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The Malta Independent | Thursday 29 January 2015
Link between personal websites and career success 84% say that they have received benefits from having a personal website, and 63% said websites are more valuable than their curriculum vitae or their resume. These were the results of the first ever study linking personal websites to career success published by branded.me - a personal branding platform and registrar and operator of the .ME domain name. The study shows that professionals today have received tangible benefits from creating and maintaining a personal website. 71% of those surveyed said that having a website is either very important or important in helping build their personal brand and 70% said that their website is either very important or important for attracting new opportunities. The majority of respondents (70%) believe that employers are reviewing their online brand before they are interviewed. Nick Macario, CEO, branded.me said that, “This study proves the value of personal websites and the benefits associated. A website is one the most powerful means of personal branding yet only 4% of people currently have one. We created branded.me to empower individuals of all generations and skill levels to take control of their personal brand and we couldn’t be more excited to team up with .ME to bring the first research of its kind to market around personal websites.” When asked what benefits they received from having a personal website, nearly half said job offers and over half said professional recognition and networking opportunities. 63% said that a personal website is more valuable to their long-term career than a resume, and 85% said a personal website will become more important over the next 5 years when it comes to career success. For this survey, a total of 15,072 respondents entered the survey, however, only 600 qualified based on the required criteria of having a personal website. People are building their own sites versus hiring a designer and it’s time consuming. 75% of those surveyed chose to build the site themselves through Wordpress or other website builder options, while only 19% hired a designer to do the work for them. 79% said it took up to a week or longer to build the site, and 49% said it took over 2 weeks. Websites are the most important aspect of an online brand. 53% of respondents said that their website is the most important aspect of their online brand, while Facebook at 21%, and LinkedIn at 12% were two the other popular rivals. The elements of a website that receive the best response from employers were work experience (27%), pictures (26%), biography (22%) and personal interests (19%). Blogs are tools that successful yield job offers. 65% of people with a personal website have a blog and 62% use their blog to grow their career. 61% said that they have received a job offer because of their job and 79% said that their blog is either very important or important for their personal brand. While blogs are seen as valuable, 63% of respondents report that they find managing their blog challenging. 73% said that the lack of time for writing made managing their blog challenging. Personalised domain names are commonly used. 72% said that they have a personalised domain name and 73% said that having one is either very important or important for their online brand. 66% have a personalized email address associated with their domain name. 84% have a .com, 23% have a .net and 14% have a .me domain name extension. Business cards are still relevant despite new technology. 65% said they currently have personalised business cards and 85% believe that business cards are still valuable despite advances in technology. 70% said they currently put their website URL on their business card, email signature or social network profiles.
Roderick Spiteri
Roderick Spiteri is Marketing and Communications Manager at MITA and editor of Malta Independent ICT feature
Navigating privacy in a digitally connected world
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esterday Europe marked the ‘Data Protection Day’ – a day that is now celebrated globally and is called the ‘Data Privacy Day’. The theme chosen for this year in the US centres on “Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data and Enabling Trust.” The day is dedicated to encouraging consumers to learn to protect their personal information and businesses to be more transparent about how they collect and use data. Data Privacy Day is led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), the nation’s leading non-profit public-private partnership promoting the safe and secure use of the Internet. “American consumers have fully embraced the Internet and understand the benefits and the risks of a digitally connected world that relies on the use of their personal information,” said Michael Kaiser, NCSA Executive Director. “We are on the cusp of many exciting technological breakthroughs in the medical field, the Internet of
Things and other applications that will greatly impact our lives. We will only achieve this great progress if we build a safer, more secure and trusted Internet. The respectful use and protection of personal information needs to be a foundational tenet that guides our ongoing development.” NCSA and a team of privacy experts developed the following simple, concrete and consumerfriendly tips. The tips were created to inspire all digital citizens to consider the implications of their actions and to improve their online safety and security. While companies, email providers and retailers should take on greater responsibility regarding privacy, individuals can also protect their personal information by using these easily initiated practices: Share with care • What you post can last a lifetime: Before posting online, think about how it might be perceived now and in the future and who might see it. • Own your online presence:
Set the privacy and security settings on web services and devices to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s ok to limit how and with whom you share information. • Be aware of what’s being shared: Be aware that when you share a post, picture or video online, you may also be revealing information about others. Be thoughtful when and how you share information about others. • Post only about others as you have them post about you: The golden rule applies online as well. Personal information is like money. Value it. Protect it. • Think before you act: Be wary of communications that implore you to act immediately, offer something that sounds too good to be true or ask for personal information. • Get two steps ahead: Switch on two-step verification or multi-factor authentication wherever offered to prevent unauthorised access.
