Web authoring tools make it easy for you to create beautiful, interactive websites that your customers will love. Not only that, but they also make it easy for you to track visitor activity and gather customer feedback.

Here are some of the benefits of using web authoring tools:

1. Increased Customer Engagement

One of the best things about web authoring tools is that they make it easy for you to engage with your customers. You can create engaging content that draws them in, and then track how much time they spend on each page. This data can help you identify which pages are most popular, and make sure you’re providing the content your customers want.

2. Increased Visitor Engagement

Another great benefit of web authoring tools is that they make it easy for you to engage your visitors. You can create engaging content that draws them in, and then track how much time they spend on each page. This data can help you identify which pages are most popular, and make sure you’re providing the content your customers want.

3. Greater Visibility and Accountability

One of the best things about web authoring tools is that they make it easy for you to track visitor activity and gather customer feedback. This data can help you identify which pages are most popular, and make sure you’re providing the content your customers want.

4. Enhanced SEO

One of the best things about using web authoring tools is that they can help you achieve greater SEO results. Not only that, but they also make it easy for you to create beautiful, interactive websites that your customers will love.

5. Reduced Costs

One of the best things about using web authoring tools is that they can save you money. Not only that, but they also make it easy for you to create beautiful, interactive websites that your customers will love.

So, what are you waiting for? Invest in web authoring tools today, and see the benefits for yourself.

The post <strong>Benefits Of Web Authoring Tools For Your Company</strong> appeared first on The Edvocate.

I checked into the hotel on February 7, 2023, as my apartment was being renovated because of water and smoke damage, and the insurance company set me up there. Residence Inn has a good name, but the first red flag is that the manager was too busy gossiping on the phone to check me in. Eventually, I got settled, and all was well.

On the morning of February 8, 2023, I left my towels to be collected by the maid. As the process goes, she was supposed to bring me fresh towels, but by the end of the day, I had not received any. At about 4:00 pm, I tried to enter my room, and the door would not open. Got the entry cards rekeyed by the front desk receptionist, and they still did not work. When I went back to the desk, the manager sent someone up to fix it. Finally, they got it open, informed me that the lock was broken, and told me not to lock the bottom latch until they fixed it. You expect me to leave my room unlocked until you fix it? Also, I started to notice a urine smell coming from the carpet and realized I was in a pet-friendly room that had not been cleaned properly.

Around 8:00 am on February 9, 2023, I went to the front desk to enquire about the locking system. She said it would be fixed that morning. I was also informed that the air conditioner did not work properly, and it was 80 degrees in my room. Again, she said she would send someone up ASAP. I also asked for more shampoo, the towels that never showed up and some toilet paper. I told her I could only shower or use the restroom once I received these items.

She said she would have a maid bring them up ASAP. This was at 8:00 am. By 2:00 pm, I had received enough of the items, and nothing had been fixed. I called the front desk to vent my frustrations. Again, she said she would bring the items up ASAP. I could hear her admonishing a child in the background; it seemed like she was more concerned with providing childcare than doing her job. So because someone decided to bring their child to work, I have to receive poor service. An hour later, I had to call again. This time the manager answered and I would be moved to a new room.

I moved to a new room, which was a much better one. I was only semi-mobile during this time, as I was still recovering from a broken toe. Moving all of my things halfway across the hotel was painful. Since this room was better, I decided to stick it out for a few more days, as I dreaded the idea of moving to a new hotel. Things got better for about five days, and requests were promptly.

Then on February 14, at about 7:00 am, I left towels outside my door. The towels were picked up, but I have yet to receive new towels.

On February 15, I brought this to management’s attention, and towels were brought up.

On February 16, my room was supposed to be cleaned, but it had yet to happen by 7:30 pm that night.

On February 17, I still didn’t receive room service. The excuse I received over the phone was that the housekeepers got busy and had to clean rooms for incoming guests. How is that a viable reason? I went downstairs, talked to the manager, and still more of the runaround. She could not give me a viable reason why my room was not cleaned. The final straw was when I when back to my room and saw 3 of the biggest roaches I had ever seen. I was mortified.

I called my insurance and told them what had been happening. They apologized for the nightmare that I had been experiencing and told me I should have called sooner.

They found me the perfect hotel, with rave reviews and a 4-star rating, but I had to wait until February 19 to move in. I was ok with this, as the hotels available on February 18, 2023, had horrible reviews.

