SEO Training Courses: Taking Your Business To The Next Level

Today, website owners and web developers are realizing the importance of SEO training courses. The truth is, if you want to drive more traffic to your website, you need to learn how to properly optimize your site. In order to do this, you must be fully equipped with the latest SEO techniques and information that will guide you along the way.The Importance of SEOThere has been an increasing number of websites you can find online. With this, the competition to get on top of search engines is getting tougher. A lot of website owners are doing their best in order to increase their site’s traffic.Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, plays an important role in driving more traffic to a particular website. SEO is considered to be a complex subject but with ample knowledge and skills, anyone can properly optimize a website. To effectively optimize a website, you need to learn the basics of SEO and everything you need to know about it.Why Take SEO Training Courses?Latest SEO Information and Techniques – If you want to become knowledgeable about SEO, you can find a lot of resources online for free. However, you cannot fully rely on these resources because they could be outdated ones. With this, taking an SEO course is the best option you can do. You’ll be ensured that with a course on SEO, you’ll only get the latest SEO strategies and information.Personalized Training – One of the best things about taking a course on SEO is the opportunity of obtaining a personalized training in which you are guided with a step by step learning.Less Expensive Than Hiring An SEO Company – Today, there are a lot of websites which hire an SEO company to help them reach the peak of success. However, opting for this kind of option can be quite expensive. With a good SEO training, you are ensured with a personalized training at an affordable price.A Deeper Understanding About SEO – When you want to learn more about SEO, you can always do a self-study by doing a research online. However, SEO is full of technical terms which you are not yet familiar about. By taking SEO training courses, you’ll be able to grasp a deeper understanding about what SEO is all about. A course on SEO will definitely guide you along the way.If you own a website, it is indeed beneficial to take an SEO training course for you to be well-informed of the latest SEO techniques and information. This way, you will be able to know how to effectively optimize your website. Knowing the most effective SEO strategies can be your edge among other website owners. If you are looking for a reliable SEO course, there are a lot of SEO training courses you can find online. With this, you’ll be able to find a reliable SEO training course to answer your needs.Whether you run a small business or a huge company, it is always beneficial to take SEO training courses.

