Signs You Are Ready For a Home Loan

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Why Choose High-Pressure Facade Cleaning?

Summary

    – Façade cleaning: essential!

    – Pressure washing of a facade

    – High-pressure facade cleaning to clean what?

    – Why choose high-pressure facade cleaning?

    – Who can do high-pressure facade cleaning?

    – How to clean your facade?

Facade cleaning: indispensable!

The appearance of dirt is often the result of a lack of maintenance of your facade over time. Facade cleaning is intended to maintain your building; it rids the facades of dirt from atmospheric and biological pollution. 

With a diagnosis intended to establish the work to be done, facade cleaning is the first stage to be carried out. Indeed, a clean facade makes it possible to visualize better the lack of protection, the errors of implementation… 

Depending on the state of the facade and the type of materials, trimming and means, you have various kinds of cleaning, including high-pressure cleaning that we will see in this post.

Please note that some types of cleaning are pretty straightforward, but others require professional know-how and skills. 

Pressure washing of a facade

The high-pressure cleaning of facades is an aggressive cleaning technique with water projection on the facade.

It is also possible to proceed with low-pressure cleaning, more gentle and more respectful of materials.

What is the purpose of pressure washing a facade?

High-pressure cleaning is used to clean:

    – greasy dirt;

    – dust;

    – black dirt;

    – paint residues.

It is used on:

    – stone;

    – brick

    – concrete;

    – wood.

Why choose high-pressure facade cleaning?

High-pressure cleaning is mainly used for the maintenance of facades and to reduce their clogging.

An annual cleaning will avoid long-lasting clogging provided that it has been treated with a water-repellent product and an anti-moss treatment.

Facades that are already dirty are cleaned thoroughly of atmospheric dirt, especially greasy dirt, using hot water.

Note, however, that you should avoid high-pressure cleaning in winter because of the risk of thermal shock.

It will help if you don’t use pressure washing on surfaces in poor condition. For instance, when there are degraded joints and in case of risk of infiltration.

How to clean your facade?

Before carrying out a pressure washing of your facade, it is necessary to protect the areas that are not cleaned, such as the windows, and protect the environment from water projections.

It is also essential to wear protective clothing, goggles, a mask and a pair of gloves.

Here are the steps for a high-pressure facade cleaning:

    – Apply treatment products as needed to the facade to be treated to soften biological soils, greasy soils, etc.

    – Soaps, wetting agents such as Teepol can be applied.

    – Apply the products with a sprayer, leave for 30 minutes, brush and rinse with a high-pressure jet.

    – Start at the top and work your way down the facade, from right to left or left to right, depending on your hand, keeping the spray nozzle about 50 cm from the facade.

    – Adjust the pressure so that it is not too strong. Adjust it to the type of material; if necessary, do some tests.

You should use chemicals with care, so read and follow the instructions carefully. 

Who can perform high-pressure cleaning of the facade?

It may not be a much easy DIY task to clean the facade of your own business. Suppose you are environmentally conscious or don’t like the smell of chemical solutions that can damage your facades. In that case, Cancore Building Services can help you. They make sure to use only the safest environmentally friendly methods.

How did you find this post? Remember to leave your comments and share.

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Factors Affecting the Choice of Research Topic of Sociologists

The study of sociology is beneficial for both the individual and society. However, before embarking upon a research, it is evident that sociologists have to decide what they are going to study. But, this choice can be affected by several factors which you will discover below.

1.Values

Clouds, Sky, Light, Head, Silhouette, Spirit, Soul

The researcher’s values and beliefs will definitely play some role in the choice of the research topic. Sociologists are unlikely to devote considerable time and energy to issues that they think are unimportant or trivial. For example, John Hagan’s values led him to consider financial crime as a significant problem in contemporary societies while Paul Heelas believed that the New Age movement and alternative spirituality were worthy of attention.

