These “unusual behaviors” range from excessive requests or queries coming from a single IP,  possible automated comments, to suspicious activity coming from a specific country.

If a Social Media website detects this unusual activity, it will likely set the IP into monitor mode for a couple of hours or minutes, and then it will proceed to either freeze the account, or request the IP (and possibly entire blok) to be set into a blacklist, which affects connection to almost the entire Internet.

A proxy server is the solution to this problem.

Source: Medium

What Is a Proxy?

A proxy server may run on an entire bare metal server, a virtual machine, or a simple container. The idea of using proxy servers is to separate networks, especially private and public. Proxies centralize requests and response messages and can perform some sort of function, like improving performance, security, anonymity, control, or just to simplify complex networks.

Within the context of social media marketing, proxy servers help widen the source. A proxy server changes your source IP, and sends the social media (HTTP) request using its own IP. So the more proxies and the more diverse in regards to geography and type of device, the more legitimate traffic is produced.

Social media websites protect themselves and their customers from “noisy sources” or “bot-like behavior”. The reason being: some people use black-hat or gray-hat SEO tactics to improve their standings on social media.

So, social media sites use intelligent mechanisms to detect abnormal behaviors. They can detect IPs coming from unusual places and that generate unusual traffic, such as automated commenting, and too many accounts from a single source. If social media services detect these unusual behaviors, they will likely proceed to mark the account’s messages or comments as automated spam, suspend the account, and even might blacklist the IP or the entire block of IPs.

How does a proxy help you solve this? A proxy server transforms your traffic (coming from a single source) into a varied traffic in regards to geography, type of devices, rate of requests, etc. It makes your traffic make it look more human.

Social Media Marketing with a Proxy:

The social media proxy may use rotating IPv6 addresses for each session, making them undetectable by the social media platforms. You don’t run the risk of getting your social media account suspended or IP blocked.

Using a social media proxy, such as Rapidseedbox, will not only eliminate the risk of getting your IP blocked, or getting all of your client’s social media accounts suspended, but it may also help with the following:

  • Generate and use multiple social media accounts. All popular social media platforms put a limit on the number of accounts that can be generated from the singular IP address. If you crossed that limit, the social media account will likely pause the account (for further monitoring) or block the IP address.
  • Target different niches. Having multiple social media accounts can help you separate marketing niches. For example, if you sell totally different types of products like shoes, computers, or software— having different social media accounts can help you market to each specific audience, without getting your IP blocked.
  • Research your competition. Another benefit of using proxies for social media marketing is that you can get other social media accounts for the purpose of studying your competition, and gain an advantage.
  • Web scraping. Similarly, extracting data from social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, using your same source IP, will get you banned. Web scraping with proxies, will help you extract data without getting your IP banned.
  • Unblock geo-restricted content. Being connected to proxies in different countries or regions will give you access to restricted content reserved for that specific region.
  • Test ads. You might be wanting to test ads in different languages and regions of the world. Proxies in different countries will give you the advantage of seeing your ads as someone would from that country.

Social media marketing is possible with a proxy. If a single account is coming from a unique IP, then it will be identified as legitimate, and it will not be flagged. If your account can be around for a long time and it is identified as “legitimate”, the social media platform will help the potential organic followers find your profile.

Source: Medium

Final Words

Social Media Marketing (SMM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) businesses do not only need to manage and improve the social media standing of their customers, but they also need to protect their reputation and history.

A social media proxy, can help SMM and SEO companies manage multiple accounts from the same social media platform such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., and keep their identities and their customers safe.

Other Benefits?

  • A set of fresh and untouched pools of proxy IP addresses can keep SMM and SEO companies fully anonymous.
  • Proxy servers can help maintain a clean reputation for the social media profiles of customers.
  • The IPs of each proxy can be geographically mapped to the location of the client (the organic and normal source of traffic).
  • Use a proxy to reach wider audiences without getting your IP flagged.

