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Emails are a popular way to keep in touch with people, be it friends, family, or co-workers, but often companies that you deal business with will send you the occasional promotional email if you signed up for subscriptions.
In this piece, we’ll go over some of the things you can look for to tell if the emails you’re getting are legitimate, or if they’re a con artist trying to scam you of your personal information.
What is phishing, and why is it a thing?Low-life people do this for all kinds of malicious intents and purposes; one of the most common is identity theft. You can, however, protect yourself from these kinds of emails; the best way to go about that is to know how to spot a phishing email, and know what you should do when you come about one.
Signs that an email you received is a phishing emailIn a detailed support document, Apple explains some of the most common characteristics of a phishing email. We’ll go over them with you below and try to explain them to the best of our abilities.
1. The email headers have incorrect information in them
For example, if you receive an email from “Walmart” about your most recent purchase, and the final received line says something like “Recevied from chúng tôi (123.456.789.120)” then it’s probably a fraud because “machax” has nothing to do with Walmart, and the IP address probably doesn’t match that of Walmart’s web servers either.
2. Links in the email take you somewhere other than where it should
Another sure sign that you’ve been phished is when an email you’re sent has links in it that claim to take you to a certain website, but take you to another one instead. You can hover your mouse over a link in an email, and OS X will automatically display the URL that the link will want to take you to.
3. Websites you visit from the email are fake
You have to be careful in many of the instances where you see a link in an email, because some hackers will throw together a really good mock-up of a legitimate website that can be very convincing when you load it up. Many of the websites are designed the same and have the same logos all over them, but there’s one pretty good way you can tell if the site is legitimate or not.
The latest versions of many web browsers, such as Safari, Firefox, and Chrome will do a check to ensure the website is legitimate. If it passes the Extended Validation (EV) check, which is a check to ensure the website is legitimate, then the company name in the URL bar will be shown in green color instead of black.
If you visit a website you usually see a green company name in the URL bar, but if you see it black instead, you might consider backing out before you enter any valuable or personally identifiable information, such as credit card numbers, because the website might just be waiting for you to submit that information to a hacker for malicious use.
4. The email refers to you generically, instead of by name
Since most high-end companies that you subscribe for emails with will have your name on record, legitimate emails will typically call you by your name. A phishing email often refers to the recipient with a generic name that could fit the picture in many cases, no matter what your name is.
For example, if the beginning of an email from Walmart says, “Hi Anthony,” then you’d have less to be wary off than an email from Walmart that begins with, “Dear valued customer” because it shows that the email came from a source that knows who you are rather than a source that doesn’t and is just trying to refer to you as something universal so it fits the thousands of other people who are receiving the same phishing email.
5. The email came to an email that you didn’t give the company
If you subscribe to a company with one email (email A) and you end up receiving an email from that company in another one of your email inboxes (email B), then you have a strong reason to be wary of the email.
Since you didn’t give the company email B, how could they have possibly known they were sending the email to you? Better yet, how did they get that email in the first place? Since you subscribed with email A, you should have received the email in the inbox of email A.
If you can’t explain why an email arrived in the wrong email inbox, you should steer clear of it. Emails should only arrive in the inbox of the correct email address when you subscribe for emails. Any emails that end up in the inboxes of your other accounts are probably fake and may be trying to lure you into a trap.
Protecting yourself from emails you think are phishingIf you receive emails like any of the above, then you probably have a strong case to believe the emails are trying to lure you into providing personal information. If you receive a phishing email, here are some safe practices for you to keep in mind.
1. Compare information of the new email with past emails
If you have received legitimate emails from a company before, such as Walmart, you should compare the contact details of that email to another email claiming to be from that same company.
For example, if I received an email from Walmart before, and the new email claims to be from Walmart too, I can compare the email addresses to see if the sender is coming from a Walmart address or not.
Although email address spoofing is possible, this is a good first place to check, because some morons will send emails from their personal email or a completely unrelated email instead of taking the time to properly spoof their email addresses.
If you receive an email claiming to be from Walmart, and it’s an @Gmail account, then you obviously know something’s up. Also pay attention to the language in the email, such as the way the email refers to you.
