5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Landing Page and Boost Conversions

Landing pages are web pages on your website that are used to generate leads for your business. The main purpose of a landing page is to entice visitors to perform a desired action whether it is registering an interest in one of your products, arranging a demo, downloading an eBook, signing up to your newsletter, or another product or service that your business offers. Every business, however small or large, can benefit from optimized landing pages.

Businesses use several methods to promote and build traffic to their website. However, ultimately the success of a business online depends largely on how many visitors are converted into sales or leads for the business, referred to as conversion rate. Optimised landing pages are one of the most effective tools a business can use to boost conversions on the website.

Creating effective landing pages have become a standard marketing practice for any business that wants to increase conversions and generate leads for the business. In this article we take a look at 5 easy but highly effective ways to get better results from your landing page.

1. Focus All Attention on One Conversion Action

Your landing page should be dedicated to one task or one desired user action only e.g. register for your newsletter, sign-up for a webinar, download an eBook or another lead that is relevant to your business. The entire attention should be focused on one conversion event. More than one action will dilute the focus away from your primary lead event and have a negative impact on your conversion rate.? If you are running multiple campaigns or wish to generate additional leads from your website, use dedicated landing pages for each.

Take a look at DeVry University?s landing page below for requesting information about the courses. There is only one conversion action on the page and all attention is devoted toward it.

Landing Page - University

2. Test Variations

A/B split testing is widely acknowledged as an essential element of an effective landing page optimisation strategy. However, it remains under-utilised. Simple changes like the design or colour of your buttons or the placements of your lead capture form can make a huge difference to your conversion rates.

Businesses have been able to double their conversion rate by applying simple tweaks and variations to their landing page elements. Split testing makes this possible. Google?s Website Opitmizer is one of the easiest ways to do this.

Make it easy ? Make sure that?s it is obvious what you want the visitor to do and even more obvious how to do it. (This is where the use of video, audio, arrows and buttons can be effective.) Limit any data collection to name and email or your conversions will drop unless what you are offering is so valuable people will give more information.

3. Use Supporting Media

Studies have shown that use of relevant media e.g. an image or a video on your landing page is a sure-shot way to boost conversions. It also makes your page more appealing and can help to highlight benefits. Displaying an image of the product in use or a video tour are some examples of supporting media that can boost conversions. You can also create a video explaining your product or create a video testimonial of existing customers. Seeing a real person can make your landing page more engaging for visitors, helps to build trust and personalise the user experience.

Landing Page Videos

4. Remove All Unnecessary Elements

A typical web page consists of several elements e.g. menu, newsletter sign-up, general text about your business, footer links, and more. It may be beneficial to remove a lot of these elements from your landing page. Effective landing pages that get the best results are usually those that focus entirely on the product you are offering and do not give user with additional options on the page. As a general rule, try to remove elements that are not related to you primary conversion event.

Take a look at Match.Com?s registration landing page below. There are no links, or any other additional elements on the page, giving the user only option which is to register for the service.

Landing Page - Match.com

Some items you can remove are:

  • General Website menu
  • General header and footer used on the rest of your page
  • All other secondary conversion elements like newsletter sign-ups or other calls to action
  • All extra content or links that are not directly related to your primary conversion event

5. Leverage Your Thank You Page

The thank you page or confirmation screen is the page where users are redirected to upon successful completion of the desired action on your landing page. Although this is a very important part of your conversion process, it is often overlooked.

A good confirmation page offers the ideal opportunity to get more out of your landing page and should be planned carefully. In addition to a relevant confirmation message and fulfilment of your offering, you can take advantage of this space to boost engagement further. E.g. you can offer something extra such as an eBook, report or another download relevant to your main conversion action. Confirmation page can also be used to generate additional leads.

Take a look at the?eBook confirmation page on Hubspot below. It is a perfect example of how you can leverage your thank you page.

Landing Page Confirmation Screen

What About You?

