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The Internet is loaded with clutter everywhere you look at it. Whether it is search engines or social media, you can come across dozens of irrelevant articles that overwhelm you daily. As a business, you don’t want your business to face similar challenges. If so, then your business should use Flipboard. Flipboard is a content aggregation, social media, and news app rolled into one app. It lets you curate and aggregate content from a wide variety of sources, allowing you to share it with like-minded people and stay on top of news. From a business perspective, it offers them a great platform to present their content in the form of visually appealing custom magazines. Here is an infographic that shows you how you can use Flipboard for business and grow your brand.

When Jennifer Lawrence made an appearance at the 85th Academy Awards in the year 2013. It made people raise their eyebrows and stay flabbergasted in a state of awe. Not because Jennifer Lawrence steals the show with her looks. But because the dress she was wearing was worth $4 million. The decision of what to wear to the Awards is a tough nut to crack, especially when your reputation is on the line. The same theory applies to founders who are willing to raise startup funds for their company. Break out sweat and reveal your apprehension, and you will fail to get the startup funds required to get the ball rolling. Some people might not consider it fair but when it comes to raising startup funds. A CEO is a person who is accountable for the results. Therefore, it is important to plan out your startup fund before you pitch it to the investors. I served as a board member for a professional digital marketing company. And what I’ve learned is that for a machine to operate smoothly, all the parts need to be in the right place. This means that there is not a single part that is solely responsible for the operation of the machine. The company is the machine and the various departments in an organization constitute the parts of the machine, starting from PR to customer support, and sales rep to top-level executives. If all the departments are properly synced together, the company will surely raise the capital that it needs. So before you stop reading, let me cut the boring analogies and get back to the real stuff. How to protect your business from falling prey to bankruptcy and never get rejected while asking for startup funds!

1. Give Quality Time to Your Relationships

Being environmentally friendly does not have to cost you an arm and a leg, but it can reap many rewards. Building relationships before you take help from an investor is an ideal way to win venture capital without trying hard. When you are up to your neck busy running a startup, it is often difficult to pour some energy into nurturing strong bonds with people. There is so much on your plate, be it managing your team, solving day-to-day issues, and working hard to keep the operations running smoothly, that you often neglect to take out time to talk to people. Imagine this. When two companies are equally competent, what is the one factor that will lead to starting funds? Your relationship with the investor. Yes, it is often difficult for you to chat idly with your investors over a cup of Joe, but it doesn’t take much time to send a handwritten birthday card to them. Even if nothing else works, it is that bond that gets the job done.

2. Scrutinize the Habits and History of the Investor

I still remember my first investment. Before going over to the investor, I did some background checks and came to know that the investor’s son loves dogs. On my way over to the meeting, I picked up a puppy and gifted it to the investor, as a good gesture. There were 5 startups out there and who do you think got the investment? Just like everyone else, investors see the world with a diverse set of eyes. Some like to support high-tech new ventures, while others are more predisposed to gambling on small startups and expecting huge returns. In ‘The Psychology of Investing’. the author, John R. Nofsinger puts it beautifully. The point of investing in a startup has less to do with the technical aspect and more to do with the instincts and trust in the founder. It is good to understand the thinking patterns of the investors and know their past before you pitch them your company.

3. People Prefer People with Similar Nature

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to unearth information about anyone. Just Google and you’ll get all the references and personal information regarding that person. Instead of being egoistic, try to mirror the behaviors and habits of the investors. This will give them a feeling that you’re from the same tribe. Figure out your best strengths and communicate them to the investor. Investors are always looking for startups that present their ideas in the most promising ways. Once your company makes it to the shortlist, it is your job to sell yourself and your brand to the investor. The investor will categorize your idea into a handful of similar ideas. And then it is up to you to outdistance yourself from others.

4. Defy the Categorization

Everyone talks about what is unique in their brand, but people often fail to impress the investors when it comes to selling themselves. Instead, they start blurting and fail to make an impact on the investors. At some level, this is purely an emotional decision. There's no way to know for sure, so they're relying in part on their instinct. The only way you can win over the investors is by understanding and influencing their gut feelings.

