Changing Pattern of Consumer Behaviour

Changing Pattern of Consumer Behaviour Today organizations need a deep insight into consumer behaviour and its changing patterns in order to survive in the market place. Large organizations have highly trained individuals recruited to collect information about the consumers constantly changing needs and trends so that they can get focused on what is required by consumer; so that they can cater those needs as accurately and efficiently as possible . Harrods is one of the worlds most well-known department stores situated on Brampton Road in Knightsbridge, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England; It was established in 1849 as a small grocery store with only two helpers. Today, it offers its customers with everything from food to fashion, furniture to sportswear plus 20 in-store restaurants serving every kind of cuisine imaginable from pizza to sushi. Services range from piano tuning to fitting saddles. Must-see sights include the Food Halls, the Egyptian Hall and the Pet Department. (Visit London) Harrods after tenure of great success has lately seen a falling trend in its sales. Harrods, therefore, has further studied the behaviour of its consumers more closely in order to know the reasons of this unfortunate decline in sales. This report contains an analysis of this study, external influences and how they can be used positively to augment the sales; It mentions the strategies Harrods can use in order to get the same honourable and prestigious position back in the marketplace. Task 1: Impact of External Influences An insight into the behaviour of consumers at Harrods Harrods is a high end departmental store which offers a great range of products and services. Once opened as a small grocery shop has now matured to become a good example for posh and glamorous shopping, complementing itself on its motto Omnia Omnibus Ubique which means that All things, for all people, everywhere. It is famous about Harrods that you can buy anything you can name at Harrods, from a hair pin to furniture. (go there guide) Consumer behaviour is a study of when, how and where people buy or do not buy certain products or services. When buying a product, consumers usually go through several stages which can be named as need recognition, information search, evaluation of different purchase options, purchase decision and post purchase behaviour e.g. a need arise when you see your current television set is out dated and pretty old fashion or may be its broken. You decide that you want a new television and then start looking for different options transferring yourself to the next stage and you start looking for which television to buy and from which place; this is the stage when Harrods should come in the mind of a consumer. Then a consumer evaluates between different available options which Harrods has advantage of providing consumer all under one roof and then finally he buys a product. (East, 2008) Harrods is considered a glamorous shopping place. Though nearly everything is available at Harrods but the target market segment that Harrods focuses on is the upper class. This is the market segment the management at Harrods keeps in mind while carrying out its marketing activities. People visiting Harrods may belong to any age group but majority of them belong to the social class A and expect a service that is up to the mark. They expect that the product available at Harrods would belong to the highest of the qualities available. Marketers define four types of buying behaviours and it is based on the type of products that the consumer intends to buy. All four types of buying behaviors can be witnessed in the consumers at Harrods as a vast range of products are available at Harrods. Complex buying behaviour This where the person purchases a high value brand and inquires about a lot of information before the purchase is made. This may be when a consumer is buying a very expensive outfit of Paul Smith Black at Harrods Habitual buying behaviour This is when somebody purchases a product out of routine e.g. a daily newspaper, sugar or salt. This is applicable for a consumer buying grocery from the grocery section Variety seeking buying behaviour It is when the person likes to shop around and try out with different products. Some consumers at Harrods do not have the particular brand in mind beforehand when they shop for any product so they experiment different brands. Dissonance reducing buying behaviour This is the type of behaviour when buyer is extremely concerned with the purchase of the product, because the purchase is expensive or occasional. An example could be buying expensive furniture at Harrods. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) The management at Harrods needs to keep all these consumer behaviour theories like what makes consumer buy a product, what kind of behaviours can they adopt while shopping at Harrods in mind and factors can cause a change in consumer buying patterns in mind while they take their management decisions. They specially need to be aware of the expectations of their consumers and what exactly they want from Harrods in order to improve and find the loop holes which might be leading to a fall in sales. External Factors may influence Buying Behaviour Consumer behaviour can be affected by various factors that may be highly uncontrollable by marketers. These external factors may include the opinion of your friends, the values and the way you are brought up, the media, the culture, certain groups you interact with etc. All of these external factors are mentioned in details with respect to the consumers of Harrods as follows: Culture Culture does influence consumer behaviour; culture is defined as our attitudes and beliefs. The point that we need to know here is the way these attitudes and beliefs are developed. As a person matures, a child is influenced by his parents, siblings and other family members who may educate them about rights and wrongs. They learn about their religion and culture, which helps them develop these opinions, attitudes and beliefs.. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Geographical Culture Harrods needs to understand the culture of people living in London. The way they are brought up and what their values are. Do people living in London like to go to glamorous shopping places like Harrods? Are they comfortable shopping at such high end places? What are their buying trends and do they prefer large shopping places over small ones? Can people living there afford to buy expensive or do they usually spend this much on average? All these questions need to be answered in order understand the psyche of consumers living in London and cater them according to their needs. If we go back into history, UK is a class based society and some remains of such behaviour are still existent. People who belong to a high class do like to show off and go to high end places but as time is passing this frame of mind is changing. This change of mind may be one of the factors leading to fall in demand for Harrods. Subculture Subcultures can be defined as members that possess beliefs, values and customs that set them apart from other members of the same society. There can be nationality, ethnic, racial, geographical or religious sub cultures. People belonging to various parts of the world and belonging to various sets of beliefs and norms live in London, which leads a complex set of people who may have different beliefs and norms mixed up. Understanding and catering to all of them is not very realistic but Harrods needs have knowledge regarding major subcultures so that its products are designed according to it and their do not hurt anyones beliefs and norms. (Leon G Schiffman, 1997) Global Culture In order to make sure that the products it is offering is in line with the Global culture, Harrods needs to study the global trends of buying behaviour as well. Generally people around the globe have started preferring large shopping malls over small specific buying areas. This facilitates a consumer in a way that all the products are available under one roof. As people are getting more and busier with their work lives, this saves time. Moreover the world is also moving towards better quality products and services. Designer clothes and fashion apparel are getting popular. Brands are getting global. This trend of customers goes in favour of Harrods. Multinationals have the brought the consumer base to one platform which in a way has helped marketers to understand complex behaviours. (my library) Reference Groups Reference group is an actual or imaginary individual or group concealed of having significant relevance upon an individuals evaluations, aspirations and behaviour. Marketers have seen that reference groups can strongly influence buying behaviours. Reference groups are particular set of people some people may look up towards to that have an impact on consumer behaviour. So they can be only a band like the Savage Garden or your direct family members. Marketers have grouped reference groups into classes to comprehend the way the influence more clearly. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Types of Reference Groups Normative: Some group and individuals are more powerful than others and affect a broader range of consumption decisions. A very good example would be family. Your upbringing really has a strong influence on your likes and dislikes, definitions of right and wrong. Family values and practices usually do not change and develop basic standards of behavior. If a family is used shop from department stores rather than individuals outlets or it may be particularly Harrods then this practice may be passed on to further generations as well and this how the cycle goes on. (M.Khan, 2007) Comparative: These are the people you compare yourself to and can relate to e.g. friends, neighbors or a club you are a member of. Some of these may be ones you aspire and want to imitate. A person may start shopping from Harrods because a friend of his shops from Harrods and he likes it very much and recommended him as well. (M.Khan, 2007) Reference groups can further be divided into direct and indirect reference groups: direct are the ones you have contact in person with and indirect may be the ones you may not have direct contact with such as celebrities. (Balythe, 2008) Marketers cannot directly manipulate your direct reference groups or use them for their benefits but indirect reference groups can easily be used by marketers. Harrods needs to study about its consumers reference groups and use them in its favour. If Harrods serves its existing consumers really well they will automatically prove to be a resourceful reference group for some potential consumers. They can also use celebrity endorsements referent powers. (Wagner, 2003) Opinion leader Opinion leaders are the people who have greater knowledge about a certain thing than a lay man so you respect their views and that may influence consumer behaviour. Most of the times it would really affect the behaviour if the thing to buy is a highly technological product, may be a hi-tech computer and the opinion leader in that case may be a computer expert. (CL Tyagi, 2004) Economic Environment Economic environment has a great influence on buying behaviour. People usually spend more during good economic times and during an economic boom and likewise less during recessions. Lately aggregate demand around the globe felt due to global recession. People were out of jobs and businesses were heading towards a downfall which left people with less disposable incomes on hand to spend. This may also be one of the factors leading to Harrods reduced sales. (Angus Deaton, 1980) Competition Competition is another factor which influences the consumer behavior. This provides consumers with more options available so they start comparing between the available options and selects the one which benefits them the most. Harrods has a few potential competitors mentioned below: Selfridges There is store called Selfridges Co. It is also one of the largest areas in the world with 540,000 sq.ft of selling area. It is located on the Oxford Street which is a prime posh location. Like Harrods, it is also famous among consumers for providing a large range of products and services. The difference between Harrods and Selfridges could be that Selfridges is more focused towards entertainment as it has 15 bars, cafes and restaurants inside the area. It has two more smaller department stores, one in Manchester and the other in (business week) Marks and