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Nokia 8.1 Specs and Price

Nokia 8.1 Specs and Price
Nokia 8.1

What was thought to be a flagship series with the former releases from HMD Global turns out to be a mid-range smartphone after all. The Nokia 8.1 is one nice smartphone with a decent design too. In addition, this smartphone features a powerful mid-range SoC as well as an impressive camera to capture moments. Moreso, the smartphone finds a way to blend in a nice design with some real mouth-watering features. Take a look at some of the specs you will be working with on the smartphone below.

Where to Buy Nokia 8.1

Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers | Jumia Ghana – See Offers

Nokia 8.1 Key Specs and Features 6.18-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 2280 x 1080 pixels (408 ppi) Android 9.0 Pie Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 CPU with 4GB/6GB RAM 64GB/128GB built-in storage space, up to 400GB with a memory card Dual 12MP + 13MP rear camera and a 20MP front camera 4G LTE Fingerprint scanner (rear) 3, 500mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery

Nokia 8.1

Design and Display

From the looks of things you have the premium ‘metal sandwiched by glass’ type of build with a simple die-cast centre. The 6000-series aluminium frame is pretty much the average 8mm in thickness. Dual cameras are centrally arranged along with the fingerprint scanner distinctive enough with a circular depression. On the other hand, the front has a very much wide notch occupied by the camera, speaker and other sensors.

Adopting the big display style, the smartphone does well to bring in the iPhone X-esque type of notch, albeit a bit bigger. You should also know this is an LCD screen with the PureView display technology seen in other Nokia smartphones. As for resolution, the display has a 1080 x 2280/pixels configuration and on a 6.18-inch span screen.

Battery and Camera

Now, there is no need worrying about battery power with the setup placed here which includes the capacity and hardware. For the relatively high-end midrange processor, the 3, 500mAh battery is sufficient for the average user. Furthermore, the smartphone does come with a USB Type-C port as well as fast charge support.

The camera is similar to that on Nokia 8 but with a more improved sensor and rear end camera pair. In that regard, we have a 12MP f/1.8 aperture camera from Sony and with a 1.4µm pixel size while the other for portrait is a 13MP depth sensor. At the front notch is a 20MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and the ”bothie’ feature where both front and back cameras are used simultaneously.

Hardware and Software

Even if you wouldn’t want to refer the Nokia 8.1 has being a flagship smartphone, it does have a powerful midrange chipset. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 is a top of the line processor joined by an Adreno 616 GPU taking on graphics. Also, you have a 4GB RAM inside and either 64GB or 128GB built-in storage extensible to 400GB with a Micro SD card. You’ve got the most recent Android 9.0 Pie stock OS pre-installed on the smartphone no unnecessary bloatware.

Nokia 8.1 Pricing and Availability

The smartphone will cost you about 174, 000 Naira depending on the deal and your location when it comes out the end of this year or early January next year.

Nokia 8.1 Specs

Here are a few specs of the Nokia 8.1:

General Features Platform: Android 9.0 Oreo (Android One) Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 GPU: Adreno 616 Memory: 4GB/6GB RAM Colours: Blue, Silver, Steel, Copper, Iron, Steel Dimension: 154.8 x 75.8 x 8 mm Weight: 180g SIM Type: Nano SIM SIM Count: Dual SIM Display Display: 6.18-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 2280 x 720 pixels Screen Protection: – Camera Rear Camera: Dual 12MP + 13MP camera, 1080p Video@30fps Rear Camera Features: Autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama Front Camera: 20MP camera, 1080p Video@30fps Storage Built-in Storage: 64GB/128GB Memory Card Support: Yes, up to 400GB Bundled Cloud Storage: – Network Support 2G GSM: Yes 2G CDMA 1X:3G WCDMA: Yes 3G CDMA EVDO:4G LTE: Yes Internet & Connectivity GPRS: Yes EDGE: Yes 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes HSPA+: 42.2/5.76 Mbps CDMA EVDO:4G LTE: LTE-A (2CA) Cat 6 300/50 Mbps WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, wi-fi direct Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes Bluetooth: Yes, v5.0 with A2DP LE NFC:Infrared Blaster:USB Port: USB Type-C 2.0 Messaging SMS/MMS: Yes Instant Messaging: Yes Push Emails: Yes Email Protocol: – Entertainment Music Player: MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player Video Player: MP4/H.264 player FM Radio: Yes Loudspeaker: Yes 3.5mm Jack: Yes Navigation Navigation: Yes, with A-GPS, BDS, GLONASS Maps: Yes Sensors & Control Digital Compass: Yes Accelerometer: Yes Proximity Sensor: Yes Light Sensor: Yes Barometer:SpO2:Pedometer:Heart Rate Monitor:Gyroscope: Yes Fingerprint Scanner: Yes (rear) Iris Scanner:Face Unlock: Yes Intelligent Digital Assistant:Motion Sensing / Gesture Control:Voice Control: – Other Features Video Streaming: Yes Active Noise Cancellation: Yes Wireless Charging:Built-in Mobile Payment:Water Resistant:Dust Resistant:Image Editor: Yes Video Editor: Yes Document Viewer: Yes Document Editor: Yes Battery Battery: 3,500mAh non removable Li-Po battery Talktime:Standby Time:Fast Charging: Yes

