We all see these more and more on websites that we visit but do you really know what they are for and how they can improve your browsing experience or what they can do for your business?

Here is the HigherSites prompt sheet to give you a crash course in what’s behind the icon…

Heard about the recent hike in postal costs? If you are a business that sends out 20 second class letters a week such as invoices this will now cost you £10!

One of our clients is in the business of selling franking machines so this news was big news for their business. They came to see us in February wanting to do something to take advantage of these changes as they represented a good opportunity for them and after the last few years of tough trading conditions it was an opportunity not to miss.

We designed a campaign to launch at the time of the announcements anticipating that it would be big news. This involved sourcing a campaign name and designing a microsite (www.frankmymail.co.uk) and running an online marketing campaign to get them up the rankings. After a few days the client is getting loads of new business enquiries and signing up new accounts.

Where are the opportunities in your industry that you can take advantage of? How can you be proactive and ignite a bit of a spark into your communication? Of course these things cost time and money to do but they needn’t cost a fortune and if planned well they can produce extremely positive results.

If like me you have trouble coming up with novel things to see and do over the Easter holidays then look no further; Somerset Routes’ new website has it mapped out for you (guess who the developers were?).

Taking the form of a ‘tube map’, the county has been broken down into seven different lines to travel on, spread across the country and taking in the best sights and things to do. Each line takes you to the museums, historic railways, castles, gardens, stately homes and archaeological sites that make Somerset’s heritage unique.

The “Find a Site” page allows you to search by entry fees, facilities, access, site type and more. Alternatively, plan to follow a one of the ‘lines’ and spread the fun over several weekends.

My favourite iPhone app for pleasure is TuneIn Radio.  I can listen to radio stations all over the world and search by artist.  But most of all I can listen to Jon Rice, MD of Samson Office Supplies, Ilminster as he hosts his radio show on 10 Radio (105.3fm) “JA to TA…Reggae with Jonnie Rice on Sun 1 Apr, 20:00 – 22:00” when I’m driving back from a visit to London.

On March 19^th the BBC headlined a report that the UK was the world leader in internet shopping.  Was this misleading?  Did it refer to the fact that we are all just mad and still spending money we don’t have?  What was really behind the story and what is really going on within the world of e-commerce?

Your website should now be the central cog of your business, it positions your message and values to the world, it drives new business enquiries, it endorses what you do, it sets you apart from your competitors and at times it transacts with your customers. Continue reading →