Business

My 7-Day, $7 GraphicsZoo Review

Published

2 years ago

September 13, 2021

The luxury of an on-demand graphic designer is a recent one. Gone are the Mad Men days of walking into a glamorous, sexy office building to hire a firm to do design work for you. Now, if you need a design completed, all you have to do is log on. GraphicsZoo is one such on-demand graphic designer. Here is a GraphicsZoo review you do not want to miss.

Side note – how fun is it to say “GraphicsZoo review” out loud? Say it with me “GraphicsZoo review.” Fun, no?

Anyway…

For a flat, monthly rate you can have all the designs your mind could dream of. So, I decided to see what was up with them. I signed up for their 7 Day $7 Trial. Not a bad deal, right? Here’s how my experience went.

Logging On, Part One

When I first signed up for GraphicsZoo, I didn’t actually sign up. Not yet anyway. I had filled in and submitted the necessary log-in information. Next was the payment information. I paused on that for whatever reason, got distracted and closed the window. I would take care of it the next day when I had a moment.

GraphicsZoo, however, took the initiative. I received this email the following day:

I hadn’t given them any money yet. Seems a little odd for a company to get the ball rolling when a customer has knowingly not handed over any kind of payment information. They sure seemed eager to get started, so, why not? Let’s get to work.

Except, when I clicked on “Post a New Project,” I was sent to this page:

You may be asking yourself, “what the hell is Laravel?” Because I sure did. Laravel is a free, open-source PHP web framework. It’s a website programming tool. That’s the best way I can explain something I don’t fully understand in layman’s terms.

Why was I sent to this page by an official GraphicsZoo email?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Logging On, Part Two – The Sandwich Shop of My Dreams

Now ready to hand over proper payment information, I signed up a second time. Again, GraphicsZoo sent me an email about starting a project before I had submitted the payment information. But this time, they didn’t even give me time to walk away.

I get it, you’re Eager McBeavers. Let’s wait until I hand over payment information, yes?

Once I got settled in, I submitted my design request. Since high school, I’ve had a very silly dream about opening up a sandwich shop. So, to make a younger me excited, I decided to create a logo for this dream sandwich shop.

My nickname in high school was Blondie, so I decided to stick with the theme and name my dream shop “Blondie’s Sammiches.”

Now, I had plenty of ideas as to how I wanted a logo or a label to look for this dream shop. But I wanted to see what GraphicsZoo designers could do with minimal direction. I gave them the initial freedom to decide for me. Let’s see what kind of raw talent they got.

I asked for a classic New York deli-style design, and the rest was up to them. At least to start.

Once submitted, I happened to notice the expected delivery date. September 6. That date would seem arbitrary, but I signed up on September 1. Kinda funny that the first expected delivery date is just under the 7-day mark, no?

I see what you’re doing, GraphicsZoo.

Design First Draft

To GraphicsZoo’s credit, they delivered the first draft ahead of schedule. For minimal direction, they delivered a half-decent design.

I asked for a classic New York deli-style design. I think, despite the super-dated early 90’s color scheme, they did pretty okay.

Now, I wanted to see how they would take direction. I preferred the first design with the text wrapped around the sandwich logo. I only wanted to change the color. I asked for a variety of text options (black, white, and colored) and that the sandwich be filled with “sandwich colors,” for lack of a better description.

We all know what “sandwich colors” are, right?

Turns out, GraphicsZoo designers did.

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

We were approaching the 7-day mark, so I was hoping to get a revision on the design before that mark.

I would periodically check-in, but I would have a difficult time navigating the site. Upon checking in, I would see this page:

If I were a less patient person, I would have been irritated. If I was paying regular, non-$7 prices, I would be furious. My inner Karen would be roaring.

After some digging and clicking, I would eventually find my project. But, frankly, I shouldn’t have to do that no matter how little I’m paying. If I’m about to open my dream sandwich shop, I want to be able to find my potential logo with absolutely no issues.

Seeing empty folders on an initial log-in is, well, not good.

Design Second Draft

Thankfully, one day before the end of the 7-day trial, I received a second draft. To my delight, they had followed my directions well.

Sure looks like “sandwich colors” to me.

If I had more time to work on this, and if I were actually opening up my sandwich shop, I would have more revisions to make. But, considering the quality of design in the brief time allotted, I think this is a solid design.

