Internet Madness

Oracle Advertising taking marketing to the next level

2012-01-27T02:43:00.000-08:00

Oracle Advertising is among the fastest growing Marketing companies in the UK, the company offers customised solutions to fit every individual need of the marketing industry by attracting the exact prospects and converting them into business. The company ensures to put in place the right expertise to ensure it enhances the business of the clients and not bring down their ROI.

By choosing Oracle Advertising you will receive the best marketing services from every single source and consistency ensured on marketing campaigns. Whether you choose brand marketing or services, you can be assured that Oracle will provide an unparalleled level of service and expertise.

Oracle cherishes its relationships and they realise how important it is for them to keep the consistency throughout. Every step that comes in the way of marketing your product or service, rest assured you have a partner that you can trust.

What the Redwoods Advance guys say…

2012-01-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

Redwoods Advance is one of our clients. The Singapore based company has been doing well in the Direct Marketing sector.

The Redwoods Advance guys sent us an email recently; a mail that was brief, but powerful and brimming with confidence. Here’s part of that mail for you:

Hi
Happy New Year…
For us here at Redwoods Advance and for the Direct Marketing industry in Singapore, 2012 begins on a positive note. 2011 was great, business-wise, we overshot out targets. We know, yes we know, that we are going to make it even bigger in 2012.
We owe a part of our success to you…we’d expect even greater help from your side
Regards

That’s it. Direct Marketing seems to be in vogue everywhere in the world. New Direct sales companies seem to be coming up, always. Well, that’s perhaps what accounts for the increasing numbers of our clients.

Good for us...and good for them too…

Happy New Year to all….

Stag Weekends in Riga

2011-11-21T09:52:00.001-08:00

GoBananas launches packages for Riga for 2012 for stag weekends. Riga is a great destination and one of the few in Europe where your wallet can go much further ( I don't mean in the back pocket of a pick pocket er either). Not being part of the Euro means they still have sensible pricing, making it very affordable.
Gobananas is starting off with the most popular Riga stag weekend packages which includes transfers to and from the airport.
Make sure to book up early to take advantage of booking your budget airline nice and cheap. Riga has all the favourites including stag, paintball, gokarting and of course for the stag nights lap dancing and night club entry.

Perth Planning How long....

2011-11-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

So I get very frustrated with bureaucracy at the best of times, I hear on the news how the government wants to help business, yet the actions of the planning department in Perth seem not to follow this line. For some bazaar reason we had to get planning permission to put a BT line into the new office we want to move into (broadband). So after paying for an architect to do drawings etc for a small cable, we are still waiting for planning to approve it.

Come on how long does it take to approve a cable, it's tough enough out there doing business and surviving never mind having to wait for some one to tick a box in some council building! I will laugh if it takes the "6 weeks" they say it will, I will ask for a full report from the top of the department about why my cable to 6 weeks. I wonder what they have been doing for it to take 6 weeks cos I don't see much in the way of buildings going up at the moment!

When I did speak with them the guy did not seem that bothered by how urgent it is for my business to get this through quickly. Maybe I should give his details out to my employees so he can explain why getting this approved is so difficult and could compromise their jobs. Now that would be an interesting conversation to watch!

baumatic bd1630 problems my dishwasher stopped working

2011-10-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

I have baumatic bd1630 dishwashers in our self catering lodges, and unfortunately one has stopped working. It is only now I feel totally frustrated. The baumatic bd1630 dishwasher just stopped working, I can't choose a programme, normally you would just press P.So I dug out the manual and was surprised to see a very simple and short list of troubleshooting and nothing even remotely close to my issue. The real frustration comes from baumatic lack of either online help or technical help over the phone. The soonest they could get an engineer out was 5 days, even then they won't have spare parts so will need to order them. How come companies like these don't have a online solution centre like many other companies, or forums where others can help. I now have a luxury cottage with no dishwasher working for 2 weeks and no other support for a quicker solution. If you have a problem with a baumatic bd1630 then post here, maybe other people online can help fix your issue. Reminds me to check appliance's support as well before I buy again.

Great Self Catering Cottages Scotland

2011-09-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

Finally got round to building our new site, although still in the development stage Great Self Catering .com will allow us to have one umbrella for all our cottages we want to build over the next few years.
We finished 2 new luxury cottages in early 2011 and had a great response to them, we are now looking to continue building great holiday cottages that people really want to saty in and enjoy.
I would always rate a cottage by how much you looked forward to getting back to it at the end of the day. Our 2 new cottage Stac Polly and Locholly seem to make people want to stay in them, which I take as a very good sign.

Newquay, a stag and hen destination

2011-08-31T02:25:00.000-07:00

I have been updating the Newquay stag weekends pages on Gobananas and see a lot of websites really push the town as a stag and hen destination. Is Nequay really that popular for stag and hens? Do the accommodation providers like hotels, B&B's and campsite like and encourage stag and hen groups to come to Newquay?

I know we had great deals in a small Highland town called Aberfeldy and we sent a lot of stag and hen groups there, but then the locals started to complain about them so we stopped sending our customers there. Now a lot of the businesses we used have gone out of business, so the question is, if the locals want work and local businesses to survive then they have to accept what busniess they can.

Is Newquay a all year round destination or is just a summer option? How do most large groups get to Newquay? Is the airport any good? Does it have lots of destinations flying to it? Is the train quick or does it take an age to get to this part of England?

I know, lots of questions, but before I put a load of effort into promoting Newquay I want to know its worth it. Any feedback from anybody in the know would be great!

Check out Hi Fi Spitfires

2011-08-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Check out Steve and his band

http://youtu.be/AJZXrvK_vwA

Great video and there facebook page is Hi Fi Spitfires

Give great reviews

Confused...Am I?!!

2011-08-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

It's confusing. To believe in the goodness of human nature or not is what perplexes me...

To me both happened on the same day.

The news- a real bad one- of a Malaysian student getting beaten up on the streets in the UK shook me. It happens, you could say, in other parts of the world too; but the fact that the attackers were as young as 11 or 13 makes it most appalling. Mohammed Ashraf Haziq, the victim, was first beaten up, real terribly (you must check the pics to see what a plight he was in after the incident) and then robbed by a passer-by, who pretended to be helping him. Deplorable!! The fact that people make use of such news to propagate religion and religious beliefs too made me sit up and think. Believe me, there was this one guy, who, in a comment said “We need another Christian revival in Britain, dear God, this we need”. There were all kinds of responses to this comment. Someone said, “I am a normal educated person who happens not to be religious but I do not feel the urge to join the looters. Note that Christianity was the religion of Nazi Germany; it did not stop what happened. The nonreligious can have strong morals too”. There was another guy who sounded fairly reasonable, “I think the country has a bigger problem than needing the people to have 'a solid grounding in the Christian faith' will solve”. He went on to say that it's all about being jobless. Well, I just don't know. Would such incidents make a cynic out of me is what I sometimes sit up and wonder!!

Well, on the same day I happened to read a small blog piece, written by someone from Sri Lanka, on how it has become a norm among marketing companies worldwide to engage in humanitarian work. He pointed out that companies like Shaklee Corporation, Trivani and Appco Group have been doing this and then went on discussing the different aspects of it. He even hinted that this could be to promote their business, in an indirect way. But what I felt was this; whatever be their motive, the end result, in a way, is that they are doing good to a lot many people. That counts; yes, that really counts.

Coming across these two things on the same day, I am sort of confused- to believe in the goodness of human nature or to think that the world is going the wrong way. Maybe this is how the world has always been, part good and part bad. The balance has to be maintained that way...

Have a great day, all of you out there....

Enza Marketing reviews 2011 first half performance

2011-07-29T04:21:00.000-07:00

Enza Marketing review for the first six months of 2011 has been given out. For the said period the company was focussed on setting the foundations to make a strong and successful office and also on making a great reputation within the market by maintaining great customer service. Expanding business to two offices was set as the agenda for the whole year.

Here’s how company sources sum up the achievements- “Our greatest achievements to date are the fact that we have taken on new clients and made a huge success of their campaigns. Also we have been working at festivals around the country on behalf of our clients and making them a huge success”. Office promotions have happened during the period.

For the second half of 2011, Enza Marketing Ltd aims at getting involved in the new division coming to the UK and also plans to move to a larger, new location.

Gds International

2011-05-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

My name is Spencer Green. I want the company I founded, GDS International, to be the world’s best business-to-business events company, and I want to run The Virgin London Marathon on behalf of the National Autistic Society. Six weeks ago, a major setback on one goal helped me to see both more clearly...

I have always prided myself on my company’s ability to promote from within – but growth presents many challenges, and an HR rethink was required. Can it give us the best of both worlds? Absolutely: if we get it right…

Web Listings Inc helps submit websites

2011-05-18T01:37:00.000-07:00

Online Marketing is the wave of the future with Hundreds of thousands of bucks being made each and every year. Business enterprise is booming as a web, and you need to make sure the potential buyers are capable to discover your site if you anticipate to be successful. The profitability of the web site is immediately in conjunction with the number of visitors. Even with the finest site and product, probable clientele need to come across your web web page to increase the manufacturer's visibility and success.

Studies point to which much less than 1% of users at any time visit the 3rd or future pages of their search queries. Understanding how up to date search engines work is difficult because up to date search engines are complicated. Most search engines use patented technology enjoy Google's Page-Rank algorithm created at Stanford university. As a consequence of these technologies, to attain elevated placement your site needs to have visibility all over the web.

Web Listings Inc uses sophisticated submission and statistics technology that has been optimized by search engine professionals to increase your web visibility. Our technology automates and optimizes the submission of your site to many of the top search engines, online directories and link exchanges around the web. Even though the majority of your users will discover your site through the major search engines, being present on many other minor search engines is vital both for improving your score on the major engines, and also capturing niche search markets.