2.Developments in Sociology and in Society

Online, Education, Internet, E-Learning

What a researcher believes is important may be influenced by developments within the discipline of sociology or developments in the wider society. Remember that sociology is a profession as well as a discipline and many sociologists wish to advance their careers by criticizing or developing the work of fellow sociologists or by trying to resolve some key sociological issues. This might explain why so many sociologists have followed Durkheim in studying suicide while many other areas of social life have been comparatively neglected and ignored.

Similarly, risk has become an important topic of debate because of the influence of Ulrich Beck’s theories. If you take a look at the sociology of religion, you will notice how apparent examples of religious revival such as the revival of Islam and the New Christian Right have been studied partly in order to evaluate the concept of secularization.

When there are many changes in society, sociologists are likely to study them. Did you know that sociology was born around the 19th century, largely out of concern about the changes brought by the industrial revolution?

Moreover, in recent years, sociologists have studied apparent social changes in terms of theories and concepts such as postmodernism and high modernity and have turned their attention to environmental issues, with increasing concern about global warming.

Specific government policies can also stimulate research. For example, the concern with markets and competition in the contemporary sociology of education and the increasing concern with human rights in the light of the “war on terrorism” globally and anti-terrorist legislation in the UK.

3.Funding

Dollar, Currency, Money, Us-Dollar, Seem

A very important factor affecting the choice of research topic is the availability or otherwise of grants to finance the research. The people and the organizations who hold the purse strings can act as gatekeepers – people who decide whether researchers are able to carry out research or not. Research funds may come from charitable foundations, from industries or from the government.

Small-scale research may require little funding but major research projects can be very expensive and the sort of research that gets done can be very strongly influenced by those who hold the purse strings.

For instance, Tim May claimed that “there are periodic attacks on the legitimacy of research that runs counter to government expectation.” This means that governments may be actively hostile to research that attacks their policies or advocates an agenda different from their own.

Moreover, industrial providers of research grants tend to want some practical benefits from the money they spend, so research into organizations and work is most likely to receive funding from this source.

4.Practicalities

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Other practical difficulties apart from money can affect the topics chosen by sociologists for their research. The availability of existing data on a topic or the practicality of collecting data will both have an influence. For example, it is evident that Durkheim chose to study suicide partly because statistics were available from many European countries.

Some important groups in the population such as senior politicians and directors of top companies, rarely form the basis of detailed studies. This is partly due to their unwillingness to reveal their activities to sociological scrutiny.

Which factor do you think has the most significant impact on the choice of research? Please share your comments!

 

 

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How to Choose Your Outdoor Blinds

Summary

 – What are the characteristics of exterior blinds?

 – What exterior blinds should you choose for the windows of your home?

 – What exterior blinds should you choose for the exterior structures of your home?

 If you want to protect your house, apartment, and terraces and balconies from the sun’s fierce rays during the summer months, you need to think about equipping your facade and your windows with external protection. In their various forms, awnings can be adapted to all situations and can be of excellent service to you. Our article will help you make your choice of external blinds and thus remain with the freshness throughout the hot season.

 What are the characteristics of outdoor blinds?

 Their purpose is not only to shade your outdoor spaces, terraces and balconies but also to protect the interior of your home, acting as a kind of passive air conditioning. They also help preserve furniture and interior coverings by preventing fading due to solar radiation.

 They are resistant to climatic conditions, especially to rain and humidity, thanks to a water-repellent treatment or a coating that prevents water from penetrating them. These treatments also act as a barrier against mould and mildew.

 They filter UV rays and therefore protect your health.

 They come in many colours, from neutral to bright, plain, striped or patterned.

 Attention: if most of them are readily accepted by the local regulations, it is, however, recommended to inquire at your town hall to know if all of them are authorized and thus to be in conformity with the local urban plan or the allotment where the house is built and, in the case of a building, to ask the syndic which colour is to be respected for the installation.

 Which exterior blinds should you choose for the windows of your house?

 Although we most often think of horizontal awnings, such as awnings or projection awnings, vertical awnings are less common but very effective. You will make your choice according to space’s configuration to be protected; all models exist in ready-to-install or custom-made.

