What determines the maintenance cost of a Benz car goes beyond mechanical or electrical fixes from time to time. You also want to put a great deal of thought into the Model age, service history, and location where you will use the Benz.

As a young techie looking for the best low-maintenance Benz cars to buy, you want to steer clear from models like the Metris and Sprinter since their average yearly maintenance is around $2,500. That’s pretty high.

With my exposure to Mercedes Benz models over the years and a little more digging into a pool of data from giant auto review sites, I’ve put together a list of the seven classy Benz cars that are great for tech guys and economy-friendly to maintain in the long run.

This will help you in your buying decision to save your budget and your vehicle from major repair costs.

Let’s get right into it.

List of Best Benz Cars with Low-Maintenance Costs for Techies

As you probably know, the sticker price is one of many things you will pay to own a Benz car.

During my extensive discussion with various technicians who see cars getting fixed day in and day out, I discovered that many Benz owners spend more money maintaining Brakes, Oil changes, Spark plugs, Transmission service, Coolant service, Tires, and Smog checks.

Given the status of the German vehicle, these services could set you back thousands of dollars annually compared to regular Chinese cars.

Fortunately, you stand a chance to spend less on maintenance while enjoying Merc if you drive any of these models:

1. 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350

2010 Mercedes Benz C350. 📸: CNET Roadshow

Repairpal’s reliability rating of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 estimates average annual maintenance costs to be $720, influenced by the age, mileage, and location the vehicle is often used.

This Mercedes-Benz C-Class is one of the best options you can think of if you need a Benz car with the luxurious look of a classy techie but low maintenance cost. However, the model seems to be a better fit for handling than for comfort (many C-class do, too)

I won’t recommend the C350 if you ply curvy roads most of the time, but the vehicle has a fair chance of hitting 200,000 miles or more if you play your cards well in the area of maintenance routines.

The average buying price of the 3.5-liter V6 equipped vehicle starts from around $39,500 and is known for its high-quality parts like other Benz models.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 releases 268 Horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It will stay in good condition for a very long time if you follow the affordable-to-achieve German manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines.

2. 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350

2012 Mercedes Benz E350. 📸: The Car Connection

Generally, you can expect a Mercedes-Benz E-Class to gulp about $11,224 for maintenance and repairs during its first ten years of service. While this beats the industry average for luxury cars, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 offers more.

According to the leading provider of auto repair and maintenance information, Repairpal, the average upkeep cost of the Mercedes-Benz E350 annually is around $788. It is a reasonable maintenance cost for a full-size luxury sedan.

With an impressive 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 302 horsepower, E350 is an excellent catch for the average ‘tech bro’ willing to buy a German car on a budget. However, you have to keep in mind that the vehicle requires factory-recommended maintenance if it’s going to be on the road for as long as possible.

Nevertheless, on average, you can expect the Mercedes-Benz E350 to last, hitting 15,000 miles in 15 years.

3. 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250

2014 Mercedes Benz CLA250 📸: Wikimedia Commons

Next on our list of low-maintenance Benz to buy is the CLA250.

This model is doing a better job challenging its contender, Audi A3 and Lexus CT 200h, in the compact luxury car market landscape. It is also cracking the top among a few others as it is the best affordable luxury car for upkeep.

It would cost you, at most, $736 to keep the 2014 CLA250 healthy throughout the year, as various reviews on RepairPal point out that the CLA250 is a top reliable car. The four-star RepairPal reliability rating the model has garnered from users is enough conviction.

4. 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350

2014 Mercedes Benz GLK350. 📸: Sherwood Park Toyota via YouTube

It is only possible to list low-maintenance luxury cars by mentioning this 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350.

Well, you can say that is subjective. Still, it is more convincing when you consider the fantastic reliability of the GLK as it secures the 7th position on the list of the top luxury compact SUVs on RepairPal.

The crossover combines the comfort of a sedan and the spacious cabin of an SUV to offer a decent driving experience. Fixing the 2014 GLK350 annually will cost you between $776 and $948, depending on vehicle usage.

Another exciting part of having this Benz model is that you are likely to experience fewer problems with the vehicle compared to when driving other luxury compact SUVs.

5. 2020 Mercedes-Benz SL450

2020 Mercedes Benz SL450 📸: Edmunds

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz SL450 is a luxurious two-seat retractable-hardtop vehicle that offers more comfort and reliability than most Benz lineups.

The vehicle is not a hundred percent pass on many grounds, but it is the closest thing to perfection regarding low upkeep cost. With as low as $908, you will keep the SL450 running perfectly throughout the year in excellent condition.