What is “solid” in terms of an academic grade? A “B?” A “B-?” Either way, my mother would tell me to do better.

Cancelling The Trial Before The Real Charges

I was now in a time crunch. Considering I don’t want to pay over $300 for a service I won’t be returning to anytime soon, I wanted out and fast. I mean, look at these prices.

Not exactly in my budget. So, it was time to cancel. I requested a cancellation and then… well, I waited.

But, I don’t want to wait to see if my cancellation goes through or not. When you go to cancel your Netflix subscription, they cancel it. There’s no suspense. And when there’s that amount of money at stake, suspense is not the emotion I’d like to be feeling in the moment.

I reached out to GraphicsZoo’s support team. I had asked for a confirmation of cancellation. But they had something else in mind, at first.

And so, our dance began.

There was a decent amount of back and forth. “How about this subscription plan?” No, just cancel, please. “Well, how about this one?” No. Just cancel, please. “Consider this plan!” I said NO. No means no!

Eventually, my persistence and complete and total unwillingness to pay a single cent more won out. Grace, my support … person, finally conceded.

She was doing her job. Can’t sneeze at that. I can sneeze at the practice of hounding someone not interested in paying a single cent more. If I were running a business, however, I’d insist on that policy.

I may have been mildly annoyed about that process, but ultimately no harm was done. The cancellation went through.

Conclusion

All in all, I would call my 7-day $7 trial experience with GraphicsZoo mediocre. I found the initial signing-up experience to be bizarre and unintentional. There’s no way GraphicsZoo meant to send me to a web programming tool when asking me to start a project.

That’s the kind of whoopsie-daisy that really needs to be rectified, and immediately.

I was slightly irritated by the persistence of a support coordinator to get me to keep paying them, but that’s the nature of business. There’s nothing wrong with that.

I was mildly impressed with the designer’s ability to deliver a decent design in a short amount of time with minimal direction. What they delivered was fine, but given the circumstances, I think it was solid.

Despite the decent work by the designers, I probably wouldn’t recommend GraphicsZoo. The experience with the initial signing up, the difficulty navigating their site, and the over persistence by the support department left me with a bad taste. There are plenty of other services out there better organized with the same quality of design.

If I could put my experience with GraphicsZoo in a single word, it would be “Meh.”

Be sure to read our other GraphicsZoo review to help make up your mind!

Business

6 Companies That Use Chatbots For Marketing and Customer Service

Published

3 days ago

June 1, 2023

Amaya Maravilla

Chatbots have emerged as powerful tools that bridge the gap between humans and machines. These intelligent virtual assistants have transformed how we interact with technology, providing seamless and engaging conversational experiences across the web. We will explore popular chatbots that have made their mark on the web. These chatbots have unique capabilities and applications like customer service, e-commerce, healthcare, and productivity.

What are Chatbots?

Chatbots are computer programs that simulate human-like conversations through text or voice interactions. They use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand and respond to user queries and requests.

Chatbots can be deployed across various platforms, including websites, messaging applications, and voice assistants. Today, chatbots are widely used as a tool for customer service, information retrieval, personal assistants, and more.

How Do Chatbots Work?

images of headphones, cellphone, smartwatch and the name SIri

At the center of chatbot technology lies NLP, the same technology that enables voice recognition systems used by virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana.

Chatbots process the user’s text prompt before responding based on algorithms that interpret and identify what the user said. Then, it infers what they mean or want and determines appropriate responses based on this information.

While chatbot technology differs from NLP technology, the former can only advance as quickly as the latter. With continued developments in NLP, chatbots remain independent of algorithms’ ability to detect the subtle nuances in written and spoken dialogue.

This is where most applications of NLP need help, not just chatbots. Any app that relies upon a machine’s ability to parse human speech will likely struggle with the complexities inherent in elements of speech, such as metaphors and similes. Despite these considerable limitations, chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated and responsive.

To further show chatbots’ benefits, six companies use advanced technology for marketing and customer support.

1. Endurance Robots

Russian technology company Endurance developed its companion chatbot. Some patients with dementia can’t engage in meaningful conversations anymore. But many people with the disease retain much of their conversational abilities as their illness progresses. However, the shame and frustration that many people with dementia experience often make routine, everyday talks with even close family members challenging.

The Endurance chatbot aims to determine differences in conversational models that may indicate immediate recollection problems. Even though this is quite an ambitious technical challenge for an NLP-based system.

