What is the image alt tag?

An alt attribute is used in HTML and XHTML documents, which is text rendered to an image when an image is unable to load on the website. It is used to enhance the user’s experience.

How to use an alt tag?

Alt tags are added to images in the HTML code. Just insert the image on the page and then add the alt tag to it. A unique alt tag is given to all images present on the website. The text describes what you will see in the image correctly. If there are multiple images present on the site, then each should have a unique image alt tag.

Why do we need an alt image tag?

Yes, the graphic image will load correctly even when there is no image alt tag is attached to it. But what if it does not load on the website, then what is the alternative to it? Spend some time in creating an alternative description for the image so that nothing can ruin the user’s experience.

How do eCommerce SEO experts use image alt tags?

In order to generate higher leads, it is essential to provide the best user experience to all your users. For alt and title, descriptions need to be prepared using key phrases that include keywords as well. Ecommerce SEO experts need to add the text in the Adjective plus key phrase form. It will enhance the user’s experience towards your website.

Best practices by Alt tag

• Be specific while describing the image

Make sure you specify the image point to point. Depict the image and be explicit to it. It would be best if you also used the subject of the picture. The text you are going to write should be less than 125 characters, so make sure you are explicit enough in a limited number of words.

• Don’t use additional words like “image of..”, “picture of…”, with text

Jump directly on the description rather than writing words such as an image or picture. Because the screen reading tool does not consider it as text even if it is considered as an image. It is recommended that you use natural language to describe an image.

• Refrain from keyword stuffing

Refrain the text from keyword stuffing because of most of the reputed search engines, including Google disfavor such strategies. Make sure you use keywords effectively and efficiently. Besides, you should think about semantic keywords with other main keywords.

• Don’t just use a single keyword in all the images present on a webpage

If a web page contains multiple images, make sure you are using different keywords on it. The image and its description of both should be relevant to the article written on the web page.

• Translated alt text

In case if the website is running in multiple languages, then it is an excellent option to add translated alt text. So, a user can get the content in his/her preferred language.

The title tag should not be the same as that of the alt text of the image. These should be different with the different keywords according to the content or article present on the website.

• The importance of image alt tag!!!

Google search engine is quite good at determining the value and relevance of the content. But here, it should be considered that Google is just a search engine or a machine; it needs humans to run so humans can control it. Right? In the same way, Google is using the alt tag text that is used to understand the content if an image does not load on the webpage of the user to enhance their web surfing experience.

The images with the optimized alt text are more likely to populate in the image searches of an object. It also provides contextual relevance about the page. The image alt tag is widely used by all the eCommerce SEO experts to improve user experience and accessibility. Optimizing all the images present on the web page provides greater relevance to a search engine, which helps increase the ranking of a website.

So, make sure you add the image alt text to all the images while uploading these to your website. This text helps visually impaired individuals to get engaged in your website. And it will bring good traffic to your site.

On January 21st, 2020, food delivery giant Zomato acquired Uber Eats. From this time Uber Eats discontinued its food delivery operations. Users traveling outside India can still enjoy the benefits of Uber Eats. Now all its delivery partners, consumers, and restaurants will be directed to Zomato. Zomato acquired food aggregator Uber Eats for ₹2,485 crores, and after this deal, Uber Eats holds ownership of 9.99% in Zomato. After the deal, 245 employees of Uber Eats are on a cliffhanger. Zomato hasn’t given any statement about the absorption of these employees.

Apart from the growth in the smaller cities and towns, the significant business of food delivery app scripts like Swiggy and Zomato is around 65% comes from the top cities. Now with the Uber Eats consumers, Zomato holds about 50-55 percent of the food delivery market industry. Now developers are focusing on developing Zomato clone scripts. 

The on-demand meal delivery service UberEats, connected with Zomato. The potential for many of these online delivery services is substantial, with around 44% of consumers using food delivery services at least once per month in the United States. Furthermore, the survey also found that 43% of consumers claimed to order their food online with an additional 13% ordering using a food delivery app. (source)

Uber Eats’s Journey in India

Cab hailing company Uber started its food delivery services in 2017. At that time two industry giants Zomato and Swiggy were already there. It was the first food delivery company that had a celebrity brand Ambassador – Alia Bhatt. Zomato started in 2008, and after five years, Swiggy began in 2013. By the time Uber launched its food delivery services in India, these two already had acquired more than half of the market. Zomato had around 40 million users, where Swiggy had 42 million users and the newbie Uber Eats had only 10 million user base at that time.

After starting the business in 2017, the average order value (AOV) of Uber Eats was rs 400, then in 2018 AOV was rs 300 with 3.5-4 million orders per month, and last year in 2019 it was rs 250. The AOV is showing its constantly dipping market. Besides having less user base, the users shared their grievance on twitter saying that the company Uber Eats was way better than Swiggy and Zomato. “The delivery experience, additional taxes, and application user interface of Uber Eats were much better than its competitors,” users said.   

