Page 4 - Blog

As promised in my last post, It's Game Time (for Social Media), I am going to share the trends for 2018 that are set to change the social norms of social media. I am going to tackle each one as its own entity, so you have a little time to digest, research and get on board before the year ends. First up, Augmented Reality. While augmented reality had its initial impact on mobile gaming, social media platforms are finding ways to incorporate the new technology.

What is Augmented Reality?

Before we go any further, let’s clear up the usual confusion that exists between the terms augmented reality and virtual reality. Virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one, and it's a technology that's been around for decades. Think about simulated environments displayed on a computer screen where an entire world is created with your personal avatar interacting in an immersive

At this moment, the AFC and NFC Championship games are less than a week away. It’s time to review, revise, and (hopefully) execute a winning game plan that takes you to the Super Bowl. If the four remaining coaches in the NFL are following this plan, why not take some inspiration from them and up your social media game plan. There are some that still think this “social media” thing is temporary. They believe that if they just hold out the fad will pass, and life will return to normal.

Guess what? That just isn’t the way this game is played anymore. In total, 40% of the global population engage in social media. There are 1.37 billion people that log into Facebook every day for an average of 17 minutes. Every second there are on average 4.17 million likes

It's the new year which means new beginnings moving forward to where you want to be. It is time to let go of the past! Free yourself of failures and disappointments that came in 2017, and embrace a new perspective. Envision success and follow through. See the possibilities and do what it takes to make them opportunities for growth. With the new year, comes twelve brand new and exciting months to make your mark. Now is the perfect time to pursue a new beginning.

Now you’re feeling motivated and filled with anticipation; but you are wondering what am I going to do now to make sure this is my best year ever? What one thing can I do to make the difference in achieving my goals rather than chalking them up to yet another year’s unfulfilled resolutions?

Studies show that more than and 60 percent of us make New Year's resolutions. But, sadly, only 9 percent of us succeed at keeping them. Interestingly, and even more sad, is the speed at which most fail.  According to the University

If you own a retail or e-commerce business, you may feel as though you haven't done everything possible to prepare yourself for the holiday season. Did you know that according to a survey conducted by CreditCards.com, as of Labor Day weekend, 70% of Americans had already started their holiday shopping?

This is cause for an “uh-oh!”

Sooner or later, every company faces the unpleasant prospect of missed sales numbers. And falling short of a 4^th quarterly or yearly goal feels terrible, but rather than dwell on this fact, use it as an opportunity to root out the problem and get back on track. In other words, regroup and become a standout in Q1 2018!

Website Updates

• Update your security software if needed and display security credentials on all pages of your website.

With Cyber Monday less than a week away, online stores are looking for ways to maximize the number of completed orders while providing consumers the best online shopping experience. According to Business Insider, capturing online sales on Cyber Monday is increasingly important, as shoppers plan to spend 42% of their holiday budget online in 2017, up from 38% last year.

Furthermore, a report released November 2, 2017, from Adobe, one the most comprehensive of its kind in the industry, shows the continued rise of ecommerce and makes three predictions for what’s to come:

• Online sales this holiday season will reach $107.4 billion, making it the first year to break $100 billion. If the prediction holds, it’ll represent an increase of 13.8 percent over last year.
• Cyber

On Friday November 17, 2017, The Lancaster County Community Foundation’s Extraordinary Give raised $8.6M for local nonprofits. The city was filled with adrenaline as the community lined the streets to help raise funds. At ParadoxLabs, we were honored to attend part of the evening with the Lancaster Science Factory. As part of our community efforts we sponsor and support their Girl’s Code Club.

Rob Reed, the Science Factory’s Development Director told me he was overwhelmed by the turn out for both the children’s event and the adult happy hour. Unfortunately for the kid’s portion, I was still at work, but Rob said at one point there were about 500 people in the building experimenting, learning and having fun.

From 4PM to 6 PM The Lancaster Science Factory opened their door to celebrate the “Science of Star Wars.” Children in grades K-8th met Baxter, a lovable robot as they entered. Once inside the children were able to cast their own metal figurines, take photos with Star Wars

...That is the Question

So, I was going through archived emails last week searching for a misplaced document and noticed something while there. I found several email subject lines with titles like: Should I Delete? All were searching for an answer about what do with old, outdated, or no longer relevant blog posts.

I’ve always had trouble throwing things away. Magazines, newspapers, old clothes; you name it I kept it. I always thought to myself, “I may need this someday.” No, I am not a hoarder. I know what you’re thinking, because I just said that, and I would think the same if someone said that to me. However, I have no problem discarding items that possess no future value. I have three bins in my basement: repurpose, donate and trash.

Guess what? In the ever-evolving world of blogging, managing and maintaining your old blogs is equivalent to removing the clutter from your home. You know you need to do it, but something else is always more important. And just

Once November rolls around, most people are excited as the holiday season officially kicks off with crisp, cool weather taking over, leaves falling to the ground, and holiday scents filling the air. There is something else in November that grabs my attention and that is Veterans Day. We all are given a unique opportunity on this day to celebrate the contributions and sacrifices made each and every day by our military veterans.

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation and a remembrance ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in

Magento News

On November 2, Magento announced via press release, “powerful out-of-the-box business intelligence capabilities to meet the demands of B2B companies seeking to connect their commerce and revenue performance. Magento Business Intelligence for B2B provides integrated, easy-to-use dashboards and reporting tools that enable B2B companies to enable strategic data-driven decision making.”

The solution is built to deliver enhanced decision-making capabilities offering meticulous tools and strategic data-driven platform topped with interactive easy-to-use dashboard. The innovation and uniqueness of this Business Intelligence embedded Magento solution is going to take B2B capabilities to another level of proficiency in meeting dynamic online market demands and evolving buying roles and user perspectives.

Bob Moore, head of Magento Business Intelligence

If you have been paying any attention to the payments industry in the last few years, you have probably heard of cryptocurrency. Overstock.com has recently announced that they will accept all cryptocurrencies, such as BitCoin and Ethereum, via a partnership with ShapeShift.

What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a digital currency system that uses encryption and blockchain technology to transfer money outside the control of traditional banks. It is strictly digital in the sense that there is no physical bills or coins. The “crypto” part refers to cryptography, the practice of encoding information to prevent third party access. Cryptocurrency avoids regulation and decentralized control by having its users share responsibilities for maintaining the system. Someone calling themselves Satoshi Nakamoto is recognized for inventing blockchain and Bitcoin in 2009; their real name remains unknown.

The process can be a bit difficult to understand, so here’s a fairly simple