Owner: Web Design Sydney URL:http://www.wiliam.com.au/wiliam-blog Join Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:21:48 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: wiliam web design in Sydney provides content management systems, email marketing software, web hosting and search engine optimisation. Site statistics:Click here
Email Marketing, increasing click-through rates 2007-07-05 00:00:00 A key component of any email marketing strategy involves the creation of an email template that is specifically branded and designed to support the marketing objectives of the campaign. Some possible email marketing objectives include building brand awareness, promotion or a specific call-to-action. However, there has never been a clear answer or in-depth research as to whether a button or link is the better call-to-action.
A recent article Button Vs. Links: Which Is The Call-to-Action Hero? interpreted several different online surveys and queried top online retailers in an attempt to draw conclusions between the use of buttons or links in an email. Although on initial analysis the article surveys and research seems to value links, in the end buttons used as a form of primary call-to-action gained far greater success in click-throughs in email marketing campaigns.
The article further stated that email campaigns that used buttons as the primary call-to-action; couple Read more:Email
, Marketing
, Email Marketing
Web Design, Social Networking the Great Divide 2007-07-02 00:00:00 An article on BBC News, Social
sites reveal class divide illustrated that just like the real world, social networking websites are showing signs of social divide, class and societal values.
The article was based on research by a PhD student Danah Boyd from the School of Information Sciences at UC Berkeley. The research is still currently in its draft phase and largely based on statistics on the US, though some broad results for the research so far illustrate the following:
Geography, race and religion are significant influences within social networks, it makes targeting specific audiences online and within social networks more effective.
The research revealed that Facebook users tend to be white and come from families who encourages children to attend college, whereby MySpace users tend to come from families where parents did not attend college.
There is no conclusion in the research as to whether one social networks is better than the other, though the results reve Read more:Great
, Divide
, Web Design
Apple's Safari 3 Browser for PC - First Impressions 2007-06-18 00:00:00 Everyone that knows me, knows that I'm a loyal Apple
fan. I have been since I got my first Apple Mac LCII. So, when I heard that Apple were releasing Safari
on the PC, I was straight in there and installing it - which was hassle free.
Why was I so keen? Well, having used it quite extensively on the mac, I was keen to see if it could take on the current heavyweights, Firefox and Internet Explorer. Now, obviously still being a beta release I was expecting a few kinks in it, but the only ones I've found so far are in how it renders some pages such as Google Maps - on the PC version only, which highlights that there's still some fixes being put in place between the platforms.
Then, starting to browse sites, it's noticeable faster in rendering sites. I mean really noticeable, in-particular Web 2.0 Websites, such as the Wiliam site. The lag we'd grown to expect from Internet Explorer and Firefox just wasn't there.
Using Safari has always been a pleasure on the mac as it lacks the Read more:First
, Impressions
, First Impressions
Online Travel Websites 2007-06-18 00:00:00 A recent article Online Travel
ers Bargin-Hunt on the Web detailed some interesting statistics on internet-using travelers and their behaviour online.
Even though the statistics are based on users in the US, the results should still be considered as a possible trend in Australia for travel websites.
The survey results revealed that for certain travel products, users were inclined to research online and make reservations offline. The survey completed by Burst Media found that 50.1% of users were likely to research hotels online and make reservation offline.
It was also found that as the travel product became more complex, users were more likely to research online and make reservations through an offline agent. This could be a result of the current limitations of travel websites to provide the personal experience and comfort of speaking with a live travel operator.
A very good example of a successful travel website designed by Wiliam, is Globus, the array of tools such as compare, save a Read more:Websites
Australian Political Blogging and the Benefits 2007-06-06 00:00:00 In the past 6 months Wiliam web design (Sydney) has noticed a trend amongst Australian
politicians. Many have come to realise the benefits of blogging and Web 2.0 technologies. Why is that?
It seems that many Australian Politicians have watched the success of American Political Blogs and are seeing it as an effective Web 2.0 technique to reach out to voters, stirring emotions that trigger them to vote favourably.
Furthermore they are beginning to understand the benefits of using their website as a communication tool to maintain an on-going relationship with its supporters. In addition they realise that a Web 2.0 optimise website will reach and influence the internet savvy, generation Y market through social networking and social media techniques.
In light of the many enquiries contacts Wiliam web design has been receiving in relation to political blogging and political websites, this article provides a brief insight into the benefits and techniques behind political websites.
Fir Read more:Blogging
, Benefits
literature and Web2.0 2007-06-05 00:00:00 As the Web continues to grow, it is good to see the arts and literature represented on-line. Of course, many arts and literature sites are either experimental or produced by single artists, authors or critics.
Some privately produced art and literature sites are very basic - but even these are often innovative. Others are associated with multi-million dollar web sites.Web 2.0 is advantaged by a number of creatively orientated sites both large and small.