Taking A Look At The History Of Gambling – 2024 Guide

img source: newcasinosites.me.uk

Regardless of who you are and where you grew up, gambling is something society has enjoyed for years. The intrigue alone is enough to push someone into giving it a shot, even if it’s for something as simple as a scratch card. You could win the grand prize or a small portion of what you spent back. However, more often than none, Lady Luck has other plans, and you walk away with nothing.

On a few rare occasions, you may have been lucky enough to earn some extra spending money and go on to developing an interest in the sport – yes, it’s considered a sport by many.

The reasons for gambling seem pretty self-explanatory – winning big. That drive-in itself makes it a hobby that can very easily take over your life if you don’t stay level-headed. The stakes can become increasingly higher and more dangerous in the blink of an eye. Please consult the problem gambling hotline if you think that you may have a gambling addiction.

Where Did It Start?

img source: medium.com

The invention of dice dates back as far as 3000 BC in ancient Egypt – artifacts have been found to support this – while Sophocles wrote about the invention in 500 BC. This leads us to believe that gambling existed long before we initially realized.

Early evidence of gambling has also been discovered in Ancient China. Historians discovered titles dating back to 2300 BC and believe that it was an early form of lottery. “The drawing of wood” has been referenced in the “Chinese Book of Songs”, which is said to be related to these tiles and involves a game of chance.

Keno, a lottery-type game, also has Chinese origins and was referred to as “baige piao”. Evidence has been found of this dating back to 200 BC.

In Ancient Rome, gambling was forbidden and there were consequences for individuals caught in the act. To avoid prosecution, the Romans started to gamble with chips or tokens instead of money.

The invention of dice dates back as far as 3000 BC in ancient Egypt – artifacts have been found to support this – while Sophocles wrote about the invention in 500 BC. This leads us to believe that gambling existed long before we initially realized.

Card Play

img source: timeout.com

Researchers believe that playing cards came about in China during the 9th century. Both the game and the potential reward. Many believe that Chinese dominoes came about in the form of paper cards.

During the 6th century, the Koreans made use of cards made of paper and silk, which is said to have played a role in developing paper forms of currency.

The oldest card game still in existence is Baccarat. This two-player game is said to originate from Italy and France and dates back to the 1400s. While it still exists, it has evolved since its initial inception and based on a version adapted by the Cubans.

A casino favorite, of course, is Blackjack. In the 17th century, the French developed a card game called vingt-et-un which translates to 21. In the beginning, the dealer had the ability to double. Since then, the rules have changed giving the dealer different abilities depending on the version that you choose to play.

Blackjack received its name through promotional material in the United States and to appeal to more clientele, 10 to 1 odds were paid to players who won with a jack of clubs or spades with an ace of spades. This didn’t last long as casinos started to lose money.

Establishing Casinos

img source: scene7.com

Gambling houses, the first form of casinos, is said to have appeared in the 17th century. In Venice, the Ridotto was established in 1638 to provide a more structured gambling environment, especially during the carnival season. Biribi was a popular game and involved a player placing a bet with 70 potential outcomes The banker would then draw a number from a bag and the person who bet on that number would win the prize.

Another popular game was basetta a gib rummy, poker and blackjack hybrid. Players stood a chance to win 60 times their initial bet.

A Rocky Start

img source: tumblr.com

The first settlers in the United States banned gambling – although this proved to be difficult to enforce in a similar fashion to alcohol prohibition. The market crash in the 1920s resulted in both activities being legalized.

The very first casino ever built was the Pair-o-Dice Club on the formerly desolate stretch of land, Highway 91. This piece of land would eventually become known as Las Vegas Boulevard. The first resort built was the El Rancho which opened in 1941 but unfortunately burnt down in 1960.

The success of these casinos attracted the likes of many famous criminals that eventually opened their own establishments.

In more recent times, this strip has become home to many luxurious resorts, gourmet dining, spas, nightclubs and even condos.

Going Digital

img source: legitgamblingsites.com

In the 1990s Microgaming began to develop software that would give rise to online gambling. The company now supplies content to some of the biggest online casinos that include 600 variations of poker, slots, blackjack and roulette and over 1200 games in total. If you want to check out just some of what’s on offer, click this link for more information.

