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News / BLOG

On these pages we will be releasing 'FD' news, issues and web development views...

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Thursday, 8 April 2010

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posted by ChrisAdams at 10:07

Google Blogger Migration Tool

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

As a legacy from some of my current clients' old websites I have used Google Blogger for some basic CMS (Content Management System) services - using the clients' websites' FTP accounts to host the pages.
This has proven an effective and relatively easy way to maintain my clients' comfort zone with regard to the updating process and allowing Google to post the new pages and content to their servers - which historically has a great effect on a pages' rank, as some search engines particularly like to see sites with expanding content.
This service though is shortly to be axed and as such I have successfully migrated a number of Google Blogger pages from one of the websites I manage (the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship website) using the Google Blogger Migration tool.
So far so good, though the pages are now on sub-domains of the main domain and hosted by blogger... which isn't necessarily a positive move form an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) perspective.
Hosting your Blog on your own server is still believed to be an effective way to increase the size of your website, so for this reason the future of blog integration may well rest with an alternative provider...

posted by ChrisAdams at 10:44

New Website Design - Godparents Anthroposophical Training Fund

Wednesday, 10 February 2010

We've just completed and launched a new website for the GATF (Godparents Anthroposophical Training Fund) - a registered charity offering interest free loans for tuition fees to students undertaking designated Anthroposophical vocational training courses in the UK.

The development included creating a bespoke design followed by XHTML and CSS templates and integrating a single page with Google's Blogger in order that our client can update the page, which is a basic but effective Content Management System for this client whos is used to this platform. The website also allows users to make payments to the charity via PayPal.
To visit the GATF website please click here.

posted by ChrisAdams at 10:38

New Visual Development - Nordic House

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Nordic House came to Fibonacci Designs to develop the visual aspect of their website. The Nordic House website was performing well selling Scandinavian inspired home accessories and the developers of the website were happy with the technical aspects but felt they needed the help of a graphical designer to portray a softer, more graphical feel.

After an initial consultation Fibonacci Designs developed some intitial designs that were completed after various feedback from Nordic House until final visuals for the Home page, Product pages & Info pages were decided. At this point Fibonacci Designs was asked to develop the HTML & CSS templates that Nordic House could apply to their site, which is now live!
To visit the Nordic House website please click here.

posted by ChrisAdams at 09:45

New Web Design - Bed and Breakfast in St Ives, Cornwall

Tuesday, 12 January 2010

Abode St Ives - a newly refurbished 'Shabby Chic' Bed and Breakfast located in St.Ives, Cornwall had a limited budget to create a basic online presence - and so one of the Fibonacci Designs template websites seemed the perfect choice.

Together with hosting, a UK domain name and a few additional hours graphical design we created a website that has already had a number of profitable enquiries as a direct result of the website, backing up their other marketing campaigns.

posted by ChrisAdams at 10:53

Christmas eCommerce Shopping Figures

Friday, 8 January 2010

Every year it seems that online shopping plays a bigger and bigger part in the annual hunt for the Christmas shopping list and this year the global indicators that we may be coming out of the economic downturn may be backed up by some quite encouraging figures.

Coremetrics, a provider of marketing optimisation solutions, found that the value of the average online order has increased 54 percent since 2007. The effect of the economic downturn on eCommerce transactions last year is certainly visible with the average order value decreasing 20 percent during 2007-2008, before rising a massive 94 percent from 2008 to 2009.

Coremetrics statistics also show that the number of goods that are purchased per online transaction has also increased significantly, from 2.7 items in 2007 to 3.7 per order in 2009, perhaps indicating that there is more consumer confidence in purchasing from the online sector.

The Centre for Retail Research also estimated that the UK Christmas spend would reach £8.9billion - accounting for 20% of the total Christmas spend. Additionally eDigitalResearch and IMRG published figures showing that 93% of those surveyed planned to shop online for Christmas gifts with a massive 71% looking to buy more than half of their gift lists via the internet.