Do you use landing pages to generate leads for your business? Are you taking advantage of any of the methods above? We would like to hear from you. Please share your responses by leaving a comment below.

If you like this article, please share it!

Source: http://www.kronikmedia.co.uk/blog/improve-landing-page/6104/

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To prevent land grabbing, transactions docs ... - Real Estate India

??|?? November 30, 2012 ?? 08:28am ??|Contributed by manoja

Chennai: With an aim to prevent land grabbing incidents, documents relating to power of attorney and sale agreement of property would be made mandatory in Tamil Nadu from December.

President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to an amendment in this regard by the Tamil Nadu government, an official release said here today.

?It is felt that the root cause of land grabbing and bogus registration is due to the fact that registration of documents of power of attorney, sale agreements and agreements relating to deposit of title deeds is optional,? it said.

In order to prevent the misuse of these documents, the government passed a Bill in May 2012, for amending certain provisions of the Registration Act, 1908.

?The President of India has now given assent to the above amendment and the same has been enacted as Tamil Nadu Act 29 of 2012?, the release said.

As per the amendments made, it has been made ?compulsory? to register the documents relating to power of attorney, sale agreement, agreement relating to deposit of title deeds and construction agreement as provided under Article 5(i) of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899.

?The documents of Power of Attorney have to be registered either with the jurisdictional Sub-Registrar, where the property is situated?, the release said.

Besides, it was also decided to make it mandatory that pictures of the agent and the witnesses in the documents of power of attorney be fixed and it has been mandated for the agent to sign such documents.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/to-prevent-land-grabbing-transactions-do...

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Source: http://www.indianrealtynews.com/real-estate-india/chennai/to-prevent-land-grabbing-transactions-docs-mandatory-from-dec.html

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Action research----A must in Education: Action Research Progress ...

Action Research Project: Results Now

Progress Report

Troy Spivey

Lamar University

Abstract or Executive Summary

The action research study was conducted at Garrison High School, a small rural district in Texas with a high number of economically disadvantage students.?

The school introduced a plan 2 years ago which was directed at reaching the needs of the ?at risk? population.? The school has experienced great results since the new innovations have been created.? According to the PEIMS report, the school has experienced a steady decrease in African American math scores over the last 3 years.? This category alone has prevented the district from receiving an Exemplary status according to the state ratings.? The school currently uses an online data accumulation program called DMAC.? The computer software uses disaggregated data to provide teachers and administrators access to individualized student reports.? The purpose of the research project is to compare results from regular scheduled benchmarks to the overall results of the standardized test.??? The study confirmed that results from regularly scheduled benchmarks were directly related to the performance scores on the standardized test.? The study lead to faculty and staff placing more emphasis on the relative data gathered from results of the benchmarks. The study includes data which proves that students whom struggle on benchmarks intern struggle with objectives on the standardized test.? This information proves that benchmarks are correctly aligned objectives and staff will work to brainstorm ways to improve performance.? The research study includes results from a student survey and an interview with an instructional teacher and current curriculum director.? The results from the surveys and interviews were evaluated and a meeting was scheduled. The administration devised a system in which struggling students attended tutorials on a weekly basis. The innovative plan for improvement was a collaborative plan between administrators, students, and teachers.? The objective of the staff and administration was to improve student understanding over the course of the year. The administration now uses the benchmarks to better evaluate the understanding of students. The administration provided training using the online program DMAC so that all staff consistently had readily accessible information. The staff now must conduct research studies on their own to determine the level of understanding from students.??????????? Introduction / Background (Section One)?