5. Work on What You Can Control and Leave the Rest

There are countless things which can go wrong in the startup funds process and trust me, you’ll be hearing a lot of resounding “no’s” before you get a “yes”. You need to understand that you cannot control the decisions of people. If a potential investor has a poor relationship with one of your team members, it will reflect badly on the investment decision and you cannot do anything about it. Another investor may have recently had a bad experience with a company like yours. There's nothing you can do about that. But what you can control is to create a product which is performing well and do an excellent job in winning over the investors.

To Conclude it All

By implementing the above tips you’ll surely be able to close the deal. The next step after raising the money is to hire competent employees who truly support your idea. Now it’s time to grease those elbows and raise some money.

When you walk into an interview, you have 90 seconds to leave a great first impression. From your shoes to the clothes you sport, colors that catch the eye will go a long way toward leaving your interviewers enchanted. If you buy from E-commerce stores, have you ever pondered over what colors compel you to buy stuff? The website color schemes are chosen to impress you and inspire you. If your store doesn’t exude a soothing environment, it won’t enchant and engage users. As humans, we are visual creatures. So, the colors around us impact our decisions. Therefore, in an e-commerce store, the colors that attract the eye will affect the purchases as well. If you’re willing to redesign your website or develop a website from scratch, here are some mind-altering, attention-grabbing ways to choose the right custom web design company for your website. When we talk about marketing, the visual presentation makes all the difference in attracting your potential customers, be it your brochure, flyer, or website. Utilize a powerful flyer maker to enhance your promotional materials. Brands spend an arm and leg studying the power of colors on the packaging of the product and the design of the website. In a research conducted by Satyendra Singh, it was revealed that customers make the subconscious decision of buying a product or passing it by within the first 90 seconds of initial viewing and between 62% to 90% of the assessment is based on color alone.

Color References: Website Colors that Catch the Eye

Whether consciously or unconsciously, colors influence the way customers behave and respond to a website. For instance, the black color in the background embodies fear, mystery, and is associated with evil. Ensure that you don’t use standalone black as your background color. Consider doing some observation the next time you enter a fast-food restaurant and observe the colors they are using. Do you see shades of Red or Orange? Yes, because both the colors insinuate playfulness, exhilaration, strength, and warmth. Isn’t this what you want on your website? Do you still think that the pale yellow color in eBay is just a coincidence? Not at all. It is a well-thought-out strategy. The pale hue epitomizes contentment and warmth that match their current marketing strategy. And this is the very reason why General Motors leverages Blue, which denotes trust and reliability. Before we dive into specific colors that draw attention, let us first look at culture, class, and gender differences that influence the buying decisions of your audience. When it comes to culture, colors can have various connotations and cause problems for your website. For instance, in the East, white color is reserved for funerals, while if you move towards the West, white is the ultimate wedding color. In China, white represents death, while purple symbolizes death in Brazil. A research revealed that in the United States, middle-class customers prefer colors that seem familiar, such as shades of Blue, Red, and Green. While the upper-tier and more refined echelon show a proclivity for products that incorporate glamorous colors such as taupe, azure, mauve, etc. For the same reason, Walmart’s logo is done up in bright red to serve as your everyday brand. When we talk about gender, men display a predisposition for colors in shades of Blue and Green. While women prefer colors, that are variants of red and orange. As a rule of thumb, countries with warm climates prefer warm colors such as red, yellow, and orange, while people from colder climates are more apt to choose cooler colors such as blue, green, and purple (violet). Here are a few website color scheme references:

• The green color denotes nature, coolness, growth, and abundance. (In the USA and Canada, Green is associated with jealousy or money.)
• Gold designates prestige, elite, and opulence.
• Pink translates to soft, secure, and sweet.
• Purple implies spirituality, dignity, and royalty.
• Yellow exudes happiness, cheerfulness, and warmth.
• As mentioned earlier, Blue instills a sense of trust, reliability, and belonging.
• Black specifies elegance, mystery, sophistication, and yes, a hint of a sexual spark.