2. Don’t provide personal information
Unless you’ve confirmed with the company that the email was legitimate, you should never provide any personal information to an email that you believe is a phishing email.
This includes personal information like:
Your address
Your credit card details
Your social security number
Your maiden name
Your passwords
And so forth…
Typically, legitimate emails will never ask for your personal information. They’ll just link you to a site where you have to log in with that site’s username and password, and will give you information from there, but if an email asks you for your login information for a service, which is unlikely from business-dealing companies, you should not provide it in the chance that the email could be trying to steal an account of yours.
3. Don’t download or open attachments
If you suspect an email is a phishing email, don’t download or open attachments that may be connected to the email. Some of the attachments may contain malware, which may try to spy on your key presses or steal passwords and other valuable information as you enter them.
Most automated emails from legitimate companies rarely ever include attachments, and will be fully-coded in HTML instead so you don’t have to open any attachments.
How to report a suspected phishing email to AppleOf course, reporting an email is no guarantee that the messages will stop, and reporting legitimate emails won’t help the cause, so you should only ever report obvious phishing emails and ones that you truly believe are doing nothing but trying to steal your personal information or cause harm to your computer.
ConclusionDon’t be a victim of a phishing email. Although many phishing emails are completely obvious to some, they may not be so obvious to your mother, or grandmother, or someone else who isn’t as technology-literate as you are. Spread the word and keep the emailing system safe for everyone!
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Feature Stores: What Are They & Their Benefits In 2023?
According to a survey by Anaconda, data scientists spend nearly half of their time on data preparation.
Figure 1. How long does it take to put a trained model into production?
Figure 1: The time it takes for trained models to put in production, Source: Algorithmia
Organizations have started to adopt MLOps practices to overcome the challenges of model development and deployment processes and to streamline the machine learning lifecycle. One of the key components of MLOps are feature stores, which are used by companies like Uber
What is a feature?A feature is an independent variable that affects the prediction of an ML model. For example, when predicting the delivery time of shipping, a feature can be the stock status of the product, the current workload of the shipper, the weather conditions, etc. Since raw data is rarely suitable to be used as an input to ML models, these features that are relevant to the problem at hand must be created through feature engineering.
A feature can be offline or online:
Offline features are variables that do not vary too often. For instance, in case of order shipping, the preparation time of the order is relatively constant if the ordered item is in stock. These types of features can be recalled via the data warehouse.
Online features are variables that change often and need to be updated in real-time. For instance, the weather condition is an online feature when predicting the delivery time.
In order for an ML model to function efficiently, both kinds of features should be considered.
What is a feature store?Cleaning and extracting data through feature engineering, and the creation of data pipelines are complex operational processes. As the number and complexity of ML models increase, the time and computational power required to accomplish these processes also increase.
A feature store enters the picture at this point. It is a platform that
Stores the created features to be accessed and reused in future problems,
Enables the management of all features from a centralized place and makes them accessible for different teams,
Provides the metadata of a feature.
Feature stores enable businesses and data science teams to:
Creating features is a time-consuming process that requires domain expertise about the problem. Feature stores help data science teams to store the features that are created for a problem and reuse them for another problem. For example, the processed data about the average shipping time of a company or the standard delivery time of a restaurant can be utilized by various models. Reusability of features helps ML teams to accelerate ML model development process.
Improve collaborationDifferent teams can use the same feature for different purposes. Storing features in a centralized platform makes them accessible to different teams developing different ML models. This improves collaboration between ML teams such as data scientists, data engineers, or MLOps engineers.
Make model training and model inference consistentFeature stores can help eliminate the “online/offline skew” problem. This problem refers to the difference in model performance during model training and during inference due to the use of different features in these settings. By improving accessibility and reusability of features, feature stores eliminate this problem and improve the consistency of model performance between training and inference.
When to use a feature store and how to get started?Feature stores can benefit all ML projects but if you have different teams that develop and manage multiple ML models, a feature store is a must-have tool. Scaling ML and AI projects across your organization requires a systematic approach such as MLOps and feature stores are often a part of MLOps platforms.