This is a reasonable maintenance cost compared to the thousands of dollars that most other Benz cars gulp annually.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz SL450 has a potent 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that dismisses 362 horsepower. It is one of the Benz makes that has a surprisingly low maintenance cost.

6. 2020 Mercedes C200

2020 Mercedes C200 📸: The Car Connection

The 2020 Mercedes C200 is my all-time favorite as long as the discussion of Mercedes Benz is in play. The vehicle is not only considered a decently reliable Mercedes model but also costs low when it comes to maintenance.

The C200 price isn’t encouraging for techies on a budget, especially when you place it alongside your typical Japanese car brand. But incredible things come at a price, Yeah?

And, what’s the point when the Benz model is cheaper to maintain than most of its German Luxury alternatives?

Upkeep routines like a simple oil change for the 2020 Mercedes C200 will cost around $150, including parts and labor, while full service for a C-class costs around $500.

7. 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS550

2017 Mercedes Benz GLS550 📸: Select Luxury Cars

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 has a young family demographic appeal as a full-size SUV. So, you will find many young guys buying this Benz model, which makes it a good fit for an average tech guy with a wife and children.

But still, another significant reason to consider the GLS550 is the low maintenance fee which puts it ahead of its alternatives like the Cadillac Escalade and even Audi’s Q7.

It will only cost you around $908 annually to maintain the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS550, allowing you to enjoy this luxury car’s benefits for a long time. It is equipped with a blistering turbo V8 and requires fewer visits to the repair shop for fixes if appropriately used.

Reasons Why These Benz Cars are Cheaper to Maintain than Others

These Benz models have been reviewed to be the best in low maintenance areas based on data from consumer surveys, up-close repair shop interviews, car history reports from RepairPal, and my exposure to a series of Mercedes lineups.

If you pay close attention, you will notice that all these Benz cars have something in common that makes them cost less for upkeep in the long run.

Similar features include simple technology, accessible replacement parts, and ample room under the hood of these cars that reduce the labor cost during repairs.

These Benz models appear to have a less complicated technology that makes it easier and quicker to observe repairs or maintenance routines.

Little wonder why many of the low-maintenance Benz cars are of older models since newer lineups are more complicated. In addition, these cars have common, standardized replacement parts, making their repairs cheaper.

Maintenance routines like regular oil changes, proper damage repair, and other essential tasks are required to guarantee the reliability of any Benz car. But observing this routine can be expensive for the typical Benz, but the few models reviewed earlier are going against the odds.

Bottom Line

Mercedes-Benz has a glorified reputation for making desirable premium cars. While most of their vehicles are expensive, we have walked through some of the best low-maintenance Mercedes-Benz models every Tech guy can buy.

If it were up to me, I recommend you choose the 2020 Mercedes C200. Not only is the C200 a decently reliable Mercedes model, but it is also a reasonably affordable car to maintain compared to many other Mercedes models on a broader comparative analysis.

The C200, indeed, is not a cheap buy like the regular American vehicle but is still cheaper to maintain than most of its German Luxury alternatives – a simple oil change will cost around $150 on average, with full service starting from as low as $500.

This is on the low side of spending compared to what Benz S-class owners spend for an oil change ($300 on average) and full service (around $1,400).

The post Best Low-Maintenance Mercedes Benz Cars for Tech Guys appeared first on Branditechture.

Mike Baglietto, global head of market insights at next-generation consumer analytics and market intelligence platform NetBase Quid, describes social media as “the world’s largest focus group.” “You are not required to purchase a research report, you don’t have to do a survey. People on social media share anything and everything, and they’re pretty unfiltered, so you can find out exactly how people feel about your brand, competitors, and even your market. 

However, there is a significant distinction between social media and any other focus group, big or small. Once you’ve found out how people perceive your brand, only social media also allows you to change that perception. 

Social media’s top trends

Baglietto was one of the speakers on The Drum’s Consumer & Market Intelligence in 2022: What’s Affecting Your Brand Health? webinar, which was to be co-hosted by NetBase Quid. Baglietto, and his colleague Harvey Raola, NetBase Quid’s global head of media intelligence, discussed the following during the session: 

• This year’s top social media trends
• The mass adoption of augmented reality 
• TikTok and Reddit’s increasing importance
• The need to create a baseline so you can track the health of your brand over time. 
• How influencers and critics might be identified by brand managers
• The necessity to establish a baseline so you can track the health of your brand over time. 
• Baglietto presented the key parameters that marketers could use to assess their brand’s health. 