And what's the best way to capitalise on this in future years? Well we all know that Christmas is advertised earlier and earlier every year, so if you want to benefit from more and more online shoppers then you need to make sure your shop is performing well - in terms of functionality, relevant products, stock and marketing - WELL in advance!

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:34

New Website - European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education

Friday, 11 December 2009

ECSWE (the European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education) is an organisation that is dedicated to exchanging information and experiences in order to develop educational practices; creating and co-ordinating a common policy on a European level; and engaging in dialogue with fellow educationalists, academics, politicians and education policy makers.

ECSWE came to Fibonacci Designs having been recommended by SWSF - the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship - who have been a client of ours since early 2008. Requiring a complete redesign of their website but remaining sensitive to their design requirements, ECSWE employed our web design services to create a new brand - including the redevelopment of the website, their Newsletters and an Email Marketing Campaign.
To visit the ECSWE website please click here.

posted by ChrisAdams at 09:44

New Website Design - Camping Solutions

Friday, 4 December 2009

We've just completed and launched a new website for Camping Solutions - a company primarily concerned with the humanitarian community, providing the highest quality equipment for use in extreme environments.

The development included creating a web design based on one of Fibonacci Design's Template website designs.
To visit the Camping Solutions website please click here.

posted by ChrisAdams at 09:40

New Website - Ocean Fabrication

Wednesday, 2 December 2009

We've just completed and launched a new website for Ocean Fabrication - a service provider supporting the wave energy and offshore industry.

The development included creating a bespoke design followed by XHTML and CSS templates and integrating some pages with Cushy CMS in order that our client can update the pages, which is a basic but effective Content Management System.
To visit the Ocean Fabrication website please click here.

posted by ChrisAdams at 09:44

WordPress Blog

OK - so it may have taken me a little while to learn this wonderful application (partly because we use developers who are more than familiar with it and have experience in many of it's plug-ins etc) but when I got there I found that it was really very easy to install, intuitive to use, etc etc.

Why hasn't this happened before?
Well Blogger is the blogging tool that we have been using prior to WordPress, for simple one-page news / blogs pages and it's very good too. There is 'some' reasoning to say that using Blogger can be advantageous for SEO purposes - in that it is part of the Google suite of products, and that Google 'may' like to see it's own products being used, in a slightly incestuous fasion perhaps. However when it comes down to it WordPress has much more functionality, the interface for both a developer and a blogger is easier to use and it is open source - which means that people all over the world are developing plug-ins for it to extend it's capabilities all the time.

When would we use Blogger over WordPress then?
Well the answer to that is - you guessed it - client specific. As mentioned earlier, we use Blogger for single page news /blogs that in essence need less development time on our part and less time on the part of the blogger, so we will continue to use it for that. We will continue to use WordPress as we already do - as part of more integral CMS (Content Management System) packages.

posted by ChrisAdams at 09:36

Tracking Your Clicks!

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

One of the services that we have been working on lately is the development of HTML Email Newsletters (emails that we can send out to numerous recipients that link and look similar to your website).
A very important element of this is developing links that appear within your newsletter - that may be targeting a particular marketing campaign - that when clicked on get tracked by analytical software... so you can work out how effective your newsletters are.
We've been working hard on getting this working with Google Analytics and I think we're there... basically it is set up so that various parameters are added to the link so that you can then see how many people have clicked on that specific link. That possibly doesn't make a huge amount of sense to you so why not take a look at this excellent article on epikone.com for a full explanation!
If you're interested then in having an HTML Email Newsletter set up with us then let us know and we'll do all we can to help.
Cheers,
Chris

posted by ChrisAdams at 17:23

Actinic website & SEO project - Global Telesat Communications

Sunday, 15 November 2009

A company selling Satellite Phones, Airtime & Broadband approached us to find out about our SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) services and to look into us taking on the website maintenance of their Actinic website - www.globaltelesat.co.uk.