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Oppo A7 Specs and Price
Oppo A7

Oppo is a Chinese brand that has continually proven itself to be a contender in today’s smartphone world. Among the line of products offered is the budget A-series. The newest in this league is Oppo A7 which a budget smartphone just like the Oppo A5 is.. There is a much more reduced notch, the dewdrop type giving room for the smartphone to extend all the way to the top.

Where to Buy Oppo A7

Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers

Oppo A7/Key Specs and Features 6.2-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1520 x 720 pixels Android 8.1 Oreo Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 CPU with 3GB/4GB RAM 32GB/64GB built-in storage space, up to 256GB with a memory card Dual 13MP + 2MP rear camera and a 16MP front camera 4G LTE Fingerprint scammer (rear) 4, 230mAh none removable Li-Ion battery

Oppo A7

Design and Display

You’ve got nothing new about how the smartphone looks just the usual glossy back and slightly curved sides of the rear cover. The front is occupied by a big display and a tiny bit of bezel around it except for the chunk at the bottom. There is the MicroUSB port, audio jack and speaker grille at the bottom while the power button, as well as the volume rocker, are on the right. It has a dedicated SD card slot and dual SIM slot at the left side and the fingerprint scanner on the back.

A large screen on a budget smartphone is a welcomed delight which is only let down by the resolution common at this level. For the Oppo A7, you’ve got a 6.2-, inch big display, a nice little notch on top. Anyway, viewing is pleasant enough for a display with 1520 x 720 pixels.

Battery and Camera

Entering into one of the selling points of this smartphone which is inherently the big battery it poses with. The claim is certified with a 4, 230mAh battery which truly is an all-day reliable source of power.  It has no fast charge feature included and charges through a MicroUSB port at the bottom.

About the cameras on the smartphone, you’ve got enough to capture moments in detail only in full light though. There is the dual camera arrangement on the back of the phone and single 16MP front camera embedded in the dewdrop notch. The cameras include a main 13MP camera and another 2MP depth sensor for portrait pictures.

Hardware and Software

Inside the smartphone is an average budget chipset which is not only old but not quite on par at the price tag of the smartphone. Nonetheless, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 takes care of daily rigours even if not at a premium pace. In addition, it has the Adreno 506 GPU and a 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage. Also, there is a more premium option offering 4GB RAM and 64GB built-in storage expandable to 256GB same as the other one. You’ve got Android 8.1 Oreo running on the smartphone from the get-go.

Oppo A7 Pricing and Availability

The more premium version costs about 88, 000 Naira depending on the deal and your location.

Oppo A7 Specs

Here are a few specs of the Oppo A7:

