Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Customer Experience

Artificial Intelligence — It is no surprise that technology is amazing, but when technology out-thinks, out-creates, and out-plays us humans, are we ready?

Artificial Intelligence

What’s Next? Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Customer Experience… oh yeah, that is already here.

As a professor of human nature — I am not really a professor — Artificial Intelligence (or AI) fascinates me.
The level of “computations per second” needed has been exponentially increasing over the past 30 years and most recently we have begun to have the understanding of the quantum world and entangled particles, which is what led Dr. Feynman to have a vision.

“In quantum physics, entangled particles remain connected so that actions performed on one affect the other, even when separated by great distances. The phenomenon so riled Albert Einstein he called it “spooky action at a distance.” The rules of quantum physics state that an unobserved photon exists in all possible states simultaneously but, when observed or measured, exhibits only one state.” ~ LiveScience.com

The research being done on this is still in its infancy, however, quantum computers tap directly into an unimaginably vast fabric of reality—the strange and counterintuitive world of quantum mechanics.

Artificial Intelligence - Quantum ComputingThe story behind the theory of ‘quantum computing’ is about 35-years-old when Nobel Prize-Winning physicist Richard Feynman fostered the idea of a ‘quantum computer’. 

Physicists — like Feynman — have a unique way of looking at things and while the thought of increasing a computers speed had — in 1982 — been around for about Forty-years, the theory of quantum computing blew the best minds of the day, and in many ways shaped the path we have been on ever since.

Artificial Intelligence in MarketingThe Next Big Step For Artificial Intelligence

It seems that there’s no question that AI will play a large role in humanity’s future. In fact, it is already here. Cortana, Siri, Alexa, Google’s voice all are early AI. But what is it missing? There are many schools of thought, however, there are two main agreed-upon hurdles — computation speed and Interface.

The fastest computers can do 33,860 trillion calculations per second — or in computing terms 33.8 petaflops.

Artificial IntellegenceArtificial Intelligence — Where Are We Today?

In 2010, the Tianhe-2 knocked the US Energy Department’s Titan machine off the No 1 spot. The Titan achieved a paltry 17.59 petaflops per second by comparison. By comparison, even further, the Quantum D-Wave 2 Is 3,600 Times Faster than Tianhe-2.

“Quantum computing differs from classical computing at its most fundamental level. While traditional computers rely on the alternate bit states of 1 and 0 to store data, quantum computers exploit the fuzzy effects of quantum mechanics, allowing its “qubits” to exist as a 1, 0, or both simultaneously, a.k.a “superposition.” So while a traditional computer will sequentially explore the potential solutions to a mathematical optimization problem, the quantum system looks at every potential solution simultaneously, known as quantum annealing, and returns answers—not just the single “best” but nearly 10,000 close alternatives as well—in roughly a second.” ~ Read more about the D-Wave

Artificial Intelligence needs Quantum Computing not because of speed, but because of the interface.

 

WordPress — Why Are You Using Anything Else?

WordPress — Simply A Great Content Management System (or CMS)

WordPress works for your Portfolios, Blogs, Online Brochures, and of course, Interactive websites. And with WordPress Plugins, you can easily build-in functionality that serves associations, corporations, and e-commerce websites.

WordPress Framework

That all said, the WP framework is designed for sites of all depth and sizes. Small businesses love it because of its powerful extensibility and its ease-of-use; and large corporations like it for its user manageability and customization ability.

In fact, its ability to be extensible is all based on the [open-source] framework… which is one of the least talked about aspects of WordPress — to understand more about open-source software, check out GNU’s Philosophy, but first, let’s back up and see how we got to WordPress’ staggering popularity!

WordPress 28 PercentWordPress Web Sites Are Now 28% Of The Web In 2017

FUN FACT: A “website” has a unique hostname (a name which can be resolved, using a name server, into an IP Address). It must be noted that around 75% of URL’s are not active, but parked domains or similar — so only about 25% of all registered domain names are websites. The numbers below are about actual websites, not URL’s.

“We have come a long way since the first baby steps of the World Wide Web. Back in January of 1996, we had 100,000 websites, and if we go back to mid-1993 there were only a total of 130 websites.” ~ Pingdom AB 

Now in 2017, we have 1.25 Billion active websites, and with 28% of the web being WP sites, the number of active websites that are on the WordPress framework is about 354.2 Million as of September 2017.