We have taken on this client with a comprehensive SEO & SEM strategy ensuring that the content of the website is developed so that it is rich with content helpful initially for their potential customers and then for the search engines. Together with the development of a blog, writing articles for forums, integrating their products with Google's Merchant Centre and upgrading elements of the website's design, Fibonacci Designs look forward to getting Global Telesat Communications more traffic of relevance.
To visit the GTC website please click here.

posted by ChrisAdams at 09:59

Current Projects at Fibonacci Designs

Thursday, 12 November 2009

I am always working on new projects here at Fibonacci Designs - most of the time being web-based design projects.
Right now, for example, my day consists of developing new website visuals for a company called Nordic House who have requested that I put my web design eye, in the first instance, to their current website and then in the second instance, develop the visuals I create into XHTML & CSS templates.
Other work that I am currently involved in include developing a new website for ECSWE - the European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education; a new website for Floringo - who work in the Contract Towelling Industry and are looking to sell their products via their new website to the public for the first time; and some SEO and SEM work for Global Telesat - a satellite phone company who sell their phones via an Actinic website.
Once of the things that I love about my job is the varied clientelle that I have - so while my primary focus is keeping my skill set up-to-date to provide my customers with the best products and services, I also get to learn about a really wide variety of businesses and organisations... which stands me in good stead to be able to communicate and empathise with current and future clients.

posted by ChrisAdams at 11:50

Making the time to Blog...

Monday, 9 November 2009

OK - I'm guilty. I just don't Blog enough!
Whenever any of my clients ask about Search Engine Optimisation, or using Social Media one of the first things that I say is "If you're going to use the technology available to you to get your website up the search results, then you need to do it often - it doesn't need to be much, just often."
Perhaps the next thing I should say is "Oh yes - one other thing... do as I say... not as I do...".
As I said, I am guilty of neglecting my blog - as you may well see from an apparent lack of recent posts. As such I am determined to make a difference... even if it is little and often! So if you are still watching... watch this space!

posted by ChrisAdams at 21:51

New Actinic Website - Sky Blue Leisure

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Of our more recent projects completed we uploaded a brand new Actinic website for Sky Blue Leisure today - a Cornish company specialising in camping equipment, outdoor clothing, travel equipment, kites, flags and poles etc etc etc!

www.skyblueleisure.co.uk

Taking advantage of the Convergence Fund Sky Blue requested that Fibonacci Designs develop an up-to-date new look website with new functionality that is available to them with an upgrade from Actinic v7 to Actinic v9. Included in the work that we have done for them is a full SEO package so that they can optimise their website for better page rank and search result placement for certain keywords and phrases.
So... if you're interested in the latest outdoor gear then head to Sky Blue Leisure for outdoor goods and good advice!

posted by ChrisAdams at 11:17

HTML Email Newsletters

Wednesday, 10 June 2009

We have been developing Graphical HTML Email Newsletters for clients now for a little while and this month actually had the time to develop our own!

We shall be sending out a new newsletter every month that will include offers to our clients, contacts and associates - of free services, advice and news of developments within our company.
If you're interested in signing up then please visit the signup page at www.fibonacci-designs.co.uk/newsletter.html.

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:44

FREE Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Service

Monday, 1 June 2009

We have achieved great ranking for many clients over the years and we continue to provide a great service in this field and remain one step ahead of the game with our information, techniques and latest technical know-how.

We do this by spending time a considerable amount of time researching what is and what is not working in the world of SEO.

There are many companies who promise fist page results, others that try to convince the ignorant that this or that needs to be done and worse still, others who know little/nothing about SEO and simply take your money.

If you are approached by a Black Hat SEO company and are unsure of the value of the service offered please feel free to contact us to discuss their offer and we promise to give FREE and impartial advice on their services.

Our SEO services are tailored to each client... BUT we have a limited number of places for SEO. This allows us to focus on achieving the best results for clients committed to achieving long lasting good ranking.

We are happy to offer guidance to all clients past and present on their Digital Marketing Strategy. Please call or email if you would like assistance in this extremely important area of business marketing.

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:10

Interested in Birth Date Newspapers?

Wednesday, 13 May 2009

We have launched a brand new website for Papers Past - who sell authentic Birthday 'Times' Newspapers online.

www.paperspast.co.uk

Papers Past desperately needed to upgrade their website so that it could perform some very basic functions - allow users to purchase their products online (as previously they were only taking telephone orders); raise their marketing profile as a strong competitor in their market; and increase their Google placement under certain specific search terminology.
We hope that we have successfully met their expectations!

