We believe that the trend is going to continue with macOS Monterey this year, as well. If Apple follows the classic timeline, you can expect macOS Monterey to be released in late September’21. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t experience macOS Monterey right now.

If you’re lucky enough and your Mac device supports the system requirements, then you can sign up for the macOS Monterey public beta version. With the review of macOS Monterey, the integration among all the Apple devices is going to be stronger than ever.

Here’s everything about macOS Monterey; at least, what we know about the latest Apple sensation.

System Requirements for having macOS Monterey Installed

Generally, Apple doesn’t provide system requirements in detail. As expected, Apple has released a bunch of devices that will receive a macOS Monterey update this year.

According to the professionals at the Apple service center near me, macOS Monterey is going to be the honorary title-owner for supporting such a broad lineup of Apple Mac devices. Apple has even included Intel-based Mac devices to get the macOS Monterey update.

Here’s the entire list of Mac devices that can run on macOS 12 or Monterey:

• Mac Pro from late 2013 and later
• Mac Mini from late 2014 and later
• iMac from late 2015 and later
• MacBook Air from early 2015 & later
• MacBook Pro from early 2015 & later
• Apple MacBook from early 2016 and later
• iMac Pro from 2017 and later

So, if you have one of these devices, you can have macOS Monterey as soon as it launches. And that too without any additional cost, because Apple releases operating system updates for free. The public beta version of macOS Monterey is out for testing purposes.

Jaw-dropping Features of macOS Monterey

Apple has already depicted and demonstrated how macOS Monterey is going to change the perspective of Mac devices. The main motive of macOS Monterey seems to add more flexibility for Apple users, and every device of Apple will receive a similar software update. And, this is not just a concept as Apple has declared that it’s going to release iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 with almost the same features.

However, some special features will be available for the M1-based Apple chip. Here are some of the macOS Monterey features that we find extremely helpful.

FaceTime

Video calls from Apple will be universal and need to be appreciated when coming from a company like Apple. Now, Apple will let users share FaceTime video call links on different online platforms and chatting media. Thus, Apple users can share FaceTime conference links for Android and Windows users ahead of time.

Another ‘sharing is caring’ initiative is the SharePlay feature. Apple users can stream whatever they are watching on their Mac devices and let other participants watch. Apart from sharing videos on FaceTime, you can also share the audio that you’re listening to.

Additionally, audio and video enhancements are there. Wide Spectrum and Voice Isolation are two modes for microphones. The Wide spectrum feature lets you pay attention to the discrete noises, and voice isolation lets you concentrate on the voice only. Spatial Audio mode is there for understanding from which direction the voice is coming.

Moreover, the portrait mode will blur out the surroundings around you. And, participants of the FaceTime call will clearly see you. The credit goes to the Neural engine technology of Apple for realising the portrait effect inspired by the iPhone camera models.

Universal Control

Have you ever felt the necessity for universal control while handling mouse and keyboard and switching between an iPad and Mac? Well, Apple realised your requirements, and macOS Monterey would be launched with universal control for Apple devices. With enabled universal control, Mac users can now easily switch from iPad to Mac and vice versa.

Additionally, file transfers have gone too easy with drag and drop features. The interesting fact about universal control is that you need no additional setup. Just move your cursor as if you’re replacing your folder, and you’re done.

Focus

This productivity tool will come to Mac, too. With macOS Monterey, Focus will be introduced to Mac devices. This particular feature lets you decide on applications from which you’d like to get notifications when you are busy. Therefore, your Mac might notify you only when you receive messages and emails from your workspace. If you’re busy driving, then you can set up a different Focus arrangement for answering calls or replying to emails.

If you have kept your devices silent, then it will reflect in your Focus Status. Others are trying to reach you will notice that you’re busy with your work and won’t bother you. If it’s an emergency, then they will be able to connect you, anyway. Apple is keeping the chances open for developers to integrate with Focus.

Shortcuts

Well, the wait is finally over for Mac users who have been seeking Shortcuts on Mac devices. With macOS Monterey, users can now set Mac-based shortcuts on their devices. One can easily run Shortcuts from the menu bar, Spotlight, dock, or asking Siri. Further, you can also use Shortcuts that you made on iPhone and utilise them on Mac devices, and vice versa is also true.

