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Facebook’s New Privacy Settings

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On June 11, 2014

In Social Networking

June 11, 2014

After facing a barrage of criticism in the past for its ambiguous and faulty privacy settings, social networking giant Facebook has finally come up with some changes that could go down well with the users. Certain changes have been made to the existing privacy settings, while some new features have also been brought in; so that users can customize the set of people they want their posts to reach out to. The new settings will come into implementation for all new accounts that are created on Facebook. For the existing users, the new privacy settings will be rolled out over a period of time.

Following are the latest additions to Facebook privacy settings.

  • Up until now, any new user who joined Facebook had all of his or her posts set to public. This meant that any new photos or status updates posted by the user could be seen by anyone who had a Facebook account. In order to allow people to be more selective when it comes to whom they share their posts with, Facebook has now changed the default settings to ‘friends’. Any posts made by a new Facebook user would now only reach out to his or her friends, unless some changes are made to the settings. This is a huge relief for users who are wary of sharing their updates with anyone and everyone on Facebook.
  • For their first post, the new users will be greeted with a reminder on whether they want to set their audience to public or to friends. If no choice is made by the user, settings automatically go to ‘friends’.
  • That was the story for new users. Coming down to existing users who have been part of the Facebook network from the past, the company has decided to expand its existing ‘privacy check-up’ tool. This tool allows users to see their current privacy settings. If they are inclined to make any changes to it, they can always do that through the pop-up that appears on the screen.
  •  There is good news for Facebook mobile users as well. The social networking giant has made changes to privacy settings for its mobile application as well. Users can now share status updates with the groups that they intend to; this will become more transparent a process now as the user can see exactly who is going to see those updates. This will be visible on the top-left corner of the screen.

The new privacy settings are definitely going to make users feel more comfortable and secure as they go about posting updates and pictures from their lives on Facebook.

Promoted Pins by Pinterest

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On May 30, 2014

In Internet marketing, Social Networking

May 30, 2014

After their introduction last year, Pinterest has now finally decided to go in for a paid test for promoted pins that help people to have an improved overall search experience. These small add units will serve as an aid to monetize the ever growing social network of Pinterest. Initially, the rollout of promoted pins will be limited to the search and category fields. Later on, as time goes by, the pins could be used for other spheres of pinterest as well.

The promoted pins will be initially tested on a small set of brands so as to gain a better understanding of their viability and effectiveness. Some of the brands that would be a part of the test include: ABC Family, Banana Republic, Expedia.com, Kraft, Nestle, Old Navy, and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Through these brands, Pinterest aims to gauge whether promoted pins are tasteful and relevant. Based on user feedback, subsequent improvements will also be made.

As per AdAge, Pinterest is looking at an estimate of about $1 to $2 million for every campaign pertaining to rollout of promoted pins. As is evident from the list of brands mentioned above, the first rollout of promoted pins is not for small or medium-sized businesses.

As the Pinterest network continues to grow by leaps and bounds, tens and thousands of people have put up more than 30 billion pins. Brands form a significant chunk of these users, and hence promoted pins will help them to gain better visibility among the audiences. This will also help the audiences by providing them a better insight into areas they are concerned about; you could for example, easily look for places to eat out, or gifting ideas for a friend or a loved one on special occasions.

Up till now, Pinterest was primarily focused upon enhancing its user base, and revenue generation was not on the cards. But with the rollout of promoted pins now, Pinterest is all set to take on advertizing giants like Facebook and Twitter. Since user feedback is an important tool to understand the effectiveness of promoted pins, Pinterest has put up links for users alongside every promoted pin that they see on the social network. Users can put in their comments and suggestions here, which would be monitored on a regular basis so that improvements can be made accordingly.

The rollout of promoted pins by Pinterest is surely going to change the advertizing landscape in the online space. The first phase of the rollout with these brands will show what the further course of action should be.

Check Out New Google Maps With Its Added Features

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On May 26, 2014

In SEO Marketing, Tech Buzz

May 26, 2014

Have you checked the new features of Google Maps? Well, Google Maps introduced various changes recently and the changes are for the better.

Google Maps, a free Google service, has already influenced our life and the new features further add to its functionality. These new changes are worth noticing. The new version of Google Maps offers tailored map for every search. If you are trying to find a route, then you will have a map highlighting that particular path. The latest Google Map helps you map the entire trip, as it includes air and train travel in your routes.

