Author Archives: Angus Jones

About Angus Jones

Angus started his first small business in 1989 and has since gone on to have a successful career in marketing. He realised although there were many websites for small business none was addressing the question of how to. Angus has a passion to articulate benefits that add value to customers/readers.

Selling Online For Dummies and Shopify For Dummies

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Paul Waddy, eCommerce expert and strategic advisor to some of Australia’s most successful online retailers, has announced the release of two new books, Selling Online For Dummies and Shopify For Dummies, a set of handbooks designed to give brands and entrepreneurs the expertise to transform eCommerce ideas into a profitable reality, grasping a share of the global multi-trillion dollar industry.

With a systematic approach to eCommerce, Paul has worked with some of the most recognisable brands in the country, including Showpo, The Horse, Baby Boo Fashion, Miss Amara, Oz Hair & Beauty, Geed Up Clothing, Go Vita, Riff Raff & Co, Muscle Republic, eShopping Group and Maison De Sabre, bestowing actionable advice that accelerates profitability, commercial growth and disruptive advantage helping his clients turnover collectively more than $500M annually. Now, with the launch of his international edition books, one of retail-tech’s brightest minds is accessible to anybody looking to change their path, start and scale an online store, attract and retain customers and more.

“Over the past 15 years, I’ve done more than just dabble in eCommerce; I’ve lived and breathed it, from all types of lenses. What I’ve learned is that no matter the size or saturation, opportunities and gaps in market exist regardless of global factors. The reality is, Australian retail is still very much in a healing phase and customers are armed with new expectations; now more than ever businesses need to ensure they’re equipped with the knowledge to effectively invest in their future and grasp the lucrative possibilities eCommerce presents. My goal with Selling Online for Dummies and Shopify For Dummies is to give everybody the best chance for success via actionable, easy-to-digest processes and insights”, said Paul Waddy.

Selling Online For Dummies, $39.95

Perfect for anyone who’s ready to take advantage of the commercial opportunities waiting for them online, Selling Online For Dummies is a must-read that will help you turn your great idea from virtual to reality, discussing topics like:

– How to find hot products to sell, and what to do if you don’t have an idea for one yet

– Building a website from scratch by choosing the right developer and platform

– Marketing your site by email and on Google, Instagram, Facebook, and more

– How to deal with payments, currencies, taxes, and duties


Shopify For Dummies, $39.95

Perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of getting their own online store off the ground, Shopify For Dummies will help you unlock the full potential of the most popular eCommerce platform in the world today. The book will help you:

– Manage and market your inventory, including how to create collections and upload multiple products and images with a single click

– Learn to market to the right people at the right time in the right way with Facebook and Google

– Set shipping prices and rules, and even create shipping accounts with Australia Post

Coinciding with the release of Selling Online for Dummies and Shopify For Dummies (available at all major bookstores and e-tailers globally), Paul Waddy has also launched Learn eCommerce (www.learnecommerce.com.au), an educational platform featuring e-training courses such as Shopify for Beginners and Ecommerce for Beginners, designed to help both beginners and established companies navigate the complexities of eCommerce in an easy-to-digest format.

Paul Waddy is a leading eCommerce executive, adviser and speaker with 15 years’ experience. In 2020 Paul was named Number 2 in the Top 50 People in eCommerce in 2021, and in 2022 Paul received the Industry Recognition Award at the Online Retail Industry Awards.

 Paul is the former CEO at The Horse, former Head of Operations at Showpo, and an adviser to some of Australia’s most successful online retailers, ranging from start-up to $500M. Paul’s expertise is in helping companies scale profitably, through improved processes and structure, as well as identifying growth opportunities, and assisting companies with execution of key projects. Paul is also an advisory board member of the National Online Retail Association (NORA) and the Director of Ecom Nation, a full stack digital marketing agency.

soft sell is crucial to sales conversion

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The soft sell sometimes gets a bad rap. In an era of aggressive marketing, particularly in the technology-driven e-commerce sector, there is little room for prevarication. One needs to convert, convert, convert – drive sales and grow, in an ever-competitive, ruthless marketplace.

The debate over hard versus soft sell approaches is as old as the hills, but the truth is that our customers are often just as overwhelmed by the whirring speed of overt blanket marketing as we are.

We need to redefine the soft sell. It is no longer its predecessor, the ‘softly, softly’ approach of yore. A soft sell today is a sophisticated, strategic, multilateral machine that builds customer trust and loyalty. It converts browsers to buyers, casual visitors to converts.

While the soft sell comes with risks, so do all sales strategies and the key to getting bang for your buck with any strategy is authenticity. In a crowded market and at a time of consumer fatigue towards insincere platitudes in promotions, you can guide your customers down the sales funnel with marketing content that provides value and builds trust. For those in business for the long game, it’s worth investing the same time and careful consideration into nurturing your customer base for the longer term.

Traditional businesses that have a website and e-commerce in place can sometimes see it as an ancillary, a necessary evil. For most of them, 95% of visitors will leave without engaging. However, if managed well it can be one of the major pillars to your business success and longevity.

You can’t see your website browsers the way you see your customers. They are less tangible than watching the foot traffic in your shop or showroom. If 95 percent of the latter walked in and out of your shop without purchasing or enquiring or even acknowledging, you would be very quickly putting strategies in place to increase customer service, increase targeted traffic, and retain the loyalty of your core customer base. So why not treat your online customers the same way?

