A Customer Survey In The Information Age

The modern age has dubbed itself, and not without some justice and insight, the information age.The reason for this is twofold: information is communicated in greater variety, with greater alacrity and precision, than ever before.Secondly, information has become one of the most precious resources of any business or individual.The Internet has become the greatest information sharing tool in history, and has so far proven to have nearly limitless potential and myriad uses.Businesses of every kind have refocused their strategies around the internet including: information protection, information gathering, and information analysis.Those that haven't done so have disappeared.The customer survey is one of the countless illustrations of the emerging preeminence of information in business.

Actually, surveys have gained widespread use in many fields, not the least of which is the social sciences, particularly, but not exclusively, psychology.In business, the questionnaire is used to assess products for quality control.They are also used among focus groups to test the efficacy of marketing advertisements.In fact, they are used in various ways by many different departments of business.

Statistics and data are, of course, analyzed by businesspeople to assess their strategies.Just about every piece of datum available is used (one thinks of the Sioux Indians and their buffalo).In almost every respect, hard statistical data is firmer and more reliable than most simple surveys.Why?These data are based on actions, not words.People tend to more carefully weigh their actions than their speech.Data include compiled actions such as how many products are purchased, how much is paid for them, when customers are retained, lost, and gained.Figures, graphs, and charts of these data help businesses figure out their next move and chart a course into the next quarter.

If hard data is more reliable than surveys, why are the latter used at all?The answer is that the traditional questionnaire can make fine assessments with needle sharp precision and complexity.Data is available only in areas that pertain to actions.Customer surveys fill in the "why" behind the actions.What is it about our product that causes people to buy it?What is it that pushes them to reject it in favor of a competitor?These questions are the full time occupation of countless devoted business analysts, pundits, marketers, engineers, etc.

Because information about patrons' feelings regarding products is so valuable, there are third party businesses whose only job is to develop and administer to them the customer satisfaction survey.Crafting and employing it is a fine art and a rigorous science.There are many parameters and factors involved in even the simplest ones.Clientele need to be encouraged to answer each question thoughtfully and candidly.A relatively small percentage of hasty, careless, or joking replies can disastrously skew results.If 5% are dissatisfied with a particular aspect of a product, then a mere 5% of users jokingly reporting the same will double the negative result.

Due to skewed results, most companies opt to hire the third party companies so they might have better equipped professionals analyzing the data.Experts are able to manufacture the questionnaire to avoid joking replies as much as possible, even though they cannot be completely avoided.Researching and analyzing the data after the results are compiled is how a business will truly utilize third party servicers.

A customer survey is used to gather many types of information; therefore they are designed in different ways to meet these various needs.Determining a company's survey campaign can take weeks or even months to figure out.These things should not be entered into lightly, and that's why most choose third party companies.In this information age you can call upon experts and gain more knowledge just through the use of the internet.

About the Author

NBRI, for over two decades, has been providing valuable customer survey support for businesses interested in discovering their customer's feedback.

For more information please take the time to visit NBRII.com.

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The Businesses Costs of a Data Breach

The greatest fear of any CEO, CIO or CSO is that the security of the sensitive information held by their company has been compromised.The first consideration should be given to the customer; after all, it is their privacy which has been invaded.After dealing with this, there is the nightmare of all the costs which your company will incur as a result.The average cost to a company resulting from a data breach in 2007 was $6.3 million!

A survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute found that 58% of respondents who had received notification that their personal information had been compromised by a data breach had lost confidence in the company and that 31% planned to cease doing business with the company.The cost of notification alone may come to as high as $197 per letter.

Most states now have laws regarding privacy protection in place requiring companies to notify all customers, vendors and employees in the event that personal information has been compromised by a data breach.There are federal laws such as SOX, FACTA, HIPAA and GBL which lay out the responsibilities of companies with regards to the protection on personal information including medical records, credit card information and financial statements.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and other organizations which are responsible for compliance with privacy laws will investigate whether a company whose data has been compromised took appropriate action to ensure the safety of data.Class action suits will be filed on the behalf of those whose information was put at risk and vendors and banks may sue to recoup any losses they have suffered as a result of your data breach.

These are just a few of the ways that a data breach can be expensive for your company - there are both direct and indirect costs which may be incurred.

Direct Costs
1.
Customer notification
2.
FTC fines
3.
Law suits
4.
Falling stock price
5.
Higher insurance premiums
6.
Lower credit rating
7.
Higher interest rates on loans
8.
Lay offs due to reduced earnings
9.
New computer security equipment purchases
10.
New marketing campaigns to reassure customers, media and vendors.
11.Court fees
12.
Attorney fees
13.
Unpaid purchases

Indirect fees are harder to track exactly, but are no less real for that.

There will be a significant amount of time and money which will have to be invested in marketing and advertising campaigns to rebuild the brand and reassure consumers.

