10 Tips for staying focused whilst working from home
Whilst we appreciate the thousands of key workers that are keeping our country running right now we also realise that there are a lot of people suddenly thrust into the situation of working from home. At TA6 many of us are used to home working on a regular basis and so we’ve put some of our top tips together to help you stay focused when working at home.
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KEEP YOUR ROUTINE
When suddenly given the opportunity to work from home it can be very tempting to switch off the alarm and take the advantage of some lazy mornings! However, you will find your day will go much better and you will be far more productive if you stick to your regular routine. Get up at the normal time and start your day in the normal way. If you can get up nice and early and start your day with a home workout that will put you in a great mind-set to stay focused during your work day. Save the lie-ins for the weekend!
2. GET DISTRACTIONS OUT OF THE WAY FIRST
If you’ve got a list of jobs that you know need doing in the day whether they be life admin, cleaning or shopping then get them done as early as you can in the day. If you know you’ve got things that need to be done they will be a constant distraction to you as you are trying to work. Set yourself 30 minutes to an hour first thing to get all those niggling jobs done and out of the way, then you’ve got the rest of the day to get on with your work.
3. PLAN YOUR DAY
This might seem like an obvious one but making a ‘To Do’ list can make the difference between a successful and a wasted day. Plan everything you need to get done and then work out at what time you want to do it and schedule it into your day. This way you will be focused on each task and ensure that everything gets done before moving onto the next thing. Even schedule in lunch and breaks!
4. GET OUTSIDE IN THE FRESH AIR
Sitting in front of a computer screen all day long can be soul destroying, especially when you’re not used to it. So schedule in some time to get out of the house and get some fresh air. If you have a dog then that’s a perfect excuse to get out of the house, otherwise maybe go for a short run or a walk just to clear your head. Don’t be tempted to take your phone with you and scroll trough social media at the same time – give your eyes a break!
5. NO TV!
It can be extremely tempting, when you’re working at home, to stick on the TV and catch up on your favourite soaps or start watching a new box set. If you do, before you know it, two hours will have passed and you will know all about what’s happening in Coronation Street but that spreadsheet you were supposed to be doing is completely blank! Save the TV for the end of the day when you can relax knowing you’ve had a super productive day.
6. TAKE REGULAR BREAKS
Whilst it’s important to stay productive it’s also important to take regular breaks. A good idea is to treat yourself after completing a block of work with a cuppa and an episode of your favourite TV show or a scroll on Instagram. Whatever tickles your fancy it’s important to congratulate yourself after a productive few hours of work. Don’t feel guilty for taking breaks – nobody can be productive all day long!
7. SET AN END TO THE DAY
When we are working from home work can often encroach into your home life. Whilst it’s great to be flexible and work at times to suit you it is equally important to set an end to your day. Don’t be tempted to answer emails into the evening if you started work first thing and have worked all day. Work – Life balance can often be more difficult when you work from home.
8. DRESS FOR WORK
When there’s no reason to leave the house it can sometimes seem pointless to bother getting out of your PJs! However, you will find yourself so much more productive if you get up and get dressed for your day’s work. There’s obviously no need to get suited and booted but getting showered and dressed will definitely give you more focus.
9. MAKE A WORK AREA
Not everyone has the luxury of a home office, especially if you’re not usually required to work from home. If you don’t, then it is a great idea to make yourself a specific work area. Make it comfortable and in an area away from distractions. If you work from a laptop then make sure it’s on a suitable table with a chair so you’re not hunched over sat on your sofa. Prolonged bad posture can cause back and neck pain so a risk assessment of your work space is a good idea and look at how you can raise the height of your screen or chair if needed.
10. INTERACT WITH OTHERS REGULARLY
There’s no doubt, working at home can be very isolating. Contact colleagues regularly via the telephone or online platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Skype. Set up a WhatsApp group for daily interaction and why not set up some fun challenges your teams can get involved in. If you can’t meet people in person then these things are so important, it can be very demotivating to have no interaction at all for weeks on end.
We hope you found these tips useful. If you have any tips of your own please feel free to leave them in the comments below. Please also share this post with your friends and colleagues who might need help with focusing when working at home.
The Importance of Online Reviews
Who do you listen to most when it comes to purchasing a new product or service? The brand or the happy customer? It has become so simple for customers to share their experiences on multiple online platforms and there is a wealth of information out there for us to see when it comes to buying that new TV, car, latest gadget or joining a local gym. Did you know that 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business?
Long gone are the days when we just go to our nearest shop and buy what we need – research is key, and online reviews often come top of the list in that research. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of customer reviews and here are a few reasons why they can be so great for your business…
1. TRUST
Trust in a brand is of utmost importance when it comes to purchasing from a new company so how does a new customer know they can trust you? You can tell them how great you are until you’re blue in the face, but if your happy customers tell everyone how great you are then that means so much more! In fact, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they do a personal recommendation and 77% of consumers say that a positive review makes them trust a business more.
2. SOCIAL PROOF
There is no doubt that a business with a lot of positive or 5* reviews will get more sales than a business with less or no reviews. If you see that lots of people think that buying from a particular business is a good idea then you are far more likely to go along with the crowd and buy from them too.
3. VISIBILITY
Without going into the depths of SEO (we’ll leave that for another day) regular positive reviews are looked on favourably by search engines and will help your business appear higher in rankings. Not only does this help people see your business they are more likely to click because they will see that your website is a leader in your area and therefore more trustworthy. More reviews will also help with keyword content, another thing that will help your SEO and improve your online visibility.
4. INCREASED SALES
We can’t 100% promise that you will suddenly start hitting all your targets if you get some good online reviews, however, studies have shown that improving your star rating and getting more online reviews can have a positive effect on your bottom line. In fact, customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews.
5. BETTER CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
Having lots of online reviews is one thing but what you do with them is another entirely. They are, in fact, a great opportunity for you, as businesses, to get great interaction with your happiest and most loyal customers…the ones that are so important to you and your biggest raving fans! You can comment on and thank people for great reviews, you can even treat them to a freebie from time to time. Let other people see that there is a lot to be gained from saying nice things about you! Similarly, for those that might not be so happy, it gives you a great opportunity to deal with a poor review and a negative experience that a customer may have had. To show people that you care about your customers and take note and act on their concerns.
6. SPREAD THE LOVE
Increasing positive reviews on your own websites or Facebook pages is important but spreading that love and getting people talking about your business far and wide is what you need. Big review sites such as Trip Advisor and Yelp are hugely influential in expanding your company’s online reach and getting more people finding out about the great things you are doing. Make sure your customers are aware that they can leave reviews about you in multiple places.
7. REVIEWS BREED REVIEWS
It appears that when a business has some reviews already, people are more encouraged to leave their own reviews. Almost like a crowd mentality people feel confident to leave positive feedback when others have left similar comments before them.
TA6 have a wealth of experience in interpreting and acting on the data created from our clients’ digital marketing campaigns, and we’d love to share our knowledge with you. To find out more about our PPC advertising services or for a free audit of your marketing activity please fill in your details below.
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