The battle of sexes continues in the virtual world and it’s the fairer sex that leads the way according to the latest report from Nielsen.

STATE OF THE MEDIA SPRING 2012 – ADVERTISING & AUDIENCES PART 2: BY DEMOGRAPHIC released today is a US-centric study on who is engaging and where and it throws up some interesting stats, suggesting a big shift in the online audience in recent years. The report shows that women are now significantly more likely to engage with social media than men.

Women are also 8% more likely than the average online adult to build or update a personal blog and 6% more likely to have created at least one social networking profile

If advertisers needed more proof that their target engagers are female not male the report also suggests a lady is 12% more likely than the average adult to purchase a product featured on TV.

A pretty clear definition and pattern that advertisers will no doubt no longer ignore. So don’t be surprised to see more fluffier, pinkier or simply more feminine websites and networks springing up in months to come as the strive for social media returns enters a new chapter.

Share and Enjoy

Comments

OK, so you won’t learn how to cook gourmet meals or how to fly a space rocket from reading this blog, but you hopefully will at least be on the right road to success. The key to success is being more effective in what you do and the key to being effective is by being more efficient in what you do. If you can be more efficient, achieving results in faster time, you will have additional hours in your working week either to apply yourself to get more done or look into new projects or ways of doing things. In fact time is the key to becoming a millionaire. Of course for some it’s timing – right place, right time – but even for those, it is usually a fact that they have striven hard to achieve even if that hasn’t been possible.

So being more in control of your time is the golden ticket to being better at just about everything so here are our 6 tips on how to improve your time management.

1. Acknowledge that ‘Time Management’ is just a meaningless buzzword

Don’t think of this as a magic wand. However good you become, there are only 24 hours in every day and you can manage that how you like, but without sleep, food and simple brain down time your success will be thwarted. Time is a set thing, what you need to manage is yourself. You need to create the balance between, work, life, and everything else.

2. Identify inefficiency

Working 24 hours a day won’t help you in the long run, in fact you are better stopping and re-appraising what you are doing for an hour or so to identify where you can be more efficient. In fact, to do it properly try to keep a time diary for a week. Note what you are doing and when. You will be surprised at the number of hours you spend ‘surfing the net’. Do you spend too long doing basic admin tasks that could be done by another less experienced person. However, big or small your business having a Man Friday or Woman Monday type person who can deal with the more basic tasks can often make a massive difference and give you more time to be doing the things that will actually earn you money.

3. Rate your tasks

From your time-use diary have a look at what you have been doing and properly assess what is most important to your success and to making money. This is probably the toughest part of the operation, but most important. Everything will be relevant and it is important to getting a fine balance. Don’t just choose the easy bits, or the fun bits and don’t narrow your focus too much either. However you also need to be realistic, remember this is a time management task, so you can’t cram everything in every day  and do it justice.

4. Structure your day

Have set periods throughout your day. Do creative things when you are usually most creative, and mundane tasks when you are less creative but also less likely to make silly mistakes. Make sure you set an admin period too, so that those need to do tasks don’t get missed off. Realistic is important though. You probably won’t get even get all your priorities covered in a single day so as well as structuring your day also structure your week.

5. Prioritise

This is the key. Priority tasks don’t necessarily mean they have to be crammed in first, it just means they are more important to be done properly. So plan your priority tasks across the week, but make them the most important things you address in each of those days. In that way you will be able to give each of those priority tasks the proper focus, time and attention they need.

6. Re-assess

Don’t think that your first attempt at organising your life will be perfect. If it was that easy we’d all be doing it. It should be an ongoing process. Your priorities in life, in business and in the world in general will change over the time, so should your prioritised list. It is worth looking at it every week. Set a time, either at the end of the week or very start of the next. Choose your priorities and plan your week ahead. You will be surprised at how much extra your will get done.

Finally good luck, we didn’t say it was easy.

Share and Enjoy

Comments

Love them or loathe them the London Olympics are set to have an impact on everything we do this summer and with just over three months to go until “London 2012” the impact on business is beginning to become clear.

UK parcel delivery companies are already preparing to cope with traffic flow issues across the London road network. Many of the big name delivery companies are thought to be considering surcharges during July and August to help cover additional costs such as even sending staff out on foot to skirt around the disrupted transport networks. With nearly a fifth of all deliveries in the UK made to London-based addresses the forecasts suggest that the number of deliveries made per driver may even halve.

Yet it is not just parcel delivery agents and couriers that need to be worried. Almost every trade and business is likely to be affected. Retailers will have to work hard on customer service to manage expectation of customers waiting for urgent deliveries that may not be able to get through.

