2016 is proving to be a seminal year for many in the USA. Our blog reached a million page views, a huge milestone for us. We have seen a sea change in what can happen during an election campaign. We have evolved as a people and as a nation. We, as a company, love writing evergreen articles (ones based on principles) where our readers keep coming back for more. Your readership provides a vote on what types of articles we write. Our taste for all things Internet are changing, the hacker community is relentless in their pursuit of our information and money, the social media giants continue to experiment with their officering’s as we the consumer try to keep a handle on how to use their platforms. Our technological world keeps evolving before our eyes and our articles will continue to help keep you informed. In this week’s episode of Working the Web to Win, we will look back at 2016, covering our best and most read articles and listened to shows. We will do this in a way that will give the reader an insight into our marketing method, some of the ways we measure success and a way to look at blogging that produces great results. So, read on, tune in and turn on to this week’s show as we look at the best of Working the Web in 2016.
Working the Web to Win is dedicated to helping businesses navigate the ever-changing & unforgiving waters of the World Wide Web. You'll find answers to questions on SEO, Social Media, Video Marketing, Blogging, Content Marketing, Internet Security & much more.
The Physic's of Marketing - Analogies for the 21st Century
Having been a science major in college, I like to think that the world has order. It follows a set of rules that work within a set of parameters. I believe marketing also follows a set of rules. In physics, we talk about the Laws of nature (some of which you may have heard of). For example; the First Law of Thermodynamics’ which states that - An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. And the Third Law of Thermodynamics. It states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I will also look at the Law of Entropy as I believe it is relevant and is easily understood. No, this article is not a science lesson - it's an analogy that will reflect how things work in marketing – especially the laws that pertain to getting started, being consistent and creating impact. This article will explore how the Laws of Physics can be viewed as part of the Social Dynamic Laws of Marketing. We will – through an example – explore the First, Second, Third Laws and the Law of Entropy as they relate to marketing. Reading this article will show you how you can maximize your return on investment with the least amount of effort needed to reach your marketing goals.
Hector The Connector's Internet Marketing Predictions are 99% Accurate
By Hector Cisneros
Every year I write my prediction article because it's a fun and useful thing to do. It forces me to do some serious research and to take a hard look at what may happen in the near future. I take prognosticating seriously, even though I know my prognosticating is only as good as my research and instinct. Having said that, I have been right 97% of the times in the last six years. I am sure this year will not be any different. So, tighten your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride, as I predict the coming year's crazy internet happenings. Here’s what's coming at you.
It's a Black Hat Christmas - Are Hackers in Your Stocking?
 |
| Courtesy of WorkingtheWebtoWin.com |
The holidays are here! It’s almost Christmas. Your shopping for your loved ones, scoping out all the deals when you get an email from your favorite store for an incredible deal. All you have to do is log in and claim your special to win Christmas. What could be easier? Or is it? Every year at this time cybercriminals ramp up and sharpen their social engineering hacker techniques to capture your usernames and passwords. They want to gain access to your digital devices and secure the claim to your financial data. This year, it's time to shop on a smarter level. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will show you more than a dozen ways to protect your data and shopping experience to make this holiday special in a positive way. Don’t let the black hat hackers get in your Christmas stocking.
In Christmases of the past, we have written about how cyber thieves and hacking increases during the holidays. This is because so many shoppers are too busy hunting for a deal and not paying attention to their cyber security. First, we wrote about “The Byte Before Christmas” where we talked about the growing trend of cyber hacking during the holidays along with the bad behavior that goes with Black Friday shopping. Then we wrote an article called “The Grinch Goes Digital,” which covers 12 ways online scammers can steal from you this Christmas. Since then, we have written many other articles about the ever-escalating threat of hackers black hat trickery and how worldwide hacking is becoming a threat to our very way of life.
The Magic of Using a Cloud-Based Calendar
If you could find a tool that would increase your efficiency for work, add more to your play time and just make your life better. No, it’s not your smartphone, (although you have an app for one), it's a calendar. The magic of the calendar has transformed human civilization from unorganized tribes to a civilization that builds city and nations. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore how calendars have allowed humankind to organize itself into a civilization of 8 billion souls. We will explore how a calendar can help you organize and communicate better in business and your personal life. We will look at some of the best cloud-based products and provide tips on how to make the most your calendar. So, let’s get started.