Not only can our technology help improve your search engine ranking, but it also gives you detailed feedback in the form of quarterly status reports that give an indication of how your site ranks given your particular keywords. While other web visibility surveys like the popular Alexa rankings are based on small samples of data extrapolated to larger assumptions, our technology measures real-world, in-field results. By simulating potential customers, we enter your search keywords into many search engines to determine exactly how high up you are in the rankings.

Wondering if customers are having difficulty finding your site? Want to do something about it? Web Listings Inc delivers solutions.

Tours of Scotland

2011-05-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Scotland is definitely a place you want to tour and not just stay put in one place. Choosing the right tour for you Will depend on time and whether you want to be on a organised tour like a coach tour or self drive tour.

Although Scotland looks fairly small on a map the diversity and history of the country means there is always something new to explore just around the corner. Also unlike bigger countries, Scotland's countryside can change from glen to glen. For Tours of Scotland check out www.scotland.org.uk is a great place to start.

The most popular tours are 1 day tours leaving Edinburgh and coach tours around the highlands.

New Luxury Cottages Ideal for Honeymoon and Romantic Breaks

2011-04-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

Locholly Lodge and Stac Polly Cottage are the newest additions to www.selfcatering-scotland.net “It took a couple of years for us to find the perfect site that makes the most of this areas stunning scenery and then a further 4 years from buying the land, to get it de-crofted, to getting them ready for April 2011” says Mark Scott partner of the Holiday property group. “We wanted to build cottages that would make people want to stay and relax as much as possible. We tried to think of as many different aspects as we could, hot tubs, wood burning stoves, saunas, fantastic entertainment systems. Having people look forward to coming back to the cottage after a day out exploring this amazing part of Scotland was our main focus.”

The cottages are located on the North West coast of Scotland beside Achiltiebuie about 20 Miles North West of Ullapool with views overlooking the beautiful Summer Isles, “I think the hot tubs have to be up there in the top 10 for best hot tub views in Britain.” The houses sleep 8 people but are designed in a way to accommodate couples who are maybe looking for a romantic break or on a honeymoon. “We designed the house so the upstairs has the lounge, master bedroom and sauna with views out over the sea. ”

Facilities include a private hot tub, infrared sauna, wood burning stove, fully equipped kitchen and dining room, lounge and gallery, master bedroom with en-suite, a further 3 bedrooms down stairs, washer & dryer, 7 acre site. The area is absolutely stunning and is part of the Geopark It starts at The Summer Isles in Wester Ross and continues northwards through west Sutherland to the north coast. You can see photos of the properties and a video on the website. Group Luxury Holiday Cottages Scotland
The cottages are discounted this year to encourage people to try them out, Windyhill cottage which is another cottage owned by Holiday Property Group is almost fully booked all year round.

ASSC I almost joined until I realised I still had to get Visit Scotland involved

2011-04-18T03:37:00.000-07:00

I was just about to join ASSC but stopped again when I was told I needed to have Visit Scotland rate my properties. I have no problem with the quality of my self catering cottages

I would have thought by now the ASSC would have either created an automated system to rate cottages which is something I started a few years ago or done it themselves with their own staff. I don't want to give Visit Scotland any more weight and certainly no more money.

Reviews are the way forward, they are better than any other scheme, sure they are up for abuse if not vetted correctly but the customer feedback is quite often better than any quality assurance. So hey I might not have a hair dryer in every room but I do have a award winning view etc.

So i won't join ASSC until they stop their association with Visit Scotland. I also see they have lots of links to the Visit Scotland website, there are better sites out their with good information.

They have over 600 members which probably also means there is a lot of competition now on their own Embrace Scotland website.

Ubuntu makes things better

2011-03-01T03:39:00.000-08:00

Ubuntu, the new OS based on the Linux platform, is now the preferred OS for the average user and especially for the IT companies with many employees and deadlines to work on.

There are reasons why some companies prefer Ubuntu to Windows. Some of the most quoted reasons are:

Ubuntu is said to be virus proof, at least for now. So that is one of the major highlights of the OS.

The OS is comparatively silky, prompt and simple.

Windows happens to be comparatively expensive and some people even think that it's not worth the money spent.

The default set-up of Windows takes a lot of time to be on track. Thus it takes time for you to make it work the way you want it to work. Windows also needs to be rebooted every time after new installations.

You are most of the time experimenting with Windows and there is vagueness as to how Windows behaves at times.

Facebook hot favourite of small businesses

2011-02-23T02:04:00.000-08:00

At a time when small businesses are turning to social marketing and search engine marketing to promote themselves, it's Facebook that stays on top, as the hot favourite of cost-conscious small businesses worldwide.

Traditional advertising methods have taken a beating and it's now the age of online marketing and online reputation management. It's in this changed scenario that Facebook provides comprehensive service to all kinds of businesses. Facebook pages being cheap and at the time being easy to set up adds to its appeal. The effectiveness of Facebook is also worth mention.

Recent surveys prove that Facebook appeals to at least 70% of small businesses depend on Facebook to promote themselves and their businesses.

A visa to India is not an easy thing…

2011-02-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Are you planning to visit India? Good, India offers lots of things for globe-trotters. Yet, there is something that would make you think twice while planning a trip to the country. Getting a visa to India is not an easy thing. Lots of formalities, lots of hassles in getting a visitor visa, which you may find easy to get for any other country. Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Thailand and many such countries offer free visa while with India, it costs 50 pounds to get a visitor visa. Matters do not end there; you got to send an application and wait for a week to get a visa. Sometimes it’s sent back quoting silly reasons, like those relating to the size of photographs attached. You are asked to send photos of non-standard size and you are left wondering what to do.

No wonder people opt to go visit countries where you are handed a tourist visa delivered on arrival and that too free of charge. The lost revenue thus incurred is considerably great. Hope India does something about that or else it’s the other countries with easier visa procedures that would gain out of it all.

Ali Mir, the cobra lover

2011-02-08T01:51:00.000-08:00

Ali Mir, a vivid cobra lover, has couple of collection at his place. But unfortunately, due to unavoidable circumstances, he had to remove them from his place of the living to a separate area.

Ali Mir’s love for cobra snakes always finds himself wanting for another so badly. He would joke that someday maybe; he will get into the breeding hobby and provide his visitors something new. Though, he is strictly against captive hatched snake babies since they miss out on natural instincts.

One of the priced possessions that Ali Mir has is the large King Cobra. He had a tough time getting it approved from the authorities as it was in the extinct list of species. But considering his love for such rare species of cobra, the authorities granted permission on condition that they will keep an eye on how it is taken care of afar from its natural habitat. With his breeding hobby, Ali Mir is hopeful that one day he will find the right queen for the King Cobra and soon after his tank will have a royal family.

According to Ali Mir 'snakes are extremely wonderful pets' and he loves to have them around his place. He wants his place to be open to herpetologists, and has plans to come up with a lab that deals with breeding. Ali Mir ensures that his snakes are never neglected or abused. Fewer people would ever venture into such wild act, but for Ali Mir it brings more smiles and satisfaction. Thats why we call him Ali Mir Cobra Man.

Spencer Green GDS International

2011-01-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

Spencer Green GDS International

Spencer Green was educated at Millfield School and went onto study law at Kings College. Spencer also represented Wales under 18 at rugby and tennis in the UK National Under-18 teams and played Junior Wimbledon.

Spencer Green GDS has been involved in Publications since 1990 as a Sales Executive, then was promoted to Sales Manager at Sterling Publications.

Spencer Green then went onto creating GDS Publishing Ltd in October 1993 to specialise in industrial, government-led publications for the burgeoning Chinese market.

In 1998, GDS Publishing became GDS International and launched its first conference, Enterprise China. The hugely successful Enterprise series of conferences was rolled out across China and Latin America in the next two years.

In 2000, GDS International launched its first Senior Executive Summit under the ‘Next Generation’ banner. This became the catalyst for ten years of rapid growth (GDS grew 40% in 2010). In 2011, GDS will hold over 70 Summits for C-level Executives from a wide range of industries and across the globe.

Spencer Green GDS International

White Water Rafting Scotland

2010-11-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

White Water Rafting Scotland - Canyoning, Raftingg , white water Duckies are just some of the activities that you can do in Perthshire. Canyoning and Gorge scrambling a great fun activity available throughout Scotland. Involving scrambling snd climbing up or down small rivers & canyons.

White Water Rafting is not for the faint-hearted, but an exhilarating ride down a raging river in an inflatable rafting boat provides excitement that will be difficult to beat on any Cairns holiday. The white water rafts are tough inflatable's with self-draining floors. White water rafting is offered all year round although the rivers will change depending on the rivers water level. For both novice and expert rafters, it is an exhilarating trip down one of the most scenic stretches of the well known Scottish rivers. White water rafting in Scotland can be a day trip, or it can last longer. Regardless your experience some of the best rafting the world has to offer.

Gobananas Bus

2010-11-01T11:06:00.001-07:00

Check out the new Gobananas Bus which has just arrived in Edinburgh. I am going to get it up for my wee lads birthday party as it looks great fun.

It means i don't have to clean the mess up in my own house which is a massive bonus!!! It would also be good for staff parties and wedding transfers.

Gift Vouchers

2010-10-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

Gobananas.co.uk have just launched thier Gift Vouchers, they include all the most popular activities including clay pigeon shooting gift vouchers, paintball, go karting to name a few.

The nice thing about this site is you order the vouchers online and they can be emailed straight away to someone. No hanging about or waitng for the post man. Especially good if you have forgotten someones birthday...