Results Now is an action research study that was conducted at Garrison High School in Garrison Texas.? The school enrolls 209 students in the high school and serves over 43% categorized as economically disadvantaged.? The study showed that according to a recent AIES report 34% of the students at Garrison High School are considered ?at risk? learners.? The school is composed of a diverse population but consist of 68% White and 18% African American.? The school is also composed of 10% Hispanic, 1% Asian/Pacific, .7% Native American, and 1.7% other.? The school experienced a significant let down 3 years ago in relation to the performance of the economically disadvantage students.? The High School Campus found itself on the verge of being labeled Academically Unacceptable according to Title I NCLB law.? The low performance scores resulted in the school using a collaborative approach to meet the needs of these students.? The school created a SBDM Committee to research ways to better accommodate these students needs.? In review of the AEIS report it is evident that the school system actively met the needs of the economically disadvantaged population.? The scores of all students meeting the standards have improved from 73% in 2010 to 90% in 2011.? The impact shows that a clear vision and the implementation of goals can lead to positive results.

The issue concerning the students at Garrison High School in 2011 revolves around the African American population.? The target area of discussion will be the exit level TAKS scores of mathematics.? According to the AIES report African American scores have dropped consistently over the last 3 years.? The report suggests that African American scores have dropped from 91% in 2009 to 85% in 2010.? The scores for African American students again dropped in 2011 and were reported at 81% meeting the standards.? The school is aware of these low performance scores but has recently experienced a change in administration.? The current administration has not taken the time to conduct data driven studies to brainstorm ways for improvement.? It will be very important to create a collaborative approach to reaching out to these students to increase achievement in the near future.? The school again found itself near the Academically Unacceptable rating due to the falling scores of the African American population in mathematics.? The school will need to again find ways to reach out to the struggling population of students.

The action research project that was conducted was geared toward improving African American scores, as well as all low performance students.? The study targeted students performance on the exit level mathematics section of the standardize test.? The project determined if student understanding was monitored properly throughout the year.? The study proved to be a very important source of information and data studies are now being conducted in all subject areas.?????????

The action research project benefited many stakeholders throughout the implementation year.? The person?s experiencing benefits will include: students, staff, and the school system.? The action research project monitored the results from the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years in the subject of mathematics. The study proved that students performance on regularly scheduled benchmarks and standardized test scores were directly related.? The information was broken down, using DMAC, by objective performance which provided teachers direct feedback from the information.? The study will show that there is a direct comparison of results between benchmarks and standardized testing.? The study proved that benchmarks are correctly aligned with TEKS and directly reflect knowledge and understanding.? The study added to the knowledge that more emphasis should be placed on benchmarking results. In 2012 the school conducted 3 benchmarks in the first semester and plans on conducting 2 benchmarks in the 2nd semester. Using the action research plan we will evaluated the results from the benchmarks in the first semester and create a list of students for tutorials.? Tutorials will then be held 2 times a week for 6 weeks prior to the mandated testing day.? Students should benefit greatly from the extra instruction time and teachers will be able to increase the rigor of the advanced students.? The results from the benchmarks in the 2nd semester should show vast improvements from the first semester, proving that this method of instruction is improving student achievement. The school is currently in the process of evaluating all results of benchmarks from the first semester and creating a list of students for tutorials. ??????????

Economically Disadvantaged-

is a term used by government institutions in for example allocating free school meals to "a student who is a member of a household that meets the income eligibility guidelines for free or reduced-price meals

violence in schools, deteriorating family structure, substance abuse, alarming media images, and gang activity put teens at risk. Teenagers who have trouble coping with the stresses of life are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in criminal activity, are sexually promiscuous, and attempt suicide.

(Public Education Information Management System) is a government-run database that gives Texas public school districts and regional education service centers the reports needed to properly oversee education

Highest possible rating for a public school based on standardized test scores according to Texas Education Agency

Academically Unacceptable Status-

Lowest possible rating for a public school based on standardized test scores according to Texas Education Agency

(Data Management for Assessment and Curriculum) is a component of the Region 7 Education Service Center that exists to supply Texas educators with the tools and services necessary to develop and improve the quality of education provided to students.

Data broken down based on ethnicity, gender, or socio economic status which provides individualized reports related to certain groups.

a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner.

is developed specifically from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to be an accurate predictor of performance on the STAAR or TAKS.

