Affiliate programs are one of the best ways of making money online in recent times. This article will explain everything about affiliate programs and how you can make money from these programs. Furthermore, let take this step by step and understand the concept in Lehman’s language.
What is an Affiliate Program or Affiliate Marketing?
The concept of promoting or selling someone’s products or services on your owned digital platform is known as affiliate marketing. This is done via your network and hence the selling happens through your affiliate networking. You get a commission out of it if people end up buying the products. The money is simple and net, however, you need to set this up smartly. let’s dive down deeper into the affiliate business.
The standard definition of affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is the process of earning a commission by promoting other people’s (or company’s) products. You find a product you like, promote it to others and earn a piece of the profit for each sale that you make.
let’s take a look at the top affiliate programs through which you can make money online.
Shareasale Affiliate Program
Shareasale is a major affiliate network. I got to know about ShareASale through my friend who earns thousands of dollars monthly. This affiliate website is been around for more than 18 years and over 4000+ merchants across various product categories.
The variety of products allows you to choose the product as per your content niche. Shareasale is known for its honesty, transparency, and quality customer support. Shareasale is a trusted name in the affiliate marketing world. It is a great first option for anyone looking to dip their toe outside their known networks and start branching out.
Why ShareASale?
Performance Marketing
E-commerce Enabler
Guaranteed & verified Lead Generation
Specialized Branding
Monetization
Amazon Basics Affiliate Program
From A to Z, this e-commerce giant brings more than a million products to your doorsteps. First launched in India in the year 2013, Amazon has always ensured better profits for affiliates in the network.
Affiliates here get up to 12% in advertising fees. They can earn advertising fees from all Qualifying Purchases, not just the products advertised. Associates Program Advertising Fee Schedule.
How much do you need to pay to join it?
Free
Tools
SiteStripe toolbar
Product Links
Banners
Product Advertising API
You can easily integrate the Amazon products with your website by downloading a plugin and setting up products links with images. If you make a purchase from the search bar below I get a small commission. That’s how it works.
VCommission
vCommission is one of India’s Affiliate networks delivering performances on the web & mobile to top Indian brands through a growing network of 17,500 affiliates. The network brings CPS, CPI, CPC, and CPA offers and helps Affiliates generate more sales due to the expertise. The minimum payout for this site is $100, and they deposit money in their affiliates’ bank accounts on time.
Why vCommission?
Performance Marketing
E-commerce Enabler
Guaranteed & verified Lead Generation
Specialized Branding
App installation
Monetization
Big Roach Affiliate Program
When it comes to domain purchase and hosting Big Rock is one of the best companies to look for. For any new blogger, the big rock is probably the best website services provider to choose from. The company offers high-value domain registration and hosting services. Furthermore, also gives affiliates very high commissions for every sale generated.
How does it work?
First of all, post-signing up as an affiliate, you receive a unique URL. It is your website where you start earning commissions by selling Big Rock’s products and services.
You can send traffic to your unique URL through your website, blog, Facebook, or Twitter profile and earn a commission for each sale. There is no limit to the amount you can earn as a BIGROCK Affiliate.
How much do you need to pay to join it?
Free
Please let me know what affiliate programs are you using to earn online. Please leave in the comment section so I may update the article.
I literally can’t sleep right now. My 300 Km Brevet is tomorrow, and I started writing this article a night before my ride. I do not know if this happens with everyone, but before any cycling event sleep tends to vanish. I recently did 200 Km Brevet. In my last article, I wrote about the tips and tricks to complete a 200 km Brevet ride. Let me take you through my journey of completing a 300 Km Brevet ride. Now, these rides are tough, however with a little practice and planning these rides can be a cakewalk. 300 km cycling is the second ladder to being a super randonneur.
Preparing for 300 Km Brevet
Once you do a 200 Km Brevet your mind and body automatically adjust and get acquainted with another 100 plus Km for your next brevet. 300 km cycling is tough, but not too tough if you prepare yourself.
I do short rides of 40 to 50 km every alternate day and on the weekend I do around 100 km. This keeps my body and mind prepared for this upcoming 300 km cycling event. So you were to ask me how did I prepare and what schedule I followed? I was doing short rides during the week and longer rides of 100 Km and more on weekends.
Make sure you are training pretty good for the 300 km. Do a long ride for around 100–150 km and see how you feel. I already did 200 km so this part was covered for me.
Now considering the fact the I am doing brevets in the winter season, there are few things that you might need to consider having before you start the ride.
Even though in my last article I elaborated on how you can prepare and what to carry on brevet rides, let me tell you in a nutshell what do you actually need to carry.
Front and rear lights (required by ACP)
A good quality helmet
Backup front and rear lights
Reflective vest (required by ACP)
Spare tire tubes
Spare Chain
A portable pump which can be attached to your bike’s frame
Extra batteries for any electronic device you depend on (phone, GPS, etc.)
Energy bars in case I get hungry during the ride
Electrol powder/Glucon D
Two water bottles
ID cards and some cash (That too in change)
**Require by ACP: Mandatory things need to be carried as advised by Audax Club Parisien
In addition to these items, you need to carry anything else peculiar to your needs. Most randonneurs will carry sun-screen, and many will carry Tums, for the stomach problems that are common on long, hot rides, as well as a chamois cream, Ibuprofen, and anything else that makes long days in the saddle more comfortable.