For the most part, calendars evolved because people began recording the lunar and solar
cycles to track and understand when the seasons would change. The first recorded calendar goes back to the bronze age when writing and metallurgy were first developed. Over the years there have been many types of calendars including the mostly lunisolar of the Babylonian, Zoroastrian, Hebrew, Hellenic, Hindu, and Roman. Julius Caesar was first to set a calendar based on an algorithm that added a leap day every four years. Today’s calendar is based on the Gregorian calendar introduced in 1582.
 |
| Courtesy of |
Top-10 Techno Turkeys This Year
By Carl Weiss
With Thanksgiving being just around the corner, I thought I’d take the time to talk about all the techno-turkeys that gobbled up a lot of media time this year. While they aren’t as tasty as the traditional holiday fare, they certainly left a bad taste in many of our mouths.
The Attributes of a Successful Entrepreneur
Have you ever wondered what makes the perfect entrepreneur? Is it knowledge? Technical skill? Connections? The ability to communicate or motivate? Just what is it that makes great entrepreneurs great? In my opinion, it's not just one thing; it’s a whole host of attributes that make great entrepreneurs great. One attribute that overshadows all the others is a desire for self-improvement. In my search to understand and describe the ultimate entrepreneur, I have discovered many attributes that are ascribed to many a great entrepreneur. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore these attributes from the perspective of my personal search. So read on and find out what we should all be aspiring to learn and emulate.
Branding Your Business – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
What is a Brand? Typically, when we talk about a brand, we are speaking about two different things. First, it’s a brand mark of ownership (aka registered logo). Like in the cowboy days when they branded a steer with a mark to prove the cattle was theirs. Second, and more importantly, it has to do with the reputation of the owner, the business entity and business practices. In other words, large companies with longstanding and well-entrenched reputations, have “National or International Brands.” Small, new or unestablished companies only have logos and need to establish a positive reputation. In other words, they have yet to establish a brand. In this instance, their logo or registered brand mark comes to represent the owner or business over time. In the beginning, their registered logo only represents ownership of a business, product or service. It’s that businesses operational practices which will build a positive or negative brand over time. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore in the ins and outs of branding. We will answer how to positively brand your business, how to get customers to spread your brand, what effect does changing your logos have, when should you make a logo change and other important questions that surround branding in general.
No Ifs, Ands or Bots
If you think that household robots are a thing of the future, think again. Robots are starting to poke their heads up everywhere. Whereas little as a few years ago. The only personal robots were those that swept up after you, the next generation of bots are being primed to do everything from entertaining your children, to performing surgery. More importantly, the rise of artificial intelligence means that before you know it, you could be competing with bots for jobs. If you don’t know your droid from a hole in the ground, stay tuned as I part the curtains to show you what’s what with bots.
Robots that Rocked the Millenium
1998 Furby
While everyone in the 20th century was familiar with movie droids like R2D2 and 3CPO, by the turn of the century, household robots were little more than toys. Take the Furby, for instance. Looking like a cross between a gremlin and an owl, this robotic plaything sold nearly 2 million units in 1998 alone. While these furry bots don’t do much more than blink their eyelids, wiggle their ears and talk, their appeal was in the fact that they came out of the box speaking only Furbish and you as the owner, would teach Furby English. They also had various pressure sensors such as on their belly and inside their mouths that when pressed would elicit a response. The unit also came with an infrared sensor that allowed it to communicate with other Furbies. While amusing, these turn of the century bots didn’t have any practical applications other than entertainment. ( Furby later went on to sell more than 40 million units.)
1999 Aibo
So if you can’t have a robot friend, how about a robotic variant of man’s best friend? Sony Robotics launched Aibo, the robotic dog in 1999. This little doggie wagged its tail, did play bows, walked on all fours and did a little doggie dance. While it won’t fetch your slippers, it also doesn’t need to be house-trained. It also likes to play with a ball. While it doesn’t bite or bark, it will give you its paw. Sony stopped making them in 2006 when they shut their robotic division down. But you can still find them for sale on eBay and Amazon in the $500-$700 range. Good dog!