The Academic Excellence Indicator System pulls together a wide range of information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas every year. This information is put into the annual AEIS reports, which are available each year in the fall.

Title I funds are targeted to high-poverty schools and districts and used to provide educational services to students who are educationally disadvantaged or at risk of failing to meet state standards. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 supports standards-based education reform based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills. a SBDM committee makes decisions. SBDM committees make important decisions regarding their particular campus' needs. These decisions can apply to anything ranging from a simple funding request for new team uniforms to more complex requests such as the hiring of more faculty members.

TAKS-

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do Literature Review (Section Two)

In evaluating the results from the action research project there were several pieces of literature that expressed concerns about issue revolving around the public school system.??

The literature supported and maintained the importance of having a properly trained staff to implement the improvement process.? Literature also suggests the importance of evaluating data in order to impact the best possible decisions.? Below will be a review of literature used in the action research study that greatly influences outcomes.?? Rooney, J. (2008). What do We Believe? Joanne Rooney

According to Rooney 2008, we too must tear ourselves away from the paper, e-mail, phone calls, and meeting that jam our days to participate in meaningful professional development, lest we, too, keep relying on information learned for and in a different era.? The literature suggests that it is important for staff to take time to become properly trained to deal with the diversity of the student population.? Student?s needs are like a revolving door and become more diverse and demanding on a day to day basis.? Rooney 2008 also suggests that it is important to communicate the vision of the program or district with all stakeholders.? All stakeholders must know and understand their role in the improvement process.? The common goal of a project will help lead to success.?

Jennings, J. & Rentner, D. (2006). Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Public Schools?

According to the Jennings and Rentner 2006 schools are paying much more attention to the alignment of curriculum and instruction and are analyzing test score data much more closely.? The most common improvements are greater alignment of curriculum and instruction with standards and assessments, more use of test data to modify instruction, use of research to inform decisions about improvement strategies, improvement in the quality and quantity of professional development for teachers, and the provision of more intensive instruction to low-achieving students.? In establishing the action research project the intern learned more than ever the importance of data analysis.? Staff properly trained in collecting and analyzing data will have an upper hand in establishing the direct needs of students. ?Decisions made based on collected data will have a direct impact on students needs.

The Education Trust (2004). The ABCs of AYP The Education Trust?

According to the Education Trust 2004 title I is a voluntary program that provides more than 12 billion per year to participating states that help educate low-income children.? States which receive Title I funding agree to commit themselves to the goal of bringing all student to proficiency in language arts and math by 2014.? According to the literature schools must communicate the vision and goals for improvement with parents.? The state begins by setting academic standards in deciding what all students should know and be able to do.? According to NCLB students need to learn many things to be successful but language arts and math are the building blocks for all further learning.? The text was very informative while conducting the current research project in describing AYP?s and Title I expectations.? The action research project was centered on the subject of mathematics due to the emphasis placed on this subject by state mandates.

Hess, F., & Gift, T. (2008). The Turnaround Fredrick M Hess and Thomas Gift??

According to Hess and Gift NCLB revolves around the notion that turnarounds constitute a new better way to solve problems facing America?s schools in gaining immense popularity among reformers of all stripes.? Unlike most reform efforts, which focus on incremental improvement, turnarounds seek to take school from bad to great within a short period.? ?Turnarounds offer the opportunity to take familiar educational institutions and improve them through coaching, mentoring, capacity building, best practices, and other existing tools.?? The information provided in the text was very beneficial in establishing the action research project.? The idea to provide tutorials for struggling students stemmed from the idea of coaching/mentoring students.? The idea of offering training for teachers also came from the idea of capacity building expressed in the article.? Hess and Gift also expressed the idea that staging a successful turnaround entails setting high expectations and then begin flexible with regard to how principals, teachers, and staff go about meeting them.? The expectations for the action research project were clearly outlined and understood by staff members.? The first step to improvement will always revolve around the communication process.?