The site is ready to be launched in October 2010 ready for the Christmas Rush

ANB Promotions Ltd shines at Appco Group Convention 2010

2010-09-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

ANB Promotions Ltd makes its presence felt in a big way at the Appco Group Convention 2010 when Mark Cox, the Managing Director of the company picked up the prestigious Marketing Company of the Year award at the Convention.

Expressing happiness at the award, Mark Cox says, “I believe the award isn’t based on the last twelve months; the results we’ve achieved in the last year are a by product of the environment in the office: it’s been set up like a training school rather than just a sales office, with a sales‐based trainer. I’m a believer in showing the FRs what is possible, not only over one, two, or three months, but consistently setting the pace to show them it’s possible to have fifty FRs in a Marketing Company and consistently do 200 sales a week.”

Mark Cox could take ANB Promotions to great heights as he has always believed in working hard. He is also a hard taskmaster. Says Mark, “I demand high standards from myself. I am not afraid to demand the same from those around me.” He also believes in giving freshers a start. “I teach my people early on how to have a first gen on their team. I have a full-time Recruitment Manager to ensure this happens. It’s important to have a consistent stream of new starters each week.”, says Mark Cox.

ANB Promotions has a real good sales force working round the clock and thinking up new things that would contribute towards keeping the whole show going on. The FRs are well‐travelled, which keeps them fresh.

Mark Cox says he owes the award to his team, “Honestly, my goal wasn’t to win the award, but to develop some great people. It only entered my head later on. You can’t be obsessed with the award, rather focus on the new people coming through in your office. Spend time with them, travel with them and invest in them. Your people are constantly changing their situation and you need to focus on them. Their success will lead to your award or any other award, as well as promotion within the business.”

ANB Promotions definitely owes its growth to such a dynamic Managing Director, who believes in working hard even in the spare time he gets so that at a later stage in the growth of the company he can spare time to travel with his daughter.

Coulson Organisation

2010-08-06T03:21:00.000-07:00

Coulson Organisation staff work together daily to share ideas, resources, knowledge and best practice. Together we strive to help clients achieve their customer acquisition targets and increase their brand awareness in the most professional and in the most cost effective way. 

Coulson Organisation Programme is a proven and structured way to get your career in sales and marketing off the ground. It is specifically tailored for each individual and includes one-to-one coaching conducted in a relaxed and fun environment. Click here to read about some of the people that have already completed the programme.

The Business Development Programme at Coulson Organisation is a 5 stage programme that will allow you to develop all the skills necessary at every level. By completing the programme you will become competent in the skills required to manage a successful marketing company. You have the opportunity to progress at your own rate with no restrictions whatsoever. The people that successfully complete the business development programme normally do so within twelve to twenty four months.

Coulson Organisation are also aware about the news recently talking about charity scams, that's why Coulson are only working with household names. Read up more on Coulson Organisations Scam and how they work with charities.

centreparcs Domaine des Trois Forêts review

2010-07-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

We are just finishing off our week at centreparcs Domaine des Trois Forêts and thought I would put my penny's worth in and give you our review.

When we arrived it was a little tricky to find Domaine des Trois Forets as there were not many signs until you get close to the centreparcs. When we arrived it was 36c and very clammy so I was looking forward to getting in the villa and turning the air conditioning. Unfortunately there was no welcome folder or instructions and it took about 1 hour before we realized there was NO air conditioning.

Overall the centreparcs was very good, but a few things we did not like and will put is off coming back again unless fixed.

We arrived to find nothing in English, it was either French or German. No menus, manuals or instructions were in English. This also meant none of the activities were in English. Although not a massive issue for us it did put us off putting our kids in activities. If they have a website in English and a promotional video in English then why not have English in the centre?

We had 2 young kids and there was not 1 washing machine on site? Kids + outside + holidays = dirty clothes surely some one at centreparcs Domaine des Trois Forêts would know that. So why did they decide not to offer such a service. We ended up using a laundrette 12 miles away in Strassbourg, and the owner said she had lots of other families using her from centreparcs.

The food in the restaurant was ok, passable. Found the large restaurant which offered the buffet to be the worst out of the 3 restaurants.

The food shop had some crazy prices, a breast of chicken 8 euros? I can get 2 whole chickens for that price back home. Even a German family who go to a lot of centreparcs found Domaine des Trois Forêts to be expensive.

I would highly recommend staying in the 900 villas, I felt they were the best position and had a great woodland path to the main central bit. Be aware though there are quite a few hills so you will be fit if you cycle everywhere, which is not a bad thing.

Overall centreparcs Domaine des Trois Forêts is a great place if you speak German or French I don't think we will come back because no a/c and the fact there was nothing in English which is a real shame as it only takes 4 hrs to get here from where the ferry lands. Please take this as constructive criticism.

Appco Marketing India Pvt. Ltd. introduces experiential learning through outdoor team activities

2010-02-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

Appco Marketing India Pvt. Ltd. introduces experiential learning through outdoor team activities

Experiential learning is now customised and permeates Appco Marketing India Pvt. Ltd., high-performance learning organisation.

Experiential learning is introduced to the company’s system because one of their core principles is to develop ‘leaders as teachers’ so that the leaders can pass on their vision, values and best practices to the next generation of managers. Moreover, the participative nature of an experiential pedagogy creates energy, fun, laughter and a less hierarchical interpretation of leadership amongst teams whilst conducting activities. After which, a debrief session will help the teams to reflect and then relate the events or experiences encountered while doing the activities (Willmott 1994; Trehan & Rigg 2007). Thus, reflecting and relating over past or ongoing experiences is significant as it helps in transforming the teams to be more effective while planning, working towards common missions, coordinating between teams and celebrating small victories (Reynolds 2009).

Moreover, ‘it is important to understand the company’s needs and goals, after which the experiential activities are designed to suit the set requirements as only then will an experiential learning prove to be such a profound influence for the organisation’, says the Training and Development Manager

Moreover, Appco Marketing India plans to first implement this practice in one of their cities. Only after completion, the effectiveness and outcomes will be evaluated and accordingly they will develop furthermore in the area of experiential learning which will be a tool to explore in depth dynamics that will work to the company’s best advantage.

References:

Reynolds, M, 2009, ‘Wild Frontiers-Reflections on Experiential Learning’, Management Learning, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 387-392
Trehan, K and Rigg, C, 2007, ‘Working with Experiential Learning: A Critical Perspective in Practice’, pp. 400-16, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Willmott, H, 1994, ‘Management Education: Provocations to a Debate’, Management Learning, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 105-36

Gobananas

2010-02-03T09:05:00.001-08:00

Everyone has to Gobananas once in a while www.gobananas.co.uk

Rage against the bankers

2010-01-22T05:01:00.000-08:00

So what will be interesting is to see how the Facebook group does Rage Against The Bankers see if it can get enough momentum from social network sites alone. The effect of Rage Against The Machine really shows how this can be done.

What is apparent is how fast a group that goes after a hot topic can gain momentum very quickly from social sites.

Watch this space.

Ericht Lodge up for sale Fixed £400,000 - My House

2010-01-14T06:08:00.001-08:00

See more about Ericht Lodge http://www.perthshirebuilders.co.uk/ericht-lodge-house-for-sale.htm

Garden, large house and garden

almost 1 acre of land

Front room of Ericht Lodge

Celica Marketing Setting The Pace

2010-01-12T02:03:00.000-08:00

Celica Marketing have gone from strength to strength being one of Glasgow’s fastest growing sales and marketing company. Their focus is very much on event marketing.

Dealing with household names Celica has set a standard of sales and deliverance very few companies manage to attain.

Jobs Scotland

2010-01-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hopefully 2010 will see Scotland Jobs on the increase, many industries remain quite strong including the tourism industry. There has been many more people deciding to stay in the UK for holidays and with many more people visiting from Euro countries like Italy has helped re enforce this.

Also the Internet allows many opportunities for people to start a business from home with very little start up capital. So for people who are looking for to gain employment in Scotland, it maybe a good time to start training up in web design and the Internet.

Often many entrepreneurs come out of a recession when their back is put up against a wall.

Topsider Homes

2009-12-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

Topsider Homes who have been manufacturing quality homes for 40 years have been awarded 2009 award stars by North Carolina Home Builders Associates.

They have also won best website and best brochure and direct mail piece. It's no wonder they have grown to the size they have with customer service being at the top of their agenda.

Areas Topsider Homes have focused on over recent years include hurricane proof homes, with disasters hitting many parts of the world. Their buildings are engineered to deal with the force that hurricans can throw at them, these have included direct hits from Andrew in the Bahamas and Florida, Hugo in the USVI, and Ivan, to name a few.

With the Copenhagen climate council going on in Denmark being green and eco-friendly is close to many people hearts. Topsider Homes look for the best efficiency they can possibly achieve, to reduce as much carbon footprints as possible.

Topsider homes facebook page

5 Bedroom House In Blairgowrie Selling For 50% Of Cost To Build

2009-12-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

I was looking at my home report and realised that Ericht Lodge is actually selling for less than 50% of what it would cost to build. That has to be fantastic value for money. If I was able to move my house from it's present location in Blairgowrie and into Perth the house would be on the market at £810,000.

For some reason Rattray is kind of discounted as not a popular place to stay, but we love it here. It's great and there is a real community feel to the area, we are moving because we need to be closer to an airport as we travel allot.

So if you want a house for half price then get in touch, we are selling Ericht lodge for £400,000 fixed. 5 Bedrooms, 2 kitchens and loads more. See our full description and photos here. House for sale Perthshire.

New Homes Near Perth in Perthshire

2009-11-30T08:55:00.000-08:00

Druids Park is a delightful new housing development located 10 miles North of Perth. The new houses are built to a very high standard and for once without trying to cram as many properties into an area of land.