Color Schemes That Can Sell Anything

Did you know that some colors do affect our shopping habits?

• To ensure impulsive buying, colors like Red, Orange, Black, and Royal Blue do the trick.
• Smart budget shoppers rub well with Teal, Pink, Light Blue, and Navy colors.
• The traditional buyers respond well to Pink, Rose, and Sky-Blue colors.

For young children and adolescents, using primary colors is a prudent choice, while Reds, Blues, Pinks, and Yellows do a great job of reeling in a more mature audience and helping them trust the brand and splurge their hard-earned bucks. If are developing an e-commerce store, keep an eye out for the color trends for digital design. If your store sells beauty products, the advised colors are pink, baby blue, and light green because most beauty products are targeted toward women. For high prestige, products use Black, Silver, and Gold, just like in the automobile industry. Brands with a health & eco-conscious focus gravitate towards greens, blues, and yellows. If you choose colors because they are your favorite, you may have chosen them for the wrong target market. The website's color schemes are important, which is why colors are placed in such a way that you feel attracted to them. We've all been subjected to sites with unpleasant color combinations. I have seen a few designs with colors chosen on the whim of the owner, and often they don’t paint a pretty picture; they are either very hard on the eyes (almost blinding) or make the text very difficult to read. You want people to view your website with ease. Remember, it's easy for your visitors to press the back button. On the other hand, inducing a color vomit, or using the wrong combination of colors, could alienate or turn off your potential buyers completely. On average, you should only choose three colors (or shades of those colors) at most. You can even use various tones of colors across the entire website. The main goal is to keep the website's color schemes consistent throughout the whole website. When it comes to selecting colors, trial and error is the key. You cannot know how your audience will respond to your colors until you test the waters. Just like when you test multiple ads in a group, you need to figure out which colors are serving you best.

Social media has revolutionized the way we communicate, socialize and share. On the other hand, it has offered businesses a lucrative platform to attract more customers, extend their brand reach, build brand authority and loyalty, and convert social media fans into paying customers. All this can only happen when you track the right social media metrics and constantly focus on improving the effectiveness of your social media campaigns. This is where social media analytics and reporting come into play. Do you want to brand a social media hit? This infographic can help you unearth the gold at the end of the rainbow with seven effective tips to get the best out of your social media analytics and achieve the desired results.

What's the benefit of having multiple ads in an ad group? I have been bombarded with this question several times over the past few weeks. So, here goes the answer. In essence, you need to use several keywords in tandem with matching ads in the same group. You can have several hundred ads in the same group, but this doesn’t mean that you must use them all simultaneously. The number of ads that you want to use in a particular group depends on you. This will also depend on the number of impressions that you’re receiving for each ad. Ideally, I would recommend using three variations of the same ad and see which one is performing the best.

5 Advantages of Running Multiple Ads in an Ad Group

In the meantime, here are 5 advantages of running multiple ads in an ad group:

1. Eliminates Ad Rotation & Repetition

Just like you cannot expect people to laugh at the same joke again and again, a customer searching for a product will ignore the ad if it keeps appearing in response to their searches. Maybe the same customer will convert if they see a totally different ad for the same keyword, since if the ad fails to convert them the first time around, there is a slim chance of it succeeding in the next few searches. Using multiple ads in an ad group eliminates the possibility of showing the same ad to the user. Also Read: Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads You can try out the Ad rotation feature in Adwords and frequency limit capping (limits on the impressions that are shown to an individual user over a period) if you’re willing to use multiple ads in the same group. Setting your ads to rotate evenly leads to higher ad coverage.

2. A/B Testing Without Spending Time

One of my personal favorite benefits of having multiple ads in the same group is that Google will analyze and show you the best-performing ads. You cannot guarantee which of the ads will perform best. So, this is your freeway to test ads against each other and see which performs the best. There is no other way to test multiple ads in the same group.

