Voice Search and Digital Assistants Here to Stay

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The latest trend in tech today is the growing popularity of voice search and digital assistants.

 

Every major tech company now has their own version of this helpful, disembodied technology. Amazon has Alexa. Google has Google Assistant. Microsoft has Cortana. And, of course, Apple has Siri.

 

Within just the past 12 months, the number of web users who rely on digital assistants to help them listen to their favorite music, answer questions about the weather, set cooking timers, and even unlock doors and turn lights on and off has increased exponentially.

 

Adapting to Change

 

This isn’t just a fad. Voice search and digital assistants are here to stay. In fact, Google recently reported that 1 out of 5 internet searches now come from voice queries.

 

Ignore this change in the way people use the web at your own peril. Today, smart businesses are adapting by using long-tail search keywords and natural language that matches the conversational tone people tend to use with their favorite digital assistants.

 

For example, for web-based searches, a user might type in “auto mechanics near Cincinnati, Ohio”. But the same person conducting the same search via their voice searching digital assistant might be more likely to say, “Siri, where is there an auto mechanic near me?”

 

Shift Towards Voice Search

 

The shift toward voice search will become even bigger as more and more people get the enabling devices in their homes. Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home will likely be one of the most popular holiday gifts this year.

 

Voice search technology also is becoming more prevalent among automakers who are looking for ways to provide the convenience of online access to their customers while minimizing the risks of distracted driving.

 

As digital assistants go beyond smartphones and enter our homes, our cars, and eventually our workplaces, the opportunity for businesses to use SEO and content to connect with this growing market increases.

On-Screen Tech Support Builds Bonds with Customers

There is a growing trend among many online retailers to provide on-screen tech support boxes right on their business website. You may have seen these text boxes, which usually pop up at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen when the user lands on the web page.

 

Typically, these on-screen tech support boxes say something like, “Let me know if there is anything I can help you with today!” They also may include an image of a smiling person wearing a headset.

 

How On-Screen Text Boxes Work

 

If the page visitor has questions about your products, services, or other aspects of your business, they can simply type in a text message into the text box.

 

If the on-screen support screen is being monitored by somebody within your company, they can respond right away in real time. Often this responsibility is “pushed” to a specific department, such as customer service.

 

Depending on the setup you use for the on-screen text box, any customer inquiries may be forwarded to an individual’s laptop, smartphone, or another device.

 

On-Screen Tech Support Builds Bonds with Customers – SEO — Building Customer Loyalty Bonds

 

Having an on-screen tech support box right on your website is a great way to build loyalty bonds with your customers. While a very small percentage of customers will actually use the box, people like the idea that there is a real, live person they can communicate with at any time they like.

 

It helps them feel as if you genuinely care about their concerns and questions. On-screen tech support text boxes also give you the opportunity to resolve customers complaints, fix problems, and even upsell customers to more of your products and services.

 

These increasingly popular add-ons to your web pages can be a very effective way to enhance both the usefulness and interactivity of your web pages.

How Virtual Reality Could Help Your Business

How Virtual Reality Could Help Your Business

The latest trend in web-based technology is virtual reality. This is an immersive experience in which the viewer appears to be completely inside a complete world.

 

Virtual reality requires the use of a special headset. Many companies have recently introduced their own versions of these VR headsets and more are on the way.

 

Types of VR Viewers

 

Some more expensive headsets come with their own special screens. Others allow the viewer to use their existing smartphone, which fits inside a special holder, which is sometimes made of cardboard.

 

In both instances, once the user puts the headset on, their entire field of vision is filled with whatever appears on the screen. It’s sort of like seeing a movie in an IMAX theater.

 

What makes virtual reality different, however, is that as the viewer moves their head, what they are seeing moves with them. The can look up, down, sideways and behind them.VR provides users with a 360-degree perspective, which is why it seems like viewers are immersed in a totally new world.

 

VR provides users with a 360-degree perspective, which is why it seems like viewers are immersed in a totally new world.

 

How Virtual Reality Could Help Your Business – VR and Business

 

If you aren’t already thinking about ways you can incorporate virtual reality experiences into your marketing, you should be.

 

The technology that enabled VR has been in the works for years. But the bandwidth required to support the platform has been too large until recent technology developments enabled it.

 

Now that it has arrived, it will soon take over as the new, go-to format for everything from movies and sports to education and tourism. In the very near future, virtual reality will move from the fringes of technology to the mainstream of marketing, much the same way as streaming video or social media did just a few years ago.

 

While developing a VR campaign may be cost prohibitive right now for all but the biggest corporations, the costs of developing VR promotions will only come down as the platform becomes more widely used. Developing ideas now for ways your business can use VR in the near future will help you prepare for success.