So many new building developments just squeeze houses so closely together that they should be actually called terraced houses. The Druids Park is located in an old hospital ground with mature gardens dotted everywhere. Each house has a nice size garden and drive way. The design of the properties are also built to a very high specification offering luxury living.

The final phase of this new building development is well under way, so make sure you booking a viewing time sooner rather than later so you don't miss out on these fantastic new houses. Druids Park is located about 5 minutes from the A9 making it ideal to commute to Perth.

Fro more information visit the Perthshire Builders website

Bad Reputation Management On A Country Level

2009-11-26T07:58:00.001-08:00

Having spend most of this week in Kerala, South India I have had BBC World service on most of the week. In the last 2 days I have heard about 2 separate countries and how their reputation is probably destroying 1000's of perfectly good businesses just because they are based in the country.

Hermitage Capital Management went from $25 million to $4 billion by investing in undervalued Russian companies. Today its founder, Bill Browder, MBA '89, says anyone investing in Russia long term "is out of their mind.

For more detail Stanford.edu

Today there is talk in the news about how Dubai World basically the government can't afford to pay their debts yet and need more time.

How many people will not invest in either of these countries regardless of how genuine the opportunity is.

Governments really need to understand the impact of a negative reputation and how long it can last for.

Reputation Management is a must for companies

2009-11-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

It's more apparent now than ever before that reputation management is a must for companies. So what is reputation management? Basically as the net has produced services like social network site, blogs and other channels customers have been empowered to really voice their views.

Effectively anybody can now be a journalist with just a phone, more often than not Twitter is pushing out news before the major news channels like the BBC and CNN. Celebrity reputation management is also crucial, you can't go anywhere now without someone taking a photo and uploading it to facebook within seconds.

To combat negative content can be a challenge but being pro active can certainly help. Check out www.reputationmanagementfor.com for more ideas.

Gobananas makes me Gobananas

2009-11-11T02:44:00.000-08:00

We have been running a very successful business in the UK called www.gobananas.co.uk which helps arrange stag and hen parties across the UK. We wanted to roll this business model out across the globe, so bought the domain www.gobananas.com from someone else. We then proceeded to find partners and build sites like nz.gobananas.com

The problem is 10 months on the site is still not moving above page 3 in google no matter how many pages we add of good quality content or how many links we get to it. It's driving me Gobananas, and what's funny because the site is not ranking naturally yet for the main keywords I have told my partners not spend any money on Adwords as our marketing model includes both organic search results, adwords and normal publishing channels.

So the real frustration comes from Google not telling me what's wrong with the site, there are no messages in webmaster to say there is an issue and I have asked for a re inclusion 3 times... One thing is for sure until the site starts ranking well I won't be spending a penny on adwords.

Gobananas Bachelor Party

2009-07-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

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Cobra Group - How it helped me succeed

2009-06-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

I started with Tuscan Marketing in Newcastle at the age of 20 in 1992. Tuscan was affiliated with the Cobra Group. Having graduated from my HND in Hospitality Management I knew a career in hotels was not for me.

Tuscan trained me on how to do direct sales business to business. I picked up the techniques very quickly and was earning a good income. Back then we were selling all types of products from calculators to vibrating pillows (yeah I know).

I learned so many skills from the training I got using Cobra's proven sales system and my self confidence grew ten fold. I can directly connect the skills I take for granted today from what I learned out on the field:

Having a positive attitude
Planning and goal setting
Communication skills
Public speaking

Having left Cobra Group (after running successful sales offices across the UK) 10 years later, I set up my own Internet businesses and from that have opened several other very successful businesses, all using the skills I learned from doing direct sales back in the 90's with Cobra.

Because our products changed at Tuscan on a weekly basis we never became product junkies, so each week we had to work out what were hook lines to sell the new product. I still use exactly the same skills now when setting up a company, launching a new service or promoting a new website, how do we sell this.

I would not be where I am today if it was not for the sound training I got and all the positive encouragement that the company gave. The one line that always sticks with me, "It does not matter how many times you fail, you only have to succeed once".

Is the glass half full or half empty.... who cares drink it anyway, it's probably free.

Cobra Reigns in the Marketing World

2009-05-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

Cobra Group commenced as a consumer product division and expanded its business into Telecommunication, Insurance, Energy, Home Security, Charity, Sports Marketing, etc., within a span of 20 years. With this market experience and proficiency Cobra has expanded to over 20 countries.
The Cobra Group offers a unique opportunity to develop individuals to excellence by virtue of a worldwide network of contracted marketing companies, which engage individuals in an innovative and progressive structure. Regular conferences are held in stimulating city locations around the world, and all events are designed to continually support learning and development.
Whether you are a business looking to quickly and effectively expand your customer base, or an individual with great leadership qualities who is searching for an exciting and rewarding career change, The Cobra Group and its affiliate network helps you to achieve your goals.

Cobra Group Your Partner to Success

2009-05-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

The Cobra Group plc serves hundreds of leading clients in a range of market sectors world wide. The growth of the Cobra Group for more than 20 years has been solely dependent upon the development of its people. Without a strong bias towards recruitment, training and quality throughout every level of the company, Cobra has been able to contribute towards the outstanding success of so many of its clients. The company has a global reach to generate massive brand awareness, and deliver to its business unprecedented volumes of new customers. The company is dedicated to provide strategic acquisition solutions and generate the best possible return of investment for the clients. Cobra's policy to find performance-driven individuals who place the highest value on customer service has been proven as its Key Element of Success over the years.

Cobra rules the market; and directs it too

2009-05-28T04:10:00.000-07:00

The Cobra Group, the undisputed leader in the direct marketing sector, has not only been ruling the market, but directing it too, to a very great extent.

It's simple and rather easy for the Cobra Group to be the leader in the world market. The well-researched work that backs it all up and the hard work and dedication of the Cobra team, or rather Cobra's 'army' of sales and marketing professionals have all been instrumental in Cobra emerging triumphant in each one of its marketing ventures. Leading companies all the world over have always been vouching their support for Cobra and Cobra alone. For customers, Cobra Group has always been the first choice.

As for directing the world market, Cobra Group professionals are so well-informed of changing trends and the ups and downs in market demands and all that they are always able to predict things with precision. This kind of a foresight has always helped the Cobra Group direct the market, playing a very decisive role on the whole. The brilliant strategists that they are, Cobra professionals even pave the way to setting new trends in the direct marketing sector.

What Cobra can do for you?

2009-05-27T05:53:00.001-07:00

1.If you are a client company:
If you are a client of the Cobra Group, you can rest assured because Cobra will take care of your products and your interests. Cobra knows the pulse of the market and also has a good understanding of changing trends. Cobra Group will take your products directly to the customers and also promote it using B2B Marketing techniques, event marketing/site marketing techniques et al. Cobra will also provide you with sufficient manpower in terms of experienced and dedicated sales and marketing personnel to promote your products/services.
2.If you are a customer:
If you are a Cobra Group customer, then Cobra Group will take care of your needs. Cobra Group knows you very well, just like someone in your family, and has an idea of what you or your family would require, from time to time. Cobra also has an idea of your budget and budget-related constraints. So from time to time, Cobra professionals would bring right to your doorstep what all you need to better your life and living standards and you can rest assured that Cobra will only choose for you what is good, or rather what is best. In short Cobra will do your shopping for you.
3.If you are unemployed
If you are by any chance unemployed and looking for a good job, Cobra could provide you with jobs that are not only challenging, but satisfying too. Cobra Group being a marketing group, it shouldn't be thought that the opportunities are for sales or marketing professionals only. Cobra knows how to bring out the marketing professional in you and also knows how to help you utilize such hidden potentials to the maximum, for your benefit and for the benefit of the whole marketing community.

Cobra Group succeeds wherever it goes

2009-05-25T04:27:00.001-07:00

The Cobra Group is a direct sales and marketing company, it provides customer acquisition, promotional, and direct marketing solutions in the United Kingdom and many more countries far reaching to South East Asian Countries. It also offers sports, residential, and site marketing solutions. The company serves utilities, telephony, financial services/insurance, home security, pay television, charities, merchandising, and consumer products market sectors. It has operations in Australia, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Cobra's policy to find performance-driven individuals who place the highest value on customer service has been proven as one of Cobra's Key Element of Success over the years.

Cobra Group: Miles to go?

2009-05-23T01:33:00.000-07:00

Miles and miles to go-that has always been and will always be Cobra's motto. When Cobra began its activities about two decades back, the marketing professionals made it up in their minds that they have miles and miles to go and should think big. And from there, from this kind of an attitude Cobra made its beginning. The result was that from the early days itself Cobra started showing results, real big, spectacular results. Then on, there was no looking back for Cobra and Cobra professionals.

Even today, with a reputation that it has earned with twenty successful years in the market, the Cobra Group retains the same attitude, the same motto. Every morning the sales and marketing professionals remind themselves that they still have miles and miles to go. This thought, this attitude puts them in the right track and spurs them on to a day of active and zestful marketing, only to emerge with the best of results.

Cobra has down the years earned an enviable kind of track record and reputation and has become an indisputable leader in the direct marketing sector. And the Cobra Group has won and retained the love and goodwill of its clients as well as its customers. But still Cobra Group professionals remain as humble and dedicated as ever and always remind themselves, “Yes, we still have miles and miles to go”. The result? Cobra is miles and miles ahead of other companies and marketing groups.

Cobra provides solace in the times of recession

2009-05-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

The Cobra Group, spread across 22 countries and with more than 800 companies under its fold, offers the much-needed relief at a time when the whole of the world is hit by 'recession blues' (a term unknown at Cobra!).

