Outsource to the Philippines Blog

Is Offshore Outsourcing An Effective Retaliation to the ROI (Return of Investment) Grind Down?

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Amidst astringing market competition and consumers becoming more and more discriminating, product demands decrease and profits grow less. What can merchants do to sustain their business, offer competitive pricing, and still come up with considerable gain? A counteraction is available, and necessary, look upon offshore outsourcing.

The BPO Boom in the Philippines

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The coalescence of low cost and a suitable labor pool is actuating an upswing in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry of the Philippines.

The country’ s BPO Boom, though primarily led by the demand for offshore service call centers, has seen a tremendous growth surge in more high- end outsourcing services like software development, web design, animation, data and payroll entry, legal and accounting services, medical transcription, and shared services.

Outsourcing, The modern-day Business Tactic

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Essentially, “Outsourcing” is the practice wherein a function of a company’s operation is entrusted to an “outsider” whose foremost agenda is the fulfillment of that specific function. Ergo, mutual information exchange, such an alliance call upon a degree of trust and coordination between client and provider. Experience, know- how, capability, and efficiency are among the winning qualities in the Outsourcing Business sector.

The Sandbox Theory

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What exactly is the Sandbox Effect?

The Sandbox Effect is a theory wherein newly registered domains are placed in a sandbox or holding areas of Google indexes, and deferred there for about 6 months to a year until it is considered to be eligible for the ranking process.

What is the difference between a dynamic E-commerce website and an ordinary static website?

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

With so much business now moving out to the Internet, I don't need to tell you that having a web presence is a necessity even for a home business. The Internet gives you access to literally millions of people many of whom are likely looking to buy a product or service just like yours.

With so many businesses that now move through the internet, it is imperative that your site stand out among the rest. This goes not only for aesthetics, but also for function.

Meta Tag Guides

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Search Engine Optimization: The META Tags

Meta tags are important and unbeaten tools for search engine marketing. The Meta tags are HTML tags that facilitate and explain the document they are located in. Search Engines focus on these three primary tags – Title, Description and the Keyword tags to help them (Search Engine crawlers, spiders, bots) verify the relevance of a website for a particular phrase.

The Title tag describes exactly what the document contains, and is one of the most important tags for a search engine. It is the first one to appear in the search engine results, and it should contain keywords (no repetitions) that you would like to be found, with a maximum number of 80 characters including spaces.

Introduction to Search Engine Optimization

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Search Engine Optimization

It is also the term used to describe the marketing strategy of preparing a website. As a marketing strategy for increasing a website’s relevance, ranking and search engine visibility, SEO considers how search engine algorithms work and what users search for.

is defined as the process of increasing the quantity and quality of traffics to a website. This is done by ranking high in the search engine result pages once a relevant keyword or key terms is entered.

A Thing or Two About Colors

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Even as a little kid I have already been bombarded with lessons about colors. I know that most of you don’t really take these lessons too seriously but as a fine arts graduate studying about colors takes a big chunk in my curriculum. And as a graphics designer, application is highly based on those studies.

Color is very important in designing, whether it is painting, drawing, print ads, video motions graphics or web. Colors can be one of the defining elements of ones design. My color theory Professor said, that even though you suck at Anatomy, having good color combination will do (but my anatomy professor says another thing…that’s a different story). At times, I just nodded in agreement but eventually, I realized that good color combination is definitely a key in good web designing.

The Importance of RSS

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

RSS have become a common term in the World Wide Web and is already considered a mainstream addition in major sites, or individual blogs. This expanding medium provides companies with a new way to access potential customers, promote products, and optimize their internet visibility be it in PC’s, PDA’s, or cell phones.

What is RSS?

RSS refers to “Really Simple Syndication” or “Rich Site Summary”. Simply put, RSS feed is a way of syndicating content from your site, and allows anyone with an RSS reader to view it. The advantage is RSS, is that it works in real time, presented in an XML format, so, it delivers the fresh content as soon as an addition is made in its simplest form.

Stop, Look, and NoFollow

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Google’s Meta tag: rel = “nofollow”

The NoFollow tag was originally developed to block search engines bot, crawler, or spider from following links in blog comments, due to the amount of blog comment spamming.

Rel = "NoFollow”: What does it mean?

NoFollow is an attribute used in a link to instruct search engines not to follow the link destination. It means that when Google sees the attribute (rel="nofollow") on hyperlink, that link won't get any credit in ranking websites in the search engine results.