By the mid-1990s the first casino had gone online, and by 2010 mobile casinos were fast becoming the norm. The evolution of the Internet and advancements in technology has spurred on the growth of digital gaming, and even smartwatch casino games can now be enjoyed. VR gambling has yet to take off, but there have been a few Virtual Reality games developed for release, as well as gambling action in video games such as Red Dead Redemption.

The future of online gambling seems to be quite promising, more so now as the world continues to practice social distancing. This age-old practice shows no signs of slowing down and will more than likely exist for generations to come.

9 Smart Ways to Boost Your Ecommerce Sales – 2024 Guide

Source: medium.com

Online sales have become very popular and there is almost no store that does not operate in this way. Moreover, many of them have opted only for eCommerce because in this way they have lower costs – they do not pay rent, workers, or bills. People today live a fast-paced life and try to save time on shopping as much as possible. Since the proclamation of the coronavirus pandemic in the world, we can say that internet sales have experienced their expansion and are now functioning better than ever.

How to attract customers?

However, to place a certain band in the right way and for your shop to be recognized as a right in the sea of others, you must do everything in your power to achieve that. Let’s go in order.

1. Instagram

Source: Medium

Everyone today uses social networks. However, one in particular stands out – Instagram. Why is this network in advantage over Facebook and others? We can say that it is more transparent since it does not have the option of publishing status, songs, and birthday greetings, but offers to publish a photo. This is exactly what allows your e-shop to be noticed. All you need is a well-designed post or a photo that will attract attention.

This network has more than 500 million active users and is one of the fastest-growing networks. With a business account on Instagram, you can put interesting hashtags in the description of the photo before you post. The most important of the two is to connect with your companions, to organize a giveaway in such a way that you will set the conditions for the prize game, which are to share your post publicly, as well as to mark several friends in it. This way you gain more followers and get a chance for a wider audience to see your offer.

2. Use bullet points in the product description

Visual appearance is very important, and sometimes even crucial when it comes to advertising. It is important to attract the customer with the image and description of the product. The description should be detailed, easy to understand, and clear. If you have already received the text you need to put in, then you can add a video with the product, as it has been noticed that by supporting the text video the interest in the product grows.

Source: Fieldlens

3. Personalize the way you advertise

Statistics have shown that generic advertising is ineffective and even harms sales. It’s important to tailor your offer to customers and get them to stop by your e-commerce store again. Personalize offers for priority customers, and you can customize product recommendations to increase sales. You can learn more about effective advertising if you check this resource.

4. Facebook advertising

Yes, we know that your goal is to make money, not to spend it. However, consider advertising on Facebook more than a smart investment, because the prices of their ads have risen by more than 200%. This number tells us that many people advertise this way for one reason – it is effective! By running more ad variations and analyzing your results, you’ll get a clearer idea of what customers want.

5. Target existing customers

Companies are very often focused on new customers, and then when you don’t notice their growth, they become concerned believing that interest in their products is declining. However, this is not true and this is a mistake we often make. Yes, of course, it is important to acquire new customers, but it is even more important to keep the existing ones, that is, to make them come back again and buy something. But how? Try to attract them by offering them a discount on each subsequent purchase, or for example, on purchases over $ 200 they will receive your loyalty card on which they will collect points on each subsequent purchase. By collecting a certain number of points, they get a discount on certain products for the next purchase.

Why is it important to focus on existing customers? Precisely because they are already familiar with your products, and since they are satisfied with the cooperation, they will likely recommend you to new potential customers.

6. Highlight icons that indicate that your page is trusted

Many have already encountered fake sales pages through which they were left without money and the ordered product after they paid. That is why it is important to point out all the icons that will convince the buyer that you are a reliable seller. Today, there are many internet scams in which it speaks in favor of the fact that in the last 5 years, almost 50% of Americans have been victims of credit card fraud.

Source: Investopedia

7. Customer testimonials

People read reviews much more often than you think. Who better to tell them about a product than a customer? However, reviews can be unconvincing if they are impersonal. Therefore, a better effect is achieved if the review is accompanied by a picture of the customer.