Wherever you are and whoever you are, the Cobra Group offers you employment opportunities in the world of marketing- personal, direct marketing. Cobra believes that there is a marketing professional hidden in each and every individual and hence believes in tapping such hidden potentials. It's this belief and its uncompromising and ever-zealous pursuit for success that makes Cobra the most sought after name in the times of recession.

For Cobra, the world itself is an ever-expanding market, even in the times of recession. And success is nothing but an every-day reality for the Cobra Group.

Cobra Group

2009-05-01T05:35:00.000-07:00

Cobra Group is very much a Global player in direct marketing. Cobra Group is now in over 20 countries dealing with large well known house hold brands.

Oranjeark BV

2009-02-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

Oranjeark BV have launched a new site in Holland

Sea Kayaking Holidays

2009-01-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

Sea Kayaking is an exciting sport and an exhilarating recreational activity. If you are done with all the crazy stuff on land and sky, embark on a Sea Kayaking holidays. Novices who are just toying with the idea, enroll yourself in a Sea kayaking Course to get a hang of it. A few tips here and there can be very handy when you are caught in the sea. You can easily pick up simple techniques such as forward and reverse paddling and the stern rudder stroke which can keep you steady and going.

This fun-filled activity is definitely not for the faint-hearted. So its important to be emotionally prepared and physically fit, In fact, the activity is a sure test of your endurance and stamina. While Sea Kayaking is a fun activity, it is also a splendid opportunity to see all those lovely destinations which were otherwise unaccessible. Wild life enthusiasts will cherish this opportunity to watch the wild life at close quarters. So when you are planning your next holiday, squeeze in a few hours of sea kayaking into it. We recommend you to brush up your swimming skills, lest there is trouble!

What on Earth to do next?

2009-01-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

So after day of taking down the Christmas decorations and managing to squeeze the xmas tree into the pick up, I started my short journey to the the tip / recycling centre. After watching the BBC news this morning about how that the recycling companies are not being able to sell

on the recycling rubbish it suddenly dawned on me, what is the point?

I have done my fair share of sorting out the rubbish so much of it can be recycled, but the bigger issue that bugs me really is there are too many people on the planet and we consume way to much. The way I see it we have 2 options:

We go back to feeding ourselves (if we can remember how to) working on the land / crofting and smaller communities working together, the real issue with this is, there is not enough land for the population to do it. Which probably means we are now dependant on intensive farming. If we stopped worrying about world domination and trying to expand business across many countries then we could probably all become more self sufficient. The other issue is things like washing machines have taken away much of the daily jobs in the home, the question is has it made us any happier? Probably not, if your like our family you end up going to the shops and spending more money on stuff you did not really need.
The second option I find more exciting, we start to expand onto other planets and start mining off the Galaxy for resources. I would love to think we could do it as a civilisation, but we can't stop fighting over land and religion, so until we resolves these issues we cannot unite as a planet and become space fares.

Anyway that was my New Years thought.

Reputation Management

2009-01-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

Reputation Management - I think 2009 will be the year that people in business will realise how powerful the Internet really is. Most people look at seo as a way of getting their websites to number one. In the past if a company had offered a bad service then normally people would only mention their experience to a few friends and family.

2009 will be the year that companies will start to find more and more negative content about them on the net if their standard of customer service or products are not up to scratch. Like SEO it will take companies time to understand what reputation management is all about and how to deal with it.

Take for example a local plumber in Blairgowire Peter Drummond, I called them to come out to give me advice and price on some work. They told me they would come out in the next week to do a fairly simple job. 2 weeks went by and no one showed up, so I called again about 3 weeks ago, again they said a plumber would be out to do the job early the following week. Again guess what no show... so just before Christmas I called P Drummond and spoke to a lady, after telling her, I can understand if staff are ill or emergency happens and that their staff cannot always make appointments. What I did explain was that there is absolutely no excuse for them not calling me to say no one was going to show. I am absolutely convinced that companies like this don't realise how easy it is now to write about them on the net, another customer looking for a plumber in Blairgowrie could easily find this blog and read it, then be put off using them.

So the lesson really is; no longer is the message of bad customer service passed on in the queue in the local post office but recorded for more and more people to find on the net.

We are often being asked to help more and more companies with their reputation on the net, give me a shout if you need such a service.

Car Hire Prices Europcar Paris vrs Budget Chicago

2008-12-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

I've done a lot of travelling and used my natwest yourpoints to hire cars thinking it was a good idea....

Booked a car with Europcar in Paris Charles de Gaul airport using my points, thinking the car was not going to cost me anything. So I picked it up Friday and returned it Sunday to terminal 2.

Just got my bill in and I have been charged an extra 244.66 (total cost Euros 403) on top, as you can imagine I was a bit flabbergasted...

So they charged me 37.63 x 2 for child seats that were absolutely disgusting, plus we had to fit them... parking fee of 23.40 fuel charges of 35

So just got back from Chicago and hired a car for a week, fuel was included in the deal, got brand new car seats for the kids, total extra cost 200. Hmmm something not quite right here how can a car for 3 days cost more than a top of the range car for a week.

My advice if travelling to Paris Disney Land just jump on the train in turns out much cheaper and less hassle.

Don't wash your hair with mouth wash

2008-12-17T02:28:00.000-08:00

Just back from Chicago at the RSNA, stayed at the Hilton at the Indian Lake Resort, I have to say the staff were absolutely fantastic, probably the best. I have never had service like it and take my hat of to the team. I forgot to take down the guys name in charge of Reception, he was absolutely excellent and the kids loved them. The restaurant team were great as well!!!

One wee note don't wash you hair with mouthwash it stings your eyes and you smell like Polo's all day. Sounds mad but the shampoo and mouthwash are in similar bottles and both blue so if you wake up and running late take the time to read the label ;-)

When I arrived in London I decided to stay near Green Park, becaude of my enjoyable stay at the last Hilton I decided to stay at Hilton Green Park, unfortunately when i asked for the best room rate they quoted £175 bb. I asked if interent was in the rooms which they said it was, however they did not tell me it was it was £15 extra... very annouying. When I checked out she then added taxes on top? I told her in the UK when people get quoted a price its always including tax, she said that was not the case. I asked for the rate card which i signed, it said room rate £175, it did not say excluding taxes. After pointing this out and saying I was going to bring this up with trading standards they did not charge me the extra £26.

Very naughty Hilton Green Park, you may have got away with this due to the amount of International guests you have but anybody in the UK would expect rates to include taxes.

Our Letter to KTM

2008-11-27T01:46:00.000-08:00

18th November 2008
Dear Mr. Najeeb,
Thankyou for giving the members of KTM an opportunity to address political decision makers with some of the challenges we see for the Keralan and Indian tourist industry. A key challenge is to address the issue of tourists visas. Our experience of tourist visas has been uniformly poor: delays, issues with paperwork and uncertainty about the process. Visa offices and the new outsourced visa issuing process is capricious, the behaviour of staff is officious and thoroughly unwelcoming and seemingly random issues with paperwork is grounds for refusal of visa. At a time when so many countries offer visa on arrival, there can be no requirement for the pre-issuing of visas.

We are aware of many visitors who are choosing against India simply on the grounds of visa problems. With Thailand and Sri Lanka so close, why bother with the problem of a visa with the requirement to send off passports. I know Britain makes it very difficult for Indians to travel to the UK but that's no reason to put off the British from coming to India to spend their money. I don't understand why the UK makes it so difficult (especially with our close relationship in the past), maybe they are not interested in Indian tourism which is foolish as you have one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

In the UK last minute bookings are now 60% of our bookings, why don't the government allow people to fill out a card on the plane as is the case with the US. Enabling last minute booking and providing a seemless visa service are future prerequisites for growth in tourism in India.

On a connected, but separate note, Kerala can demonstrate its commitment to a new experience by addressing the passport control situation at Cochin Airport. Things have come to a pretty pass when it is easier to enter India through Mumbai than Cochin. On arrival, passengers should enter a single queue for passport control and there should be customer service teams available to guide and advise visitors. Staff should be trained to expedite the process and a training in “smiling and welcoming” should be imposed so that visitors first welcome should be friendly. Similarly departing passengers should not be required to queue repeatedly to leave the country. A straightforward and managed process for passing through customs, passport control and security should be designed and implemented.

Warm regards,

Mark Scott
Managing Director
HelpMeGo.To Ltd

Celica Marketing Glasgow

2008-11-19T09:32:00.000-08:00

Celica Marketing are based in Glasgow offering opportunities for ambitious and motivated people. If you want a challenging career then give Celica Marketing a call

If you want more information about Celica Marketing check out the Twitter

UK Family Holidays Nottinghamshire

2008-11-12T06:07:00.000-08:00

UK Family Holidays are set to rise in 2009 with cost of travel and everyone really feeling the credit crunch. This is a great time to explore the UK and really find out what this great country has to offer.

You don't have to sit a beach on some island to relax and enjoy yourself, there is so much going on right here on your doorstep. Why not check out Robin Hood country and Sherwood forest or if you want a great deal on Nottingham Hotels check out the tourist board website.

India's Tourist Visa - Indian Travel

2008-10-16T15:10:00.001-07:00

I have to travel to Kerala, India several times a year and have to say getting a visa always always makes my blood boil.

I know in recent months the Indian embassy seems to have made it even more difficult to get a tourist visa. as they have outsourced Not only are the prices confusing but they charge £1 per minute if you call for advice or updates (welcome to India). I wonder how many people are put off going to India because of the Visa requirement. I am totally baffled why India insists on tourists getting a visa, don't they realise how much business and income this great country is missing out on.