Spencer Another strong competition would be Marks and Spencer (MS). It is a British retail chain and it has 330 department stores and over 340 food location all over UK. It does not operate in UK only but has over 300 locations in countries including Indonesia, South Korea, India and China. The factor that differentiates M S from Harrods is that it core range consists of mid-priced household items, fashion apparel and other products whereas Harrods is designed for the best or may be for everything rather a narrowed specific price range. M S has been in this market for more than 100 years and has been ranked as the no. 1 supplier of women wear. Moreover, the company makes 90% of its sales in its home country which certainly is UK. It can give Harrods a tough competition if Harrods get even a little bit lenient in its services (business week) Fortnum Mason This is 300 year old department store. It is very famous for its food which includes jams, teas, and sauces. It also supplies Queen with annual Christmas puddings. It has five restaurants and though it generates most of its sales from food but it also sells gifts, luggage, household products, cosmetics etc. Though its product range and the area of focus are not exactly same as Harrods but it can be counted as a competition and was mentioned by a number of consumers at Harrods. (business week) Task 2: Recommended Positioning Strategy Perception A study of human perception can also help marketers to understand the consumer behaviour. Perception is the process by which people select, organize and interpret their sensations; where sensation is how are sensory receptors (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers) to basic stimuli such as light, colour, sound, odor and texture. Like a computer system human mind also processes the information in order to perceive things. (Martin E Evans, 2009) This is the age of sensory marketing. Marketers make use of impact of sensations on consumers product experiences. They use vision, hearing, touch and taste in order to create an image of the brand in the minds of the consumer to create a competitive advantage. Marketers try and create brands unique association with the sensation. (Hawyer, 2008) Harrods may use a certain trade dress which is colour combination an organization uses so frequently that consumers start associating that brand with that colour combination. Whenever they see that colour combination around their mind recalls the brand in sub-consciousness. This is how marketers create an image that can last very long in the minds of the consumers through our sensations; as consumers start associating those brands to different things. Consumers perception about the brand consists of both its functional attributes as well as the symbolic attitudes. Functional attitudes may include its price; its features etc. and symbolic may include its image. Marketers have discovered that consumers evaluation of a certain product is more dependent on what it means rather than what it does. This meaning has more to do with products market position and it may be more to do with our expectations of the product as communicated by its colour, packaging and styling rather than the product itself. (Kathy Niel, 2007) Therefore, Harrods should use these tools of sensation in order to create an image of Harrods that consumers cannot forget; an image that stays in the minds. It should create a certain sensation so that consumers can associate the brand with that sensation. This automatically attracts a consumer towards a brand as it creates a certain impact in the minds of the consumers that lasts for very longer periods of time. Attitude Attitude is actually a learned behaviour. They may be favourable and unfavourable attitude for a product or a service. Marketers say that attitudes have the quality of motivation, they can lead consumer towards certain behaviour or can even stop him from doing so. Harrods should try and develop a positive attitude about itself in the minds of the consumers. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Harrods have had certain issues which may lead to a negative attitude. Harrods in order to maintain its glamorous image threw a lady out from the store. Eilene Kadden, from California, was ejected from the store because she did not have the right image; she was too fat. Such kinds of incidents adversely affect the image of the brand and such incidents can lead to negative attitudes for the brand in the minds of the consumers. Harrods should respect its customers irrespective of race, colour, ethnicity and physical attributes of a person. Tri-Component Attitude Model According to this model attitude consists of three components which are cognitive, affective and conative components. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) The cognitive component consists of persons cognitions i.e. his knowledge and perception about the brand. This may be formed by a combination direct exposure and from other sources. Harrods should create a positive impression in the minds of the consumers through its image, service and behaviour. The affective component is more about the feeling of the consumer. How related and emotionally attached he is to the brand. A family might be shopping from Harrods from last three generations and may develop an emotional attachment to the store. These emotions can further affect the actions of the consumers. They van be negative as well. The Conative component deals with the actual behaviour of the consumer, it is also called the consumers intention to buy. This model can help Harrods to develop a positive attitude among its current and targeted consumers. Harrods should try to factually as well emotionally create a positive feeling about the brand. Self Self-concept is the beliefs that customer holds about himself. It can be positive as well as negative. At times you feel that a part of you is more positive. People buy products which they can relate to themselves. What is the reason that social class A is the major consumer at Harrods? It is that all the products are designed keeping the social class as a target market segment and so they can relate to it. Positioning Strategy This is the way a brand portrays itself and places itself in the minds of the consumers. Positioning a