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Are phone videos OK to use on websites?

  • By Ian Shere , on June 20 2018 06:52
  • 2 min read

One thing is for sure, video is IT! As the Boomers and the Gen Xers become much less of a driving force in the buying market, those in the know see a new trend in how the up-and-coming purchasers - the Millennials - are consuming online content. Those of us who have been in website design for a while used to design shorter pages, minimizing scrolling. We used images sliders, and (I shudder to even remember) flashing banners and Flash presentations. 

However, Millennials consume differently. They don't care about scrolling (and almost all do it on phones), and they LOVE video, and it doesn't have to be a Spielberg epic production. Take some time to browse through YouTube and look at the content being uploaded. Or scroll (yes, scroll long!!) through Facebook and look at the plethora of "selfie" type videos. THIS is how Millennials are consuming content.

So, to answer the question in the title, "YES!" phone videos are OK to use on your website or blog. Millennials like the spontaneity of the "selfie" type videos, how they capture the moment. But there is a caveat here. While Millennials (and, for that matter, most everyone else) will accept that phone videos generally

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EU, GDPR and you

  • By Ian Shere , on May 25 2018 07:07
  • 3 min read

Today, May 25 2018, marks the introduction of a new law in the EU regarding privacy of data. For most of my clients (primarily based in the USA and some in New Zealand and Canada), the EU seems an awfully long way away. At best, if you're in New York, it's a little over 7 hours flight time to London. Or, if you remember that Britain is, technically, not part of the EU anymore, it's about 7.5 hours from New York to Paris. Unfortunately, in internet time, it's a few seconds at most. And that's where, if you're not ready today, you could be leaving yourself wide open for legal action through your website's behavior.

The EU is tightening up on how and when companies collect, then store, then use private information. We agree that data protection is an extremely important topic, one which most companies fail to take anywhere near enough care over. Just Google data breach 2018 to see the woefully long list of high profile companies who have been hacked. However, we believe the EU has really over-stretched itself with this one. And the reason we believe, or at least part of the reason, is their previous data

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How do you handle a situation where someone has made up a story and falsely accused you of things that NEVER happened on social media?

  • By Ian Shere , on May 18 2018 07:08
  • 1 min read
First rule of ANY review - good or bad - is to reply PROFESSIONALLY, HONESTLY and COURTEOUSLY. There are 4 reasons for this.

First, you encourage those who have left positive reviews by thanking them and adding a little something about why you enjoyed their project.

Second, by adding something about their project, you showcase you areas of expertise and you'll likely jog someone's memory who will say, "Oh yeah, that's exactly what I need!"

Third, for bad reviews, it gives you a chance for damage control. But remember, honesty. If you screwed up, own up! Say what you did to remedy it. If it's false explain it. An honest, polite reply to a bad review will still show you in a good light to future prospects.

Fourth, Google loves seeing replies. Why? Because it tells them (right or wrong) that you're an engaged and active business person who cares about their online reputation. Online reviews are great but so are replies to them.

After that, unless the material is libelous there's not much you can do. As the Brits say, "Keep calm and carry on!"

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Yelp, Manta and Google are always asking me to use their services. How can I use these services for a better online presence?

  • By Ian Shere , on May 18 2018 06:41
  • 2 min read
There is no one right answer. How you can get clients is geographic, demographic and industry related. A properly constructed and optimized website is the foundation for any marketing strategy. Yes, I'm biased because that's what I ​do, but it's also a fact. Make sure your designer knows what they're doing with on-page SEO and it's IMPERATIVE your site is mobile friendly. If it's not, you've immediately driven away almost every Millennial on the planet.

​Google adwords. If you don't know what you're doing they'll send you bankrupt. It's a great way to spend money, but, without good knowledge of how to build campaigns that work, your results will be poor.

​Google business page. A MUST! Equally as important as a website. Why? When you do a search for a product or service and there's a list of 3 at the top of page 1, that's Google business pages. It's a simple way to get your business on page 1 with less effort. Again, it must be done right.

​Yelp, Manta, etc, etc. This is where it become geographic and demographic driven. Except maybe Yelp who I ​wouldn't pay a dime. Somehow they've wriggled out of every lawsuit brought against
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