Transport for London (TFL) and Olympic officials have been consulting for years to assess the impact and have designed a 109-mile “Olympic Route Network” and “Paralympic Route Network” . The aim is to allow participants at the games to travel quickly between event venues, but with each network expected to cover 2.6% of London’s roads, the impact on the local and national communities could be massive. The route networks will add waiting restrictions, various checkpoints, traffic flow modifications and even complete road closures to non-event traffic.

That may have a massive impact on people travelling to and from appointments, even commuters getting to work. While the roads are likely to be the most affected, the railway and London Underground network will be hard hit too, with

While the main event only runs for 16 days days from 27^th July, the disruption is likely to be from the day the torch relay his London on 21^st July until the 10^th September which is the day after the Paralympics closing ceremony. That’s longer than the traditional school summer holidays when Londoners normally heave a sigh of relief that peak-time traffic has dropped off. It’s not just Londoners who will be affected either. The parcel delivery issues will have nationwide impact, as will people’s movement restrictions in the capital, but in addition the Olympic torch relay will be travelling the length and breadth of the country from 18^th May when it arrives in Cornwall, bringing with it days of local disruption too.

So how can you Olympic proof yourself? Here’s a few ideas from us:

Avoid the Capital

If you don’t need to be in London during this time, it is probably wise to avoid it, the biggest disruption will be in the capital city.

Be flexible

If they are going to be affected by traffic issues, consider allowing your employees to work from home or at least work hours that will avoid the worst of the issues.

Be pro-active

Give your customers a heads-up that you may be affected, especially if it is not obvious – ie you are not located within a few miles of the Olympic park.

Promote social media as a communication tool

If you run into problems you will want to let your customers know as quickly as possible. Twitter and Facebook are proven to work in this regard so make sure your customers know about your channels and that you will be using them.

Replenish stocks now

While it may impact on cash-flow now if you rely on parts to be delivered on a regular basis you will save a lot of headaches in the long-run by buying ahead and stockpiling now, as deliveries in a few months time may not be able to service the demand. The same is true regarding your own offices stocks such as paper and ink. Think ahead and save time and hassle.

Share and Enjoy

Comments

You might remember that in May last year some new EU rules came into force. Dubbed the ‘EU cookie law’, the legislation says websites have to get permission from users before storing pieces of information called cookies on their computers.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files which websites place on visitors’ computers. They’re typically used to identify that particular visitor and provide them with a better experience. Cookies are a crucial part of many website functions which we take for granted.

For instance, it’s usually cookies which allow online shops to remember what items you have in your shopping trolley. They’re also used to keep you logged in to a website, or to provide valuable usage statistics and information to website owners.

If you run a website, it almost certainly uses cookies. Their most likely function is to monitor visitor numbers and behaviours through tools like Google Analytics. They may also be used to display relevant adverts to visitors, or – if you sell online – to power key parts of your online shopping system.

What the cookie law says

Although the cookie law came in last year, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) decided to give websites a year to implement the rules. The deadline is 26 May 2012 – after that date, websites which don’t comply with the law could be fined up to £500,000.

The implications of the new cookie law could be far-reaching, yet there’s still a lot of confusion about how the rules should be interpreted and what websites need to do to comply. As a result, many websites are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach.

In short, the new rules require websites to get permission from visitors before placing any cookies on their computer. Permission must be informed and overt, which means you have to ask visitors outright if you can put cookies on their computer, and explain clearly what the cookies are used for.

You can’t bury the information in your website’s terms and conditions and leave it at that.

The only exceptions to this are cookies deemed essential to providing functions visitors have asked for. But you can’t rely on this to cover many of your cookies.

The ICO guidance on the new law (PDF link) says that “this exemption is a narrow one”. It’s certainly not likely to cover cookies for analytics purposes, which is one of the most common uses of cookies – particularly for smaller websites.

Implementing the cookie law

Even with the May deadline fast approaching, hardly any websites have done anything obvious to comply with the cookie law.

The few which have begun seeking permission tend to use messages displayed at the top of the screen or overlaid on the website’s pages.

As you’d expect, the ICO website has an opt-in message at the top of every page. And BT has begun displaying a message (right) to explain a bit more about its cookies, although it’s debatable whether this is a proper opt-in.

But by and large, most websites are keeping their cards close to their chest. That’s understandable, when you look at the commercial implications: when the ICO added an opt-in message to its website, measured visitors dropped by about 90%.

That didn’t mean the site was receiving fewer visitors – it just meant people weren’t opting in to cookies, so the ICO couldn’t track what those people were doing.

For sites which rely on accurate visitor data to make money, the implications are significant. Adding an opt-in could leave them at a disadvantage to competitors, which is why there’s a real reluctance on the part of website owners to be the first to move.

The bare minimum

It’s looking very unlikely that many websites will have implemented a cookie opt-in by 26 May. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be doing anything at all. In fact, the ICO – which is responsible for enforcing the rules – has suggested that the most important thing is to take steps in the right direction. If you can show you’re moving towards full compliance then you’re unlikely to be targeted.

