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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><title>The Awesome Technology and Lifestyle Blog - mrdefinite.com</title><link>http://mrdefinite.com</link><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/mrdefinite" /><description>Serving 99.9% pure technology juice. The ultimate technology blog with a sense of lifestyle.</description><language>en-US</language><lastBuildDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 17:07:27 PDT</lastBuildDate><generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1</generator><sy:updatePeriod xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/">hourly</sy:updatePeriod><sy:updateFrequency xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/">1</sy:updateFrequency><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/mrdefinite" /><feedburner:info uri="mrdefinite" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><geo:lat>4.210484</geo:lat><geo:long>101.975766</geo:long><feedburner:feedFlare href="http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2Fmrdefinite" src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/my/addtomyyahoo4.gif">Subscribe with My Yahoo!</feedburner:feedFlare><feedburner:feedFlare href="http://www.newsgator.com/ngs/subscriber/subext.aspx?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2Fmrdefinite" src="http://www.newsgator.com/images/ngsub1.gif">Subscribe with NewsGator</feedburner:feedFlare><feedburner:feedFlare href="http://feeds.my.aol.com/add.jsp?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2Fmrdefinite" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/favorites.my.aol.com/webmaster/ffclient/webroot/locale/en-US/images/myAOLButtonSmall.gif">Subscribe with My AOL</feedburner:feedFlare><feedburner:feedFlare href="http://www.bloglines.com/sub/http://feeds.feedburner.com/mrdefinite" src="http://www.bloglines.com/images/sub_modern11.gif">Subscribe with Bloglines</feedburner:feedFlare><feedburner:feedFlare href="http://www.netvibes.com/subscribe.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2Fmrdefinite" src="http://www.netvibes.com/img/add2netvibes.gif">Subscribe with Netvibes</feedburner:feedFlare><feedburner:feedFlare href="http://fusion.google.com/add?feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2Fmrdefinite" src="http://buttons.googlesyndication.com/fusion/add.gif">Subscribe with Google</feedburner:feedFlare><feedburner:feedFlare href="http://www.pageflakes.com/subscribe.aspx?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2Fmrdefinite" src="http://www.pageflakes.com/ImageFile.ashx?instanceId=Static_4&amp;fileName=ATP_blu_91x17.gif">Subscribe with Pageflakes</feedburner:feedFlare><item><title>7 Tools to Create Responsive Web Designs</title><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mrdefinite/~3/n9SePR8I8ng/</link><category>Web</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Kenneth "Definite" Lee</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 16:59:40 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">http://mrdefinite.com/?p=7446</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>A responsive web design is essential to the growth of the business that it represents. Whether you are designing the page for traditional desktop devices or phones and tablets, building a fully functional site will help consumers access it easily and spend time exploring it as well.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7448" alt="Create-Responsive-Web-Designs" src="http://mrdefinite.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Create-Responsive-Web-Designs.jpg" width="468" height="263" /></p>
<p>Here are the top seven tools that will help you create a web design that is responsive:</p>
<p><em><b>1. Adobe Dreamweaver</b></em></p>
<p>To build fluid layouts, you would find the Adobe Dreamweaver CS6 to be handy tool. This too basically allows you to create layouts for the Web, tablets and mobile devices simultaneously which help save a lot of time in the web design process.</p>
<p>Through this tool, you can control the appearance of your pages; use these fluid layouts to add Media Queries all at the same time. When you want to target different styles to different devices, Dreamweaver would be an ideal tool.</p>
<p>Other functionalities of the tool include Web font integration and Fluid Grid layouts that have been made available through enhancements and recent updates.</p>
<p><em><b>2. Adobe Edge Reflow Preview</b></em></p>
<p>Even though this tool is currently in development by Adobe, the grid system called Edge Reflow will help you scale your box scheme with your page design. This allows the boxes of the design and the positioning of site element to adjust with the interface as the layout changes hen you reduce the size of your layout.</p>
<p>This means that you can build with the mobile site before or the desktop site before and then simply toggle between layouts. This tool is great for designers that want a visual test of their sites and are looking to simplify their design process and save time.</p>
<p><em><b>3. TopStyle 5</b></em></p>