3. Keyword Variation is a Lifesaver

Although you can use multiple keywords on one page, that are semantic variations on each other, you can never create an ad that incorporates all those variations. When you have multiple ads in a single ad group, each targeting a new keyword, there will be a greater chance for your ad to show up. Another option is to use dynamic search ads.

4. Various Ad Types

The more you try, the more you fail. The more you fail, the more you will succeed. With multiple ads in the same group, such as rich ads, mobile ads, and dynamic search ads, you can try out different variations for each ad type to increase your return on investment. This will help you create better ads in the future.

5. Variation in Ad Sizes

This links to the previous benefit. With several ads, you can try out various sizes and see how each ad size will affect the perception of the buyer. With multiple ads in an ad group, you’ll be able to test all sizes. For me, I prefer using 3 to 4 ads for one ad group. This seems to be working fine for me and my clients. However, I will warn you not to use more than 5 ads per ad group unless you own a huge mention or are a friend of Bill Gates. I prefer running ads for at least 1,000 impressions to conclude the result. You can set the threshold at your convenience. You cannot afford to exceed your budget by going over the threshold, or you don’t want it to be so small that it is statistically irrelevant. I prefer running ads for a week and seeing how things roll out.

The Final Advice

Once you’ve gathered all the data regarding the ads that you’re running, root out the worst-performing ads and eliminate them ASAP. Furthermore, try to find out why these ads are not performing well. Now, replace the performing ads with a new ad and note the difference. There are benefits of having multiple ads in an ad group but there are disadvantages as well. And for those, you guys need to wait for my next blog.

Under normal circumstances, I have a thing for transatlantic flights. Sure, there is something fascinating about taking off from one place and being transported to another land, while you fly high over the clouds. Other than that, I take secret pleasure in being able to watch all the movies and seasons on apps without being disrupted. And that too, without having to pay a dime. This dawned on me once while traveling on a flight to London. I was vexed when I noticed that my seat-back screen was busted and refused to work. Yeah, yeah, I know, this is not a #firstworldproblem. But, still wouldn’t it be great that with so much technology around, some app could’ve warned me that the screen at 22F was broken and I have a choice to switch to another seat? Once, I took my kids to Disney World. I was in seventh heaven to see that there was an app which kept me updated on how long the line was for each ride. How could it have predicted that? Simple. The fellow visitors keep tapping in the estimated wait times which they’re expecting before their turn comes. Now, consider this. If you’re looking for money-making apps and develop an app which does not exist yet, how much can you earn? Firstly, you’ll get the beginner's advantage. Secondly, you can drive the people in your preferred direction. Before you start looking for a digital product development agency to develop a money-making app for your brand. Here are some app ideas which can help you take your next vacation in Fiji island:

Parking Spot:

You’ve just missed your lunch and important meeting because you saw a free parking space from your window. But sadly when you got there, the spot was taken. Well, not anymore. With an app, the last driver can let you know that the driving spot is full and there is no need to leave home or office before any new free spot arrives.

The Movie is Full:

We are all familiar with that feeling of utter despair when you go to the movies only to be told at the ticket counter that your favorite movie was already sold out and even worse, so was the next show. An app can tell you when a show gets sold out and reveal the timings for the next show, as well as how many slots are empty in the cinema. The same app can warn you about issues such as a wet floor. An air-conditioner not working, and a run-down projector beforehand so that you don’t come across surprises that could ruin your experience.

Save My Time:

There are tons of money-making apps out there but if you want to make some real money, get serious about developing this app. You breeze out at the airport just because your flight is about to take off and upon reaching the counter, you realize that the line is bafflingly long. How about an app like Disney which can send you alerts on how the queue is progressing?

Black Friday Deals:

Black Friday is fun if you get your favorite TV at a discount. But what if you reach the store in high spirits, only to find out that the product you were vying for became out of stock? It is utterly exasperating to fight your way through the throngs and while away a better part of your day, only to return empty-handed. With a Black Friday Deals app, people can receive alerts on their phones about the quantity of each product still in stock.