We had a discussion today on our Brevet group about carrying eye drops for dryness. Carry it if your eyes get dry on the ride. Or else go for a cycling shade that covers your eyes completely.
The Ride Day
I got up at 4:30 AM. The flag-off was at 6:00 AM, and you at least need to reach 30 minutes before to get your brevet card and attend the briefing by ride marshall. These things are important especially if you are not doing brevet from your local club and traveling to another city to do brevets. Without clear route instruction, you will be lost.
We started at 6 AM in the morning and headed to Jaipur Sikar highway. Your body does not get too tired and the cool breeze surely helps a lot. After riding for almost about two hours, we hit our first control point.
First Control Point of 300 Km Brevet
The first control point was on Jaipur Sikar road. We rode with little effort but swiftly. Our marshal vehicle was already at the control points. We had breakfast and then headed our way to the Sikar Bikaner highway.
I would suggest not taking long breaks at control points. Try to limit your breaks, as your body cools down, the lethargy kicks in. Keep your halts short and start your ride to the next control point.
Second Control Point of 300 Km Brevet
By the time we reach our second control point it was almost noon. As usual, our marshal vehicle was there. Tiredness does not kick in till the time you cross 200+ KM in a 300 km brevet. After doing a couple of brevets I think the distance has got nothing to do with you getting tired. It is just your mind that gets tired.
The last leg of the ride is the one that is most tiring. Till the time you keep your brain keeps functioning, and it tells you that your body is not tired, your body basically does not get tired.
Third & Final Control Point for 300 km brevet
So, at exactly 150 km turn point we had our third and final control point. It took almost 8 hours to reach halfway through. Riding till the turning point is easy compared to returning back to the finish point. This I realized after having 3 flats and a busted tire. A puncture kit, spare tubes, and a spare tire, this is what I recommend that you should carry. Other riders might or might not help, like in my case, I got plenty of help from the fellow riders.
Heading back from the final control points in endurance rides are tough. The reason why I say it’s tough is that the body tries to take control of your mind and force you to make multiple stops.
You can make stops, however, keep a check on the clock. A firm determination and making up your mind for the last leg of the ride is essential. Ever thought while working out when your body does not listen to you when you get tired, it’s the mind which gets your body back on track. If you believe that this is something you should achieve, your body will have no choice but to align itself with your mind.
This is exactly what I did. We finished our brevet at around 10 PM, with few hours still remaining. As soon as you reach your finish point, the body rejuvenates and you no longer feel tired. I guess it’s all in the mind. So this was all about the 300 km brevet or 300 km cycling which I completed successfully. Thank you for reading, if you have any questions please drop in a comment below. I would love to answer any questions you might have.
I just completed my 200 km brevet ride last Sunday i.e. 4th November 2018. This article will take you through my journey of preparing and completing my 200 km brevet ride. First, let’s get familiar with few terminologies which will come in handy in understanding the concept of brevets. This article is an extension of my previous article about long-distance cycling. Let me also shed light on Audax India, the body that organizes these rides. I would also mention how to recover from a 200 km brevet ride. A 200 km cycle ride is easy if you prepare for it and lay out a strategy for yourself. We will also look at the 200 km brevet time limit set by Audax.
Note: Daily running can boost your stamina for long-distance cycling.
Few Important Terms
What is Audax India? Audax India is a cycling sport in which participants attempt to cycle long distances within a pre-defined time limit. Audax is not a competitive sport. So all that matters is to complete the distance in a set amount of time.
What are BRM/Brevets?BRM stands for “Brevet des Randonneurs Mondiaux” which is obviously French.
If you translate this in google translator it means “Patent of the world hikers“. In simple terms within Audax India, there are cycling events called BRM. Randonneuring is long-distance Endurance Cycling with rides of 200, 300, 400, 600, and 1000 km called Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRMs).
What is Randonneuring?Randonneuring (also known as Audax in the UK, Australia, and Brazil) is a long-distance cycling sport with its origins in audax cycling. In randonneuring, riders attempt courses of 200 km or more, passing through predetermined “controls” (checkpoints) every few tens of kilometers.
Who becomes Super Randonneur? This title is earned by any rider who completes a series of brevets ( 200, 300, 400, and 600 KM) in the same year. A medal is also available for those holding this title. Riders should provide supporting documentation to their brevet organizer, as well as payment.
Nobody just gets off their couch to do a 200 km cycle ride. You need to train to ride long distances, train for power, and train your core. Post the ride you need to recover from a 200 km brevet ride as well. This needs preparation.
Assuming you can ride a maximum distance of 100 kilometers, preparing for your first 200 km cycle ride should take at least 4-8 weeks.
Brevet is not all about cycling and fitness. It requires riders to be mentally strong. An average rider can complete 200 Km Brevet easily. You do not require a great deal of fitness level for a 200 km cycle ride.
All the ride demand is for you to be mentally tough. Although I cycle regularly and once you start cycling regularly brevet becomes easy. However, doing a 20 to 30 KM haul and attempting 200 Km Brevet is another.
I started with a few 50 km rides and slowly and gradually build my stamina for a couple of 100 km rides. This boosted my confidence and I knew that I was ready to do this brevet.