How CRM Software Works — Creating Customer Satisfaction with a Click

When people ask, “What is CRM?” the literal answer is, “Customer Relationship Management,” but that doesn’t really convey much in terms of what all CRM does for a business. This CRM definition is too narrow to really explain everything the system does if it is working to its fullest potential and is user-friendly enough to expand and grow as a customer-client relationship changes and grows.CRM in the broader sense encompasses not only customer relationship management itself but how customer relationship management is handled and the most important elements of a CRM program that are essential to its being successful. The range of CRM software options vary from those that provide simple customer tracking and live chat capabilities to the more complex CRM solutions that can integrate all of the customer relationship data an enterprise has on each client past, present and future in a dynamic information data network.What should I look for in a CRM software package?If there’s an ideal CRM software package that works for every company and every situation, it hasn’t been discovered yet, simply because every company has slightly different needs for their customer relationship management needs as well as software implementation.In general, however, when you are looking for a strong CRM software package there are a few things to keep in mind. If you are shopping for a CRM package, try to forget about the initial price tag at first (as difficult as this may be) and focus on the adaptability, usability and integrity of each system you evaluate as it relates to your particular needs. A few things to consider:
o What are the most important facets of customer relations are we looking to address, and does this CRM software support tracking and updating all aspects of this? For example, if your company wants to customer service to have ready access to changes in customer spending habits and an opportunity to offer new product options based on these records, make sure this capability is built into the software. Customization down the line will be time-consuming and expensive — if you have a primary goal, make sure it is standard in your CRM software package.o Will the CRM software package integrate smoothly with all platforms currently in use at your company? If you will have to re-enter all databases such as client names, addresses and phone numbers, this will significantly increase the amount of money you’ll spend in the long run. Make sure that you can either integrate smoothly or import all information needed flawlessly.o Is the product more than you need? An enterprise solution that offers fifteen functions you don’t need and never will isn’t a bargain if you will never expand into that market niche. Just because it’s available doesn’t mean you have to have it. Selling custom-sewn hats? You won’t need a CRM software package for tracking million-dollar overseas accounts.o Has this CRM software package been used for a company of your size before? If it has been used for companies up to 10,000 and you have 150,000, the system may simply not be able to sustain the volume of data and crash or develop glitches. Look for something more powerful with a support system capable of understanding the size of your company.
Can you build me a dream CRM software package?Hmm…let’s see. The best CRM software package would be optimally functional across all platforms and have its own customer support backing it, and …. Well, let’s take a look at our own list of what we’d really like in a CRM software package if money was no object and we could “have it all,” so to speak:
o A CRM software provider that has partnerships with other vendors for support in the event you need it for integration of platforms.o Extensive training from certified CRM software technicians who will walk your people through the process of setting up, using and training others on the system.o Full data migration capabilities to and from all programs in current use to the new CRM software.o Offsite server storage backup for all information in the CRM system for added security.o A toolbox for company programmers for customizing templates for company use — this will save huge amounts of time by eliminating the need to write custom codes from scratch.o Either in-house consultants or a choice of contracted consultants they recommend (try not to be at the mercy of one consultant when there is a problem).o A CRM software package designed by a company familiar with our specific industry and its structural needs.
The best CRM software packages enable customer service representatives to review the account information of each client or customer when they are talking to him or her and immediately understand something about that person’s needs, wants and spending patterns.For banks, CRM software can indicate their banking patterns — are they investing through the bank? Have they recently looked into a money market fund? Do they have substantial funds that could be put to better use than languishing in a simple CD?A mail order company can note your shopping tendencies and make Christmas shopping suggestions based on past purchases by seeing that you buy a lot of kids’ clothes and that you spend about $200 each holiday. Used correctly, a toy company can steer you toward some bargains and suggest alternatives, enriching your shopping experience and building customer loyalty.Why does CRM software fail so often after it’s put into place?You’ve heard the stories about a company buying a CRM software package and then realizing it hasn’t really changed anything. The big-wigs are disappointed, customer service is frustrated, and the clients are aggravated with the new changes that don’t seem to show any improvements in customer service or client relations. How does it happen?Because CRM software was purchased that wasn’t appropriate, was purchased too soon, or wasn’t implemented properly. If you don’t purchase CRM software that specifically addresses what your customer concerns are, you may have software that is very detailed in an area you don’t need and somewhat lacking in exactly what you do need.Purchasing too soon means you bought the software before you had evaluated what you really wanted. Many companies by CRM software with a goal “to improve customer relations,” which is not a clear business goal! You should have a very specific, well-defined objective that your CRM software solution can address, and you company should have developed a formal objective before you went shopping for a solution. Retaining customers? Improving the size of current customer portfolios? Penetrating a new market niche? Reduce customer complaints? Improve customer repair response? Determine what it is you want to focus on as a goal, and then choose your CRM software solution based on how it will address it.Finally, implementation of a new CRM program requires proper management support and effective training. That means that management must be behind it one hundred percent, and not have “head in the sand” approach where they determine that “that’s for customer service, I never did understand that stuff,” and avoid learning how the CRM software works. It is an attitude that will pervade the company.Second, training is essential and must encompass the company to ensure that all levels of personnel will embrace the new system and understand the genuine need for it and the real goal of what you are trying to achieve with your new CRM software solution.Some CRM software options for small and medium sized businessesFor small and medium businesses, the most common customer relations management software request is for anything that enhances online communications and improves the time between a customer complaint or question and resolution of the issue for them.For many companies, there are software solutions that can be purchased or downloaded to be used through their Internet website for basic services such as online customer support through live chat and customer assistance with online purchasing that is both efficient and relatively inexpensive. If your need is primarily to improve sales volume, improve response to customer questions and complaints and to make your company website more personalized, look into these solutions that are at the lower end of the price spectrum while providing solid CRM products:
o LivePerson offers two different versions, Basic and Enterprise that provide live chat, email and a variety of interactive forms customized to meet companies’ needs for customer relations. This company has developed live chat solutions and online forms for everything from universities to financial services firms. This company provides a wide range of services, including online marketing, case studies, and software designed to improve online shopping cart capabilities.o LiveHelper offers many of the same features, and adds real time traffic monitoring and other data assessment features as well. For the price, LiveHelper is a very good CRM software value.o GroopZ includes customer routing software so that you can transfer entire chat strings from one customer service rep to another if you need be, along with an efficient filing system for chat transcripts and customer records. For improving customer relations, the software support suggests pre- and post-service questions for all customers who contact you.Also included are templates you can set up with specific, pre-scripted answers to frequently asked questions in online chat to save customer service representatives time and make the process clearer and more efficient. This company does a bit more customizing on the front end to fit your needs, and pricing is adjusted accordingly.o SupportWizard gives you three CRM options that give you some flexibility — you can buy, lease or let them host your customer service/relations solutions. Interactive FAQs, live chat, standard answers to frequent questions, and Boolean search capabilities to review past interactions all make this package extremely effective. SupportWizard also has more customizable features than some, including an “escalation alert” that can be tailored to specific situations when a supervisor would be notified if a customer service situation exceeds certain parameters.This is one of the more expensive packages available, but rather than a monthly fee you are paying for lease or outright purchase options, so factor this into the cost. You will also get spectacular customer support and constant upgrades and patches when necessary. The integration of email, live chat and telephone information into one database is also a plus with SupportWizard.o BoldChat offers free CRM software for online customer service chat that you can use for a limited time, and offers a $9.95/month and a $39.95/month customized version of their CRM software. Both offer live customer service chat, but one adds customized windows and more options on buttons and the number of available customer service reps you can add.o CSLive offers the most comprehensive CRM software solution available for small and medium businesses, with live chat, email, and the usual customer service features you expect from a small business CRM solution, but with plenty of extras. CSLive also offers an extensive tracking and filing system, an Internet server site where you can upload and store files of customer help articles that customers can be referred to that can by emailed directly to clients by your reps. Throw in the message center and online meetings, and this is practically an enterprise sized solution at a small business price of $29.95 a month.
CRM software, whether on a monthly user basis or purchased outright and downloaded onto your own server, will make serving and understanding your clients and customers a more productive experience, and you will all be happier for it.Copyright © 2004-2005 Evaluseek Publishing.