 Projection blinds

 Also called “Italian blind”, this model is easy to find and install with a few holes and screws. You need to find the right size for your windows.

 It is composed of a roller around which the fabric is rolled up and unrolled thanks to a cord and 2 lateral arms that you can lower more or less high until completely hiding the window to be protected.

 It is suitable for small windows, and it matches the fabric of the blind that protects the French windows, such as awnings. The arms’ length is limited to 120 centimetres, and their fabric width is also 120 cm.

 Awning

 The awning is both a decorative and protective element of the facade of the house.

 Its large dimensions allow the installation of garden furniture underneath.

 It consists of 2 arms that deploy in an open position to stretch the fabric. It is placed on the facade, and its weight requires the intervention of 2 people to do it.

 It exists without a box, for the entry-level models, with a half box to protect its canvas when it is raised and with a full box for even more effective protection of the fabric.

 It is a model that can be motorized or operated with a crank and home automation so that it opens and automatically closes when you are away, in case of sunshine, rain or wind, thanks to sensors installed outside the house.

 Some models with a box are sold equipped with LEDs to illuminate the evenings outside.

 In ready-to-install, its size rarely exceeds a depth of 3.50 m and a width of 5 m, which is sufficient to protect a terrace or a balcony of average height. Beyond these dimensions, you must call upon custom-made products or choose to install several awnings, which is not necessarily the most aesthetic choice.

 Good to know: the weight of an awning being consequent, and the slope’s adjustments having to be precise, it is often preferable to call upon a professional for its purchase and its installation.

 Which exterior blinds should you choose for the outer structures of your home?

 Awnings for pergola

 Suppose your terrace is vast, and you want to protect it effectively and aesthetically over its entire width. In that case, it may be worthwhile to install a pergola and awnings adapted to it.

 These awnings, which are easily attached, usually with a system of eyelets and cables, provide adequate protection from the sun or rain, as they are made of entirely waterproof fabric.

 Note: they can be found ready to install if you have chosen a pergola from a catalogue, sold as accessories, or custom-made if you have selected a pergola with personalized dimensions.

 Vertical awnings

 There are several types of awnings, depending on the protection you want to obtain.

 Roller blinds

 The fabric slides on 2 stainless steel vertical guides, installed on the pergola’s uprights. They are handy to protect yourself from the sun arriving laterally on your exteriors.

 Made of micro-perforated fabric, they allow light and view to passing through, but they are also available in a blackout version to hide from a side view. This type of roller blinds is rarely found in a ready-to-install version because it must meet each structure’s specific dimensions.

 

 Good to know: You can also install these vertical roller blinds on windows. They reduce the heat inside by 30%, acting as a passive air-conditioning system, and reduce the action of UV rays by 90%, thus protecting your furniture and coverings. Their dimensions vary from 80 cm to 300 cm in width and from 100 to 300 cm in height. They can be completed with a protective box. 

 Fixed awnings

 They are installed on the sides of structures, pergolas on the house, or adapted posts on a balcony, and they are designed to break the lateral views.

 They are fixed and permanently installed, except when they are removed for cleaning.

 It is necessary to find out if they are allowed in real estate and what colour to choose for the fabric and posts.

 Good to know: if you want to hide from an environment that is a little too invasive and you are not allowed to install blinds, it is usually possible to do so in a natural way with trellis and evergreen climbing plants. Again, if you are in an apartment building, check with your building manager to determine your rights and obligations regarding plants installed on your exteriors.

 Where to find outdoor blinds and at what price?

 You will find custom-made awnings in the awning shops, DIY stores, and the Internet or call Blinds and Awnings.

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The Methodology of Critical Social Science

There have been many concepts and methodologies in the world of social science and today, we will discover one of them: critical social science!

The Nature of Critical Social Science

Critical social science embraces all those approaches in sociology that aim to be critical of society in order to facilitate social change. Criticism of some sort is present in most social sciences, but according to some of its advocates, critical social science goes beyond simply criticizing. According to Lee Harvey, critical social science’s key characteristic is that “critique is an integral part of the process.”