brand is a very crucial task. This is what can either make a brand or break a brand. When a marketer targets a certain market segments, it intends to different itself from the other brands through its competitive advantage. How to Position When a brand is to position itself, the very first step when a business decides to enter the market to describe the market in which the brand is to enter and to struggle. The market where Harrods is to compete is London. It is posh area where people spend money to avail highest quality products and services. The next step would be to collect information from the relevant consumers about what perception do they have regarding the competing brands in the market. Harrods needs to understand what attributes regarding the shopping stores are most favourable in the minds of the consumers. It needs a complete knowledge about the likes, dislikes, preferences and frame of mind of the relevant consumers it intends to target. It needs to determine the share of mind of all the competing brands which are mentioned above including Selfridges, Marks and Spencer, Fortnum and Masom. It needs to rank the competitors and the attributes which would be hard to compete. At the end it needs to position its elf using the combination of the preferable attributes and attributes of the brand itself to capture a territory in the minds of the consumer. Era of Marketing This is the age of Marketing. Marketing a brand is becoming more important than the product itself. The Marketers study the market in detail, segment the market into different segments based on demographics and psychographics and then select the most profitable segment as the targeted segment. All the products and services are then designed keeping that particular segment in mind. All the decisions are also taken in accordance to that particular targeted segment. (Gerit Antonides, 1998) Harrods instead of taking decsions keeping the products and services in mind, needs to take decisions keeping the preferences of targeted consumers in mind. If a certain brand in preffered and renowned in US but people in UK prefer other brands over it which may even be of slightly lower quality, opting for that brand of better quality would not be sensible decision. Harrods has taken some bad decesions in the past to save its glamorous image; it has kept a range of brands which are not even liked by most of the people in London which is a failure for Harrods to understand the psyche of its consumers. Suitable Positiong Strategy for Harrods The three major positioning concepts known among the marketers and they are functional, symbolic and experiential position. Functional position is when the firm shows itself as the solution to problems. It promotes the benefits that can provide and gain a favourable position. Symbolic postioning is when a organization uses its image, belongingness and egoistic image which provides the comsumers with social meaningfulness. This is the kind of positioning suitable for an organization like Harrods and this is what it has been doing in the past as well but a certain change is needed to make this symbolic position better. These changings would be mentioned further in the report. Experiential position is when an oraganization makes use of the consumers sensory and cognitive stimulation and the concepts of perception to create an image in the minds of the consumers that consumers can relate to. Harrods Current Positioning Harrods has positioned itself as a high-end, glamorous, luxurious and high end department store. It has not positioned itself as a department store but as an unforgettable experience. Harrods has a reputation for excellence and a motto Everything for Everybody Everywhere. Consumers know it as a place where you can buy everything. From sugar and potatoes to luxurious cars, everything is available at the Harrods. The major component or competitive advantage that Harrods has used is its grand image and variety. Repositioning Harrods Some of the Harrods policies to maintain its high end image has in turn adversely affecting its reputation. The incidents of forcing people out due to their physical appearance and strict dress code rules make customers inconvenient and lead to a negative impression. Harrods need to add a component of humbleness in its positioning statement. The feeling that one gets when he hears about Harrods is of arrogance and attitude. A tinge of humbleness needs to be added to the image in order to create a positive impression. Harrods should try and create an image of an environment friendly organization. People once protested against Harrods selling animal fur. Such kind of incidents would not happen if you have you have a complete knowledge about youre the culture and values of targeted consumers and people around. Harrods should encourage the brands operating inside the store to promote green environment and produce as many environment friendly products as they can and take steps for protecting the environment from every kind of pollution. This will lead to a responsible image about in Harrods in the minds of the consumers which will definitely in turn improve the sales. Online and Offline Positioning Messages As mentioned under the heading of repositioning Harrods, Harrods needs to promote a tinge of humbleness with its glamorous image. The current motto used by Harrods is Everything for Everybody Everywhere and All things, for all people, everywhere which portrays that literally everything is available at Harrods. Messages like Everything that you need because we care! would promote an image of care and responsibility on part of the organization. This would portray that the organization is not selfish about its own benefits only. The attitude of the employees in the store will automatically depict the position and set a mark in the minds of the consumers. Moreover for offline positioning, Harrods can launch campaigns for environment protection. It can sponsor such activities in order to create an impact and show that it actually cares and contributing towards the society. Conclusion Harrods is a very famous and well known brand. It has successfully achieved its targets and continuously improved and expanded over the years. Its management worked efficiently to satisfy the needs of its consumers. It