<p>With several useful features, the CSS3 and HTML5 editor Windows called TopStyle 5 Pro is very helpful in building apps and websites for iOS devices. The tool includes a framework, text shadow and gradient creating tools.</p>
<p>By adding vendor prefixes to your code Prefixr takes care of the problem of remembering what settings to use. When working with code, the capability to create gradients can be time-consuming though TopStyle helps you pick gradients for your layouts easily and you can always edit those settings later on.</p>
<p><em><b>4. WinkSite</b></em></p>
<p>If you want to determine the best place to put ads and monetize your site with Google AdSense you can use a free mobile service like WinkSite. For your sponsors, this tool can help you create in-house ads. Free for up to five sites, WinkSite also helps users invite others to join and build a community.</p>
<p>The pages you create with this tool support videos from Blip.TV video, MetaCafe, DailyMotion and YouTube as well as FLV files. The frequency and placement of display are determined by you and you can also control choose the pages ads from various sponsors appear on. You can also post surveys or create an ezine or guestbook.</p>
<p><em><b>5. Volusion</b></em></p>
<p>If you want to build a shopping cart for the desktop, tablet and mobile versions of your website, the all-in-one ecommerce tool provided by Volusion would be immensely helpful. The tools allow both the desktop and mobile versions of your site to feature a list thousands of your products.</p>
<p>Of course, you’ll need to pay to get the mobile website tools working though the free trial version is good if you want to begin by optimizing the desktop version of the site only.</p>
<p><em><b>6. GoMobi</b></em></p>
<p>Accounting for the content management system should be a major part of your web design. For this purpose, GoMobi should be your go to tool. It allows you to build websites that can be viewed on a range of mobile devices.</p>
<p>It allows the desktop site to be redirected to the mobile interface when viewed from a mobile device by simply adding a code to the desktop version of your site. With the complex programming hidden, the easy-to-use interface of GoMobi lessens the stress of web designing.</p>
<p><em><b>7. Mofuse</b></em></p>
<p>Mofuse is a GoMobi lookalike though it allows you to get a mobile site for your website in as little as 20 minutes. It comes complete with a default template that helps you enter a few basic details about your website into the CMS that can be added to the interface after which the designer can take over and build the mobile site quickly.</p>
<p style="padding: 3px; background-color: #e9e9e9; font-size: 12px;"><em><b>About Author</b>: Margaret is a writer/blogger. She loves writing, travelling and reading books. She contributes to <a href="http://www.davidholtz.com/NEXT-Financial-Group.7.htm">Next Financial Group</a>.</em></p>
]]></content:encoded><description>A responsive web design is essential to the growth of the business that it represents. Whether you are designing the page for traditional desktop devices or phones and tablets, building a fully functional site will help consumers access it easily and spend time exploring it as well. Here are the top seven tools that will [...]</description><wfw:commentRss xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/">http://mrdefinite.com/7-tools-to-create-responsive-web-designs/feed/</wfw:commentRss><slash:comments xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/">0</slash:comments><feedburner:origLink>http://mrdefinite.com/7-tools-to-create-responsive-web-designs/</feedburner:origLink></item><item><title>Pros and Cons: The Samsung Galaxy S4</title><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mrdefinite/~3/8QEeYVJwniM/</link><category>Tech &amp; Gadgets</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Kenneth "Definite" Lee</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2013 17:32:43 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">http://mrdefinite.com/?p=7441</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>The headlines relating to the Samsung Galaxy S4 handset have ranged from those claiming that Apple ought to revamp their iPhone handsets completely in order to compete to those that say the S4 is a huge victory, not for Samsung, but for their competitors.</p>
<p><em><img alt="samsung-galaxy-s4" src="http://mrdefinite.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/samsung-galaxy-s4.jpg" width="468" height="263" /></em></p>
<p>The reasons for both of these vary, and the truth is probably that both opinions have their merits. What are the pros and cons of the Galaxy S4, and how does it compare with its competitors and other recently released smartphones?</p>
<p><b>Galaxy S4: The Pros</b><b></b></p>
<p><em><b>Easily Repaired</b><b></b></em></p>
<p>Of course, no one ever wants to have an issue with either the hardware or the operating system of their phone, but the S4 is thought to be very easy to fix should the situation arise. Do not go throwing it on the floor to check out its durability, but be confident that whatever the issue, it usually be quickly resolved.</p>