8. Develop a mobile app

A mobile phone is a multifunctional device that serves us for much more than correspondence and making calls. Thanks to the internet, customers are one step away from shopping. Then why not make it easier for them by developing an application that will make it possible for them? This is supported by research that has shown that over 40% of mobile phone users have had at least one online purchase so far and that over 60% of young people buy in this way.

Source: Investopedia

9. Offer discounts

Everyone loves to see the sale and discount labels. This is something that will surely attract the attention of many. If you are worried about the profit margin, then simply raise the base price of the product and then put it up for sale.

Conclusion

These are some of the tricks that retailers very often use for sales growth. It is important that you stand out from the crowd and that potential customers recognize you for your quality and unique offer.

Most Important Technologies For Real Estate in 2024

The economic uncertainties witnessed in 2024 made the business sector think of ways of changing their outlook, accelerating the latest trends, and embracing technology to safeguard their businesses proceeding into 2024.

The real-estate business has had to adapt and modernise new technologies in creating resilient businesses that can thrive in this information age coupled with the unpredictability of the economy.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a lot of challenges to the real estate and management industry. Digitizing their operations gave the industry a chance to prosper and sustain itself. The pandemic restrictions led to remote working and speeding up the adoption of technologies.

The article focuses on the most important technologies for real estate in 2024. The various digital tools will help real-estate business:
• Increase operational efficiencies
• Embrace flexibility
• Increase agility
• Ensure faster yields.

These are the topmost important technological trends for real estate in 2024.

Source: Market Realist

1. Use of Smartphone Apps

The number of smartphone users all across the world has increased tremendously over the decade and is set to continue in 2024. With this level of connectivity of the real-estate customers, the agencies are rushing in to develop different smartphone apps to help them connect easily with customers.

These are the reasons smartphone apps are convenient for agencies.
• Both agencies and customers can get updates in real-time.
• Smartphone apps have secure message systems.
• Customers can get to access information at any given time in regards to their properties.
• There is operational ease between customers and the agencies.
• Smartphone apps help both customers and agencies save resources and time.
• Customers have ease collaborating with the real-estate agency.
• Smartphone apps can help agencies advertise their new properties through ads.

Source: analyticsinsight

2. Virtual Reality Tours (VR)

The restrictions that were imposed following the COVID-19 pandemic made it hard for agencies to go on in-person tours with their customers as it was disallowed. This led to an increase in virtual reality tours popularity.

The use of Virtual reality has become more popular in the real estate business and has been embraced in 2024. With too much at stake in the industry due to uncertainties in the economy, agencies are adopting this tool.

A virtual reality tour is a 3D simulation that is computer generated that provides potential customers with a walkthrough in a house or apartment that is up for sale without setting foot on the property.

Virtual Reality benefits:

  • It saves both the agencies and customers time
    • Buyers can take multiple tours of property in a short period without actually visiting them in person.
    • Real estate agents can market their property using little investments.
    • Agents and builders can use virtual tours to show customers different ideas they can use spaces for or decorations.
    • Minimizing in-person visiting makes agents use virtual tours to explore international markets/buyers.
    • Virtual tours allow agents and sellers to create the best 3D tours for their buyers.
    • The listings that are more appealing to customers get more offers.
Source: DreamHost

3. Real-estate Websites

Businesses use websites to increase their turnarounds. The events of 2024 forced the real estate industry to focus on embracing and utilizing websites more in 2024. The 2024 lockdown had website visits soaring up in numbers.

Real estate businesses adopt websites to increase yields by attracting potential buyers and customers who go online-searching for a property.

Real estate companies have different features on their websites like high-quality images of their property, listings, customized search options, blogs, integrated CRM systems, buying and rental cost calculators, and integrated maps.

Websites such as WeBuyAnyHome.com facilitate the sale of real estate with their sell house fast services. It offers the highest guaranteed offer with no fees. There are no delays and no hassle.

