How Will Lyft Affect Business For Uber in Houston Now That Lyft is Back in the Market.

Lyft and Uber both are companies that have managed to revolutionize the entire horizon of the taxi industry. 

Both of these companies in addition to a few others have made it very easy for commuters to travel locally without going through any hassle or trouble. With more drivers using this form of transportation, will it reduce the number of individuals who need auto insurance? Uber was undoubtedly the pioneer company behind this idea for an exceptional model way of transportation. But with the passage of time, other companies also entered the market and Lyft is one of the major competitors. 

Frankly speaking Lyft has managed to cause a lot of trouble for Uber as some passengers say Lyft is better with the quality of the service, rates and the professionalism of the staff. A few months back, there were problems being faced by Lyft when they tried to relaunch in Houston, Texas. But fortunately, they have managed to resolve their issues with the administration and now it appears Lyft will be operating in the city of Houston soon.

Lyft has been giving Uber a tough time in dominating the entire taxi market as discussed in the above paragraph. In case of rideshare in Houston, it will pretty much be the same. Now that Lyft is in business along side Uber. Uber appears to be very concerned about its monopoly in the city. When Lyft re-enters the Houston market, they will probably launch travels at incredibly low rates and this will cause a lot of road bumps for Uber as they were also compelled to bring the rates down in order to stay more competitive. So keeping in view what’s already happening, it appears like both the companies are in it for the long haul and Uber is going to get a serious blow in terms of its revenues not only in Houston but everywhere Lyft follows.

There might be many reasons behind the potential downfall of Uber but the biggest one among the others is the fact that it has diverted its attentions to other parts of the world rather than staying focused in the United States. Uber recently launched its services in India, China, Latin America and different parts of the Eastern Asia. So may be Uber seems to be more concerned about the new market where there is little to no competition to beat its monopoly. But regardless of whatever the reason is behind Uber’s lack of interest, Lyft is developing its business at a very fast and consistent rate and it is soon going to be a massive transit company in the country. This holds true not only for Houston but the rest of the country as well.

The above argument is evident from the fact that while Uber has diverted its attention to the rest of the world, Lyft is furiously going after its share in the entire US market. After re-launching their services in Houston, several incentives were given by Lyft to its commuters. These included several different kinds of coupons as well as discount codes to serve as promotional schemes in order to attract the attentions of the maximum amount of people. As a matter of fact, Lyft ended up spending a large amount of almost $50 million in just a month on account of these coupons and discount codes throughout the different parts of the United States. I wonder how much they spend on their business insurance?

Looking at the overall US market, Uber appears to be at the verge of declination while Lyft is moving upwards and forwards constantly. So it may be concluded that Uber would have to put in a lot of effort if they want to sustain the blow that is being faced by them in the form of Lyft. This holds true for Houston, as well as the rest of the United States. 

Why is Auto Insurance More Expensive in Harris County, Houston Texas?

Houstonians finally discover why auto insurance rates are so high in Houston Texas

Age, gender, and driving history are some of the factors that help determine auto insurance premiums. Geographical location is another factor that must be taken into consideration. For example, Texas is ranked #13 out of the top 15 states with the highest auto insurance rates. Texas is divided by county, and because of this division, rates will vary. Harris County has the most expensive auto insurance rates compared to other areas within The Lone Star State, but why is that?

Geographical Location Influences Auto Insurance Premiums

In order to understand why Harris County has the most expensive auto insurance Houston, it is important to find out why geographical location is a factor in determining auto insurance premiums.

The cost of car insurance varies based on your zip code. If your zip code has a high-risk level of vehicular-related crime, then insurance premiums will be higher compared to another zip code with a lower risk level. This includes motor vehicle theft, vandalism, and collision. So, if you live in an area that has a high likelihood of these crimes and other situations, then you are forced to pay more for your insurance.

In addition, insurance rates increase for those making a claim. The percentage depends on which state the driver is located. In Texas, a single claim can cause a 32% increase to one’s auto insurance premium. However, this occurs if the accident is your fault.

Harris County and High Car Crash Total

How does this relate to Harris County? According to the Texas Department of Transportation, Harris County contributes the most auto crashes within the state. In 2015, Harris County had a total of 110,489 crashes. Out of the 110,489 crashes, 338 were fatal with 362 fatalities. 1,920 were incapacitating crashes and resulted in 2,332 incapacitating injuries. With this information, insurance companies can use geographical location as a determinant.

