Professional Website Designer: Why are they important?

Reality check: Since the popularity of the internet technology, it seems that for every company there is also a corresponding website aiming to promote their businesses. Each one tries to use different techniques and usually this would involve acquiring the help of professional website designers. It is in fact wise to hire a professional website designer on promoting the services of your company to target the millions of people surfing the internet every day. Here’s why.

First, professional website designers already know the suitable design suited to your type of business and to the type of audiences you are targeting at. They know exactly the proper design elements for your online business and they can deliver professional results. They know best how to ensure that your online business is viewable in all browsers and increase your search engine rankings of your website.

As a business owner, if you want a unique or custom made graphics to stand out among the other websites of your rival companies, it might be that you would have to pay higher costs. It can be expensive to get a professional to take care of the web design for your business. However, it might also be worth it. Although there are other options to be able to save money by selecting unprofessional services, but the quality of the design is usually poor. So, if you want to have the best result, you might need to pay a high price. But with a professional website designer on board, you can trust them to take care of your site while you have other issues and areas of the business development to focus on. It gives you more opportunity to raise your ROI’s simply through the increase of traffic in your website.  

The better and more professional your site looks, the more quality website traffic you get and the more visitors you are able to influence. Professional website designers will deal with your company website by taking the most intricate matters. They will not only provide designs to the website of your online business but they could also build up the latest online development in accordance to the type of business you are focusing at. 

Excellent Customer Service Representative Skills

To maintain a positive perception and a professional rapport to your customers, it is important for a company to train its employees to have the best skills as customer service representatives.

A company’s definition of service depends highly on every interaction it has in customers. Their needs not only vary according to their individual personalities but it also depends on the nature of your industry. Customer service representatives should be able to satisfy the potential customers of the company by helping them get what they are exactly looking for, and by providing them options and alternatives when you can’t give them exactly what they want. It is important for them to take into consideration, that whenever customers do business with them, they are representing the company so they have to be professional when dealing with them. That’s because the customers are obviously observing on how well an agent is doing at fulfilling a customer’s needs. If one gets a positive feedback from a satisfied customer, this will likely be a positive repercussion to the company. Customers like that will somehow spread the word of the company’s competence to some of his friends, family members, relatives and others.

To really provide top quality customer service, one should possess friendliness which is by greeting them politely. A customer service representative must be able to practice the art of control especially when encountering dissatisfied customers who sometimes get to yell and complain. It would be better not to interrupt them, and the time after that would be the perfect time to render them the right advice to clarify things and find out what you can do to help them.

Other than that, an excellent customer service representative needs to have confidence when answering their queries. Since customer service is all about communication, a responsible customer representative must speak clearly without being tongue-tied, and must speak in a slow and steady pace to ease up the communication between the customer and the agent.

An agent’s relationship with his customer will either make or break the business of the company. So, it is important to bear in mind on following some of these simple tasks of performing excellent customer service representative skills. As a representative to the company, a customer service representative should at all times understand the saying that ‘”it is easier to keep a customer, than to convince a new customer.” 

BOYCE AVENUE LYRIC STITCHING CHALLENGE

Nah! This was just a random thought about trying to connect the dots. Haha. I was kinda having some post-examination-dilemma-syndrome. Like I said via my Twitter account, watching the movie THE SWITCH kind of made me realize that I am just like Wally who is also a bit neurotic at times. 

So to forget such a heart ache after that mind boggling exam on Property, I thought of creating my own "lyric-stitching-challenge-thingy" on a list of Boyce Avenue's songs. They are like my favorite band of all time you know.

And so here it is, I hope you'll get to ponder on this one if this does interest you at all. Haha. If I'd ask that question among my BA brothers & sisters, sure enough they'd have tons of things to say though. 

So here it is:

I hear you say,"I don't know how & I don't know why..",

It never did come easy, And I promise it was never your fault.

I'm sure you had more things to say, I'm falling over the edge with you.

And with every breath of me, you'll be the only light I see.

So much for the here and now, It gets a little easier with time.

To find what's been lost, And there's nothing left to say.

All We Have Left, I never thought I'd hurt.

But If only I could change your mind, I know you might feel me here.

Hear me now.

Find me here in your arms.

Wait until daylight..

Coz I'm on my way, on my way.

