PostsEmail outreach? 15th January 2014 9:47 PM Guess it depends on the business and the product/service. Email works better for us, with phone just for customer inbound enquires or issues. Great start to the year! 15th January 2014 9:44 PM It certainly is! Here was my latest twitter rant...  Responsive or Mobile website? 15th January 2014 11:35 AM I think responsive designs will be come more and more popular, especially with the majority of smaller websites being off the shelf CMS based. But there will be a need for larger bespoke solutions that need to be able to offer a different experience to a mobile audience. One I saw recently was a safari park, where the mobile only experience included a live tour around the park, very clever and shows technology being used efficiently rather than a one hat fits all. Now whether the Google god holds any preference over responsive versus dedicated mobile site, other than poorly implemented efforts, I gues we shal have to wait and see  Responsive or Mobile website? 15th January 2014 10:47 AM We had a good post about whether to go mobile, which is quite old, but got bumped and it ended up as mobile versus responsive: Go mobile or not - 'when' is the question But to answer your question, I'll quote my previous post as I think I'm answering your question, or at least it's how I see it from my perspective. “No argument there. This post is 12 months old, and mobile was already important, now it is essential /critical. But in the spirit of healthy debate, I completely disagree with the responsive design argument, and am still looking for a site example that will convince me. Having 2 sites, one optimised for mobile is a pain content wise, but thats the whole point. You are optimising for a small screen audience, so a condensed message to make a better visual experience, but with a view to optimise mobile conversions, not just make the site usable. The www.authenticstyle.co.uk website is a really good looking site, crisp, fresh, a long scrolling brochure type site, but works really well. But looking on a mobile device, although presentation is spot on, all the same content is on there meaning a long scroll before any call to actions. Maybe this works really well, and I've no doubt it's specific to a business type. But for a large info directory site, we need to get information across quickly and efficiently, as well as encourage participation, ie editing listings, signing up etc. The desktop design works well on desktop and tablet devices, but there is too much information for a mobile experience. At least 25% of our traffic comes from a mobile device, with 10% now accounted for by tablets. So with that volume, I think it's worth the time and trouble to design specific experiences. But I've seen plenty of mobile only designs that confuse tablets, or desktop designs that won't even run on a tablet, so it's certainly a minefield! I guess it always goes back to your own data, track your analytics, track your conversions, time on site, and this will paint the picture and dictate your requirements. That said, we're currently rebuilding the forum onto a new platform, and the mobile version is currently up in the air, so maybe we will end up with a responsive design and I'll have to eat my own words  (won't be the first time..)”FourSquare 15th January 2014 10:38 AM Had a dabble with it a long while ago, but I kept getting bombarded with spammy requests, and in the end gave up on it. I believe it got rebuilt recently, and it's supposed to be very good, maybe it's time to give it another look. I think it's a lot more popular in the States than the UK. Anyone using it to good affect? Local Business Directories 15th January 2014 10:21 AM “I thought cyclex was a good option for a cheeky backlink but it's no follow, as it Thomson. Better to stick with quality rather than quantity.” ..and we are also nofollow. The whole back linking train of thought needs to be adjusted. Times have changed and moved on. Links are still very important, but its the type of links. Old style web directory links, where you listed yourself on hundreds of script generated directories are worthless, and will now do you more harm than good. Last May Google quietly changed the rules with directory links, which is why most major directories are either no follow, or hidden behind redirect or javascript. But, directory listings and links are still very important. eg, Generating direct traffic and leads. Building trust, such as allowing positive reviews across multiple sites to build a positive perception of your business. Allowing you to sell yourself as users get more savvy and do their own due dilligence and research on your business. Plus one of the big reasons in recent years is Citations. Directories are used as a major source by search engines for citations or NAP format (Name Address and Phone Number). Especially as the web heads into a more structured data world, directories are used as data reference points to validate business credentials, which can establish local ranking factors. It's a whole topic in it's own right, but just adding the point here, that it's time to think beyond simple links, and follow and nofollow. Scottish Independence and the UK picks up the debt bill? 14th January 2014 9:58 AM “Looked at dispassionately, I'd dump the Westminister government if I could. The Scots are lucky they've got the chance to do so!” lol, well house prices are apparently cheaper over the border, maybe apply for citizenship?  Directory Negative Reviews - when things go bad! 13th January 2014 2:19 PM Here's a fascinating lesson in reputation management! A carpet cleaning company in the USA was unhappy with anonymous negative reviews it received on Yelp. So according to cnet.com it asked Yelp to unmask the identity of 7 reviewers who have placed negative comments. When Yelp refused, the company took Yelp to court, and has won. Although it may be a shallow victory, as this has now prompted more negative reviews purely based on the news story!  There was an interesting response by Yelp to the cnet article: “Other courts and other states have shown support for citizens' First Amendment right to speak anonymously. Consumers may feel the need to speak anonymously for privacy reasons or for fear of unfair retaliation by a business. This ruling could have a chilling effect on free speech in Virginia and Yelp will continue to fight to protect consumers' privacy and free speech rights. This ruling also shows the need for strong state and federal legislation to prevent meritless lawsuits aimed solely at stifling free speech." Court to Yelp: Reveal names of negative reviewers | Technically Incorrect - CNET News” I'm not a fan of anonymous reviews, but plenty of big site are, including Yelp and Facebook amongst others. It can be quite daunting at times running a review site, especially when you see some of the complaints coming through, and there's always 2 sides to every story. But false negative comments can cause so much damage to a business reputation. Look at hotels and Trip Advisor. But somehow I think regardless of the courtcase, there is only 1 loser in this instance, regardless if the reviews were genuine or not, or if the company was given a chance to address any reviewers concerns. It just proves that the power is held by the consumer... If you do get a negative review, don't bury your head in the sand, but be careful how you deal with it! Scottish Independence and the UK picks up the debt bill? 13th January 2014 1:50 PM Interesting article on the beeb. “The UK Treasury says it will honour all UK government debt issued up to the date of the referendum on Scottish independence... The Treasury said it will "in all circumstances" take responsibility for all UK government debt, should Scotland vote for independence in September. The debt is currently Great start to the year! 10th January 2014 12:12 PM “Sad that you had to kick up a big fuss to get them to do anything though. Shouldn't have come to that.” Unfortunately just seems to be part of doing business in the UK  Banks, Hosting companies, Suppliers.... wouldn't it be great if we were all efficient. Mind you I think 1and1 are German, so that's that sterotype blown out of the water |