General Features Platform: Android 8.1 Oreo Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 GPU: Adreno 506 Memory: 3GB/4GB RAM Colours: Glazing Blue, Dazzling Gold, Rose Pink Dimension: 155.9 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm Weight: 168g SIM Type: Nano SIM SIM Count: Dual SIM Display Display: 6.2-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1520 x 720 pixels Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Camera Rear Camera: Dual 13MP + 2MP camera, 1080p Video@30fps Rear Camera Features: Autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama Front Camera: 1080MP camera, 1080p Video@30fps Storage Built-in Storage: 32GB/64GB Memory Card Support: Yes, up to 256GB Bundled Cloud Storage: – Network Support 2G GSM: Yes 2G CDMA 1X:3G WCDMA: Yes 3G CDMA EVDO:4G LTE: LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2500) – V1
LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2500) – V2 Internet & Connectivity GPRS: Yes EDGE: Yes 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes HSPA+: 42.2/5.76 Mbps CDMA EVDO:4G LTE: LTE-A (2CA) Cat 6 300/50 Mbps WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, wi-fi direct Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes Bluetooth: Yes, v4.2 with A2DP LE NFC:Infrared Blaster:USB Port: MicroUSB 2.0 Messaging SMS/MMS: Yes Instant Messaging: Yes Push Emails: Yes Email Protocol: – Entertainment Music Player: MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player Video Player: MP4/H.264 player FM Radio: Yes Loudspeaker: Yes 3.5mm Jack: Yes Navigation Navigation: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS Maps: Yes Sensors & Control Digital Compass: Yes Accelerometer: Yes Proximity Sensor: Yes Light Sensor: Yes Barometer:SpO2:Pedometer:Heart Rate Monitor:Gyroscope:Fingerprint Scanner: Yes Iris Scanner:Face Unlock: Yes Intelligent Digital Assistant:Motion Sensing / Gesture Control:Voice Control: – Other Features Video Streaming: Yes Active Noise Cancellation: Yes Wireless Charging:Built-in Mobile Payment:Water Resistant:Dust Resistant:Image Editor: Yes Video Editor: Yes Document Viewer: Yes Document Editor: Yes Battery Battery: 4, 230mAh non removable Li-Po battery Talktime:Standby Time:Fast Charging:

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How to Keep Tabs on Your Child with a Phone Tracking App?
Children Safety Online

Phone tracking is a controversial topic for a lot of parents. On one hand it enhances the security of your child and it helps you get the peace of mind that you need, since you know your child is safe and far from any harm. But on the other hand you do end up limiting the freedom of your child, and that can have severe consequences in the long run. You really have to identify and tackle the situation the best way you can and see what works for you.

Is it OK to track your child’s Mobile Phone?

It all comes down to what you are tracking, at least most of the time. It might be OK to track the location of your child for example. This way you can figure out if something bad happens and you can react and save your child as fast as possible.

On the other hand, tracking messaging, phone calls and other stuff like that is not that OK. It doesn’t offer any form of freedom to your child, and it also makes you over-controlling. Which is definitely something that you want to avoid as much as possible.

Spy software for mobile phones can be a great option if you want to track your child’s location and activity. It might be a good idea to let your child know about this beforehand. A good sense of transparency can do wonders, and that’s the most important aspect that you need to take into consideration.

Should you buy phone tracking apps or use free tools for that?

Nothing is free in this life, so when you encounter free tracking software you have to think about the way they get paid. Normally it’s ads, but some companies actually sell company data. So you really have to avoid this type of issue as much as possible. We believe that opting for paid solutions is better here.

It’s safer, easier to use and at the same time you get to step away from annoying ads. And maybe the best part is that you also have additional tracking features that you can’t in free apps. You just have to figure out what you need and then adapt or adjust everything based on your requirements. It might actually be worth it in the end, so try to consider that as much as possible for the best outcome.

You shouldn’t track your child’s location until you absolutely have to. It makes sense if you are very worried about your child, but it’s at least a good idea to let him know that you are indeed tracking his every location.

As you can imagine, this is a very controversial topic, but it does make sense for parents to at least know where their child is. Just make sure that you don’t become over-protective. You might believe that this will help improve the relationship you have with your child. But it might actually ruin it!

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How to Stay Secure Online using a VPN

You may have come across several blogs highlighting how VPNs are a must these days. But they do not specify how VPNs can be used to actually stay safe and secure online. It is no different than knowing how to drive in theory, but when it comes to practicality you have zero experience.

If you truly value your online security and anonymity, you must use a VPN without thinking twice. As for how it is to be used for security-related issues, here are a couple of use cases for your consideration.

Unlock the Internet

Similar to how you unlock new stuff in games you love playing, or extra features on a premium app, a VPN gives you the ability to unlock the internet. Not a lot of people know the internet is on lock-down. Geo-restrictions prevent users from different regions from accessing content in other regions. Why? There is no clear reason for doing so. Some claim it has to do with licensing issues, but the internet was never meant to be walled off this way.

