Archives for November 2021

Tips On How To Budget For Home Renovations

By Thomas on November 18, 2021

Renovating your home is always a bigger job than you think it will be. Budgeting is super important for a successful renovation, because there is almost always something extra you’ll find along the way.

If you want to get the ball rolling on your home renovations, you should start with a thorough budget. Check out a few tips on how to formulate that budget, and go into your home renovation with confidence.

Decide on what you need renovated

Take the time to think over which needs aren’t being completely met by your current living situation. You may need more space. You may need a new bathroom. Whatever it is, deciding on exactly what you need to get done is the first step to formulating a budget for the work.

Pricing can shift rapidly, depending on what sort of work you need to get done, so think hard about how you use the space in your home before you go knocking down any walls.

Weigh the cost versus the value

When you spend money on upgrading your home, it’s important to know what kind of equity you’re gaining with the work. If you want to sell your home down the road, the equity you gain will help boost the selling price.

A minor bathroom remodel can draw more than a hundred percent ROI (return on investment) if you don’t go overboard with materials. Finishing the attic or basement are also two high return investments for your next renovation project.

Figure out how to finance the project

The most challenging part about renovating your home may be figuring out how to finance the whole thing. Unless you have a lot of money in savings, you will need to finance the work done to renovate your home.

Try looking into what a HELOC or a home equity loan can do to help you get the job done. Credit cards may also be a viable option for funding.

Get bids from several different contractors

Finding the right team to do the renovations on your home is another notable step to managing your renovation budget. You have to know what it’s going to cost you to have professionals do the work you aren’t capable of doing.

It’s great to have a strong DIY effort, but some things are better left to the pros. Scout out contractors, and be thorough. Interview at least three different options before making your final choice on hiring.

Mix materials to save money

You can save money on your renovation budget if you think rationally about the materials you use. For instance, you could spend a little more to put hardwood floors in the living room and kitchen, but add tile or vinyl to the rest of the house to save some dough.

Tips for Families When Choosing a Credit Card

By Thomas on November 17, 2021

A credit card can be a great way to save money as a family. While you might assume that a family should stay away from credit cards, as they can definitely lead to debt if you’re not careful, there are also many ways to use a credit card effectively for better savings. You just need to know how to make the best of them. When you’re thinking about signing up for a credit card, here are four things that you need to do to make sure you’re choosing the right one.

1. Consider the Yearly Fee

One of the first things you’ll likely think about when you’re choosing a credit card is the yearly fee. Remember, while no-fee credit cards are definitely a good option, they may not be the best for your family. Some families may benefit from a credit card with a moderate yearly fee, as the benefits you receive from these cards may actually give you more bang for your buck.

2. Make Sure You Can Get the Sign-On Bonus

If a card you’re interested in has a sign-on bonus, you need to be sure that you can qualify for that bonus. The BoA Premium Rewards card, for example, has a pretty significant bonus, with 50,000 bonus points, equivalent to a $500 value, that you can redeem for a number of rewards. To qualify, you need to make at least $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. Make sure you can hit that number to get the most out of your card.

3. Utilize All Statement Credits When Available

Statement credits can effectively nullify your annual fee. Some credit cards offer statement credits to help you cover certain purchases, and those credits can be as much as your card’s yearly fee. If your credit card has any statement credits available, make sure you use all of them. It’s the best way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your yearly fee.

4. Maximize Your Rewards Earnings

It’s important that you do whatever is necessary to maximize the number of rewards points you’re earning with your card. Check to see what categories provide the most rewards for the specific credit card you’re interested in signing up for. If you strategically use different credit cards for different purchases, you may be able to get more rewards points than if you were to just use the same credit card on all your purchases.

Conclusion

Families often end up needing a variety of credit card benefits, which is why a credit card can be such a useful tool for a family. However, if you’re interested in getting a credit card, you need to make sure that you’re getting the right card for your family’s specific needs. These four things are all important things to make sure you’ve thought about before you sign up for a credit card. With the information from these things, you’ll be able to get more with every credit card purchase.

Factors that Influences Customer Experience in Modern Times

By Thomas on November 1, 2021

What’s the one thing that’s always evolving when it comes to businesses? The demands of customers.

You may think that your business has everything to make your customers happy, and then what you have is just not enough. That’s because times change, and customers’ expectations change with it. You have to keep evolving your business strategies in order to stay ahead. Today, the success of a business is defined by the customer experience it offers.

Customer experience has become the top priority these days. Your clients may compromise on how technologically advanced your business is or what is your brand value, but they won’t compromise on the standards of customer experience.

So, if you want to earn and retain a loyal customer base, then you must focus on developing a top-notch customer experience strategy. And to do that, you should know what factors influence the customer experience.

Factors Affecting Customer Experience

There are many factors that can affect a customer’s journey. Here are the top 3 key aspects that can have a huge impact on customer experience. Read on to know all about them.

Demographics

Demographics refers to the structure of your target audience. You should know the age group, gender, and other traits of your audience before developing your CX strategy. Once you understand your target audience, you will have an opportunity to better design the way you interact with them.

According to a recent survey by #CXInsights, your customer’s demographics decide how they interact with you. The survey revealed that younger people (age bracket: 18 to 24) are a lot more technologically advanced as compared to older people. So, providing a good experience to younger customers can be easier than that of seniors. Therefore, you have to use different CX strategies for people with different demographics.

Industry

Customer experience is equally important in all industries. However, some industries need a bigger improvement when it comes to communicating with customers.

The survey by CXInsights revealed that for some sectors, the time and resources required to complete customer communication might be greater than others. According to the survey participants, who were customers or customer service providers, the financial services industry takes the longest interaction time with customers.

The more time you take in communicating with your customers, the lesser the quality of customer experience becomes.

Language

It’s not what you say, it is how you say it. We have always heard this statement, and it applies accurately to the way you interact with your customers. We live in an ever-changing world where the tactics of communication are always changing.

How you get across your communication to your customers can be a huge factor in getting your message across. Dull flyers or imagery is out of fashion and customers don’t respond in the way they used to. Digital signage for businesses has become the industry standard for communicating with customers in a fast and efficient way.

If you want your business to succeed in these times, you should keep updating the lingo in which you talk with your customers. For example, using gender-inclusive language can significantly influence the way your customers perceive your brand. As per #CXInsights, 70% of 18 to 24 year olds said they are aware of gender-specific pronouns and know when a brand uses them.

Wrapping Up

There are many more factors to shape your efforts in offering better CX. These factors decide how your customers perceive your business. The more effort you invest in discovering and implementing such factors, the easier it will be to produce extraordinary experiences for the most important asset of your business, your customers.