“There’s the number of posts or mentions about my brand; how do customers feel about it, my net sentiment score; and how many people will really see it, my net potential impressions.” Then there’s the issue of how many people are writing those posts. 

“Then we’ll look into where your audience is talking about your brand, and which social media platforms are hosting those conversations.” We’d also like to investigate the possibilities for your brand on such platforms.”

One of Baglietto’s key points was that different channels appeal to attract a different audiences. For example, the Tiktok audience is more female, whereas the Reddit audience is more male. Rather than creating “social media content” and pushing it out across all channels, marketers need to target their content by channel. 

“The people who follow your brand on Twitter may not be the same people who follow your brand on TikTok or Instagram,” he explained. “So, in order to unlock additional income and  retention possibilities, you need to fully understand who that audience is.”

Do not be concerned about the Kardashians. 

The other major topic for discussion was influencers and in particular micro-influencers. 

“Micro-influencers – the folks with 5,000 to 25,000 followers on social media, generate a lot of potential for your brand and have the most impact,” Baglietto added. “They provide you the ability to connect with them in a genuine way.” It’s fantastic to have a Kardashian tweet about your company. But do customers really take action as a result? If I were an activewear brand, I would search for yoga instructors or personal trainers with a following. They’ll engage their target audience, and they’re true to the category and to my users.”

However, as Ranola pointed out, authenticity is a two-way street. When it came to interacting with Reddit groups, he emphasized the importance of striking a balance between knowledge and promotion. 

“One of the things Reddit is known for is how brutally honest people are and how easily they can spot something that isn’t genuine,” he said. “Toeing the line of being able to provide value while remaining authentic is something that businesses must be very careful about.” I know this from a personal experience at a company I previously worked for, where we were a little bit too salesy and we got called out pretty quickly and banned from the Subreddit we were promoting.” 

Baglietto concluded with a list of recommendations for marketers looking to monitor and improve the health of their brand:

• At least once a month, evaluate your success with all of your important audiences across all of your main channels. 
• Understand the types of content that are most important for each segment on each channel. 
• Look for influencers who have the same personality as your company. 
• In real-time, monitor the response to anything you and your team post, as well as what your influencers post. 
• Make any necessary course corrections. 

The post Improve Your Social Media Brand’s Health With These 5 techniques appeared first on Branditechture.

Call it whatever, ‘brainstorms’ or ‘thought showers’, they’re still the go-to panic button for deadline-driven creatives. 

You’re brainstorming so hard but you can’t seem to hit the right spot. You feel an imaginary barrier to gaining inspiration, you are unable to access your inner creativity. You are not left alone. This situation is so common that it has gotten itself a technical term known as creative block.

I understand it’s never what you want, but there’s surely a reason behind that. Stay with me and you’ll learn why aggressive brainstorming doesn’t work and what you can do instead to harness your full potential and your collective thought.

You would agree with me that the word ‘brainstorming’ feels like it’s been around since like forever, but it was only invented in the 1950s by Alex Osborn. Osborne is a founding member of the advertising agency called BBDO, which was founded in 1928 in New York.  Osborne is the O in BBDO (making him, basically, Don Draper).  Osborn claimed that brainstorming is 50% more productive than thinking alone. But is that really the case?

Through consistent research and experiences, I learned early enough in my career that brainstorming yields very few creative ideas. 

Common brainstorming problems

As many scientists have proven, the problem or trouble with brainstorms is that your brain is not actually in the best environment or setting to ‘storm’. 

Even with the best-laid preparations (the planning team providing thoughtful insights and territories; guardrails being given to the group), there are still too many human barriers to collective problem-solving. 

Social loafing (doing less in a group setting), cognitive inertia (the world as I see it), introvert (I’m so uncomfortable right now) vs extrovert (here’s another idea!) All psychological and practical reasons why the collectable power of thought is complex and ineffective, include the time constraint (we have only an hour), and production blocking (only one person can speak at a time). 

Not to mention the elephant in the room: truth be told, our finest ideas come to us when we aren’t thinking about them (let’s say, in the shower). 

“Steinbeckian” creativity is revealed in 5 steps

“Once the miracle of creation has occurred, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything,” said Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck in East of Eden, in a time before women were allowed to be wise. 

Inspired by Steinbeck’s thinking, I’ve discovered the ideal approach to mine ideas quickly in a group. 

To begin with, one would need to have a tight creative brief that has already gone through a rigorous strategic process to tighten the space ideation and is pre-shared (and read) by the team 24 hours ahead of time. 