Personalisation and segmentation

It is important to not generalise your customers. They are unique individuals, and beyond that can belong to various demographic groups, cultures, age groups and other areas of differentiation. This is important because they want different things from your business or product for different reasons.

In simple terms, don’t send the same email to your entire database. Systems are now geared to allow you to easily send a different message to different people in your database via segmentation and automation. Authenticity and care in your communications are key. Consider culture, language, demographic and the relevant targets of your offering when crafting your automated messaging, use your database wisely – segmentation is critical to relevant communications.

Email marketing automation allows you to send personalised messages (based on segments) automatically, as well as based on any trackable engagements that your customers take. Retailers can create very personalised emails that will resonate with their customers, to the point where selling doesn’t feel like selling, it’s valuable information that relates to their needs.

Give them a destination

Although soft selling via social media is crucial for growing brand awareness and building your audience, a call to action is crucial. There is little point in spending your valuable time and money on content to engage your audience if it contains no pathway or journey for the user to continue.

Encouraging your customers to do something after sharing information with them is known as a call to action. Calls to action might include ‘Click here’, ‘Learn more’, ‘Get started!’, ‘Download here’.

Without a clear call to action, conversions will remain low. If you’ve got somebody who’s already engaged with your content, give them somewhere to go. Content is never more powerful than when it encourages your consumers to act.

Communicate on their terms

Your online presence should let your customers communicate with you on their terms. How do your customers prefer to communicate? Do you have these channels clearly visible on your website? To bridge this divide, consider solutions such as live chat or Facebook Messenger as a chat option, along with a clearly visible clickable phone number on all pages of your website. If your customers are international, you could encourage them to use WhatsApp.

You should also include an email address, since people generally do not like the impersonality of filling out contact forms. Finally, ensure you’ve got links to your Facebook, Instagram and any other relevant social platforms on all of your webpages.

The golden rule here is this: when your customers initiate a conversation, via any of their chosen channels, do NOT direct them to another one. For example, there is no point in using your live chat capability to direct a customer to call a help desk. Utilise available technology to either resolve their query or undertake to return the correspondence directly, within their chosen channel.

Quid pro quo – value for contact

The number one missed opportunity on small business websites is that they do not offer visitors something of compelling  value in exchange for their email addresses. This seems fundamental, but value, perceived or in real terms, is vital in verifying and converting your potential lead.

Not everyone is ready to immediately book/buy from you when they visit your website. They may be ‘browsing’ or are at an early stage of  their purchase lifecycle. They are interested, but not ready to invest in detailed reading or immediate obligatory costs. But an offer that pops up, at the right time, promising to deliver them something of value is more of an exchange, and less of a database trawl.

This looks different for every business depending on your customers’ needs. Give your potential customers something special in exchange for their email addresses. They are already considering your product. How can you educate, inform, entertain, and ultimately convert? It might be free content such as a document or e-book download. It might be an appealing discount on their purchase when signing up to be a potential customer. Whatever it is, in this exchange, you get the email address and can nurture your potential customer with an email sequence tailored to them.

Soft and steady wins the race

It can sometimes feel that a soft sell is a bit like treading water, and not enough is happening. All of these tips and considerations will go a long way to strengthening your soft sell strategy, and remember the customer journey is not always linear, so everything you do to develop trust on your customers’ preferred channels can contribute to them becoming a warm lead.

The tapestry of techniques, capturing the interest and loyalty of those potential customers, and your authenticity and commitment to them, are all part of a sophisticated strategy that, if done right, will reap sustainable rewards. And it’s much easier to implement, when you have the right knowledge, support and digital tools, than you might think.

Article contributed from Liz Ward, co-founder and CEO, Navii: 

Liz Ward is the co-founder and CEO at Navii going digital. With more than 20 years’ experience helping businesses build their digital capabilities, Liz is a committed advocate for tech innovation.

Navii is an Australian government-backed, independent organisation that helps small and medium-sized businesses thrive in the digital economy. The team behind Navii has helped thousands of small businesses in Australia and around the world with unbiased digital advice, courses, one on one consultations and industry training.

Alongside a team of 11 in-house employees, Navii also boasts a wide network of trusted digital professionals, educators, and mentors who are on hand to provide specialised help and advice. Navii is always practical and jargon-free, with all materials written in plain English.  

Online customer experience tips that guarantee repeat business

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With great customer service comes great power. Every interaction with a brand is an opportunity for a customer experience that develops trust, reinforces brand loyalty and supports the consumer’s purchasing journey, whether it is a product or service that is being offered.

Here’s how to tune up your online customer service to ensure repeat business and a loyal customer base for years to come.

Value customers’ time with genuinely useful information

Customer experience online boils down to one key strategy: imagine the best possible experience that you could provide in the offline environment and emulate that in the online context, with consideration of consumer expectations for quality, personalised information and service.

Ultimately, it comes down to valuing your customers’ time. Your customers are busy people with access to what seems like an infinite choice of information and products. Every interaction you have with them must benefit them – not just you and your business. Avoid any marketing that feels like a ‘hard sell’, and instead show you value your customers’ time with content that genuinely makes a difference.

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What do they need from your company? What could you help them achieve? Ask yourself what you’d need from a company to have a memorable and enjoyable experience.

Ask yourself: How can you go that little bit further than your competitors? What could you do that would stick in their mind for longer than the time it takes them to browse your website? What could you do that would encourage them to tell their friends about it – even if they haven’t actually bought anything?  For example, you may offer them a valuable educational PDF or video, or a diagnostic tool.