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:19

Software Project Development Redesigned

Friday, 8 May 2009

Today we launched the redesign of Software Project Development's new website.

www.ukspd.com

Requiring a particularly quick turnaround we were able to redesign and develop a brand new look and feel together with some very search engine friendly code to create Software Project Development's new website.
Check it out!!

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:30

Improve Google Ranking - insider secret!

Sunday, 12 April 2009

Google is aligning itself as the dominant force in Local Listings. Gone have the days of Yellow Pages and local directories that cost a fortune to appear in and really don't do much in the way of advertising your business.

Ensuring that your listing appears within Local Business Centre means that Google is able to link location to peoples search. You also have a link to your site from within Google's own directories which is worth a little something on its own.

To make most use of this you want to ensure you are specific in your Description and include the following: your Name, Service/Product and LOCATION.

For example: "Hot Tub City provides great hot tubs and spas with a great after sales service located in Plymouth, Devon, South West of the UK."

You are limited to 200 characters (including spaces) so be concise, remember that a human is likely to read it, and get your location in there.

It is a NO BRAINER - no cost and potentially big returns!

We can help you get this set up if you need assistance - just contact us.

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:08

Funding available for Cornish Businesses

Tuesday, 10 March 2009

For the last couple of months there has been some word of funding available for businesses based in Cornwall. As with all funding there is certain criteria that needs to be met - and even then the decision must go through a panel on the Funding Body.
This criteria that needs to be adhered to includes a few basics such as:-

1. The business applying for funding needs to be located in Cornwall (i.e. business address is in Cornwall).
2. The business needs to show that the service it is requesting the funding for will bring income into Cornwall from outside the county.
3. The service that the funding is being requested for is not currently under contract or being paid for.

There is a slight reluctance for these advisors to 'shout' about the funding as there needs to be an element of control over this and additionally they don't want every business in Cornwall to get over-excited to then find out that they may not be eligible - hence us not broadcasting the in's & out's of it here.
Of course we are also interested in talking with individual and companies who may be interested in our web & print services, that could be part funded by this.

So please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss our services or any further info about the funding.

posted by ChrisAdams at 13:46

Launch of Fly Fishing Website

Tuesday, 3 March 2009

Today we launched the new website for UKSALTWATERFLIES.COM - a Porthleven-based Saltwater Fly Fishing specialist.

www.uksaltwaterflies.com

A fair time in it's making (a project that lasted over a year) this is an Actinic driven bespoke eCommerce website that has hundreds of products pre-loaded, fly fishing articles, a photo and video gallery and new hosting that allows it to perform much better than it's predecessor!
The site was quite a while in it's making - partly due to it's complexity and number of products that needed transferring and partly due to the fact that Austen, the owner, spends a fair amount of time in the sea fishing... in Cornwall, the Seychelles, Cape Cod etc etc.

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:38

Launch of No65 The Dental Surgery Website

Wednesday, 25 February 2009

Local Dentist Surgery - No65 The Dental Surgery - based in Wadebridge, Cornwall commissioned Fibonacci Designs to develop a bespoke designed website to help promote their services to their locality.

www.no65thedentalsurgery.co.uk

Today it was launched and with clearly defined Search Engine Optimisation targets we are looking for it to climb steadily up the rankings!

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:02

Woodhall Barns Website - CMS & Multiple Languages

Monday, 2 February 2009

Today Fibonacci Designs uploaded a brand new website for Woodhall Barns - for local Holiday Cottages.

www.westdevoncottages.co.uk

The website includes a full bespoke CMS (Content Management System) together with translations for 5 different languages.
With a favourable exchange rate for overseas visitors we hope that Woodhall Barns do favourable business this year!

posted by ChrisAdams at 14:12

Launch of Avista Restaurant Website

Monday, 22 December 2008

We are proud to announce the launch of the Avista Restaurant Website.

www.avistarestaurant.com

Today we launched the new website for the Italian Restaurant 'Avista' that is located in Mayfair London.
The site comprises of a very bespoke design, the integration of 'Open Table' - an online reservation booking system and a comprehensive CMS (Content Management System) that allows the client to update certain pages of the website when they desire.
We wish them the best of luck with their fabulous new venture!

posted by ChrisAdams at 13:52

Let's Talk... Green Business

Friday, 28 November 2008

Barclays Bank organised and held a seminar on Wednesday this week looking at 'Green Business' and asking a number of questions including...