As a bare minimum, it’s important to have an understanding of what cookies your website uses and plan how you might implement an opt-in.

It’s useful to know exactly what cookies your website uses anyway, and you can do this relatively easily using tools like Bitstorm View Cookies or Attacat Cookie Audit. These will show you what cookies your website creates as you move through the pages.

The harder bit is working out how you would create an opt-in function on your site. As we’ve seen, most websites display a message to users – but the tricky bit is creating the back-end logic to ensure cookies are only set once people have given their permission.

If you’re not adept with computer code, you might need some help from a web developer to accomplish this. There are some ‘plug and play’ tools available, like Optanon and this tool from Wolf Software (designed for sites using Google Analytics), which could make things easier.

Don’t do nothing

Although there is still a fair amount of uncertainty around the new law, it’s fair to say that doing nothing is not a good option. In the long-term, people’s attitudes and understanding of cookies may change – and web browsers may include settings to help provide a consistent opt-in.

But for now the onus of complying with the law falls very much on individual website operators. And while the chance of being prosecuted may be small (at least to begin with), doing nothing at all is a dangerous move. To start with, review guidance from the ICO (PDF link) and try and establish what cookies your website currently uses.

• Even Europe doesn’t understand the cookie law
• That’s the way the cookie crumbles

Share and Enjoy

Comments

They say practice makes perfect and the same is very true in the Twittersphere. The reason Stephen Fry and Richard Bacon still have such strong Twitter followings is in much part due to the fact that they have been doing it so long they understand the medium better than anyone else. For the Twitterati it is usually clear from how and what they tweet that Twitter is now an essential part of the their daily routine.

With that in mind here’s our six top tips on how to become more tweetable:

Learn the ropes

Before you plunge headlong into launching a Twitter profile for your business make sure you really know what it entails. Monitoring Twitter is free and doesn’t need you to be tweeting, just watching and absoring information.

Get personal before you encourage company

It’s probably wise to protect your brand first and make your first Twitter steps under a personal account. It needn’t even be in your name, create an alias if you like but certainly get to understand how Twitter works under the bonnet. The intricacies of how it works can only be understood by using it.

Practice keeping it short

It is amazing how difficult tweeting can be. The say size doesn’t matter, but on Twitter it does. 140 characters is next to nothing. Especially if you are replying to another twitter user with a 10 character twitter name – that’s 12 characters (10 for the name, one for the @ sign and one for the space before it). Being concise is one thing but ensuring it makes sense too takes time.

Be creative in your language

In primary schools they call them WOW words in the Twittersphere they work. Descriptive, short, sharp and to the point – the language you use should be as creative as the concepts you are tweeting about. A clever choice of words will also help you stand out from the crowd – but don’t try to be too clever.

Editing is an art, a skill and a science

Twitter and most Twitter clients will tell you when you are over your character limit and help you pare it down, but being able to do it first time without the prompts will save you time and hassle. Remember you want peope to respond to and possibly comment when they re-tweet, that’s when it gets very skillful. If you want to encourage comment with a retweet, you need to leave enough space for your tweet, your username and their comment. A real case of less is more.

Make it regular

Not a chore, but apps like Buffer and IFTTT and various Twitter clients allow you to schedule your tweets so you can build up a stock and have them released over time. If you choose to do that make sure you are monitoring any responses though. Twitter is all about immediacy, and engagement wont come from a five hour delay in responding.

Share and Enjoy

Comments

It seems everybody under the sun knows how to use Google nowadays. Whereas once you could shine and show colleagues and family how to make the most of the internet, now Googling is almost as natural as brushing your teeth – whatever your age and experience.

Yet, there are still some hidden Google talents that you can use to impress but also use to maximise your own Googling efficiciency.

In an almost throwback to days gone by, Google still responds to some old fashioned code and search operators with some fantastic results.

Say you are on the hunt for sites that are looking for guest bloggers (We are, so get in touch!). Instead of just typing in “guest blogger wanted” for your google search, be more creative and slightly more geeky and use some Google Search Operators like:

inurl:write-for-us ‘domains’

The search operator inurl: means that Google will restrict the results to documents containing that word in the URL. In this instance, the term ‘write for us’ is being searched for. If you want to find those words but not necessarily in that order then try the search:

allinurl: write for us

Note: There is no space between the inurl: and the following word.

In fairness you can use all of these operators and more simply by using the Google Advanced search options, but we know people rarely do. Plus when showing off to your mates, there is something almost mystical if you can use Google Search Operators in their raw form.

Give it a try.

Share and Enjoy

Comments

Last month we gave you a heads up about the pending closing date of the Nominet Awards 2012 being April 12th… well if you missed it you are in luck. The deadline has been extended by a few more days and entries now close on April 16th (on Monday). So don’t delay,  get your application together and in over this weekend.