Take for example one of the fastest growing markets in the travel business, last minute bookings. If you don't have an Indian tourist visa, then you are unable to make a last minute booking to the country, so people will choose other destinations instead.

I would love to hear any nightmare stories about people trying to get a tourist visa, I will collect all the stories and present them to the tourist department of the Indian government.

Hopefully enough people frustrated like me can make a difference.

I have started an Indian Visa campaign here.

Kerela Hotels

2008-10-07T23:54:00.000-07:00

While doing some research on Kerala Hotels in noticed on of the biggest spelling mistakes was kerela hotels, so in order to tack advantage of it we created a Kerela Hotels page.

Stag Weekends - Hen Nights

2008-02-27T08:33:00.000-08:00

Gobananas.co.uk has finally been relaunched with its new focus on stag weekends, hen nights, birthday parties and corporate events.

There is still much to do, but gobananas will offer people the ability to either contact activity suppliers directly or if they don't have time get the gobananas team to organise their whole event.

Gobananas is looking for new activity suppliers all the time to team up with. The also love unique stuff that people have maybe not tried yet.

Here are their top locations:

PR - Be Careful

2007-11-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

We used Woolfson Communications ran by Rosalind Woolfson to help with our PR. This is the first time I have used a PR company to help with marketing.

I have to say in my own opinion since taking on Woolfson Communications over the last 6 months we've had an OK response, but the money spent on Rosalind's service was definitely not as good as investment as money spent on SEO.

When I asked for the contract to be cancelled I was told by Woolfson Communications I would have to pay about 3k to get out of it. This seems to be absolutely crazy!!!

Is traditional PR really worth the money? Where SEO can bring in so much more for your buck. Woolfson Communications are now threatening to take us court for the money we are supposed to owe to get out of the contract. So they want money for nothing by the sounds of it.

So my advice, do real research, get positive feedback from other customers and make sure you read the small print.

Holiday Cottages Scotland

2007-10-10T12:15:00.001-07:00

We finally got round to our new site Holiday Cottages Scotland, we believe that this is one of the best, most comprehensive sites for holiday cottages in Scotland. You can search for cottages using the map.

Scotland 1 France 0 now Scotland knows what SEO guys feel like!!!

2007-09-13T03:27:00.000-07:00

It was an amazing night last night for Scotland, beating one of the best teams in the world on their turf!!! Well done Scotland. Today people in Scotland are feeling what can only be said, what a SEO person feels when they eventually move up the ranks in google search results.

There is nothing better than seeing your site move above competitions after months if not years of blood, sweat and tears. SEO guys are a bit like plumbers no one really appreciates, what they have had to do to get websites up the search engines, this normally because you cannot see a lot of the work being done. Also like plumbers the client knows its working or not.

SEO is a funny old business, rather like sport. As Liverpool Manager Bill Shankly once said -'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.' Well sometimes it feels as thou SEO is the same as you watch google frantically for signs of change. SEO is like being the manager. You can tell everybody what to do, you can shout from the touchline but you never tell whether they are going to perform. Is your goalie (aka webmaster) going to let a sitter in ie change the way the server works without telling you. Is your striker (marketing director) going to get into his head some strange new strategy that he doesn't tell you about. Every so often it just happens you wake up one morning and you have shot to the top of the rankings... just like last night when McFadden turned and shot it straight over the goalie. Perfect. It only happens once or twice.

So my advice if you want to feel like a champion and walk down the street with your head held high when you have reached the number one slot then remember these simple rules.

Right good unique content
Try and add new pages to your site daily / weekly
Use bloggers on your own site
Make sure your site is well designed and easy to navigate for surfers and search engines
Get inbound links from good quality sites
Don't link to any old site be careful
Don't try sneaky tactics like hiding text, buying link etc Google knows all the tricks

The best sites tend to have been well thought out and have lots of great content which is ideal for the Long Tail theory. Sometimes you will find you get more traffic off all the 100's of pages you've been adding rather than worrying about getting to number 1 for a specific search term. Remember one thing when you do reach number one there is only one way to go so be prepared to fight to stay up there as you will become the one to beat.

All Small Business Owners Should Learn Basic HTML

2007-09-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Nowadays with so many content management systems and software like Dream weaver making it much easier for people to learn how to update websites, all business owners (SME's anyway) should have basic HTML skills.

One of my pet hates is people who use the excuse they hate computers or won't take the time to understand the internet. The internet is crucial to so many SME's these days, for example getting your website on the first page of Google for a certain search term could be like advertising your business on Television around the world, which of course you would not be able to afford.

My other big pet hate is when business owners allow their cousins or nephew to build their site in a bedroom. Now I am not saying there aren't talented nephews or cousins out there but 9 times out of 10 these are the same SME owners who get a poor response from the Internet and wonder why...

My advice to any business owners is take time out and learn as much as you can about the internet and what it can do for your business. Just because you ignore does not mean your competition does. I never thought I would be selling half the stuff I do today through the net.

The net in simple terms can let a business tell the world instantly about any special offers or services you may want to offer. You can use it to update information, play around with prices and also the best thing about the net is you can go to bed knowing that your business is still available and interactive with the rest of the world. There is nothing better than waking up in the morning a couple of grand richer!!!

Here is an example : I have been working hard on one of my businesses Self Catering Cottages in Scotland to get it up the search engines for keywords like self catering Scotland. Now that I have achieved high rankings I have saved myself about £7k in commissions and more importantly increased my revenue. See my self catering cottage in the North West of Scotland I have only got 2 weeks left to sell, this is a massive improvement on last year when i relied on agents to sell my cottages.

So please all business owners learn as much as you can about the net, it could change your business over night...

Heathrow parking offers comfortable parking without delay

2007-08-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

Airport parking doesn’t have to be stressful or of poor standard as we could expect. People have to be prepared before checking into the one of the world’s busiest airport like Heathrow airport. This busiest airport is always crowded with passengers both immigrants and emigrants, obviously you can guess the huge number of vehicles which will have to be parked before the passengers board planes to their destination. Not only the space but also the security of the vehicle also remains the main matter of concern.

Heathrow Airport Parking has a wide range of parking option available to cater the needs of all the passengers arriving and departing from the Heathrow airport. There are parking facility available in and around the airport with a capacity to occupy huge number of cars.

Parking facility is available on and off the airport. The on-site parking available in the airport itself is considered a little expensive, if you are running out of time on-site parking is the best choice, you will get enough time to board the plane, without any unnecessary delay.

The off site car parking will cost you lesser than on site parking. If you have ample time and a desire to travel in a bus before you board a plane then you can opt for park & ride bus service. You can park your car in the spacious parking area located away from the airport and can travel in a bus which is available from the parking area and travel to airport to catch you plane.

There is another option which is Meet & Greet parking, also known as Chauffeur or Valet parking was once only for the rich travellers. But now it became affordable to all the passengers. You can leave your car in this parking area and the service boys out there will park the car for you. No need to queue up for parking your car. Heathrow Parking has all the facility to make you fell comfort and relaxed.

Getty Images are Trying to Getty Me!!!

2007-06-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

A client of mine had a website designed, the images which were used were believed to be 100% legal. Last summer 2006 my client received a letter from Getty images demanding over £1500 pounds plus VAT for one thumb size image.

Obviously my client was shocked by this unexpected demand from Getty images. To cut a long story short, the webmaster had done everything right, he got permission from a hotel to use their images. Unknowingly the people who design the hotel's website took an image off Getty, how on earth then was my client meant to know. Of course the image was taken down immediately and I contacted Getty Images. They were not in the slightest bit sympathetic to my clients situation, and demanded payment even though the image was only on the site for a few weeks on an internal page.

I have been reading around and found some useful information, I am by no means a lawyer or have any legal training, but by the looks of it there are 1000's of people in the same boat.

Also from the same forum:

Found this on www.sitepoint.com/forums/

The UK Copyright, Patents and Designs Act 1988 states the following

Section 98.—(1) If in proceedings for infringement of copyright in respect of which a licence is available as of right under section 144 (powers exercisable in consequence of report of Monopolies and Mergers Commission) the defendant undertakes to take a licence on such terms as may be agreed or, in default of agreement, settled by the Copyright Tribunal under that section—
(a) no injunction shall be granted against him,
(b) no order for delivery up shall be made under section 99, and
(c) the amount recoverable against him by way of damages or on an account of profits shall not exceed double the amount which would have been payable by him as licensee if such a licence on those terms had been granted before the earliest infringement.

Advice to all...
If you live in the UK and have received a letter/email/telephone call from Getty asking for payment for copyright infringement:

DO:

1. Complain to Trading Standards immediately stating that you have received a very threatening demand for money and believe it to be an illegal scam. If you are any doubt that this is a scam, then take my word, IT IS!
2. If the invoice is charging VAT and has a) A US address and/or b) No VAT number, then report them to UK Customs and Excise. This is highly illegal.
3. Remove your site from the Waybackmachine. Both Getty and Picsout use this to get information. Inform the Waybackmachine that you have removed your site and tell them why - they frown on companies like Getty abusing their free resource.
4. Ignore all posts from photographers on this forum. They have no advice to offer you.

DONT:

1. Contact Getty in any way. Ignore all correspondence. If you have already spoken to them, and have not done so already, dispute the invoice and deny all responsibility.
2. Under no circumstances pay them any money. If you have already paid them, report them to the trading standards and write to them stating that if they don't refund your money you will report them to the police.
3. Speak to a solicitor. In my experience (like most others on this forum) is that advice is bad, conflicting and generally designed to maximise their own income rather than resolve your issue.

In the [very] unlikely event that Getty do take you to court - fight them! Legally, they do not have a leg to stand on!