If you want to experience and browse the internet as it was originally intended, a VPN will help you do just that. All you need to do is to connect to a VPN server of a specific region, and this way you can access localized content of every region you are connected to. It may be a hassle, but it is worth it, considering how much content you end up getting access to.

What is even more interesting is the fact that you can do so without compromising your security or anonymity online. No matter what site you visit or access content from, you will remain invisible through and through.

Effortless Streaming

If you have ever felt like banging your head against the wall due to the hassles you had to face while streaming your favorite content, you are not alone. ISP’s intentionally resort to throttling so that internet users opt for a specific service instead of the one they prefer. The reason for doing so can vary, but it has to do with monetary benefits. The good news is you can enjoy effortless streaming with a VPN.

When you subscribe to a reliable service, and when you are connected to a VPN server, even your own ISP will not be able to track your online activity. Moreover, since you are get a new IP address, ISP throttling will not be a concern for you ever again.

Carry out Transactions Securely

When you are banking or shopping online, you never know who is monitoring your online traffic. Apart from your ISP, it is possible that a hacker may keep tabs on you without making his/her presence known.

With a VPN not only is your IP address hidden, but features like military grade encryption and secure DNS protection ensure you are covered on all fronts. This means you will never have to worry about cyber-criminals, hackers and third parties ever again.

Become Invisible on Public Wi-Fi Networks

While traveling or on the move, you may need to connect to a public Wi-Fi network. Regardless of the reason for doing so, you need to understand that public Wi-Fi networks are not at all safe. These are essentially breeding grounds for hackers and cyber-criminals, always on the lookout for unsuspecting victims that do not know what is headed their way. Unless you want to become a victim, it would be wise for you to up your security game while connecting to public networks using a VPN.

Protect Private Networks with Dedicated IP

Whether it is a private network at work or at home, if the right steps are not taken your information could fall in the wrong hands. Fortunately, you can protect these networks by using a dedicated IP.

The feature gives you the ability to connect to your private network using a dedicated IP. Using any other IP will not give you access to your network no matter how hard you, or anyone else for that matter, tries.

The aforementioned use cases clearly define how handy a VPN can be when it comes to bolstering your online security. It is worth noting though this is only the case if you look for a reliable VPN. You will come across several Buy VPN deals, each better than the last, but most of them are scams at best. In fact, several VPNs have been discovered to be selling information to third parties. If you are not careful, you could get in way over your head.

To find the best VPN out there, you should identify highly reviewed VPN that meet your requirements. Look further into each potential VPN to verify they don’t make tall claims. If need be, ask others to recommend a good VPN to you. Rest assured, as long as you play your cards right, you will never have to worry about being compromised ever again.

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How to Transfer Your WhatsApp Data from iPhone to Android

Nowadays, WhatsApp has become popular with users around the world. It is considered as an indispensable app on your phone, isn’t it? But, if you want to transfer WhatsApp data from iPhone to Android, you will encounter a problem.

So, now, the question arises here that how to transfer WhatsApp data from iPhone to Android phone? Recently, there was a rumor that Apple is going to develop a tool to allow customers to move data from their iPhone to Google’s rival mobile platform, “Android”.

This rumor comes after Apple released an app on the Google Play Store to help the Android users move data to iPhone. But still, the way to transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Android is a tough problem.

Probably the reason why you have landed on this page is that you are looking for how to transfer your WhatsApp data from iPhone to Android and well, if this is the case then you are at the right place, reading the right post.

This article highlights some effective methods to transfer WhatsApp messages, photos, and videos from iPhone to Android with simple steps. Let us disclose those simplified ways together!

Part 1. The Absolute Best Way to Transfer WhatsApp data from iPhone to Android device

The best and secure method for WhatsApp transfer is iSkysoft Toolbox – Restore Social App. This app has been very successful in carrying a great popularity and positive feedback by the users. It can easily transfer WhatsApp messages and attachments including videos, photos, documents and more from iPhone to an Android phone.

This app also allows you to preview and selectively restore the WhatsApp data from the backup files. You will be surprised to know that it just need 1 click to finish the whole process!