<p>Comparison: Online repair manual iFixit gave the HTC One, another recent release, the lowest &#8220;repairability&#8221; score possible.</p>
<p><em><b>Convenient Size</b><b></b></em></p>
<p>While 15 grams does not seem like a lot in terms of weight, the fact that the S4 is that much lighter than the One and Sony’s new model yet still boasts a stunning five-inch screen is no mean feat. The screen is also bigger than those of the S4’s two main competitors.</p>
<p><em><b>Android OS</b><b></b></em></p>
<p>The newest Android OS is preloaded onto the S4, meaning those buying it in the coming weeks will not have the frustration of turning it on and having to wait for the latest version to download.</p>
<p>This is not necessarily a big issue, but from a brand perspective it is good for Samsung to demonstrate that their latest handsets always have the latest hardware, something most of their competitors have not been able to do consistently in recent years.</p>
<p><b>Galaxy S4: The Middle Ground</b><b></b></p>
<p><em><b>SD Card vs. Internal Storage</b><b></b></em></p>
<p>Consumers might be influenced to buy due to both of these aspects, and they represent both a pro and a con for the Galaxy S4.</p>
<p>The fact that one can add a micro SD card to their handset to give them an added boost of storage is excellent, especially when you consider the HTC competitor fails to do so, as to several other contemporary smartphones.</p>
<p>At the same time, a ‘mere’ 16GB of internal storage might not be enough for consumers who shop for smartphones using this criterion.</p>
<p><b>Galaxy S4: The Cons</b><b></b></p>
<p><em><b>Price</b><b></b></em></p>
<p>The S4 is a stunning phone, but not one that is ever going to win awards for consumer friendly prices, especially when you consider our next point.</p>
<p><em><b>Handset Design and Production</b><b></b></em></p>
<p>Some people are not going to be able to get beyond the fact that the S4 is cased in plastic. Many were shocked that Samsung have not offered an aluminum alternative, although when you think about the already inflated cost of the handset, perhaps that was a wise move.</p>
<p><em><b>The Conclusion</b><b></b></em></p>
<p>Although this is a brief overview of the Samsung Galaxy S4 handset, there is enough here to suggest that it will be a huge hit in the coming months.</p>
<p>In truth, it needed to be, as the HTC One and even the Blackberry Z10 have entered the market strongly. Perhaps the greatest measure will come later in the year, when we are able to compare the S4 to whatever handset Apple releases.</p>
<p style="padding: 3px; background-color: #e9e9e9; font-size: 12px;"><em><b>Author Bio: </b>Bright Local are market leaders in delivering great SEO tools like their <a href="http://www.brightlocal.com" target="_blank">SEO ranking tool</a> to help business with their online presence.</em></p>
]]></content:encoded><description>The headlines relating to the Samsung Galaxy S4 handset have ranged from those claiming that Apple ought to revamp their iPhone handsets completely in order to compete to those that say the S4 is a huge victory, not for Samsung, but for their competitors. The reasons for both of these vary, and the truth is [...]</description><wfw:commentRss xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/">http://mrdefinite.com/pros-and-cons-the-samsung-galaxy-s4/feed/</wfw:commentRss><slash:comments xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/">0</slash:comments><feedburner:origLink>http://mrdefinite.com/pros-and-cons-the-samsung-galaxy-s4/</feedburner:origLink></item><item><title>Essential Security Steps for iPhone Users</title><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mrdefinite/~3/NFF5P9pS6lk/</link><category>Tech &amp; Gadgets</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Kenneth "Definite" Lee</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:03:46 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">http://mrdefinite.com/?p=7434</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7436" alt="Essential Security Steps for iPhone Fanatics" src="http://mrdefinite.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Essential-Security-Steps-for-iPhone-Fanatics.jpg" width="468" height="331" /></p>
<address>Image credit to digitaltrends.com</address>
<p><em><b>Safety of iPhone is the first priority:</b></em></p>
<p>Nowadays, people all over the world have an iPhone . With its awesome features, iPhone has become a very famous smartphone with fantastic systems.</p>
<p>This phone is very entertaining and people hardly get bored. The service of the phone is superb and there has not been many complaints against it so far. The customers are very satisfied using it. But now there is the question of security of the phone.</p>
<p><em><b>Features to protect the smart phone:</b></em></p>
<p>The iPhones are quite expensive, so if it gets stolen, it is a huge loss. Here are few tips that can help from an iPhone getting stolen. Auto-lock and pass code features are the basic security features. It prevents others from using the phone in absence of the owner of the cell.</p>