Big Wins for Zomato

Zomato got quite a lot from this deal according to experts. Zomato got all its delivery partners, Customer information, business details, customer order history and much more. The delivery partners will benefit from this deal because everyone wants their food to be delivered home at the quickest. More people will order means, more delivery boys and more employment. Zomato serves more than 70 million users every month in 24 countries, with a partnership of 1.5 million restaurants. The addition of Uber’s business will definitely take this figure higher than Swiggy. 

Reasons: Why Uber Eats lagging behind Zomato and Swiggy?

There are several reasons for uber Eats lagging behind Zomato and Swiggy. Here we will discuss some of them.

1. Facing Last Mover Disadvantages

Where UberEats started its business in 2017, its competitor was already set its feet in the market. They were almost on the top when Uber began its food delivery business as a newbie. There was a lot of pressure on Uber Eats as being a newbie in the market. Being a latecomer in the food delivery market, Uber faced many challenges which lead Uber to this deal.

2. Slow Growth

Being a latecomer in the industry with limited resources, made Uber’s growth slow. Where Zomato was serving around 500 cities, Uber was only serving 44 cities at that time. The hyper-competitive market and low-value orders slowed its growth. The food delivery market is not so easy to crack.

3. Less Funding and High Discounts

When Uber Eats started its business in India, it did not get enough funding from the investors. Even its parent company Uber also didn’t provide enough funding. While becoming stable in the market, Uber Eats needed to follow a high discount strategy. Where the competitors were getting substantial funding; hence they were offering impressive discounts that were making them popular in the market. The massive discounting approach was one of the reasons for its downfall. The company losses around ₹2,197 crores and more debts were following it, which made it difficult for Uber Eats to sustain in the market.  

All in All

There are other food delivery companies also in the market like Foo

panda, Dunzo and many more. But the leading players of the game will be Swiggy and Zomato. In any application-based business, only one brand remains on the top. With the huge success of these applications, online food delivery app development companies are seeing their future in it. The other brand remains for back up, and there is no space for the third one. Any brand which is not on number 1 or 2 face difficulty to sustain in the market and face difficulty to make a profitable and successful business.

A customer broker works on the behalf of the importers and exporters and helps them with dealing with the logistics and legalities which are involved with the process of exporting and importing goods. Importing from across the border seems like a lucrative option if you can purchase some goods at a cheaper price which are not available within your country. This is why people who are in the business of imports and exports wonder about having their products cleared at the border and who would be in charge of the customs formalities at every international border that your products cross.

A customs brokerage firm can help you to get rid of the stress involved and have the peace of mind that you always wanted. However, there are several things to keep in mind while hiring a customs brokerage firm to take care of your products.

1. Look for experience

Just because someone has the license, does not mean he is an expert in properly dealing with your goods. The sad reality is that not all brokers are experienced enough with providing the necessary skills to provide their service to certain industries while simultaneously dealing with those countries which have a hostile attitude towards yours. Experienced brokers are generally prepared to face these situations and can save you both time and money which you could have lost if you went to a novice.

2. Research on your own

Although word of mouth is useful when you are looking for someone to deal with your goods but it will be foolish on your part to solely rely on the recommendations you hear from others. Often the reality of the matter is entirely different from what you hear and it will cost you heavy if something happens to your goods while they are on the transit.

The smart thing would be to shop around for names and create a list based on your preference for the list of competitive firms that you would like to consider. You can then visit these brokers and rank them accordingly so that you have a clear idea of what to expect when you would hand them over your goods.

3. Only look for licensed brokers

While looking for brokers, the first thing that you should do is to look for the license. Although it seems like common sense many people overlook it for having their goods delivered cheaply and then pay the price when something goes wrong.

Unfortunately, they cannot do something about it as the law would not have the jurisdiction to punish such brokers hence you will likely be the only one who will suffer. By producing a license you can trust the custom broker as he will be a professional and you can sue for damages if anything happens to your goods.

4. Find a broker who has an efficient team

One of the reasons that clients do not trust some of the big firms is because they also offer other services that make the clients question the priorities of the firms. Many reputable companies who offer such services have proved that they can grow in the industry and create a wider range of services for their clients.

As you can never be sure and it is best to practice caution, you should choose the firm that has a dedicated and efficient team with the expertise that you can trust.

5. Choose one that compliments your business

One of the options you can utilize is choosing a brokerage firm that offers the services which cater to the needs of your business. Large companies usually approach firms that offer a variety of services that can provide efficient services and are in line with the needs of the company.

Small and medium scale businesses can look to brokers of the same scale as they do not need a variety of services and will look for specialized brokers who can complete their job at a fast rate which is exactly what your business requires.