Following are the steps to transfer WhatsApp Data using iSkysoft Toolbox:

Connect your device to the PC

First of all, launch the iSkysoft Toolbox on your PC. Go to “Restore Social App”.

After that, tap on “Transfer WhatsApp messages”.

After ensuring that the device is connected successfully, click “Transfer” in the bottom right corner as shown below.

Be prepared to transfer messages

To transfer messages, type in your Google Play account and click “Next”.

Start transferring the WhatsApp messages

In the final step, the iSkysoft Toolbox begins the WhatsApp restore process from iPhone to Android.

Part 2. Other Ways to Transfer WhatsApp Data from iPhone to Android

1. Transfer WhatsApp Data using Wazzap Migrator

Wazzap migrator has long been a popular solution for transferring Android WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone. For this purpose, you just need an iPhone WhatsApp backup and the Android device. Following steps explain how to use Wazzap Migrator to transfer your WhatsApp messages from iPhone to Android.

First of all, you need to back up your iPhone using iTunes. For this, just launch iTunes on your computer and connect the iPhone. Go to Summary and then click Back Now. At this step, you need to download iBackup Viewer from wizzapmigrator.com and install it on your computer. After installation, run iBackup Viewer, select the iPhone and switch to Tree View mode. Find the file name WhatsApp.Share on the left window and export it.

In the next step, connect your Android phone to computer. Just copy the WhatsApp.shared file and Media folder and paste it to the Download folder on Android phone. Download the Wazzap Migrator App. Select the messages you want to transfer by selecting the iPhone Archive option. In the final step, go through the checklist process until you get to “Converting Messages.”

2. Transfer WhatsApp chats using Email Chat

Email Chat is one of the amazing ways for WhatsApp transfer.

First, open WhatsApp in your iPhone Go to email chat and select the chats that you want to transfer Type in an email address and then log in to that email address on Android Conclusion:

So these are some of the ways and tips you can use to transfer your WhatsApp data from iPhone to your Android device. The part 1 above, that suggests iSkysoft’s ‘Restore Social App’ is the most recommended and easiest method of all.

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Should your Portable Monitor have Built-In Speakers?

An obvious fact is that portable monitors are more popular than ever before and they are getting more affordable as we speak. At the same time, they are becoming better and more sophisticated. All of this means that built-in speakers are present in more models available on the market. Our question is do you need them? The answer is yes and here’s why.

They are built-in obviously

The first advantage or reason to get a portable monitor with speakers is the portability. These models are made to be slim and lightweight, so they are easy to transport and move around. If you don’t have built-in speakers, it means that you will have to carry external speakers as a part of your luggage.

The best portable monitor will have new generation speakers inside meaning that they are slim, lightweight and they offer great sound quality. Speakers you will carry are probably cheap and too small and they use older technology. All combined, you won’t get a satisfactory sound quality as from built-in speakers.

In addition, these speakers also make the entire upgrade more effective. There is no need to carry more luggage and you will be able to enjoy more while carrying less. As simple as that.

Sound quality is impressive

We did mention this advantage, but we didn’t explain it. The bottom line is that portable monitors with built-in speakers are capable of providing superior sound quality.  This is possible thanks to more advanced technology which is different than the one used in classic speakers. It is actually borrowed from smartphones.

New smartphones have powerful speakers inside them and they are getting better and better. The same direction we can see in portable monitors that come with built-in speakers. The main advantages include a better bass, more powerful high tones and more accurate low tones. If you have an opportunity to test an old and new smartphone and you will see the difference.

They are actually a cost-effective investment

Around 70% of users who purchase portable monitors without speakers will get additional, external speakers. This will increase the cost of the entire upgrade by 20-30%. If you are on a tight budget, it is a much smarter idea to upgrade for a portable monitor with built-in speakers. If not, you will have to get additional speakers and you will pay more than in the first case scenario.

It may look like a more expensive investment, but it is actually something that can save you money. If we add that high-end speaker you will need cost almost as much as the entire portable monitor you can get a clear picture of the cost-saving investment.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that a portable monitor with built-in speakers is a much better choice. It is still lightweight and compact, but it provides sound wherever you want. In long-term, it is a smart and cost-effective investment. Let’s just add that in the future, these speakers will be so powerful that you won’t need an additional set of speakers.