In fact, a critical research process involves more than appending critique to an accumulation of ‘fact” or “theory” gathered via some mechanical process, rather it denies the objective status of knowledge.

This approach does not believe that you can simply discover the truth by using the appropriate quantitative or qualitative methods. Instead, it assumes that “knowledge is a process” in which you move towards understanding the social world. Knowledge is never completed and never finished because the social world is constantly evolving.

Furthermore, knowledge can never be separated from values. As members of the social world, researchers’ values and those of society are bound to influence them. However, their aim should be to try to get beyond society’s dominant values to try to see what is going on beneath the surface.

Critical social scientists tend to believe that the way society appears to its members can be misleading. Things that are taken for granted need to be seen in a different light so that the true values underlying them can be revealed. Once this has been done, it may be possible to use the new knowledge to transform the society.

Primary Features of Critical Social Science 

Brain, Question Mark, Alzheimer's, Dementia

  • Abstract Concepts and Ideology:

 Critical social research uses abstract concepts such as housework but goes beyond simply carrying out empirical studies based on such concepts. Instead of just measuring who does housework tasks, critical research tries to examine how such concepts relate to wider social relationships. Housework is seen as a work relationship rather than as simply a set of tasks to be performed. In this way critical research tries to get beneath the surface of social reality. This involves trying to overcome the dominant ideology or ideologies.

  • Totality, Structure and History:

Each abstract concept and particular belief cannot be examined in isolation. According to Harvey, it is necessary to relate each bit of a society to a totality. For instance, he says: “Totality refers to the view that social phenomena are interrelated and form a total whole.” 

Critical social scientists see societies as possessing structures. Structures constrain or limit what people can do but also make social actions possible. For example, per the traditional Marxist view, the capitalist societies’ structures make it difficult for members of the working class to set up their own businesses to compete with big elite companies. On the other hand, these same structures make it possible for capitalists to make substantial profits.

Structures, though, are not static and can change. Studies of society, therefore, need to be related to particular historical contexts. One needs to examine how particular societies have changed over time in order to understand them at any specific point in time. Thus, studies of the working class need to take into account how the economy and the labor market have changed since the advent of capitalism.

  • Praxis:

 Critical social research is not just a theoretical activity but it is also a form of praxis. For example, Harvey defines praxis as “practical reflective activity. Praxis does not include “instinctive” or “mindless” activity like sleeping, breathing, walking and so on, or undertaking repetitive work tasks. Praxis is what changes the world.” 

What do you think about critical social science? Please share your comments!

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Signs You Need to Hire Professional Office Cleaning Services

Keeping office spaces clean is a must. However, when you prioritize work above all, it means that you are letting office cleanliness take the backseat. So, to prevent this from happening, you need to consider hiring professional office cleaning services. Below are some signs that indicate when you need to take action.

1.Visible Dirt and Disarray

Dusty keyboard | Logitech KB320 wireless keyboard with a lar… | Flickr

Take a quick walk around your office and pay attention to the floors, windows, countertops and other such visible places. Suppose you remove something from the top of a file cabinet and you get showered in dust. Or you see the bits of trash of yesterday are still on the floor.

The worst part is when you see a mouse or rat running around. You might think that one single mouse does not represent a harbinger of doom, but let me tell you that if you came across one, there is a possibility that there are more. And food scraps lying around – whether on desks, floors or even in garbage cans, will undoubtedly attract these sneaky critters.

And, let me add that if you can see the general dirtiness and rats in the office, so can everybody else (especially important clients). Hence, only Sheen Cleaning can save the day.

2.Employees Can Get Sick

Illness, Cold, Flu, Medicine, Health, Shawl

Would you be surprised if I tell you that keyboards host more germs than a toilet seat? In addition, many studies indicated that computer mice and keyboards are the prime real estate for germs.

Now, if you noticed that your employees are often taking sick leaves and that too at an increasing rate, this might indicate that the germs and bacteria have been spreading around the office.

