How has 2018 changed things for you? Have the trends so boldly proclaimed in last year’s forecast articles come to fruition? Have you decided to take a new direction for any reason? (Please tell us in the comments section!)
For us, the year was over far too quickly – like a blur. We cut back to 3 articles a week as we became busier elsewhere. That has led to us stopping republishing articles by our friends, and seeing our hopper full to bursting point.
One thing that will never change is our gratitude.
We want to thank all of our readers, all of our writers and everyone who got us to this point. We’re now in our 6th year, so the list is lengthy!
As always, we are republishing a snippet from one article by each author who contributed at least 2 unique articles.
Below, we thank the friends of Curatti whose articles we republished, with their permission.
First, in purely alphabetical order, the last 9 contributors are:
If you wish, you may click on any name to go directly to their content.
Birbahadur Singh Kathayat
7 Trends That Will Transform Online Business In The Future
With the unleashing of emerging cutting-edge technologies, almost every aspect of our society will see a transformation. New technologies will have a huge impact on the way online business will be carried out in 2018 and beyond.
Modern technological systems such as ERP and CRM are highly capable of boosting productivity and reducing costs by automating functions. Similarly, the current investments and research in quantum computing (QC) have a profound potential for disruptive impact in the world of business.
IBM’s scientists have predicted that in five years, QC will be mainstream as it will be used extensively by new categories of professionals. QC will have a wide range of business applications such as:
- The Automotive industry
- Finance
- Aerospace
- Transportation/logistics
- Manufacturing
Cybersecurity will also be a focal point since companies need to beef up their efforts to secure investments in software and other appliances. Businesses, therefore, will start investing less in endpoint solutions and more on managed services to safeguard their existing infrastructure.
To find out more about the future of online business click here.
Avinash Nair
The 3 Most Important Things to Outsource in an Online Business
If you’ve recently launched an eCommerce business, or are thinking of doing so, you’ve probably heard something along the lines of: “One of the best things about running an online business is the freedom it provides.”
Running a virtual company does offer more freedom and flexibility than a traditional company might. There is no physical office space to maintain and it often requires fewer employees to keep things afloat. Business owners can work from anywhere they please and are not tied down to a 9-to-5 schedule.
However, managing a successful eCommerce company is by no means an easy task. Launching and running a business online still requires a crazy amount of work – especially in the beginning stages. Unfortunately, much of this work tends to fall on the founder of the company.
To learn how to create a successful outsourcing plan follow these steps by clicking here.
Qhubekani Nyathi
How To Sell On Social Media (Without Sounding Like A Jerk)
Today’s marketing landscape is a seller’s paradise.
You can sell anything, anytime, on any channel.
In a sense, your business is never closed. People are ever-connected. They chat and interact with friends and brands on social media 24/7 using up to five different devices a day. A new omnichannel buyer journey has emerged.
Social selling, in particular, has made huge strides. More and more brands are turning to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other channels to promote their brands, engage with customers, increase inbound traffic, and reach out to prospective customers.
This article will explore three pitfalls brands normally fall into when selling on social media.
Click here to find out which social media pitfalls to avoid for your brand.
Anna Rud
5 Editorial Guidelines Based Tips To Writing Better Content
As a content marketer, I have to read editorial guidelines literally every single day. I’ve read so many of them that sometimes I can predict the end of sentences. Some can argue that every blog has its particular requirements, but there are always some common things I find on every “write-for-us” page. The main points are common for most blogs, but I still see a lot of articles that don’t meet these requirements (not even close).
In this post, I’ll share most of the common points almost every editorial guidelines include. I believe this list of 5 tips can help you to keep editors happy and get more publications!
Learn how to write better content by clicking here.
Pawan Sahu
How To Build The Perfect Website Landing Page
A good landing page is crucial to the success of your online business. Having a good landing page offers a sure-fire means for increasing your conversion rates.