People will tell you to follow strict regimes and diet plan, however this, not a mammoth task as you might imagine. Again stressing that an average fitness person can do this very easily.
Preparing for 200 Km Brevet – 4 tips
Prepare Slowly
An average fitness enthusiast can easily do this challenge. However, you can’t just jump from the bed one fine day and do a 200 km cycle ride if you are a beginner. Give yourself time, I prepared myself for one complete month before taking up this brevet challenge. For beginners, I would suggest getting into along-haul cycling routine at least two months before the brevet. This would help your body to cope up with the physical stress.
Plan a Strategy
Usually, the authorized representative from Audax India in your city will have the planning done before even Audax opens the registration. For e.g. I knew the route already before I registered. We were supposed to go to Kishangarh and then head back to Jaipur.
A route that was effectively planned by the Audax marshals. They planned it through “ridewithgps“. The route was well planned and had a clear explanation and marking of control points throughout the route.
Now, if you are a regular cyclist and if you are doing 200 Km Brevet with a group, you might have to keep a check on your speed. I was averaging 30 km/hour before I had few flats. Assume an average speed of 22 km/hour (14mph) for a group of riders, and calculate the total time of riding the planned route.
Plan a rest stop approximately for every 1.5 hours of riding, with minimum of 10 minutes of rest time per stop. Add one big rest stop of 20 minutes for lunch and stretching in the middle of the ride. Add up the total time of riding the route, rests, and lunch.
Then add 1 hour of spare time for mechanical, longer rests, and unforeseen problems. The total time is the most probable time of completing your long ride.
Prepare your mind
I realized that more than physical preparation, you need to prepare yourself mentally for this gruesome challenge. 200 km brevet time limit is 13:30 hours. You need to finish the ride in the time allotted to you. In my 200 km brevet, my body was in auto mode pedaling continuously. The challenge was to fight the boredom. An idle mind can be a deterrent to your success since it’s very easy to start thinking about how much more you have to ride, how tired you are, how boring this stretch of road is.
To keep my mind occupied I did below mentioned things (Few of them are hilarious)
Keep talking to other participants in the brevets.
Analyze the road quality and look for optimal safe lines for your wheels. (White lines on the highways)
Be extra cautious and pay attention to the traffic, this isn’t Europe where cyclists are given a priority on roads.
Look at the little details like trees, bushes, insects. This is especially helpful on a long route. Think of something which fascinates you. (if you know what I mean :))
Think and visualize your next stop point and keep at least a distance of 50 km between stops.
Prepare for unwanted stops and mechanical failures
Even though the 200 km brevet time limit is 13:30 hours but still there are bottlenecks that can prevent you from timely completion of the ride. This is by far the most important part when it comes to ultra-cycling. You need to have your bike in top condition. You need to set up your bike, clothing, tools, food, spares, etc. Let’s talk about these things one by one. Road bikes are quite unpredictable when it comes to flat tires and mechanical failures when you ride on Indian roads.
About your bike and other essentials
Now when we have done preparing our mind and stops on our route the next thing which comes is the selection of your bike and what to carry on the ride.
Bike Selection
200 km brevet or for that matter any brevet can be done on any type of human powered bike. It can be a Road bike (Which is easiest), it can be a Hybrid bike (A little tough) and a mountain terrain bike. (Toughest)
It all depends on the fitness state of the participants and the rider’s mental strength. I did this on a road bike equipped with hybrid bike tires. (Polygon Stratos S2)It’s ideal to train on the same bike that you’ll be riding on the long ride. Your body will adjust to the bike, and you’ll have time to adjust everything to work as well as it should.
Bike Fit
Your bike should be well fitted, and you shouldn’t have any pain during riding. Just make sure that whichever bike you ride, at the time of purchase make sure that the bike shop does a proper bike fit for you. If you don’t like to fiddle with the bike, every decent bike shop will be able to do a good bike fit for you.
Service the bike
I talked with a lot of riders, a day before the ride started. Most of them got their bike services a week before the ride. That way they can take care of any adjustments that they might identify during the test rides.
Check that the wheels are ok, tires and tubes are in good condition (or replace them), check and service or replace cables and brake pads if the worn, chain is in good condition, etc. Most of the rides say a big “NO” for getting the bike serviced a day or two before the ride. Not recommended!
Clothes
Ride in the same bib shorts and cycling jersey that you trained in, even if old, you are comfortable in them. Plan to carry a base layer and a foldable rain jacket in one of your pockets, so that you can layer if you get hit by cold or rain. Carry an extra pair of socks in a zip lock bag – after a rain, put on dry socks, then the plastic bag over the dry socks and the wet socks over the bag.
This way your feet will be dry and you’ll be able to continue riding. Helmet and cycling eyewear goes without saying, no need to describe them. Most important, please wear a reflector jacket or a reflector belt, always remember safety comes first.
Food and liquids
You need to keep yourself hydrated. Carry two water bottles and a spare one in your backpack if you can keep one. I carried two water bottles. Plan to have a small sandwich/fruit every hour. You should carry enough stuff for the first 4 hours, then you can replenish at control points along the way. In the 200 km brevet, we control point at 50 km, and then at 100 km, we got plenty of hydration support and refreshments. Remember that you need to recover from a 200 km brevet the next day as well. Being hydrated helps a lot.
