Kevin Trye
New Year Prediction – The Mobile Opportunity
If you look at what is happening online, the key trend is around the use of mobile phones and tablets. Prices are plummeting and usage growing at staggering rates. The uptake of these devices by consumers to access the online world is breath-taking.
WordPress 3.5 – The King Arrives
Code named Elvin, a new update to the WordPress CMS platform arrived this week with new features that make media management a lot easier and more intuitive. Most of you that read this blog know we’re a big fan of this website platform, along with millions of others.
Mobile Apps – The Next Big Thing for Consumers
We’ve recently established a new side business around mobile apps. We’ve been making mobile-responsive websites for a while now and mobile apps are a key extension of this work.
Most are aware of the explosion around mobile worldwide. 43% of New Zealanders now regularly use their mobile phone for internet access, up from 15% a year ago. 
And the use of tablets will triple in the next 6 months.
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Facebook – Now Broken for Many Users
Last year we wrote an article, Facebook, broken for business. Now, in Facebook’s drive for more revenue, it’s getting worse. Users are noting a significant drop in traffic and connections with fans and more advertising pushed in their faces.
And do you want TRAFFIC with that Website Order?
It’s a spin on the fast food industry phrase, but I think it also applies to the selling of websites. Problem is, almost no web developers or designers ever ask the question. Do you want traffic with your new website? Clients just assume traffic is part of the deal and don’t realise it’s not. I can think of a dozen good reasons why designers keep quiet about it, not the least of which is the prospect of losing the deal if SEO work is brought into the project cost…
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Search Engine Optimisation – The Four Steps
Where to Start with SEO
This is always a big problem for newcomers looking to increase their website traffic. Everyone is looking for the magic bullet. This week I stumbled across a stunning webinar on this topic by Michael H. Fleischner, author of SEO Made Simple.
Forget the Website – Give me leads
This comment from a frustrated website owner. He’s right of course.
Companies know the Yellow Pages is dead, with Google the modern day replacement. They then think about having a website, to ‘be found’ when someone searches for their products. But in the vast majority of cases, their website provides few leads or sales. Stories of small business websites getting under 100 visitors per month are common. Even some that have good traffic often get few sales leads.
SEO Services – Useful or Just Snake Oil?
Small businesses are seeing lots more emails selling SEO these days, mainly from offshore. Anything from backlinks to full SEO packages. Some good, some average, some bogus. The sales tactics used makes SEO vendors appear as sleazy snake oil salesmen than a professional business service.
Questions a Good Web Designer Asks
Poorly performing websites are too often due to people not asking the right questions at the beginning. For example, why not ask how much traffic or sales leads the site can expect to get? It’s not an unreasonable request today. If they claim it’s impossible, then you’re talking to the wrong developer.
Wheedle – Done on the Cheap?
We’ve heard it before. Cheap always carries risk. You get what you pay for. In retail cheap goods we know are of lower quality and more likely to require replacement earlier. This applies to clothes, shoes as well as big screen TVs and the new Wheedle Website. But should any business put in mission-critical IT or marketing systems take the risk? Go for lowest tender, cheapest price all the time?
All advice and opinions here are offered freely on a no-liability basis.
