Written by dave | 24 September 2010

So the end of another week - and it's been a very productive week with the launch of a new website (www.aonesitecleaning.co.uk), a couple of web development projects won and a couple of really worthwhile networking sessions squeezed in there as well.

You know those moments where you're speaking to someone or watching TV and you think, "actually, I've been doing that for ages, but never thought about it in that way"? Well I had a moment like that this week.

I met a really interesting lady at a local neworking event on Wednesday afternoon call Carolyn Morgan (www.penmaen-media.co.uk). Carolyn is a new media guru and advocates the use of social networking to sit alongside traditional marketing strategies as well as well written, credible website content. Carolyn says that blogs, tweets, facebook status's and LinkedIn updates are superb methods of getting your message out there and the more time you can devote to your social networking the better your online profile will become. And with the advent of Google Realtime, the time has never been better to invest your time in making sure your social networking platforms of choice are kept current and on topic. It's called a social media strategy.

Now as I said, hearing Carolyn talk for the first time was one of those moments for me when I thought - "blimey, I'm already doing that", while everyone around me was either in a state of shock ("facebook being used as a business tool - you're joking!") or a state of panic ("how can I possibly find time in my busy day to 'play' with twitter?"). I've got my facebook group, my twitter feed, my LinkedIn network and I've also registered with websites such as 123people, FriendFeed, FreeIndex and UK Local Search, and I've got links to all those places plastered all over my site so that if you Google "web design in market deeping" then you'll find my in my many guises.

But (and there's always a but isn't there?), what's the point of doing all of that if you haven't got anything to say? That's the genius behind it all - that's what gets people hooked and brings them back to your site and your various social networks. In a nutshell, you have to be interesting and on topic. You need to follow your industry and comment on it. You need opinions, thoughts, messages and ideas that people want to read and listen to and say "do you know what, that makes sense." Because when people start to trust you as a voice of reason in whatever business sector you work, they'll come to you for advice and they'll want to trade with you.

People buy from people, and what better person to buy from than someone you trust and someone who understands what you want?

So guess what, Carolyn's got a workshop running on 14th & 20th October called "How to generate new business with online content & social media marketing" (click here for more details) and I'll be there because I like what she's got to say and I'm sure she can help my business and all of my client's businesses in our efforts to increase and improve our internet presence.

I'm hoping it's not rocket science, and it is infact common sense! I'll report back after the workshop.

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Written by dave | 17 September 2010

How much do you spend on online and offline marketing? Does it work for you? How do you know? What measurements have you put in place to ensure you're not pouring money down the drain with little or no return?

It may seem a bit daft for someone who advocates Google Adwords and SEO campaigns, but what's wrong with good old fashioned word of mouth?

When did you last pick up the phone (you know, that thing that takes photos, plays games, browses the internet and plays music - it also allows you to talk to other human beings!), and tell a friend, colleague or client what great service you've had from a supplier?

That's got to be worth 50 cold calls for your supplier so you're doing him a massive favour, and you're also giving yourself a great excuse/reason to call a client for an informal chat. You never know, it may turn into revenue for you as well!

Whilst paid for advertising definitely works (we've got the stats to prove how good Google Adwords is), it's not for everyone. If you're on a tight budget or fishing in a very competitive market why don't you start a referral scheme up and invite your clients to recommend you to some of their people? It's the ultimate in viral marketing where everyone wins and it doesn't cost a penny!

It's a dog eat dog world out there so small businesses need to stick together and help each other out, so go on, do someone a favour and tell a mate how good they are.

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Written by dave | 10 September 2010

So Autumn is officially here - well it is according to the TV schedules anyway!

X-Factor is well and truly ensconced into our Saturday evenings and Strictly starts this weekend - so it must be Autumn! Add to that the fact that the nights are drawing in and the football season is well underway, there's nothing to do but accept that Summer is over. What Summer? Well, we had a good June and July (cast your mind back) but August was dreadful.

Anyway, back on topic, with Autumn brings thoughts of Christmas and the new year and whilst we're still 3 months away from the big day, if you're not already planning your festive web strategy you'd better start now.

What will be your big sellers this year? What keywords are going to bring you success? What's the theme of your Christmas programme? Are you considering an offline marketing campaign or are you going to rely on your adwords and your search engine optimisation to get your website on top of the Google Rankings? How are you going to make the most of your marketing budget? Have you embraced the world of social networking like facebook, LinkedIn and twitter?

Like I said, there's not a lot of time and there's a lot to do! If we can help, give us a call on 01778 382717 or email us today at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - web consultation, web design, web development, web optimisation - whatever your requirements, we can make a difference to your website!

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Written by dave | 04 September 2010

It's hard to believe that in this day & age anyone with a computer can get their calculations/accounts in such a mess - but it seems that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have done just that.

Six million people are now facing new tax bills because they have either under or over paid their PAYE contributions over the past 2 years! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11186397) How can this possibly happen?

We, as UK tax payers expect at the very least, the government and their many agencies to have their accounts in order - they certainly seem to know when we don't! WE rely on them to know what we've paid and what we owe and to be able to calculate this accurately and quickly. We have so many other things to look after and worry about that we need to trust HMRC to do their job - otherwise, what is the point of their existance? If we had the opportunity to interview and appoint our own tax collector how many of us would employ HMRC?

In this day and age of credit crunches and recessions we need to have the confidence in our government and trust that they know what they are doing with our finances.

So this got me thinking. How many UK businesses rely on others to manage their accounts, IT systems etc but don't really know what their "preferred" partner is doing, how much they are charging them and most importantly, if they are getting value for money?

As business owners, it is your duty to your business to keep a close eye on the small detail, otherwise your costs will spiral and you could be taken for a ride.

If you're unsure of what your website is doing for your business; what it costs you and what return you're getting from it then you could potentially be wasting a huge chunk of your marketing budget. If you want some straight answers and an honest opinion on your web strategy then give dorwardmedia a call on 01778 382717 or email us now at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We all work far too hard for our money to have it wasted by 3rd party suppliers who don't give a second thought for you, your business or your circumstances. It's a question of trust - if that's not there then perhaps it's time for a change?

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