Texas Education Agency, (2012), Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) The Texas Education Agency website was very beneficial in establishing the basis for the action research project.? A researcher can collect information concerning any district in the state.? They can search and compare results based on performance records.? The website provides information regarding state mandates and also provides insight about changes to come in the Texas Education System. The Data Management for Assessment and Curriculum website was very beneficial in collecting????? information regarding previous benchmarks and testing results.? The information is broken down based on demographics which prove to be very informative when evaluating and comparing results.?? The information breaks down the information in an individualized report by subject.? The program requires a username and password in order for the school to participate.? The program is an awesome tool for schools wanting collect and analyze data on a regular basis.?? Action Research Design (Section Three)

Target Population: Struggling students enrolled in 11th grade mathematics which participate in the exit level mathematics portion of the TAKS test.

Target Size: 64 Students (Total Class Size)

Target Reached 28 Students (Needed Additional Resources)

?

  • Collected data showing the results from the scheduled benchmarks throughout the year during the 09-10 and the 10-11 school years for 11th grade math
  • Collected data showing the results from the standardized test for the 09-10 and the 10-11 school years for 11th grade math
  • Individualized the reports to show performance based on race, gender, and economic status
  • Evaluated and presented the relationship between the benchmarks and the results from the standardized test
  • Developed a system for tutorials to be offered to struggling students
ACTIVITIES TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES
  • Conducted a DMAC study in which data will be evaluated and charted
  • Conducted a survey of test takers to evaluate importance of benchmark test
  • Conducted an interview with the 11th grade math teacher
  • Conducted and interview with the Curriculum Director in which results will be discussed
  • Created a chart to itemize scores based on individualized performance

1.?????

Standardized test results from 09-10 and 10-11

2.????? Benchmark results from 09-10 and 10-11

1.????? Categorize results based on gender, race, and economic status

2.????? Compare success or failure of benchmarks and standardized test

1.????? ?Evaluate properly aligned TEKS on benchmarks

1.????? Evaluate the seriousness of the test takers about the actual benchmark tests

1.????? Collected data using DMAC program containing benchmark and standardized test scores

2.????? Broke down data into race, gender, and economic status results

3.????? Formed a chart in which related data is compared

4.????? Surveyed actual test takers

5.????? Interviewed 11th grade math teacher

6.????? Interviewed Curriculum Director

7.????? Created a tutorial list for struggling students

  • Research collector
  • 11th Grade math instructor
  • Curriculum Director
  • High School Principal
MONITORING SUCCESS/ EVALUATION
  • From the results of the study the 11th Grade Math teacher better understood the significance of conducting benchmarks
  • The study revealed the results of benchmarks and standardized test scores were directly related and more emphasis will be placed on the benchmarks.
  • The study also revealed the results of benchmarks and standardized test scores were directly related proving that the curriculum is properly aligned

The data concerning the action research project was collected in several different ways.? The researcher believes that in order to receive appropriate relative data the information should be collected using multiple resources.? The first form of data collection came from using the online program DMAC.? The program breaks down information in regards to demographic results on benchmarks as well as state mandated testing.? The results collected from the study showed that the information was directly related meaning that students found struggling on benchmarks eventually struggled on the standardized test.? The data was broken down into individualized categories to determine which groups of students would need additional resources.? The action research project was directed at increasing the overall scores of African Americans but will serve the purpose of increasing the achievement of all students.? The second step to the data collection project was to evaluate the results from a student survey given to 11th grade test takers.? The survey was used as a gauge to monitor student?s actual feelings about benchmarks. The results of the study are listed:? 33% of the student population really participates, 67% of the student population answered that benchmark tests are meaningless.? The next step was to interview the current 11th grade math teacher.? During the interview there were several questions regarding the importance of benchmarks and what emphasis are placed upon them.? The DMAC data was presented to the teacher showing the comparable results from each study.? The information regarding the student surveys were also presented at the conclusion of the meeting.? The intern made the recommendation that the high school faculty collaborate new innovative ways to increase participation on benchmarks. The next step in the data collection process was to interview the curriculum director.? The information regarding the DMAC study and student surveys were presented to the curriculum director.? The director came to the conclusion that each teacher should be equipped with the knowledge to conduct their own data driven analysis studies.? The school is now currently conducted individualized data reports by subject area.? Once the data from all available resources was collected the intern developed an individualized performance chart showing areas of weakness.?