was clear and focused on the segment it was targeting and therefore tailored its products accordingly. Due to some external factors and some of the bad decisions that Harrods took declined its sales. The image that Harrods was enjoying is slightly damaged but its not late to make for the mistakes in the past. Moreover, every firm needs to innovate and re-position itself according to changing environment. Harrods in order to earn its position back needs to make slight changes in its positioning. It should get more humble towards its customers and promote environmentally friendly products. Task 3: Individual Critical Reflection on Learning Outcomes Critical Reflection on Learning Outcomes Before the start of the module, I was not sure of whether it will further enhance my learning or not. The theories I was to expected to apply in the module were the ones I had already studied several times so I was not looking forward to any further new learning and experience. As I started working on the module and started gathering information about Harrods, I realized that my perception about the module was entirely wrong. Though I didn.t learn anything new in the module but it gave me an opportunity to apply what I have learned in a real life situation. All the concepts and course material that I studied in the course was practically applied to solve the given problem of reduced sales. Moreover, while I was studying for the course I had an impression that most of the concepts mentioned in the course books are only for theoretical purposes and are not used or helpful to the firms in real life situations. My opinion was proven wrong while I working on the module as I saw that firms do use these concepts and they do help them in understanding the behaviour of consumers which is critical for their success. This module was a great experience. Though collecting information and analysis was a little tough and tiresome but it was worth it. The data collection on the external factors influencing the consumer behavior was really difficult; classifying it and coming up with useful results and conclusions was even more troublesome. This module specifically enhanced my analytical skills and improved my confidence of practically applying theoretical knowledge. References Angus Deaton, J. M. (1980). Economics and consumer behaviour. Balythe, J. (2008). Consumer Behaviour. business week. (n.d.). Retrieved august 27, 2010, from business week: http://investing.businessweek.com/research CL Tyagi, A. K. (2004). Consumer Behaviour. East, R. (2008). Consumer Behaviour. Gerit Antonides, W. F. (1998). Consumer Behaviour. go there guide. (n.d.). Retrieved august 2010, 28, from go there guide: http://www.gothereguide.com Hawyer, W. D. (2008). Consumer Behaviour. Kathy Niel, S. P. (2007). Consumer Behaviour Implications for marketing strategy. Leon G Schiffman, H. H. (1997). consumer behaviour. M.Khan. (2007). Consumer Behaviour. Martin E Evans, G. F. (2009). Consumer Behaviour . Micheal.R.Solomon. (2005). Consumer Behaviour: buying, having, being (8th ed.). my library. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2010, from my library: http://www.accessmylibrary.com Visit London. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2010, from Visit London: http://www.visitlondon.com/attractions/ Wagner, S. (2003). Understanding Green Consumer Behaviour.

Business Report Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Business Report SOCIAL CUSTOMS Every country has it’s own social customs and gestures. Ireland has its share of social customs that differ from the United States, but for the most part the countries are relatively similar. Friendliness and hospitality have always been the hallmark of the Irish people. People in Ireland react to strangers very politely, as you would expect in most parts of the United States. The attitude toward foreigners in Ireland is reasonably friendly, and welcoming, as opposed to being hostile. In Ireland people greet each other much like they do in the United States. In a social setting, a handshake is appropriate when greeting another man, when greeting a woman a hug is appropriate. The manners in Ireland follow the United States almost exclusively. Entering or leaving a room in Ireland is much like entering or leaving a room in the United States. When entering and greeting a person, it is considered good manners to shake a man’s hand, or offer a woman a hug, but beyond that, when exiting a room, there is no bowing or nodding. Do not go overboard, the Irish aren’t physically effusive. â€Å"If an Irish person refers to you by your last name, do the same, generally in a social situation they switch quickly to using your first name.†1 Other than this using a name for an introduction follows the usual Mr., or Mrs., when referring to an adult. In a non-formal setting, such as a social atmosphere, referring to someone by his or her first name is completely acceptable.1 In the part of Ireland researched, social customs do not dictate where or when people are expected to sit in a social or business setting; however it would be advised when in a business situation not to be seated until asked. There are no hand gestures, facial expressions, or phrases noted that would be considered rude in Ireland that would not be considered rude in the United States. This also works in the reverse direction, where, such hand gestures, facial expressions, and phrases that would be considered rude in the United States will also be taken as rude in Ireland. When speaking to a person from Ireland, you would stand just as you would when speaking to an American in the United States. A relaxed manner, and a reasonable distance are the norm. While in a restaurant in Ireland you would signal a waiter in the same manner that you would in the United Stat... ... would have to be that of, St. Patrick, Patron of Ireland. St. Patrick worked in a missionary in the 5th century. He played a crucial part of converting Ireland into the Christian faith. There are many important dates on the Irish calendar. Many of which happen to be festivals. St. Brighad’s Feast (Feb. 1), May Eve, Festival of Lughnasa (Aug), and Halloween. Being that most of Ireland’s people are of Christian faith, all of the Christian holidays such as Christmas, Easter, St. John’s Night, and the Feast of St. Martin, are celebrated. The Irish National Anthem-â€Å"The Soldier’s Song† or â€Å"Amhran na bhFiann,† - was written in 1907 by Peader Kearney, who together with Patrick Henney also composed the music. It was first published in 1912, and was formally adopted in 1926. It consists of three stanzas and a chorus, the text of which goes as follows: Soldiers are we, whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave, Sworn to be free, no more our ancient sire land Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the bearna baol In Erin’s cause come woe or weal ‘Mid cannon’s roar and rifles peal, We’ll chant a Soldier’s song.19