Alternatively, you can build your feature store with in-house resources if you have specific needs. However, this can also be a time-consuming process and often preferred by large companies.
Further readingIf you have other questions about feature stores or MLOps, feel free to reach out:
Cem regularly speaks at international technology conferences. He graduated from Bogazici University as a computer engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
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Top 10 Entrepreneurial Skills And Why They Are Important
blog / Entrepreneurship Mastering Entrepreneurial Skills: What Makes Them Important for Success?
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Why are entrepreneurial skills so vital in today’s competitive business environment? For starters, these abilities enable professionals to identify and pursue new opportunities, take calculated risks, and innovate for success in an ever-changing market. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur or a business owner to develop entrepreneurial skills – they can help you drive success in your organization and stay ahead of the curve, even as a corporate executive. In this blog, let’s look at the most important entrepreneurial skills, their importance in business, and how you can cultivate them to achieve your goals as a business leader.
Top 10 Entrepreneurial SkillsTo recognize opportunities, innovate, establish, and grow new businesses, individuals must possess a distinct set of abilities known as entrepreneurial skills. These abilities are crucial for launching and operating a successful business. Here’s a list of some of the most critical entrepreneurial skills you’ll need to succeed:
Creativity
: Ability to come up with new and innovative ideas and solutions
Risk-taking:
Willingness to take calculated risks and seize opportunities
Problem-solving:
Finding solutions to complex problems and overcoming obstacles
Adaptability:
Adjusting to changing market conditions and pivoting when necessary
Leadership:
Inspiring and motivating others to achieve common goals
Effective communication:
Establishing relationships with stakeholders and conveying ideas clearly and persuasively
Financial management:
Managing cash flow, budgeting, and financial planning
Marketing and sales:
Promoting products and services and building a customer base
Strategic planning:
Establishing goals and objectives and developing a plan to achieve them
Time management:
Prioritizing tasks and effectively managing time to maximize productivity
Why Entrepreneurial Skills are Critical for Business Success in Today’s WorldElon Musk and Jeff Bezos are two of the most successful entrepreneurs in business history. Both have transformed their respective industries, and their success can be attributed to their exceptional entrepreneurial abilities.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla, and several other businesses, is known for his ingenuity, risk-taking, and ability to solve complex problems. He has a history of taking on seemingly impossible tasks and making them a reality, such as launching a car into space or developing reusable rockets. Musk’s ability to think outside the box and take calculated risks has allowed him to push the limits of what is possible in the technology and space industries.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is well-known for his leadership, effective communication, and strategic planning abilities. He founded Amazon as an online bookstore and grew it to become the world’s largest online retailer. Bezos is well-known for his customer-centric approach and ability to build a strong brand and customer base. He also possesses exceptional strategic planning abilities, as evidenced by Amazon’s successful expansion into new markets and industries.
These entrepreneurs’ success demonstrates the growing importance of entrepreneurial skills across industries. They enable individuals to identify opportunities, take risks, innovate, and create and grow new ventures, which can lead to personal and professional growth. Therefore, to succeed as an entrepreneur or business leader in today’s rapidly changing business world, it is critical to recognize, develop, and hone these skills.
Tips for Developing and Improving Entrepreneurial SkillsThe good news, you can develop and hone your entrepreneurial skills. Here are some tips to help you improve:
Read Books and ArticlesReading entrepreneurship books and articles can provide valuable insights and ideas for developing and improving entrepreneurial skills. ‘Crushing It!’ by Gary Vaynerchuk and ‘That Will Never Work’ by Marc Randolph are two books that come highly recommended.
Attend Workshops and SeminarsAttending entrepreneurship workshops and seminars can provide learning opportunities and networking. Look for local events or online seminars relevant to your interests and needs.
Take Online CoursesOnline courses can be a convenient and cost-effective way to improve entrepreneurial skills. Creativity, innovation, and leadership courses are available online on multiple platforms, such as the entrepreneurship courses on the Emeritus platform.
Practice Problem-SolvingTo overcome obstacles and challenges, entrepreneurs must be skilled at problem-solving. To improve your problem-solving abilities, practice identifying problems and developing solutions.