The Bottom Line: The hotel’s employees are not handling business, and it’s sad because it could be a good hotel with a few leadership tweaks. Do yourself a favor and stay far away from this hotel. The abysmal accommodations will leave you frustrated and inconvenienced.

Trust me, a nightmare at Residence Inn Northwest, 3940 Westerre Pkwy, Richmond, VA, 23233, is worse than any Stephen King novel. In addition to publishing this piece on my blog, I plan to publish it on every hotel review site and send it to every Marriot Executive. The entire management staff at this location should be fired. John Willard Marriott, Sr. would be aghast to see his vision of quality hotels turned into a network of hole in the wall roach motels.

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Misreading the EducationSsector

The education sector is a complex marketplace. Every school district has varied needs, but education technology products appeal to parents, learners, administrators, and school boards. Most education technology businesses do not understand who they need buy-in from and cannot find a way into the classroom. Another problem is that education technology creators often do not understand the actual needs of educators and learners. They make products that are solving already solved problems or are trying to reinvent the wheel.

Education technology creators should not be designing products for their personal reasons. They should actively figure out what the problems of the contemporary classroom are and will be. Failure to do this ends in the creation of useless products.

Copycat Products

With a marketplace full of  “innovative” products, the death of most education technology businesses stems from their app not being unique enough to compete. This suggests that entrepreneurs are not forward-thinking and that their products are too similar to products that are succeeding or already have a robust user base. Investors will not invest in products that do not stand apart from their competitors, and administrators will not be interested in buying products they already own.

New education technology businesses need to do their homework and ensure that their products do not mimic other products and offer something new. This is an important factor if their products are to be a success.

Their Business Model is Wrong

Most education technology products have embraced the freemium pricing model as the norm. This is attractive to new consumers but can be detrimental to education technology businesses if those same consumers do not purchase the upgrades and bring money into the company. New education technology businesses need to understand how to sell their product and build investor trust. Not all products will benefit from a freemium model, and creators need to understand what options are available on the market. Without understanding pricing and the different education technology business models, new businesses will never see a cent of profit.

 No Patience

The growth of fledgling businesses is slow, and there is very little hypergrowth for education technology businesses. Many businesses will only see growth after 5 to 10 years of operation. This can be morale-crushing for new businesses that have followed the freemium model and may not receive any profit for a long time. Showing patience and providing investors with data and user numbers is important in building long-term trust and a solid relationship. Education technology entrepreneurs often do not see the yield of their product, so they lose hope, and the product dies.

Conclusion

So, although education technology businesses have the traditional problems that come with start-ups, very specific areas lead to failure. Education technology businesses need to meet a real educational need, be unique, and understand what business model is best for their growing company. It is also very important that education technology entrepreneurs understand that growth will be small at first, which shouldn’t dissuade entrepreneurs from working hard. Education technology is the future of education, and we need more exciting products that will change the way we learn.

The post 4 Reasons Why Edtech Startups Fail appeared first on The Edvocate.

Speak to Educators and Learners

As with any app, you need to know what the consumer wants. Doing market research is a foundational aspect of entrepreneurship, and the education technology industry is no different. Creating an education app or tool without having a concept of its practical use, classroom implementation, or learner’s needs will fail. Entrepreneurs need to be aware that their concepts around education may be outdated and the concerns already addressed.

Make Education Technology that Serves a Purpose

Not all education technology entrepreneurs have worked in the education field. Therefore, it is important that the education app or tool be defined and that it serves a purpose. Companies should never aim to replace educators but aid learners and educators to better do their work. 

Do Research into Pricing and Investors

The death of any education technology app or tool is unrealistic pricing. As with any product, profit margins should be slim in the beginning. Appeal to a broad market and be knowledgeable of pricing models.

Start Minor

Education technology entrepreneurs would love to have thousands of kids using their products, but this is only accomplished over time. Be realistic about who the education app or tool is aimed at and how much content will be available. Start small by offering consumers an education app or tool that is budget-friendly to both parties’ pockets and satisfies their appetite for more.

Download and Play with Education Technology 

To make a unique education app or tool, it is important to know what is on the market and how they succeeded or failed.  The best way to accomplish this is to download and use as much education technology as possible. This gives you an eye into the competition, but it also ensures that the product is not duplicated. 