AirPlay

Use your Mac device as a display with macOS Monterey. You can cast content from iPhone, Mac, or iPad and watch it on another Mac device. If you own an iMac, you can use it for your laptop uses, as well. You can use AirPlay and its sharing feature wired or wirelessly.

Are you Interested in Installing the macOS Monterey Public Beta Version?

If you’re a developer and love to test new software updates, then the macOS Monterey public beta version is for you. However, make sure that potential bugs might annoy you from time to time. If you are fine with dealing with them, then you can definitely get it downloaded. Or else, you can wait for the macOS Monterey to be available for everyone.

Still, we are providing you with the steps required for installing macOS Monterey on your Mac:

1. Start with backing up your device with the help of the Time Machine. So that, you won’t miss anything important when things go out of control.
2. Next, go to Safari and explore the official apple page of the macOS public beta version. Choose macOS from the beta slider. Click the button that says ‘Download the macOS…Access Utility’.
3. After downloading, open up the .DMG installer. It makes sure that your device comes under the beta version. Explore the tab of System Preferences.
4. Go to the Software Update option. Once the update is complete, you need to install it. Complete the task by following on-screen instructions carefully.

Moreover….

The announcement regarding the macOS Monterey release was made on June 7, 2021. Though Apple didn’t particularly state the release time of Monterey, we can expect it to come out in late September. Last year, Apple released Big Sur in November’20. Therefore, we might have Monterey by the end of this year, positively.

How to start an online store and ensure its success?

Have you been running an online store for a long time, but still collecting too few orders? Or maybe you are just planning to enter the market, but want to be sure that you will start “with a bang”? Regardless of the motivation, it is worth knowing ways to attract more customers to your online store. Good selling is not a matter of luck at all, at least usually. Those who consistently work for their success, while taking care of the consistency and thoughtful nature of their actions, are much more successful. This is all the more important as nowadays there are more and more e-shops, and therefore the competition is growing. Getting started trading online is often a matter of just a few clicks, but success is much more difficult.

Below you will find proven ideas on how to start your online store. Of course, the best results will be achieved by combining at least several promotion methods. Also, don’t forget the basics – no advertisement will help you stand out if your store page is non-functional or you are unable to offer the right level of customer service. Then you can only generate more traffic on it, but it will not translate into the number of transactions. Take care of the construction of the store itself, its appearance and clear layout. Try to display your products in the best possible way (lots of photos, extensive descriptions, etc.). Think about what makes your offer different and focus on promoting this feature.

First: SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is activities focused on website optimization in accordance with the requirements of search engines, especially Google. Thanks to them, your website is displayed higher in the search results, which means that more people find it. Optimization gives long-term results, although it takes a long time to notice them. That is why it is worth taking care of it in the first place – after all, you think about your store in long-term terms, right? Theoretically, this is a free form of advertising – all you need to do is constantly work on optimizing your website to start showing better results. In practice, however, effective actions require knowledge, time and dedication. Therefore, work on SEO usually comes down to employing a specialist in this field or using the services of an agency.

Optimizing a website according to SEO principles includes many factors. It can be divided into two groups. On-site activities are carried out directly on the website and rely on its appropriate preparation – in accordance with the requirements of the search engine algorithms. This means adapting the entire structure of the website and its content. The most important on-site activities include:
– supplementing missing content – mainly product descriptions,
– elimination of duplicate content ,
– content saturation with key phrases,
– appropriate selection of the content structure – length, headings, paragraphs, attributes,
– supplementing meta data,
 – the use of internal linking,
– adapting the website to display on different devices (responsiveness),
– code optimization and ordering.

All these factors affect the visibility of the website, although there are of course many more of them. In addition, off-site activities, consisting primarily of building a database of links leading to the website, help in positioning. When carrying out all activities related to positioning, remember to use only good practices. This is important, and the updates of the algorithms have already cut traffic on pages that were building separate areas too aggressively – e.g. link profile.

Second: Google Ads

Systematic and continuous activities within SEO will allow you to climb up in the search results systematically – as long as they are carried out correctly. However, if you operate in a competitive industry, it is very possible that you will never make it to the top. There is, however, a shortcut. Thanks to Google Ads, and specifically sponsored links in the search engine, your website can appear at the very top of the list of search results. Experience shows that such advertising can be very effective if used correctly. This is a very simple answer to the question of how to start an online store quickly and efficiently.

