http://?gcrss=1221&beid=315 gradwerk Newsfeed CaloScan combines nutrition, AI and everyday life in one tool. With CaloScan, gradwerk is developing an AI-supported nutrition coach that makes nutrition simpler, more transparent and more suitable for everyday use. Users take photos of their food, record meals by voice or scan recipes, products and packaging. The platform calculates nutritional values, shows progress in the dashboard and provides suitable recommendations for health, fitness and sporting goals. The result is a digital system that not only documents, but also actively supports nutrition. ]]> https://www.gradwerk.com/caloscan-the-ki-nutrition-coach Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:59:00 +0200 https://www.gradwerk.com/caloscan-the-ki-nutrition-coach gradwerk develops AI-supported server monitoring software that not only measures, but also evaluates. Traditional monitoring shows outages and curves, but often leaves teams alone with the categorisation. The gradwerk solution combines real-time checks with AI analyses that recognise patterns and summarise risks in an understandable way. This turns data into concrete information: What is conspicuous, why is it relevant and what to do next. The focus is on clear alerts, comprehensible reports and data protection in accordance with the GDPR. ]]> https://www.gradwerk.com/gradwerk-ai-server-monitoring-uptime-healthcheck-watchguard Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:51:00 +0100 https://www.gradwerk.com/gradwerk-ai-server-monitoring-uptime-healthcheck-watchguard Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing digital search. Today, users ask complex questions to AI chatbots and expect immediately usable answers and personalised recommendations. In order to remain visible with products or services, it is not so much the website itself that counts - but the information that machines and AI systems can actually process. Tasks for better visibility in AI-supported searches 1. prepare content in a prompt-appropriate way AI systems break texts down into chunks of information and "understand" content differently than humans. Write clear, focussed paragraphs with a precise value proposition. Use subheadings, FAQs, bullet points, definitions and answer typical customer questions directly in the text. 2. think from keywords to "conversational prompts" Instead of classic keyword optimisation, content should be formulated as possible answers to real user questions - and these questions should ideally be integrated directly into the content (e.g. as H2). 3. citations instead of mere mentions AI models differentiate between mentions and genuine citations with a source. Only citable paragraphs - e.g. structured definitions, product comparisons - are reliably included in AI answers. Why all this? A brief digression on the "thinking" of AI What many people overlook: AI models are not search engines in the classic sense - they are language models with a huge text memory. They do not search for the best website, but for the most relevant sentence on the topic. 4 Use data diversity - unique content wins AI systems prefer unique and content-rich content such as expert opinions, use cases, own statistics, analyses and various media formats (text, audio, video, visuals). Avoid interchangeable texts and focus on customised content. ]]> https://www.gradwerk.com/visible-in-the-ai-search-so-you-make-your-services-ai-capable Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:17:00 +0200 https://www.gradwerk.com/visible-in-the-ai-search-so-you-make-your-services-ai-capable The importance of accessible websites An accessible website takes into account the different needs and abilities of all users and ensures that content is accessible to all in an appropriate and effective way. This applies to all types of websites, including corporate websites, web shops, web apps and simple landing pages. Why accessibility? Social responsibility: An accessible website enables people with disabilities to participate fully in digital life. Legal requirements: Public authorities and many companies are required by law to make their websites accessible. Economic benefits: Accessibility increases the reach and usability of a website, resulting in a larger target group and potentially higher sales. Accessibility from 2025: The legal requirements. From 28 June 2025, the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) will come into force in Germany and implement the European directive of the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Here are the most important points: Date of application: the law will come into force on 28 June 2025. Affected companies: All B2C companies that provide digital services - for example via websites, online shops, booking systems or apps - must make their offerings accessible by 28 June 2025 at the latest. Pure B2B companies are only exempt if their websites are clearly and exclusively aimed at business customers (e.g. through login barriers or clear language in the offering). Micro-enterprises that offer digital services are exempt if they: employ fewer than 10 employees, and generate a maximum annual turnover or balance sheet total of 2 million euros. Important: This exemption only applies to services. Companies - including micro-enterprises - that sell certain products (e.g. smartphones, tablets, e-book readers, self-service terminals) are also subject to the accessibility obligation, regardless of their size. Exceptions: Micro-enterprises that provide digital services