Why go green?
What are the barriers and enablers that either stop or aid you in developing a green policy?
How can you make green changes to your business?
What effect will making green changes to your business have on your running costs; marketing potential and return on investment?

This was a fact-finding mission for us so that we could develop an appropriate strategy for Fibonacci Designs in developing a clear and authentic 'green policy'.
We have published the fact that we want to have carbon-neutralised our business by the end of this year (not long to go) so we didn't need convincing that this was a good thing to be doing.
What we did need was a few pointers in the right direction so that we could take the business as it stands and apply some considered and appropriate policy to attain our goal of becoming a 'green' company.
The best way to develop this is to initially assess your own 'green credentials', identify areas that are weak within your business, and then apply appropriate processes and technology.
At this moment we are looking at our own credentials with a view to applying a green policy. If this is of interest to you then do get in contact with us to see where we are in this process.

Labels: Green Business

posted by ChrisAdams at 16:20

Black Hat SEO - is it worth the risk?

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

We all want to be seen and Google, like it or not, is the big player in the field and will remain so for another few years to come - certainly until the love affair starts to fade as more and more of us start to realise that our lives are being adversely affected by the openess and availability of data (often private) that there for all to see.

Not least of course is our beloved local councils, yes the ones we vote in and we pay for - who now use Google Maps and Earth to spy on Communities for signs of Planning Law contravention. Of course, planning law is there to protect us, the environment and communities and I am all in favour... when the playing field is flat - but it is not, is it?! So until more of us wake to these privacy concerns Google will remain a leader. Why are we are not taking advantage of the numerous alternative Search Engines(SE)?

So how to be seen in Google? Easy, hire one of those companies who randomly contacts you promising, even guaranteeing you Page 1 results for your web site. There are only two ways you can do this. 1) Work for Google and risk the sack if you were caught (I will give Google it's due here - it don't like being tampered with!). Which brings me to point two), 2) Abuse the numerous weak points in the Google Indexing system (oh yes, there are a few...but, oh, it dosen't like being tampered with) - it's called Black Hat SEO.

Surprisingly google was not set up by, or continued to be run by, stupid people, it is run by very intelligent Rept...sorry...Human Doings (were once Beings but got bored, or something). Which means not a lot gets past them for very long. When they catch up with our Black Hat SEO friends they penalise them, heavily, and they also penalise those that get caught up in it.

Unfortunately, so many SEO Black Hat operators exist now that it has ruined it for everyone. I can not find currently Statistics of Black Hat Operator ratio's to White Hat Operator - not forgetting the Grey Hat middle ground. This is a link to the Original Article I found on Grey Hat SEO and this is the link to one of the useless blogs/'article sites' they refer, which they used to promote themselves. I'm not naming and shaming here I am using it as an example of a company justifying itself for the policy they have in place - ie. bend the rules a little bit. They clearly have a conscience and have considered this question but yet they choose to do exactly what they describe as Black Hat! That's not grey that's Black - the two hats don't suddenly go from solid to liquid in an attempt to mix like paints and to end up with a gloopy grey. This serves to demonstrate the difficulty of judgment in this whole field.

Ultimately we can do what we want as there are very few laws that can be applied to this from traditional law around the world, although I think we are on the brink of some fairly substantial governance from big brother within the next couple of years; not least to protect themselves against cyber terrorism.

So we've made our choice, sod the consequences in a Court of Law "it will never come to that..., we're hiring this SEO guy cause he seems to know what he is talking about...". Google, should it detect the paid for links, useless articles and links, stuffed and disguised Keyword hacks (thought they had gone away?), links and megaman article houses and did I mention more paid for links?...when it does detect the deception it penalises and heavily too.