Planning for Trading Success

The three T’s to becoming a speculator: trading plan, trade worksheet, and trading journal. Without a doubt, if you want to develop trading into an avocation or you want to improve your demo trading, or you wish to trade for a living, you cannot ignore either of these three tools. This particularly goes for your demo-, paper-, or test-trading account. Utilizing these three tools effectively makes your day-to-day trading go a lot smoother.First Tool: The Trading PlanYou want to ask yourself as many questions as possible when developing a trading plan. Here are five quick questions to begin your trading plan.The first question you have to ask yourself is: What markets do I want to trade?How you answer this question will ultimately determine your longevity in trading. There are many factors that determine which markets are best suited for you. Do you want to trade very volatile markets or low-volatility markets? Do you live on the West Coast where it’s difficult to see the 5AM opening bell for some markets? Do you travel a lot and you can’t stare at your screen all day long? The market or markets you pick to trade should best suit your lifestyle.It is also best to pick only two to three markets that you sincerely want to trade. It is difficult to understand and trade the subtleties of every single market available. While technical analysis can be applied across the board, as a specialist, you begin to understand what actually makes a particular market tick. You can then manage your money and your trades according to the rhythms in that market. By focusing on a handful of markets, you can become a specialist. Without a doubt specialist in any field tend to fare better.The second question you have to ask yourself is: What am I trading for?Knowing why you are trading stocks, futures, forex, and options is imperative. Is it for fun, like a gambler, or is it a true desire to speculate? Or are you trying to “hedge” your overall investment portfolio? What many investors forget about trading markets like futures and forex is that there are two aspects to it. It can be both the riskiest investment and the least risky investment at the same time, if you use it properly.For example, during the dot-com bubble, many investors had mutual funds and stocks that closely matched the Nasdaq 100. When the market began to slow down and investors found themselves in the precarious position of not knowing if they should liquidate their tech stock and investment portfolios, they could have simply used Nasdaq futures to protect themselves from any quick drops in value.By looking at futures from both sides, speculating and hedging, you can come up with more versatile strategies of managing your money over the long haul.This leads us to questions three through five: What am I hedging against/for?, How many contracts would it take to accurately hedge part of my portfolio?, and How many contracts would it take to accurately hedge my entire entire portfolio?These questions are designed to get you to think outside the box as a trader. Look at how your current investments are linked to interest rate fluctuations, the S&P 500, or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Calculate how much you stand to lose when these markets move against you, and from there you can figure out how best to hedge yourself. None of these markets operate in a vacuum; there are ways for you to protect yourself from stock market adversity if you open your eyes to the hedging side of futures and forex investing.Second Tool The Trade Worksheet:The trade worksheet is designed to break down the numbers of any trade you are planning to execute before you enter it. It is designed to ask some fundamental questions. Once these questions are answered, you can see in black and white what the potential profit is, what the potential loss is, and if the trade is worth taking at all.The vital information that it gathers is:1. Entry price2. Profit exit price3. Loss exit price4. Margin level5. +/-% return on margin6. +/-% return on account7. Cost of optionA notebook that you can write in on a consistent basis will suffice. The goal is to get you used to doing the numbers.Keep track of the trades you entered and exited throughout the day. Tally up your profits and losses and how much you risked attaining your results. The information just may be the food for thought you need to help you make better choices during your trading experience.Third Tool The Trading JournalIt’s been said that you don’t know where you are going unless you know where you have been. The trading journal does just that. Throughout your trading career, you will have multiple journals. In fact, you should do your best to never stop journaling when you are a trader.If you cannot, a great alternative is to journal in 20-day trading cycles at a time. By journaling your trades, you will be able to understand why you do the things you do and when you do them. If they are good habits, keep them; if they are bad habits, do your best to modify them to help you succeed.The typical trading journal should have the following:1. A copy of your trading plan, so you can constantly refer back to it.2. At least 20 trade worksheet forms, complete one for every trade you execute.3. A copy of the entry chart of every trade you execute, a long with a small three- to five-sentence synopsis on why and how you entered the trade, including your feelings and emotions at the time.4. A copy of the exit chart of every trade you execute, along with a small three- to five-sentence synopsis of the profits or losses and why and how you exited the trade, along with your feelings and emotions at the time.By consistently documenting your experiences, you will become an expert at knowing how fear and greed wreak havoc on your decision-making process.Building confidence isn’t easy when it comes to perfecting how you speculate in the markets. They say that in order for a new activity to become a habit, you have to do it 30 times consistently. Trading is no different. Avoiding the top 10 mistakes of trading, putting together a trading plan, working with a trade worksheet, and utilizing a journal are all activities that have to be done consistently in order to build confidence. While your confidence boost won’t happen overnight, one day you will wake up and find yourself skilled and confident.