Beating the Outsourcing GURU

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Outsourcing giant, India is now facing a threat. The recent years have seen countries the world over trying their very best to give India a run for her money. And with good reason, the industry is worth billions and everyone is hoping to get a chunk of it. Massive technological upgrading, advancements, and manpower training are but a few of the efforts that these hopefuls are undertaking to lure consumers to their own shores. This competition has brought scrutiny to India`s Outsourcing services. As a result, faults like high abrasion rates, poor infrastructure, higher demand for wages, and an unmistakable accent are deemed intolerable.

The market has opened and Philippines is one of the countries facing these questions: Could we compete against India? Are we at par or even better than our Indian counterparts where Information Technology is concerned? What are the key factors to concentrate on if we want our very own market share? Do we have the necessary infrastructure? Could we meet the manpower demand?

The Perks of Article Submissions

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

There is an inexhaustible supply of reading matter in the internet, matched with an even more bottomless thirst for answers. This is the root cause of article submissions. With the growing need, many e-zines, blogs, and sites are more than open to posting articles from a variety of authors, knowledgeable in their individual craft. In the writer’s end, with the right strategy, you may reap many advantages by submitting.

The Perks:

The Benefits of Having A Good Web Site

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The recent years has seen the Internet become an indispensable marketing utility to every possible variety of trade. So, if you` re still puzzling over getting your business online, here is something you` d like to take in.

More and more people turn to the Internet for fulfilling the most basic of needs like getting information, shopping, correspondence, among other things. It is almost as if consumers and the collective society expects a company to have a web site. If your not accessible to a potential customer online, you lose business to a competitor with a web presence simplybecause he` s there and you` re not. A web site forges a competitive edge for your,business.

For most companies,a 24/7 operation means substantial additional costs. And although the rewards of such a strategy is noteworthy, others simply can `t afford it. A web site continually functions even while you sleep as purchases, inquiries, and other transactions can be made at any time, dayor night. Thus, increasing your hours of operation.

3 Ways of Drowning Writer’s Block: Learning from Cruella De Ville, Simon Cowell, and Master Yoda

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

A writer’s block is very frustrating, trying to overcome it is even much more exasperating, and the irritation it causes amplifies the uncreative chasm. Escape from this state may seem like to trying to solve the rubik’s cube for the first time, but, armed with the solution, or an aunt coaching you the answers, it does have a solution.

It is established, writer’s block is the cancer of many writers, not only to the poets, playwrights, and critics, but also those in the internet. Sites remain unupdated, blogs outdated, and articles like these arise.

So how exactly does one cure a writer’s block, and what does a cartoon character, a sci-fi creation, and a reality show judge have to do with it?

There are many published ways, like scheduling, freewriting, relaxing, brainstorming, and of course, reading, but I find that these three people do the trick for me.

Philippines slides to number 8 in Global Services

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

There was much celebration during the 2005 A.T. Kearney Global Service Location Index Ranking wherein the Philippines reached the number 4 spot, just below India, China, and Malaysia. The Kearney Global Service Location Index serves as a guide for executives and companies in identifying and fully comprehending the options of where to outsource, and what these countries can offer. That being as it is, the government and the industry realizes its importance, especially since outsourcing is becoming a huge income contributor in our country.

The latest result proved to be a very alarming condition. The Philippines has now fallen to the eighth place, falling behind India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Indonesia, and Chile, and only a few points ahead of Bulgaria and Mexico. Like other countries, we have improved our numbers, on Financial Attractiveness and Business Environment, whereas People and Skills availability has remained a stagnant 1.2. These numbers still fall short on the stats.

Website Hosting Choice Blunders

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Many website owners endure slapdash services with a technical service department that made up of answering machines and auto response queues in answer to their emergency calls. Contrary to popular belief, this is not standard web hosting procedure, and is in fact, avoidable given the right choice of web hosting company.

Given the vastness of location, and the varying time zones, web site hosting has come to mean excellent service, round the clock. When choosing your host, take note of these blunders you should avoid. There are basically three major slip-ups in services you need to watch out for. They are: delay, unreliability, and inadequate technical support.

Bringing the traffic to your online business

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In doing business on the Internet, whether on marketing, Internet service, health care or turn key web service, the need to get noticed is eminent. Competition of products and services published on the web continuously escalates in number. Having a good marketing strategy and the drive to increase web traffic is the solution.

Using a spiral ROOT (Revise, Organize, Optimize, and Test) technique on your website will hasten its rise in search results.

Revise

Looking back at the contents and copywriting will improve the interior foundation of your website. Search engines evolve and become intelligent. Revising the content, adding more keywords, changing the text, as well as its placement will benefit your website higher rankings.

Outsourcing: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Control?!

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

A farmer` s daughter, I have been exposed to outsourcing long before the Internet made it a multi- billion dollar intercontinental industry. Bottom line is, the success or failure of outsourcing is built on proper project management. When a project is relegated to an outsource service provider, it could very well drift into the "out of sight- out of mind" status. And while you` re grinding precious time and energy on other business concerns, the project has gone out of control!

