Pooja Vijay Kumar

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Building your own sophisticated, modern business website is both possible and affordable with these top-recommended DIY tools. Every business needs a well-designed, functional website to engage prospective customers and showcase their products or services. Hiring a professional web designer isn't always in the budget for small business owners, so they need to rely on "do-it-yourself" tools to create their own sites. When it comes to choosing a DIY website builder, it's important to strike the right balance between features and affordability. Here, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share their top recommendations for business owners who want all the bells and whistles to create their dream website without breaking the bank.

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In today's workplace, practicing the importance of self-awareness starts from the top down. The strength of a successful business relies upon the people who are responsible for its daily operations. But building a power team starts from the top down. Therefore, leaders must set higher standards for themselves first if they expect others to follow in their footsteps to meet the expectations and mission of their business.  Self-awareness will also play a key factor in every leader's journey because if they are unaware of the negative energy they are spreading across their workforce, it may drive top talent away. Here, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members each discuss one seemingly harmless habit an executive may have that could be harming their business, and why it can make such a difference in the team's perspective of who they truly represent.

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By addressing certain key factors and planning for anticipated challenges, organizations can successfully tap into global talent. Hiring internationally brings both exciting opportunities and unique challenges. As companies consider a truly global talent pool, they must also consider the legal and regulatory requirements to ensure compliance in each country. Additionally, cultural differences, language barriers and time zone variances can impact effective team collaboration and communication. To leverage the benefits and mitigate the challenges of hiring international talent, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share key considerations to keep in mind.

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Apply these best practices to expand the lifetime value of what customers have come to expect. Technology continues to be the solution to helping brands and their customers elevate their business and personal experiences. One key indicator to assessing a client's satisfaction with a particular device is to gain access to their existing daily habits and how the product impacts their life. Once that information is determined and measured through a combination of data analytics and real-time user feedback, the brand can work on modernizing its product to make it better. The most important predictor of satisfaction and long-term stickiness for devices such as wearables is how well they fit into existing lifestyles and habits. Careful assessment of the users' existing habits is essential. A device must not rely on the formation of new habits for success. Rather, it should make existing habits easier or automate as many steps as possible.  Below, 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each offer one suggestion to help other brand leaders and creative UX designers adapt their product designs for new and evolving wearables, smart home devices, and other Internet of Things devices.

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Customers will thank you kindly for putting their design needs first, leaving non-essential product bells and whistles at the door. It's an exciting time when a company is preparing to launch a new app or feature on one of its existing products. However, before introducing an updated design or functionality on the current model, it's important to gather as much feedback as possible from the end users and other stakeholders to give them what they want, so you can add meaningful value to their journey with the brand.  Creating an overcomplicated design will waste time and budget, so remember that less is more. Below, 10 leaders from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on how to help creative UX teams develop visually appealing and functional designs. Implementing these best practices will ensure that aesthetic choices do not compromise product usability, and customers are satisfied with their experience.

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Listen to your people and learn how to foster employee engagement every day. Hiring the right people is the key to success at any company, but to keep them growing and willing to stay on board, the leadership team must learn to understand what gets their employees out of bed in the morning to show up and do the hard work. Creating a work environment that makes everyone feel welcomed and heard is essential to help staff members continue to develop as they support each other and the company's progress in business. Below, 16 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each describe one measure that company leaders can adopt to foster a diverse workforce culture that drives innovation and employee satisfaction.