Show a genuine interest in the experience of your prospective buyer by offering value without asking for a sale. Always give them space and time to decide, and never put them in a position where they feel they’re being forced into anything.

Offline thinking, online

Online customer experience is not so different from the offline context. Think about them walking into your shop and leaving without making any purchase, or enquiry. If you ‘saw’ this happen, as a business or marketing manager, you would immediately put something in place to change this behaviour, wouldn’t you?

Unfortunately, as a website visitor is less ‘tangible’ than seeing people physically walking in a shop, small business owners rarely think about the opportunity to increase website conversions from their website browsers. The truth is, they’re not just a number on your Google Analytics account, they’re a real customer with real wants and needs.

The key is to tackle online experiences just as you would offline. If you would like to offer your customer a chance to receive the outfit so they can try it on, ensure you have a robust returns policy in place. If you would like to give out tasters or testers in your online store, why not pop a small something extra like a discount voucher, in their order confirmation to encourage a larger purchase in the future? If you would have great in-store sales associates, why not install a chat function on your website that is managed by helpful, sales superstars?

Don’t miss out on customer experience after the sale

After-sales customer experience is an often-missed opportunity for building true customer loyalty. Don’t miss the opportunity to solidify the relationship, generate great word of mouth and reviews, and create that virtuous cycle that leads to new and repeat business in the future.

The customer experience doesn’t end at a sale. Even if your customers have already gone ahead with a purchase, you can still act as a useful font of knowledge and information, for example, sending a follow up email including a helpful video with information about how to maintain the product they’ve bought from you

The cost of acquiring a new customer is always greater than the cost of selling to an existing customer who values what you do. It makes sense to nurture loyalty with existing customers and develop win-win relationships that can assist you to achieve your goals – all while rewarding your customers with great customer service at the same time.

Aim to provide them with exceptional and outstanding customer service through your pre, during and post communications. Even a sincere ‘thank you’, will help keep the lines of communication open for repeat business and opportunities to continue your relationship.

Article contributed from Liz Ward, co-founder and CEO, Navii: 

Liz Ward is the co-founder and CEO at Navii going digital. With more than 20 years’ experience helping businesses build their digital capabilities, Liz is a committed advocate for tech innovation.

Navii is an Australian government-backed, independent organisation that helps small and medium-sized businesses thrive in the digital economy. The team behind Navii has helped thousands of small businesses in Australia and around the world with unbiased digital advice, courses, one on one consultations and industry training.

Alongside a team of 11 in-house employees, Navii also boasts a wide network of trusted digital professionals, educators, and mentors who are on hand to provide specialised help and advice. Navii is always practical and jargon-free, with all materials written in plain English.  

Guide to better mobile broadband

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Having fast and reliable internet is a utility we all now expect in Australia, just as we expect water to come out of a tap. In 2009 Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) was announced to provide better internet speeds for all Australians. Ten plus years on, the debate continues around delivery technologies and competition. This guide will look at how mobile broadband competes with the NBN and how you can improve your mobile broadband whether you live in a big city in a poor coverage area or use mobile data on the road.

NBN vs 5G mobile broadband

NBN versus 5G mobile data is about price, competition, speed and reliability. An internet provider such as Telstra can sell you a fixed line or wireless NBN solution or offer a service of their own. There are rules around this, but for simplicity, let’s compare an NBN fixed line connection versus a Telstra 5G home broadband solution. Equally, we could substitute Telstra for Optus, Vodafone or any of their service providers.

If Telstra sells you an NBN service, a portion of the monthly subscription goes back to the NBN. If Telstra sells you 5G home internet, then Telstra keeps all the money. So, which is better?

A 5G mobile broadband solution is cheaper and faster than an equivalent NBN fixed line solution. An NBN fixed line solution should be more reliable. Like your home network, an ethernet cable-connected computer will be more reliable than Wi-Fi. If too many devices try to use a wireless signal or something blocks or interferes with a wireless signal, this leads to reliability issues. However, wireless technology is going forward leaps and bounds, and there are ways for you to improve reliability.

How does mobile broadband work?

We expect mobile phones to work everywhere, but unfortunately, they don’t. If we are in a city elevator, which is a steel box, that will interfere with the phone reception. Mobile Broadband is data carried over the mobile phone network. In theory, you will have mobile broadband anywhere you have mobile phone coverage.

This diagram shows the basic principle behind mobile broadband. A mobile base station is connected to the internet. This cell tower then shares that internet via a wireless mobile data connection to a smartphone or mobile router. The speed and reliability of this solution are only as good as its weakest link (NBN also has weak links).

Factors affecting the speed and quality of mobile broadband:
  • Internet speed to tower – A 5G tower in Sydney CBD may have 2Gbps, whilst a remote town in central Australia may only have access to 25Mbps.
  • 4G or 5G tower – Assuming your device can receive 5G, and you are connected to a 5G tower, this will offer the fastest speed. A 4G tower is quite capable of speeds of 300Mbps or more.
  • Reception to a tower – The further away you are, or if you have obstacles like trees, walls, windows etc., will affect the speed and quality of connection. Note the number of bars you have on your phone is a measure of signal quality. The bars are not a direct indicator of mobile data speeds, which will vary.
  • Interference- Wireless signals from other cellular devices, microwave ovens, hair dryers, storms and even radiation from the sun can cause interference, reducing speeds.
  • Sharing of bandwidth – If the tower you are connected to has lots of other people connected either on a call or using data, you have to share the available resources
  • Plan – The monthly plan you are subscribed to may include limitations around connection technologies or speed limitations. Mobile plans normally have download limits vs unlimited.
  • 5G/4G Modem technology – Various technologies are employed in a modem to determine its maximum speed (see below). All smartphones have a built-in modem. If you subscribe to a 5G or 4G Home internet package, the service provider will provide you with a modem. You may also buy dedicated modems, sometimes called hotspots.
  • Wi-Fi quality- If your PC, tablet, TV etc., is hot spotting from your phone or modem, its speed will be affected by the quality of the Wi-Fi connection.