Left completely in the hands of even the most capable of outsourcing firms, an ongoing outsourced project could still go astray. Proper project management ensures that the venture will be consistent with your game plan. Here are a few points to ponder.

echo Hello World = Hello Blog

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Blogging. Wikipedia defines it as an internet entry which provides commentaries or news about a particular subject may it be food, politics, or current events; some even function more as personal online diaries than anything else.I have just lately discovered that almost all of my co-workers have blogs! Some new form of addiction among computer users. For programmers, it’s an escape from coding pressures, and for some, a cure for boredom while waiting for their daily tasks.

Recently, I`ve been assigned to do a project, and yes, you guessed it right! A blog site! This awakened my curiosity about Blogging, and I volunteered to do the UI (User Interface) myself, whereas the coding was assigned to one of the developers. Unknown to me at that time, it was to be my own little way of saying “Hello” to the world of blogging.

Outsourcing Criteria Upgrade

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The already complex outsourcing standards have gone from difficult, to convoluted. Originally, companies intending to outsource their products and services would look at a wide range of factors affecting the possible output, such as the infrastructure, and stability of the outsourcing firm, the Quality and Cost of the product, and the speed in which they can deliver.

This already bore a burden for many companies, specifically, when there are factors that lie outside their circle of influence, such as the lack of available infrastructure, or the stability of the entire country’s government. Recently, there is another addition to this criterion, the green policies.

And then, there came the blog

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Inventions and discoveries spring up from the strangest causes and events. The can opener was invented 50 years after the can, leaving people with chisels and knives to use. Fortune cookies were invented, not by a Chinese, but the American, M&M’s were made for soldiers in war, and not for children. The toothbrush was invented by a prisoner. The coinage of the term, blog, to live up to the trend, was also an evolution of a not so mundane occurrence.

There are different versions regarding the history of blogging, but the first one noted was the event on December 17, 1997, when Jorn Barger, author of Robot Wisdom called his new webpage, Robot Wisdom Weblog. Although the idea of blogging was supposedly predicted by William Gibson, saying that one day, people will make a living pre-surfing for others.

The Real Dangers of Outsourcing to the Philippines

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

There is a constant resistance for companies to outsource to Philippines. Most are convinced that outsourcing can never equate to the standards they are able to set as compared to hiring on board employees. With no experience with outsourcing, when convinced to do so, it is typically believed that mainstream is the safest way to go; contract with an established outsourcing country which already ranks on the top of the charts.

When outsourcing to Asian countries, there are a multitude of disapproving aspects that cause doubts. The Philippines for example, is one of the countries slowly rising in the field of outsourcing. What are the dangers that attach themselves with the decision to outsource to the Philippines?

Benefit Your Business with a Virtual Staff

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Some businesses are rooted on tradition and custom, but revolutionizes on innovation and modification. Routines are highly dependable, and it is reasonable to think twice before a new move, based on craze, is made in a company.

There is an emerging trend in the arena of business staffing. With it comes a financial system which is found, not only to be more cost-efficient, but also more proficient. Hiring a Virtual Assistant offers a company more than just the benefit of imitating the big corporations, and these are the reasons why these giants opt for a VA.

Bringing Order to Chaos: The Grid Theory

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

For many designers one of the hardest part of the job is starting a design. With peanuts, a cup of coffee and a short creative brief document on your table you start imagining your final design. You crank your brain with the info on the creative document, colors, dimensions and sample designs that your client wants. Using the given info and a little research is the only way to produce a suitable and effective design. Remember your design will carry the company’s image on the virtual marketplace, the World Wide Web. So basically your design serves as a major marketing tool for your client.

Taking in mind the basic site anatomy: the header banner, content area, sidepanel and footer you can establish your site build. These four major areas wouldn’t look good if there is no proportion and order. This is where the Grid Theory comes in.

Creating the Vampires of the Outsourcing World

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Outsourcing firms have already established that time difference is not an issue between client, and firm, but rather an aspect addressed, and resolved by the company and the staff. Others are still skeptic regarding this issue, but first hand experience is, outsourcing firm staff work until the client is satisfied, without even looking at the clock.

Practical Expectations from Practical Outsourcing

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Most companies opt to outsource a certain project in the hope of maximizing productivity and minimizing their costs and consequently to reach project accomplishment. Thousands of sprouting outside source companies has provided a false security blanket on clients regarding project accomplishment as something to grow into its own fruition without their help.