I am not sure what is true and what is not but one thing is for sure it sounds like Getty's business model is not to make money from selling images but instead to make money from Sueing unsuspecting business owners. Ah the American way you gotta love it!!!

If I was a photographer I would be careful about using such a company. I can totally understand why such a law exists to protect your work, but I think Getty have gone a step to far. It's the small guys like me who used to buy of a company like Getty.

One last bit of advice if you have have been in contact with Getty then ask the for the copyright number for the image, the rates on their website for the period of time in connection and the full contact details for the photographer.

If you want this advice to be found by other people then either bookmark this page or link to it.

I now only use www.photospin.com and www.sxc.hu now for all my images.

Stag Weekends: Honda Pilot Racing

2007-06-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Edinburgh is the preferred destination for hen and stag parties. It is not only its famous pubs and nightlife that draws stag groups to the city but also its wonderful array of outdoor sports and activities.

One of the top favourites is the Honda Pilot, suitable only for the more adventurous - those looking for more thrills than what karting and quad bikes can offer.
The Honda Pilot, a 400cc off road dune buggy, is synonymous with the top end of 'Off Road Karting', and is capable of driving over the most demanding terrain. These small single seaters have the off road ability of a quad bike and are much more robust than outdoor karts. They are equipped with bigger wheels to travel over uneven terrain, a roll bar and cage over the kart itself and a safety harness to keep the driver in the seat. Originally designed for sand dune racing in the US, all controls including brakes, steering and acceleration are controlled via the steering wheel.

Before starting off the drivers are given a full safety briefing; race suits and crash helmets are provided at the course. The event begins with a practice heat which is followed by qualifying heats. Then it’s the real thing – the exciting race against the clock and other drivers to set the fastest time around the custom made track. The drivers must try to remain on the track and keep heading in the right direction which is rather difficult considering the tricky nature of the course.

With Honda Pilots you get an alternative to outdoor karting - off road karting –in a very different vehicle and on more rugged terrain. Honda pilots are the ultimate in challenge for the more daring players

Glasgow Stag Weekends

2007-06-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

Glasgow is one of the liveliest and most cosmopolitan destinations in Europe with the most vibrant nightlife in Scotland and the U K's best shopping outside of London. Visitors are always welcome to this city with it’s wealth of cultural attractions and activities. It is easily accessible by road, rail and air.
In Glasgow the most popular elements combine to give you the perfect boy’s weekend. Glyndevalley with its undulating hills and the beautiful East Dunbartonshire area are very popular for stag parties.

Go to Glasgow and you are spoiled for choice. Do you want to have a thrilling adventure? Hit the rapids. You can sit in a one man mini inflated raft and let the daredevil in you take over. Paint ball is a stag weekend favourite that never fails to provide top value entertainment for all the crew.

Try clay pigeon shooting with the help of a qualified instructor. Or why not try your hand at go karting .The fast paced fun of greyhound racing is worth spending an evening on. Other daytime activities include paint ball, health spa, white water rafting, power boating, golf, bowling, rock climbing and Highland Games such as Tossing the Caber.

Glasgow is now seriously cool. There's a bewildering array of superb bars and clubs divided between the West End and City Center districts and all the competition means that prices are cheap as chips. If you're looking for a cracking night out without splashing the moolah, Glasgow is definitely the place.

The numerous bars, clubs and restaurants ensure that there's something for everyone. Enjoy the table dancing from the bonny Scottish lasses, VIP entrance and your first complimentary dance. Or go for a comedy evening where you laugh, get fed and there’s after show music for a dance.

If you go to Glasgow for your stag weekend you can be sure it will be a memorable one.

Edinburgh Stag - Multiactivity day

2007-06-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

Edinburgh is a wonderful city that attracts tourists for vastly different reasons, the historians, the scholars, the nature lovers and the stag and hen weekenders. For the last it is a popular destination, not only for its pubs and vibrant nightlife but also because of the wide choice of daytime activities it has to offer.
Any one coming to Edinburgh for their stag weekend can choose from an exhaustive list of fun activities including driving, country sports and outdoor pursuits to keep themselves busy during the day. Rather than sticking to any or two activities the day becomes more enjoyable by the correct choice and combination of various activities. Competitive activities along with classical team building games will make for an eventful day and you get the most from your weekend. Some popular choices are Honda Pilots, karting, clay shooting, and white water rafting.

When booking certain group activities a minimum number of ten or eight in a group is required in most centers. Of course you will have to pay more if you choose more activities, but the larger the group, the lesser the cost. Most centers offer combination packages, but groups can also go for combinations of their own.
When planning a multi activity day the distance between venues must also be taken into consideration, otherwise more time and money might be spend on travel. A group can choose its favourite activities from a vast portfolio of options to meet its specific interests. This selective approach will result in the perfect activities package to suit individual needs.

Booking Rail Tickets For Stag Weekend in Edinburgh

2007-06-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Travelling to Edinburgh by train is a popular method of transport for the stag weekend, as it means you don’t have to take the wheel. Special offers run from time to time and if you book your train tickets, far enough in advance you will benefit either from special offers or “Apex” fares.
You can book railway tickets in Edinburgh, Scotland using online train ticket reservation service. You can make bookings on all Scottish rail services. You also book GNER services between London and Scotland as well as Virgin Rail services.
If you book early enough you will get cheap train tickets to Scotland. A study of the timetable of possible trains as well as ticket tariff will help you to choose your tickets.
Edinburgh's main ticket station is Waverley Station (or Edinburgh Waverley) and the London departure station is London Kings Cross. GNER Is stated to be the best service.
The BritRail Pass gives foreign visitors the freedom to travel England, Scotland, and Wales at their own pace by train. You may choose from a variety of rail options, to find the pass that best fit your needs. If you book in advance you make a saving..
Scot rail too gives different options for a rail traveler to choose from. Bookings can be made online and both Brit Rail and Scot Rail information regarding tickets and their availability can be accessed on line. You can go for any of the various options such as full price tickets, multi-journey tickets, season tickets for commuters railcards, flexipass, group travel one ticket rail and bus, integrated travel or sleeper.
A stag party in Edinburgh will be hassle free if ticket bookings are done in advance.

SEO seems to be just like fishing

2007-06-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

SEO to me was very much just like fishing, you sit there for ages waiting for a bite, never knowing if you are in the right place, have the right bait or technique.

Coming from a sales background where results in many cases was instant to SEO where much of your efforts become unnoticed for months sometimes years. Well the key I think is to be patient and methodical.

Like any type of success whether its body building, painting pictures or creating a wonderful garden, it all takes time and a strict routine.

SEO can be very intimidating and misleading with so many forums and guesswork going on, not know which argument is correct. Well here are some basic principles I have picked up over time.

1. KISS - Keep It Short and Simple. The truth still stand that less is more, sites that do well have a clear and concise message and aren't cluttered with extra stuff. I know I leave a site straight away if I see an affiliate banner on a home page.

2. All services and products should be easily accessible, the 3 click theory. It should take 3 clicks to get where you want on a site.

3. Make sure your menu is easy for search engines to follow. Text based links are always best.

4. Go after good quality links. Passed experience has shown the harder it is to get a link from a site generally means the site is better. Try and get relevant sites to link to you, difficult if they are competition.

5. Definitely have a site map, this helps spiders and surfers navigate your site.

6. Write good articles about the industry you are in and submit them to article sites.

7. Bookmark your site on social bookmark sites using widgets

8. Keep adding good content to your site.

This is just basic stuff that I do, the main thing is just to be patient and religious in your routine. Happy SEOing

Property is it still a good Investment

2007-06-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

I guess many people in my generation ie born in the 7o's are thinking like me, "what the hell am I meant to do about retirement!" I look at my parents and see them still having to work even though they saved into a pension fund their whole life.

With pension funds being swallowed up, or not preforming like that should, with Gordon Brown still charging crazy taxes on inheritance and capital gains on 2nd properties. What should our generation do...

I see properties as the only way I can control my money, I certainly don't trust any 3rd party company to manage my future, they have only one goal and that is to make money for themselves. With properties in Scotland still rising at a incredible rate, they still seem the best option for a UK investment in my opinion. Of course properties will go up and down, you only have to look at the 80's and 90's but at least they go up over long periods of time say 25 years. I think my parents first house cost them £2000.

Another reason I like to invest in property is if I get a tenant in, they are actually paying for my pension. Of course when you don't have a tenant you have to cover the mortgage, but that's ok cos I would have been paying into a pension fund if I didn't invest in property.

The only thing that worries me is for example the amount of flats for sale in Edinburgh is massive. I don't understand why someone would want to buy one of these new tiny flats... after about 5 years they look awful from outside as the paint starts to fall off. Some of the blocks of flats have been bought by one person which is very scary, if they have a problem covering the mortgages and have to sell quickly, will that drive the prices down on properties?

Banks seem to be keen to lend money, offering cheap mortgages and at sometimes 6 times the amount of someone's gross income. I believe for me property is the best pension fund, if done correctly you can use the banks money to create a great portfolio / pension.

Best flight deals to Edinburgh

2007-05-23T00:07:00.000-07:00

Edinburgh the capital city of Scotland, is an important financial center for the EU. Its famous three week long Edinburgh International Festival attracts a lot of tourists. A city rich in history and culture the medieval Edinburgh Castle looms over the Old Town in all its splendor. Edinburgh is home to many of Scotland’s museums and galleries. This vibrant city is in addition to all this, a popular destination for hen and stag parties. Scotland’s first city with its prolific nightlife and traditional hospitality, its history and culture, and all sorts of stag activities in and around the city is the perfect stag weekend destination.