Keep These 5 Rules in Mind for Successful Commercial Designing

Who doesn’t want an excellent commercial design? Excellent commercial design is important to maintain the reputation and brand image of the company. As it is said, the first impression is the last impression, a good impression always attracts potential customers. It’s obvious no one would ever love to walk in a congested environment with bad lighting.

Bad design and interiors deteriorate the productivity of the employees. It can be a confusing task when planning a commercial designing project for the first time, hiring expert Commercial Architects Melbourne can be the best option to know about the latest trends and perfect matching designs.

This blog is about some basic rules to consider for making the commercial project successful.
Keep structures versatile

When it comes to transforming any commercial space, focusing on convertibility and keeping office interior decor versatile can be the best option. It can be done by implementing a versatile structure to spaces such as cafeterias, offices, and many more. Everyone gives preference to comfort hence, focusing on spatial and versatile design will help to complete commercial designing projects in an optimal way.

Consider the latest technology implementations

Technology plays a supportive role to enhance the commercial designing project. Moving forward with the latest technology is important to execute any business smoothly because technologies make the work much easier and comfortable for the employee as well as organizations. Implementing centralized and decentralized digital control is much needed in any commercial design.

Keep office aesthetics updated

Good aesthetics and interiors impact the overall representation of the office and make the place functional and attractive. Hire a reputed designer for modern décor and furniture ideas. Hiring a designer reduces half of the project stress and helps to meet the contemporary fashion and latest trends. They can help to choose the perfect theme that blends well with the office decor, atmosphere, and colour.

Provide personalized space to prevent congestion

Majority of customer prefers personalized space such as different seating to seat comfortably and do the personal work. Personalized space is one of the crucial factors for customer-based service offices such as hotels and cafeterias to provide an ambient and comfortable place.

Always keep safety first

Safety is the central feature of every construction and designing project. Hence, it’s the high-priority factor to keep the aesthetic and functional safety at the working place. It can be compromised for interior decoration and design purposes but it’s not at all affordable to compromise for safety purposes.