But paying someone to do the job doesn’t necessarily mean placing the responsibility of a project completion to the service supplier. Frustration on a project gone awry usually is solely pointed to the outsourcing firms today without regard to the lacking directions the client has taken for granted.

What are the general things a client must do when they have decided to outsource a project? Below are five practical tips to help clients:

Well-made Company Website, Well-made Company

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet is a medium of boundless information. You know that by putting up your company website, you increase exposure and positive activity in your business.

Initial planning of the company website would be drafted from your very own concept of how the site would look like. Most company websites today are authored by a ready directory of internet service providers that you can choose from. Your website provider would interpret your expectations to practical outcome until further revisions are finally settled. Building a website is usually not an easy process and precautions must be taken on the onset of designing the content. You must remember these helpful tips:

Outsourcing Grinch, or Outsourcing Holiday?

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Mince Pies and Christmas cakes in Australia, Cougnou in Belgium, Apple Cider in Canada, Thirteen Deserts in France, and Roasted Turkey in the UK, while outsourcing company employees like in the Philippines turn on the microwaves and greet through messengers. Whilst the entire world is celebrating the holidays, every decent outsourcing company, and company employee have conditioned body clocks on queue with the project client.

Here are the top ten favorite Christmas celebrations in the very limited outsourcing Christmas world:

The Freedom of Information Act

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The American Government has finally made moves to expand the coverage of their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). American President George Bush has signed the amendments the Congress has passed, for the FOIA, now known as the Open Government Act of 2007.

The blog world has celebrated on the modification of the term “news media entity,” which now translates into people that distributes content electronically through telecommunications services. The quote on this section states:

...any person or entity that gathers information of potential interest to a segment of the public, uses its editorial skills to turn the raw materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience. In this clause, the term 'news' means information that is about current events or that would be of current interest to the public. Examples of news-media entities are television or radio stations broadcasting to the public at large and publishers of periodicals (but only if such entities qualify as disseminators of 'news') who make their products available for purchase by or subscription by or free distribution to the general public. These examples are not all-inclusive. Moreover, as methods of news delivery evolve (for example, the adoption of the electronic dissemination of newspapers through telecommunications services), such alternative media shall be considered to be news-media entities. A freelance journalist shall be regarded as working for a news-media entity if the journalist can demonstrate a solid basis for expecting publication through that entity, whether or not the journalist is actually employed by the entity. A publication contract would present a solid basis for such an expectation; the Government may also consider the past publication record of the requester in making such a determination.

The only constriction implied in this Act is that blogs and websites may be considered as members of the news media, provided that they are in the category mentioned above. Independent and non-traditional bloggers and websites are still in the borderline when it comes to the act, unsure if they are covered by this Freedom Act.

Overlay Advertisements in YouTube Videos

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Overlay is simply defined as covering or spreading something over another, and that is exactly what YouTube has decided to do, to earn revenue from millions of videos and their potential profits from numerous page views. It is an effort to meet the visitors’ high standards with optimum services, and equally monetize the video streams.

According to Google, the new overlay advertisements function as pictures within pictures. 15 seconds into the video, an overlay ad appears on the 20% bottom of the video screen. The overlay emerges as translucent, around 80% transparent, and animates for ten seconds. As it has begun, it also ends automatically, and can be replayed by clicking a button.

Managing Offshore Projects, How Not to Sink in Unfamiliar Waters

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Handling new projects are difficult enough for managers, but a walk in offshore outsourcing is more of a trudge than a stroll for those who are new in the business, and in fact, at times it just gets downright overwhelming. Apart from the typical considerations, cultural barrier and the absence of physical presence, there are more factors to take into account such as different time zones, and the complexity of the project itself.

There are several points that may guide one to get the best out of their outsourcing teams.

1. Create a merger

A delivery team is a single cooperative unit working on a single goal, and this is exactly as it should be established between onsite and offshore personnel. As an onsite project manager, it should be stressed that there is no onsite-offshore division, and your people are a single project team.

2. No role playing

Avoid playing the role of another. Function as the liaison and eliminate any barriers of communication between stakeholders and the offshore team. Playing the role of a customer will not help with the accuracy of the product, and instead, might create setbacks that could have been avoided.

Are You Ready For Outsourcing?

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As more and more business firms are considering outsourcing, this does not mean that you should go with the flow and join the bandwagon right away. Before you consider outsourcing for your business, it is appropriate and inevitable for you to ask whether you are all set for it or not. Also, if you do consider outsourcing, make sure that you know which specific functions only should you outsource. While outsourcing could be a very good move and could pay off well, outsourcing can still be risky.

Consider the present condition of your business. Your company’s needs, functions, limits, baseline costs, to name a few, are the things you should consider when trying to determine if you are prepared for taking another step.