It will award anything from 1 to 999 drop in rank. Rarely is it site wide, it will be the page(s) in question but that can be mightily impactful if that is the index page. You are playing with fire and you get charged a fortune from unknowns. If you are going to spend a couple of hundred pounds a month indefinitely on paid for links or hacks then why not invest that in building the best damn web site in the field you are specialising in and if you can't find an angle to apply to your site because it is just plain crap then change it, do something else and contribute something useful.

At FD we are of proud of our Policy on SEO practice and encourage you as clients to work with us to make a better future for the internet than the one that is shaping up now.

Labels: Black Hat SEO

posted by ChrisAdams at 19:40

Scams, Domain Names and Protecting Your Domain Name

Tuesday, 4 November 2008

In the past couple of months I have been approached by a growing number of our clients concerning emails from Asia informing them that someone has requested to register a domain name that is the same as theirs but with a different TLC (Top Level Domain).

This raises two main issues;

1) Whether you should respond to these companies or not.

2) Protecting your Domain Name, Company name and Intellectual Property Rights in relation to your company or business.

The first issue of whether or not to reply to these approaches is simple - DON'T. There is absolutely no need to liaise with companies sending 'cold' emails. I call them Cold Emails as they are targeted to you specifically and leave a chill after reading.

But why don't you need to liaise with this helpful company warning you of this possible conflict in the Digital Arena - surely they are being helpful, right? Bottom line they are trying to sell you Domain Names. Do you need to buy these Domain Names? And do you need to buy them from these companies?

Well the choice of buying from the company informing you is yours but I would recommend that you speak to you IT consultant/Web Designers first to establish whether you need to and whether your normal supplier can supply these names at reasonable price. There really is no need to buy from unknown and untrusted third parties.

Point two: Protecting your domain and/or business name is critical in the modern world. For the last ten years buying a domain name or two has been more than enough for the average small business, particularly those that have an internet presence but not doing a lot of business over the internet. However, I would suggest that those days are numbered as more and more business is carried out over the internet and any business using the internet and turning over more than 40% of it's total turnover online needs to be taking Domain Name protection very seriously.

But what do I mean Domain Protection? If your domain is www.businessnow.com and you are trading in the UK you will almost certainly already have bought the .co.uk version and if you have not then do it now.

As time goes on a less unique name such as www.businessnow.com will be sort after more and more and eventually you could end up with a dozen or more websites with the same address all selling services similar to yours. They could end in .net, .biz, .eu, .me, .tv etc.. This would deaden your impact and also loose credibility amongst potential clients.

So how much risk are you at? Well it depends on the uniqueness of your domain name essentially. If you are www.456widget99.com I doubt you will be in much competition other than with 'widget' names. If however your name is www.devonflowershop.com there is a chance you will be in competition with other flower shops and it would be good to buy up as many Domain Names as possible that cover your back. In addition to protection you can use these to help with your Search Engine Strategy.

But what about the Far East threat. Well, I doubt that www.devonflowershop.com will be selling much in most of the Far East; but it is possible. You might think about the long term projections for trade with the Far East. Billions live there but unless you have specific goals in the foreseeable future I would not concern yourself with protecting with these TLD's if you are a Sole Trader or SME.

One final point - there is an opportunity here. Many of our clients find that their brilliant ideas for company and Domain Names are thwarted because the TLD has been taken already. More and more TLD's are being made available and for a while - in about 18 months or so - there will be a glut of new TLD's to choose from after the new rules governing TLD's comes into force. So if you have a business idea revolving around a particular domain name and all the TLD's have currently gone - don't lose heart and get yourself down on some waiting/pre registration lists and grab yourself your beloved domain name.

Labels: domain name scams, Protecting Domain names

posted by ChrisAdams at 10:44

How can a Blog help my Business - I don't have time for something new!

Tuesday, 21 October 2008

I hear this question all the time and the "time" excuse as to why it can't be done. Let me answer the question straight away so you can decide if you want to read the rest of this post.