Following the above useful ideas can easily help in the successful completion of a commercial designing project in a safe and pleasing way. In today’s, modern construction, reliability, and comfort is also an equally important factor.

Final words,

It’s important to hire the experienced Building designer Melbourne to make the commercial designing project worthy. Hope the above rules helped you to scale up your interior designing projects with a better outcome. Follow the above tips for any renovation or remodelling project and surely you will get award-winning and achieve a better office experience.

How Long Should A Laptop Battery Last And How To Increase the Battery Life

No matter how expensive your laptop is, its battery won’t last more than four years. According to experts, a new laptop battery gives you as many as 1,000 cycles. In other words, you can charge and recharge the battery up to 1000 times. However, many factors play their role to increase or decrease the lifespan of a laptop battery. For instance, the material used for producing the battery substance. So, if you want to ensure that your battery stands the test of time, given below are some of the tips that can help.

1. Install a good battery monitor

If you are looking for an alternative, you can choose from tons of third-party utilities. Basically, the software programs help you monitor your laptop battery. These programs have no compatibility issues with any type of laptop.

Using these tools, you can find out which programs are using most of the battery power. You can then close the unwanted programs to save battery power.

2. Install maintenance apps

You can use some manufacturer-recommended maintenance tools for maintaining your laptop battery. Based on the type of your battery, you will receive different suggestions. Apart from this, your operating system will come with a built-in utility that can help you keep an eye on your battery condition.

3. Maintain your device temperature

You should try your level best to ensure your laptop maintains its temperature. In summer, electronic devices tend to heat up, which negatively impacts the life of the battery packs.

Therefore, you should make sure that there is a little bit of space between the bottom of the device and the table you have placed your device on. Besides, the ventilation system of your device should be working properly. For this purpose, regular cleaning of your device is quite important.

4. Don’t use maximum brightness

When your screen brightness is at maximum level, your device will use the maximum power. So, turning down the brightness is the first thing you can do to save power. Also, it is not a good idea to keep the brightness at max level as it can have a negative impact on your eyesight.

So, by following these simple tips, it will be easier for you to extend the life of your laptop battery.

5. Change the power-saving settings

Before you do anything, go into the power options of your laptop. If you are using Windows operating system, you can go to the control panel to access the power options. The control panel can be accessed from the Start Menu.

Some users have MacOS. If you are one of them, you need to access Energy Saver, which is found in the System Preferences. If these values are set to default, your computer will use the least amount of power.

So, what you need to do is make small changes to the settings so that you achieve a balance between power and performance. For best performance, there is always the choice to connect your device to the AC outlet.

The Best Ways I’ve Found To Make Money Online From Home

Have you been looking for a way to make money online without having to know much of the internet stuff? Wanting to work at home but don’t know how to do it? Here is the key gem: Between all the tricks on joining the craft beer movement, opening a gallery or being a tour operator, you will find clever advice that anybody can apply to make money online quickly.

The most basic way to make money online is through affiliate marketing. It is really easy. Basically you set up an ad for someone she is selling something and when they click through and buy it, you make money! Simple enough if you have no technical skill at all. Here are some simple tips on how to earn using affiliate marketing:

Drop-shipping is one of the most useful methods. You select a product in which you believe there is a demand and then drop-ship it to your customers in small quantities. You make money from the difference between what the stock costs and what you sell it for. For this method, it is important to note that you may need to make space for your inventory on your premises or perhaps wait until you have a build of an inventory before you can start drop-shipping; but the advantages make it a good choice for those seeking to make money online from their spare time.

Paid surveys are a great way to earn some extra cash. These can be accessed easily and there are many sites where you can get paid from spending your spare time. There is one site, though, which is said to pay $200 a week for twelve weeks straight – you can’t beat that kind of money making potential. With paid surveys, it is important to note that the sites are generally scams, and that you need to do some research to ensure you are making good money making opportunities.

Finally, a passive income generating method that can bring in money on autopilot is eToro’s Forex trading. This works by allowing you to invest on a demo account and earn money from the performance of the currencies being exchanged. The best thing about this system is that it allows you to do virtually anything and still see profits coming in. eToro has an average starting price of less than $50 and can generate an income of five figures in just a few months.