2000 Asimo
 |
| Courtesy of |
Looking like a 4-foot tall astronaut, Asimo was designed with service in mind. Made of magnesium covered with plastic, this bipedal droid was created to assist its human owners. The rub is that to date; Honda has never offered the unit for sale, which is a shame since this is exactly what the average homeowner wants. The problem is that each unit costs 6-figures to produce. As a result, Asimo has served as a kind of robot ambassador by going on a worldwide tour during the years 2003 to 2005. So if you are in the market for a robot maid like Rosey the Robot, you’re just going to have to wait.
 |
| Courtesy of |
While not exactly a maid, the Roomba was made to sweep floors all by itself. Once activated, the droid which looks like a rolling floor scale navigates your home by using sensors to detect dirt, as well as change directions whenever it encounters an obstacle. It also keeps an electronic eye out for steep drops to keep it from taking a tumble down the stairs. (As of 2016, there have been seven generations of Roomba.) When one considers that more than 10 million units have been sold, then one would have to say that iRobot, maker of the Roomba, is the one that really cleaned up.
2004 Robosapien
Designed by Mark Tilden and produced by Wow Wee Toys, was an advanced remote controlled robotic toy that walked, talked (sort of), danced, picked up objects (sometimes) and tried his best to do his owners bidding. Standing at just over a foot tall, the bipedal bot sold more than 1.4 million units in 2004 alone. When you consider that each unit costs in the neighborhood of $100, this is a lot of bot for the buck. Another first for Robosapien was its participation in the world’s first soccer tournament for humanoid robots that took place at the German Open in 2005.
No article about bot would be complete without mention droids from Star Wars. In fact, R2D2 was one of the first take home droids to follow voice commands to scout your house or act as a guard to warn you when someone was coming. Ofcourse it could also follow prorammed routs and routines. New StarWrs fan will be happy to know that the cute BB8 droid is has been available to take home since last Christmas when the new episode came out. Like its prediseor R2D2, it can accept programs to perform many different type of task. The coolest thing is it rolls around just like the one in the movie. Here is a list of features from VAT19 website;
In this article, I have discussed the current state of bot technology, especially for personal use. I have covered what I believe are the 12 best personal bot develop since 1998 through the present. Lots of detail, pictures and video are provided for the reader to view and explore.
If you'd like a free copy of our eBook, "Internet Marketing Tips for the 21st Century," please fill in the form below and we will give you immediate access to it. Your information is always kept private and is never sold.
2007 Pleo the Dinosaur
For all of you waiting for a real live Jurassic Park moment, how does a robotic baby dinosaur grab you? While he won’t menace you and your family, Pleo does have a tendency to nip at fingers. He also likes to be stroked like a cat and tickled. Like any respectable baby Dino, he will also toddle around the floor. ($639 on Amazon)
2010 World’s 1st Robot Chorus Line
While they may not give the Rockettes a run for their money, on June 21, 2010, twenty nao robots strutted their stuff on stage to Rabel’s Bolero. Similar articulated robots are available on Amazon for $420 that dance, do yoga and perform kung fu moves. Can you say robotic Bruce Lee?
The Best Bots of 2015/2016
Robomow RC306
If you thought the Roomba was a great way to avoid the drudgery of vacuuming, wait until you meet Robomow, the robotic lawn mower. For 1,200, you get a lawnbot that not only knows its way around your yard, but it knows its way home to its charger. It even comes with an app that you can use to phone home to tell Robomow when to do its thing. Your teenager will thank you.
iRobot Looj
Here’s a solution to another dirty job, cleaning out the gutters. iRobot, the same company that makes the Roomba has created the Looj, the gutter cleaning robot. I am not making this up. All that is required is for you to climb a ladder and place Looj on the gutter so it can do its thing. Looking like a cross between a tiny toy tank and an alley cat, this $300 handybot.
Gourmia GCR-1700 10-in-1
Programmable Multi Cooker with Exclusive Robotic Hands-Free Stirrer. You’ve heard the old adage, “A watched pot never boils?” Now kitchen appliance maker Gourmia has developed an automated cooker that purportedly can stir and cook all kinds of meals for you at the touch of a button. While it won’t put the likes of Emeril Lagasse out of business, if you’re all thumbs in the kitchen, you might want to check out this robot chef. ($129 on Amazon.)