The benefits of using Websites are:

  1. Customers can leave their feedback and review.
    2. The customer reviews help evaluate and upgrade products and services.
    3. The agencies can get leads that are qualified.
    4. Increased and improved marketing of brands with growing subscribers and a monthly or weekly newsletter for customers.
    5. There is advertisement resource utilization like content marketing, optimization of SEO, and PPC.

4. Predictive Analytics employment

It is the advanced branch of Analytics used for future predictions of events and outcomes. Predictive analytics employ techniques ranging from machine learning algorithms, data mining, statistics, artificial intelligence, and modeling to make predictions.

The use of Predictive Analytics is becoming popular in real estate embraced in 2024, as stet by fortuneacademy.com. It uses a combination of real estate behavioral analytics, real-time data, and historical data in making predictions by analyzing current data.

Reasons Predictive Analytics is a preferred technology in 2024

The technology is used by agencies to evaluate and find the best property in the market. This is due to its ability to detect and analyze parameters such as rental incomes, occupancy rate, and value of a property.

  • It helps agencies and real estate managers understand the history of potential buyers interested in the property.
  • It helps managers estimate the value of renovations needed and analyze the improvements required by the property.
  • It also estimates the amount buyers can willingly pay.
Source: mycustomer

5. Optimization of Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)

CRM software is a system that combines strategies, technology, and practices that companies use in analyzing and managing their customers’ data and interactions throughout their history with the company.

It helps manage customer relationships as well as maintaining realtors, tenants, customers, and companies.

The points of contact with the company can be through phone calls, direct mails, companies’ websites, social networks, and live chat. CRM systems contain information on a customer’s buying preferences, personal information, concerns, and purchasing history.

CRM Systems benefit real estate businesses through:
• Management of transactions across all sales stages.
• Access to company data is role-based hence no leakages.
• Automation of campaigns.
• Automation of data eases workflow and business processes.
• Options for third-party integration services.
• Improvement of sales growth through customer relationships and assisting in retaining customers.
• Data on customers can help the customer support provide faster and better services to customers.
• Customer information access provides businesses with the data to identify market trends and insights.

Source: kinsta.com

6. AI and Machine Learning

AI helps machines to perform complex and sophisticated tasks. This goes from evaluation, problem-solving, decision making to pattern recognition, and comprehension. Often, machine learning comes as the core approach used by AI.

This type of software automates repetitive and time-consuming tasks. It delivers intelligent recommendations and performs many other tasks.

Benefits

AI and machine learning improve your business performance.

  • AI is used to streamline data management in real estate.
    • The algorithm in recommendation apps identifies the customer’s preferences and suggests objects based on its findings.
    • AI enhances the advertising campaign by scanning data and identifying the most popular or demanded types of real estate objects.
    • AI deals with large property management.
    • Machine learning-based software can recognize patterns in the data and generate actionable insights.
    • Machine learning has paved the way for chatbots. Those apps become the primary mode of communication for customer service inquiries.
    • Then the algorithm suggests the most suitable offers on its marketplace.
Source: Gemini Homes

Conclusion

Adoption of new technology by the real estate industry will help in customer-driven approach adoption and improving operations internally. The technological trends have sped up in 2024 to avoid economic downward dives and due to the uncertainties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The technologies adopted by the real-estate industry will offer task automation in management, finance, operations, and marketing.

3 Tools For Keeping Your Identity Safe in 2024

img source: healthvalues.org

As part of our focus on security and has had a security incident ourselves, our friends from Covve are sharing proper security practices with a sharp focus on how you can protect your business from security breaches and how to respond to identity threats. When the average person thinks of identity theft, the most common causes that come to mind are a lost wallet or a stolen credit card.

But, in today’s digital world, that is not all that you should be thinking about. Your digital identity is vulnerable to theft on any device and any site or app you visit – which makes it extremely important to know how to protect your identity.

In more recent times, online abuse is playing an increasingly significant role. While there is no single software or service that can completely eliminate the possibility of identity theft, there are a number of small actions we can take that will greatly reduce our vulnerability. Better education and preparedness can vastly reduce the risk.