Seek FeedbackSeeking feedback from peers, mentors, and customers can help entrepreneurs improve their skills. Be open to constructive criticism and use it for your improvement.
ALSO READ: How to Pursue a Career in Entrepreneurship: A Comprehensive Guide
Frequently Asked Questions What are the Most Common Issues That Entrepreneurs Face?Financial constraints, competition, regulatory obstacles, and staffing issues are all factors one needs to consider. To overcome this, you should stay focused on your goals, be flexible, and seek help from mentors or other entrepreneurs who have faced similar obstacles.
Is Formal Education in Entrepreneurship Required for Success?No, formal education helps but is not required for success. In fact. many successful entrepreneurs have learned through trial and error, and a wealth of information is available online and in books to assist individuals in developing entrepreneurial skills.
To conclude, developing entrepreneurial skills is critical for success. Individuals can overcome challenges and achieve personal and professional growth by studying successful entrepreneurs, practicing and applying key skills, and seeking out resources for improvement. A culture of innovation and creativity can thus be created in your organization by emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurial skills. To learn more about entrepreneurship and hone those abilities, explore these online entrepreneurship courses by Emeritus in tie-up with the best universities around the world.
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Windows System Sounds Are Too Loud: How To Fix Them
Windows System Sounds Are Too Loud: How to Fix Them When the volume is too loud on lowest settings, it’s time to take action
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Volume issues could ruin your entire experience, so let us help you out if the volume is too loud.
Users have reported that their headphones are too loud despite being on the lowest setting.
The problem may appear due to software glitches or it could be hardware-related.
Therefore, try to restore the original audio driver or use Boom 3D Equalizer.
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INSTALL BY CLICKING THE DOWNLOAD FILE
Try Outbyte Driver Updater to resolve driver issues entirely:
This software will simplify the process by both searching and updating your drivers to prevent various malfunctions and enhance your PC stability. Check all your drivers now in 3 easy steps:
Download Outbyte Driver Updater.
Launch it on your PC to find all the problematic drivers.
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Is your system sound too loud in Windows 10 or Windows 11? Are you seeing the volume display showing as a lower level yet it plays on maximum volume, and turning it up doesn’t help?
If this is the case, or you’re having a similar problem with different specifications, then your machine could be having sound problems.
Sound issues come up when there are audio driver problems or sound files and settings are changed, resulting in the controls in the sound mixer being grayed out.
Read on to find out what to do when Windows system sounds are too loud on your device.
How can I fix Windows system sounds being too loud?There are different ways to resolve the issue of the Windows system sounds being too loud, but you could start by rebooting your machine and installing any pending updates.
If the problem persists, you can try the solutions below to see if it goes away.
1. Restore the original audio driverThis quickly resets audio settings for the audio or sound hardware, causing Windows to reinitialize the audio configuration.
Depending on your kind of computer, a driver recovery will restore the audio drivers for your sound hardware that was pre-installed on it.
2. Use Boom 3D EqualizerWhat you need in this situation is its equalizer feature, and here’s what you can make with it:
Change sound indicators from a zero point on the equalizer
Activate a sound preset and change the frequencies from there until you get the right sound intensity
Adding special effects that will eliminate certain frequencies
Choosing the type of headphones and adapting to their construction (in case you use headphones)
With these features, you will be able to minimize the volume on your Windows laptop or PC, especially if certain frequencies are too loud.
Boom 3D
Use this app to lower the volume in Windows 10 and add special effects to cut disturbing frequencies
Free trial Visit website
3. Run Hardware Troubleshooter 4. Update the audio driverUpdate the network and the audio drivers for Windows 10 from your Device Manager manually by uninstalling, then reinstalling them from the manufacturer’s website.
5. Uninstall Sound card driversSometimes background sound issues may be caused by a damaged or incompatible driver or a problem with your sound card.
If it is your sound card driver, complete the above procedure to uninstall it and see if it resolves the issue.
6. Buy or build an inline attenuatorIf software solutions don’t help, you can buy an attenuator or build one, as this is a fixed volume reduction device or extension cable with volume control.
