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Blog Design Update for 2014

by Melvin · May 18, 2014

I hinted at a blog design makeover in my previous blog post and here it is now. Unfortunately, it’s not 100% complete yet and because the current blog theme during the time looked more messed up while this is being cooked up, I decided making this new design live is a reasonable decision rather than continuing with a messed up theme.

There will still be lots of changes that is going to happen over the next few weeks and months however in terms of the layout and structure, this will be it. 🙂 As you can see it is simpler and cleaner than ever and with less elements to be distracted about. I will still run ads as they come but it will not be in the same quantity as it used to before.

Finally, I am still feeling my way on the things that I can do with the new template which by the way is from Genesis of Studiopress still. As hinted on the temporary header, I would like to make the design more picture-oriented. Not that I would start posting pictures solely and forget about writing text, but I’d like to see if I can add something more “artistic” and “creative” to the way I do things and by that I mean running this personal blog. I also don’t have a logo yet considering the old one simply can’t be transferred here. I also wanted a new logo to refresh things up and I’m fortunate to tap the services of a talented graphics designer which happened to be my friend. I’m excited!

As always, let me know what you think and what I can improve more in the design. I will be writing a full blog post on the blog redesign once it’s completed and I’ll go in-depth on what the changes mean to me and to you as my reader.

Catching up with Technology

by Melvin · May 11, 2014

Since my family is not considered to be a wealthy one, I did not get to experience all those expensive toys or gadgets that other people do growing up. I was most of the time given what is adequate and needed but nothing else beyond that. That helped me a lot in not craving for the hottest gadget in town as my interest in having them is non-existent.

It’s not until I got a job that I started having more interest in having them. I grew up having a computer that is very much useable. During my middle high school years (2003-2005), I was given a Pentium 4 computer and while it’s a decent computer, it’s not considered one of the best at the time. I also did not have any other gaming consoles other than the legendary Ps1. Most of the time I was contented playing brick games because I genuinely think it was cool back then.

Fast forward to the last 5-6 years or so, not a lot has changed. I am using a dual core computer as I’m typing this. I still do not have a console (PS1 is dead by now) and I don’t have a tablet or any fancy gadgets like that. Now I mentioned the word “not a lot” which means some things have changed.

Couple of months ago I got myself a Nexus 5 mobile phone to upgrade from my ancient Samsung Galaxy Mini purchased in 2011. Imagine the massive upgrade in Android version as I went from Froyo to Kitkat in one change. The Nexus 5 at the time of this writing is a flagship from LG/Google (albeit a cheaper one).

Even longer before that I also purchased a decent camera in Sony Nex 6 which definitely was expensive. Prior to that I have an even more ancient Sony DSC-whatever camera that uses AA batteries geez. Of course the Sony Nex 6 camera is purchased with a purpose in mind which is to learn photography by investing time and money into it. I won’t say I’m going to be looking for a career centered around it but I want to hone a skill in that.

Finally, there is this headphone hobby which is by far the most expensive investment that I have. It started sometime late in 2011 and the fruit of that is the creation of Headphone Philippines which is primarily a headphone review website. While the hobby is expensive and the return from a financial standpoint is quite minimal, I would say that I’m very happy and satisfied doing this whole headphone thing.

In the next 4-6 months I am planning on upgrading my main workstation which by the way is still an Intel Dual Core that has a passmark of 1,200 (yuck!). I would obviously not go for the best but anything that will make me more efficient is a good and worthy upgrade.

You can say one way or another that me having a consistent job, while still getting some money online has allowed me to change a bit in terms of how I view gadgets and new technologies in general. While I certainly won’t spent a fortune on things that are not useful to me, if given the right time and preparation (financially), I can’t see why I won’t be able to catch up on new technologies and upgrade myself a bit for the better hopefully. Then again, there’s this risk of spending too much and spending what you don’t actually have which I have to be extremely careful about.

Technologies also don’t just revolve around physical things like gadgets, etc. It’s also found online like this blog and my other blogs, my hosting, CMS software that I’m using, CDN network that I’m on, email newsletter system, and many other things that I probably don’t even know myself.

