iOPW Blog

Why is this important?

11/29/2019 12:49:15 PM

While Google Answer Box is a very convenient feature for the users, it has also resulted in reduced traffic to business websites as users are no longer required to click through various web pages to get the information they are looking for. It's important to understand the growing and evolving search environment to take advantage of the changes and grow your business.

What is Google Answer Box?

11/29/2019 12:51:31 PM

Google Answer Box is a unique search engine result that is displayed on top of Google search results when people ask questions. This provides a conveninent way for users to quickly get the information they are looking for without having to click, load and scour websites to find answers they are looking for.

5 Most Common Mistakes Made On Facebook Ads

4/19/2018 12:17:09 PM

Ads on Facebook have begun to dominate the advertising landscape as they rise in popularity every single day. Businesses around the world, large and small, have begun to take notice and shift a much larger portion of their marketing budget into Facebook Ads. At first glance, the user interface does appear to be extremely user-friendly and quite easy to navigate. As well, they allow you complete control over the setup, from targeting to ad creat

How iOPW can take your online marketing to the next level!

4/4/2018 10:00:58 AM

We live in a modern age and with that our means of marketing have evolved as technology advances. Marketing has become an almost exclusively digital process and staying on top of your online marketing has become increasingly difficult. No longer can you allocate one employee to use a portion of their time to handle the tasks related to your digital marketing. There are too many factors at play to act passively in this regard. From website cons

When And How To Use Google's Disavow Tool

3/26/2018 12:37:29 PM

Link building has always been an essential method of SEO for generating traffic. The more the better, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, in that volume of links should lead to volume of traffic. But not all links are equal. If the website posting the link is not relevant to your content or is not a reputable website, it could lead to penalties issued by Google that will hurt your search engine ranking. And to get these penalties removed can be a

Is Your Website In Compliance With New Accessibility Regulations?

3/21/2018 2:32:44 PM

What Do The New WCAG Regulations Mean For Me And My Business? The Ontario government is ramping up their efforts to ensure the province is as accessible as possible for all residents. Along with removing barriers in the physical world, they are also putting a lot of effort in to ensuring that the online world is accessible to everyone. Accessibility involves a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive,

5 Things That Affect The Lifespan Of Your Website

3/19/2018 2:15:01 PM

People often ask us “How often should we update our website?” and there is no straightforward answer to that. There are many factors that affect the vitality and lifespan of your site. But typically, the answer lies somewhere between 2-5 years. Well that isn’t really a proper answer, is it? We understand that hearing a range like that can be frustrating, so we wanted to fill you in on why regularly updating you

Proprietary Platforms vs. Open-Source CMS: What is best for your business?

3/12/2018 3:49:31 PM

Why Should You Use A Proprietary Content Management System? You may have heard the debate of Open-Source Content Management Systems (CMS) versus Proprietary CMS and are wondering to yourself, “What would be best for my business?” There are many factors that could help you make that decision, but first, let’s talk about what these terms mean. What Is An Open-Source CMS? Open-source refers to the fact that these programs codi

Debunking The 7 Most Common SEO Myths

3/5/2018 12:16:55 PM

Debunking The 7 Most Common SEO Myths While most people have at least a basic understanding of this concept, it is a constantly changing system. Myths about SEO run rampant and many peoples knowledge of SEO is centered around these myths; whether they are rooted in past truths or are entirely false. So we wanted to debunk some of those myths and set you on the path to becoming SEO-friendly! 1. SEO is a Myth Let’s get this out of the way

4 SEO Trends To Keep An Eye On In 2018

2/26/2018 4:30:09 PM

So 2017 is over and you finally took the time and effort to get your business and its web pages SEO-friendly. But now 2018 is upon you and all the strategies you implemented are losing relevance as algorithms are being changed and the trends of SEO shift. Was it all for naught? Not at all. While those strategies may have depreciated in value, they do still hold value. But there will be some changes coming and you will need to be ready to adapt

Get The Most Out Of Your Online Marketing Strategies

2/20/2018 11:27:33 AM

How To Use Content Marketing With Online Ad Campaigns For Optimal Results Last week we discussed the advantages of using content marketing over online ad campaigns as a means of digital marketing. And while the differences are astounding at times, the best possible strategy you could be employing is both of these methods in unison. Use your content as material to drive your online ad campaigns to the best possible results. We want to t