Audax India marshals are helpful at control points only as this is a self-supported ride.
Spares and tools
Carry two tubes and a portable pump. A portable toolkit with a chain breaker is a must. Learn how to break and connect a chain with your chain breaker ahead, practice on any old and discarded chain.
Have a front (white) and rear (red) light on your bike, with fresh batteries. Also, you need to have your rider number properly displayed at the front and back. I had two flats while coming back from the 100 km control point. Luckily the riders on the way had pumps to fill the air and puncture kit.
My biggest mistake was not to take these essentials things. In my next BRM of 300 KM, I carried all these essentials things.
Other Important Stuff
Money and ID, several strips of adhesive bandages, 4-6 pain pills (ibuprofen or similar), glucose tablets. ORS and electoral packet are essentials too. Magnesium powder packets are good for preventing the onset of cramps.
I carried my cell phone to record my ride on STRAVA. I will also recommend keeping a battery bank to charge your cell phone in case it runs out of juice. My GoPro was my companion along with other riders, which I charged with the battery bank that I carried.
What is the 200 km brevet time limit?
200 km brevet time limit as per Audax is 13 hours and 30 minutes in total. So you need to make sure that you complete the 200 Km cycle ride within this stipulated time frame else you would stand as DNF. DNF is an acronym for did not finish is event terminology. I complete it in approximately 11 hours coz I had a few flats on the way back.
How to recover from a 200 km brevet?
Recovering from a 200 km brevet is easy. Although it does not strain like the other brevets like 300 KM, 400 KM, or 600 KM and above, it surely gives some soreness & pain in your legs. If you are not used to long-distance cycling then it could be a problem and create un-easiness the next day. I would advise you to ignore the pain and for a short ride of 30 to 40 KM. I did the same and post my ride I was feeling wonderful. The logic is the same when you go to a gym and do heavy exercises after warm-up, your body needs to warm down as well. This is why we have warm down exercises in place. Similarly, you need to recover from a 200 km brevet as well.
Summing Up
So that was everything about the 200 km cycle ride that I attempted and completed. Always remember brevets or for that matter, any long-distance cycling is not about how amazingly fit you are but about how strong is your will to complete the ride.
If you have any questions related to the 200 km brevet time, recover from a 200 km brevet or Audax India, please leave them in the comments. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
I recently started running along with cycling. I wanted to get a smartwatch which can record more than what STRAVA records in my mobile phone. Few of my friends who are triathlete introduced me to the world of triathlon watches. The question was which One?
For people who are new to triathlon, let me explain what does it mean. In simple terms, Triathlon is an activity that combines swimming, cycling, and running in one event. In order to track your stats be it the distance, speed, cadence heart rate and even altitude you need a top-notch gear which corresponds to triathlon watches.
There are many smartwatch manufacturers in the market in the sports domain. However, only a few give you important body stats which amalgamated with top-notch technology.
Let try to see the top manufacturers such as Nike, Casio, Timex, Suunto, Polar, and Garmin, and their ranking as per the user feedback which I took from different sports social platforms. So let’s take a look at the best watches for this year.
Garmin forerunner 935
I have a lot of friends who compete into triathlons on a regular basis. Most of them are inclined towards Garmin. Why would they not, let’s look at the impressive specifications of this triathlon watch which has inbuilt GPS.
Watch mode batter backup: 14 Days
Weight: 49 grams
GPS enabled battery backup: 1 day
Not the above, but it comes with removable bands which you can regularly change. This comes in handy when you are competing in events that require you to wear their customized bands. The advantage with this watch is that it comes with top-notch measurement metrics. Furthermore, with a built-in biomechanical measurement and heart rate monitoring, Garmin has proven once again that they are the leaders in the market.
The only disadvantage that I could find was the watch being too expensive. However, on the contrary, it’s a onetime investment and that too worthwhile for serious athletes.
Some more specifications for professionals:
Price:
Just watch: $499.99 and in India: INR 43,000
Watch plus Bundle: $650
Now in case you are wondering what bundle comes with the watch for which you are being charged extra take a look below the bundle pieces of equipment.
Premium GPS running/triathlon watch with wrist-based heart rate
Offers advanced running and multisport Features in a comfortable watch you can wear all day, and it only weighs 49 grams
Provides elevation changes with a built-in barometer; altimeter and electronic compass help you keep your bearings
COMPACT AND COMFORTABLE – HRM-Tri is the smallest and lightest heart rate monitor from Garmin. Designed with rounded edges and no exposed seams, the strap remains comfortable during extended hours of training.
SWIM HEART RATE1 – Stores up to 20 hours of heart rate data during swims, then forwards it to a compatible device at the end of the session. It also sends real-time heart rate to the watch when the monitor is out of the water
RUNNING DYNAMICS2 – Provides feedback on running form by measuring cadence, vertical oscillation and ground contact time when paired with a compatible device
Though the Forerunner 935 is waterproof, its optical heart rate monitor still doesn’t work underwater, so you’ll need the HRM-Tri or HRM-Swim straps to get data about your ticker while swimming.