Finally, it might not necessarily be purely tech but over the past couple of years I’ve started buying more stuff online as oppose to the traditional ways. For gadgets that I’m not able to find locally I use Amazon. For clothing, I use a company called Zalora and they actually have a wide inventory of items to choose from. Fila Philippines is one of the examples. The classic Fila brand isn’t widely sold in malls these days but Zalora has them which is nice.

It would be interesting to see how buying clothing and other stuff online will grow more in the coming years as people start discovering and realizing how convenient this is when compared to physically going to stores.

Nonetheless, I guess it’s safe to say that I’m catching up a bit here.

Looking for a New Theme for Redesign 5.0

by Melvin · May 9, 2014

This blog has undergone 4 design changes since it was started in 2009. It’s amazing how each of the blog designs are so different from each other and have different focus. And contrary to what people think when I made these changes, countless hours were actually spent in planning and tweaking the design to make sure they fit in based on how I envision it.

Of course a lot has changed since the last redesign. First is me reverting back to casual posting without any more focus on making money and growing my readership. Second is me leaning towards a simple, even ‘old school’ blog template. No interest in magazine themes anymore, nor do I want carousels and all those fancy stuff that just increase load time. All I want is a theme that features my writing and rambling. Nothing more, nothing less.

With that being said, I am probably sticking to Studiopress as they have some of the best ‘simple and clean’ themes available around. In fact the current design which is called ‘eleven 40’ is still great but since it’s been running this same theme for more than 2 years now, I decided that a change is inevitable.

Well, let’s just say that the theme-searching and overall design planning starts now. Do you have any Studiopress theme that you can suggest to me? Or even no Studiopress theme would also work fine if I happen to like the theme. Feel free to share what you think in the comment form below

My First Post for 2014

by Melvin · May 3, 2014

It’s amazing that this blog is approaching its 6th year. I have to say that time really does fly rapidly and reading some of the first posts, it’s clear that I have improved in many ways related to blogging itself. Unfortunately, it’s not possible for me anymore to pump out content the same way as I did before and do other things related to making this blog popular again.

This is my first post for this year and if I’m lucky, I might make at least 10 posts for the year. But then again, I’m not looking at it as a goal for myself. Perhaps making money online exclusively is not for me (first post).

Anyway, I’ve been busy with the same things on a daily basis. My work still takes most of the priority here and a big part of that is also traveling back and forth as I spend 3 hours on transportation time daily. Work-wise, I have been upgraded a bit which is always good for my young career. Due to that, I may not look to move anymore.

Outside of work, I do work mostly on my hobby project which is about Headphones. The site is thriving slowly but surely and I can’t be more than happy with the progress. In a way, I would say it’s very satisfying as I get to try many headphones myself w/o incurring any costs at all.

I’m very happy too that I’ve received my first check from Amazon which is the only way I intended to monetize the website. While the amount is not extraordinary, I’m surprised that the website was able to make any money as I certainly did not have any expectations from it yet. Overall, I’m quite optimistic for its future.

Finally, I have very much decreased doing consulting work for friends, acquaintances because my interest in it is much lesser now compared to the previous years. The idea of delegating some part of work has only remained as an idea unfortunately.

That is pretty much what I’ve been doing for this year. I also currently tune in to the NBA playoffs which is appearing to be a competitive one for this year. Who do you think will go all the way? 🙂

Merry Christmas to Everyone

by Melvin · Dec 24, 2013

I have not really written here for a long while now but I wanted to take this time and greet everyone a merry merry Christmas (or Happy Hanukkah if you’re a Jew). Be sure to enjoy the holidays but at the same time don’t consume too much alcohol and unhealthy foods. :p

I have been meaning to write another post soon where I would disclose more about what I do these days but for the sake of brevity, I have sort of settled for a more normal life (as some of you probably know already). I took a job in mid 2010 and I still am working for the same company as of this writing. Whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen. 🙂

As for online stuff, I have mostly been helping out some friends with their basic SEO stuff and have been dabbling with some freelance work (fyi I have been since 2009). And finally, the only personal project that I have been working on sort of is my Headphone Philippines website. The progress is going quite well since I started putting in more time on it during the middle of this year. Nonetheless, I’m quite excited for the potential of this even though I’m not really on it for money.