Coming to a Store Near You
While all of these bots are interesting, entertaining and even useful, they are still a far cry from being anywhere as intelligent as the movie version of R2D2, not to mention 3CPO. So when can we expect to see droids that can truly interact with us?
JIBO (Pronounced Gee-Bow)
Touted as the world’s first family robot, Jibo is different from every bot that has come before. While he doesn’t get around, he moves around, able to swivel his head 360 degrees to track you and yours. Why would you want him to do that? He is a terrific cameraman that can capture those magic moments in stills or video. He’s also the ultimate digital assistant, capable of keeping you up to date with your busy schedule. He’s a storyteller and a digital valet that can order take out and turn on the lights when you enter a room. So when can you get a Jibo of your own? Soon, if the folks at jibo.com have anything to say about it. All you can do for now is sign up for their prelaunch waitlist.
Autonomous AI Personal Robot
Here is a Jibo on a stick that was crowdsourced on kickstarter. Purportedly able to do most everything that Jibo can and then some, this $1,499 personal digital assistant on steroids is touted as the world’s first artificial intelligence personal robot, she can get around on wheels as she interacts with you throughout your busy day. She can wake you up in the morning, start the coffee and help you plan your day. Heck, she can give you fashion tips, keep track of your vital statistics and participate in office meetings, if you can believe her press releases. She’s supposed to start shipping on April 30, 2017.
 |
| Courtesy of |
- Controllable and interactive spherical droid
- Bluetooth-enabled RC droid compatible with iOS and Android 4.4.2+
- Listens and responds to voice commands
- “Projects” holographic communications via augmented reality
- Autonomous behavior and adaptive personality
- Officially-licensed Star Wars product
- Includes: BB-8 droid, inductive charging cradle, USB cable
- External material: painted plastic
The bottom line on personal bots is that while Star Wars fans might have to wait a bit longer before they can have a smart droid of their very own, at this juncture the prospect isn’t in a galaxy far away.
 |
| Get your FREE ebook today! |
If you feel your business could use some help with its marketing, contact us at 904-410-2091. We will provide a free marketing analysis to help you get better results. If you found this article useful please share it with your friends, family, and co-workers. If you would like to learn more about this subject, visit the notes page on this blog for the BlogTalkRadio show dated 11/01/16. I recommend checking out "The Next Generation - Putting Your Best Robot Forward" and "Praise the Borg and Pass the Ammunition". You can also search for other related articles by typing in “typing in robots or androids” in the search box top of this blog. Also, don't forget to plus us on Google+.
If you'd like a free copy of our eBook, "Internet Marketing Tips for the 21st Century," please fill in the form below and we will give you immediate access to it. Your information is always kept private and is never sold.
Carl Weiss is president of WorkingtheWebtoWin.com a digital marketing agency in Jacksonville, Florida that routinely works with bloggers and other online marketers.
Related articles
Related articles
It's Midnight - Do You Know Where Your Data is?
 |
| Courtesy of |
Data Protection in the 21st Century
By Hector Cisneros
Ok, so it’s midnight, and hopefully, you're asleep, and all your data is safe and sound all over the internet, right? What, my data is all over the internet? How can I protect my data if it’s not in my control? Can I really back up data that’s out on the web? Is my security strong enough to stop hackers? Does my service provider have top notch security? Can I restore any lost or stolen data? If you’re asking these kinds of questions, you're wondering if living in the cloud is safe after all. So, why have a backup at all if the cloud isn’t safe? I have three words for you - Data Breach, Ransomware, and ID Thief! Ok, so that's five words! But the fact remains, most internet users have more vulnerabilities today than ever before! So, if you want to find out how to better protect yourself and any company data that’s in the cloud, tune in and turn on to this week’s episode of Working the Web to Win where we will explore “How to Protect Your Data in the 21st Century.”
The Evolution of Touch Marketing in the 21St Century
Touch marketing used to be the sole domain of junk mail marketers. Then email became the dominant form of touch marketing. In 2010 our digital world shifted again with the emergence of social media. Today, Touch Marketing can be implemented in a variety of ways. Best of all, a marketer can gain synergy by maintaining a unified brand and implementing coordinated campaigns via their Blogging, Social Media and Email Newsletter touch marketing elements. Don't get me wrong, mail and email still work, but they are one-sided conversations with minimal engagement. Engagement is the key! Blogging and social posts are where the real touch marketing battles are being won. So, if you’re ready to learn how to coordinate these marketing elements to maximize your return on investment, read on and discover why touch marketing in the 21st Century is the key to building customer trust and closing more deals in today’s competitive marketplace.