4 Advantages Of Content Marketing vs. PPC

2/12/2018 10:47:49 AM

Why Should You Be Using Content Marketing? The landscape of marketing and online marketing strategies is constantly shifting. It can be almost dizzying to keep up with what the experts say is the new best practice in digital marketing. But among all the changing tides, experts all across the board have begun to notice that one method has remained effective above the others; consistently bringing in results even while the other marketing strat

Harness The Power Of Online Reviews

2/2/2018 9:33:10 AM

5 Ways You Can Stay Ahead Of The Marketing Curve And Utilize The Power Of Online Reviews It can be tough to trust what you read/hear/watch online. Especially in this age of seemingly fake news. Companies run misleading ads, as it has become increasingly easier to make your service/product seem more than it is through the power of sly marketing. We live in an age of sensationalized video and cutting through the glitz and glam to get d

Canada's Updated Anti-Spam Legislation Takes Effect July 1st 2017.

5/3/2017 11:26:15 AM

Canada's Updated Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) CASL or Canada's updated Anti Spam Legislation takes effect this July 1st 2017. Canada's anti-spam legislation (CASL) first came into effect July 1, 2014. It is in place to protect Canadians while ensuring that businesses can continue to compete in the global marketplace. If you use electronic channels to promote or market your organization, products or services, Canada's ne

How Can Content Marketing Benefit My Business

11/25/2015 2:43:13 PM

I was wanting to look into using iOPW to help me with content marketing for my business. How can your company further help my business in this field with SEOing and user generated content? Are there any tips you can give regarding the usage of search engines for my business?

What is DNS?

1/7/2015 3:56:40 PM

DNS, short for Domain Name Server, is a series of records your domain name is connected to, acting like phone number or house address to redirect to your website upon searching for the address. There are various types of DNS records with different functions, however 3 of the more common ones you'll see under your domain management panel are: 1. A 2. CNAME 3. MX The A Record The primary DNS record is the A re

How Important Are Reviews To Your Business?

4/22/2017 11:09:56 AM

How Important are Reviews to Your Business? In today's competitive market, consumers are relying more and more on reviews to help them determine which products or services they are willing to purchase. 90% of Consumers say that their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews. 50% of people will simply refuse to buy and product or service if it has not been previously reviewed. As the own

Big Al’s Summer Splash Bash Winner!

11/13/2015 11:29:52 AM

Today we are proud to announce the winner of Big Al’s Summer Splash Bash—Rwardz user Wiccandove. Wiccandove posted a photo of a 20 gallon setup with dwarf puffers, amano shrimp and million trumpet snails; an impressive display that is a must see! (click here to check it out) Congratulations on being the recipient of The Grand Prize, Wiccandove! Wiccandove will be the recipient of an E-X-T Aquarium Canister Filter, the Micro-UV In-Line

Rwardz Spotlight: Big Al's Pets

10/1/2015 1:51:06 PM

Today, we are going to be discussing a Rwardz success story: Big Al’s! Founded in 1975, Big Al’s is a pet supplies chain that boasts to have “largest selection of aquariums, aquarium furniture, and aquarium supplies, as well as an extensive variety of marine fish, tropical fish, live corals, and reptiles”. Big Al’s is currently comprised of 15 operational supercentre locations across Canada. Searching f

Rwardz Spotlight: Regents Care Services

8/4/2015 2:35:11 PM

Today, we would like to share a Rwardz success story: Regents Care Services Regents Care Services is a comprehensive home healthcare company that provides health care services within the homes of their clients. They recently decided to take control of their online presence and increase their brand authority by launching a Rwardz UGC Platform. Along with the Rwardz UGC Platform, Regents decided to invest the time to have in-house writers cr

CRTC Ruling on Canadian Internet Access

7/29/2015 10:18:09 AM

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission took a big step this week by rejecting opposition from the telecom Giants such as Bell and Telus and ordering them to offer the independent Internet providers wholesale access to the newly emerging high-speed fibre optic networks. This is a big win for users of Internet providers such as TekSavvy and Distributel to name a few. For more details you can review the whole

Refurb.io's Success with Rwardz

6/18/2015 12:10:24 PM

Refurb.io is one of North America’s leading refurbished electronic companies. Founded in 2003, it offers quality and overall value for some of today’s leading brands, including Dell, IBM and HP. Buying refurbished products offer savings and sustainability, offering higher quality electronics at affordable prices. Refurb.io has a new online partnership with iOPW which has allowed them to increase their brand exposure by actively

Case Study: The Crazy Ripped Challenge!!