<p>The auto lock feature also keeps the cell in standby mode when the cell is not in use. It is set using a timer. After a specific period of time, the phone will be automatically locked when it is not in use.</p>
<p><em><b>Auto lock with pass code is the primary security:</b></em></p>
<p>The code will prevents others from accessing the information of the phone. This way the files will be secure in the phone and no one can access it other than the owner.</p>
<p>The pass code should be a complex one. Otherwise nowadays hackers are quite efficient to crack simple passwords &#8211; they have several advanced techniques to hack simple codes.</p>
<p>Second security device is offered by the Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi helps the cell to get connected to the internet. But it is major source of unauthorized access to one’s phone.</p>
<p><em><b>Wi-Fi protection must be enabled:</b></em></p>
<p>If the Wi-Fi security feature is not enabled, people can access to the network of the phone easily. There will be random access to the phone’s network. So the security feature must be enabled.</p>
<p>It prevents unauthorized devices to use the network of an iPhone via Wi-Fi. A password will be needed then to access the network of the phone using the Wi-Fi.</p>
<p>There is an option called the Data Wipe option. It sets a limit for the number of wrong passwords entered. If that limit is crossed, the phone will erase all the data stored in the phone.</p>
<p><em><b>Data Wipe option:</b></em></p>
<p>It will also perform the &#8220;restore factory&#8221; mode of the phone. But this feature can be dangerous if the owner has a kid at home. The kid may try to unlock it using wrong passwords.</p>
<p>Then all the data will be lost and there may be a huge problem. Now there is a great risk still left. It is the risk of the cell being stolen. People have evil thoughts in mind. The cell may be stolen by anyone somewhere.</p>
<p><em><b>Insurance of the phone is must:</b></em></p>
<p>It is very difficult to buy another iPhone again. So there is a system of making insurance for the phone. By doing this, the owner of the phone can easily take the cell out without tension. If it gets stolen, the insurance company will fetch one some money.</p>
<p>A police complaint should be made in case of stealing of phone providing the IMEI number. These things will help an iPhone user to maintain the security of the phone.</p>
<p style="padding: 3px; background-color: #e9e9e9; font-size: 12px;"><em><b>About The Author</b>: Kelly is a writer/blogger. She loves writing, travelling and reading books. She contributes to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hydroxycut">Hydroxycut</a></em></p>
]]></content:encoded><description>Image credit to digitaltrends.com Safety of iPhone is the first priority: Nowadays, people all over the world have an iPhone . With its awesome features, iPhone has become a very famous smartphone with fantastic systems. This phone is very entertaining and people hardly get bored. The service of the phone is superb and there has [...]</description><wfw:commentRss xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/">http://mrdefinite.com/essential-security-steps-for-iphone-fanatics/feed/</wfw:commentRss><slash:comments xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/">3</slash:comments><feedburner:origLink>http://mrdefinite.com/essential-security-steps-for-iphone-fanatics/</feedburner:origLink></item><item><title>How Social Networking Can Help Your Business</title><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mrdefinite/~3/dnMEQCY4V3o/</link><category>Social Media</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Kenneth "Definite" Lee</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:32:40 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">http://mrdefinite.com/?p=7428</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>Social networking websites have revolutionized the way we interact with people. They have fast become the favorite place to hang out with friends.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7430" alt="How social networking can help your business?" src="http://mrdefinite.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Social-Networking-Can-Help-Your-Business.jpg" width="468" height="332" /></p>
<p>A lot of people still hold the old view. They think social networking websites are such another avenue where they can sell and purchase goods and services. Many people turn to LinkedIn or Plaxo to create to market themselves with the help of great curriculum vitae.</p>
<p>There are yet others who log in to Facebook or similar websites to market their products. There are yet a third variety that turns to Twitter or Facebook to learn about consumer behavior.</p>
<p>Social networking websites have made a lot of things a lot easier for a lot of people, which includes professionals. They get a chance to meet with different people, entrepreneurs and others. These websites have opened the doors to previously unreachable opportunities and allowed a professional relationship to develop easily.</p>