Furthermore, with the current Covid-19 outbreak, things have become more serious and cleanliness has become a must, especially in work environments, where there are hundreds of opportunities for viruses and bacteria to spread from door handles to copy machines and toilets.

Hence, if you want to provide your workers with a clean and safe working environment, you will need to hire professionals.

3.A Fall In Productivity

Digital Marketing, Technology, Laptop

Research has proved that there is a direct correlation between a clean working environment and productivity level. For example, a study showed how a germy doorknob could infect half of an office within hours and affect workers’ overall productivity.

It is evident that a cluttered and unclean desk will have negative impacts on a worker’s productivity. Dirty office spaces can not only cause workplace hazards but can also distract workers and this distraction leads to a fall in productivity. Besides, an unclean work environment can trigger allergies and increase the possibilities of illness for employees.

Moreover, suppose you think of solving the problem by getting the workers to keep the office clean and manage the clutter. In that case, you will be taking them away from their main tasks and responsibilities, which could further damage your business.

As a responsible business owner, the only way to increase productivity and keep your office space tidy and spotless is choosing professional office cleaners.

4.Hesitation to Have Visitors

Steelcase Introduces Flex Huddle Hub - Steelcase

Whether it is a relative checking in on you at work, a courier dropping off a vital parcel or an important business client, it is obvious that you want your visitors to be impressed with your office.

Always remember that a work environment is not only the place where you work but also a reflection of your product or service and hence your first line of defense should be a clean, tidy and professional office. In this way, you will be able to build a strong and trustworthy reputation with others to work with your business.

However, why do you feel uncomfortable when visitors suddenly stop by your workplace? Are you scared of what they might think if they see a dirty and unwelcoming place, with paperwork and dust lying everywhere? Or, are you scared that Jerry might pop his head out in front of your visitors?

So, my dear friends, if you don’t want this ugly nightmare, I suggest you take the help of cleaning experts.

5.Busy Season

World's Messiest Office Cubicle Discovered in Colorado | Flickr

When a business is approaching a busy period, it means that you have to prepare accordingly. What I mean here is that more business means more work and more work means more filth. While everyone is busy with the business side of things, you will need to seek out a cleaning company.

If you think it’s high time to invest in a professional office cleaning service, then check out Sheen Cleaning and see what they can do for your workplace.

 

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7 Reasons To Get Your Car Windows Tinted

Have you been thinking about tinting your car windows for a while but still have doubts? In this article, we mention 7 advantages of tinted windows; some of the benefits you may already know, but others you may not yet.

1) UV Rays Are Avoided By up to 99 Percent.

In addition to the fact that ultraviolet light is terrible for the interior of your vehicle, you are exposed to large doses of UV-A and UV-B radiation on long trips. The most dangerous can cause your skin to turn red, burn and, in the worst case, you can even get skin cancer. UV A has the same effects as UV B but to a lesser extent. As humans, we are very sensitive to these radiations, especially babies and young children who should be well protected. A good window tint can protect you, your baby and/or your young children. It reduces 99% of harmful UV rays (A and B). You protect your children and yourself against skin cancer and counteract the skin aging process.

2) Restriction Of the Outside View

A thief approaches your car to take a look at what’s in it but soon realizes that he has no, or very limited, view inside your car. Therefore, your car ceases to be a target thanks to the tinted windows. Lucky for you, but the thief will have to choose, unfortunately, a more accessible and therefore different prey.

3) Delays a Robbery

It is not difficult to imagine that a thief has little time for what he wants to do. In such situations, the thief often thinks, “I have to be quick.” The “robbery process” is as follows:

1) First of all, the thief has to look carefully inside your car to see if there are any valuable or valuable objects in it.

2) The thief has to keep a close eye on the surroundings.

3) The thief knocks on the car window or knocks it down

4) He has to take out or even unscrew, pull or knock things out. In short: it has to go smoothly and quickly.