Restroom is Ready:

When we talk about money making apps, if some app can turn you into a millionaire. This is the app you can bet your life on. What is more frustrating than having to rush to a public toilet and panicking upon finding no soap or toilet paper? How about developing an app which can trigger a warning when the restroom is out of order or runs out of toiletries?

Make this Dish:

Do you have a special friend coming over for dinner but don’t know what to cook with the ingredients that you already have in your pantry, instead of having to rush to the grocery store? Here is an app which can help you come up with a dish using the ingredients that you already have in your house.

Last Minute Flight:

If you’re not a regular traveler, there is a possibility that you don’t know which airlines are offering last-minute discounts. Well, not anymore. With the Last-Minute Flight app, you can let people know about the last-minute discounts that the airline is offering to cover up the flight costs.

Fast Forward Please:

I am a movie buff. I like to watch movies in my free time. But the only problem I face is that sometimes I don’t have enough time to go through the entire movie, which makes the movie less entertaining. I haven’t heard of any money-making apps that can fast-forward a movie to the important scenes which drive the core plot of the movie.

Run the Music:

Do you want your run to be pleasant or do you want to listen to some rock and roll songs? Well then friend, you better be running. This app will track you, make sure you keep up the pace and just auto-pause when you decide to give up. Think of it as just a little extra motivational boost to get in shape.

The Concluding Remark

Even though there is a plethora of money-making apps out there, these are some fresh ideas which haven’t been explored yet. It just takes an idea to change your mind. If you’re willing to take the risk and develop that money-making app, how will you know that it won’t succeed? Try, try again until you can enjoy your next vacation in Fuji Island.

The two most important observations that people have pertaining to Java is that it is either difficult to learn or it is easier than other languages. Both observations are correct. However, Java has a considerable upper hand over most languages because of its platform-independent nature. Java, being a low-level language, has a brilliant layout of algorithms which makes it easier for beginners to comprehend the basics of a programming language; it is also simultaneously high-level enough to implement coding logically. It all depends on the learning style that you adopt right from the start. The best way to learn Java, in any case, is to follow certain tips like learning the basic terminology first, starting with basic programs, and yes, practicing a lot. Repetition is the ultimate key. I would love to share some tips which helped me earlier in my programming career and I hope that these tips will aid you too. Get the most from these tips and share them with your fellow programmers.

Where to Begin? – Kick-off with Basic Java Terminology

The best way to learn Java is to start from scratch. “Hello World!” is a great place, to begin with. This basic program is the central syntax for every programming language, serving as baby steps for every programmer. The next step is to understand the basic terminology of Java. Get yourself familiar with polymorphism, abstraction, inheritance, and encapsulation. If you’re into reading books, get your nose deep inside Head First Java. Before you start coding, there are certain terminologies and references that you need to commit to memory, and this book will help you understand them. At first, you might find it difficult to relate to something new, but once you start gaining a grasp on the subject, you will master it soon enough.

Start with Basic Java Programs

The best way to learn Java is to stay low profile with simple programs. Start with the most basic programs. Test, debug, and execute each program and advance your programming skills. A newbie programmer might not be able to grasp all the myriad intricate notions of a new language but the best way to learn Java is to concentrate on the input and output steps. It may take a while, so freaking out at your inability to understand your own creations certainly won’t help! The major tip here is DON’T FREAK OUT! A good practice is to jot down the entire program on a piece of paper and figure out different scenarios operating within the program. Stay in this until you understand each scenario and the syntax that generates the scenario. If something eludes your grasp, call on Google. Furthermore, a beginner needs to use an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development, to type the program after writing it by hand three times and explaining it out loud in their own words. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH9AhuxUWMM[/embed]