So that’s it! Again have a merry and fruitful Christmas and a happy new year!

Remote Tech Support Cutting Last Ties To Remote Employees

by Melvin · Dec 11, 2013

This is a guest post by Amanda Green.

The irony of the term “information superhighway” is in how it’s making real highways obsolete.

For quite a few years now, workers have become less office-dependent, gaining freedom in where and how they can work.

It has benefited them and their employers in many ways, saving money and time in everything from office overhead to commuting costs.

But many supervisors are still unwilling to have staff out of sight and out of earshot. The various reservations they have are all but myths.

How Can I Fix Their Problems?

Perhaps the most legitimate concern is that computer issues can’t be easily dealt with for off-site staff.

The whole heart of effective telecommunication beats with computers. If a worker’s computer is not performing the way it should, he or she is left with little opportunity to be productive.

Now what? All the productivity saved by letting the worker operate off-site is now in peril, all because he or she can’t figure out a software problem.

In the earliest days of telecommuting, that fretting would be justified. But like all technology, it has pushed past this disconnect.

In the last few years, remote IT support has even made it possible for a technician hundreds of miles away to access an employee’s computer and conduct a multitude of tasks, such as software updates and virus removal. This type of support software allows you to use a remote workstation to access customer’s computers so that you can solve problems quickly, or to demonstrate how they can fix these programs in the future.

How Do I Know They’re Working?

That’s the most obvious concern. Are my employees awake and being productive?

Fortunately, it’s easy to track the answer. Microsoft Lync and other communication networks highlight each person’s status; if their mouse or keyboard has been touched in the last five minutes, the person shows as active.

Most of these systems also incorporate instant messaging, voice-over-internet telephone functions, and file-sharing as well. Those components make the virtual office even more functional.

How Can They Get To Their Stuff?

Somewhere in many employers’ minds remains an image of the office worker who dutifully totes a shiny briefcase to and from the house each day, completing some work in the evenings after a slice of apple pie.

These days, electronic files are the norm, but some supervisors can’t seem to snap that 1958 scene from their minds.

That’s not to say that everything is always at arm’s length, as in Ward Cleaver’s attache. Access to files is a challenge. Nobody wants to spend the entire day emailing attachments to workers who should be at an adjacent desk.

But secure cloud storage and other networking methods have made file transfer as easy as it is in the office with a shared server.

How Can We Communicate?

Nobody wants a semi-square callous on the ear from an entire day on the phone with telecommuting workers.

But the aforementioned Lync, as well as a veritable army of other remote conferencing systems, make it simple and seamless to video conference or chat with workers anywhere. Text messaging and social media simplify mobile contact as well.

Remote workers are not without their headaches. Their home DSL can fail while office-based co-workers can remain online. Some telecommuters allow too many distractions to endure.

But the larger barriers have been breached with technology, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to service and repair that technology ensures that the system remains strong.

Leveraging Mobile App Discovery

by Melvin · Dec 10, 2013

This is a guest post by Paul Malicki.

On October 30-31, the 7^th Search Engine Marketing Conference took place in Hotel Intercontinental. The event featured some of the biggest digital marketing agencies and speakers from the Philippines, US, Australia, and Europe. Among various theme related primarily to new trends in SEO and search engine advertising, only a few speeches extensive elaborated on mobile marketing. My topic, i.e. “Leveraging Mobile App Discovery” was probably the only one, which fully focused on mobile.