Google Ads is in fact a very extensive tool available for both small and large companies and used successfully by them. Payments are made only for clicking on an advertisement, which is a very favorable settlement model from the entrepreneur’s point of view. However, this requires very precise configuration of the settings. Proper selection of parameters can bring large profits at low costs. Sponsored links are unobtrusive and the average user is not associated with bothersome advertising, and the ability to precisely define criteria for who the sponsored content is to be displayed affects the effectiveness of this solution.

Google Ads is also the possibility of using the so-called image advertising. It is very effective if you don’t know how to start an online store that no one knows. It is a method that works best in increasing brand recognition and building its image. It consists in displaying your store’s banners on various websites that provide Google with advertising space. You can decide for yourself on which pages your ad will appear, which will increase its effectiveness.

Remarketing advertising looks very similar. This is a great tool for those stores that have a significant amount of so-called abandoned carts (the customer adds products to the cart but does not complete the transaction) or experience other types of conversion problems. Your store banners are then displayed to customers who have already visited it. You can decide that the displayed content should be dynamic, i.e. tailored to a specific user. Then he will see the items he has previously viewed and possibly other related articles. Such advertising can be very effective!

Third: social media

Presence in social media is nowadays a duty of every company – especially an online store. Profiles on popular websites work like constant advertising. The possibilities of their use are very wide. Through regular, interesting posts you can systematically increase your audience and influence their engagement. By also engaging in replying to comments, you help potential customers to feel and strengthen the bond with your brand. It is a unique way of two-way communication with recipients. So you can also get feedback on your actions – find out what you like and what you don’t. In this way, you can also receive a ready-made hint on how to start your online store.

In addition, the most popular social networking sites allow the use of paid ads that allow you to reach a much wider audience. This is primarily about Facebook or Instagram, which offer advertisers a wide range of opportunities and often also satisfying results. However, it is worth using the advertising potential of all platforms on which you operate.

Speaking of which – when it comes to activities in social media, it is not worth limiting yourself. Most companies run Facebook, but they don’t try to appear on other platforms. This is a big mistake because this is where your customers are often! Social media is a way to reach them directly – especially if your target is a younger clientele. Check what YouTube can offer you (you also launch YT campaigns via the Google Ads panel), TikTok or Pinterest – it is very possible that thanks to your activity in these portals you will gain more customers.

Regularity, diligence and matching content to the potential recipient are the most important rules of operation in social media. You need to know who you are “broadcasting” to, show interest and be original. Posts thrown out of duty, ill-considered and simply boring, will certainly not bring the expected results, and may even work the opposite of what you would like.

Fourth: company blog

A company blog is the most important tool for content marketing, i.e. content marketing. It is considered one of the most important and effective methods to stand out on the web. Content marketing has a lot to do with SEO – by publishing high-quality content saturated with the right keywords, you can significantly improve your site’s position on Google. At the same time, it can attract and interest the client. So it is a great method for anyone who wants to know how to start an online store.

What is it about? Content marketing is based on publishing valuable, useful, interesting and original content (the form is also important). It is true that it is not only about texts (you can also publish, for example, videos, infographics, podcasts and many others), but a company blog is one of the simplest forms of content marketing. All you need to do is think about what your customers are interested in or remember what questions they ask about your offer the most and turn this information into blog articles. It is worth ensuring that they are as substantive and comprehensive as possible. Put yourself in the role of an expert and it will help you build a positive image of the store. Write more about your products, their functions, ways of use, key features, and maybe even how and what they are made of. Thanks to this, you will arouse much more interest and trust.

A company blog can be run independently, although most companies decide to hire professionals – a content marketing agency, SEO agency or copywriter. A specialist can use the information you provide to him that will help create unique content. At the same time, however, it will ensure that the whole thing has an optimal form and style, is linguistically correct and presented in an attractive way. It will also take care of the use of keywords in accordance with SEO requirements.