Ignore the Distrust

There are tons of programming languages out there, and most of them are now obsolete, and everybody has their favorite. Some see Java as an old language while others hold a belief that Ruby is more antique. So, there is no denying that you’ll face every type of person out there. When people try to sell you on how other programming languages are looking forward to overthrowing Java, disregard them and maintain an attitude to master as many languages as you can, but yes, start with Java. Some learn by writing, others by listening. One of my friends is a tactile learner. He uses audio to grasp the concepts of Java and is now a successful developer. The best way to learn Java is to try and figure out your own style. kinesthetic (learning by carrying out physical activities), linguistic (learning by speaking), auditory (learning by listening), and visual (learning by seeing). You need to tinker with these styles and see which works best for you. Which is the best way to learn Java? Go on and adopt that style!

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Just like everything else, learning to code in Java isn’t something you get right the first time around. You need to be involved in the process of learning the language by watching, learning, and coding day in and day out. What is important is that as a programmer, you need to enjoy the overall journey and be patient with yourself. You need to understand that everything you do the first time will take some time and energy to master. It is important to figure out ways to solve everyday problems with programming. Personally, I am more comfortable with Java programming. I advanced my programming skills when I started website development with Java, and I learned a lot. The key is to stay patient and understand that everyone has their own learning curve. The best way to learn Java is to take baby steps and hone in on your theoretical as well as practical knowledge. Success lies in the amount of time invested in exercising the programming language, making mistakes, and learn from those mistakes.

May the coding force be with you. Happy Coding!!

Digital marketing is a huge umbrella that encompasses a wide range of domains into its fold including social media marketing, SEO, content marketing, and paid advertising to name just a few. As getting user attention becomes even more difficult, digital marketers are always looking for new marketing methods that cost less and deliver a higher return on investment. That is where PPC comes into play.

Unfortunately, many dark clouds surrounding pay-per-click advertising could put off many digital marketers interested in launching their paid advertising campaigns. If you have also been subject to some common myths prevalent in the industry then, this infographic will help you distinguish fact from fiction.

Here is an infographic that busts common myths surrounding PPC so you can opt for paid advertising without any confusion.

To help you grow your business, we have compiled a list of growth hacking examples which are low-budget yet high-value promotional techniques that have a propensity to bring incredible growth. Taking your business to unprecedented heights is the goal of every Entrepreneur. Yet at times, it is hard to come up with ideas which can take our business to where we want to see it. Are you stuck in a rut and don’t have a clue how to grow your business? Take a break from the daily drudgery of life and garner a sip of inspiration from these already successful brands. Each business is unique. These growth hacking techniques can unleash your creativity and expand your business to help you earn more revenue. Without further ado, let us start with the proven growth hacking examples which you can steal for your business without letting anyone learn the secret of your overnight success.

1. Groupon – Social Sharing with a Twist

While, indubitably, social sharing and refer-it-to-a-friend techniques worked wonders for a host of influential businesses. Groupon incorporated its own little twist in social sharing which helped them grow exponentially without splurging a fortune on marketing. The principle was to share a deal to unlock a deal. If you want to avail yourself of a deal, you must share it on social media to unlock it. Unless you let others hear about the deal in time, nobody will be able to avail themselves of it since all offers come with an expiration date. This is the best use of FOMO & creating a sense of urgency in marketing. For you to get the deal, you must share the deal, and in turn, Groupon gets new users from your sharing. A win-win situation. Sweet, isn’t it?

2. Go Freemium the WordPress Way

If you have a product that offers immense value to your customers. You can utilize all its wonderful features to your advantage. When people get a taste of something beneficial, they don’t mind paying extra for some additional features. A freemium product is something which worked great for WordPress and attracted a lot of attention by compelling users to pay for some additional premium features of the product. WPForms was a robust product that offered enough features to get people hooked on the free version of the product. It is basically a drag-and-drop feature which can help users build better contact us forms. Although the feature is free for users to try, if you want more features, you must upgrade and pay a fee for certain useful integrations.