Since the chatbot is a cloud-based solution, physicians and family members can review communication logs taken from the bot. The process helps identify potential degradation of memory function and communicative obstacles that could signify deterioration of the patient’s condition.

2. Casper

Enter the fantastic Insomnobot 3000, a conversational agent that aims to give insomniacs someone to talk to while the rest of the world rests easy. It was created by a digital agency called ACNE in partnership with the mattress company Casper.

Insomnobot 3000 is available through text messaging and is designed to keep users company during the late hours when they may be struggling with sleeplessness. The chatbot engages in casual conversations, provides distractions, shares stories, and offers a listening ear to help alleviate feelings of loneliness or anxiety accompanying insomnia.

While Insomnobot 3000 can provide some comfort and distraction, it is essential to note that the chatbot is not a replacement for professional medical advice or treatment. If you are experiencing chronic or severe sleep issues, it is still best to consult a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and guidance.

3. Marvel

Marvel’s cinematic universe is expanding even faster than the boundaries of the observable universe itself. Interestingly, Marvel turned to chatbots to further immerse fans in their favorite comic-book storylines in real life. Marvel’s chatbot that lets comic-book geeks talk to Star-Lord himself is also quite good.

4. UNICEF

International child advocacy nonprofit United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also uses chatbots to help people living in developing countries discuss the most urgent needs in their communities. The bot, called U-Report, focuses on large-scale data gathering via polls – this isn’t a bot for the talkative. U-Report regularly sends out prepared polls on various urgent social issues. The users, known as “U-Reporters,” can respond with their input. Then, UNICEF uses this feedback as the basis for potential policy recommendations.

5. MedWhat

If you have WebMD bookmarked for similar reasons, visiting our MedWhat site or app might be worth checking out. MedWhat applies data science techniques to healthcare data stored in 2D medical images, 3D medical images, electronic health records, and wearable devices.

This chatbot aims to make medical diagnoses faster, easier, and more transparent for patients and physicians – think of it as an intelligent version of WebMD that you can talk to. MedWhat runs under a sophisticated machine learning system that offers accurate responses to user questions based on behaviors that it “learns” by interacting with human beings. The bot also draws upon vast medical research and peer-reviewed scientific papers to expand its already considerable medical expertise.

6. Roof AI

Roof Ai is a chatbot that helps real-estate marketers to automate interacting with potential leads and lead assignments via social media. The bot identifies potential leads through Facebook, then responds almost instantaneously in a friendly and conversational tone that resembles a real person’s. Based on user input, Roof Ai prompts potential leads to provide more information before automatically assigning the lead to a sales agent.

The chatbot is still under development, though interested users can reserve access to Roof Ai via the company’s website.

Conclusion

Chatbots have emerged as powerful tools in communication and customer service. Their ability to simulate human-like conversations and provide instant assistance has revolutionized how businesses and individuals interact with technology. While chatbots excel in many areas, it’s important to acknowledge their limitations. They often lack the emotional intelligence and empathy of a human counterpart. However, the ongoing development can improve chatbot technology to bridge these gaps and provide even more personalized user experiences.

Business

10 Viral Ad Campaigns and What We Can Learn from Them

Published

4 days ago

May 30, 2023

Carmen Day

On the internet, anything can go viral. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t tried and tested recipes for success. Here, we break down some of the most viral ad campaigns in the last few years.

As you’ll learn, the top viral marketing campaigns use a mix of social media listening, trendspotting, creativity, and sincerity. From video landing page ideas to social media marketing, these campaigns integrated the best elements that took the internet by storm.

1. Apple: Shot on iPhone

One of the best ways to go viral online is to call for user-generated content. And Apple’s annual Shot on iPhone ad campaigns just gets that sweet spot right.

What we can learn from the campaign: No true ads person will just put out a call for content and call it a day. Give the audience something that they want to make content with, and you’re golden. With Apple, their Iphone’s features are enough to make a whole generation of individuals experiment with their creativity.

2. Gillette: #SayPubic Campaign

In 2022, Gillette Venus released The Pube Song to start a conversation and normalize pubic hair in women’s bodies. It’s one of the brand’s more viral ad campaigns because of its playful tone and strong self-love message.

What we can learn from the campaign: It can be a calculated marketing risk to talk about what’s taboo. But their song campaign manages to balance the weighty message with a lighthearted delivery that doesn’t take away from the issues it’s discussing.