With all my heart,

~Mitchie of BASTP 08/25/10 :)

Boyce Avenue - Change Your Mind (Live & Acoustic at The Fort Studios)

CHARMED BY THE MUSIC OF BOYCE AVENUE

Sometime in September just over 2 years ago, I was a graduating student with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. That time we had to make our thesis for us to finally walk away from the portals of MSU-IIT and achieve that certain stature - to graduate.

It was in Mister Donut's where I and a bunch of my close friends agreed to spend the day pouring all of our time for thesis editing when out of the blue, I got tired and decided to chill for awhile. I borrowed my friends ipod and I started listening to some songs to minimize the stress and loosen up a bit. Then came this very relaxing and attractive voice of a man singing Neyo's version of "Because of You". Although at first I was surprised because for a long time I haven't heard great music as this one. Still, I thought that was awesome. He had his way of creating a perfect rendition of the original songs of some artists. He had this knack of doing things in a whole new perspective.  And that was when I first heard of the BA (Boyce Avenue) song.  

I can't keep myself from listening that song over and over again, together with 'Umbrella', 'Bleeding Love', 'No Air', and 'With You'. I said to myself, dang! This dude's really great! He's own version is way cooler than the original songs. Then, because of my being so preoccupied to graduate from college and then I went to Law School still I kept on listening to their songs. Although I did not have any updates from them for like a year since I've been very very busy at work, school and helping at the charity at the same time. 

Then just this year, my classmate at Law School, Qur'atuayne (that's her real name), introduced to me a song called "What Hurts The Most". Although I was not really that active at Facebook. After seeing that music video, I was like "OMG! So this is him, the -Because of You- dude. Wow!". After that I just got instantly hooked to them, to their music and just about everything that they are up to. I kept listening to their versions and their original songs was even way perfect! Just like my ultimate favorite song from them, -Find Me-. The song was very touching and I like the fact that Alejandro Manzano has this well-balanced voice and perfect falsetto. He and his brothers are like the coolest siblings ever. They do the things that they love the most - MUSIC.

Without a doubt, they are just sickeningly awesome! ;)

Because of them, I wanted to desperately learn to play the guitar/piano/cajon and do some song writing. Because of them, I met lots of other BA enthusiasts who share the same love for the boys. I get to befriend people from Germany, Brazil , US and others. It was like I had an extended family with the other fans. We constantly chat and talk about what are the boys up to, where they are and what country will they tour next time. We get updates from each other and just the experience of hearing great music from great singers like them is the best.

It's good to know that they finally got signed up to Universal Republic. Their passion for music is one of a kind. Truly, the Manzano brothers Alejandro Luis Manzano, Fabian Rafael Manzano and Daniel Enrique Manzano  are definitely bestowed with pure talent and amidst all the success they've accomplished after 3 years, they remained humble. That is why we, the BA fans love them more than ever. 

What they are right now - they deserve it. And for that, we the BA fans will continue supporting them all though out their amazing journey. 

If you want to know more about them and experience a whole new level of great music, you can check them out at these links:

http://YouTube.com/BoyceAvenue
http://Facebook.com/BoyceAvenue
http://iTunes.com/BoyceAvenue
http://BoyceAvenue.com

ENJOY and be part of the Boyce Avenue Mania!

Love,

Shelly Aban of BAST - Philippines

My Lighthouse

Today I found an old book that my father used to read, his most favorite book of all time. Perhaps this is the greatest gift I have ever received on my 21^st birthday. Being able to discover one of my father’s most treasured things gave me the chance to reminisce and to read his thoughts when he was still alive. It was like his diary, a book that has different stories to read each day wherein attached are some biblical passages that are very useful for a human’s daily meditation or reflection. Although it looked so old and frayed but the minute I've read the first page, eventually it captivated my heart & I have come to love it like how my father valued it so much.

Flashbacks of old memories came rushing into my mind and then out of the blue I remembered my father sitting on his favorite bamboo-made chair and seeing the touch of the wind on his wrinkled face while drinking coffee and reading this book (aside from the Bible of course). He would explain to me a lot of things of what life is and will be. We talked and shared moments of intelligent and funny conversations ranging from his experience as a traveler, his life as a student, the people he met, our plans for my future, and of course their love story of Mama. I missed those times I had spent with my father; I missed hearing his very deep voice, how he smiles, the smell of his pomade and most especially how I missed hearing him sing to me about his favorite song “Ang Gitara Ko nga Gamay” (My Small Guitar) whenever he puts me to sleep. I missed his cooking, his facial expression whenever he gets mad, of how he’d asked for me to buy his favorite blackening shampoo, or how I always call for his help whenever my lights won’t work or when I wanted to have him made me certain furniture. He was really good in carpentry though. But what I miss the most is when he embraced me so tight for the last moments of his life.