Network with the Education Technology Community

Networking for new entrepreneurs is invaluable. Connecting with other education technology professionals opens doors to meeting investors, collaborating, and learning from influential entrepreneurs who have found success. With the internet, this ability to network is easier than ever.  

If you have an excellent concept about an education technology project or are already in the process of creating one, these tips offer something for everyone. It is important to stay focused and make sure that the good intention that fueled the concept materialized into an education app or tool that any educator would be proud to have in their classroom.

The post Tips for Education Technology Entrepreneurs appeared first on The Edvocate.

Instead, transform your education technology marketing strategies by building a brand your consumers love and want to support. You will also need to develop a loyal fan base, speak their language, and do your homework.

Build a Brand

Universities do it, and so should you. Learners and alums buy branded items, but not because they need one more t-shirt or lap blanket. Customers make a purchase to be part of something bigger. They want to fit in.

Your education technology marketing strategy should mirror the university playbook for branding. To do this, begin with your values. Think back to why you developed your education technology product. What was it that was important?

If you can encapsulate these values in a few words or phrases, you’re on your way to creating your mission and vision statements. These make your brand image, and that’s how people know you. Your brand should be something that anyone can get behind.

Sign up Your Squad

Next, build your consumer base. You can spend massive amounts of money on marketing strategies, but consumers are some of your best marketers. Those who become passionate about your work are your squad.

Get them connecting with you in a variety of ways, such as giveaways and prizes. Educators appreciate free stuff, especially when it’s something they can use in their classrooms. Respond quickly and personally to their posts about your product on social media platforms. If something isn’t right, offer publically to make a correction. It shows how much you care and that you’re just as human as anyone else.

Most importantly, however, find ways to validate them and recognize them for their support. Genuine appreciation goes a long way with educators.

Speak the Language

Finally, be sure you speak the language. Educators tend to be friendly but spend some time brushing up if you don’t know your ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) from a WISC (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test). Learn what tiered instruction means and why emotional intelligence (also known as SEL, Socio-Emotional Learning) matters.

If you don’t takethe time to understand what educators are talking about, you can’t help them solve their problems.

Avoid Becoming a Failure

Few entrepreneurs set out to fail, but nearly half of small businesses drop out of the game by their fifth year in business.

The reasons for education technology failures are legion, including:

·       Skipping marketing tests. Competent marketers test their effectiveness. They stop doing what doesn’t work and focus on what works.

·       Ignoring data or having no data. Proof matters. Provide it.

·       Not including a call to action. Do more than just present your product. Have people do something: try it out, sign out, make a purchase now.

Marketing strategy transformation for your education technology product begins with you. You have to be willing to take the steps that will set you apart from the others. 

The post Transform Your Education Technology Marketing Strategies appeared first on The Edvocate.

Do you sell to school districts or start with schools? The process of selling to school districts or schools varies. Selling your education technology products and services to districts, schools, and even educators requires different marketing strategies.

Selling at the Top: The District

What education technology company doesn’t dream of making a big sale to large districts like Chicago Public Schools (405,665 learners), Los Angeles Unified School District (667,271 learners), or the New York City Department of Education (995,336 learners)?

Big sales often are vital to the success and viability of any education technology company, but receiving a signed contract from a school district requires a large amount of effort on your part. You must mobilize quickly and be prepared to meet the diverse needs of most school districts.

Start by getting on the approved vendor list. Frequently, districts won’t meet with you if you have not taken this first step. Before you approach a school district, make sure your products and services are scalable. You must be prepared to present research studies that support your claims. The data should be quantitative. 

When you get a meeting with district personnel, you will likely present to the senior administration team. Your presentation should be polished and professional. Provide handouts and real-time demos if possible. If the education leadership team gives you the green light, your next presentation will be to the school board.

Selling in the Field: Schools

Schools are the most direct line of contact for your education technology products and services. Judi Paul, the developer of Accelerated Reader software, began marketing her product to schools. Education administrators, librarians, and educators took note of how the program motivated learners to read. Schools disseminated their success stories with other schools, and soon districts adopted the program for all their entire district 

Regardless of if you are a fan of AR (Renaissance Learning) or not, their success has been meteoric. In 2014, the app sold for $1.1 billion. 

Selling to a school is comparable to selling at the district level. You must be on the approved vendor list. You will meet with the principal and the teacher-leaders at that campus. Again, you will need a professional presentation based on research. 