The information below will describe the research and progress related to the implementation of the action research project.? The charts below describe the total number of students tested and categorized the groups which struggle to achieve.? The charts include information from the 09-10 and 10-11 school years prior to implementation of the action research project.? The final chart upon completion of the project show the results since the implementation of the tutorial sessions for struggling students started.? The charts are imprinted below:?

?????

? Benchmarks 09-10 Exit Level Mathematics

??????? All Students =64??? Met Strd 29???? %Met Strd 45%


American Indian/Alaskan Native
Benchmarks 10-11 Exit Level Mathematics All Students= 49?????? Met Strd 29???? %Met Strd 59%

American Indian/Alaskan Native
Conclusions and Recommendations (Section Five) The action research will prove that once goals are set towards student weaknesses the achievement results will improve. ?The action research project is designed to research the comparison between regularly scheduled benchmarks and state mandated testing.? The action research project will prove there is a direct ?relationship between the benchmarks and standardized testing showing the school?s curriculum is properly aligned.? The intern will use several methods of data collection throughout the implementation process.? It was very beneficial to examine multiple resources before the implementation began.? Once the research was evaluated and itemized the project began to fall into place.?? The goal of the action research project is to increase the achievement of certain groups of students on benchmarks which would intern lead to better ?results on standardized tests.? The tutorials will provide a chance for these struggling students to be improve scores on standardized tests. Hopefully, the results from the previous year?s benchmarks will increase dramatically with the installation of tutorials.? I feel it will be very beneficial for the school to ?research other schools that have implemented tutorials as an event in the students scheduling.? ?I also feel as though it will be important for the school system to research ways in which benchmarks can become more meaningful for student performance.? After reviewing the results from the survey the intern learned that a large percentage of the student population puts forth not effort in regards to benchmarks. The school should collaboratively come up with ways in which more emphasis can be placed on benchmarks in the near future as they are a direct reflection of performance on the state mandated test. ?I feel as though the research project proved to be very beneficial for the school system.?? I would recommend that each teacher and school system actively conduct research projects to better understand the weaknesses of the student population.? The first step in finding a solution to a problem is being able to indentify that a problem exist.?

References (Final Section)

Rooney, J. (2008). What do We Believe?

Jennings, J. & Rentner, D. (2006). Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Public Schools?

The Education Trust (2004). The ABCs of AYP The Education Trust

?Hess, F., & Gift, T. (2008). The Turnaround Fredrick M Hess and Thomas Gift

Texas Education Agency, (2012), Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) ??? Education Week (2012) Title I ??? Retrieved from? http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/title-i/

Source: http://reidspivey.blogspot.com/2012/11/action-research-progress-report.html

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Source: http://emyisk.posterous.com/action-research-a-must-in-education-action-re

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Equipping to Succeed: Business Networking with Christian ...

Equipping to Succeed 2013

Equipping to Succeed 2013

MY THANKS to Steve Briars for alerting me to the forthcoming?Equipping to Succeed conference, another resource and business networking initiative from Christian Resources Together.

Scheduled for the end of March 2013 ? just one month ahead of the CRT main event ? its aim is ?to bring together like-minded Christian business people for encouragement, training and networking opportunities?. A number of high profile guest speakers and seminar leaders top the bill, including?Lord Michael Hastings, Sir Peter Vardy and Gary Grant of The Entertainer toy stores fame, but lest things become too heavy, there?s a more light-hearted evening of entertainment thrown in with comedy magician John Archer.