Next, set aside 20 minutes for solo reflection-thinking time. 

The third step involves a 20-minutes brainstorming session with a partner. Having a partner to discuss your ideas with helps you to expand on your own ideas.  

Fourth, a 20-minute ‘download and build’ session for the entire group. Share the greatest ideas from your solo and pair brainstorming sessions with the rest of the group. Any and all builds are accepted. 

Finally, a policy to encourage people to share their idea after the event, which is normally when the best ideas emerge. 

It is crucial to work as a team. 

My favourite story about creativity is from Scott Morrison, founder of Boom and master of creativity unblocking. When a Great Ormond Street consultant saw a Formula One pit stop, he was inspired to improve the way he and his colleagues handled shift changes and handovers.

Putting the right creative minds on the appropriate brief is the ultimate way to get the most creative ideas. Allowing them to take a breath, contemplate, and be inspired by what has already been accomplished in many areas, countries, and industries, helped a long way.

F1’s speed and efficacy were borrowed and used in a hospital setting, and the results were life-changing. An idea is born from an individual and then built on by a group. 

When the effectiveness of the brainstorming is measured against a variety of criteria, such as team motivation and company togetherness, it performs at an entirely different level. It is a great opportunity to bring people together, get them involved, share some sweets, and have some fun. 

The post Can’t Seem to Brainstorm Effectively for Creativity? Here’s a Way Out! appeared first on Branditechture.

My name is Yusuf Odukoya, I am the founder of Branditechture Design Agency. I have been in the web design business since 2014 when I founded my first company, Schwartz Bacher Systems, but it took a long time for me to figure out what I needed to know.

I made a lot of mistakes when I first started out and I came close to closing my business several times in the process, but in 2019, I finally got things right. I re-entered the web design business with a new point of view, and that was how Branditechture was born. Ever since then, it has been a smooth sail.

In this article, I would share all the tips that will help you stay afloat in the business of website design. These were the lessons learnt from starting my first website design business in late 2014.

1. Stop calling yourself a freelancer

You’re not a freelance web designer, you are a small business owner!

By referring to yourself as a freelancer, you are limiting your entrepreneurial potential. Even if you plan to remain a one-man show, establish yourself as a structured business.

Get a business name and logo, enlist on the CAC registry. Issue invoices and track payments like big companies do. All these would create the needed impression to command the respect that you deserve.

In addition to that, promote and market your business like a pro.

Marketing Your Business -We’ve Exposed 8 Proven Ways!!

A business such as Branditechture, is treated with more respect than a freelancer. That is a proven fact. People see freelancers as disposable commodities, and they perceive them as such.

2. Build a portfolio

If you’re very new to the business of web design, you’ll need to start with a portfolio. Take projects for a lower price or even for free to build your portfolio faster.

Don’t be afraid to contact the owner(s) of a website that receives a lot of traffic but appears to be outdated. Ask if they want a redesign, work with them at a ridiculously low price. If you do an excellent job, they will gladly allow you to add a small link on their website footer, or even thank you on their website, Facebook Page, or elsewhere.

Most people can reach you through that link if they like the job you did for them.

If you have never had a good-paying client before, you should start attracting them with a portfolio. A portfolio helps to convert visitors into admirers, and admirers into clients.

I did a rebrand in 2020, redesigned my website, and made my portfolio more visible.

My web design portfolio is located on my website’s sticky nav menu. When I get calls from new web design prospects, about 20% of them say something along those lines “We noticed you made this and this website, it’s fantastic, and we’d like something similar “.

This alone increased my conversion rate by about 5%.

Your portfolio does not necessarily have to contain all your works. It should contain only your best works — no matter how few.

3. Always request upfront payment

Before you begin working on anything, you must first be paid. When I just started, I had a lot of clients who would order a project and then disappear.

You’ll get a lot of “we decided we don’t need a website after all”, and your hard work will be for nought. You won’t lose good clients if you demand a 60% upfront payment; you’ll only lose bad clients, which is a good thing for you and your business.

It’s fine if they decide they don’t need a website in the middle of the process. You will keep half of the money and will never have to deal with them again.

When a client pays at least 60% upfront, it becomes in their best interest to complete the project as soon as possible. They won’t say things like “we’ll continue next month” or some similar baloney, and the project will be completed faster.

I personally request 100% upfront payment for small projects. (Projects below ₦500,000 NGN or $1,000), but you can be more lenient as directed above. If in doubt, just have a look at my own payment terms;

4. Learning to write proposals can change your life

A proposal is a document that lists all of the project-specific services you provide to a particular client.

