Tag Archives: technology

Edinburgh Panda = Good. Google Panda = Bad.

1 May

Google Panda updates have re-written the SEO rulebook.

 

On 24th February,  Google’s most recent large algorithm update saw many websites’ rankings (and therefore traffic) fall away. It’s subsequent release to the rest of the world in April saw a similar effect. What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that for most websites, their rankings have only just begun to be effected.

This most recent update, seems to be effecting many smaller websites. Whilst Google is eager to downplay the size of the most recent update, it is clear that for many people the effect may be worse than the initial release.

What does this mean for you? Well, if you have duplicate content issues then you really need to sort them out! Furthermore, Google’s algorithm is increasingly becoming smarter at judging the quality of a website – no longer on just a content level, but also on a design level.

Recent updates to Google Analytics’ tracking code include a new metric to measure page load speeds. This hints at another new metric Google will use to evaluate your website’s quality. If a page takes too long to load then that’s bad for visitors  and Google will stop sending visitors that way.

Whilst standard SEO techniques still stand, it is more important than ever to ensure your website has high quality, unique content that is genuinely engaging,  insightful for users and visitors and most of all interactive via social media avenues.

For more help with you sites search ranking, contact Marketspan.

Need more proof – search ‘SEO Edinburgh‘ and you will find that we are 3rd/4th in the organic listings – quite impressive for a small firm with such massive competition!

So true!!

26 Apr

Find your unique profile name for ALL platforms using this handy website … Name Vine

Mobile Websites: Over-rated or Opportunity?

23 Apr

Given the recent statistic that 75% Smartphone users are now making purchases via their smartphones, did you know that only 17% companies have mobile-optimised websites?

17%. That includes the big player’s right through to the one-man bands, so what’s taking them so long to realise the opportunity they are missing out on?

Presumptions?

This is just a phase, it’s a fad, it’s overrated, etc. We know it’s hard to figure out the gold-dust from the bull, especially when every new marketing/technology article claims to contain ‘The Next Big Thing’ – well this actually is. And it is here to stay.

And in the time it’s taken everyone to wake up to the importance of mobile websites, a whole new platform has emerged; the tablet!

Although the screen is bigger therefore permitting main websites to be viewed, sometimes the basic info is all customers need so a mobile-site is still applicable and should be optimised for this handset.

Fear?

Oh no! We’ve just spent all this money on developing our website into an all singing-all dancing interactive arm of our sales team – and now we’re told it needs to be ‘simple’ and not feature many options!

Fear not, the actual main body of the site doesn’t need to be changed. As long as you inform your mobile website developer which links or pages of your site are most popular, these can be the focal point of your site and visitors will always have the option to view the original website as well.

Too much effort?

Now you’ve got used to updating your Company News, Facebook and Twitter once in a while, will a mobile website just create unnecessary work for you?

Updating your mobile site is as easy as updating your main website as any new or edited content from your main site is added automatically, but at any time if your visitor priorities change, let your web developer know so we can make the mobile site user-friendly again.

The reality

Don’t be put off by fear, presumptions of mobile websites being a ‘fad’ or too requiring too much effort.

Every website is different; therefore every user experience needs to be treated with care, as your customers do. If you know which pages the majority of you customers go to (using Google Analytics for example), it will be a lot easier to create your site.

If you own a restaurant and you know most website visitors click to your menu and opening times, then these shall be the main click options of your mobile site. It’s as simple as that.

And don’t forget: allowing customers to buy from your site is also an option; this is called m-commerce.

Contact Marketspan to chat through this some more.

Shopping Cart Abandonment and Tips To Avoid It

18 Apr

If you have ECommerce or are thinking about adding a shop to your website, then this is invaluable information.

Contact Marketspan for ECommerce advice and to upgrade your shopping cart.

Infographic from Monetate.com

How are Smartphones Being Used?