The Three Phases of Successful Marketing
 |
| Courtesy of Pixabay.com |
Large companies that hire big advertising agencies, or have an in-house advertising department, always go through three phases to achieve success. They have found that trying to take a shortcut can cost them big. Many advertising department heads have rolled when mistakes happened! Our company was founded on the idea of providing what our competition does not! Guarantees are a cornerstone of what we provide. To do this, we start by researching the client's current marketing position. We look at what they are doing right, what their challenges are, what their competitive advantages are and what their competitors are doing. This research includes looking at all marketing venues, both conventional (TV, Radio, and Print, etc.) and online marketing (PPC, Social Media, PR, Email, Blogging, Video, etc.). Once we have a good handle on what’s going on, we begin our planning phase.
The Changing Face of Online Video
I’ve been
working the web long enough to remember a time when video wasn’t part of the
Internet scene. The problem back in the
90’s was that the bandwidth could barely support graphics, much less stream
video. Dialup connections were simply
too slow to make video part of the online equation in the early days of the WWW. That all changed in the new millennium as
dialup gave way to DSL connections. Even
that took a few years to become affordable to the masses. But once most everyone had access to high
speed connections, video became a major game changer. Or, did it?
Getting Faked Out On Facebook
 |
| Courtesy of Meme Generator |
Online media from CNN to the UK’s Telegraph have reported that there are more than 170 million fake Facebook accounts. In fact, if you do a search for Fake Facebook profiles you will find almost 5 million references come up from your search. So there are fake accounts in all social networks, what’s the harm in that? Well, it could be some harmless fun just playing out a fantasy, or something bad like a rebuffed ex-lover looking to damage your reputation or even worse a criminal enterprise stealing your identity and phishing for more victims. In this episode of Working the Web to Win I will provide an in-depth look at Fake Facebook accounts, including my own brush with a faker trying to steal my identity. So if you’re ready to learn the truth about fake Facebook accounts and arm yourself with ways to keep from becoming a victim, read on a learn about what can happen, what to look for and what you can do to prevent this from happening to you.
Is Blogging For Business The Write Stuff?
 |
| Courtesy of |
By Carl Weiss
Blogging is one of the best ways to promote any business. Unlike a website, which rarely changes, blogs are dynamic, in that they can keep prospects and clients current with what’s happening in your business and your industry. It can also elevate a business owner to the level of an authority figure. More than mere words, blogs can be enhanced with the addition of multimedia elements such as photos, videos, and podcasts. Best of all, it costs little or nothing to employ, since blogging platforms like Blogger are free to use. That being said, why isn’t every business on the planet taking advantage of all that blogging has to offer? Here are the top five excuses most businesses give, along with the antidote to those excuses.
16 Surefire Tips to Grow your Facebook Fan Base
Ever wonder why all the media outlets ask you to follow
them on Facebook? Are you curious about
how useful Facebook is as a marketing tool? Are you wondering why you only have 115 new fans
after a full year’s worth of work? What
happened? Are you providing the wrong content?
Are you using the wrong posting schedule?
Are you engaging your audience in a
useful way? In this episode of Working the Web to
Win, we will explore how to maximize the return on your Facebook
marketing efforts. So read on and get ready to make your Facebook Fan page grow
your business.
Understanding the SEO Paradigm Shift in Business
Ever asked yourself
the question, “What does Search Engine Optimization really mean? Does it mean the
same thing it meant 5 or 10 years ago?” These
are questions we are asked regularly. The answers to these questions is anything but straightforward.
SEO has changed so much that it’s hardly recognizable. Understanding their depth and implications is a whole other matter. In fact, creating a
marketing plan based on most of the definitions you hear for SEO will almost certainly
guarantee failure. In this issue of Working the Web, we are going to explain what
the word SEO has come to really mean. We will explain it in depth and in layman’s
terms so that business people can understand and use this knowledge to their benefit.
So read on and get ready to receive the secrets
of SEO marketing in the 21st Century.
Where Has Google Glass Gone?
By Hector Cisneros
 |
| Courtesy of |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)