are exempt from the accessibility obligation if they employ fewer than 10 employees and have an annual turnover or annual balance sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million. Please note: The exemption does not apply if the company sells or distributes the affected products mentioned above. Requirements: Websites, web apps and online shops must comply with the requirements of the European standard EN 301 549, which is based on level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Consequences of non-compliance: Companies that do not comply with the accessibility requirements are informed and have a deadline for revision. Non-compliance may result in penalties, including suspension of business operations and fines of up to €100,000. Checklist for accessible websites Our rough checklist will help you to ensure the accessibility of your website: Text alternatives for images and multimedia elements: Add alternative text to every image and multimedia element. Clear and easy-to-understand language: Use simple and understandable language. High-contrast colour combinations: Use colours with high contrast, e.g. dark text on a light background. Navigability with the keyboard: Make sure that the website is fully navigable with the keyboard. Structuring and organisation: Use a clear and consistent structure with headings and paragraphs. Font legibility: Choose fonts that are easy to read. Avoid flickering and flashing: Avoid flickering or flashing elements. Videos and audio files with subtitles: Provide subtitles and transcriptions for videos and audio files. Device independence: Optimise your website for different devices and screen readers. Regular testing: Continuously test your website for accessibility. ]]> https://www.gradwerk.com/accessibility-of-websites-what-you-need-to-know-by-2025 Tue, 02 Jul 2024 09:31:00 +0200 https://www.gradwerk.com/accessibility-of-websites-what-you-need-to-know-by-2025 CMS 6: gradwerk presents new module "Composer" with AI text generator The digital agency gradwerk presents its new module "Composer" in CMS 6. The Composer is an advanced text editor that has been seamlessly integrated into the CMS and can automatically generate content with the help of an AI text generator. It offers over 170 templates in many categories and supports text generation in over 50 languages and dialects. The Composer is the ideal writing tool in CMS 6 and can create and save various documents. Editors can write their own texts or supplement and completely create texts with the help of the AI generator. The documents can be shared with other editors and downloaded as Word files. The integration of Composer and AI text generator offers a perfect start to successful content marketing and SEO, because the AI text generator can take into account defined keywords of pages and thus unfolds its full SEO power. The composer has been seamlessly integrated into CMS 6, which means that compositions can be used at all relevant positions of the page structure. The Composer integrates itself into all input fields of web pages and thus makes it possible to work with AI in a way that was previously unthinkable. Manual copying and pasting of texts is no longer necessary, texts can be generated where they should appear. "gradwerk thus creates a seamless integration that you cannot currently find in any other CMS. The integration is deeply interlocked with the content fields and elements and thus makes it possible to work with AI in a way that was previously unthinkable. The Composer thus takes over the function of your copywriter, your SEO agency and, thanks to the integrated translation function based on the Deepl AI, also your translation agency," emphasises Sven Laucke, Managing Director at gradwerk. For more information or a demo of CMS 6 Composer, please email laucke@gradwerk.de or get more information on these pages. You can download the press release here. ]]> https://www.gradwerk.com/gradwerk-praesentiert-neues-modul-composer-with-ki-textgenerator Mon, 03 Apr 2023 10:12:00 +0200 https://www.gradwerk.com/gradwerk-praesentiert-neues-modul-composer-with-ki-textgenerator The world of digital marketing and software development is about understanding the needs of customers and providing them with the best possible experience. One of the biggest challenges is to make the interactions between companies and customers as natural as possible. One technology that plays an important role in this is ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) based voice processing system. ChatGPT is an advanced system that enables people to interact with natural language. It can understand questions asked and respond to them in an understandable and natural language. It can also automatically perform tasks and make decisions that would otherwise have to be made by a human employee. ChatGPT will play an important role in gradwerk's future software products. ChatGPT can be used as a valuable resource for texting and natural expression of context. ChatGPT also makes it possible to increase the productivity and efficiency of our customers by taking over automated tasks and making decisions. This allows our clients to focus on their core tasks and make better use of their time and resources. Overall, ChatGPT is an important technology that helps make interactions between businesses and customers more natural and efficient. We are excited about how we will use ChatGPT in future gradwerk software products to improve our customers' experiences. ChatGPT is a great language