These are the best things I have found for making money online from your home. Though none of them are as good as, say, a paid-online course, they are much more affordable and can provide a valuable education to start earning money immediately online. With just a little research, you should be able to find a legitimate opportunity to get paid to learn the basics of making money in the currency markets. This is a truly remarkable opportunity.

Finding the Best Business Idea For Your Home Based Business

How many home based business opportunities are available to you? If you want to make money online at home, you really have many options to choose from. The big question is – which one will give you the biggest chance of success? Is there a ‘one size fits all’ answer? The simple truth is that not every opportunity is right for everyone, and not every opportunity will bring you the greatest amount of profit.

So, what are some home business ideas that can make money online for you? The quick and dirty answer is: the one that best suits your particular set of needs. Make a list of your priorities, including a high income; a low-risk schedule; freedom; flexibility; work-life balance; independence; something in your range of skills and expertise; and interesting work that you have an interest in… You can take this list with you and talk to people who are working from home on the same things that you would be considering. Chances are that you will find some great niches that fit your standards and your desires.

But what if you want to get started right away? It’s easy to think that you can jump into a new business idea and be successful immediately, but this often isn’t the case. It takes many different things to make sure that you will be able to get through the hurdles and actually make it to a point where you are seeing profit. If you don’t work at it slowly, you will be setting yourself up for failure. Here’s the lowdown on some different things that you should consider as you create your own business idea:

First, you need to think about what you have to offer. If you don’t have any ideas as to what to do as a freelance writer, a lowdown on finding a niche is very important. Many beginners go into this completely clueless. But if you know that you have a skill that others are desperately seeking, you may be able to provide them with the service they are looking for without having to spend much time building up a website or getting traffic to it.

Another thing to consider is what kinds of products or services would best fit a niche that you would like to get started in. In this case, the lowdown on finding the best business idea for you would include taking a look at what you love to do and what you can offer others. If writing is not your strongest point, but you love to get creative, consider freelance data entry. Freelance data entry does not require a lot of startup capital, but you still need to have the skills that will allow you to be successful in this area. The best lowdown on finding the best business idea for you is to simply start looking at what you like to do and what you can offer others.

There are many other areas of freelance writing that you can explore in order to make the most out of your home based online business. Freelance writers are in high demand online. If you have the skills that are needed to do well in this field, there is no reason that you should not be able to find a great home-based online business that will give you the income that you want.

Earn Money Writing From Home And Never Run Out of Ideas

Is it your dream to work from home as a writer and earn money from everything you write? That was my dream for years, and 20 years ago it became my reality.

One of the hardest things at first was to come up with ideas of what to write about. I started by doing freelance writing and I also set up my own website and I wanted to write and publish books. It was all a great plan, but it meant coming up with thousands of ideas.

At first I didn’t think it was possible, but it turned out that not only was it possible to come up with endless ideas for writing, but I ended up with notebooks full of ideas because I had more than I could ever use at once.

And I’ll tell you 3 things that helped.

1. I write fast. Once I’m into writing an addictive story or an interesting article – or series of articles, I get into a writing ‘flow’ and can write for hours. I never stop and second-guess myself. I just keep writing because fast writers are mega producers and never have time for writers’ block.

2. The more I write and the faster I write, the more writing ideas I have. Productive writers always get an abundance of ideas as they write. When I’m immersed in my writing, my creative mind goes into hyper-drive. Even if I started with only one or two ideas, once I sit down and start writing the ideas start flowing. And it doesn’t matter what I write. Even if I’m journaling or copying out someone else’s writing by hand (just for practice), it inspires ideas.

3. I love to write. Most days I’m excited and motivated to sit down and write. I hurry through other chores I have to do so that I can get to my desk and write.

At first, being a writer was hard because it’s not easy to work from home with no boss, no set hours and too many distractions. But once I got a writing routine, I found that once I sat my backside in my chair and started writing, it was easy to ignore everything and motivation arrived and kept me going.

So if you find yourself longing to write but stuck for ideas, just sit down and start writing. Write anything even if it’s just nursery rhymes you were taught as a kid, or open a book and start handwriting it out.

And if you’re like me you’ll find that even on days when you think you don’t feel like writing and the ideas just won’t come, sit down and write anyway, and before you know it you’ll be overloaded with ideas.