WordPress SEO Best PracticesThis Is Why Content And Good SEO Practices Are So Important!

It is easy — under the WP framework — to optimize your content.  My favourite content SEO helper is “Yoast SEO”. Yoast SEO is

Yoast SEO is “the most complete WordPress SEO plugin”. It handles the technical optimization of your site & assists with optimizing your blog content.

What About WordPress’ Equates To Ease Of Use?

If you have the capacity to understand Microsoft Word, you will understand WordPress, yet some do not like the interface. Personally, I do not mind the interface, pretty quickly — like with anything — you get used to it.

7 Things to LOVE About WordPress

1. AT ITS CORE, IT’S FREE
2. SEARCH ENGINE MAGNETISM
3. PLUGINS THAT MAKE IT EXTREMELY EXTENSIBLE
4. IT IS UPDATED REGULARLY
5. SUPER INVOLVED WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY
6. NON-TECHIE EASE
7. FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE

If customization is your thing, WordPress has its advantages. WordPress is fully compatible with outside frameworks and programming languages, making it possible to weave in any integration.

Want to learn more? Call me at 1-888-503-3523 or contact me here

Your Website Is Your Window The World …

… are you ready to start marketing yet?

Your Website Marketing Banner

Your website is your hub for all your online business dealings

As a website and marketing developer, I have found that it is crucial for businesses to understand that having a website or that having an online-presence — no matter whether it is eBay, Etsy, Shopify, et.al. — is only one leg of the process and does not equate to online sales. It sets you up for online sales, but it is not the right tool for the next phase of this process.

Think of it like this. A carpenter has a toolbox full of tools, however, even with all those tools, a building will not get built without the carpenter putting his skills to the task.

Regarding your website “Understanding the all the components (the ones that drive conversions) is separate from the build — although still integrated with your overall strategy.” ~ Trevor Greenfield from Redwood SEO

Your WebsiteAlong with your website — other things to think about!

Getting noticed — via SEO, Social Media, et.al. — is only part of the plan. In today’s modern marketing, it is crucial to know the different awareness levels of your varying targets so your outbound messaging has the right timing to the intended target. This often overlooked ‘timing’ component is a crucial step.

More information about marketing your website…

Your Website — if designed correctly — will allow you to deliver the right message at the right time; a crucial component of inbound marketing, I suggest you contact me directly and we can chat about you and your business.

If you are looking for more information about marketing your website, I have written about this in two blogs that may interest you.

  1. VISIT: dickinsonent.com/cortex/the-right-message/ — where I talk about delivering the right message at the right time.
  2. VISIT: dickinsonent.com/cortex/marketing-messages/ — this is about the marketing messages that you will put out

Online Password Security

Poor online password security leaves popular online accounts susceptible to hacking
Online Password Computer Security
SOURCE: ABC News

Online Password Security experts at Dashlane® have identified the password weaknesses of popular websites – ones you’re probably already using at home and work.

The latest research in online password security also shows that individuals and businesses are equally likely to experience the consequences of poor online password policies.

From July 5 – July 14, Online password security experts at Dashlane® examined 37 popular consumer websites and 11 popular enterprise websites against five password security criteria:

1. Does the website require users to have passwords that are 8 or more characters?
When creating a new account on each website, Dashlane® researchers attempted to create passwords less than eight characters irrespective of the sites’ stated minimum password requirements.

2. Does the website require users to have passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols?
When creating a new account on each website, Dashlane researchers attempted to create passwords with all letters (“aaaaaa”) or numbers (“111111”).

3. Does the website provide an on-screen password assessment meter to show users how strong their password is?
When creating a new account on each website, we wanted to see if the site provided any notification, such as a meter or color-coded bar, they were credited as providing an assessment. Sites that only provided confirmed password length or where requirements were met did not receive credit.

4. Does the website allow 10 incorrect login attempts without providing additional security (CAPTCHA, account lockout, 2-Factor, etc.)?
Dashlane researchers attempted to log in using incorrect passwords. If the tester was able to continue entering incorrect credentials after 10 attempts without receiving any security mechanism, such as a CAPTCHA code or the account automatically locking, the site did not receive credit.

5. Does the website have support for 2-Factor Authentication?
A website was given credit if they offer any two-factor or multi-factor authentication.