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How to Do Referral Marketing To Grow Your Business
Referral Marketing

So you want to learn referral marketing. I got you covered. Today, I will talk about referral marketing and why you should do it. I will also go through the whole setup process step-by-step and give you the best practices in referral marketing.

Are you ready? Let’s dive in.

What is Referral Marketing?

Referral marketing is a form of marketing where you let your customers do all the hard work of referring customers to your website. This can be a simple ‘refer-a-friend’ program in your website or it can be an affiliate marketing program where the business owner recruits affiliates to promote their products or services. In any case, both can be called ‘referral marketing.

Why will other people promote your website for you? They will do this because of the incentive. Incentives don’t need to be too complicated. Sometimes, a simple cash or percentage discount will do. You’ll learn more about incentives as you learn about the referral marketing setup process.

The Power of Exponential Growth

What makes referral marketing so powerful is the power of exponential growth. Here’s how it works. When customer A promotes the program to a friend (customer B), that person now has the power to promote as well. As more and more people learn about your business, your sales has the huge potential to grow as well.

Why Referral Marketing Works

Referral marketing works because it is the hottest among the marketing methods. What do I mean by that? Well, when you call a customer that hardly knows you or your brand, that is a cold lead. However, in referral marketing, marketing is done among people who are close to the customer (their family members and friends). Thus, their chance of acting on the referral is often higher.

Why Do Referral Marketing

From here, you are probably wondering why you should do referral marketing in your business. You may think that you are selling some unique products and it is not for you. But you’ll really miss a lot of customers by not doing this. Here are some reasons why referral marketing works.

1. It Generates Real Leads for Your Business

Referral marketing is different from other forms of spammy marketing methods because it generates only real leads. If you have tried running a solo ad in another person’s email list or you have done some social media marketing, you’ll know that the leads are not always human. This means that it is inevitable that you may get one or two spammy leads. But that is not the case in referral marketing. This is because it is only designed to recruit real customers into the system.

2. It is the Fastest Way to Grow a Business

Businesses use referral marketing for a reason. It just works.

PayPal is the biggest online payment processor. But it did not reach that from pure luck. It was a mixture of good technology and referral marketing. In fact, PayPal launched a referral campaign back when it was still a young business. They use to pay for everyone who signed up in the website.

Did they lose money? Yes. But PayPal was willing to lose all of that money in order to gain market dominance.

Fast forward to today, PayPal has managed to achieve its goal. It is now the first choice of online retailers for payment processing.

How to Setup a Customer Referral Program

Now that you know that a customer referral program is essential to your business, it is time to set one up. Here are the steps.   To see a success referral program, you can check out Hunting Bow Lab.  They are offering customers 20% commission for everything that is sent there way and it has been reported that they get 30% of all there sales from there referral program.

STEP 1: Know Your Market

A good referral marketing program starts with your market. Every segment of the market have different characteristics, interests and needs. Ideally, you’ll want to target a segment of the market that has a pressing problem that they want to solve. Then, you’ll provide an incentive that will solve that problem or meet their need.

Before we proceed with the incentive or the reward, let us look at some ways to know your market. One way is to explore the traffic of websites related to your products and services. In here, you can use websites like SimilarWeb and Google Analytics.

Why use SimilarWeb or Google Analytics? Well, these websites reveal more than just the influx of traffic in your website. It also looks at where the traffic came from and what they did in the website. This is a nice way to get a peek at who your customers are.

Another way to know more about customers is to have a survey. This can be given after the customer has bought an item from you. Aside from feedback, you can ask them some basic demographic information. This will help you get to know your market a little more.

STEP 2: Choose a Reward

A referral program will not be complete without a reward.

It is simply too hard to convince people to promote your business without getting anything in return. For this, you need some form of reward.

Don’t worry. A reward doesn’t need to be too expensive. In fact, it can be a simple discount code that your customers can use in their next purchase.

And if you have some products that you need to get rid of, you can give them away as freebies for every customer’s purchase. If the number of products are limited, you can just indicate that in your website. You can put a phrase like ‘Until Supplies Last’ or anything similar.

STEP 3: Choose Who You’ll Reward

Now that you have your reward, it is time to choose who you’ll reward.

In a referral marketing program, there are two parties: the referrer and the friend.

As the business owner, you have the freedom to choose who to reward.

There are pros and cons for each.