model trained by OpenAI. OpenAI is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence and its use in society. OpenAI's goal is to guide the development of artificial intelligence in a direction that benefits everyone and promotes the good of society. ChatGPT is part of this effort and is designed to help people get answers to their questions faster and more accurately. ]]> https://www.gradwerk.com/chatgpt---the-future-of-natural-language-interaction Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:50:00 +0100 https://www.gradwerk.com/chatgpt---the-future-of-natural-language-interaction The numerous changes brought about by the GDPR since 25 May 2018 affect every entrepreneur and website operator. There are extensive new regulations in almost all areas of data protection law. Some are relatively simple to implement, others are very complex. Our DSGVO special - which we provide for you as an eRecht24 agency partner in cooperation with eRecht24 Premium (partner link) - helps you to get an overview of the requirements of the DSGVO and shows you how to implement them easily and quickly for your website. We would be happy to support you in the DSGVO-compliant implementation of your website. Please contact us. 1. introduction From 25 May 2018, the GDPR will regulate the handling of personal data by companies - uniformly throughout Europe. Many of the current regulations of the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) will then no longer apply or the BDSG will be revised at the same time. The General Data Protection Regulation unifies data protection law within the EU, as different data protection laws and thus different standards have applied everywhere up to now. In the future, entrepreneurs can therefore rely on the fact that a (predominantly) uniform data protection law applies within the EU. However, the regulation also applies to companies based outside the EU if they process data of persons from the EU. This is to ensure that cloud services or social networks (from the USA, for example) also have to comply with the rules. The GDPR really affects EVERY company that is active on the internet: User tracking, customer data, newsletters or advertising emails, advertising on Facebook, your own privacy policy, many things change due to the new regulations. In detail: 2. data protection declaration and imprint First of all, every website needs a new data protection statement that complies with the requirements of the GDPR. Principles of a DSGVO-compliant data protection statement: Simple and understandable language If applicable, an upstream, general summary statement Contact details of the website operator Data protection officer, if available The legal basis of the respective data collection/processing (legal regulation or consent) must be specifically stated. A data protection declaration according to the GDPR must at least contain the following points: Naming of all data processing procedures on the website Handling of customer / order data Tracking, cookies, social media Newsletter, A(D)V Duration of storage, deletion periods Information, correction, deletion, objection Right to data disclosure and transferability Consent may not be declared within the data protection statement. Attention. Obligation to delete Art. 17 DSGVO: Data must be deleted if: the purpose of collection has ceased to exist, consent has been revoked (newsletter unsubscription), an objection is made by the user ("Delete my data") and there are no legal storage obligations to the contrary (taxes and accounting). No changes are necessary in the imprint. However, it is currently being discussed that a special contact form should be created for claims for information, correction and deletion, which should be integrated into the general menu structure (at privacy policy and imprint). 3. processing directory (previously: procedure directory) You need a processing directory if you employ more than 250 employees and if you process special categories of data. The obligation also applies to companies with less than 250 employees if the processing is "not only occasional". However, it has not yet been conclusively clarified what this means exactly. Until the requirements are finally clarified, you should create such a directory in case of doubt. What contents belong in it? Details of the person responsible Name and contact details of the controller, his representative and the data protection officer. Purposes of the processing Categories of data subjects and personal data Categories of recipients Transfers of personal data to a third country Time limits for erasure Description of technical and organisational measures Details of the processor Name and contact details of the processor and the controller, their representatives and the data protection officer Categories of processing operations Transfers of personal data to a third country Examples and structure of such a processing directory can be found, for example, at Bitkom: https://www.bitkom.org/NP-Themen/NP-Vertrauen-Sicherheit/Datenschutz/FirstSpirit-1496129138918170529-LF-Verarbeitungsverzeichnis-online.pdf. 4 Cookies and Tracking There are currently no changes with regard to cookies and tracking. Cookies will be specifically regulated by the ePrivacy Regulation (ePV). However, this will probably not come until 2019. Nevertheless, an opt-out option must be offered as part of future statistics tracking. The good news: Google Analytics remains "allowed" as before, even after the GDPR, if the following requirements are met: A(D)V contract concluded with Google IP anonymisation activated Opt-out options for desktop and mobile Make sure that you conclude a DSGVO-compliant AV contract with Google as of 25 May 2018. Google is likely to provide such a contract soon. You can find a guide plus tools for correct implementation at eRecht24 Premium (partner link). With other tools, such as the Facebook Pixel, it is unfortunately not possible to make a precise statement at the moment. However, the legal situation is likely to become more complicated. 