3. Create a Free Tool Like CoSchedule

Do you aspire to a growth hacking technique which can help people recognize your brand? Create an insanely useful tool for your users. The idea was simple yet downright brilliant. To use the headline analyzer, you must subscribe to their email list. Once people subscribe to the email list, CoSchedule can wow their subscribers with their paid products and give them a chance to try them out. If you’re a startup who is looking forward to creating a website, try out this free website cost calculator tool by Branex and know how much a website will cost for your product. Do check out this list of free online tools which you can use to grow your business.

4. Start an Invite-only Gmail

The Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is a powerful marketing technique, and for a product that people want, this can generate a lot of sales. When Gmail was launched, there were other email providers offering features along the same lines. To gain an edge over competitors, Gmail came up with an invite-only growth hacking system, and luckily, the strategy worked. A word of caution, though. Google failed miserably in an attempt to reuse this growth hacking strategy with Buzz Wave and even Google. One size doesn’t fit all! There is a reason behind this. This growth hacking technique works best with open tools and communities. With Gmail, you can still email people using other email services besides Gmail, so the exclusive invites worked well. But when it comes to social networks like Buzz or G+, the platform is unusable if you’re the only one using it.

5. Create a Smart Signature Just Like Hotmail

From zero to 12 million users in a span of 18 months. Yes, no kidding. An engineer at Hotmail suggested this growth hacking strategy, and it did wonders for Hotmail. A signature was appended with every outgoing message, inviting the recipients to sign up for a free email account. Therefore, it is not prudent to ignore the power of email signatures as they can add a great deal of value when catching new users.

6. LinkedIn Started with Just One Niche

When Reid Hoffman launched LinkedIn, the aim was to connect professionals in the tech industry. Once the initial idea kicked off, LinkedIn focused on other industries and niches and gained global coverage in a fleeting period of time. LinkedIn changed the way we interact with our colleagues and the way we can get referrals and recommendations from them in a pain-free manner. Furthermore, LinkedIn paid attention to their target audience and optimized their home page which drove more growth than email invitations. Lastly, LinkedIn encouraged users to opt in for InMail to get advanced search features and more accessibility. This is akin to the freemium tactic we already discussed above.

7. Queue Jumper Growth Hack by Monzo

This growth hacking strategy helped Monzo start from scratch and managed to get 250,000 users to sign up within a period of two years. At the time of sign-up, users can see how many people are ahead of them and how many people are in the queue behind them. And the users can jump the queue by inviting more users. Smart right? The same tactic was used by the Robinhood app, which yielded a whopping 1 million signups in just one year.

8. Improve & Gain Points with Proven

This growth hacking tactic was used by Proven which improved their traffic to 43% without producing a single blog post. How did they do it? The company initiated a project, Mission Week, where employees were awarded points for tweaking and promoting existing pieces of content already present on the website. Every employee in the company participated and did their due diligence in social sharing, content optimization, and reaching more people to gain points. In return, search ranking for many pieces of content improved, resulting in an organic traffic boost. That’s it, people. These are the 8 proven growth hacking examples which can help you kick off your startup to unimaginable new heights. Feel free to try some of these & do let us know what you gained with the said strategy.

Whether you work at an agency, as a freelancer, or have started your own service-based business, dealing with clients must be handled as fragilely as the work you put into your final deliverables. Most clients are a joy to work with. Some clients, however, may become the bane of your existence. When it comes to the latter breed of clients descended from hell, you’ll want to be able to see red flags before getting into business together. Being able to identify situations that will inevitably lead to stress will help you preserve room in your schedule for clients who are worth keeping around for eternity. Let’s look at 8 of the biggest warning signs that you might be dealing with a client from hell.

No Direction with Endless Revisions

Although the client may be expecting you to dawn upon ground-breaking ideas, what is the point of brainstorming when there is no direction to work with? As a logo design agency, we start off by sending a questionnaire to our client in an attempt to glean all the pertinent details about their business model and pick their brains. Once we have secured a sneak peek into their workings and preferences. It serves as a direction to move us along in our design journey. However, sometimes we too come across exasperating clients who appear rather clueless as to what they want from us! If you still decide to move forward without clarifying the end goal, brace yourself for endless bouts of revisions. Even revisions which are not a part of the initial scope of work. To save yourself from falling prey to such situations, you can take precautions before shaking hands with the client. The best way to proceed with such a client is to start off with a questionnaire. Along with that, make sure you are clear about the payments. In this way, your efforts won’t go down the drain.