The outtake of this is you could have the best modem available but still get slow speed.

How to improve 5G mobile broadband

How much speed do you need should be your first question? A download speed of 25Mbps will meet the needs of the average individual 50Mbps for a family. (Netflix or a video call needs 5-15Mbps). Most NBN users have 50MBps, but both NBN and 5G are capable of more than 1000Mbps in the right conditions.

As we saw above, several factors will affect the speed and quality of your data connection. Most of these are out of your control, but there are two things you can do to improve your quality of service. The type of phone or router/hotspot you use and the addition of a high gain antenna.

Which mobile broadband router is best?

This is going to get a bit technical. The simple answer is a 5G modem will give you the best speed.

A cellular network can increase the speed of a mobile data connection by combining channels and having more antennas. This is done using the following technologies:

SISO vs MIMO

Only one antenna is used to transmit and receive in a Single Input Single Output (SISO) system. Multiple antennas are used in the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) case. MIMO is faster. MIMO combines the signal from two antennas to provide substantially increased data speeds. Furthermore, modems will be rated as 2×2 or 4×4, meaning they have 2 or 4 antennas. Four is better than two. Note that these antennas are normally internal. Attach an external antenna to a 4×4, and you will downgrade to  2×2. You still increase your speed due to signal gain depending on your distance from the tower. (I did say this would be technical) GadgetGuy tested a D-Link 2×2, and we are currently testing a Netgear M6pro 4×4.

CATxx

As our demand for data speed increases, mobile phone technology must also increase to meet this need. The Dlink mentioned above is CAT4with a maximum download speed of 150Mbps, and the Netgear is Cat20, capable of 2000Mbps. See the table below for different supported speeds.

This technology works by combining available slots between the tower and the modem. If the tower is congested, you will not see this speed benefit as the slots are being used by others.

High Gain antennas to improve mobile broadband

Ian Ferrett of RFI” Good reception is about antenna height and line of sight”. Ian also corrects one of our previous articles on connecting to the internet anywhere. He indicated that a mobile base station can communicate with a phone or modem further than 35km and provide a substantially greater range, especially if using a directional antenna.

External antennas improve coverage, whether you’re close to a tower, have poor mobile coverage, or are driving down the highway. Indeed in recent testing with the D-Link G415 router in a Sydney Suburb with a base station less than 1km away. We saw significant speed improvement using a high gain external antennas.

An external antenna can be run outside a house or vehicle and elevated to maximise the communication back to the tower. Check to see if your model will support external antennas. Both models mentioned in this article support a 2×2 antenna solution (they have 2 antenna sockets).

An antenna will have a dB rating which indicates the level of gain an antenna can provide. The higher the dB, the further the antenna will reach.

There are two types of antennas. A Directional antenna must be pointed directly at the mobile tower, and an Omni direction can point in any direction. A Directional antenna will deal with less interference caused by multiple phone towers.

Three common antenna solutions are:

Note that if you use a Cel-Fi signal repeater to help boost mobile signals, they are currently only capable of a 4G SIMO transmission. This means they will help improve coverage but not lightning-fast speeds. A Cel-Fi can be used instead of attaching an external antenna. We will look at this further in a future article.

In researching this guide, RFI technology solutions have provided products and expertise. RFI has been an Australian-owned manufacturer specialising in wireless coverage and solar power for the last 40 years.

Should I buy 5G mobile broadband?

Each of the carriers continues to expand its 5G coverage. A 5G modem is backwards compatible with 4G for those areas not yet covered. If you have no mobile coverage, see our GadgetGuy guide on caravan internet. A 5G home broadband plan will be cheaper than the NBN equivalent. Be careful when locking yourself into a contract, as it may not perform better in your location. Try to find what others are doing in your vicinity.

Remember, more speed is great but do you really need it? 50Mbps will be fine for most, which is more than enough for Netflix or Kayo.

A mobile broadband router is portable and can be moved easily between locations. Some even fit in your pocket. Don’t forget your smartphone is also a hotspot.

Those in remote areas, travelling the highways or even in the city can improve their reception, leading to more reliable coverage and faster internet speeds with an external antenna. Smartphones supporting Wi-Fi calling can also use the Wi-Fi output from a mobile router to receive and make mobile calls.

The principles discussed in this guide will help a Home mobile broadband user in the city improve speeds through to a regional user with very poor coverage.

Logitech’s Brio 500 Webcams & Zone Vibe Headphone

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Logitech has unveiled two new product series, Brio 500 webcams and Zone Vibe headphones, designed to meet the evolving needs of hybrid workers.  A recent study showed more than 89% of work-from-home adults struggle with unflattering camera angles, poor lighting conditions, and field-of-view limitations when using a built-in laptop camera. Brio 500 webcams and Zone Vibe headphones address the challenges users face when working from home, while modernising work and play experiences. Both make it easier for IT managers to equip their organisations’ remote and hybrid workforces in an environmentally sustainable way.