Places are limited: if you?d like to go, book now ? not only to secure your place but to take advantage of the Early Bird discount, saving up to ?50 on the full price.

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Be the first to like this.

Source: http://christianbookshopsblog.org.uk/2012/11/30/equipping-to-succeed-business-networking-with-christian-resources-together/

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Social media advertising revenues to reach ?5 billion by 2016 - Law ...

BIA-Social-Media-Marketing-SpentA recent study from BIA/Kelsey forecasts that social media advertisement revenues will reach over $9.2 billion (over ?5 billion) by 2016 in the US alone, as reported in Marketing Pilgrim.

This will be a significant increase on the current spend of $4.6 billion in 2012.

These are encouraging figures as paid advertising within social media channels, as opposed to search engine marketing and other forms of digital marketing, has taken some years to gain traction. The study includes figures from Twitter, Facebook and even YouTube which technically falls under the social network category.

An interesting trend also revealed by the study is the increase in local social media advertising, which can be compared with the growth in local search engine marketing.

Digital marketing in the UK

As for the UK itself, digital marketing spend continues to grow too. According to an Internet Advertising Bureau survey conducted by PwC, ad spending on the web and on mobile phones increased 12.6% on a like-for-like basis to ?2.6bn in the first half of 2012.

Paid-for search saw an increase of 15.9%, on a like-for-like basis, to ?1.53bn.

Tim Elkington, director of research and strategy at the Internet Advertising Bureau said "As digital technology and services evolve to make consumers' lives easier, more connected and more fun, it's no surprise that advertisers are coming to the digital party with bigger budgets, despite the challenging economic times elsewhere.?

?Almost 60% of people in the UK have a smartphone, average UK household broadband speed is now 9MB and social media accounts for one-fifth of all internet time?.

Free digital marketing advice for law firms and UK businesses

If you are based in the UK and are looking to generate more, relevant business online, contact us for a free quote.

Source: http://www.moorelegaltechnology.co.uk/Blog/Entry/social-media-marketing-for-law-firms/social-media-advertising-revenues-to-reach-p5-billion-by-2016.html

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Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Talks AWS, Innovation, Customer Service & Space Travel At Re: Invent

bezosJeff Bezos, Amazon's founder and CEO, took the stage at the company's re: Invent developer conference for a wide-ranging discussion with the company's CTO Werner Vogels about?Amazon's web service and retail business, as well as his view about entrepreneurship and his personal projects, such as the 10,000 year clock and the Blue Origin space program.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TkY81eEzQew/

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Study Finds Most Pork Contaminated With Yersinia Bacteria

Nov 27, 2012 6:24pm

A sample of raw pork products from supermarkets around the United States found that yersinia enterocolitica, a lesser-known food-borne pathogen, was present in 69 percent of the products tested, according to a study released today by Consumer Reports.

The ?bacteria ?infects more than 100,000 Americans a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,?but ?for every case that is confirmed with a laboratory test, about 120 more cases escape diagnosis. Symptoms can include fever, cramps and bloody diarrhea.

For its sample, Consumer Reports included the same pork products millions of Americans buy every day at their supermarkets. The study included 148 pork chops and 50 ground pork samples from around the United States.

In the samples tested, 69 percent tested positive for yersinia and 11 percent for enterococcus, which can indicate fecal contamination?that can?lead to urinary-tract infections. Salmonella and listeria, the more well-known bacterium, registered at 4 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

?The results were concerning,???Urvashi Rangan, one of the authors of the report, told ABCNews.com. ?It?s hard to say that there was no problem.? It shows that there needs to be better hygiene at animal plants.?Yersinia wasn?t even being monitored for.?

In a written statement, the Pork Producer?s Council questioned the methods used by Consumer Reports, saying?the number of samples tested, 198, did ??not provide a nationally informative estimate of the true prevalence of the cited bacteria on meat.?