5 Newsletters and consents Consents from users, e.g. to send newsletters, which were already effectively obtained under the old law (double opt-in) generally continue to apply. Exceptions: Prohibition of tying in old consents not observed. Consent by minors What about new newsletter campaigns or prize competitions? If there is no legal permission to store / transfer data, consent is always required. Even under the GDPR, the double opt-in principle should be observed in order to be able to prove consent in case of doubt. In any case, consent must be documented electronically. Consent must be given "voluntarily": Genuine prohibition of tying in Art. 7 para. 4 DSGVO. As a rule: no data in exchange for content (e.g. e-books, competitions, checklists) and no linking of newsletter dispatch to the conclusion of a contract. 6. data protection officer Companies that usually employ at least ten persons permanently with the processing of personal data or are obliged to carry out a data protection impact assessment pursuant to Article 35 of the GDPR (details below under No. 9.) must appoint a data protection officer. Conflicts of interest There must be no conflicts of interest in the appointment of the data protection officer. Therefore, a member of the board of directors, a managing director or the owner of the company cannot be the data protection officer. These persons cannot mediate in case of conflicts between the company's interests and the data protection regulations. They may also appoint an external data protection officer to avoid conflicts. Qualifications of the Data Protection Officer The data protection officer must be reliable. Legal and technical expertise are also essential for the position of data protection officer. Training courses/seminars including examinations are offered nationwide to acquire the relevant qualifications, e.g. at the TÜV. 7. employee data With the GDPR also come new regulations on employee data protection. The new regulations contain numerous duties and obligations that employers must comply with in the future. Only data that is "necessary" should be collected. Employee data shall only be processed if this is necessary for the decision on hiring an applicant or for the implementation, exercise or termination of an employment relationship. Processing is also permitted if it is necessary for the fulfilment of legal rights and obligations, a collective agreement or a works or service agreement, or for the purpose of law enforcement. Whether and when the collection of certain data is actually necessary must always be determined on the basis of the specific individual case. Obtain consent If you want to avoid the legal uncertainties surrounding "necessity", you can obtain voluntarily given consent from your employees. In the event of a dispute, however, the employer must prove the alleged voluntariness of the consent. Effective consent must meet certain formal criteria. In principle, it must be in writing, i.e. signed independently. However, since this is not always practical, electronic consent can be obtained under special circumstances. In addition, the employee must be informed in a suitable form that the consent can be revoked at any time. Finally, the employer must create certain conditions for the revocation declaration. An employer must be able to prove compliance with the obligations just mentioned in case of doubt (documentation obligations). Furthermore, employers will in future be confronted with stricter obligations to provide information in the event of data protection breaches and numerous other obligations (e.g. deletion obligations). Employers should therefore thoroughly review their internal processes with regard to these obligations and have them adapted if necessary (keyword: compliance management). 8. commissioned (data) processing If the collection and processing of personal data is carried out by an "external" company, this must be contractually regulated - as was also the case under the old law. Examples Agency carries out advertising measures External newsletter provider Web host External maintenance contracts What changes in the content of A(D)V contracts? Few new regulations in terms of content: Processor may have to keep a register of procedures Processor must record the instructions of the controller Contracts no longer have to be in writing Where can I get samples for my A(D)V contracts? You can find a DSGVO-compliant sample contract at eRecht24 Premium (partner link). 9. data protection for minors In the case of minors under the age of 16, parents must give their consent. However, this only applies to cases where the GDPR requires consent (e.g. for advertising) and in practice only when it comes to offers that are directly aimed at children and young people. In the case of mixed offers (for adults and young people), no specific requirements need to be implemented. 