They Complain that You Charge Too High

Maybe you’re charging on the pricier end of the spectrum, as far as their budget goes. But some customers make it their life mission to complain about the price and still prefer to buy from you instead of looking for a more affordable alternative. When someone disparages you, it clearly shows that they’re not valuing your effort and time. To steer clear of this scenario, it is advised to list your rates publicly for everyone to see. This helps you shake off those pesky clients from the word go while bringing you into the limelight for other potential clients.

They Don’t Listen and Complain Later

This client genre is by far the worst. They avoid heeding your words, and when things go south, they look for a scapegoat in you. When clients come to us for their e-commerce website development, we try to sell them what is best for them and educate them on what’s trending in their industry. But some clients try to impose upon us their ideas which they had heard from some third-party freelance developers or because they saw someone else do it. Most of the time, these ideas are downright preposterous or not in the best interests of the client. But since our clients compel us to implement those ideas, we are left with no option but to comply. And when their project plummets to the ground, we bear the brunt of a tirade of unsolicited accusations. To avoid this type of arrangement, you can ask the client for their requirements in writing before the project starts so that you can justify your stance if the client puts their foot down the road.

They Think You’re Always Available On-call

Yes, it is good to accommodate your clients in matters of utmost urgency. But the clients from hell expect you to remain on-call all the time. As if you have nothing better to do than wait on them around the clock. They expect instant results and even immediate deliverables. You can evade such a scenario by mentioning the rush fees for accepting any off-time calls or making alterations or revisions on an urgent basis. Stress on the importance of work-life balance. It is perfectly okay to reject assignments if you find them interfering with your personal life.

They Take All the Credit

I am sure most of you have encountered this situation back in your school days. When you help your friends out with the exam preparation, they end up with a higher score, even though you studied your brains out for an entire year. And worst still, your friend cannot stop boasting about their skills to all who would listen. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop at school; professional life meets the same fate. When the clients from hell take all the credit for your job, it is all you can do is not to run berserk. Perhaps you would be better able to gulp down the bitter sip if the client is paying you handsomely. But if the client is holding back on what you are due and not giving you the credit as well, it is high time to fire your client and move on to the next one.

Unplanned Weekly Meetings

Good things take time. You cannot update your client every week on your progress. But the clients from hell demand a weekly meeting to stay updated on what you have been up to in the preceding week. The best approach is to set a time and day for such meetings. For instance, give your client a 15-day window, and after that, update them on what you have done so far. There is no need to answer every call of the client or entertain preposterous requests for such redundant meetings just for the sake of keeping your client happy.

They Destroy Your Work with Their Novice Editing

Being a website design agency, we often come across clients who ask us for the workable file of the logo and wreak havoc on our months of sweat and blood with their downright abominable editing skills. Not only do they end up changing the overall concept of the designed logo “in an attempt to make it better”, but they have the nerve to tell you how it’s done! Even if they don’t blame you for their Frankenstein edits in your deliverable. It is not something that you can be proud of, especially if your reputation is at stake. If a client constantly puts you in a position where your work is transformed into something tacky. You’re better off spending your time looking for someone who appreciates you as you are.

They Threaten Your Reputation

Despite your best efforts, these clients from hell not only tweak your work without taking you in confidence but also vilify you in front of your other clients. Set the record straight for clients who publicly disgrace you. Publish the story on your own account and let people know what actually happened. Keep in mind that once you start the game of tug and war, your private conversations with the client can go public.

The Closing Thought

If reading these warning signs is starting to give you hives because you’re thinking about your own past – or present – clients from hell, take a break and blow off some steam.