6/18/2015 12:03:53 PM

Crazy Ripped has unveiled a new contest on June 7, 2015, using their Rwardz program. Their goal is to encourage, and engage more users to use the Rwardz as a platform to teach, learn, and share their passion for working out with the world. The long term Several athletes have shown interest, and are competing by posting workout tips, videos, and articles – anything from high intensity interval training, to selfies, and even exciting

What does "Responsive" website mean?

5/27/2015 3:26:40 PM

Hello, My web guy told me we need to update our website to a "responsive design" but I have no idea what that means. Please help!!! Thank you!

Windows 10 free upgrade for Win 8, Win 8.1 and Win 7 users

6/3/2015 1:41:41 PM

July 29 2015 is the big day for Win 10 free upgrade for all users of Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. Anyone will be able to upgrade within the year of this promotion launch. What does this mean? You get a free upgrade to the net new Operating System, however be aware there may be compatibility issues and bugs that may hinder your new OS performance. It's a trade off you must carefully balance to see if it's to your benefit.

RWARDZ for Use Inside an Organization

6/1/2015 11:55:47 AM

RWARDZ provides organizations with the ability to collect, edit and display User Generated Content as Original Material (i.e. not as re-purposed material which originated from entries in Facebook, Twitter, TripAdvisor, etc.). One area in which this platform can serve is as a vehicle for obtaining valuable input from employees of a company or members of an association. The built-in facility for incenting and/or rewarding em

Harnessing UGC is the key

5/24/2015 11:04:56 AM

This is a sample post on how and why you needs to harness the power of UGC. Test content please ignore

Knowledge Community

5/18/2015 8:56:47 PM

The RWARDZ platform is the ideal tool for creating and maintaining Knowledge Communities. According to the Gartner Group, a Knowledge Community is defined as: " A group of people within an enterprise who engage in knowledge-sharing activities in support of a common work interest (shared responsibility for a business process, a product or service, or a project). The KC may include people from multiple disciplines within the ent

Google Updates Mobile Algorithm

4/21/2015 9:10:21 AM

Today is certainly a crucial day for many business owners with an online presence, as today April 21st 2015 Google has updated their search engine's mobile algorithm. What does this mean for website owners and internet users? Mobile browsing is now more targeted towards websites that are properly optimized for mobile viewing. This means that if your website has no mobile version or is poorly optimized - the search engine is less

Only Constant is Change

4/6/2015 1:24:44 PM

It has been said that “the only thing that is constant is change.” This best describes the ever evolving Internet and nobody better understands this than the web development team at iOPW, who are constantly updating and fine tuning their platforms’ capabilities to maximize the potential that the present web environment offers. This enables their clients to stay one or more steps ahead so that they can spread their

How to name images for SEO

2/18/2015 11:18:35 AM

How to name image files for SEO purposes? One of the basic tenets of search engine optimization is updating the images on your website with the proper naming convention. If you are for instance a pastry shop with a focus on cupcakes, this will be your most important keyword to make use of. Let's say you have a wonderful gallery of all the cupcakes you bake and offer in your shop. Each image within your gallery s

UGC Platform

1/21/2015 6:01:18 PM

iOPW is an internet technology company that has roots are in web development, iOPW provides a complete seo/marketing solution. The newest platform allows companies to take advantage of UGC (user generated content) through our user generated content software.

The new Spartan Browser?