6. Ask relevant questions

You do not need to shy away from asking questions about stuff that you are not aware of. A customs broker who is sincere about working with you will always be open when discussing the details with you and will respond to your queries. It is important to take a step back when deciding which broker to choose and get in touch with every broker within your shortlist and ask relevant questions regarding customs clearance which will help in your decision making.

To conclude, the first thing you should understand about custom brokers is that they are professionals who are there to help you with importing and exporting goods as they are familiar with the different rules and regulations. You should always go for a broker that is in line with the needs of your business and is in the trade for some time so that he knows how best to handle a situation when it looks tough to deal with.

Competition is at its peak, irrespective of whether you are running an online business or an offline business. You are still in competition whether you are a start-up company or large enterprise. In general, generating optimum revenue out of the investment is not an easy task. It requires a lot of effort and planning.

In this article, I am writing effective and tested tips to achieve and maintain business growth. In a nutshell, I am sharing the business experiences and lessons that I learned in the last 20+ years of my business.

#Tip 1: Do not make unrealistic claims

If you are running an eCommerce store, be honest about the key specifications and benefits offered by your product. It’s good to highlight the main features of the product and sometimes even better to mention the product advantages if it adds value. Do not try to make false claims to entice the customers.

#Tip 2: Follow the 80-20 Rule

The 80-20 Rule states that 80% of results are derived from 20% of efforts. This signifies that a small amount of effort can lead to a large amount of results, if efforts are made in the right direction, at the right audience, time and place. Great results are not necessarily derived from working long hours and unending days. They come from working smartly on things that work best for your business. To magnify your business results exponentially, you should identify efforts that produce the biggest results and scale them.

#Tip 3: Always try to maintain a debt-to-equity ratio 

To maintain healthy business finances, never let your debt exceed your equity. You should always try to maintain a 1:1 Debt to Equity ratio. 

#Tip 4: Don’t be just an owner, take ownership too

Do not allow the success and failure of your company to be dependent on somebody else. The things that determine the success and failure of your business should be solely dependent on you. Change your players, but do not change your operations, control and goals you want to achieve.

#Tip 5: Understand how your business actually works.

Even if you hire an experienced team of professionals in your company, you still need to understand the strengths and their field of expertise. You need to ensure the role and work stream of every team member within your organisation.

#Tip 6: Make projections based on facts and figures

It’s safe to make business forecasts and projections based on prior history, authentic data, facts, and figures. At times based on your experience you may have a reasonable opinion to support your suggestions and figures, but it would not be a good idea to blind guess any future projections.

#Tip 7: Have a solid plan to measure your success

Where do you want your business to see in the next 5 years?

How will you achieve your business goals?

What parameters you’ll use to monitor the progress? 

To answer all these questions, it is vital to have short-term, medium-term and long-term business plans.

#Tip 8: Adopt new technology quickly

In this world of technological advancement, using outdated technology could be worse for your business. The sooner you adopt new technology, the more chances you have to increase the benefits for your business. Innovative practices do help to enhance the internal efficiency of the business, which is important for the firm’s success.

#Tip 9: Work with Freelancers

To avoid fixed expenses in terms of salaries, collaborate with professionals who work as freelancers. For the services and work that aren’t required regularly, hire people with specialised skills and knowledge. This will be a cost-effective way to get your work done.

#Tip 10: Analyse your competition

It is always recommended to study your competitors; you might learn some important business tips from them. Identify and examine the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, analyse their strategies and spot the areas where they are most vulnerable. Analysing your competitors can help you to know in what areas you are lacking behind and what competitive advantages your business holds in the industry. Accordingly, you can plan your business strategies that work in a better way than your competitors.

#Tip 11: Be patient, creative and stay focused

Just because you chose the best website development company, developed your business website on the best web development platform and implemented the right business solutions does not mean your business is immediately going to make money. You need to be patient! Always make continuous efforts and look for new ways, ideas and approaches to improve your business.

#Tip 12: Do take out time for networking 

Try to take out time to attend industry events, join professional organisations, and conferences that can familiarise you with people or groups who can be important for your business. If you feel you aren’t good enough for networking, find a partner who can represent your business.

#Tip 13: Take care of your Customers 

Customer satisfaction should always be on your priority list. Be it any business, SME or large enterprise, the major portion of revenue comes from repeat customers. This is why retaining the existing customer is equally important as identifying and targeting new ones. Do take care of your customers and your customers will take care of your business.

#Tip 14: Don’t be afraid of Risks

It’s important to take risks too! However, it is critical to balance risk-taking with safety. This is why we suggest you take calculated risks that have a higher probability to generate tremendous rewards. Make sure the return is worth the risk; thoroughly weigh the pros and cons when you decide to take big risks for your business.

Final Say! 