The simple answer is it is the best way to create and maintain a healthy and up-to-date looking website that actually offers web users real content and a genuine reason to visit and be interested in your site.

But it goes a lot further than that. A blog on your site offers you the opportunity to make updates and post articles and media of interest in your own time and at no cost. After a short while of regular postings you create a body of content that has the potential to be very powerful.

How come Content is powerful? Well strictly speaking useless content is...well, useless. But genuine well written content is King. The internet is full of content, both good and bad. But content is King and good content is the Super King and you want to fill your site with Super King Content on as regular basis as you can afford in time or money.

Large organisations pay writers to write for their sites. Modern Corporations allow and encourage blogging from employees and it is mostly in order to maintain good content and good Page Rank.

How does this help Page Rank? Well, if you fill your site with good content and make some noises on the internet to let people know there is some good content on your site then it won't be long before people come a'looking at your site and after a while a body of useful links to your site will occur. Google and the other search engines (SE's) like sites with links - why? - because it suggests the site is popular and relevant because so many sites are linking to it. Therefore you rank better and appear on Google and the other SE's very nicely.

But I can go and buy links, why bother writing? Well, google likes links but it hates bought links. That is not good and you could be penalised for that. What Google likes is good quality links that make logical sense. You can beat the system some of the time but not all the time.

The internet is powerful because of the people who use it not the way Search Engines rank it. Put Search Engines in their place and always use a couple to look for results but be aware of the things to do and avoid the thing not to do in order to rank well.

posted by Steve Carter at 14:27

What's all this BLOGGING Business?

Friday, 10 October 2008

A (Very) Brief Introduction
The word 'blog' is short for 'Web Log' - which gives you a good indication of what blogging is all about (for a full explanation see Wikipedia's definition). It is used for personal activities often in diary-like formats offering news, opinions and thoughts on events, journeys... actually pretty much anything.
In this instance we are using our blog for a number of reasons - to keep all interested up-to-date with our news, thoughts, developments and ideas and to some degree to offer an example of how a blog can be used on a website.

Google Blogger
We have set up this News/BLOG section using the popular Google blog software 'Blogger'.
It is relatively easy to set up and once working allows the writers of the blog easy access to current and new posts. Another popular blog that we use for developing both simple blogs and more complex CMS (Content Management Systems) is 'WordPress'.

So Why Google? SEO Advantages..?
Using Google software is said to be advantageous in that the more you use Google Products the more Google identifies your website in it's search results. Whether that is actually fact or not remains debatable, however what is fact is that if your website is showing activity and pages that are being added on a regular basis then it is more likely to be relevant and of interest to users. If that is the case then the search engines become more interested in ranking your website higher.

Why Blog at all?
1. Answer questions
First and foremost, if you have a product or service that your users may have questions about then it is likely that a Blog is a good way of answering them and engaging your users in some potentially interesting debate. For instance some readers of this particular post may not see the advantages of Blogging at all, and to some degree this post may help to persuade them otherwise.
2. SEO & SEM
Another reason to set up and use a Blog is mentioned above - and that is it is great for SEO and general 'eMarketing'. This can't really be repeated often enough so I'll say it once more - IT'S GREAT FOR SEO & SEM!!
3. Emotional Decisions
Any more reasons? Well yes actually - offering your opinion about a particular subject, issue, development, product etc offers the user of your website a small window into who YOU are. And when it comes down to the crunch, most decisions are made with an emotional attachment (or so I've heard), so if you can offer your potential customers a slice of yourself then they can make that emotional decision - and with luck that will mean they will do business with you. Of course if you're unlucky it may go in the other direction!
4. Valuable Feedback
Which brings me to my final point - the all important FEEDBACK. Allowing users to comment on your website, and in this instance your posts gives you feedback about your services. We've said it before on other parts of our website "feedback is so very important" - without it we'd not know if what we offered was any good!

In Parting...
I hope that this Blog is useful to all who happen across it, and please feel free to comment on any post that you find of interest.
Until next time then...
CA

posted by ChrisAdams at 00:20