In the study, a website received a point for each criterion they performed positively, for a maximum, and top score, of 5. A score of 3/5 was deemed as passing and meeting the minimum threshold for good password security. SOURCE: https://blog.dashlane.com/dashlane-password-power-rankings-2017/

Dashlane® is the is the only online password manager and secure digital wallet I recommend. It is because they are the best!

It keeps track of all your passwords, and auto-fills all forms including logins and checkouts. 

For online password security, Dashlane® uses military-grade encryption and never stores your master key anywhere.

Without it, no one can unscramble and use your passwords.

You should use Dashlane® at work — share this with your coworkers and keep your whole team safe.

Best thing is, with this link below, Your first YEAR is only $20!

(I get a small kickback too – thank you!)

Check it out: https://www.dashlane.com/en/im/3ba7a552
Online Password Manager — Dashlane Online Wallet

Marketing Your Business Is Like Farming

Marketing your business is like farming — planning, patience, and diligence, will bring your reward. 

Marketing Your Business — Content Marketing Banner

While physical marketing still exists, content marketing is how marketing predominantly happens today. So in marketing your business, you must plant the seed for your ideal customer to see; then maintain the best practices available regarding landing pages & content; and last but not least, stay on task to navigate the natural disasters.

This process is crucial to the results that most are looking to achieve. In fact, the parallels between marketing and farming are almost identical.

“Many people hope that inbound marketing will provide a quick fix for their marketing and sales goals; however, like food, it takes time for potential clients to be ready to buy.” ~ Lydia Di Francesco — Marketing and Brand Awareness Expert

So “How do I start” you may be thinking… simply read on.

The Start Of Marketing Your Business — Plant Your Seed

“Prospects go through stages. Your job is to nurture them like a plant as they move from seed to seedling, to healthy, full-grown, productive, and alive.” ~ Pamela Wilson — Author of Master Content Marketing

Marketing Your Business — Digital Marketing Is Like Farming
SOURCE: topdogsocialmedia.com

As with any business, you must start somewhere — marketing your business in today’s business landscape is no different.

Planting the seed that you are an expert or have the best widget is a process. You must create a way for the message to get to the intended target (i.e. advertising, emailing, etc.), develop compelling content (e.g. a strong benefit-driven message), and enlist a capture mechanism to get gated material.

Maintain The Best Practices Available in Marketing Your Business

“The right sales and marketing strategies play an essential role in the success of your business. Developments in technology have opened up entirely new ways to market and sell products and services. Best practice now involves harnessing the power of the Internet, email and mobile telephony to increase the effectiveness of getting products and services to the customer.” ~ Info Entrepreneurs

Marketing Your Business — Middle of Funnel MethodologyDiscovering what works for marketing your business can be a challenge for many small businesses.  The resources mixed with the budget are often limited; and then there is message creation, timing insight, and the whole ‘what do I do now’ factor. These all play a part in the development of a concise plan and knowing these will help you succeed with marketing your business.

That said, this mid-funnel methodology is broad in scope and often is different for each business. So rather than drone on, I recommend you allow me to talk to you about it at no cost to you.  Set a chat time in 3 clicks via my online calendar.

Stay On Task And Navigate The Natural Disasters

“The best way for your business to cope with a natural disaster is to have a plan before it strikes. Time and clear thinking are luxuries in an emergency situation, which is why it is so important to be prepared.” ~ Government of Queensland, Australia

Marketing Your Business — Business Crisis AheadAnd while [they] are talking about getting your business ready for a natural disaster such as flooding and cyclones, the methodology is the same. 

The reality, not every campaign will work out. There will be some trial and error in the beginning, but this information is super valuable when you go to develop a strategy and business plan that will be the ruler by which you can measure your progress. This plan is the sailing plan by which business owners navigate economic trends, industry forces, natural disasters and other variables.

Have You Heard Of Marketing Your Business With Inbound Marketing?

If you have not been under a rock for the past 5 years, surely you have heard of “inbound marketing”.

In summary, it is the act of setting in place a system that approaches the potential customer with engaging content and compelling CTA’s (calls to action) and drives a potential ‘ideal client’ to your proverbial business doorstep.


That all said, the timing must be right! Download our free guide to help you deliver the right message to the right target at the right time.

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