TomTom Spark 3
This is an upgrade from TomTom. The main features of this triathlon watch are its cardio stats tracking ability and inbuilt music memory. Let’s take a look at its features.
This watch allows you to store up to 500 songs and has a built-in memory of 3GB
This watch also has a heart rate monitor
It comes with a Bluetooth headset which can be connected with your TomTom watch and phone
This watch is waterproof up to 40 meters.
The Spark 3 tracks all your cardio activities throughout the day by recording live statistics. Whether you run to work, jump over a puddle of muddy water, take a quick nap in the office or walk your dog in the evening, the watch keeps track. It will keep tabs of your heart rate, calories burnt, active minutes or steps taken. That’s not all, expect a live stats GPS tracking.
Price:
USD: $270.00
India: INR 25,000 (Approx.)
Some more specifications
Bluetooth Music Player & Wireless Headphones: Included Bluetooth sport headphones have contoured ear hooks, are sweat and waterproof, last for up to 4 hours, and pair with your Spark and phone simultaneously
Waterproof Sports Watch: Multisport Mode tracks all your indoor and outdoor sports, including every run, cycle, swim and gym workout
GPS Running Watch and Activity Tracker: Measures time, distance, speed, pace, calories burned and sleep. Coming soon, pick from over 50 workouts and get step by step guidance on the watch to help you achieve your goals
GPS Watch with Advanced Features: 24/7 activity tracking, phone notifications, waterproof up to 40M and customizable straps
Route exploration: Discover new routes, push your boundaries and never run the same route twice
The only downside about the watch is that it may not provide you with metrics as detailed as a Garmin.
SUUNTO Spartan Ultra HR
SUUNTO which is luxury sports manufacturer based out of Finland came out with this triathlon watch as a successor of Suunto multisport and Ambit watch. This model is as luxurious as it is handy. Let’s look at some key features.
It has a battery life of 26 hours
It has a coloured touch screen
Comes with barometric altitude
This watch is water resistant up to 100 meters
Price:
USD: $439.99
India: INR 57,770
Some more bundle specifications
Suunto Spartan watches use a state-of-the-art colour touchscreen with a wide viewing angle that offers great visibility outdoors, even in direct Sunlight
With 80 Sports modes pre-installed in the watch, Suunto Spartan watches are ready to go for nearly any kind of activity right out of the box
For demanding adventures, Suunto Spartan Ultra comes with up to 26H battery life with good GPS tracking accuracy
Includes built-in altimeter, barometer, compass and GPS with 100-meter water resistance
Connect Spartan Ultra with your smartphone to sync your activities, customize on the go and see calls and notifications on the watch.
Polar V800 GPS Triathlon Watch
This watch is ideal for swimmers. The watch also monitor’s an athlete’s cadence without aid whatsoever, of additional sensors. There is a universal bike mount that comes in the package. The polar will monitor all your cardio activities in in-depth details. Let’s look at some specifications.
This watch keeps a track of heart rate even in water
The watch is waterproof up to 30 meters
Metrics are available for pool water and outdoor water both.
Price
USD: $499.95
India: INR 38,000 Approx.
Let look at some more bundle specifications.
GPS SPORTS WATCH: Advanced multisport GPS Watch for serious sports enthusiasts and professional athletes who want to reach peak performance, the built-in GPS keeps track of your ride, run or hike measuring your speed, distance and route
ADVANCED TRAINING WATCH: Create and customize profiles for different sports and get exactly the data and guidance you need for each activity
FITNESS TRACKER: Combines training load with 24/7 activity data for true recovery status. Polar Flow web service compatibility with Mac OS X 10.6, OS X 10.7, OS X 10.8, or later, and PC Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, or later
HEART RATE MONITOR INCLUDED: Use the Polar H7 heart rate sensor while training and even while swimming
TRIATHLON WATCH: Compatibility with Bluetooth Smart running and cycling sensors provide even more details about your training. Compatible third-party power meters
Garmin Vivoactive HR Triathlon Watch
This Garmin watch is an all-rounder. It practically does everything which a TomTom mentioned in the second number do. Let’s look at some common features.
It allows you to receive calls & social media notifications
Give you important weather updates
You can send texts
Play music from the watch itself
You can as well customize it with applications like Strava, Relive etc.
Battery (made of lithium) life lasts up to about nine days
Price
USD: $150.00 Approx
India: INR 38,000 Approx.
Let’s look at some professional specifications here.
Regular fit wrist circumferences 5.39″ to 7.68″ (137 to 195 mm), GPS smartwatch with a sunlight-readable, high-resolution colour touchscreen. Display size-28.6 mm x 20.7 mm.Display resolution:205 x 148 pixels
24/7 HEART RATE MONITORING – Elevate wrist heart technology gives you heart rate all day and night without an additional strap, Heart rate is not available while swimming
LONG BATTERY LIFE – Up to 8 days in watch/activity tracking mode. Battery life: GPS mode: Up to 13 hours. Smartwatch mode: Up to 8 days
SMART NOTIFICATIONS – Set any notification from your mobile device to display when paired with a compatible smartphone. Water rating:5 ATM, Compatible with Android 4.4 OS or Later, Bluetooth 4.0 or Later and AppleiOS 10.0 or Later,iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
The best news about it is that it is quite affordable compared to other watches mentioned.