1/27/2015 11:57:08 AM

Those of us in the web development field had a chance to perk up with interest at the first sightings of the new browser Microsoft is planning to unveil with their launch of their new OS – Windows 10. For the longest time web developers have voiced displeasure with the poor performance of Internet Explorer (IE) to that of the other free browsers like Google Chrome or Firefox Mozilla. The browser was plagued with errors and glitches

The Internal VS External Domain Strategy Debate

1/3/2015 4:02:15 PM

One of the most fundamental strategies to help websites rank organically is to have a combination of internal and external references; ideally structured around a specific keyword/category. The definitions are as follows: - Internal Reference: A sub-domain of your main website with content structured around a specific keyword/category. For example, www.ABC.com/KEYWORD. - External Reference: a separate, individual website structured aro

Domain Name Buying Tips for Your Brand

1/19/2015 5:32:06 PM

Chances are if you're online, you own a domain name, but what if you don't, and unsure where to start? If you're considering increasing your online presence and need some help choosing your domain name, consider the following before signing up: 1. Domain names are used for personal ventures, creative outlets, blogs, and your business - ultimately, your brand. It is the new phone number and house address, a go-to source for

Image Optimization Tips For Your Website - Part 2

1/15/2015 12:15:57 PM

Images Must Be Sent In High Resolution When you send images to your web designer, make sure they are high resolution. If they are too small in resolution, they are impossible to work with in terms of fitting in a certain area. Let's say a designer is sent a photo with the dimensions of 200px height and 200px wide, and it needs to fit into an area of 1920px by 600px. Obviously, the image that was sent will be to small to fit wit

Image Optimization Tips For Your Website - Part 1

1/15/2015 12:14:46 PM

Many clients often send their web designer images to use on their website. While images are a great way to spice up your website visually, clients must keep in mind certain web standards when it comes to imagery. Images Must Be Proportionately Scaled Say you have a hero image at the top of your website, which is a great work to catch a visitor's attention - these images need to be at least 1920px wide. Reason being, a large ma

Image Optimization Tips For Your Website - Part 3

1/15/2015 4:30:23 PM

Images Must Be Saved For Web Many times clients will want to take control of their website after website launch. This is a great for clients because they can control their own website by adding content, uploading photos, blogging, etc. Problem is unless you're a web designer or have experience with the web, things can go wrong. One of those things would be not optimizing your images for the web. If you don't optimize y

Commonly-used Databases Connection Methods

1/9/2015 9:14:01 PM

Commonly-used Databases Connection Methods //MySQL： String Driver="com.mysql.jdbc.Driver"; //Driver String URL="jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/db_name"; //connection URL, db_name is database name String Username="username"; //Username String Password="password"; //Password Class.forName(Driver).new Instance(); Connection con=DriverManager.getConnection(URL

How are Search Engine Keywords generated?

1/5/2015 1:25:23 PM

This is a common question when it comes to choosing a quality keyword to target your chosen audience. There are several factors that come into play when keywords are selected: The Client : although you may know your industry inside and out, your client may not. Some clients don’t even know they need your services but have a specific issue, ailment, or query. For you, the term “Theory of relativity” may be an every

Online Merchant - Best Design?

1/2/2015 4:53:10 PM

If you’re even semi savvy at searching for information on the Internet, you’re well aware that you can find a plethora of web designers ready to create your new site from head to toe including a shopping cart that will enable you to sell your products online. However how would you know which one of these people or companies are the best to choose from when it comes to creating a web façade to your store? Should you go with th

The Benefits of Responsive Design

12/30/2014 4:49:51 PM

Imagine you’re on a train headed to Toronto and you’re in the mood for some coffee. You heard there’s a great place on Bay St. called “Dante’s Coffee” from a friend, so you decide to look their menu up on your smartphone. You hit their website, and bam! The words are way too small and you can’t read them The pictures are cut off because they’re too big You end up having

Depersonalizing Search Engine

12/30/2014 2:10:44 PM

In today's day to day activity on the Internet - Search Engines strive to provide you with what they think you want to see. This is achieved in different ways by different Search Engines. Google was the pioneer of the personalized search and uses your Google Account, aside from cookies to assist in tailoring your results. If you’re logged into your Gmail or G+ accounts your search results will be affected based on your search history i

Great Developers and Great Designers make Fantastic Web Teams!

12/30/2014 1:23:10 PM

When building a website, it is important to meet with and have access to the design team and the development team! Make sure your web team has both in house and are accessible at all times! From a developer's perspective, I want to have all the details broken down and understand clearly client requirements. This way I can make sure all code is built to the client specs and fully optimized for the best performance possible.