“Many remote and hybrid workers are still under-equipped and grappling with pre-pandemic era solutions,” said Scott Wharton, general manager of Logitech Video Collaboration. “Our innovative new genre of Brio webcams and Zone Vibe headphones answer the call of modern workers who need business-grade quality, style, and affordability for work and play. Transformational features like Brio’s Show Mode open up new sharing opportunities for teachers, designers, and architects to easily present physical objects, notes, and sketches remotely over video.” 

Brio 500 Webcams

Created for those who want enterprise-grade audio and video quality, personalisation, and more engaging experiences on video calls, Brio 500 series is a new class of webcams that solve the most common video conferencing challenges. Brio 500 series introduces the Show Mode feature that makes it easy to share sketches or other physical objects on the desk. With an innovative mounting system and built-in sensor that allows users to tilt the camera down to focus on objects, Brio automatically flips the image to render the correct orientation into video calls. 

Stylish design and fashionable colours–graphite, off-white, and rose–give individuals the freedom to customise their workstation to suit their personality and taste. RightSight technology (enabled through Logi Tune) automatically frames the user, even when moving around, while built-in innovations like RightLight 4 automatically correct substandard lighting.

Zone Vibe Headphones

Logitech’s new Zone Vibe series are the first wireless headphones in the market to combine business-grade performance with comfort, style, and affordability. Also available in graphite, off-white and rose colours, they are designed to be comfortable for all-day collaboration with colleagues and connecting with family. These lightweight over-the-ear headphones weigh just 185 grams, and feature soft-to-the-touch knitted fabric and memory foam.

IT Management

For IT teams outfitting employee workstations and home offices, Brio series is plug-and-play, compatible with most video conferencing platforms and certified for Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom. 

Pricing and Availability

The Brio 500 webcam and Zone Vibe 100 headphones will be available in September 2022 on logitech.com and at selected retailers. The suggested retail price for the Brio 500 webcam is $199.95, and the suggested retail price for Zone Vibe 100 is $179.95.

Why are insurance costs going up?

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Had to hold back a strangled cry when you last looked at your insurance costs? Impacts such as the changing climate are already being felt in areas such as home insurance payments. 

“Systematic shocks to insurance, such as climate change, are the most challenging threats to face for both individuals and insurers,” explains Michael Sherris, Professor in the School of Risk and Actuarial Studies, UNSW Business School, and Chief Investigator and Director of Industry Engagement at ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR). 

“Insurers need to absorb the impact of shocks such as natural disasters. To do this, they need business models to finance expected and unexpected shocks to ensure they meet their obligations to individuals who have claims because of the shocks.

“But unfortunately, it is the individuals purchasing the insurance who will have to pay for the impact.” 

Prof. Sherris explains why insurance costs are rising, how companies are trying to ‘shock-proof’ the system, and what individuals can do to minimise their insurance costs in the short run.

Why is insurance going to get more expensive?  

Prof. Sherris: The main types of insurance policies for individuals include home and contents, car (comprehensive or third party), life and health insurance.  

Businesses can purchase insurance products for a range of risks, including liability, business interruption, and property and assets.  

All of these are exposed to climate change events (natural disasters such as bushfires or wildfires, or extreme weather events like storms, and floods), and global warming, as well as inflation, and business interruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The important feature of inflation and climate-related risks is that these are largely systematic risks. This means they are so pervasive; they cannot be mitigated by risk management or diversifying providers’ insurance and investment portfolios. In short, they are likely to hit many insurance policies and industries at once. 

This means that insurance premiums are certain to increase, it’s just a matter of by how much and when.   

How would insurance costs be impacted by climate change?   

Prof. Sherris: Some insurances will be impacted more than others by climate change, just as some individuals and businesses are impacted more than others. Take, for example, the impact on properties located in flood-prone areas.  

While we have experienced increased floods and bushfires in recent years, climate change impacts are certainly longer term. These could lessen depending on how well we are able to control temperature increases through climate change mitigation: reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel, and other efforts towards sustainability.  

What other factors could make insurance costs more expensive?   

Prof. Sherris: In contrast to climate change, inflation is something that impacts the cost of insurance regularly. It is likely to have a greater impact over coming years: something increased by the fallout from the pandemic.  

Other issues include continuing issues with supply chains. Consider car insurance and the increasing cost for replacement car parts, or home insurance and building materials. 

What issues face the insurance industry? 

Prof. Sherris: The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) recently stated that for the insurance industry ‘supply chain disruptions, skills shortages, inflationary pressures and cyber risks are posing challenges within the general sector.’ 

Some of these are shorter term and some – like climate change risks – are longer term. These all add to the uncertainty that insurers must manage, which must be funded from raising premiums, or if through shareholder capital, then providing investors with lower profits and returns. 

They will also impact reinsurance prices that insurers must pay to manage their aggregate risks, since they not only impact Australia but are international pressures on the insurance industry more broadly. 

They place a renewed emphasis for insurers on capital and solvency. Reassuringly, APRA undertook stress tests of the Australian insurers following COVID, finding insurers well positioned to meet commitments to policyholders and minimum capital requirements.   

How is the insurance industry reacting?   

Prof. Sherris: Insurance companies regularly review the cost rating of all its insurance types against factors like expected inflation and the potential impact of climate change. Refining this process to factor in physical risks in relation to the effects of climate change (such as having a home in a bushfire, heat wave or flood-prone area), has resulted in higher costs for many. 

The increase in premiums will lead to an increase in underinsurance – something which is already a concern. Finding ways to spread these systematic risks, and to share the impact on premiums across a wider range of policyholders, is one way to make insurance more affordable for those individuals facing the highest premium increases.  

The Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation (ARPC) and the recently established Government Reinsurance pool for cyclones and related flood damage are one way that these costs are currently being managed by the insurance industry. 

How will small business react to higher insurance prices?   

Prof. Sherris: Increased insurance premiums will add to the financial pressures that many households in Australia are facing as a result of increasing interest rates, inflation in food prices, increases in energy costs, and more.  

Similarly, when it comes to underwriting (the process of deciding on the conditions of pricing and policy for a customer), companies will have to consider the financial risks, and price accordingly for risk exposure. 

All these affordability pressures are likely to increase the amount of underinsurance in Australia. This is already an issue since higher prices for goods and services usually lead to lower demand. 

Any tips to minimise rising insurance costs?   

Prof. Sherris: There are a few things consumers can do: 

Ask, is it a large or a small risk? When it comes to large risks, such as living in an area prone to sea level rise or flooding, it’s important to have coverage. But the costs can be reduced through a deductible at a level that can be managed.  

When it comes to insurance, consider the cost of coverage and how much risk you can afford to finance from savings. 

Make decisions about insurance coverage and how much risk to take for different types of insurance: You might choose to increase the deductible to reduce the cost of insurance. This might be helpful if you are driving fewer kilometres and can switch to an insurer or a policy which charges premiums based on mileage.  

Review the coverage of all your insurances regularly. How much are you paying, and has it increased over time?  

When renewing insurance, seek several quotes: When it comes to renewing insurance, just like for home loan interest rates, energy plans and mobile phone plans, it’s important to shop around and get multiple quotes. 

You may very well find that moving to another insurer will produce a lower premium since your premiums may have increased if you’ve been with the same insurer for several years. 

Consider a mutual insurer: Although there are very few mutual insurers in Australia, they can sometimes provide a better deal than for-profit insurers since they may not load the premium for profits and returns to shareholders. 

Lawmaster practise management software

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Actionstep, the cloud-based practice management platform for law firms, announces that it has acquired the legal software business, LawMaster. The transaction brings together two innovative practice management software companies serving the needs of mid-market law firms. The combined businesses will drive additional technology investment, consolidate many years of learnings in legal tech and provide existing LawMaster customers with extended cloud technologies.  

The deal combines more than 50 years of pioneering legal tech development and legal sector knowledge. Together, Actionstep and LawMaster provide a scaled legal tech company with plans to further invest in technology specifically for mid-market law firms.   

Actionstep has accelerated its growth in the legal practice market globally with its market leading and powerful cloud-based offering, providing a highly adaptable, all-in-one practice management platform. With almost 20,000 daily subscribers, Actionstep has achieved significant scale and continues to invest in the development of its technology for the growing mid-market segment.   

LawMaster’s customer base of nearly 4,000 daily subscribers is made up of many prestigious Australian firms in the upper mid-market. LawMaster’s primary product is a feature-rich, highly configurable legal practice management solution. Prior to the deal, LawMaster has been investing in cloud technologies and successfully launched Mattero, a strong cloud-based practice management system for smaller practices.  

The combination of LawMaster and Actionstep means the new business services over 11,000 subscribers in Australia alone.  

The two companies will continue to operate as separate businesses with David Toohey, the founder and CEO of LawMaster continuing to lead LawMaster.  David has spent over 40 years developing market leading, functionally rich technology for law firms.  This transaction gives LawMaster customers and team members an opportunity to be part of a global business and an exciting future technology investment plan.  

The new business will work closely with all LawMaster customers to ensure the continuation of Blue Ribbon quality service and understand their current and future technology requirements.  

David Hepburn, Global President of Actionstep commented, “We are excited to join forces with LawMaster, this brings together two amazing companies in the legal tech space, positions us for further growth and will fuel major technology investment to benefit the legal industry. Our priority as a business is to ensure our combined customers enjoy using our software – both day to day and in support of their future business plans.”  

David Toohey, CEO, Lawmaster commented, “Today begins an exciting new chapter and we are thrilled to be joining the Actionstep team.  As ever, we will remain focused on our customers’ needs and building market leading and innovative technology. Under one company with one set of values and a shared roadmap, the unified team can focus on propelling our customers businesses to new heights.” 

Canva Workplace suite

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Canva, the global visual communications platform, today announced a suite of new workplace products and features created to empower anyone to communicate visually, on any device, from anywhere in the world.

“Visual communication is becoming an increasingly critical skill for teams of every size across almost every industry,” said Canva co-founder and CEO, Melanie Perkins. “It has been incredible to see the continued growth of Canva over the last few years, as more and more people embrace the power of visual communication to unlock their creativity and achieve their goals. With the launch of our new Visual Worksuite, we’re bringing simple design products to the workplace to empower every employee, at every organization and on every device.”

Canva’s new visual worksuite comes as the company marks the milestone of more than 85 million global users, who produce more than 180 designs every second. As enterprise usage soars throughout a variety of professions and industries, Canva is rapidly becoming the design platform of choice in the workplace. This demand is evidenced by the more than 10,000 current jobs on LinkedIn listing Canva as a desired skill across many companies, including American Express, Amazon, TikTok, LEGO and Google.

From large organizations to small businesses, more than 4 million paying customers are embracing Canva for Teams – the company’s collaborative all-in-one design solution – to empower their workforce who have increasing needs to communicate visually. This has more than tripled in the last twelve months as companies such as Zoom, Salesforce, PayPal, Reddit, Sony Music and OrangeTheory replace legacy design tools with Canva’s all-in-one platform.