7. Adjust settings using Levels tabExpert tip:
8. Use Equalizer APO
Download and install Equalizer APO.
Restart your computer.
Open C:Program FilesEqualizer chúng tôi it with Preamp: -24 dB or a similar value to your liking.
Don’t hesitate to give a try to Equalizer APO when the volume is too loud. The changes will be applied immediately when saving the file.
9. Lower system volume 10. Turn off sound processorSome computers may have a built-in sound equalizer like DTS Studio Sound, which starts automatically with Windows.
This processor can create an amplified signal forcing you to have a volume set high at 3 or 4, so you cannot adjust it, and it gets too loud.
In this case, turn off the processor to get a regular sound volume that you can modulate finely, and it will fix things when the sound is too loud in Windows 11.
11. Switch to Windows native audio driverDepending on the audio driver your computer model uses, it could create problems like the volume being too loud in Windows 10.
If using Realtek, for example, it could cause such issues, so you can switch to the native audio driver, as described above.
To get back to the Realtek driver, do it again, but reverse the names in the steps above.
12. Install updated firmware (BIOS)BIOS allows Windows to start when the computer is turned on. Updating it can resolve compatibility conflicts that may exist between different hardware components on the computer.
Before you begin updating the BIOS note the product number of your computer, have an Internet connection ready, and a pencil and paper.
After updating the BIOS, do a sound test to check the volume. If you still find the volume too loud in Windows 10, perform a system restore, as shown in the next solution.
13. Perform a system restoreIf the sound was regulated before but has since stopped working or is too loud, use the Windows System restore utility to attempt to correct the problem.
NOTE
The Windows System Restore utility restores system files to a specific point in time, called a restore point. Any software application or utility that is installed after the restore point is created will not work and must be reinstalled.
After the system restore, test the sound again to see if it restores your sound back to normalcy.
Even more, keep in mind that the previously mentioned solutions may be applied when dealing with any of these issues:
Speakers too loud at lowest volume – If you’re looking for an easy fix, then let us tell you that restoring the original audio driver will do wonders in your case.
Windows 10 audio too loud – If the sound volume on your Windows computer has become too loud, feel free to adjust settings using the Levels tab or update your audio driver.
Windows 10 notification sounds too loud – If you are getting this problem with notification sounds too loud, you should run the Hardware Troubleshooter. It helps fix a wide variety of issues.
Windows 10 system sounds too loud – When the system sounds too loud, there is another thing that you can do. As detailed above, download Boom 3D and make a few quick changes.
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How To Recognize And Report Workplace Harassment
Workplace harassment can include physical, verbal, sexual and emotional harassment.
It’s not just women who are impacted by workplace harassment. Anyone can be a victim.
If you think you’ve been experiencing workplace harassment, make sure that you contact your human resources department as soon as possible to protect yourself.
This article is for employees who feel they or a colleague may be experiencing workplace harassment, as well as business leaders who want to ensure their employees’ safety within the work environment.
Workplace harassment exists throughout all types of workplaces in the U.S. From bullying to outright discrimination, it’s important to understand workplace harassment so you can avoid a hostile work environment in your small business. By creating a workplace harassment policy, you can take the necessary steps to create a safe working environment for all your employees.
While the most basic types of harassment are verbal and psychological, there are also more serious forms, such as physical and sexual. All types of workplace harassment are illegal. They not only affect an employee’s productivity, comfort and safety at work, but they can also expose an organization to legal liability if it does not handle harassment properly.
What constitutes workplace harassment?According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), harassment can include “offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance.”
Harassment also occurs in a variety of circumstances, such as these:
The harasser could be the victim’s supervisor, a supervisor in another area, an agent of the employer, a co-worker or a non-employee.
The victim does not have to be the person harassed; it could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
Unlawful harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim.
First and foremost, it is critical to know when you are being harassed at work, said Becca Garvin, executive search consultant at Find Great People. Workplace harassment is a serious issue with a lot of gray areas. If you witness a crime or experience harassment in the workplace, it is your obligation to report it. If you’re worried about losing your job in retaliation, remember that you’re protected by workplace harassment laws.