<p>Social networking websites allow many to create impressive curriculum vitae or portfolios to impress future their future boss or client. The stories of many entrepreneurs locking multimillion dollar deals on these websites are not urban legends.</p>
<p>All this means social networking websites offer a great chance to boost your career, and establish professional relationships with other people. A lot of people still don&#8217;t succeed at these websites because they make some very elementary mistakes.</p>
<p>One of the first mistakes is to annoy potential clients, boss or financial backers with a slew of computer generated e-mails or other kind of spam. No one likes that. These actions can kill your chance to a great career.</p>
<p>A way to avoid these common pitfalls is to make a profile on reputed, popular websites. These websites have clearly defined rules on what is permissible, and what is prohibited. You can use these rules as guidelines to build a professional profile. That way you can increase your chances of catapulting yourself to a great career path.</p>
<p>Secondly, we are no longer living in the 20<sup>th</sup> century. To be more exact, we are no longer living in the late 20<sup>th</sup> century and social media is also not a luxury anymore.</p>
<p>It has become an indispensable tool of marketing, consumer interaction and feedback and career growth. Staying out of social media means shutting down many wonderful opportunities for yourself.</p>
<p>Social networking is no longer painful. The websites have become a lot more interactive. There are a lot more people on social media, than there were a few years ago. This means there are significantly more opportunities on social networking websites today than any time before in the entire history of mankind.</p>
<p style="padding: 3px; background-color: #e9e9e9; font-size: 12px;"><em><b>Author’s bio: </b>Kathryn is the author for Chrisalexcorp. She has also written on topics like make me look older at <a href="http://www.ageme.com">ageme.com</a>.</em></p>
]]></content:encoded><description>Social networking websites have revolutionized the way we interact with people. They have fast become the favorite place to hang out with friends. A lot of people still hold the old view. They think social networking websites are such another avenue where they can sell and purchase goods and services. Many people turn to LinkedIn [...]</description><wfw:commentRss xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/">http://mrdefinite.com/how-social-networking-can-help-your-business/feed/</wfw:commentRss><slash:comments xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/">0</slash:comments><feedburner:origLink>http://mrdefinite.com/how-social-networking-can-help-your-business/</feedburner:origLink></item><item><title>10 Business Lessons from Instagram that Entrepreneurs Must Know</title><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mrdefinite/~3/U0ZHrkNtk_Q/</link><category>Apps &amp; Plugins</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Kenneth "Definite" Lee</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:38:52 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">http://mrdefinite.com/?p=7419</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>If there has been any business story that has symbolized the so called web2.0 bubble, it is Instagram.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7424" alt="10 Business Lessons from Instagram that Entrepreneurs Must Know" src="http://mrdefinite.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Instagram1.jpg" width="468" height="334" /></p>
<p>After only a couple of years in existence it was purchased for $1 billion in cash and stocks by Facebook, making its founders multi-millionaires in the process. Included among these is CEO Kevin Systrom who went from making coffees as a Barista to be one of the wealthiest young men in the world.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this story was that it was achieved with only 13 employees. To help decode how Instagram created the success that it has, here are the top 10 business lessons from Instagram that all Entrepreneurs need to know.</p>
<p><b><em>Focus On Building Your User Base First</em><br />
</b><br />
Instagram would never have sold for $1 billion if it hadn&#8217;t first built up over 50 million users. In order to achieve those numbers it sacrificed short term revenue.</p>
<p>While Instagram could have charged for the app this would have limited the size of the user base. Instead it gave it away for free. Creating a critical mass is particularly important when you are creating a social network. People want to use an app like Instagram only if their friends are as well.</p>
<p><b><em>Truly Great Products Sell Themselves</em><br />
</b><br />
Instagram spent virtually nothing on marketing and yet it was able to acquire 50 million users in 18 months. It did this by understanding the viral power of a truly great product.</p>