This is the most affordable quality triathlon watch available in the market. It’s not feature packed as compared to its rivals but good for an athlete with a strict budget. Let’s look at some features that this watch has.
It comes with 100 meters water resistance
Bluetooth let you connect with your smartphone
Runs a constant 24 hours timer and records every activity
Price
USD: $34
India: INR 4223
Let’s deep dive into more of its specifications and find out what more it does have to offer.
Made in USA and Imported
Bold Sport Design
Sports Stopwatch with 30 Lap Memory
Countdown Timer & Alarm
Durable Resin Strap with Buckle Closure
Indiglo Light-Up Watch Dial
Water resistant to 100m (330ft): in general, suitable for swimming and snorkelling, but not diving
The only problem is not equipped with diverse features like other brands. However, or is quite reliable. It is ideal for an athlete with a strict budget.
Check out few Timex Watches.
So these were the best triathlon watches this year. Let me know in the comments which one are you buying? I would love your hear your triathlon journey. For any other information please drop a comment in the section below.
SEO (Search engine optimization) is the most misunderstood term in the internet era. I began optimizing websites for my clients a year back. During my SEO work, I understood that people are more likely to be influenced by the search ranking than traditional forms of marketing like TV and print ads. A perfectly crafted SEO website has its own advantages. In the starting articles in my search engine optimization guidebook, we talked about Page Rank and understood what is search engine optimization. Let’s talk about the impact or why do your online business need SEO to be done. Learn about different SEO techniques.
Search engine optimization is the best marketing strategy that you can invest in and get influential business visibility, branding, web traffic and a higher ROI. (Return on Investment) Let me make things easier for you. I am breaking down the factors which force any business to have a strong search optimization.
SEO is good for business visibility
Whenever people search anything on the search engine the top results are shown to them by the search engine. These top results are the website which has invested and researched a lot on SEO. When your business listing comes on the first page of SERP (Search engine results page) you visibility increases. Nor most of the users online just don’t stick with a single keyword for their searches. They use multiple keywords and if you do your keyword research properly your page can rank higher on all the keywords which will, in turn, increase your business visibility.
SEO is good for branding
Needless to say, search engine optimization has a big impact on branding than any other marketing strategy. Branding specialists may not know it, but SEO campaigns frequently (and usually should) include a branded SEO component. A branded SEO campaign targets branded keywords.
Example
For an E.g. I am a big cycling fan and I ride almost daily. I was trying to upgrade my bike to a road bike recently and I kept going to “choosemybicyles” with the model name. So my search term was “Polygon bikes choose my bicycle” so the search results kept showing me the same website in the top results again and again. SEOs love branded campaigns because they attract the most relevant traffic (i.e., people specifically looking for the brand), and therefore generate the highest percentage of lead or sales conversions. In addition, the high relevance of the campaign to the keywords tends to raise overall SEO effectiveness.
SEO provides credibility to your business
Users make a mental note of things that they search online. Again considering the example of my cycling habit, I know where to go when I want to buy/rent or sell my bike. Those ways I do not have to waste time, again and again, searching for a relevant information platform. Users may not consciously realize it, but they do. And in the minds of consumers, your ranking is a vote of confidence: “Google says this business is relevant, so that must be the case. My family believes more on Google than me, so the story says it all.
SEO generates your business traffic
A good SEO website generates an amazing amount of traffic. The users who came to your site are actually looking for product/information that they are searching online. According to me, they all are potential leads. Now it’s time for you to work on your conversion strategy and get the leads converted. By just getting traffic to your website don’t think that you would be able to generate revenue. You still have to make your best effort to sell to your customers once they are on your website.
SEO has the best ROI (Return on Investment) in advertising
Now imagine users coming to your website because they are looking for a service or a product that you are selling. This is all inbound traffic, and you don’t have to really reach out to them to get them on your website. SEO is an inbound marketing strategy; that is, it allows you to market to people when they are looking for the products and services your business provides. You don’t have to interrupt their favourite TV show, or you don’t have to take up space on a page where they are reading a news article. Your website just showed up when they are looking for businesses. You don’t have to convince them they need your product or service; you just have to convince them that you are the right business to purchase from.
SEO gives you insights into your business
We all are aware of the Google analytics tool. A took which is beautifully and skillfully crafted by Google to show your user behaviour and insights of your website. The data is valuable because it gives you insights into your customers. How they search, how they browse, the language they use, the technology they use, the region they live in, the days they are most active, the times of day they are most active, you name it. This is extremely valuable because it can help you make more informed decisions regarding your business and its strategies, both online and offline.
Let me know if you have any questions on this article by commenting at the end of the page.
Before we even begin with the technicalities let’s understand what is Search Engine Optimization? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is defined as the steps and procedures involved and taken by a webmaster to ensure that the visibility of the page is high in the search engine organic search results. Like for an e.g. in Google search.
Let us also define a few things at the start so that we all keep up with the acronyms.
A webmaster: A webmaster is a person who is responsible for a particular website.
Organic Search Results: These are the listings in the SERP’s (Search engine results page) which are displayed as per merit based on the search item typed in. Now it is very important to differentiate between organic and paid listing.