Getting Your Foot in the Door

Don’t discount selling to educators. When they have success with a product or service, their testimonials will make an impact on other educators. It’s likely the administration will purchase it for the campus. The district will want to provide successful software to all learners in the district.

Make sure you attend educator conferences. At conferences and in edtech company exhibits, you will meet the educators who need your product. Sign up to give a seminar to talk about what you have to offer and the impact it has on learner achievement. 

A Final Tip

Schools know that shopping around for comparable products and services makes good financial sense. Savvy educators look at what comparable options may be available to them when reviewing your education technology product. Saving money in one area allows educators to make additional purchases in another. 

Do their homework for them. Whether you sell to educators, schools, or districts, compare your product and services to those your competition’s offers. Show how your education technology product provides more than what the educators can find from another vendor for the same price.

And congratulations on that sale!

The post Tips for Selling to Districts, Schools, and Educators appeared first on The Edvocate.

The academic calendar has a huge impact on educators’ lives. Businesses operate on a fiscal year that runs from January to December. However, for most educators, the year begins in August. Classes wind down in May, and educators spend June and July attending professional development to prepare for the upcoming academic year.

When they approach educators, vendors who don’t understand the school year cycle and resulting purchasing process can feel like outsiders. It’s not that educators and administrators aren’t interested in your product. You may have pitched your product at a busy time in the cycle. 

Here’s a snapshot of a typical school year as it evolves from month to month:

·      August: The campus principals often return during the last week in July, and educators arrive in August. In a push to prepare for learners, they attend district and campus professional development meetings, prepare their classrooms, and plan for the first six weeks.

·      September: Districts that did not start in August begin now. Educators are learning new software programs. If you have not already approached a district or school about your education technology product, now’s the time. In addition, the budget opens, and schools can start spending their money.

·      October: The second grading cycle has begun, and educators feel like they know their learners. They are learning new programs, and educators are busy with data reviews. This is also the one month in the academic calendar without a holiday, so some educators begin to feel weary as Halloween approaches.

·      November: Now you have a window to approach schools at the beginning of the month, but the week before Thanksgiving is busy. Educators and administrators don’t have time to visit companies.

·      December: With less than weeks until winter break and big holidays ahead, educators have their hands full finishing the semester and maintaining discipline and decorum. No new PD takes place at this time. Education administrators are planning ahead for the spring semester.

·      January: The second semester begins, and educators bring renewed energy. It’s a good time to showcase your education technology product or offer PD.

·      February: Continued optimism makes this a good month to approach schools and districts. Most educators are already looking ahead to the new school year. They are formalizing new budgets.

·      March: Many schools take off a week for the Spring Break holiday. State assessment begins in some areas, and no one meets with vendors during assessments. You can still pitch your product, but remember, schools are busy.

·      April:  State testing often continues this month. Most districts encourage campuses to spend their remaining money. Their funding was generated by this year’s learners, so it must be spent. The central office administration collects any unspent funds to support summer programs.

·      May: State testing is finalized, and then schools prepare for closing out the year. 

The calendar may differ for schools and districts around the country, especially if they operate on quarters or year-round. Ask school leaders and educators for the best time to contact them. 

Education technology is revamping how schools teach. In turn, schools are revamping the education technology business calendar.  By being in sync with the academic calendar, you will be more likely to market successfully and make a difference in instruction.

The post A Month-to-Month Guide for Understanding the School Market appeared first on The Edvocate.

Neither planning style is useful if you decide to take your skills to an education technology startup.

Certainly, having a plan is important, but you will have to stop planning and start doing it at some point. You will need to explore how well the market may respond to your product and then get it into the hands of the consumer. One of the first lessons an education technology entrepreneur learns is that you don’t make any money unless you have a viable product, which requires action from you.

The plan will only take you so far. There are many milestones to meet along the way, but you must keep the journey as simple as possible.

The Minimum Viable Product

The minimum viable product is the many basic iterations of your product.

Rather than spend years designing an education technology product that will solve every known problem in education, it’s better to begin small and see where learner and educator needs will take you. You don’t have to forecast how to respond to those changes in ten years. You just have to solve one tiny problem.

You will experience prototyping and pivots once you launch your minimum viable product.  Every MVP needs adjustments and revisions, and that will take some flexibility and skill on your part. When that occurs, you will be glad you didn’t spend all of your time planning. By then, you will have a product that you can sell.