Fortunately, (good) window films have another advantage that will make it even more difficult for thieves: the glass fragments of your car windows will not fly out in all directions when broken or thrown inside, but will be held tightly together.

Car, Wrap, Wrapping, Tint, Vehicle, Auto, Foil, Film

4) The Interior of Your Car is Well-Protected

The sun’s rays can make the interior of your car very hot. Over time, your interior will sag, and discolouration will occur. A good window tint can also prevent this. Thanks to the UV-reducing effect of the particular window film, the surface temperature can be reduced by up to 16 °C, and the interior and other elements of your car will fade less quickly. Since your car will be cooler with the car windows blacked out, you will also use your air conditioner less, leading to fuel savings.

5) More Protection In Case of Accidents

No matter how well you drive, sometimes, unfortunately, you can’t avoid an accident. In an accident, shards of glass from car windows often fly in all directions, so cuts can rarely be avoided. Tinted car windows keep the glass shards together in the event of an accident, giving you more protection.

6) Less Inconvenience

You’re driving in the dark, and an oncoming car turns on its high beams: very annoying! These oncoming vehicles often appear out of nowhere to blind you. They cause many inconveniences and can even cause accidents; many accidents happen because of oncoming traffic drivers’ headlights. Night goggles help with this but also tinted car windows reduce this annoying glare as much as possible.

Nissan Murano, Taillight, Break-Light, Rear, Tinted

7) Looks Tough and Elegant

You want to be unique and different? Tinted car windows give your car an elegant and chic look. Plus, with a business car, you can also give the impression of being a little sportier.

If you want to have your automotive glass changed or replaced, the highly trained technicians at Vehglass in Melbourne, VIC, strive to provide exceptional service using high-quality materials and cutting-edge technology. They also offer custom automotive glass-cutting services. Contact them for more information.

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Tips for Preparing and Serving Raw Pet Meat

Just like us, our pets deserve the freshest foods. The curated range of fresh raw meat available at EcoPet is specially formulated for your pet’s optimal health. However, when it comes to handling and serving raw meat, there are specific guidelines that you will need to follow!

#1. Keep Everything Clean 

Knife, Cutting Board, Sharpening Gun, Wüstoff

Let me ask you one thing. When you prepare a delicious meal for yourself, do you usually cook in a dirty and messed up kitchen? Of course not! Instead, you always make sure that all your food preparation surfaces and utensils are clean. The same should also apply when cooking for your pet!

Below you will find quote from T. J. Dunn Jr, an expert in veterinary medicine, who explains why cleanliness is required when dealing with raw pet food:

“Almost all the raw pet foods you purchase have bacteria present on or in them. Only specific strains of specific bacteria have the potential to cause disease and then only when their numbers develop to fairly high levels. But if pathogenic bacteria are present when the consumer purchased the raw food and the consumer ignores safe handling procedures, those organisms may proliferate to a point where their numbers may cause disease. The organisms may also proliferate on utensils, containers, cutting boards, washcloths, anywhere there is organic material upon which to grow.”

As a result, experts recommend washing your hands before and after touching the raw meat. It is also essential to clean your pet’s food bowls (either before or after their meals) and all the dishes, cutting boards, and other utensils used in the meat preparation process with hot soapy water.

#2. Portion Control

Wood, Food, Meat, Beef, Seconds, Cooking

How do you know how much raw meat to feed to your pet? This is one of the most asked questions and I would say it’s a very important one too. Why? Because overweight dogs don’t live as long as dogs with balanced weight.

According to some experts, one crucial pet feeding guideline is to aim to feed your pet 3-4 % of its ideal body weight, split into two meals per day. However, there are other vital factors that need to be considered. For instance, for pets that need to put on weight or those that have higher nutritional needs, you will have to increase each meal’s amount, while for those that need to lose weight, the amount per day will have to be reduced.

You can also go scientific and use a feeding calculator. In this way, you will be able to plan your pet’s meals beforehand.