10 Data Protection Impact Assessment In certain cases, you are obliged to assess the consequences of the data processing and to record this in a so-called data protection impact assessment according to Art. 35 DSGVO. In principle, a so-called DSFA must always be carried out if "a form of processing, in particular where new technologies are used, is likely to result in a high risk to personal rights and freedoms by virtue of the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing". This is the case, for example, in the following constellations: Processing of health data, religion, sexuality Business secrets Profiling/scoring Criminal offences and many more. When and how to carry out such a data protection impact assessment in detail can be found in the comprehensive white paper of the Forum Privacy: https://www.forum-privatheit.de/forum-privatheit-de/publikationen-und-downloads/veroeffentlichungen-des-forums/themenpapiere-white-paper/Forum_Privatheit_White_Paper_Datenschutz-Folgenabschaetzung_2016.pdf 11 Right of access and duty to notify In general, data subjects have the right to access their stored personal data (Art. 15 GDPR). Form of information: in writing electronically (e-mail) orally on request Deadline for information: Immediately, but no later than 1 month after receipt of the request. When must data subjects and supervisory authorities be informed in the event of data breaches? Stricter requirements now apply here than before. According to Article 33 of the GDPR, data breaches must be reported to supervisory authorities without delay (if possible within 72 hours) by means of comprehensive documentation. Details on the content are regulated by Art. 33 (5) of the GDPR https://dejure.org/gesetze/DSGVO/33.html 12. fines and warnings Data protection violations may be subject to warnings! Violations may result in warnings and legal proceedings, because: Data protection law is relevant to competition law! Violations can also be subject to warnings under the GDPR! Fines The GDPR provides for fines of up to 20 million euros or 4% of the previous year's global turnover. So far, data protection authorities have only very rarely exhausted the upper limit of fines and in the case of persistent infringements. This is very likely to change, however, as the high fine framework is a core component of the GDPR. Important: Take requests/complaints from users seriously. Even more important: take requests/complaints from data protection authorities seriously. What should you do now? You know that you have to take care of topics such as data protection, imprint, image rights or Facebook & Co. You don't have the time to research all the complicated legal requirements yourself? You don't want to or can't pay an expensive lawyer for every website check? You need clear answers, understandable solutions and practical tools instead of even more questions? ]]> https://www.gradwerk.com/what-you-as-a-website-operator-really-know-about-the-dsgvo Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:09:00 +0200 https://www.gradwerk.com/what-you-as-a-website-operator-really-know-about-the-dsgvo If you are still in the midst of designing your online strategy, then thoughts on the topic of usability and conversion optimisation are just right. But even after that: it always makes sense to think about the performance of the website. Every company has the goal of being successful with its online activities and its website. This success is measured by an action of the visitor that concludes the website visit, the so-called conversion. This refers to the conversion of the visitor of a website into an actively acting customer, for example the purchase of a product, the download of information or the establishment of contact. The fact is that Google is increasingly thinking from the user's point of view and that keywords and backlinks are no longer the only recipe for success, but content with real storytelling, i.e. the fusion of texts, images and videos into a coherent story, in which images are not just a mere accessory, but a component and captivate the visitor - and thus lead to long, extensive visits. In short: user experience is the new ranking factor for successful websites. In order to develop the right concept here, it is important to determine even before the design process: What are the goals of the website? And: Who is my target group, my so-called buyer persona? Based on this data, the structure of the site and the content must be designed and aligned. Sometimes only a short test is enough: show the homepage of your website for only 5 seconds to a person who does not know the page and ask them what the page is about. The answers could be very surprising and show that there is a need for action. With different tests you can find out where there might be weak points in your online offer. After all, a good Google ranking is a very good basis, but it does not bring any business if the users do not make any enquiries or orders. Make hypotheses, for example, to imply: "If you do this, you will achieve that because this or that effect will set in". With the following questions you can derive new methods of conversion optimisation and check how well you are positioned with your current web offer. The website must give visitors an immediate answer to the following questions: Where am I? Am I even in the right place? Does what I see match what I am looking for? Does this provider meet my requirements? Is it for people like me? Can I cope with the site? ]]> https://www.gradwerk.com/conversion-optimisation-for-your-success Wed, 17 Aug 2022 11:53:00 +0200 https://www.gradwerk.com/conversion-optimisation-for-your-success