“Canva has been an invaluable tool for our business, transforming how our creative and social teams work with one another by making it easier for staff to create new designs in a way that maintains brand consistency,” says Marissa Kraines, Vice President of Social and Content Marketing at Salesforce. “It’s also enabled our team to scale best practices when it comes to visual communications across the company, ensuring that we can create compelling content across all of our social and owned channels.”

New worksuite: Docs, Whiteboards, Websites, Video, Data Visualisation and more

Canva Docs: Built with the modern workplace in mind, Canva Docs makes traditional text documents more visually captivating, while also including key collaboration features like comments and real time collaboration. Users can also access Canva’s 100 million+ library of design assets and embed them into their work for a personalized approach to document creation. Plus, in a world where presenting work is often not text based, Canva Docs can easily be turned into a fully fledged Canva Presentation with the simple click of a button.

Canva Websites: A new way to build simple websites for any occasion. Create visually appealing and interactive websites from any device without the technical skills needed to do so. With hundreds of responsive professional-level website templates, customizable domains and adjustable page heights, a highly secure and optionally password protected website can be created and published in minutes. Built to drive engagement, it also comes with Canva’s new Design Insights analytics feature, which sheds light on site visits and allows the builder to get a pulse on audience and interest.

Canva Whiteboards: Canva Whiteboards bring a fast and fresh approach to how teams shape and explore ideas together. Combining the simplicity of Canva’s editing experience with an infinite canvas, Canva Whiteboards comes with a range of features designed for brainstorming and team collaboration. From sticky notes to images and diagrams, synced timer to keep brainstorming on track, and more, this new product embraces the world of hybrid work to encourage collaboration and productivity in distributed teams.

Video Background Remover: One of Canva’s most popular features is now available as part of the Canva Video Suite, taking video creation to the next level. With one click, users can remove the background from any video making it faster and easier than ever to create professional-looking content without expansive budgets or complex software.

Expanding Canva Print: While much of visual communication is digital, when there is a need for a physical product, Canva Print makes the process simple, and approaches it in a sustainable way. As of today, anyone can print more than 35 products through Canva Print and have it delivered to their doorstep in record time. This includes everything from invitations to flyers, photo books and hoodies, mugs posters, and much more.

Committed to a sustainable future, Canva will plant a tree for every print order placed through its partnership One Print, One Tree reforestation program. As of today, more than 2.4 million trees have been planted with a further 5 million trees to be planted by the end of the year.

Data Visualization: Anyone can level up their data storytelling with Flourish, making it possible to turn dense data and statistics into simple, clear and easy to understand interactive data visualizations. With templates for almost any need – from animated bar races, to drill-down sunbursts – it’s easier than ever to make complex data accessible and meaningful to anyone, in any organization, in the workplace.

Remote Control for Presentations: Canva adds remote presentation control to its Presentation product, enabling multiple presenters to control the flow of their presentation from any device using a new virtual clicker

D-Link M32 AX3200 Wi-Fi 6 AI Mesh System

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D-Link has launched its EAGLE PRO AI M32 range, the company’s newest and fastest Wi-Fi 6 AI Mesh Systems with the option of a 2-pack (M32-2PK) or 3-pack (M32-3PK) system. Featuring the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, the D-Link M32 EAGLE PRO AI M32 solution provides the next generation of network speeds and capacity that are essential for modern day applications such as high-quality multi-player gaming, Virtual Reality and 4K Ultra High-definition video streaming.

Users of the new D-Link M32 Mesh Systems can experience dual-band AX3200 802.11AX combined wireless speeds of up to 3.2Gbps, while 1024-QAM boosts throughput to devices by up to 25% and 160MHz contiguous channel width gives even more bandwidth to individual devices. In addition to better coverage, higher performance, and more concurrent clients supported, the D-Link EAGLE PRO AI M32 also supports D-Link’s advanced parental controls and provides unprecedented visibility and control over your home network via the EAGLE PRO AI app.

With the M32 Mesh System, users can experience faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds and a Personal AI Assistant that sends you reports, continuously monitors traffic, and provides suggestions to keep your network working at optimal conditions. Combined with an AI Mesh Optimiser, the unique AI Beamforming technology ensures stronger, more reliable Mesh Wi-Fi throughout your home.

It’s also easy to add more coverage. From single-level apartments to multi-storey houses and extending to backyard pools and garden decks – additional EAGLE PRO AI M32 nodes provide more Mesh network coverage, giving you seamless high-speed Internet coverage that will eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones in those hard-to-reach areas throughout properties of any size.

The M32 Series features AI Parental Controls which provides a safer Internet experience for your family with options for website blocking and setting schedules. Thus, you can easily create a family-friendly Internet experience by taking control of your network and setting clear online boundaries. Voice control support via Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant also means you can find out which devices are connected, which schedules have been created, check login credentials and reboot the system, all hands-free. Over and above this, you can also easily enable Internet access for your guests when friends drop over by using the Wi-Fi Guest Zone, as well as visually blocking any devices you don’t know.

D-Link has always taken security seriously, and the M32 Mesh Series sports the very latest advanced WPA3 Wi-Fi security standard, which encrypts your traffic and protects your wireless network from outside threats. WPA3 includes new protocols and algorithms to verify and secure your devices’ connections and your home network from external attacks.