There is no one right way that guarantees business success. Following the best business practices, expert advises, effective financial management, and the tips listed above can give your venture a better chance of succeeding. You can also choose Web Design Bromley agency if you are looking for local company in the United Kingdom to maintain your business.

In business, it would be difficult if not impossible to achieve a notable measure of success without having inked a significant number of agreements with other parties—most appreciably with conflicts inherent in the process having been pleasingly overcome for all involved. Whether negotiating a sale with an existing customer or prospective new account, contracts with vendors, deal with the company and industry stakeholders, an M&A situation, the salary of a new hire or any other, negotiating is a fundamental driver of a company’s prosperity. The better the company personnel are at negotiating, the more successful it will be. It’s that simple. Of course, negotiation is a learned skill that one must first master and then continue to hone—one involving psychological intuition, emotional control, cognitive agility and even creativity combined with practical and tactical skill.

I reached out to senior-level international negotiation consultant Ruth Schlossman for some fresh tips on how fast trackers in particular can facilitate strategic agreements more effortlessly and efficiently. And deliver Schlossman did, which was no surprise given her lofty pedigree in the negotiation space, perhaps best exemplified by her newly-released title “Negotiate with Ease”—a book billed as one “guaranteed” to help readers negotiate successfully.

Shlossman kindly offered up these four key negotiation truths and strategies that, she asserts, can help propel fast growth-minded businesses.

1. Facts over emotions: Negotiate based on actualities

While it seems elementary, this idea is worth a foundational mention as a shocking number of professionals approach the negotiation table wildly under-prepared. Before entering into any negotiation, you need to know your facts and be ready, willing and able to present them well. For example, if you are negotiating about a trade, you should know your costs including engineer services, raw material fluctuations, delivery options, consignment costs and currency concerns. Identify the core issues and how they will affect the various outcome of the bargain. Before reaching an agreement, make sure you understand what it constitutes and the value it brings to you. Failure to understand what you are agreeing to, from every viewpoint, can result in a costly concession that you may never have an opportunity to change.

Take time to understand the other person or company as much as possible. Also understand the issue that you will be negotiating, and what each of the parties expects. For instance, if you are conferring to buy a new building, several issues are worth considering. The length of time the property has been on sale, the number of buildings on sale in the area and the possibility of zoning changes. As you think of such issues, you will identify which can serve as leverage to gain the most out of the agreement.

2. Make a trade with every concession

From the start, you should consider and include every possibility of the negotiated agreement. Think about each various facet of the deal upfront and consider the risks of making costly concessions related to any or all. One method that is used in the Chinese culture is where negotiations are conducted with a long-term mind-set. You need to consider factors like the ten-year plan of the other company and what would happen if technology changes or demand doubles. Think of what would happen in case of raw material shortages or if the company gets acquired by another. Considering such “what if” scenarios can save you in terms of money, time and the stress of negotiating.

It’s also prudent to look for any clues about the other person’s underlying interest, which will better enable you to negotiate on what matters to that person. For instance, timing may be the most important factor for the other party when you are considering a merger and acquisition. Perhaps upfront costs may be their deciding factor when entering into an investment. For you to be a solid negotiator, you need to take the approach of a detective and seek to identify the interests of the other party to parlay.

3. Avoid being transactional—see the bigger picture

After identifying the core issues in a negotiation, develop the best possible outcome—optimally equitably for all involved. Also known as the Best Agreement to Make (BAM), this should be your opening offer. At the same time, think about your target, possible final offer and what you may use as a “Plan B.” Consider the various possible negotiation’s outcomes, including potential future problems related to each. A successful result is one that’s pegged on the identification and even anticipation of potential problems, allowing you to take a stance that benefits you the most.

4. Align with stakeholder interests

In any negotiation, it’s imperative to identify your company’s true interest and negotiate to align that strategic interest with deal terms. When negotiating with new clients or suppliers, the stakes of a fast track company are usually higher. How a negotiated agreement begins determines the way forward, even for the decades to come. Since it is often more difficult to change an agreement than to create one, it is also important to start on a high note. The moment you erroneously say “yes” in a negotiation, keep in mind it can be both costly and painful to turn that “yes” to a “no” or back down later on. So, proffer affirmations judiciously.

The most important thing for your company could be a longer contract, joint PR, training, a new way of tracking orders or teaming up to improve engineering services. Whatever the interests are, ensure you are speaking on behalf of your company’s stakeholders. This could include members of the marketing team, engineering services, accounts payables, operation or the core leadership team. Think of the hidden costs in the terms being negotiated to avoid entering into an agreement that will end up being costly in the long run.

Fast trackers would do well to read, and perhaps re-read, these tips from Shlossman slowly—but implement them quickly—to negotiate more confidently, skillfully and shrewdly and, in turn, realize (and sustain) rapid advancement of your own.

~~~

By Merilee Kern, MBA

Source: https://www.brookings.edu/courses/negotiation-strategies-results/