Observational Learning Essay

Observational learning is when learning happens by observing other people’s actions. Observational learning involves cognitive processes such as attention, motor skills, motivation, and memory. For observational learning to take place the person who is observing the behavior needs to be paying attention to it in order to learn it. Another important part of observational learning is being able to remember the behavior that you saw, so you can repeat it. As well as being able to remember the behavior the person also needs to be able to perform the behavior for observational learning to occur. Motivation plays a role in observational learning because you have to want to do the action for a reason. All these things are important in observational learning. Observational learning can be used on something more basic or more complex. Learning to play a certain song on the piano could be observational learning. My friend had a piano and she would play it when I was over her house, she played one certain song all the time. I would watch her play the song as well as listen to the way it sounded. I learned how to play the song eventually from watching her play it so much. The reason why I paid attention to her playing the piano was that I liked the sound of the song she was playing. I already knew a little about the piano because I had taught myself how to play a very simple song previously, so I had the motor skills, which allowed me to be able to play the song. Of course I was motivated to play the song or else I would not have paid attention to learning it. The reason why I was motivated was because I liked the way the song sounded, and I thought it would be fun to be able to play a full song on the piano. Learning how to play an instrument is a good example of observational learning, but not the only type of learning that can occur. Most people know how to cook, even if they have never taken a cooking class, this is because of observational learning. My friends and I used to make these huge elaborate breakfasts the morning after we had a sleepover. None of us had ever taken cooking lessons, but we knew how to cook because we had watched our parents cook before. When my parents would cook I would watch them and pay attention to what they were doing because the food they were making always smelled really good, and I wanted to know how and why it  smelled so good. Most people do have to motor skills to be able to cook, because it is working with your hands. What motivated me to want to learn how to cook by watching my parents is that I would not have to rely on anyone else to get me food, which could be useful at any given time. Observational learning can apply to many different situations. Learning how to ride a bike is a skill that most children learn, some learn by getting step-by-step lessons by parents or guardians, but some also learn through observational learning. When I was young my parents did not teach me how to ride a bike, I learned by watching my friend ride her bike. I did have all the motor skills necessary to ride a bike, but it did take time to apply it to a different situation than what I was used to, to learn how to apply the skills to bike riding I watched the way my friend stayed balanced and rode her bike by moving the pedals with her feet. What made me pay attention was the same thing that motivated me to want to learn, which was the fact that it looked like a lot of fun. Although most children do not learn how to ride a bike through observational learning, it is possible. Observational learning can be applied to really anything that can be learned. Observational learning is a key part of life, which everyone does it at some point in his or her life. The examples from my life are just a very small bit of the different ways observational learning can be used. There are four important parts to observational learning, attention, memory, motor skills, and motivation. Without one of those important parts, observational learning is unlikely to be successful. The most basic things people do, are learned through observational research. Observational learning is an important part of everyone’s life.

Heres How You Can Double Your Blog Conversion Rate Right Now

Heres How You Can Double Your Blog Conversion Rate Right Now Why do you blog? For fun? For personal enjoyment? As a hobby? It is likely that your blog has become ground zero, the place you promote yourself, your business, and your ideas. Your blog is a strategic business tool, but are you treating it that way? Are you optimizing your blog conversion rate? For years, the typical blog layout was the same, with content on the left and a sidebar on the right. There was the usual array of widgets and ornaments decorating the side and, in a word, the look of such blogs was  busy. Isnt it time we started to re-think our blog post layout? Isnt it time we got a bit more strategic? Focus On Your Blog Conversion Rate The problem with most blogs is that they lack a simple thing called focus. Do you know why your blog exists? I suggest that it is for two simple reasons: Your blog should display and distribute your content well. Your blog should convert visitors into readers and future customers. With this in mind, how is your  blog conversion rate? Thats the rate at which your visitors convert to your desired call to action. Are you focusing on a single call-to-action that you can track and measure? The more options we give our readers, the less likely they are to actually do what we want them to do when they visit our site. As we strip away the excess, we narrow our focus and naturally increase