One thing that you will surely love about updated Google Map is that it is more interactive. By simply clicking a location, you can focus more on that region and discover more about related places and the best routes to get there. Another new feature of latest Google map is that it gathers all the imagery of a place into one spot, this makes it convenient for you to explore the region. It shows skyscrapers in 3D. Just imagine yourself swimming the oceans, climbing mountains, and flying through cities. In Google Chrome, which is a WebGL-enabled browser, the carousel is where you will find the Earth view. This integrates the 3D experience from Google Earth into the updated maps.

By using the search box available on Google Maps, you can extract all the information that you need about a place (or business) including the address, read reviews about the place, and even view street imagery. As you continue searching, the Map suggests relevant places, or the quickest routes. What’s more, you will love it when new Google Map will predict the traffic based on historical data. This is greatly helpful in deciding when you should leave for your destination.

Bandwidth Management For Fast Loading Websites

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On May 19, 2014

In IT Support, Website Development

May 19, 2014

With so many websites on the internet today for every topic under the sun, users always look out for getting the maximum information in the least amount of time. To be regarded as a user-friendly website, the single most important criterion is the time it takes to download the webpage. The quicker it loads, the better it is. Even if you have the best of website designs and layouts, if it takes too much time to load, the user will want to skip browsing through it.

Following are some tips that will help you to better manage the bandwidth of your web servers so that the time taken for loading a particular website can be reduced.

  • Firstly, it is important to understand the meaning of bandwidth in context of web servers. Bandwidth refers to the bytes of data that are transferred from the web server that contains the files of user interest, to the user’s browser. The larger the file size, greater will be the bandwidth consumed.
  • The next step is to analyze the monthly bandwidth that you will require on your web server or web host so that your website can be easily loaded on a user’s browser. The bandwidth needs vary from website to website depending upon the type of content that is used and number of visitor visiting the website. For example, if your website makes use of multimedia-rich content such as videos and sound clips, the amount of bandwidth required would be more than a website that simply uses plain text content.
  •  Also, it could be the case that you envisage expansion for your website in the future, with more number of users expected to visit your website. So you will need to focus on having more bandwidth so that the website loads fast and does not become inaccessible in the event of many users accessing it.

Proper management of bandwidth will not only make your website download faster, but also help you to keep the costs for web hosting under control.

We at Centex Technologies develop user friendly fast loading websites. For more information, call us at – (855) 375-9654

How To Build A Brand With Online Marketing

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On May 12, 2014

In Internet marketing

May 12, 2014

Building up an effective brand name is critical for success is today’s business world. A brand that communicates effectively with the consumers is the one that stays in the business for a longer run. Mention any big name like Nike, Adidas, or Starbucks, and consumers immediately connect with these brands; a strong mental image about the products and services associated with the brand come up in their mind. Thus, with brand value so critical to business success, it is important to know how you can effectively leverage online marketing tools to build up your brand. Read on to know more.

  • Many businesses fall into the trap of having different brand citations across various websites on the internet. This can put question marks over the reliability over the brand. Having consistent name, address, and telephone citations about the brand all across the Internet is the first tool to build up an effective brand name.
  •  Brand image can be enhanced through the usage of certain tools. For example, a business can be given a personal identity through use of extensive descriptions. These could include accolades, accreditations, and so on. They help to build a brand that connects with people. Other than descriptions, images and photos of the workplace as well as the employees working there can be an effective tool to showcase to people the brains behind building the brand.
  • When it comes to building a brand, a good reputation is highly critical, and it can only be achieved through building trust among the consumers. Consumer feedback and reviews should never be overlooked. Responding to them in a positive manner goes a long way in enhancing the overall image of the brand.
  • As with the name, address, and telephone citations, the business presence across social networking platforms should also be uniform. The same logos, graphics, photographs, and business descriptions should be used across all platforms.
  • Blogging and content marketing strategy should focus on user-specific content that answer all queries and concerns that visitors may have. Often, businesses go with the notion that blogging is all about link building and social engagement. But it can be a great way to build up the brand image if the right content is used.
  • Online videos can be another great asset in building a brand. They can be used to comprehensively depict the range of products and services offered by a business. Make sure that the videos are content focused rather than trying to sell the product. The right content will answer maximum questions of your potential customers, which eventually will translate into sales.

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