With two built-in Gigabit LAN ports per node, you can also use Ethernet cables to directly connect to your M32 Mesh System for instant, reliable wired connections at Gigabit speeds for Smart TV’s and Consoles that tend to be in a fixed location.

Finally, the M32 utilises green technology that saves your devices’ battery life and helps with your overall energy consumption. Target Wake Time (TWT) automatically helps reduce battery consumption for all your connected devices by analysing when and how often transfers are required. TWT then automatically conserves energy and helps save battery life across your devices.

And in terms of setup, the M32 is easy to install and configure by utilising D-Link’s free EAGLE PRO AI app. The app also gives you full control over your Wi-Fi network with a personal AI Assistant to further help you manage your Wi-Fi by identifying your Wi-Fi needs and proactively fixing any Wi-Fi issues, as well as continuously optimising your home network.

EAGLE PRO AI D-Link M32 AX3200 Mesh System key features:

M32-2PK (2-pack), M32-3PK (3-pack)

            • Next Generation dual-band 802.11AX with combined wireless speeds of up to 3.2Gbps

            • Seamless Whole-Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 coverage

            • 2-pack / 3-pack for up to 510sqm / 740sqm Wi-Fi coverage

            • AI Assistant sends regular recommendations and reports

            • AI-based Mesh, Wi-Fi, and Traffic Optimisers

            • MU-MIMO & OFDMA efficiency

            • Latest WPA3 Wireless security

            • Voice Control with Google/Alexa

            • Easy Setup & Management

The EAGLE PRO AI AX3200 Mesh System M32-2PK (2-pack) and M32-3PK (3-pack) are available now from www.dlink.com.au (RRP AUD$449.95 and AUD$599.95), and from all authorised D-Link Partners and Retailers.

How to future proof your eCommerce solution

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The pandemic has forever changed the nature of retail, seeing consumers shift rapidly to online channels and this trend is set to continue well into the recovery and beyond. As consumers become increasingly savvy online, the demand for seamless eCommerce solution has never been stronger.

Now is the time for businesses to amplify their offering and fine tune their services to meet ever-more challenging consumer demand and expectations.

While all businesses love a boost to their online visitor numbers, brands that are unprepared for increased traffic risk their websites crashing or lagging. Simple but often overlooked issues like out of date plug-ins, code errors, and inadequate bandwidth can interrupt the customer journey, driving both customers and revenue to competitors. Without the right processes and partners your brilliant brand could fall short in this highly competitive space.

So how do businesses get ahead online?

Speed up your eCommerce solution

Over the last couple of years, the pace of digital transformation has reset customer expectations. From accessing information about restrictions to purchasing a new pair of shoes, websites need to provide quick results and an easy navigation experience for large groups of users.

The importance of a fast-loading website cannot be overstated. A recent survey found that over half of users (52 per cent) would leave a website if it doesn’t load within six seconds. A further 45 per cent of customers stated that businesses with slow-loading pages left a negative impression.

The reality is that every website is different. Businesses have different goals, products, themes, infrastructure, plugins, and buyers. It’s important to get expert advice from an agency or host on how best to maximise your performance.

Increasing website efficiency often comes down to simply managing unused themes or plugins and culling any software that is clogging up the back end. While this process can be time consuming, web hosting platforms such as WP Engine can easily take on the load. In fact, WP Engine manages the highest percentage of top WordPress hosts’ sites that load under 200 milliseconds.

Enhance the customer experience

Convenience has become the driver of many decisions online and the easier you make the customer journey, the more likely you are to have a positive outcome.

Younger generations have become a guiding force for the adoption of new technologies, and their expectations for digital experiences are constantly moving the needle of ‘what’s next’ in the way we interact online. WP Engine’s 2021 Generational Resilience Report revealed that Gen Z has high expectations for an increasingly more ‘human’ web, with 56 per cent believing that websites will begin exhibiting human emotions in the next five years.

One way to create this experience for your users is to invest in chat bots that can provide up-to-date information or direct access to customer support. You can explore personalised recommendations and add a ‘wish list’ to make saving options easy. Try connecting email marketing to your webpage to check in with the consumer if/when they abandon their cart.

WP Engine recently worked with its agency partner, G Squared, to improve the user experience for market-leading bedding manufacture, Sealy of Australia. Replacing outdated technology and design with a modern user experience, WP Engine made it easier for users to navigate the catalogue of mattresses and use a new Mattress Selector tool to find recommendations tailor-made to their sleeping habits. This created a seamless experience for these users resulting in a massive 85 per cent completion rate from customers using the tool.

Share the eCommerce solution load

Your website needs to be a top priority for your business but there are many spinning plates you need to balance. Whether you are a small business or a huge enterprise, a web hosting platform like WP Engine allows you to pass these plates into trusted hands.

The web hosting platform will be consistently monitoring for glitches, bugs and plug-ins that are impacting your website’s performance and provide solutions to rectify issues. Better yet, they will act as a security blanket, alerting you to any vulnerabilities that would put your users or your website at risk. With 80 per cent of Australian organisations surveyed by Sophos being hit with ransomware in 2021 (up from 45 per cent in 2020), it is a very real issue that businesses need to be prepared for. A safe website not only attracts more users, but also allows them to feel comfortable with sharing their personal data.

A strong, safe and speedy website is the key to succeeding online. Be sure to make your website (and its upkeep) a priority to avoid falling behind competitors. With the right support around you, you can not only keep your customers happy but drive growth and be fully prepared for increased traffic in the months and years ahead.

Written by Mark Randall, WP Engine’s Country Manager, ANZ