High Population

Another reason is the population density of Harris County. Harris County is the third most populous county in the United States. At 4.44 million people, the number of automobile owners increases, and naturally, so does the number of car-related accidents and crimes because of the grossly congested roadways. This makes sense with the 3.2 million vehicle registrations and 940,000 car title transfers (per year).  Houston, the largest city in Harris County (as well as Texas) and the fourth most populous city in the United States has more than 2.1 million people living there.  That’s a lot of road accidents waiting to happen.

Young Adult Drivers

Within Harris County, there are major cities and universities contributing to the large population. University of Houston, Rice University, and Texas Southern University are all populous institutions. This is important to note because of the age factor used to determine auto insurance rates. Most people entering universities are fresh out of high school, usually 17 or 18 years old.  Younger drivers have higher crash and fatality rates, due to the fact that younger drivers tend to drive at higher speeds and less likely to wear a seatbelt.

Drinking and Driving

Harris County has the highest rate of alcohol-related driving fatalities out of the most populous counties in the United States. It has been called a pandemic with approximately 10,000 driving‑while‑intoxicated cases filed per year. 

College drinking adds to the car crash and fatality rates. A study conducted by the University Of Maryland School Of Public Health revealed 1 out of 5 college students have driven while drunk. While men are more likely to partake in risky behavior, both men and women are both likely to drive drunk to some degree.

Houston Auto Insurance

With these interconnected factors, it is no wonder Harris County has the most expensive auto insurance out of all counties in Texas. 

Blogging: Should I Use Wordpress, Tumblr or Blogger?

Why Should I Blog And What is the Best Blogging Platform To Use Wordpress, Tumblr or Blogger?

A solid internet presence is one of the easiest and most effective ways for both new and seasoned writers to create visibility for their brands. But merely having a website won’t get you anywhere; people need a reason to visit your website. While the services you provide is a good reason, there are many others providing the same services, so you need to have something that sets you apart. This is where blogging comes in. As with other types of businesses, many can enjoy the benefits when they blog, including;

Improved Search Engine Optimization

When potential customers search for a specific product or service, they will type keywords into a search engine (i.e., Google, Yahoo). What shows up on these search engines are determined by ranking algorithms that measures several factors. A site with more relevant info will rank higher in search results. Usually, customers will click on top sites first. When was the last time you ever went to page 2 on Google? The more relevant and well-written content you have on your site, the higher your page will rank, and the higher the chances customers will click on it. This means increased traffic and improved chances of making a sale.

Establishes Authority

When you create a blog filled with informative and persuasive material, you can show authority based on the factual statements made within each post. Write blogs that focus on and cater to the target customer by answering the most common questions. As you provide educational material, this will attract prospective customers seeking answers and they will visit your site more than once. This will improve credibility, trust and sales.

Humanizes the user

As a blogger, it is important to build healthy relationships with new and current clients. Your blog’s visitors want to learn more about the business owner, how you started, beliefs and values, and your niche. The development of a brand’s personality is necessary because this allows you to be viewed as trustworthy and sensitive to clients’ needs. You can humanize your blog by talking about your team, adding photos, telling company stories, featuring satisfied clients, supporting charitable events, or adding a discussion capability that allows visitors to ask questions or make comments.

Boosts Social Media Presence

It’s a Twitter world, folks. If you’ve seen the news in recent times, you will know that social media plays an important, if not more important role than traditional media platforms. So you have to maximize your social media presence. Sharing blog posts on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter, will give serious exposure to your brand. Each click helps with search engine optimization and brand-building.

Which Blogging Platform Should I Use?

So, having determined that blogging is highly beneficial, which of the available blogging platforms should you use? The three most commonly used blogging platforms are Blogger (Blogspot), Tumblr and Wordpress. Each of them have advantages and disadvantages, so which one you choose is a matter of preference: 

    As a novice, you will want to utilize a platform that is easy to set up and requires little to no coding skills. The most popular and highly-rated blogging platform is Wordpress.org. It enables you to customize your blog posts to your liking, there are forums, an online store, and membership subscriptions based on the additional features you choose. There are thousands of free and premium themes to choose from; also, there are more than 45,000 types of plugins to add. When it comes to SEO, Wordpress is the best platform to utilize and help your blog get noticed by visitors.

  Blogger is free, easy to manage and navigate, and is secure, thanks to Google’s reliability. However, a few disadvantages include inadequate blogging tools, limited design choices, lack of updates, and can cancel blogging services any time.

  Tumblr is a free, popular blogging platform. Its simplicity in terms of navigation is great for the new blogger. Social media integration and microblogging are great additional tools you can enjoy with Tumblr. However, the features are limited and backing up your blogs is a challenge

So if you’re debating whether or not to blog, our advice is to go for it. You have nothing to lose and lots to gain.