Best of the Web: 6 August

Best of the Web: 6 August

Vimto enjoys boost from Ramadan; 10 things every small business website needs; Smartphones may soon replace credit cards; Be debt free in 2011.

August 6, 2010 10:42 by Rasha Reslan

Vimto enjoys boost from Ramadan

Who knew that the timing of Ramadan could significantly improve corporate profits? That seems to be the case for Vimto, a bottled fruit drink made in the North West English county of Merseyside. The purple refreshment drink is used as an energy boosting tonic by fasting Muslims during Ramadan. Vimto’s sizeable export market has gotten a boost of its own this year. The company says they’ve realized a 39 percent rise in profits after an earlier Ramadan increased shipments to the Middle East, the Telegraph reported this week.

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10 things every small business website needs

If you want your small business to compete with the big boys, don’t let mediocre marketing undermine your efforts. The new rules of engagement demand a professional website that captures the attention of would-be customers. “Tell people this is the right website that they have been searching for,” advises John Zhuang, of Winning Interactive – a web-design and SEO-optimization firm. A mediocre website leaves clients guessing. Instead, make sure you get your name out immediately. Within seconds, visitors to the site should see your name and a clear summary of your products or services, right on the homepage. These tips from Business Insider will help you craft a superior small business website – and get the word out.

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Smartphones may soon replace credit cards

Just when we thought our cell phones could do no more, enter the smart phone mobile payment system – a brave new innovation in retail where consumers make purchases simply waving their smart phone in front of an electronic reader. That new reality may closer than we think. And insiders contend that this wave of the future poses a viable threat to those stacks of plastic in your wallet.

“AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile are planning a venture to develop a mobile payment system that works with smartphones, posing a new threat to Visa and MasterCard,” Bloomberg Businessweek reported. The stakes are certainly high. US consumers alone spent more than $3 trillion last year using credit and debit cards, — nearly 80 percent of that on Visa and Mastercard, the report said.

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How to be debt-free in 2011

Think it’s too early to plan your holiday gift giving? Think again. If you wait until there’s a chill in the air to begin planning your winter gift purchases, you may face a big surprise come New Year’s Day: a hefty credit card bill. This savvy guide from Investopedia offers some easy summer fixes that will help you greet 2011 with a clear conscience… and better credit. Why not put that at the top of your New Year’s resolutions?

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Who has time to think?

Multi-tasking: Is it the new reality of our interconnected world? Or might it just be the culprit behind mediocrity? If endless phone calls, text messages, and email checks have you feeling a little scattered, you’re not alone. In this New York Times report, ad agency president, MP Mueller wonders if the price tag of instant communications is just too high – an unending cycle of professional compromises – that value speed and quantity, at the expense of quality.