The firm itself, especially the executives will find itself carrying the blame for the attack.News of the data breach will be broadcast; and questions will be asked as to where the company went wrong in their computer security strategy - and worse yet, why they didn't do more to protect this sensitive information.
The following is a list of just some of the indirect costs that a company may face ein the wake of a data breach:

Indirect costs:
1.

Damaged company brand and reputation.
2.Greater investment needed to regain customer confidence
3.
Diminishing new accounts.
4.Competition may acquire your customers, giving them more resources to promote their business
5.
Paying for credit reports to for your customers and/or employees.
6.Biennial security assessments for the next 20 years.
7.Employee preparation for biennial security audits.
8.Employee security awareness training.
9.Developing, implementing and managing new security policies.
10.Bad press.
11.Negative stock analysis reports.
12.Corporate executive and managers will have to re-direct their efforts to damage control and rather than corporate growth.

It is far less expensive to prevent a data breach than to pay for all of the costs they can cause your company after the fact.Preventive measures can easily and quickly be put into place; to implement an effective data security strategy, there are four areas of vulnerability which must be assessed: Physical, Employee, Computers and Networks, followed by employee education and implementing an integrated security strategy.

Finally, when the company's executives and managers investigate security solutions, do not forget to include employee convenience in the equation.An employee will always circumvent security for their own convenience.

About the Author

Dovell Bonnett is the author of "Online Identity Theft Protection For Dummies(R) - Power LogOn Edition", founder CEO of Access Smart and hosts IDProtectionExpert.

com.He provides businesses, campuses, and mobile employees security solutions.

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Sourcing The Perfect Exhibition Stands

If you tell someone not to judge a book by its cover, would you believe that they wouldn't?First impressions count for everything and often it takes just a couple of seconds to determine if you like what you see.Exhibition stands have the power to either invite or reject a customer's business within those few seconds.Finding the right balance between practicality and visual appeal is the key to your success.

Exhibition stands are a highly effective method of communicating your corporate messages to your target audience.The challenge is to win the audience's interest in the first place.Quite often, you will be surrounded by your competitors therefore having the edge is vital for winning the business.

With the latest software technologies now available, stand designers are able to create detailed floor plans and 3D design visuals, allowing you to see the stand before it's even constructed, thus saving you a great deal of time and anxiety.

However before you get to the stage of contracting stand designers, you must consider your budget, so you can determine what you can buy for your buck.Upon application to exhibit at a fair, you will be offered the chance to hire a shell scheme or bring your own stand.A shell scheme is a cheap and cheerful option, ideal for those with low levels of stock to exhibit or small budgets.They include compact rented floor space complete with carpet, walling, facia and normally a basic lighting track and electrical socket.If however, you are bringing your own exhibition stand, you will need to determine how much floor space you can afford when applying to exhibit.

Once you have your space allocated, you will need to supply the overall stand dimensions to your exhibition stand designer.Be sure to pitch your requests to a number of exhibition stand designers to see who can make you the best offer for your requirements.It's important when you are pitching your ideas, to be clear about the purpose of your stand.Are you purely planning on driving traffic to the stand or are you looking for a unit where you can hold business meetings?Will you require seating and privacy or do you want open plan?These decisions will affect the entire layout of the stand so it's important to be clear what you want from the start.

Exhibition show organisers impose strict guidelines regarding build heights to ensure all exhibitors are playing to the same restrictions.The job of the exhibition stand designer is to produce a quality, creative, and cutting edge exhibition stand while adhering to the restrictions imposed by the exhibition show organisers.

By supplying the designer will the appropriate graphics and logos, they will ensure the right corporate identity is projected.The stand designer will also be in charge of managing the specialist electricians, steelworkers, A/V crews and other required specialist trades.

The key to achieving the right stand for your business is careful planning and being open and honest with your stand designer from the start.If they produce a design in the initial stages that you don't like, tell them.At the end of the day, it's not just your money but your corporate identity on the line so you need to make sure you get the result you have requested.

About the Author

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in Event Organising

Find out more about Exhibition Stands and a look at how they help to promote your business.

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Computer Desks: How They Affect Health and Productivity

What kind of computer desks do you have in your workplace?Do they provide a comfortable setting at which your employees can work?This article will inform you about the importance of computer desks and how they affect health and productivity.Specifics may vary from office to office; however, the following information includes helpful and important guidelines from which everyone can benefit.

When people walk into your office, what is their first impression?Studies have shown that your office or computer desk can actually send messages to others about your work habits.What does your desk say about you?

Computer desks are an office staple.They provide you with a place to put computers, files, phones and for some, feet.Computer desks can also provide a sense of style and individuality!Whether you're running a large corporation or a small home office, you know that your desk reflects who you are as a professional and a living, thinking, creative human being.
Savvy business owners focus on hiring the right employees, getting the most performance and increasing revenue.Of course these are all integral parts of any business, but have you ever considered that computer also an important aspect of the workplace?An average employee spends 8-10 hours per weekday sitting at their desk.

