2020 in tech: Zoom, delivery apps and remote everything
This was the year remote everything went mainstream. Zoom, delivery apps and online booking: the changes likely to stay, and those that will be dropped quickly.
By Robert ScalesBlog · 2020
13 posts published in 2020.
Community in lockdown: keeping a dive family together with no guests
Eight months with no guests on the island: the community is what the dive centre still has. How to keep it together when there is nothing to sell.
By Robert ScalesBlack Friday goes online for small stores
The holiday rush is moving online and the parcel network is already under pressure. What a small shop can realistically do for Black Friday and December.
By Robert ScalesSmall businesses going online fast: the minimum that actually works
Restaurants, shops and guides have moved online in weeks this year. Here is a short checklist for a minimal online presence that works.
By Robert ScalesSelling gift vouchers and future bookings during a shutdown
When you can't serve anyone, you can still sell the future. Gift vouchers and open-dated bookings, and how to sell them without breaking trust.
By Robert ScalesQR codes come back: where they help a small business and where they frustrate customers
This summer, QR codes made a strong return. Where they are useful for a small business, where they frustrate customers, and how to measure their results.
By Robert ScalesCurbside pickup and click-and-collect for small retail
Order online, pick up at the door. How small shops can maintain curbside pickup with the tools they already have, without adding complexity.
By Robert ScalesKeeping your reviews and listings active while you are closed
A closed business is still searched for. How to mark a temporary closure properly, continue responding to customers, and show that the business is still active.
By Robert ScalesGPT-3 and early access: impressive results raise immediate questions
OpenAI has opened GPT-3 to a waiting list. Its writing is convincing enough to mislead readers, which is precisely the concern. Initial observations from the paper and the beta.
By Robert ScalesCore Web Vitals announced: Google puts numbers on a slow site
Google states that three speed and stability measurements will count in ranking. What they mean, how much weight we expect them to carry, and where to begin improvements.
By Robert ScalesSelling online quickly: choosing a store platform
Shops that have never sold online need a store within weeks. How to choose between Shopify, Square Online and WooCommerce, and what to set up first.
By Robert ScalesLaunching edu.ceningandivers.com in the middle of a shutdown
With diving suspended, we have opened an online Education Centre. Why offering free learning makes sense while everything is closed.
By Robert ScalesWhen the borders close: running a tourism business with no tourists
The islands off Bali are emptying. What a small tourism business owes its guests and its staff when activity stops entirely.
By Robert ScalesYour business deserves to be found.
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