Despite the findings, Rangan said ?it?s good to know that the bacteria can be killed by cooking the pork properly and by being vigilant about cross-contamination.

Pork cuts should be cooked to 145 degrees, while ground pork needs to reach a temperature of 160 degrees to kill the bacteria.

?Anything that touches raw meat should go into the dishwasher before touching anything else,? Rangan said.??Juices from raw meat that touch the counter should be washed with hot soapy water.?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ?said the findings ?affirm?that companies are meeting the established guidelines for protecting the public?s health.

?USDA will remain vigilant against emerging and evolving threats to the safety of America?s supply of meat, poultry and processed egg products, and we will continue to work with the industry to ensure companies are following food safety procedures in addition to looking for new ways to strengthen the protection of public health,? the department said in a statement.

ABC News? Dr. Anita Chu contributed reporting.?

SHOWS: Good Morning America World News

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/11/27/study-finds-most-pork-contaminated-with-yersinia-bacteria/

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LearnVest Gives You a Free Financial Checkup and Customized Financial Plans

LearnVest Gives You a Free Financial Checkup and Customized Financial PlansMoney management site LearnVest?our favorite service for getting a personalized financial plan?recently updated its offerings to include new tools for getting better control of your budget, financial priorities, and retirement needs. The free financial checkup shows whether you're on track for those three critical areas, after which you can buy relatively inexpensive, actionable plans created by LearnVest's Certified Financial Planners (CFPs).

As we've said before, financial planning services can be incredibly useful, but with average costs of $200-$300 per hour and 10 to 15 hours to get a plan from a financial advisor, the thousands of dollars cost is beyond the reach of most of us. That's why we like LearnVest, and its new services make it even better. The free financial health checkup measures whether your budget is sound, if you're on track for emergency savings and debt repayment, and if you're on track to reach your retirement target. Along with that one-page analysis, you can schedule a call with a CFP to discuss the evaluation and help you decide your next steps.

LearnVest Gives You a Free Financial Checkup and Customized Financial PlansWhen it comes to the actual plans, there are three financial plans you can purchase. The Budget Starter ($89) helps you create a healthy budget by giving you a realistic picture of your monthly spending and how it should be allocated against your essential expenses, discretionary expenses, and financial goals. It also offers a customized list of tasks you should do to keep on track and comes with a phone consultation and three months of unlimited email support from the financial planner.

LearnVest Gives You a Free Financial Checkup and Customized Financial PlansFor more in-depth advice, though (especially if you've already developed a sound budget), you may be better off going with the 5-Year Planner ($349). This gives you not only the budgeting and financial prioritization advice, but a comprehensive 5-year financial plan with a monthly calendar for how much to allocate for each goal and progress estimates. It also comes with quarterly phone consultations and unlimited email support for a year.

LearnVest Gives You a Free Financial Checkup and Customized Financial PlansThe Portfolio Builder ($599) includes the above and adds some investing advice. It provides a recommended portfolio allocation based on your goal's time horizon and your risk tolerance. LearnVest does not, however, offer specific investments advice (the company says its goal is to make clients feel comfortable understanding their own portfolios). For that reason, and because you can get free asset allocation and investment tools elsewhere, I hesitate to recommend this plan unless you're a beginner investor who has a lot of questions about investing basics.

Overall, I've found the calendar and personalized 5-year financial plan (a full 53 pages including the investment advice) to be really helpful, with actionable, concrete recommendations for how to keep on track with all my goals. My CFP and the plan itself answered questions I had, such as how much life insurance I need and when to start college savings.

Although financial planning services may not be for everyone, if you could use a financial overhaul and professional advice throughout the year, LearnVest is a relatively affordable investment. (Note that you'll need to use LearnVest's Mint-like money management tools to be able to work with the financial planner.)

Talk to an Expert | LearnVest

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/amgagtEs9-E/learnvest-gives-you-a-free-financial-checkup-and-customized-financial-plans

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