Strangely enough, a tear fell from my eye when I thought I just heard my father called my name today and gently whispered “Happy Birthday Gang!” I missed that a lot. His warm hug, and of how he just makes an ordinary day very special for me. It’s been five months since he passed away; it is still hard to accept the fact that he’s really gone. Indeed, death is our most venomous enemy, robbing us of joy and hope. However, the biblical passage encrypted on his coffin saying “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” made me thought that I am certain my father has already gone into a “far better place” than the life he had here on earth, it’s because I know he is now with Jesus, he is now in a place where there is comfort, no more fear, pain, tears, and death. He is surrounded to a place where there is perfect love and peace.

Amidst all the jungle trail of frustrations that I had for 21 years of living, his favorite book reminded me that this is the way life is.  Our road map is not always consistent with reality and although it may have been more wonderful if I had just celebrated my natal day together with my father, but I know it would be impossible. Even if I celebrate more birthdays to come, nothing will ever change. I just could not hug him or dance with him anymore. But then again, I know that we will meet soon. Whenever I think of my father, I see hope, love, good planning, perseverance and motivation. I am sure he would want me to celebrate it as though it is as if he is just around, guiding me always. Even though the pain is still fresh, in time I will learn to let go of it. God has made everything beautiful in its time. There will always be a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance.

Now as I turned 21, thinking of how my father was able to work hard just so that I and my six siblings

would earn our own college degrees and kept us strong amidst bumpy, unpaved paths of the struggles in life; I am proud enough to say that whatever path I ought to travel, I know I would not wander aimlessly because he will forever be beside me. Because of him, I have thought of something to hope for and something I need as I age with wisdom and be directed with a sense of purpose.

 Even if I am on a perilous trek, where rough roads lie ahead and there is complete darkness - my father will always be my lighthouse that shines to me when I lose hope. An image of comfort and help. 

CHOICES

Where are you headed for today? Before you dressed or finally leave the house, think of this question. It might be good to just look and see. We are already in the second to the last month of the year. So where are we headed? Where is your life taking you? Or where are you taking your one God-given life? When trials come your way, what do you do? Do you complain? Do you find an easy way out to escape the hardship? Do you panic yet pretend you are in control? What happens when you find yourself in a series of unfortunate events? Do you feel cursed or punished? Or do you now become a curse or punishment to the people around you? Times like this, we can easily yield to blaming others, to God and to ourselves. As if the world has ended and there is nothing we can do. Lord, sometimes I feel my life is moving so fast. In the rush and flash of my every day, may I keep track of way. May the paths I take lead me to your way. Deciding for a new path to take is not an easy task to do. I came to a point where I was a really confused on which should I prioritize. So many choices, so many plans but some can't be realized because of so many reasons. Reasons that are unfair and things that can't be done because of the idea that I am being confined just because I am a girl. I've almost thought of  becoming rebellious and to which suicide has already been an option. It made me very mad and hopeless. I got mad to some people who stand against my goals but maybe looking at the bright side of it might be a good idea. If all these trials comes to pass, I just hope that soon enough no one will interfere me and that everything will be okay as planned. Although there can never be short-cuts and that we all dwell to sacrifice or give up things for the sake of someone or something, certainly there will come a time that everything will be okay. I still believe in my dreams and I've planned it for so many times with a humble and reasonable confidence in my own powers. Soon no one will rain on my parade and I will find true happiness, freedom and success.  As long as I don't give up and remain carrying this conviction in myself, in that moment I know that very sooner my plans will become a reality. Nothing is ever hopeless  when we lose our way. God's grace comes to us. His light enters our path and are turned around. I know God will help me all through out.

God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it. 1st Corinthians 10:13

Lord, thank you so much for your reassuring presence in my life. In moments of fear and doubt, you are my strength. You are by my side. Help me Lord, I want to be faithful to you too. Amidst being confronted with all these vulnerability, as long as I live the journey continues. I will soon be very close to the finish line and I will have the last laugh.