our blog conversion rate. Here are few ways that we can do just that. Tip #1 – Choose A Single Call-To-Action For years, the typical blog sidebar has looked something like this: Crowded, colorful, crazy, and confusing. What we do you really want the reader to do with all of this? So often, when we try to decide what we want our readers to do, we get confused ourselves. We want them to follow us Twitter. Or maybe, we want them to subscribe to our RSS feed. Or, download a free ebook. Perhaps we would like them to click on an ad. It can be pretty easy to think of our web visitor as a character in a choose-your-own-adventure novel. They are there for intrigue and suspense, hoping to see something interesting. This usually isnt the case. The average time a users spends on a website is, at best,  only 20 seconds. You have to make it count. So, if you could only choose one thing to have your reader do (besides actually read the article) what would it be? Choose a single call-to-action. This simple task will instantly improve your blog conversion rate. For example, make it your goal to convert an inbound visitor into a reader with an email signup, or a free course. This is a simple but powerful call-to-action that we can focus on as a way to increase conversions. Choose a single call-to-action if you want better blog conversion rates.Tip #2 –  Cut The Ads You arent getting rich and famous with those Google-served sidebar ads. Why are they there? So many ads, so little space. Source: smashingmagazine.com/ Unless you get a ton of traffic, it is unlikely that those ads are paying off for you at all. In fact, they may be doing more harm than good. Are you okay with a potential lead becoming distracted or disgusted by a pile of ads in the sidebar? Are you okay with them completely missing your call-to-action altogether? If you have ads, its happening. Increasing your blog conversion rate  may be as simple as cutting the excess clutter and cleaning up your sidebar. Those ads might be worthwhile for a high traffic site, but that isnt the case for most blogs. Consider ditching them altogether in favor of more breathing room and a better focus on your tangible goals. Are your sidebar ads helping your blog, or hurting it? #BetterBlogConversionTip #3 –  Cut The Sidebar While youre hacking away at those ads, maybe its time to ditch the sidebar altogether. In so many ways, the blog sidebar has become a dumping ground for our every whim. Unfortunately, there are too many whims: Ads   Facebook like box List of categories Recent posts Follow Me! Follow Me! Links to my favorite sites Blogroll, anyone? RSS Feed Subscribe A link to another project You get the idea. Maybe it is time for a different approach. Lots of breathing room. Wheres the sidebar? Sites like Medium.com  have popularized the no-sidebar blog post, and it works. Not only does it make reading a pleasure, but it leaves plenty of room for the real call-to-actions that you need to promote. If you removed half (or all) of your sidebar widgets, what do you think it would do for your  blog conversion rate? It might be worth a try. Get rid of your blogs sidebar altogether and see what happens. #BetterBlogConversionTip #4 –  Get Inline With Your CTAs Who decided that all of the action needed to be taking place on the sidebar anyhow? Wouldnt it be better if we had them where our readers are, like inside the actual blog post for example? See what this strategy can do for your  blog conversion rate. Image source: http://.com/blog/ You can sneak a basic call-to-action inline, right inside your blog post. These can be especially useful if they are matched with important keywords, like the example above for a content marketing editorial calendar. Your content is why they came in the first place. Make it a goal to do at least one inline call-to-action with each blog post. You can even automate a portion of this process with a plugin if you are using WordPress. The plugin  SEO Smart Links will automatically link keywords that you define to a post or a page of your choosing. This is a simple and valuable way to add calls to action to your posts text. Put your call-to-action inline in your blog post. #BetterBlogConversionTip #5 –  Lighten The Footer Speaking of dumping grounds, what about the blog post footer? This is another place where weve loved to bring on the clutter. Holy footer batman! Source: huffingtonpost.com/ Again, this is just too much. When we choose to focus our blog on a single call-to-action, it becomes much easier to improve our blog conversion rate. Ads and more blogs posts are not necessarily the goal. We need to be careful about where we send our readers. Stop putting everything in your blogs footer if you want #BetterBlogConversionTip #6 –  Dont Take Out Ads On Your Own Site A few years ago, I was publishing content on my company blog day after day. The content was good, but overall the blog wasnt doing much for me. I wasnt sure why. We had everything. We the subscribe box, related posts, a Facebook Like box, and of course, a series of ads for our own content. Waitwe were taking out ads on our own blog? It may not feel like it, but this could be exactly what you are doing as well. It is only natural to want our audience to see and understand everything we offer, but that is an unrealistic goal. We cant sell our audience everything all at once. We need to help them focus on one actionable goal so that we both succeed. Slowly, over time, we can expose them to our other services and offerings, but not until after weve ensured a maximum  blog conversion rate. Dont take out your own ads on your own site. #BetterBlogConversionTip #7 – Make Things Easy To Track One of the most crucial aspects of improving our  blog conversion rate  is being able to track our efforts. Fortunately, by relying on a few calls-to-action, rather than an abundance we make tracking them much easier. This way, we can make subtle changes to our site and see the impact that those changes make on our overall conversion statistics. We doubled our own blog conversions by cutting the clutter, and focusing on what we really wanted to happen. By cutting out some of the clutter and focusing on a simple conversion metric, we were actually able to double our total ebook downloads over a single week. Simple works!