Fifth: email marketing

E-mail marketing is now often relegated to the background, although not so long ago it was the main form of advertising for entrepreneurs who wondered how to start an online store. Today it is rather a supplement, but it is still not worth giving up. By building your own database of e-mail contacts, you become independent from the operation of social networking sites (e.g. in the event of a failure, hacker attack or other factors that will prevent you from using your account), and you also gain an additional channel of communication with customers. It is worth encouraging you to subscribe to the newsletter, e.g. by offering a small discount on the order. You can remind by e-mail about promotions or sales, inform about new products and any changes taking place in the store. Thanks to mailing, you do not let your customers forget about your store and motivate them to visit your website.

Importantly, the cost of email marketing is low. The preparation of the content and graphic design of the message can be commissioned to specialists or prepared by yourself. Tools for sending messages are inexpensive – there is even a lack of functional free programs on the market if the recipient base is not large.

How to run modern, effective e-mail marketing? First, don’t forget about form. Make it inviting, attractive and consistent with the image of your store. Use CTA (Call to Action) to encourage going to the site. Second, think about personalization. Let the customer choose what kind of information he wants to receive, what product groups he is interested in, etc. It greatly increases the effectiveness of the messages sent!

Sixth: discounts, promotions, loyalty program

How to start an online store in terms of the number of purchases and visits to the website? One thing is certain – nothing motivates you to buy more than a price reduction. Sometimes it’s hard to break to offer a promotion in a store that is barely spinning, but believe – it’s worth it. Promotions should be frequent and varied. It is best if they appear at least once a month and you incorporate them in some way in your business model. There are plenty of ideas for effective actions of this type!

You can, for example, every week, on a selected day of the week (or on a weekend, for example), lower the prices of products belonging to a specific department or group. The promotion will be even more effective if the discounts are tailored to the needs of users and related to current events. There are also stores where promotions are valid daily and their scope changes once a week. Example? An internet drugstore that runs weekly promotions on four selected cosmetic brands. The alternative to discounts are promotions such as “two for the price of one” or “buy the product and get the other half price” or “free delivery”. These types of treatments are very effective in encouraging shopping, and they encourage you to visit the store more often or subscribe to the newsletter.

In addition to regular or cyclical promotions, you can also use discount codes as a thank you for loyalty – e.g. a 10% discount on the next purchase for everyone who subscribes to the newsletter and makes purchases for a certain amount. Another method is cashback – e.g. 10% of the order value stored in the customer’s account, which can be used as a discount on subsequent purchases. Such discounts should have an appropriately selected expiry date so that they can be used safely.

Online stores also eagerly use other forms of loyalty programs. For example, you can promise your customers a gift with the fifth order or create a points system that can be exchanged for discounts or rewards. The well-known clothing chain H&M thus encourages you to sign up for the Customer Club. People participating in the program, after spending a certain amount, receive a discount coupon of 10%. Collecting a certain number of points during the year gives Premium status, and in it some privileges – e.g. early access to sales, limited contests and a guarantee of free deliveries and returns of each order.

I am addressing the issue of loyalty programs as if out of duty. Personally, I do not believe in their operation. They are usually used by customers who would use our services anyway. In addition, we have to invest in their promotion in anyway, the advertising budget, so the question of whether it is not better to target new customers remains open. Probably the reasonableness of a given loyalty program depends on many factors, so you have to test a given solution yourself. There are no ready answers.

Seventh: cross-selling and up-selling

If you are not offering your customers similar or complementary products related to what they are watching or selecting, you are making a serious mistake. Cross-selling and up-selling are very simple techniques that allow you to significantly increase your sales. The customer added sports shoes to the cart? Offer him socks made of breathable yarn. Are you buying a smartphone? He should see a window with the recommended accessories – e.g. a protective case, wireless headphones or a power bank. This type of play is called cross-selling.

Up-selling may also work for some online stores, although it is more often used in services. The customer chose a smartphone with 128 GB memory? Ask if he really would prefer the richer version of 256 GB, selecting for example “pay only … dollars” or, for example, “choose a higher variant and get a 10% discount”. Simple? Oh yes, but also extremely effective.

Eighth: analysis

You can implement all of the above methods and still not achieve the desired success. Therefore, try never to act blindly. Constantly analyzing your own actions, as well as watching what the competition is doing, is an extremely important component of success. You won’t correct anything if you don’t measure it first. With analytics, you can instantly see what’s working and what’s not – and then adapt your steps accordingly. Follow the above advice and you will quickly forget about difficult times and you will no longer search for information on how to start your online store!