This article examines three free services available that will help raise your awareness about any potential vulnerabilities, reduce the risk of harm, and keep you better protected moving forward.

Password Management

1. Recommended Tool: LastPass

img source: futurecdn.net

It’s best practice to ensure you use strong, unique passwords for all online services and transactions. However, managing all your passwords for each site is near impossible for the average person. Consider using an independent password manager. While there are many services out there that work – Last Pass is a great option. This software will help you generate and use secure, complex, and appropriately long passwords while avoiding the need to remember passwords yourself. Practically speaking, these are things people don’t do unless they have a tool in place to help them.

Why LastPass? LastPass is specifically designed to secure, generate and store unique passwords for every site. LastPass is a host-proof solution, meaning the system is designed to ensure that only the user can access their data. Sensitive data is encrypted locally in a ‘vault’ that is stored on the end user’s device. It encrypts all your passwords and secure information on your computer, using a security key that only you know (appropriately entitled a “master password”). Then, it transmits the encrypted string of characters to LastPass’s online servers.

Because the data is encrypted, it is essentially “scrambled” before it gets sent out over the web. The receiving party has the key to unscrambling it and restoring it to valid information. This way, if the sensitive data is ever intercepted in transmission, the information is useless without the decryption key.

Data Breach Monitoring

2. Recommended Tool: Mozilla Firefox Monitor

img source: netdna-ssl.com

Data breaches and identity theft are rising at an alarming rate, in the past year over 2.6 billion records (that’s billion with a B) were stolen or exposed. These records are often bought and sold on the dark web. What they are after is usually simply passwords.

Since most people do not use a password manager like the tool mentioned above, hackers can obtain a single password and username and use it on various other sites. This becomes dangerous in cases like banking or other sensitive data repositories where these thieves are trying to profit with your information by manipulating accounts. In some instances, they may even try to apply for credit, a mortgage, or a loan with your identity. The consequences are grave for you and your future without properly protecting and monitoring your online presence across sensitive accounts.

Why Firefox Monitor? Mozilla’s free Firefox Monitor service helps you track which of your email addresses have been part of known data breaches. Firefox Monitor warns you if your email address has been exposed and it provides support on how to better protect your online accounts. This service will automatically notify you of what happened and what personal data of yours was included so that you can deduce your level of risk.

Your next steps will depend on what information you need to protect. You need to understand how sensitive the data that has been compromised:

  1. Least Sensitive: Email addresses, phone numbers, street addresses;
  2. More Sensitive: Names, dates of birth, card numbers;
  3. Most Sensitive: Social security numbers, passwords, security codes.

The service shows current as well as past breaches, so you will need to understand when the breach happened. You may receive the notice months or even years after the data breach occurred. Sometimes it takes a while for companies to discover a breach. Other times, breaches are not immediately made public.

Two Factor Authentication

3. Recommended Tool: Google Authenticator

img source: developers.com

Two-factor authentication (2FA), sometimes referred to as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication, adds an additional layer of security to the authentication process by making it harder for attackers to gain access to a person’s devices or accounts. With single authentication (just a username and password) someone can breach your accounts without knowing solely those two bits of info.

With 2FA, the attacker would essentially need to have access to your phone, computer, or some other additional device to gain entry. While biometric and other super-secure methods are available, the easiest way to set up 2FA is using a software service like Google Authenticator. If you want to dive into the nitty-gritty, this guide will detail everything you need to know.

Why Google Authenticator? If you push your 2FA codes to a text message (SMS) then a sophisticated hijacker may still be able to intercept those codes. However, the benefit of an app like Google Authenticator is that you have all of the codes in a central location that are available all of the time, even when your phone is offline. All you need to do is open the app, grab a secure code (that regenerates every 30 seconds) and you’re in. While this form of authentication is not as secure as biometric or security keys, it is a great first step for the average person to take to add a layer of protection for themself.

Foreplay

The Best Foreplay Ideas to Build Anticipation and Excitement

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Let’s talk about what spices up a relationship: anticipation and excitement. Too often, people skip straight to the main event without appreciating the art...