If those desks happen to be cheap, poorly constructed and uncomfortable, the employees forced to sit in them may not be putting forth their best effort at work.With the right computer desks, however, you can keep your employees happy, comfortable and motivated to do their very best.

Did you know?Scientific studies suggest that the way you sit at a computer desk while working can have an effect on the development of spinal and back problems.If your employees do not have the proper computer desk furniture, you could be running the risk of work-related health issues.

All computer desks must all be set up in a way that is comfortable for each individual employee.They must be correctly calibrated for height, habits, build and even posture.Employees must be able to sit safely at their desks for several hours a day, so it is crucial that every aspect of the computer desk is designed to professional standards.

It's also important to take the time to think about the computer desks in your office and the features that are important to you and your employees.The decision to go with inexpensive, uncomfortable desks could be the decision that leads to poor productivity and increased employee turnover.Yet on the other hand, providing every employee with a great desk might just put your business in the red.Finding a good balance is the key.

Computer desks are available in many styles and finishes, and contain several different features that allow for maximum customization.The style of a computer desk is what sets it apart from the rest.Choosing a desk that fits into your office design and complements the rest of your office furniture is important.What is the perceived style of your office?Is it time-honored tradition?High status and achievement?Or maybe something futuristic and modern?And does every computer desk in your workplace have to be the same style and size?You might be better off using different desks in different sections of the office to save money.Be sure to take all options into consideration before you spend too much.

You can even personalize computer desks by choosing your base or leg style and a top material and finish.Choosing the right computer desks for your workplace is important.It's best to choose desks that are designed for comfort and manufactured for years of durable service.Also keep in mind that your computer desks should fit your organization, office environment, budget and staff preferences for every work application.

About the Author

Brian McBride is Director of Business Development of @ the Office, an office furniture dealer that has been selling and installing office furniture in Arizona since 1987.

Contact us for computer desks and services including design, remodeling and installation services - visit our website.

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Article Marketing - It's Not Increasing My Search Engine Placement

I am so frustrated trying to get this to work.What is the best way to increase your rank in the search engines?I tried accomplishing this through article marketing, but it doesn't seem to be working.Are press releases for important?I do not have PR Web direct.

Answer: Article marketing can be frustrating at the beginning because articles are a 30 to 90 day deal.They take a little while to get momentum going.Right now you may not see many results from articles, but six months to a year from now you will reap the benefits of your articles.So be patient.Article marketing is still an effective strategy.

Also do you have links in your articles?In your articles make sure that you have links back to your site.These links will help pull you up in the search engines.

The best way to get up in the search engines is to think about it like this.In the Presidential race, the candidates campaign for not only votes from the general public, but from the electoral college as well.The same applies to your search engine.This means that links pointed to your sites are votes from the general public.The more links to your website, the more votes you have.

In this case the electoral college is finding sites that have high Google Page Rank.You need to go to Google and download the Google Toolbar.This toolbar will enable you to find out the Google Page Rank for sites.Every page of every site has its own page rank.

Why is page rank important?Google measures the importance of the website.The higher the Google Page Rank, the more important the site, and the more important the "vote".High page rank sites would be the electoral college.So the goal is to get links back to your site from the high page rank sites.The key is to look for high quality links that point back to your website.

Following are other ways you can improve your search engine ranking:
1.
Press releases will increase your search engine ranking.You can use PR Web direct to accomplish this task.

2.You can buy links on ebay and linkadage.On eBay you just search for "page rank" and you want to find sites with high page rank.

3.You can use directories.A great resource that can help you get website traffic through web directories is at directory maximizer.This is a great way to generate leads and increase your page rank by submitting your high quality website description to over 600 different directories.This website is used by a lot of top Internet marketers.

Before you use this website you need to create descriptions that will grab the reader's attention.Then you submit these descriptions to these 600 web directories such as the web directory called DMOZ.

In order to generate the best results by submitting your website to these online directories you have to create five different titles and descriptions.Why?You need five because you want them to be rotated so you avoid any duplicate content issues.Then you can have Directory Maximizer manually submit your website to over 830 different directories for you.This saves you a great deal of work.At a little cost per directory submission.

If you had to manually submit your website to 830 directories it could take you up to 52 hours.This company will do it for you at a rate of less than $1.70 per hour.I used them for every single one of my websites and highly recommend them.Doing every website may be costly, but it was worth it for me.

About the Author

Email Marketing is the most profitable way to make money on the internet.

Discover how to use the internet and turn your computer into a cash gushing machine.Sign-up right now for Matt Bacak's FREE online newsletter to find out how to do exactly that - Go here:www.promotingtips.com

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