#3. Storing the raw meat

Beef, Meat, Food, Close Up, Butcher

Suppose you bought a huge amount of fresh raw meat for your dog at EcoPet. It is evident that you cannot feed all the meat to your pet in one day. So, you will need to store it properly.

Now, when it comes to your fancy steaks and gourmet chicken breasts, you tend to keep them in the fridge until you decide to cook them and the same applies to your pet raw food.

Until you decide to feed the raw meat to your dog, you will have to keep it frozen. For example, you can take the EcoPet raw meat, put it in secure packaging like a covered plastic container and store it in your freezer. This will prevent bacterial growth and reduce the chances of spoiling. Moreover, when the raw meat is being kept at a consistent temperature of 0 °F, it will prevent microbial growth, including yeast and mould.

But, always remember, if you are going to serve the food to your pet, make sure to serve it fully thawed.

So, now that you are aware of the safe handling techniques, you can go ahead and choose one of the finest fresh raw meats available at EcoPet!

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Dos and Don’ts For A Successful User Interface

User experience online is very similar to the user experience you get when going to a grocery store. You want a pleasant time without any hassle. You want to be able to navigate the store quickly, get what you need right away, head to the checkout line without a wait, and get back home.

It may seem a bit corny to think of UX design in terms of going to your local grocery store, but the experiences are similar. Our customers are visitors to the sites we create, and the groceries are the content in which they came to the site for. For those of us who go to the store, it’s easy for us to pinpoint things that irritate us or think should be improved. However, when it comes to our own designs and user interfaces and the creation of them, we may not be able to point out these irritants ahead of time before users do.

At Linkeo Ltd, we fix this by taking a step back and look for these weak points in our design, so that we don’t cause clients unnecessary frustration and keep visitors on our site so they can get to the content they were looking for.

Here are a few tips to follow:

DO: Provide a similar experience regardless of the device

Visitors are coming to your site using many different types of devices. They can visit your site on their desktop or laptop, tablet, phone, music player, game console, or even their watches. A big part of user experience design is ensuring that no matter how the visitor sees your site, they are getting the same experience they would if they were to visit from another device. A seamless experience across all of your devices helps keep your users on your site regardless of the device they are using.

DO: Provide instantly recognizable and easy-to-use navigation

The key to providing a pleasant user experience for users is to understand that they are in search of content. Provide a user-friendly navigation system that is easy to recognize and easy to use. Design your navigation in a way that gets visitors where they want to go with the least amount of clicks as possible while still being easy to scan and locate where they need to go.

DO: Make the most important thing on the screen the focal point

Users are more likely to quickly scan the screen than they are to read everything there. Therefore, if a visitor or user wants to find content or complete a task, they are going to scan until they find where they need to go. You can help them along by designing where they eyes should focus first, second, etc. (also known as visual hierarchy). Make the important things such as screen titles, login forms, navigation items, or other important content a focal point so visitors see it right away.

DO: Let the user control their browsing experience

When you design a website or user interface, you want to let the user control their browsing and movement through the site or application. It’s been known that things such as auto-play videos, taking away a user’s ability to scroll, music or sounds in the background, and opening links in new tabs/windows irritate users. These elements should be used sparingly and only when appropriate and expected.

DON’T: Letting the design of the site hinder the site’s readability

The design of a site or user interface should never interfere with the user’s ability to consume the content on the screen. This includes having busy backgrounds behind content or poor colour schemes that hinder the site’s readability. Focus on the typography of your site to ensure issues such as line length, line height, kerning, and font choice doesn’t pose issues for readability.

DON’T: Hindering a visitor’s ability to scan the screen

As I mentioned above, users and visitors alike often scan the screen quickly before settling in to read any one particular thing with focus. Users often scan for visual cues such as headings, pictures, buttons, and blocks to know where they should focus their attention. Using appropriate headings that are easily seen, pictures to illustrate points, buttons for navigation, and blocks of content that are unique or important help users scan the screen to find what they need.

