Keynote or PowerPoint: Which App To Choose For Presentations?

When it’s presentation time, using the right kind of software can make the job easier. For PC users, the choice is obviously PowerPoint but Mac users have another option: Keynote. So which one do you choose? They’re both great for different uses. This article will talk about the pros and cons of the two software to find out which one is suitable for your needs.

Keynote

Keynote is designed for Apple devices. It works on their computer, tablet and phones using the iOS software.

This program allows users to create sleek presentations with its easy to use tools and intuitive design. The side navigator has options for designing slides and different layouts, animations, fonts. Keynote is also able to make presentations from other software.

Keynote Pros

• User friendly.
• Lots of themes to choose from.
• Basic setup lets you align and position elements for a sleek looking design.
• Can be used for different types of multi-media like sound, video and other file types.
• Great integration across different devices.
• Polished animation, transition and transparency effects.
• Software is free for all iOS devices.
• Photo manipulation tools like cropping is easier in Keynote.
• Lots of extra templates you can download.
• More polished overall aesthetic.

Keynote Cons

• Not highly adopted as other programs.
• Does not support 3D effects.
• Learning curve if you’re coming from software.

Choose Keynote if you’re a Mac user and want to make your presentations look like PowerPoint. It is relatively easy to use and comes installed with your OS. It’s a good option for creating presentations.

PowerPoint

 PowerPoint is probably the most popular presentation software in the world. When it comes to going head to head with other tools like Keynote, ease of use is always the biggest consideration. If you’ve been using PowerPoint for a long time, switching to Keynote might not be easy for you.

PowerPoint was originally designed for PC and is now part of the Microsoft Office Suite. It works on PC and Apple devices. Keynote works well on mobile devices but PowerPoint is more limited to creating presentations on your desktop.

PowerPoint Pros

• Thousands of themes and templates.
• Editing is easy thanks to drag and drop interface.
• Easy and seamless integration with MS Word and Excel.
• Slides can be converted to handouts and look really great.
• Easy data and chart integration for building quick graphic works.
• Advanced functions provide a lot of control for pro users that can control almost any aspect of the design.
•  Smart design suggestion can help you create more visually appealing slides.

PowerPoint Cons

• Adding multi-media can be flaky.
• Cropping and photo editing can be tedious.
• It’s easy to create bad design with garish animation with just 1 click.
• It’s not free.
• There are a lot of unneeded functions that get in the way.

Use PowerPoint if it’s the best option for your working environment where people are used to collaborating on PowerPoint. It’s the go to option for people who don’t use Mac. It’s compatible with any type of computer since the slides will work.  It’s also preferable if you’re bringing complex data into charts or slides because it is integrated with Excel.

Conclusion

If your working environment is composed of people who do a lot of presentations, it’s probably a good idea to have everybody comfortable with both Keynote and PowerPoint. If you have an option, Keynote is a good choice if you’re working in slides without massive amounts of data and PowerPoint is preferable when working with charts and numbers.

Do you prefer Keynote or PowerPoint? Which tool are you most comfortable with? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

The post Keynote or PowerPoint: Which App To Choose For Presentations? appeared first on Creativ Digital.

Best Ways To Boost E-Commerce Conversion Rates

There are many ways to get people to visit your e-commerce site. But getting them to go to your website is just half the battle because the real one is to convert visitors into paying customers. According to Moz.com, average conversion rate for a typical e-commerce site is 1.6% and 92% of people who visit a website don’t make a purchase.

Unlike traffic, there is no direct way or a fool proof formula to boost conversion. All websites have to create an experience so that your website sells. There are also many different factors that influence a customer’s decision to buy. Website owners and webmasters need to be intentional and strategic in setting up the buying process so that your website converts.

Here are some of the best ways to boost e-commerce conversion rates.

Recommend Products Based on Customer Behavior

If you were in a real store, the salesman would not suggest products that were irrelevant to your choices. The same is true when it comes to interactions between your website and the customer.

There are many tools you can use that recommend products to customers based on their behavior. A good example is Unbxd which uses AI to analyze actions of users on your site to suggest the best products in the footer and sidebar automatically.

A/B Test Whenever Possible

Every single detail in your e-commerce store matters because they will want to make your visitors stay or go. Luckily unlike brick and mortar stores, it is very easy to make little changes on your website to test different options like CTA, content, header and footer options, buttons, colors and other details.

Constantly doing A/B testing can help increase your revenue because you can consistently improve the little details that can help or hinder the conversion process.

Reviews and Peer Generated Content

Almost all people who buy online read reviews first before making a purchase. According to a study conducted by the Spiegel Research Center, 95% of people read reviews before purchasing a product.

This means that including reviews can help boost conversion rates by aiding customers in making a decision on your site rather than searching elsewhere.

Amazon does a good job of not only including customer reviews and peer generated content. They also allow users to post photos of their purchase.