Paid Listing: The results for which webmasters have paid Google to get their results on top. A paid listing comes on the top of the page and is displayed before the organic results. Embedding an example below.
Paid listings in Google Search: A square box saying AD appears in front of each listing.
There can be several paid listings on the top of the page before organic results. As we’ve already seen that the term SERPs refers to Search Engine Results Pages. These are the search pages of the results you get when you try searching for anything on Google.
Google is now a Verb
Before we go any further I would like to clarify that this training module stresses on Google. Our focus is on and around Google. Google has become synonymous with the term “search engine”. It’s an expression which has found its way into the dictionary as a verb. We keep on hearing from people about googling stuff. Google is the most important place to rank well and if you rank good on google chances are you will rank good in other search engines too.
We will also include a tutorial for people who wanted the article on video. Check out my YouTube channel and specifically the SEO playlist section.
Let me know if you have any questions about this article by commenting at the end of the page.
This is going to be my first article on the SEO module. Before even, we plunge into the depth of SEO, let’s talk about google page rank. This interesting ranking algorithm was made by the founder of Google Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Whenever someone googles something online the SERP aka Search Engine Page Results shows them the most relevant high-quality content. This content is as per the user’s search terms. This page ranking algorithm is one of the over 200+ google factors when it comes to ranking web pages. However, this is not the only considering factor when deciding page rank by Google.
What is google page rank in SEO ranking? In-depth!
A Google page rank algorithm that ranks web pages on a scale from 1 to 10.
That’s what it is in a nutshell. The quality and quantity of links to a webpage determine a relative score of that page’s importance and authority on a 0 to 10 scale.
Very few websites have a perfect score of 10. This is majorly linking websites like Twitter.com (Don’t forget to follow), USA.gov, and Adobe reader download sites.
These websites have the highest number of backlinks to their web pages. PageRank 5 websites have a good number of inbound links, PR 3 and PR 4 sites have a fair amount, and brand new websites without any inbound links pointing to them start at PageRank 0.
Big Question. Does google page rank still matters in SEO ranking?
Now if you want to find out the google page rank for your website, it’s not possible.
This is because Google has stopped sharing the page ranks with the webmasters. A lot of webmasters were under the impression that getting backlinks were the only way of getting better in SERP’s.
This thinking, however, was not correct and there are many factors behind amplifying the ranking of a web page rather than just backlinks.
Even though it’s now hidden from public view, however, PageRank remains an important ingredient in Google’s secret ranking algorithms.
Just imagine if google page rank was the only parameter in ranking the pages high, the results would not be relevant. You would have got the results on the basis of how many backlinks are on the page which is making the page rank of the webpage high. Although it might not be relevant to you.
Since PageRank is only one factor in the Google ranking algorithm, it’s important to remember that a high PageRank does not guarantee high rankings — but it can significantly help.
Google page rank toolbar
As we were talking earlier that Google does not share the PR (Page Rank) data. The page rank toolbar which is available as Google Page rank toolbar as a chrome extension does not work.
Chrome extension for google page rank
Even if you add the said extension to your chrome browser, it shows “ERR” in the page rank section. Although it does give out a few other details like the “Alexa Rank” and other shared values. However, the page rank section gives nothing.
Chrome Extension Statistics
Since Google wants to return page one results that are high quality, relevant, and trustworthy. It may return web pages with better PageRank scores higher up in the SERPs. Although, Google page rank is only one of many ranking factors taken into consideration.
Link Juice AKA PageRank Points! How web pages get the benefits of backlinks?
Now the question is that how does this page ranking works. Let’s get into the google page ranking methodology. When a website “X” links to your web page it passes on link juice or in other words it is endorsing your site. Basically, it means that the other site is casting vote for your web page. Google takes into consideration all of these link votes.
Google draws conclusions about the relevance and significance of individual web pages. This is the basic concept behind PageRank. When one page links to another it passes PageRank points which are also known as link juice.
The amount of juice that your web page gets when it links to the page which is housing the link depends on two things. Firstly, it depends on the amount of link juice that the housing page has. Secondly, it depends on the total number of links on the webpage that are passing PageRank.
How Link Juice Is Passed?
Every web page has a limited about of link juice it can pass the linked pages. For e.g. a webpage with 20 accrued PageRank points cannot pass more than 20 points of link juice per page. If a page with 20 PageRank points links to one other page, that one link will transfer the full amount of link juice to that one other webpage.
But if a page with 20 PageRank points links to five web pages (internal or external), each link will transfer only one-fifth of the link juice. Look at the below-embedded image.
Visualize it: This diagram shows what it looks like when a webpage with 20 PageRank points links out to five other web pages that, accordingly, each receives approximately four PageRank points.
Although Google applies a decay formula to calculate the PR points. However, the actual calculation will be a bit different although the calculation steps are the same as above.
Is Page Linking Possible Without Passing PR Points?
Absolutely yes. Like any technology, it can be amended for the webmasters to use their webpage as per their whims and fancy. So in case you want to aid user experience, however, do not wish to pass on the PR juice, you can do it.
You can tell Google not to pass PageRank by amending some links with a rel=” no follow” attribute. A no-followed link is not crawled by the search engines, and no PageRank or anchor text signals are transferred.