“Not only are you protected [by law] from the person harassing you, [but] you are also protected from your employer failing to protect you,” Garvin said. “If you know someone who is being harassed at work, you cannot lose your job by reporting it yourself.”
Harassment in the workplace may or may not have physical evidence. Understanding what is happening to you can help when broaching the subject with the HR department.
Tip
Workplace harassment is always hard to deal with, and it can be especially tricky to navigate if the person who is harassing you is also your manager. If this is your situation, consider these ways to handle a bad boss.
Why reporting workplace harassment is importantMooney stressed the importance of reporting any form of workplace harassment, because there may be others who have already reported similar offenses by the same person (or group of people). And if nobody has reported it yet, then it is even more important to call HR’s attention to it. You never know how many others might have been impacted by that perpetrator, regardless of whether or not they chose to report it.
Many organizations have formal policies for reporting workplace harassment. Make sure you check your employee handbook or, if you are committed to reporting, ask your HR department how to go about doing so.
How to report workplace harassmentIf your employer doesn’t have a formal reporting process in place, here are some of the steps that you can follow in a nonviolent situation:
If the harassment does not involve physical violence, try to resolve the situation directly with the perpetrator. Approach them in a private manner and explain why you feel you are being harassed. If the situation seems too dangerous to do so, then keeping yourself safe is the top priority.
Consider escalating the issue to your immediate manager – unless, of course, your manager is the perpetrator. Bring the issue to the attention of HR if your attempts to resolve it with the harasser fail. If you can, provide evidence, such as screenshots, texts, emails and eyewitness accounts. If your company uses HR software, file complaints through the appropriate portal to ensure everything is documented.
If you feel that your managers, HR and company management did not deal with your case satisfactorily, get in touch with the EEOC, which can investigate the incident impartially. Some large municipalities and metro areas, like New York City, have their own laws and agencies regulating workplace conduct, in which case a victim may make a claim through that municipality.
What to avoid when facing workplace harassmentWhen dealing with workplace harassment, you should avoid a few behaviors, according to Chancey. These mistakes could serve to escalate the situation or put you in a dangerous position.
Do not retaliate. Retaliation can escalate the issue and will often make matters more complicated. Instead, escalate the issue properly, and let your HR professionals handle things from there.
Do not complain to co-workers. Your colleagues do not have much power to change anything and will likely water down your version of events if they are called to testify. Also, it’s important to remember that your co-workers all have different relationships with each other. You never know how that person feels about the perpetrator and how you may be muddying the waters if you are talking negatively about them (even if it is warranted).
Do not keep quiet. You should always report any form of harassment, and it should be handled accordingly. Remaining quiet will not make the perpetrator’s behavior go away. All harassment incidents should be reported, and all complaints should be thoroughly investigated. [Related article: When Is It Time to Hire a Full-Time Human Resources Employee?]
Workplace harassment lawsWhile effective policy starts with the decisions of business owners, there are federal and state laws that protect workers from workplace harassment. A well-known example is the federal government’s requirement for all businesses to provide equal employment opportunity to all Americans. This is usually summarized at the end of job postings and applications, highlighted in an “equal opportunity employer” section.
These are some other workplace harassment laws:
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 makes it illegal for businesses to pay different wages to men and women if they complete the same level of work in the same workplace.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or sex. It also protects victims and individuals who report these crimes in or out of the workplace.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 says that individuals over 40 years old cannot be discriminated against in the workplace because of age.
While these are most prominent examples of discrimination laws, safe working environments are the result of well-planned and consistently practiced individual policies within the workplace. Whether you own a small business or work at one, do your best to help foster and build a positive policy and protect your employees and colleagues. It will protect your business from potential liability and create a safe, inclusive environment that helps boost morale and improve employee retention.
Not only should you be familiar with these laws, but so should your employees. Make sure you create an employee handbook so that each person you hire understands your business’s expectations about workplace harassment.
David Cotriss and Matt D’Angelo contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.
What Drives Ecommerce Returns & How To Reduce Them
Shopping patterns are shifting.