3. Airbnb: Ukraine

Airbnb’s Ukraine campaign is also a moment that smashed everyone’s screens. In 2022, the company announced that global users could lend support to Ukrainians by renting out Airbnbs.

What we can learn from the campaign: Sometimes, the best marketing move is to just rise to the occasion, get in touch with your own humanity, and do something nice. In addition, viral ad campaigns like this allowed millions to extend tangible support to Ukrainians.

4. Netflix: Wednesday

Netflix is always goofing around with its marketing campaigns, but they didn’t come to play with their Wednesday promotions. Specifically, their release of ‘The Thing’ upon random New Yorkers really lighted up everyone’s week.

What we can learn from the campaign: It’s okay to be fun and think outside of the box! You don’t have to stick to the same strategies if you want to go viral. In fact, when you do things on a grand scale, the audience does the virality for you.

5. Dunkin: Ben Affleck

This recent Dunkin ad is short, but it’s comedy gold. It features the actor in a meta-scene where he talks about acting for a Meta ad. It’s short, snappy, and only 30 seconds, which may be why it quickly made rounds in social media.

What we can learn from the campaign: It’s all about references here. This Dunkin campaign wouldn’t be effective if it weren’t for the well-known fact that Ben Affleck loves his Dunkin Donuts. Instead of brands simply ignoring this fact, it’s the perfect opportunity for them to collaborate and show the audience that they’re listening.

6. Doritos: Jack’s New Angle

This star-studded ad uses the signature Dorito triangle as the star of the story. It combines the elements of music and food together, so the 2023 Doritos Super Bowl ad was truly on brand.

What we can learn from the campaign

The ad works for the sheer spontaneity of it. Jack Harlow, Missy Elliot, and Elton John in one video? Now that’s star power. The narrative is also compact, with a playful and unexpected twist delivered at the end.

7. Milo: Park Seo-joon

The Korean actor paired up with Milo Indonesia for a simple ad campaign. But there’s more. Milo also released a limited edition packaging that had netizens scrambling to get their hands on one.

What we can learn from the campaign: We know that the K-wave is rising high, but that will only get your interactions so far. However, what made this viral marketing strategy work was that it had the actor plastered on the packaging.

8. Rare Beauty: What are you made of?

Meanwhile, Rare Beauty’s ‘What are you made of’ campaign isn’t just about beauty and makeup. It’s about giving the community a safe space to speak about their lives. The curated content from Selena Gomez’ following is touching, but it also pays homage to Rare Beauty’s brand values.

What we can learn from the campaign: Well, you could argue that Rare Beauty content always goes viral. But this specific campaign didn’t just blow up for no reason. For one, they used people with their authentic beauty stories. In fact, the spotlight on the Latino community makes this even sweeter.

9. Dove: #DetoxYourFeed

This lengthy campaign by Dove guides parents on how to talk about complex body image issues for teenage girls. The company also released a short film to show how much social media can harm young girls.

What we can learn from the campaign: Dove’s hard-hitting campaign hits us where it hurts. After doing body positivity campaigns with inclusive models from different backgrounds, they’re now addressing the root of the problem: social media.

10. Mcdo: BTS

Mcdo partnered with global K-pop artists BTS to release limited-edition BTS Meals with their signature purple color.

What we can learn from the campaign: We don’t think this campaign warrants any more explanation. But just so you know, employing artists with a global audience will always pay off when the product collaboration is affordable and accessible.

Also, did we mention that fans were selling the used packaging in online forums? It was a crazy time. To date, we think this is one of Mcdo’s most viral campaigns.

And there you have it, some viral campaign examples to inspire your next marketing strategy. We just wanted to remind you in case this wasn’t clear yet, though. Viral ad campaigns work because the appeal isn’t surface-level.

Business

Top 8 Free AI Stock Trading Bots

Published

4 days ago

May 30, 2023

Margaret Zander

The term artificial intelligence is currently making waves as it has proven to make lives easier. From writing to game development, it has become a massive part of doing business, and many are now discovering its varied uses. Stock trading isn’t exempt as we find many free AI stock trading bots, and we found the ten best just for you. Here they are:

1. SpeedBot

An advanced AI stock trading bot SpeedBot empowers traders with cutting-edge features and algorithms. It boasts speed and accuracy in analyzing market data, identifying patterns, and executing trades rapidly. It features an intuitive user interface that makes it suitable for beginners.