However, Google still sees the no-followed links as the total number of links on the page, and thus the link juice is reduced. E.g. If you have a webpage with link juice as 100 and it has 4 links. Out of these 4 links, three are no-followed still only 25 link juice is passed to the followed link. It is important to understand this concept, as it helps a lot while setting your no-follow links.
Bad Linking & rel=”nofollow”
Bad linking is worse when it comes to Google page rank. Google is smart enough to identify if the links you are getting authentic or not. Do not ever try to buy the backlinks from suspicious websites.
The search engines might suspect you are trying to manipulate search results. They might slap your site with a ranking penalty. As we talked about how “no-follow” links affect the google page rank, however, doing this essential for certain types of links.
Paid links and ads
Links that would dilute your subject relevance
Links to untrustworthy pages
Paid-for links and ads on your site MUST have a nofollow attribute (see Google’s policy on nofollow). Google’s penguin algorithms are smart enough to identify any manipulative paid links, so just be cautious.
Also, try to link your pages with other web pages that have similar content. For e.g., if I write about cycling I will not be linking it to anything like fashion as the topics are different and I do not want to confuse the search engine. Just do the white hat SEO.
Linking relevant content pages amplify your topic relevance. So keep your topic silos clear and strategic. The use of the Nofollow attribute can be applied when linking off-topic pages together.
Third and final thing to worry about is when you try to link your web pages to a sketchy website. Google hates un-trustworthy websites and getting the backlink from them will not do you any good.
Final Word Of Caution
Hey, now that we know what google web page rank is all about we can start building page links. So if you are thinking about whether setting up a backlink is important or not? Well, they are very important.
Just because Google does not show us the page ranking data it does not mean that it is not important. Also, It’s not true that the more links you have, the better off you are. it’s all about more quality links that you should have on your web pages.
When it comes to Google, quality is more important than quantity. Check out this video tutorial which I made to understand web page rank.
Subscribe my channel too
Words Of Wisdom for SEO ranking
Poor quality links from spammy sites can deteriorate your search engine rankings. Only get links from quality sites and especially those links which are relevant to your subject and niche. Never ever try to buy the links. I will keep updating this article to match the changes which Google might have in the future.
So this brings us to the end of this article for SEO ranking, in case you have a question related to the SEO ranking please drop a comment at the end of this article.
Say Goodbye To Shaky Videos – GoPro Hero 7 Black, Silver, and White Editions Launched in India
Famous action camera giant has announced a new flagship GoPro Hero 7 Black action camera. Along with two cheaper Hero 7 models that will complete the company’s refreshed camera line-up. Let’s us know everything about Hero GoPro 7 and what additional features is baby has.
Firstly GoPro’s Hero 7 Black sets a new bar for video stabilization. The Hero 7 Black replaces the now discontinued Hero 6 Black. It comes with new ‘Hypersmooth’ electronic image stabilisation. GoPro founder Nick Woodman called it “the best in-camera video stabilisation in any camera, ever”. The Black version is powered by the custom processor GoPro debuted last year. It offers 4K video capture at up to 60 frames per second and super slow motion. A suite of new features like live-streaming, a Hyperlapse-style time-lapse mode, and dramatically improved digital image stabilization that you really have to see to believe. All of three GoPro Hero 7 models offer water resistance up to 10 metres and feature a 2-inch touchscreen.
GoPro Hero 7 Screen
Hypersmooth is a big part of the Hero 7 Black, but it’s not the only new feature. The Hero 7 Black can live stream to Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, or Vimeo over a phone’s cellular connection. There’s a time-lapse mode called “TimeWarp” that makes it easy to shoot smooth, fast time-lapse videos. This camera also has new “SuperPhoto” mode that works a lot like the smart HDR features on Google’s Pixel phones or Apple’s new iPhones.
The Hero 7 Black also has top-of-the-line specs. It shoots 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, 2.7K at up to 120 fps, and 1080p video at up to 240 fps. It captures 12-megapixel photos, with the option to shoot in RAW. Furthermore, it has Wi-Fi, GPS, face/smile and scene detection, and can filter out wind noise.
The two cheaper options, Silver and White, aren’t as capable, and they don’t use the GP1 chip. They also have integrated batteries, and they aren’t compatible with the Karma Grip stabilizer or the now-dead Karma Drone.
GoPro Hero 7 price & availability in India
GoPro Hero 7 Black price in India has been set at Rs. 37,000 in the US for $399 (roughly Rs. 28,800). The GoPro Hero 7 Silver will be sold in India for Rs. 28,000, and for $299 (around Rs. 21,600) in the US. Lastly, the most affordable GoPro Hero 7 White comes in at Rs. 19,000 in India and $199 (approximately Rs. 14,400) in the US. Availability in the Indian market for all three models starts from Thursday, September 27. However, in US customers can start buying it from Sunday, September 30. Pre-orders on GoPro.com have already gone live.
You can additionally avail up to Rs. 1500 cashback as Amazon Pay balance and 5% instant discount on a credit card or debit card EMI. Also, these offers are valid till September 24. HERO7 Black pre-orders also get a free Shorty worth Rs. 3900 for free.
Which of the new GoPro Hero 7 family are you most excited about? Tweet us @shutterholictv. Use hashtag #shutterholictv to get features on the Instagram page.