The ecommerce surge of 2023 has many businesses also facing a surge of product returns.
These two things often go hand in hand.
As the overall rate of online shopping increases, the number of product returns will also increase.
However, the shakeup of buying habits could have returns outpacing traditional patterns and eating up your profit margins.
To understand the impact of product returns on the post-COVID-19 ecommerce landscape, Yotpo released a new survey about the current state of product returns. (Disclosure: I work at Yotpo.)
The insights reveal that the best way to reduce product returns isn’t a better shipping system (although that may help too), but through on-site technology and communication.
What’s the Business Cost of Product Returns?A store’s return policy is an important factor in the buying decision.
It simply isn’t an option for brands to not offer returns.
About 70% of survey participants said that the return policy was important to their purchase decision.
If a fee is charged for returns, 59% said they wouldn’t order from that store.
About half of the participants say they have abandoned an online order because of the return policy.
The ability to return is so important to customers, and the best business strategy is not to limit the customer’s ability to return.
Instead, the goal should be to reduce the customer’s need or desire to return.
Doing this involves hacking into the shopper’s mindset and improving the interface of the customer journey.
What’s the Main Reason People Return Purchases?Reasons for return will vary by industry and brand.
Product description not matching the item caused 39% of shoppers to return items, and 33% said they returned products because they looked different in person.
There’s also the issue of shoppers buying with the intent of returning.
Across all shoppers, 35% are over-ordering when buying online, but the rate is even higher among younger shoppers.
Among millennials, 43% buy with the intent to return products, and for Gen Z, this jumps even higher to 46%.
This behavior also varies by industry.
It’s not likely that shoppers buying household goods or products like coffee would place orders with returns in mind.
However, this behavior is very strong in the fashion industry with 66% of shoppers saying they ordered more items than they intended to keep.
Especially as COVID-19 has changed eating and exercise habits, assessing clothing fit can be even more difficult.
This can mean shoppers order multiple sizes with the plan to return the option that wasn’t right.
How to Reduce Returns Through Better Product InfoNow that we know what’s driving most returns, we can identify how to reduce them.
In short, reducing returns is about better product information.
If a shopper’s questions can be answered before they buy, they’re more likely to purchase the products that are a good fit for their needs while also reducing the uncertainty that drives over-ordering.
Focusing on these three listing components can help you reduce product returns.
1. Updated Product ListingsImproving your product descriptions can go a long way to reducing returns for the 39% of shoppers who say their purchase was not as described.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking descriptions are static.
Keep descriptions updated to accurately reflect shopper feedback and trending search terms.
2. Leverage Customer ReviewsThe IRL experiences from peers can provide helpful info about fit, quality, and satisfaction.
Shoppers trust other shoppers.
Not only do reviews provide helpful information, but they also improve shopper confidence in their buying decision.
3. Ability to Filter Reviews by TopicWe all know that collecting more reviews and ratings improves conversions.
After all, feedback from five customers isn’t nearly as powerful as 500 customers.
Fit.
Fabric.
Quality.
By having access to the most relevant information, they can make the best decision.
How to Use Product Returns as an OpportunityImproving your on-site information can help you reduce product returns, but you won’t be able to eliminate them.
Rather than taking the net loss on returns, successful brands are using the process as an opportunity to grow the customer relationship.
Make It a Positive ExperienceProduct returns are a powerful touchpoint.
Your company has an opportunity to make a good impression and resolve the customer’s issues.
This transaction is so important that when returns are easy, 92% of shoppers are likely to order from the store again.
This increases customer LTV and turns the returns process into an asset.
Follow-up via SMSRather than ending the interaction with a refund, use the product return as the start of a conversation.
Sending an SMS message is one of the best ways to follow-up because of the high open rate and personal method of communication.
Keep it casual, and ask the customer why they returned the product or another relevant introductory question.
In response to their feedback, you can offer a discount code, make a product suggestion, or invite them to join your membership program.
By re-engaging shoppers after a return, you’re growing your brand relationships.
SummaryThrough a combination of reducing returns and growing customer relationships, your company can avoid a dangerous situation where returns are eating your profit margins.
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