16 Apr

Did you know that just recently smartphone penetration hit an average of 40 percent? Have you ever wondered though how those smartphone users are using their mobile phones? To help you get a better understanding of how smartphones are being used, the team at Tatango compiled data and created the infographic below.

Smartphone Usage Infographic

With more and more people using their smartphone to access the internet, is your site up to the job? At Marketspan, we can a mobile enabled mini site to encourage more mobile and social usage of your site to boost traffic and referals. Chat to us more »

DropBox | From Humble Beginnings…

13 Apr

From humble beginnings in an apartment in 2006 to dominating the free cloud storage market in 2012 Dropbox have built and expanded on a business model that is proving to be extremely successful. The online market for storing, organising and sharing information between platforms and devices has never been more competitive but after receiving $250 million in funding last year they are now looking to be a dominate force in the market as larger technology players such as Google and IBM scramble to replicate their innovations.

Read their blog for new and exciting developments and to Download the desktop/mobile app.

This Infographic was produced by infographiclabs.com
 

Genius use of QR Codes

9 Apr

John Caples International Awards

Rise of the QR Code

20 Feb

Qr_codes

Make the most of QR Codes…We’ll print 500 QR Code stickers for you to put EVERYWHERE and design a Facebook landing page encouraging people to LIKE YOU all for £250.

Contact us for more information.

Is your website meeting the needs of on-the-go mobile users?

26 Oct

Before we dive into the best practices, it’s important to keep one thing in mind—the person viewing your site is mobile. 

Mobile_internet

That may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how many people forget that simple truth. When someone is mobile, they’re expecting an entirely different experience from the one they’ll get on your standard website.

For example, a mobile visitor is typically looking for a few key pieces of information: directions to your office, a click-to-call phone number or a map of your store locations. What they’re not looking for are lengthy staff bios, information about your corporate philosophy or PDFs of your latest press releases.

1 | Simplify

The first step in creating a mobile site is determining what content you’ll include. Given the restricted amount of screen space, it’s important to figure out what key pieces of information your visitors will probably be looking for.

A store locator? Probably. A “Contact Us” form with 13 different fields to fill out? Not so much.

2 | Site layout

Mobile web pages will load slower than traditional web pages, so it’s important to keep the number of pages to a minimum. In addition, users won’t have the patience to click several pages deep on your site. Given that, it’s important to keep the site layout as streamlined as possible.

3 | Design Consistency

Even though your mobile site will be much more streamlined than your standard site, you’ll still want to incorporate the same branding elements on both sides of the equation.

Mobile

4 | Avoid Flash or Java

The obvious reason for avoiding Flash is that Apple products do not support Flash and have declared that they have no intention to do so in the future. Because iPhones make up about 30% of the smartphone market, a significant portion of your audience may not be able to access your content if you use Flash. Similarly, many phones do not support Java, and even if they do, using Java can be a huge drag on load time.

5 | Don’t use pop ups

Navigating between multiple tabs and browser windows is more difficult on mobile and can cause slow load times. If you need to open a new browser window, make sure you alert your user so that they know how to navigate back to the original page.

6 | Use mobile re-directs

Once your site is designed and ready to go, make sure to put redirects in place that will sniff out when a visitor is using a mobile device and direct him or her to the mobile-optimized version of the site.

Creating a mobile site is not difficult – you just need to know what you are doing. Contact us for more information of keeping your mobile clients in the know.

View the full article here

Calling all Apple geeks.

2 Sep

When it comes to industrial design, few consumer electronics or computer makers have the legacy or influence of Apple, Inc. In the last 35 years, Apple has introduced a myriad of products and devices, some very successful, some, not so much.

Artist Mike Vasilev created this infographic for Mashable, highlighting the major Apple product releases and design changes from 1976 through 2011.

With rumors of the iPhone 5, iPhone 6 and a smaller, lower-cost iPhone all spreading through the technosphere, we feel certain that at least one more item will be added to the “redesign” list before 2011 closes out.

The_apple_tree

What is your favorite Apple design of all time? Let us know 

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