Experienced traders will enjoy its customizable settings that let them adapt the bot to their unique trading preferences. SpeedBot is a comprehensive solution that provides you with automated strategies and real-time market insights.

2. Pluto

If you’re looking to have advanced trading capabilities, Pluto is an excellent AI stock trading bot. It offers highly powerful algorithms and machine learning techniques to help you analyze data to identify potential trading opportunities.

Its user-friendly interface makes it an excellent option for newbies and experienced traders alike. It also lets them customize their trading strategies and risk preferences. It also gives you real-time market insights and automated trade executions.

3. Zorro

Offering a wide range of features, Zorro helps you develop and deploy trading strategies based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Its key features include backtesting, optimization, and execution of trade algorithms. It has an extensive library of indicators and plugins that enable users to customize and fine-tune their strategies according to their specific needs.

Zorro is a robust and versatile platform that leverages the power of AI to optimize your stock trading performance.

4. Composer

A free stock trading bot, Composer offers a wide array of advanced features for traders. It has an easy-to-use interface that allows users to create and deploy automated trading strategies powered by AI and machine learning. It lets you backtest your strategy with the use of historical data.

Composer also helps you with analyzing real-time market insights and executing your trades more effectively. Its algorithms help you identify potential trading opportunities, manage risks, and optimize your investment decisions.

5. EA Builder

A popular online platform, EA Builder allows you to build your own custom Expert Advisors (EAs) for automated stock trading. While its main focus is on forex trading, you can also use it for stock trading. The software lets you create EAs even without any knowledge of programming.

With it, you can define trading rules, indicators, and conditions. EA Builders offers a free account, but you can avail yourself of all its best features when you pay a one-time fee of $97.

6. Options Road Backtester

A powerful tool, Options Road Backtester is designed for traders to backtest and analyze their trading strategies. Primarily for options trading, you can also use it for stock trading using options as part of your investment approach. It lets you input your trading strategy parameters and historical market data.

This allows for simulating and evaluating the performance of your options strategies. It also gives you valuable insights into risk management, profitability, and potential outcomes that help you make informed decisions.

7. Capitalise.ai

Primarily a trading bot platform, Capitalise.ai may not fit the traditional definition of a standalone bot, but it has automated trading capabilities. It also offers the ability to create and deploy custom trading strategies without any knowledge of coding. You can set up rules, triggers, and conditions within the platform to automate your trading activities.

Capitalise has automation features that allow for executing trades based on predetermined criteria that make it comparable to a trading bot when speaking of functionality.

8. Equbot

Another AI-driven investment platform, Equbot blends AI technology with human expertise to analyze and select investment opportunities. It leverages machine learning and natural language processing to analyze vast amounts of data and identify potential investment opportunities in the stock market.

Equbot focuses on providing intelligent insights and actionable recommendations for your investment decisions. It takes into account financial statements, market trends, news sentiment, and other relevant data points to help you make decisions.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Free AI Stock Trading Bot

Now that you’ve seen a list of free AI stock trading bots to choose from, how do you find the best one suited to your needs? While most of these bots offer similar features, some have tools that others don’t. Finding out which ones will suit you depends on your personal preferences and trading strategies and techniques. Below are a few considerations before getting one:

Features and Functionality – learn about the bot’s available tools and capabilities
Accuracy and Performance – assess its track record for reliable performance and predictions.
Ease of Use – check for the bot’s user-friendliness
Privacy and Security – make sure that it has proper safeguards in place and that your privacy and data are protected
Flexibility and Customization – know the extent to which the bot can be personalized to suit your trading preferences
Reviews and Reputation – check the feedback and reviews of other users
Terms and Conditions – review the bot’s terms and conditions and any potential limitations on its use

When you assess these factors, you can be sure to choose a free AI stock trading bot that will meet all your trading needs. It will also provide you with a seamless and user-friendly experience with reliable performance.

Final Thoughts

The availability of free AI stock trading bots gives traders an exciting opportunity to harness the power of AI in their investment endeavors. Exploring the list we made above gives you access to a wide range of functionalities. However, artificial intelligence isn’t as dependable as we want it to be.

To find the best AI stock trading bot, you’ll still need careful consideration. This is to ensure that your strategies, with the help of these bots, will result in more informed investment decisions in the ever-dynamic world of the stock market.