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The Malta Independent | Thursday 29 January 2015
The Malta Independent ICT Feature
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hat you post online can last a lifetime. Yesterday was Data Protection Day in Europe (or Data Privacy Day in the rest of the world) and the aim of this day is to raise awareness to learn how consumers can protect their personal information and to encourage organisations to be more transparent about how they collect data and what they do with such information.
Customers are nowadays very active participants and businesses must realise this in order to be competitive online. A new study found that ancillary sales (goods or services that differ from or enhance the main services or product lines of a company) are vital for organisations. However, the same study also found that websites lack the sophistication that is required to exploit such revenue and that few organisations are using customer
profiling for such sales. Having an updated resume or CV is very important, especially for those who are actively searching for new job opportunities. A new study has found that the majority of individuals who have a personal website or blog claim that such an online platform is critical for success in their career ladder. All ICT Features are available on www.mita.gov.mt/ictfeature
Empowered consumers demand higher level of customised attention and service
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oday’s empowered consumers demand a higher level of customised attention and service online, according to a new Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Fusion. Understanding this unique opportunity for ancillary sales can help businesses improve their bottom line and long term relationships with customers, provided websites can customise offerings to meet consumers’ expectations. The Forrester Consulting study queried 159 U.S. and U.K. decision-makers with responsibility for ancillary products businesses. It found an interesting paradox: more than half consider ancillary sales revenue to be a key goal, but most lack the sophistication on their websites to realise the revenue potential that can be generated with targeted and customised ancillary offerings. In a related finding, Forrester reported that very few respondents are using a detailed customer profile for ancillary sales targeting. Instead, generic offers are presented to all customers, or are related to products in their shopping cart. Yet the research clearly demonstrated that businesses will find much greater success in online ancillary sales if they create a unique and dynamic experience for the customer. With the maturation of
“Consumers are clearly expecting this level of personalised attention, and will reward the online merchants who provide them with the most tailored ancillary options at the best time.”
web-based technology and the rise of social media channels, customers have been empowered to expect a highly personalised interaction at every website they visit. Therefore, the research shows that ancillary sales decision makers should: • Know the customers and what they are likely to buy; • Acquire ancillary products that are tailored to the customers’ impulsive needs; • Consider working with partners or vendors to optimise sales and ease the burden of fulfilment; • Place ancillary offers on the same web page as the purchase path to create more ease and convenience.
“This data unquestionably points to a sector that’s ripe for additional revenue growth, but only if it’s done strategically,” said Fusion President Bob Dufour. “Ancillary sales excellence can help both new and established companies improve their revenues online, enhance the customer experience and deepen their relationship with their consumers, but only if it’s done in the highly customised manner today’s sophisticated online shopper demands.” Dufour notes that several industries can benefit from ancillary sales excellence. For example, insurance companies could see a potential rise in sales from cross-selling solutions to combat the growing identity theft problem prevalent within credit card, banking and retail sales. In addition, telecommunications providers sell phone accessories and roaming Wi-Fi access, but other growth opportunities exist, such as handset insurance, extended warranty and home security monitoring. Financial services firms can also compete for a greater share of the customer’s wallets by offering tax return services, estate planning and more. “Incorporating personalisation technology into an online sales platform, identifying ancillary options, and optimising offers in the purchase flow are a few examples of personalising the customer interaction,” added Dufour.
For the “Optimize your path to purchase: Understanding the opportunity of ancillary products in digital channels” thought leadership paper, visit: http://bit.ly/14Yxcy9