Free Essays on Nat Turner

Nat Turner’s Rebellion Nat Turner was the leader of a slave rebellion that resulted in the deaths of 55 white people. This came as a shock to the white residents of Southampton County, VA. This rebellion, which Turner believed was directed by God, became one of the most famous slave insurrections in U.S. history. Nat Turner was born in Southampton County, Virginia on October 2, 1800. When Nat was young people noticed he seemed highly intelligent. One incident took place when he was only about three or four years old. While he was playing with other kids, his mother overheard him telling them about something that had happened before he was born. She asked him about the incident, and it confirmed that he knew about this past event. From then on, the slaves believed that in addition to his high intelligence there were signs that he would be a prophet. When he grew up, he became a preacher. He began having visions that he believed were from God. Turner had three visions before the famous rebellion in 1831. His first vision occurred in 1821, after he had run away. While hiding out in the woods, he was provoked to return after a vision from the Spirit who directed him to "return to the service of my earthly master." After thirty days in the woods, he returned to his master. The second vision came in 1825 after he saw "lights in the sky." He prayed to find out what it meant. His prayers were answered when â€Å" . . . while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn, as though it were dew from heaven . . . I then found on the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forces of men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in the heavens." On May 12, 1828 he had his third vision. He â€Å" . . . heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down t... Free Essays on Nat Turner Free Essays on Nat Turner Nat Turner’s Rebellion Nat Turner was the leader of a slave rebellion that resulted in the deaths of 55 white people. This came as a shock to the white residents of Southampton County, VA. This rebellion, which Turner believed was directed by God, became one of the most famous slave insurrections in U.S. history. Nat Turner was born in Southampton County, Virginia on October 2, 1800. When Nat was young people noticed he seemed highly intelligent. One incident took place when he was only about three or four years old. While he was playing with other kids, his mother overheard him telling them about something that had happened before he was born. She asked him about the incident, and it confirmed that he knew about this past event. From then on, the slaves believed that in addition to his high intelligence there were signs that he would be a prophet. When he grew up, he became a preacher. He began having visions that he believed were from God. Turner had three visions before the famous rebellion in 1831. His first vision occurred in 1821, after he had run away. While hiding out in the woods, he was provoked to return after a vision from the Spirit who directed him to "return to the service of my earthly master." After thirty days in the woods, he returned to his master. The second vision came in 1825 after he saw "lights in the sky." He prayed to find out what it meant. His prayers were answered when â€Å" . . . while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn, as though it were dew from heaven . . . I then found on the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forces of men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in the heavens." On May 12, 1828 he had his third vision. He â€Å" . . . heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down t...

Analyze Happiness Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyze Happiness Studies - Essay Example The assumptions are drawn based on a diary study of 50 Spanish dual-earners. The results indicated a positive correlation of the hypothesis is finally indicating a clear bidirectional crossover of happiness on a daily basis for couple’s members. The concept of a common view that happiness originates from within an individual can be drawn from a critical analysis. Likewise, happiness can be enhanced by ones internal feeling and a drive that the article singles out to be work engagement. These concepts would be in line with various followers of the spiritual traditions views on happiness. They agree that happiness in the contemporary understanding can be rooted from having ones objectives and needs satisfied, sharing their time with individuals they love and performing the tasks they enjoy. These are the critical concepts that work engagement offers to couples at the workplace. Nonetheless, the article in addressing the correlation between individuals’ work engagement and the spill over to the home environment failed to incorporate man’s control to happiness. The question of happiness as a spiritual force beyond the control of man is still a major concern despite the spill over the environment. The article Coping Strategies as Mediating Variables Between Self-serving Attributional Bias and Subjective Well-Being by Pilar Sanjua ´n and Alejandro Magallares likewise addresses important concepts relating to contemporary understanding of happiness. The article examines Self-serving attributional bias (SSAB) as a self-enhancement motive that is aimed at protecting self -esteem thus providing happiness. The study used 205 individuals in an attempt to examine the relationship between coping strategies SSAB, and subjective well -being. Basing on the correlation that existed between the variables of concern the authors concluded that results suggested that programs that promote well-being should aim at enhancing the employment of positive coping

Euthanasia is Morally Incorrect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Euthanasia is Morally Incorrect - Essay Example It is morally incorrect because it allows one human to take away the life of another; an act that should be frowned upon (Narbekovas & Meilius 2004, p.2). All human beings have to die a natural death and there should be no excuse to take the life of an individual to alleviate pain and suffering because, in the modern world, strong painkillers have been developed to ensure that pain is significantly reduced among patients. However, putting euthanasia into practice presents a moral dilemma for those medical practitioners who preside over it because it is a contravention of the Hippocratic Oath, which they take as a guarantee that they will be dedicated to preserving human life. Therefore, while the advocates for euthanasia state that it helps to end suffering, it is also a violation of the basic principles of life that have sustained societies for ages. In this paper, there will be a discussion of the ramifications of euthanasia on the society, the principles that make it a moral issue, as well as its impact on the individuals who take part in it. The discussion will be based on recent years, where euthanasia has been conducted as a means of removing the financial burden from medical expenses from families. In addition, in some cases, it has been done in direct violation of the wishes of patients and this has made euthanasia something akin to murder rather than as a means of ending the suffering of patients. Euthanasia is an act that is immoral because it goes against all the principles of life as dictated by religion; where the right to take away life belongs only to God rather than to human beings. Moreover, when euthanasia is conducted, there is often a failure to consider the emotional toll that it might take on the families of the patients because not only  might they feel guilty and be full of regret for allowing it to happ en, but it might lead to some of them falling into depression.