DON’T: Fill the screen with non-related content

Going back to the grocery store example, if I’m looking for flour and sugar to bake with, I want to be able to go directly to the baking aisle and find those specific things. Users of your site or interface feel the same way. They want the content they came for without any other interference or distractions. If they are shopping for a t-shirt on your site’s store, they don’t want to see ads or recommendations to buy a new phone.

DON’T: Have several things compete for attention

Much like not filling your site with unrelated content, designing elements that have to fight for attention can also cause confusion and some nervousness in your users unnecessarily. Using visual hierarchy to design the user’s flow around the screen reduces the competitive feeling of different elements. Also, not having things pop up at users (i.e. modal boxes) and other things they have to close out to read your content keeps the focus on the content.

Conclusion

Standing back to take an honest look at your site’s user experience will help greatly reduce any possible frustrations or aggravations users may experience while looking through your site or application to find content or complete a task. With these do’s and don’ts, you can help your visitors out and provide a great user experience.

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The Advantages of Online Platforms For SMEs

E-commerce has revolutionised the business world, with a lot of small businesses positively influenced by these changes. With the increased availability and accessibility of creating and implementing an e-commerce platform, large companies are no longer the only ones to enjoy the benefits of selling products online. Small businesses have found success online and these companies have been able to grow beyond their expectations. This article aims to show you how, with the help of the experts at Linkeo Ltd, you too can reap the rewards of an online sales platform.

Attracting a Larger Customer Base

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of e-commerce is how it expands your customer base. If you are a small brick-and-mortar store, you can’t really expect to generate customer numbers beyond what is locally possible. On the other hand, when you set up an e-commerce site, your customers are not bound by geography. You can sell to customers around the world. Even if you don’t want to get started with international shipping, you’ll still be able to sell to a broader audience within your country. The benefit for a small business comes from how the increased amount of sales is generated with little to no additional overhead cost.

Access to Commercial Platforms

In order to enjoy growth in sales, small businesses naturally have to be able to get the word out. You need to ensure the customer base is able to find you and your products online. When your business is small, your website might not always be attractive enough to generate enough visitors. But e-commerce doesn’t just happen on single websites – there are plenty of commercial platforms that are open to all, no matter what the size of the business, like Amazon or Etsy. Small businesses can also be on a level playing field on different shopping portals aimed at helping customers to save money.

Free or Cheaper Promotion

As a follow-on to the above point, e-commerce and the Internet have helped provide free or cheaper promotional options for small businesses. Traditional marketing costs always have small businesses at a disadvantage. The cost of advertising in the newspaper or TV has continued to increase and physical advertising elsewhere can cost thousands. The Internet, on the other hand, provides tons of routes on a much more level playing field.

If your business is not yet promoting itself on social media, then you need to get started immediately. Regular posting on sites like Twitter and Instagram can help drive up sales. The great thing about marketing online is how you can use the power of social media and get your customers to advertise for you. If you can get them to post about your business, you reach more people and you didn’t even have to do anything beyond providing a great service and product.

Not to mention how much easier it is to customise the marketing to suit your customers. If you have a wide customer base, you don’t need that one single ad to suit all – you can use different platforms and marketing methods to reach different segments and ensure your promotional material is always appealing to the person in question.

Better and More Personalised Service

E-commerce has also helped drive sales because of the customisation opportunities. This is especially good for small businesses. As you learn about your customers, you can start offering more personalised solutions. Customers of the modern era love to tweak their products and buy something that isn’t available for everyone else – uniqueness and personality are the big words of the decade, if not century.

Easier Way to Shop and Sell

Overall, e-commerce has made the process a lot easier. Not only can it be easier for you to sell as a small business online, but the customer also benefits from the simplicity and ease of shopping this way. The simplicity can help your small business, as customers tend to look for things online before venturing out in the shops. Therefore, if you can provide a niche service, the customer is likely to opt for the ease of online shopping instead of looking around.

If your business is not yet part of the e-commerce revolution, then hopefully the above points will convince you to join up. You’ll experience higher sales and improved growth as a result. Let us know if you have more questions in the comments below.

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