Share and Enjoy

Comments

Your business plan is probably the most important document you will ever create during the life of your business and yet you are expected to create it before you have even got things under way. That often makes it appear more scary than it really is, so here’s 6 top tips from us on how to approach creating your business plan:

Don’t be scared

You are only sharing what you already know and believe. A business plan is simply a sort of resume for your proposed business. It has very similar uses to a personal CV too. You should use it as your calling card whenever you have important meetings, say with your would-be business landlord, bank manager or potential investors. In those sorts of situations explaining what it is you want to do and where you want to head with it might not come across clearly in conversation and then your written business plan comes to the fore, outlining who you are and what your purpose is.

Include your dream as much as reality

Don’t make stuff up or set unrealistic targets but certainly make sure your business plan is created to explain and illustrate the vision you have for your business. Your dreams and aspirations and the passion you have for them will go a long way towards convincing others into helping you achieve that vision. Do achieve this you will also need to show how you realistically intend to achieve your targets, what expertise you have and where you will obtain help from other experts to ensure your venture is successful and will turn a profit.

It is a document for you, that you can share

Too many people think that a business plan is somehow separate from their day to day business. In fact, it is quite the reverse. What you do day to day and where you want to head from that is what your business plan needs to be about. While it is important to create a document that presents your business concept so that others quickly grasp what you hope to` be doing, your business plan should first and foremost be developed for your own use. Use it to guide decisions, inspire you in moments of despair and refocus you when you are faced with juggling several things at once.

Be honest with the figures

A business plan needs to be truthful and have attainable targets. Consider precisely the expenses you will incur for each aspect of your business. Projected sales and monthly expenses should be based on at least some sort of market research (and include reference to that too). Set your targets of the volume of business you will need to generate in order to meet your obligations and work from there. How realistic would it be to generate more business on top of that?

Include reference to people

Even those who are not yet signed up to work for you. Include descriptions of the sort of people you intend working for you, what their expertise, experience and strengths will be. Include the same for yourself. As a start-up business the people within your organisation are probably the most important asset – especially if the salaries you can offer are fairly restricted. Getting staff who will go the extra mile because they buy into your company idea will make you far more productive in the long run.

Keep updating your business plan as you evolve

Your initial concept presentation plan is vital to get your business going, but always ensure you review your plan at regular intervals and keep an updated copy too. Make sure you revisit it and update any projections with some actual figures and revised projections. Include periodic reviews of how things have gone and what you have learnt and how you are implementing it. You never know when you may need to seek new investment so having an up to date business plan ready will save you a lot of stress over time. It will also help you stay focused on where you want your business to head.

Maybe it is all common-sense, maybe you need a little more guidance. There are countless Business Plan templates available on the internet but importantly remember your business plan needs to be unique to you. A template should be used as guidance not as a definite way of doing things.

Share and Enjoy

Comments

Taking countless exams and years of study – often in your ‘spare time’ not only shows dedication but also a high level of specialism in your chosen subject. That’s why becoming a qualified professional is something 1) you should be proud of 2) potential customers should be able to identify immediately.

In domain terms now there is a badge of honour that can instantly show your professional status. The .pro domain extension is designed for professionals to promote their knowledge and business know-how to potential customers. Whether you use simply your full name (johnsmith.pro) or you go more descriptive (johnsmith-surveyor.pro) there will be no doubting your qualification status and expertise.

At just £14.99 a .pro domain is a very affordable away of gaining trust from your potential customers and promoting your professional status to those who might want to know.

Share and Enjoy

Comments

Last week the case for email got several boosts across the globe. While the Royal Mail announced a massive rise in the cost of a first-class stamp, highlighting the decline of snail mail thanks mainly to the use of email, the experts and latest surveys suggest that email is still the top dog and likely to be around for a lot longer.

From the Huffington Post we learnt that email connects 85% Of The World compared to social media that connects just 62%. Elsewhere in a presentation at the World Hosting Days summit, Rafael Laguna, gave an informed opinion that 40% of people spend their internet time on their email – possibly a time management issue as well as an indicator of the importance of the format.

Meanwhile in a separate survey – based on German IT decision-makers – 84.1 of respondents confirmed they believe email will still be the most important instrument of business communication in 3 years and less than 5% think that social networks will replace email communication. So getting a decent mail system in place is very important.

Yet email is certainly no longer something to be used as a standalone function. Successful email needs to be fully integrated with everything else you do and 123-reg’s new improved 123-mail offering helps you do just that. Cloud-based management of email, tasks, contact and calendars, gives you features normally only associated with desktop email clients, but now wherever and whenever you need it. Plus upgrade to the Professional package  and you will get document sharing, version control and mobile handset synchronisation too.  All from just £4.99 per month. Find out more here.

Share and Enjoy

Comments