If you choose to reward the referrer, they will be more excited to promote your program. This will encourage them to share your business in exchange for that reward.

If you choose to reward the friend, the friction to sign up for the friend will be significantly lower. You know that time when you have already invited someone but then they back down at the last minute simply because they have nothing to gain? This is the reason why you should also reward the friend.

In some business, the two-way path may be the best option. This is where you reward both parties (the referrer and the friend). This way, you get the benefits of both. The only downside of this approach is it is more expensive. You will need to have two rewards for every successful referral in your campaign.

STEP 4: Setup the Program

Once you have decided on the reward and who you’ll reward, it is time to set up the program. For this, you need to decide on the following: the affiliate or referral marketing software, the design and the content. Here’s the breakdown of each.

The Affiliate or Referral Marketing Software

Creating your own referral program from scratch can be scary if you don’t have a programming background. Not only do you need to account the referred parties to their corresponding referrers, you also need to automatically assign points or rewards to your referrers. In some referral programs, they even host a contest for the customers with the most referrals. You can only do this if you have an affiliate or referral marketing software.

One of the best affiliate marketing software solutions to setup your affiliate program is OSI Affiliate Software. It allows you to easily set-up a referral marketing program without any coding knowledge. The best part? It exceeds the needs of just assigning points to people who have referred customers to a website. Instead, it helps a business owner recruit an army of affiliates that can promote the website for the business owner. With this, it doesn’t matter if the business owner doesn’t do anything, the affiliates will do all the promotion for the business.

The Design

Design has now become more important than ever before. We live in an age where customers are highly visually oriented. This is the age of image-based social networks like Instagram and Pinterest and video websites like Youtube. With this comes the need for programs that have enticing designs.

Here’s why you need to have a well designed referral marketing program.

First, a well-designed program suggests professionalism. It increases the credibility of your program and your business. Poor design is the most common reason why some customers avoid a website.

Second, it also entices people to share your program with other people. A program with a good design is worth sharing. You can even go another mile and append a custom image showcasing your reward to your customer’s social media shares.

The Content

You should have sorted most of the parts of your referral marketing campaign by now. You should already know the reward and who you will reward. In this section, you need to transcribe all of your ideas into content. You need to let your customers know about the mechanics of your referral program so that they may join.

And if you want to mix content with promotion, you should also consider having a blog. This will let your business get more customers from search engine rankings or social shares. If you want, you can go another mile and try to have your content in other websites.

More about this in the promotion section.

STEP 5: Promote the Program

A referral marketing is dead if you don’t promote it. Think about it. If you don’t promote it, no one will know that the program exist. Referral program promotion is the most important step in the entire process. You need to get as many people into the program as possible. But this can only happen if you promote it.

Referral Marketing Best Practices

Fortunately, there are some techniques that you can use to successfully promote your referral program. Below are some of my most effective strategies.

Start in Social Media Websites

What’s the easiest way to promote a referral marketing program? It’s through social media. It is worth sharing because it is somewhat like a promo. By sharing the program, the referrer is able to get a reward. This is an enticing offer to your target customers so you can promote it easily through social media. Social media promotion is interesting because it allows you to customize not only the demographic characteristics of your target market but also their interests. With this, you can target people who are already interested in your reward before you even promote your referral program.

Promote in Niche Websites

Another way to approach this is to look for websites that your target market is already reading. These are niche websites and they can range from blogs to online communities.

For example, the web design niche may be interested in a photo editing program. There are blogs that cater to this market such as Smashing Magazine. Then, there are also online communities for creatives like Deviantart and Etsy. So if you are selling a photo editing program, you may want to promote in these websites.

Get Influencers to Promote You

Influencer marketing is getting a ton of noise lately. Maybe it is because it is so effective.

Think about it. Influencer marketing is as simple as getting one person with a ton of followers to promote your product or service. In that promotion, you’ll suddenly get an influx of followers and sales. It is that powerful.

To do this, you can just ask the influencers to promote your referral program. This works especially if the reward is valuable to the influencer’s target market.

Conclusion

When it comes to marketing, it is important to remember the rule of ‘quality over quantity’.

You have to remember that you are promoting your program to increase your sales. You are not merely doing it to increase your traffic or number of followers. With this, it is important to stay away from spammy tactics and stick with the strategies that generates real customers for your website.

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