1 year of website hosting, 3 months free website maintenance, a unique website template, a payment processor integration, 2 contact forms, 3 custom emails — Your job is to list the price as well as everything you have to offer, or as required by the project in view. The proposal is sent to the prospect, who then confirms his or her acceptance.

By sending a proposal, you are automatically in a good position to avoid all the extra work that a client may want you to do for free.

Throughout the web design process, many clients demanded more and more from me, and many 8-hour projects turned into 4-month nightmares. If I had always submitted a proposal, then I’d have had the chance to politely decline whenever the client requests something extra during the design process.

Nowadays, the best I can do is to first complete the project according to the proposal’s specifications, and then once the project is completed, I will then create a new proposal and upgrade the website the way they want it.

Don’t do free edits under any circumstances. In business, there are no friends, and clients will smell your weakness of being available for all kinds of free extra work.

I offer 2 months of small edits after the project is completed in my proposal. During this time, the client can contact me and request minor changes, such as a larger font here or a different phone number in the footer, and so on.

You have to know the difference between a minor change and a major upgrade.

For example, when a client says “I also want a newsletter and email opt-in feature,” this is not a minor change, and it’s something I’ll charge extra for.

After the 2-month period is up, I don’t touch the site again unless the client subscribes the website to a Website Maintenance plan.

Back then, I had about 8 clients bugging me every month, with requests for additional work on the site, but I no longer give room for that.

5. Not all clients are meant for you

Not every client is right for you, and there are a lot of clients who are a pain in the neck.

If it appears that the client will only bring you problems, you should most likely decline their services. When you’re in a tight spot and every dollar counts, it’s difficult to say no, but trust me, you’re better off without some clients.

How and When To Fire A Client Or Customer

6. Do not design websites without a direction

Whenever I get a new client, I ask them to complete the website design onboarding form, so that I can figure out which direction I should go.

Back then, I built a lot of websites without any direction. They were very good sites, a few clients were wowed, but most clients would typically say something along the lines of “It looks good, but I don’t think it accurately reflects who I am. I’d like images of tulips and roses, and the site should be green and orange”… 

7. Don’t start working on any project until you’ve gathered all of the necessary information

I had some clients who would send me 20% of the content they needed for their website and tell me to start working on it right away.

I did my best with what they gave me, and it took weeks, if not months, for them to send the rest of the information, so I couldn’t complete the project as planned. This completely disrupts my workflow, and I would usually end up getting stuck with such clients for many months.

My advice for you is that you collect all the content needed to finish the project from beginning to end.

8. Never underestimate a project

When clients present their requirements, the project appears to be very simple. However, there are always minor issues that can easily double or triple the number of working hours required to complete the project. Consider those hours and don’t underestimate your work. Underestimating your work leads to underpricing.

My fee for creating a website is now roughly three times what it was when I first started. What I noticed was that the clients improved as well.

Clients with the lowest prices always have the highest demands, and you’re better off without them.

Talking from experience, clients with healthy purchasing power are often aware of the process and understand that you are not their friend who will work for free.

9. Fixed pricing doesn’t always work

Most clients expect a fixed price for everything, but that isn’t how pricing works in the world of website design.

I’m currently working on a website for a client who requested a custom website template for their site. You should expect that to cost more vs using a premade website template due to the number of extra manhours that would need to go into it.

Every web design project is unique, and so are the requirements and costs.

10. Prioritize long-term partnerships

You create a website, the client pays, and that’s the end of it. Short-term success comes from hit-and-run tactics, but long-term success comes from long-term partnerships. Offer a fixed monthly fee for backups and maintenance, hosting services, or anything else that will keep the small payments coming in from the same client.

Do you have any other services to offer? Are you looking for SEO or advertising? It gets even better. Offer those as a bonus once the project is completed.

11. Collaborate with a marketer

In the last year and a half, I’ve worked with several marketers who charge around 25% commission on average. Last week, one of them brought me an additional three clients. I get the majority of my clients through referrals from existing clients, but forming partnerships with enough marketers to bring in new clients would allow me to completely worry less about days with no jobs to work on.

Have I missed anything? Comment below if you have any additions or questions.

Are you learning Website Design? You can actually get in front by learning from my book titled “WordPress & Elementor for Absolute Beginners”. It costs only ₦6,000 NGN (less than $15) and it is available worldwide. Click the image below to buy.

Buy the WordPress and Elementor for Absolute Beginners e-Book by Yusuf Odukoya.

The post A Candid Advice to Website Designers Looking to Build a Web Design Business appeared first on Branditechture.