More Storage Lets You Do More with Your Website

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You may have noticed that computers, tablets, and smartphones are getting smaller and faster than ever before. While some of that has to do with technological advancements like high-definition screens and improvements in processing speeds, none of it would be possible without the huge leaps that have taken place in data storage.

 

While some of that has to do with technological advancements like high-definition screens and improvements in processing speeds, none of it would be possible without the huge leaps that have taken place in data storage.

 

When the original iPhone was introduced in June 2007, it had only 8 GB of storage. The iPhone 7, which was released this year, has up to 128 GB of storage.

 

More Storage, More Capabilities

 

Most of us have had the experience of unboxing a new smartphone, turning it on and being surprised and delighted by how fast it is compared to previous versions. Whether it is an iPhone, an Android, or Google’s new Pixel, today’s devices are faster, sharper, and lighter than ever.

 

And as data capacities and processing speeds continue to improve exponentially with every new release, they will be able to do new and exciting things.

 

For example, virtual reality is something that is finally beginning to become a reality after decades of talk about it. Several companies, including Oculus Rift, have introduced VR headsets and content producers are just beginning to offer VR entertainment.

 

Soon, viewers will be able to watch sporting events, concerts, and even their favorite television shows while immersed in new worlds of virtual reality — all of which is made possible by expanded storage capacity.

 

More Storage – What Can Your Website Do?

 

Today, the world is changing faster than ever before. If you are still using an outdated website that hasn’t yet adapted to what consumers are looking for, it could cost you real dollars and cents.

 

Let “Lytron Lead Generation” help you bring your website design into the future.

What’s Next for Smartphones and Tablets?

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In recent years, digital devices have become practically universal. Just a little more than a decade ago, most people were still communicating via flip phones, razor phones and — if they were really cutting edge — a BlackBerry.

 

Today, people are texting, using video chat, sharing high-definition videos, and exchanging data and content on smartphones and tablets that are slimmer, faster, and more powerful than ever before.

 

So what does the future hold for smartphones and tablets? And what kind of innovations are left that will make our current devices seem quaint and antiquated in another decade or so?

 

What’s Next for Smartphones and Tablets? Fixing Faults

 

While today’s devices are convenient, they still have some drawbacks that need to be improved or corrected.

 

For one, most users who use their devices constantly are also continually struggling to keep their smartphones and tablets charged. It’s a good bet that device manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and now Google are furiously developing batteries that hold a charge longer — think days rather than hours.

 

What the WiFi?

 

Another likely improvement is speed and WiFi coverage. While the networks have been expanding every year since wireless devices were first introduced, there are still a lot of spots where users can’t get coverage or where WiFi is still lacking.

 

Improvements in bandwidth, coverage, and device processors should make smartphones and tablets faster and give them more capacity so they can accommodate even more improvements in picture and video quality — including virtual reality.

 

What’s Next for Smartphones and Tablets? Where’s the Wires?

 

Apple already has eliminated the headphone jack on its newest iPhone 7 and it’s a good bet other manufacturers will soon follow suit.

 

Headphones tethered to devices with wires will likely become a thing of the past. And look for earpieces to be replaced with high-tech glasses that provide augmented reality, smartphones that double as VR viewers, and other tech that hasn’t even been imagined yet.

Technology the Key to Collaboration

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Just a few years ago — a decade at most — if you needed to collaborate with another person or team on a project, it typically involved driving to their offices, or even getting on an airplane and flying halfway across the country.

 

Today, however, thanks to advancements in digital technology, collaboration on SEO or other projects is infinitely simpler and more convenient. The days of frequent flyer miles and high-mileage car odometers is mostly a thing of the past.

 

Collaboration Platforms

 

Collaboration is often the best approach to tackling any project, regardless of its scope or complexity. While one person may be able to offer creative solutions, multiple people can bring their different perspectives, experiences, and knowledge to the same problem.

 

Today, there are many different platforms that facilitate collaboration between multiple people working on the same project — even when the many different contributors are scattered all over the world.

 

Technology  – Video Conferencing

 

For communicating with other team members, video chat sites such as Skype, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, and others offer high-definition video communication between two or more people in real time.

 

Many of these platforms allow you to share screenshots, images, documents, Excel files and more with other participants so that everybody can literally be on the same page when working to find a solution to the same problem.

 

Document Sharing

 

Other invaluable tools include document sharing sites such as Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud and others let team members view, edit, and add new documents that the entire team can access remotely from practically any device.

 

Collaboration remains one of the best ways to harness the ideas of multiple team members so they can work toward a common goal. Today’s online tools make collaboration easier than ever and eliminate most business travel.

 

Thanks to these types of online tools, practically the entire world can be accessed from your desktop.