Marketing objectives VS app discovery

Any business engaging in mobile app industry (on a different note, isn’t it a right time to start referring to it as an “industry”?) should start with defining the objectives of their campaign. There are two main marketing objective, one being direct response and the other– branding. Let’s treat SEO as an external universe to these two, although we all know that SEO primarily aims at increasing conversion rates. Thus, during the user acquisition stage most of the efforts should focus on the former. Branding is a great way to increase the brand loyalty and brand awareness and it should be underestimated. However, still many businesses underestimate the fact that user acquisition demands separate type of marketing. Whether these are Facebook ads or AdWords or even social media content, choosing the right type of bidding, tracking and target URL is a must. Once we define the objectives we can finally understand what app discovery is all about. Just look at the definition below:

Most successful app discovery channels

How do most of the users find out about your app? The results shown by the biggest research I found on this topic, suggest that mobile is a totally different world. Remember all those articles about how great Google AdWords and SEO is for the desktop conversions? Leveraging mobile app discovery is not anymore about Google AdWords and SEO. Focusing on app reviews, positive word-of-mouth, and social media seems to be key to increasing the user base. As much as 63% of the users find out about the app through… searching in the online store! Nearly 50% – by speaking with their friends or family, while another 34% – browsing through certain categories in the app store. The fact that a typical digital marketing channel comes only on the 5^th place signifies to the fact that creating good vibes and optimizing app store present are a must!

How do we do it at Easy Taxi?

Let me briefly introduce you an interesting startup. Easy Taxi is world’s biggest taxi hailing application, available on iOS and Android devices. With the app you can easily, with one-click, request for a taxi (and track it in real time). Although the company has been present globally for nearly 2 years, the local operations and marketing are so unique, that each local branch we initiate is a true startup.

Mobile ads

Our approach to marketing is very holistic. In the explanation below I would like to focus on my favorite user acquisition channel, which is Facebook ads.

Have you noticed that social media was mentioned as the 5^th most popular channel in the diagram above? Not without a reason. One unique thing about using Facebook as an acquisition channel is that it creates a brand environment that surrounds an ad. Each viewer is able to see the fan count, company description and additional graphics, which accompany brand’s Facebook presence. This makes them more convinced about the product. And although the relative conversion rate is quite low, in the developing countries, where advertisers don’t fully utilize that platform, you can easily get a Click-Through-Rate on mobile of 2%+, which assures the Cost Per Click which is close to zero.

What are the features of a good mobile ad on Facebook? Let’s analyze a sample ad of Easy Taxi.

1. Pricing Model

Choose Cost per Install. It’s good for user acquisition since Facebook will automatically optimize the best performing ads.

2. Campaign Structure

This is a general structure I recommend to all advertisers. It’s simple and straight to the point. At the same time it allows you to distinguish between the test and main campaigns and track what works and what doesn’t.

3. A/B Testing

I don’t recommend doing the test without accruing at least 50 clicks. Just choose the best ad and replace the current if it’s underperforming. You can follow this diagram to better understand the process:

4. Targeting

Please note the following:
Target competitive fan pages and phrases
Consider targeting users with higher education
Technology Early Adopters tend to produce lower CPA
Target precise interests and job positions

5. Creatives

A good ad is engaging and has a call-to-action. It also features an image which clearly explains app usage or a user case.

6. Others

On the top of that don’t forget about the following features / functions:

High Ad Rotation
High CTR = low CPC. Quality Score matters
Register your app with Facebook. Use native SDK or third-party SDK for tracking, not iTunes or Google Play ID
Understand Facebook bidding model
Make sure you don’t display your ads towards existing users
Analyze. Analyze. Analyze.

On a final note, let me outline a few recommendations to anyone who wants to start with mobile marketing. The main one is to try different things and stick to those that work. But before you do that, calculate your Customer Lifetime Value. It might happen that your app just won’t monetize and then your efforts will be pointless.

Before you start, calculate your cLTV (Customer Lifetime Value)
Measure your results regularly and make sure that your CAC (Cost per Customer Acquisition) is low
The only right approach is a holistic approach which puts an emphasis on various mobile strategies
However, there are usually 1 or 2 channels that work best
Find a partner
Humanize your brand and do something for others
Offline is not dead