In opposition to the traditional homepage, a landing page is much more focused and operates to achieve a single objective. It is basically designed to deliver what the customer was looking for when they clicked on the ad that leads them here.
On the other hand, a homepage is much more generalized in approach and speaks about the entire business/corporation. Hence a homepage can’t replace the necessity of a landing page.
Now, most of the times it so happens that people, although they understand the difference, create a landing page which is more like a homepage. This is a grave mistake and will not help improve your conversion rates.
To help focus people in the right direction, we have put together a checklist for creating the perfect landing page. So without further ado, let’s get started.
To get your website landing page checklist, click here.
Robin Singh
The 9 Elements In a Successful Business Marketing Plan
A Business Marketing plan is very important for any product or company, in order to achieve individual and organizational goals. A Business Marketing plan is a drafted document which gives the overall summary of the market. It clearly states how the firm plans to achieve its goals as planned. It also contains detailed guidelines regarding how the product will perform in each life cycle and the budget allocated for the same. And of course, it should be achievable and must be able to respond positively to changing market conditions.
9 Key Elements for an Entrepreneur to Create a Successful Business Marketing Plan
1. Overall Summary of the Business Model
Without prior knowledge regarding what the business is supposed to do, an entrepreneur can’t achieve his or her goals.
The executive summary should define the overall details of what the business is all about and the goals and objectives.
It should be clear with the core values and the positioning in the market. It must clearly explain how the brand will enter the local market followed by the international market – if ultimate ambitions stretch that far. This can be done by maintaining its equipment base, input/output process and the good quality of items. It further focuses on the generation of financial resources.
Click here to learn how to create a successful marketing plan for your business.
Nathan Sykes
From Alexa to Podcasts: The Power of Voice in Modern Marketing
Voice marketing, in general, is nothing new. Thanks to radio and television broadcasts, it has existed — in one form or another — for close to a century. But the format is evolving rapidly thanks to the emergence of new, modern technologies.
Smart speakers and voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant have irrevocably changed the game. These voice recognition tools mean that a brand’s voice is becoming…well, an actual voice. Couple that with the popularity of streaming audio and media platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Pandora, and you can instantly recognize that the power of voice in modern marketing is instrumental to success.
Statista projects that over 56 million smart speakers will ship out throughout in 2019. Closer to home, there were already over 43 million shipments in 2018 alone. It’s modern marketing in the age of Alexa.
To find out how to leverage voice technology in your marketing click here.
Meredith Wood
11 Types of Difficult Customers and How to Handle Them [Infographic]
- The actual product or service that the business is based on
- The advertising that the customer is exposed to – whether on social media or elsewhere
- Direct communication with a sales assistant
- Customer service experiences
Get the facts on how to best handle difficult customers by clicking here.
David Zimmerman
Voice Search: It’s Not Just for eCommerce
If you’re like me, you enjoy the convenience of your voice assistant. It’s great to tell Alexa, “order cat food”, and it arrives in two days. This is a convenience that is spoiling me. Alexa is training me to rely on her on a daily basis.
Clearly, this is the future for companies that sell products. Is this something a B2B company should consider? Could a company that provides services use voice search to gain more leads?
Yes!
While Alexa trains me to buy more products, eventually this convenience will train me to search for services, as well. Even services for my business.
To learn how to use voice search work for your business by clicking here.
Friends of Curatti
We also extend a big Curatti Thank You to all of our friends who gave us permission to re-post their wonderful content:
Other Thanks
We published quite a few great Infographics this year, all presented by their creators. You can find them and older Infographics here.
And of course, thank you to everyone who posted just once!
Who else is there to thank? You, the readers! We’re nothing without you 
Featured image: Copyright: ‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_cienpies‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
Other image attribution (in order of appearance):
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_pratyaksa‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_aquir‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_putilich‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_dolgachov‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_artnovielysa‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_nexusplexus‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_alexutemov‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_fizkes‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_highwaystarz‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
(All images are stock – do not reuse them)
Jan Gordon
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