<p>By having social networking as a core function of the app it was easily able spread. And by allowing its users to create great looking photos, people wanted to share them among their friends.</p>
<p><em> <b>Connect With Your Customer</b></em></p>
<p>There is something special about taking and sharing photos. They help us to record those moments which are the most important to us. There is also the care that goes into composing a photo and the pleasure in a photo that is taken well.</p>
<p>This allows Instagram to have a deeper emotional connection with its users. It seems likely that one of the reasons that Facebook purchased Instagram is because its own platform lacked that emotional touch. While the Facebook platform is popular, few people are strong advocates for the brand.<br />
<b><br />
<em> Keep It Simple</em></b></p>
<p>Simplicity is a deceptively difficult thing to achieve from a design perspective. Among developers there is a natural tendency to want to add features and to make the app do more.</p>
<p>However success is usually found in going in the other direction and keeping it simple and removing functionality. By doing this you make it much easier for your user to understand and operate the app.</p>
<p>It also means that you do not need to develop and manage as many functions for your app. The ability to keep things simple was also one of the secrets to Apples success.</p>
<p><em> <b>Fill the Gaps</b></em></p>
<p>One of the reasons that Instagram was so popular with iPhone users was because of gaps with the inbuilt functionality. Instagram gave users the ability to easily upload and share photos across platforms unlike with apples own closed networks.</p>
<p>It also gave iPhone users a way to create great looking photos using filters. Something that without Instagram they could not do. Essentially they took the weaknesses of the existing product and made these Instagrams strengths.</p>
<p><em> <b>Target a Huge Market</b></em></p>
<p>The market for photo sharing is immense. With nearly 50% of mobile users owning a smart phone, Instagram was able to target a massive amount of people. If Instagram had focused on a smaller market it is unlikely that they would have been able to reach the point where they had a $1 billion valuation.</p>
<p><em> <b>No Market Is Too Oversaturated</b></em></p>
<p>At first Systrom was reluctant to enter the photo sharing market as it seemed to be over saturated. Flickr was one of the first true web 2.0 sites and already dominated the market. Hipstamatic was already using filters and doing many of the same things that Instagram would do.</p>
<p>However Systrom saw that there was room for a photo sharing app with social networking functionality that would fall between Hipstamatic and Facebook.</p>
<p>Even in the most saturated markets there is still room for innovative new products. In the case of Instagram it was taking two existing concepts and combining them in a uniquely appealing way.<br />
<b><br />
<em> Just Get Started</em></b></p>
<p>One of the most interesting things about Instagram is that the original iteration of the company looks nothing like what Facebook ended up buying. In 2010 location based apps were big. Foursquare had come out the year before and concept of check-in was huge.</p>
<p>In order to catch the &#8220;location&#8221; wave Kevin Systrom developed Burbn. This app gave users the ability to move, check-in and to post your plans. While the app was not a big hit, its ability to share photos was its most popular feature. Systrom closed down Burbn and relaunched as Instagram.</p>
<p><em> <b>Find Your Influencers</b></em></p>
<p>Instagram has a very small marketing team and so instead it has focused on user experience and getting the attention of key influencers. These are people who are well known in their field and considered to be thought leaders.</p>
<p>Many of these influencers have their own online &#8220;Tribe&#8221; that looks to them for leadership. Instagram has also focused on early adopters such as photographers that would like and benefit from Instagram.</p>
<p><em> <b>Be Small and Dynamic</b> </em></p>
<p>Instagram achieved its 1 billion valuation with only 13 employees. That seems a pretty amazing feat but it demonstrates that when you have the right people you don&#8217;t need a lot of them. All 13 of Instagrams employees are top performers.</p>
<p>Instead of getting the most people, focus on getting the best people. Because most of Instagrams 13 employees were developers, it didn&#8217;t have the sales force that some other digital companies can employ. Instead it focused on the creating a great user experience and in built virality of the product so that it would naturally spread.</p>
<p>While Systrom could have added more employees, being lean was actually an advantage. The small team allowed for a laser like focus on the big goals that Instagram was aiming for.</p>
<p style="padding: 3px; background-color: #e9e9e9; font-size: 12px;"><em><b>Author Bio: </b>Tom writes for <a href="http://www.valuator.com.au/business-valuations/">valuator</a>. He is a freelance writer from Portland USA.</em></p>
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