Developing Feedback Loops

Once you sell your MVP to customers, it’s time to find out how they feel about your product. You will have to perform some product validation, which will help you identify your next steps: continue refining the product, and develop a business that supports the product, or both.

Educators use feedback loops all the time, and they work in education technology startups, as well. You will need:constructive criticism that is specific, purposeful, allows for self-reflection, and points toward making corrections.

Work Smart

The theme of lean startup methodology in any education technology startup is to work smarter.

Taking it one step at a time is a smart way to launch an education technology startup. By embracing the journey, you will be effective in solving some of education’s many pressing concerns.

You must place your attention where it is most needed: the current phase in the process. You cannot waste time planning something that might not come to fruition.

The post The Lean Startup Methodology Edtech Startups Must Adopt appeared first on The Edvocate.

All you have to do is release your minimum viable product as quickly as you can. Below you will find three simple steps that’ll take you there.

Stay With the Basics

Develop your minimum viable product. This is the basic version of what you hope to deliver. Most startup entrepreneurs think that the minimum viable product is a prototype. It’s the real McCoy, but without all the fixings.

The initial iteration of your product is just about the fundamentals. All the features you want to add can be developed later once your innovation has a following. The goal in planning and producing your minimum viable product is to get it in the hands of consumers as quickly as possible.

To do this, make a map illustrating the product’s features, the solution it brings to education, and how your vision drives it. Above all, stay lean. Design, write, test, and market. Stay focused on those four initiatives.

Keep it Affordable

A well-designed minimum viable product will reduce the time you spend in development, which can save you a large amount of money. Here’s why:

·You have no time for new features. As cool as it would be to have a product that can do everything, it’s just not viable – or necessary. You’d have to spend years developing, writing code, and beta testing. Every day that your minimum viable product is not on the market is a day you lose money.

·Adding additional features can be a waste of time. What you love in an app or device may not be what the consumers want. Why waste time guessing when your consumers can tell you what they want?

Your minimum viable product is the many economical ways to get your education technology startup off the ground. Avoid the temptation to add fancy features until it’s financially feasible.

Pilot, Pilot, Pilot

Now that you’re ready to launch our minimum viable product, it’s time to test it in real situations.

Product piloting makes a win-win for your consumers and you. They provide feedback, and you adjust the MVP features accordingly. To reward them, you might consider giving them a discount on the final version of the product. Hopefully, you’ve also collected enough data regarding product effectiveness to build a large fan base.

That base will attract venture investors who can help you take your minimum viable product to the product you always knew it could be. 

The post Developing Your First Edtech MVP appeared first on The Edvocate.

From getting investors to learning flexibility, the path isn’t easy. Here are five challenges education technology entrepreneurs face, and ways to begin overcoming them. 

1. Doing Business in Academia

Academia parades to the beat of a different drum than the business world. Even our calendar is different. 

Working within the constraints that schools cope with means planning an adoption far before your rollout, establishing a summer professional development schedule and waiting for payment, often not until school budgets open in September.

INSTEAD: Change your schedule to the needs of the school system.

2. Confidentiality

Learner information falls into various confidential arenas, so you’ll have to address data security. The people who can stand up to disorderly middle school learners without batting an eyelash find compromised learner data to be one of the scariest things imaginable.

And rightly so. 

INSTEAD: State upfront that you understand the importance of learner confidentially and then prove it.

3. Change

Change is hard, but it’s hardest for education technology entrepreneurs who live in a fluid, fast-paced world that evolves continuously. Schools do not adapt and change as rapidly as they do.

Most educators and administrators alike are skeptical of education technology, and some are downright fearful that your product will replace them.

INSTEAD: Show how your education technology serves as a tool and solves a problem. 

4. Money

Education technology is a booming business. Your business plan requires more than an MVP; it needs a sustainable model. You’ve got to design a product that addresses a need, solves it, gives continuous support and doesn’t eat all your profits.

INSTEAD: Help schools become your client by showing them how to write funding grants or formulate payment plans. 

5. Marketing 

The antiquated model of sending a sales force to visit districts may now be a thing of the past because of the expense. Social media is a great marketing tool for most businesses, but academia is generally slow to engage with products marketed solely on social media. 

The savvy education technology entrepreneur has to be creative in finding academic support.

INSTEAD:  Make relationships and give value. 

Education technology entrepreneurs who are ready for these challenges will be greatly successful.

The post The 5 Challenges of an Education Technology Entrepreneur appeared first on The Edvocate.