Are you planning a stag in Edinburgh? If you are, by doing a little homework you can get yourself the best deals when booking a flight into the city.

Once you have planned the date and venue, and the numbers of invitees, remember to book your tickets well in advance. Early booking will get you the best fares. Be on the alert to know when seats are released for the season and book before the fares go up. You will also get better rates if you book directly from the airlines. All the airlines have very easy-to-use booking forms on their websites. Check out the best deals offered by the different airlines especially the low cost ones. Very often a group booking will cost less than an individual booking.

Avoid direct flights these are more expensive. Or you could fly into one of the bigger cities and travel to your destination by train or coach which might save you some money. Flying on a lesser known carrier will work out cheaper than flying on the bigger ones.

Some days are busier than others which means the fares will be higher. On Mondays, Fridays and weekends the domestic routes are busy .So Tuesday to Saturday will work out cheaper. The fares also go up during the time of major events.

In winter when traveling is at the lowest peak, airlines offer the cheapest fares. You can get a real bargain during this time.

Finally don’t forget to take out a travel insurance that will cover the trip starting from when you book the flight.

Male stripping in Hen Nights

2007-05-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

Hen night is a special occasion where you want to get all the fun which you were planning for years. It’s not only about food, drinks, dance it’s about something really weird and every one wants more out of this party and nothing is complete without some wild and sexy things.

Hey here’s the real magic which will drive you and your friends crazy, just enjoy the night sipping the drink and just imagine if a hot and sexy male dancer entertains your group with his sexy moves and athletic body and killing looks, ooh! Too tempting, it would be real fun. These hard-core performances by the stripper will definitely melt the hearts of the entire guest and will entice them to get more.

What else, add some more spice to your hen night and get close to these hunks, wait ladies, you have the real fun left, all those who were dieing to touch the stunning torso of the stripper, its you chance to get your hands on that slippery body and have fun oiling and rubbing cream and strawberry on the chest of these sexy, male stripper.

This would be a great fun experience as by now you too are the part of the show, its all for you ladies its full entertainment and not a nudity show, just relax and have the fun before stepping into a married life. Hope you might not get another chance later so garb the opportunity and get the maximum out of it. Talking about male stripping and not describing about Edinburgh is too kiddish.

The beautiful place has many strip clubs which arrange strip nights especially for Hen Weekends they provide great ambiance with some good music, just have to sit and relax with your friends and make it a enjoyable occasion of your life.

Car hire in Edinburgh

2007-05-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

If you plan to have a stag party in Edinburgh here is some information on the car hire services and the facilities that are available. Edinburgh provides very good car hiring services. A wide range of cars are available; automatics will be dearer and their range limited. The minimum age for hire is usually 23 and in some cases it is 25.

Some companies might arrange for delivery and return service at an extra charge. One way hires are difficult to get from remote locations and cancellations have to be made less than 72 hours prior to car rental.

All cars have seat belts since it is mandatory to have them. Other than the economy range of cars most cars have power steering and airbags. Baby, child and booster seats may be requested from most hirers and are often supplied free of charge.

Some of the firms will allow you to take the vehicle abroad at an extra charge. Based on the type of hire you may get unlimited mileage, but there also companies that allow unlimited mileage irrespective of the type of hire.

The excess on the insurance will be higher for younger drivers and the hirer is liable for damage up to a specified amount. The airport branches of the car hire companies are open on Sundays but for a shorter time. On bank holidays the larger firms are open, but remain closed on Xmas Day and New Years Day.

The company will supply the car with a full tank which the hirer is expected to replace on return. The firm may also charge you a fuel deposit which is adjusted according to usage.

Overseas visitors must have a valid driver’s license or International License and this must be accompanied by a passport. British licenses usually must have been held for at least 1 year.

These are only a few of the basic things to be aware about if you plan to hire a car when you go to Edinburgh.

Guide to Stag and Hen Weekends

2007-05-22T05:33:00.000-07:00

A best man who is organizing a stag party can make it a very memorable one if he puts in some ground work. Edinburgh Stag Weekend Guide

First of all the stag himself has to be consulted on what his preferences are regarding the date, venue, activities list of invitees etc. You must decide on your budget. How much do you plan to spend? The cost may not matter, but if it does, then plan accordingly.

Fix the dates and the venue. The date has to be convenient for the stag and the invitees. It would be advisable to fix on a date at least 2 weeks ahead of the wedding. Once the dates have been decided on, decide on the venue and plan the guest list. You must decide on whether the party is to be big or a small exclusive one. The stag has to be consulted with regard to this. He may wish to invite certain people or not to invite others. After all it is his stag night. Confirm whether all the invitees will be arriving, and if the dates are convenient with all. Book early so that all the invitees can be provided for.

You must also consider whether you want a theme based party, which might need a little more organizing, but may be more enjoyable. Transport facilities for those who are coming will need to be arranged.

Other points to keep in mind are what to do, what games to play and what to give. A surprise for the stag will have to be planned but not one that is demeaning, even if rather nasty.

It would be preferable to avoid provocative entertainment, but that depends on individual preferences.

Prepare a speech to be delivered at the stag party.
These are just a few tips to help you plan a stag party without too many avoidable hitches.

Scotland’s capital Edinburgh is a magnificent city, rich in history and culture. It is a part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The city oozes character from the stunning castle that proudly overlooks the city to the innumerable streets of bars, clubs and restaurants.

Edinburgh is the ideal city break for a Stag Weekend. The highland games, traditional Haggis served with ‘neeps & tatties’, a tour around Loch Ness, the beer and Edinburgh’s explosive club scene make it the favourite destination for lively stag weekends with an international flavour.

The city has a range of entertainments on offer. One can go natural White Water Rafting in Edinburgh, canyoning, off road driving or cliff jumping. In fact the area boasts some of the most diverse range of outdoor activities in the country which makes Edinburgh the perfect weekend destination in every respect.

Edinburgh has the distinction of being steeped in both history and alcohol, and has an astonishing number of pubs. The old town of Edinburgh is famous for its legendary Grass market area of pubs and cobblestones with Guinness galore and whisky chasers. It is a veritable stag weekend drinker’s paradise. The in Edinburgh pubs are famous for their extremely good measures.

The city is the second most popular tourist destination throughout Great Britain, second only to London. There are plenty of activities and attractions to keep a one busy. The many fairs and festivals simply add to the excitement. A stag weekend in Edinburgh is a fantastic stag experience.

Is it Goodbye Google?

2007-05-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

For the last seven years I have been using google adwords over any other form of advertising. At the start, keywords were very cheap as there was very little competition, but of course, like all new things the honeymoon period is over.

Over the last 12 months Google has changed a lot of its algorithms to return better results and continue the fight against spam. However this fight may have gone one step to far...

As a small business every penny counts, I have invested a lot of our revenue into Google adwords over the years. I also look after quite a few of my clients adword campaigns, but over the last 12 month I've seen 3 major factors change, and it may be Goodbye Google as far as spending money on adwords is concerned.

1. Naturally there is more competition now on adwords than what there was 5 years ago, or even just 12 months ago. My cost per click has almost doubled in the last 12 months, and to also add salt to injury my conversion of enquiries has dropped considerably. These two elements compound the fact that costs have gone up and conversion has gone down, which in turn means the cost per sale has risen dramatically.

The content advertising has also seem to get weaker for many of our adword campaigns, we have recently stopped advertising on the content network. I have tracked many clicks coming from bogus sites over the years, and I'm not sure google can track all the bogus sites and clicks.

I know Google rewards sites for good conversion, I'm pretty sure that our conversion rate is one of the best, so I would hate to think how much the other sites with lower conversions are paying. Over the last 12 months I have managed over $200,000 in adword advertising.

2.The second reason we are looking at alternatives is our Adsense revenue is 1/4 of what it was last year. The weak Dollar against the GB Pound really also does not help. What I am unsure about is how Google is charging more for adwords and maybe paying less for adsense? Or is it because of reason 3?

3.Over the last 18 months has been a nightmare for any internet business relying on traffic from natural searches. Since Google's updates, many of our sites which were doing fantastic, have now gone. I can understand link popularity and the reasoning behind it, but the fact is most small business do not have the time or the resources to do the link building that is required of them.

I will give you an example, my number one revenue site for sales www.edinburghstagparty.com

After a long hard effort the site's home page came back for the keywords:

Edinburgh Stag Party

But the many 100's of keyords like Edinburgh Hen Weekend or Edinburgh Stag Weekend we have never returned for. I would expect at least Edinburgh Hen Weekend or Edinburgh Stag Weekend to be just as effective. I know there will be many of you out there saying well this page is not optimised that alt tags is missing etc, but I can give examples of sites higher than mine who mention the keyword once. Google used to rate them for the keywords, so it knows what the page is about, but for whatever reason has decided to supplement most of my pages.

I did a test last week and for the first time in a long time, I got a much better result from advertising in a paper than I did in Google adwords. What I think has happened is Google has taken such a large proportion of companies advertising spend like mine, that it's forced the traditional channels of advertising to me more competitive. So for 2007 I will be spending less with Google and more on other advertising mediums, I will also be advising my clients to also consider looking at similar avenues.

I would love to hear feed back from anyone else, I'm sure I am not the only one in the UK who has noticed it.

I saw this more feed back on other people with issues about google Scobleizer

Looking For Well Organised Link Partners

2007-05-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

I am looking for webmasters, SEO companies who understand the importance of good quality link exchange. We run many websites and feel with the right partners we can all benefit from good quality linking.

We have begun writing good articles with deep linking and placing them on 3rd parties websites. This has shown to be very effective if done correctly. If you are interested in teaming up with us and have good quality sites and don't do black hat tactics we would love to hear from you.

Email links@helpmego.to