 Customer Support

In a brick and mortar store, staff would be available to guide customers through the decision making process. However, in an e-commerce site, a customer usually decides by himself. All they have is your interface to help them figure out their options. This means that their experience in your website drives sales for you.

But customers have questions during the buying process and this is where customer support comes in handy because any unanswered question can cost you a sale. Studies suggest that 92% of customers feel satisfied when a website has a live chat feature.

Speed Up Your Site

Your website should not take more than 3 seconds to load. According to Hubspot, fast loading pages can deliver between 7-12% higher conversion rates compared to slower ones.

Luckily, this can be fixed easily by installing tools such as W3 Total Cache that can help you minify HTML, CSS, etc.

Include Exit Offers

90% of the visitors that come to your website for the first time are not coming back. This can be disheartening because you worked hard and paid for the traffic and it’s not making you money.

A good way to entice this type of visitor is to include exit offers to communicate with them and to convert them in the future. Tools like OptinMonk uses AI to determine when a guest is leaving your site and offers products based on their behavior. You can offer them a discount and get their email to make the sale later.

Remove Checkout Friction

Amazon has mastered the frictionless checkout. The more hoops customers jump through during a checkout process, the more likely they will abandon their shopping cart.

Always strive for a one-click-checkout. There are checkout plugins so that customers are taken directly to the checkout process. This is better compared to clicking multiple times or having popups disrupt or confuse customers.

Multiple Payment Options And Free Shipping

Free shipping used to be a perk but customers nowadays are expecting it (thanks Amazon).

Many customers don’t like to see their total go up because of shipping fees. Instead of letting customers see the shipping fee, include the cost of shipping on the items. Also include multiple payment options like Paypal and credit cards so that customers can choose the most convenient choice.

Taking a few extra steps to make sure that your customer experience is well designed and covers all the bases of customer service can boost conversion rates. Once you get the formula down, your growth can be exponential.

What do you think of our suggestions? Do you think they will work on your e-commerce site? Tell us by leaving your comment below.

The post Best Ways To Boost E-Commerce Conversion Rates appeared first on Creativ Digital.

Factors To Consider When Choosing A VPN Provider

As more and more people use the internet, privacy and security are becoming major issues. VPN or virtual private network can come as a handy tool if you want to hide your internet footprints.

There are still many people who are unsure about VPN especially because there are so many myths surrounding it. The most common question regarding VPN pertains to its safety and the next is which service is the best?

Here are some factors you need to consider when choosing a VPN provider.

Protocol and Anonymity

People turn to VPN when they want to be anonymous on the web. There are many reasons for this and the most common is for privacy and protection. This is why the foremost on your mind when choosing a VPN provider is their protocol and encryption technique. This is to ensure that date is transmitted securely from your device to the VPN server.

VPN service providers usually use many different protocols. However always choose a VPN provider that uses OpenVPN protocol. For encryption, your best bet is a provider that uses AES-256 bit encryption.

No Data Logging

Choose a VPN provider that does not log your data. There are service providers that log and store data such as your websites visited, payment information, connecting time stamp and other details which defeats the purpose of using VPN in the first place.

Shortlist a number of VPN providers and then check their privacy policy thoroughly. Check how these companies store, collect and dispose data. The best VPN provider has a no data collection policy.

No To Free VPN Providers

Nothing in this world is free, including VPN service. You should be wary of companies that provide free VPN service. If services are free, this means that something is compromised. Always remember that it’s better to spend money than compromise your privacy.

If you’re looking at VPN services for home or personal use, make sure that it is within your budget. Usually price increases as the number of connections and features increase. There are also VPN companies that provide generous discounts if you avail of their services for a year rather than paying monthly. If you feel that a certain plan and its features are best suited for your requirements, it’s better to get a yearly subscription compared to a monthly one.

Getting a free trial is not bad though. There are many options to consider and you can check out their features during the free trial to find out which one is the best suited for your needs.

Number Of Servers

When it comes to servers, the more the better.

VPN bypasses the geographical restrictions imposed when accessing the internet. This is why there are people looking for VPN services so that they can view Netflix or other sites not available in their countries.

Check the locations where the VPN servers are located. If you want to connect to a specific location, make sure that they have a lot of servers available in that area.

At Least 2 Concurrent Connections

Choose a provider that allows for multiple concurrent connections. You might want to connect to a desktop and your smartphone at the same time.

There are many VPN providers that have this feature. It is best to use a provider that allows at least 2 concurrent connections at the same time. Check the number of connections you need before subscribing to avoid inconvenience.

Platform Compatibility

This is pretty straightforward. If you need a VPN for Mac, then it should be able to support this platform. The same is true for Windows and others. It is also best to make sure that it can also run on Android and iOS.

Always make an informed decision before subscribing to a VPN provider. It can be an intimidating task but doing research can help you make a better decision.

What features do you look for in a VPN provider? What is your experience with your VPN provider? Tell us by leaving your comments below.

The post Factors To Consider When Choosing A VPN Provider appeared first on Creativ Digital.