The most popular book club in the US - and probably in the world - is that developed and maintained by Oprah Winfrey. Oprah's Book Club draws millions of readers to the Web to read reviews, watch interviews.
Oprah recently (Tuesday June 5th in the US) conducted an on-line interview with Cormac McCarthy - recent winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his apocalyptic study of the human condition titled 'The Road'.
Oprah's book club continues to strengthen its reputation by offering free membership and the opportunit
Web for charity 2007-06-05 00:00:00 The Web provides a great way for charities to encourage participation from the community at large. With the continuing uptake and improvement of eCommerce and Web2.0 features for Web sites, innovative sponsored Web sites for charities are taking off.
It would seem only logical that the instant global reach of the Internet might benefit charities in terms of the scope of their contact with potential benefactors in worldwide communities.
Charities such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation in Australia report excellent responses to and beneficial results from their Web site.
Leveraging contemporary Web features through implementation of on-line applications for research grants and volunteer roles, on-line auctions and donations, the National Breast Cancer Foundation has seen positive results.
Barnardos Australia performs superb work for underprivileged children, and although their excellent site lacks eCommerce facilities for browsers to make donations, the
Online set to take the title this year at local dealer level 2007-05-25 00:00:00 There is no doubt about it, 2007 is set to be a monumental year for Automotive online, a year that sees the end of the traditional, a year that sees the crowning of a new king.
We commented back in April "Automotive Online Marketing Communications Sales" that online sources have already claimed 4 out of the top 5 spots as information sources for the car buyer, and now a report released by Borrell Associates earlier this week shows online set to become the top marketing channel for used car marketers at the local ad level
, surpassing newspapers for the very first time.
We always knew this was going happen, but the speed in which it has marks a significant shift in paradigm. Local level used car advertising for car dealers has always been the tried and tested method of advertising. âYou've gotta be in the local papers..â is a comment heard around used car lots nationwide, but now it seems that the final out post for traditional media has been conquered.
With online adve
Why is Web 2.0 important for corporate websites 2007-05-22 00:00:00 A recent article in the SMH titled It's web take 2.0 confirms what we have been telling our clients for a very long time. When considering your next web design project or the upgrade of your current website, it is important to keep in mind the differences and advantages of a Web 2.0 website.
The article discusses the latest Web 2.0 technologies and various innovative companies and organizations which have taken the initiative and developed a competitive edge by taking on such Web 2.0 technologies within their company.
In a hope to explain the various Web 2.0 technologies, this blog is aimed at outlining the features discuss in the article and how they are beneficial to a business or an organization.
What is a Swicki and Wiki?
A Swicki is a community powered search engine, that learns and tailors itself to the needs and wants of a community (Eurekster).
Examples:
Imaging Associates - The Swicki attracted a community of professional digital photographers to the website. Read more:corporate
Online Shopping Thrives as Product Research Moves Online 2007-05-17 00:00:00 A recent on-line article published by eMarketer reveals statistics that seem to demonstrate that normal market patterns will transpire over the next few years for on-line shopping, with the percentage of Internet users that shop on-line leveling out at about 80%. According to current data, the plateau has already started to make itself felt, with the estimated percentage of shopping Internet users above 14 years of age hitting 80% in 2011, compared with an estimated 78.5% in 20071.
That said, the overall figures suggest the number of on-line shopper in the US alone will rise from 133.1 million this year to 155.7 million in 20111.
Nevertheless, the eMarketer article suggests that the trend will assist traditional retailing giants in their already reasonably successful attempts to leverage on-line channels to strengthen both store based and on-line sales.
Apparently, increasing numbers of shoppers - regardless of whether they buy on-line or in store - are doing their product research on- Read more:Shopping
, Research
, Online Shopping
Google expands its empire and gains more advertising measurement tools 2007-05-16 00:00:00 John Davidson's recent Australian Financial Review Article reports on Google
's acquisition of new on-line metrics capable advertising technology from DoubleClick. The technology enhances and expands on Googles existing on line advertising mainstays: AdWords and AdSense.
According to Davidson's article, the two primary advantages for Google seem to be that Microsoft doesn't get the technology, and that Google can now gather substantial 'click-through' based data on how users are responding to particular on-line advertisements.
Greater metrics (statistical measurement of responses to on-line advertising) are seen as increasingly critical in marketing industry literature because of the value of such data to advertisers trying to effectively target on-line consumers.
In the Financial Times article, Google co-founder Sergey Brin indicates that user privacy is still paramount to Google, and is reported to have indicated that the search term data from the Google search engine was 'unli Read more:gains
Shift from print to on-line directories 2007-05-16 00:00:00 Neil Shoebridge's recent article about Telstra's on-line and traditional directory advertising in the Australian Financial Review highlights the challenges that Sensis and Telstra are tackling in making adjustments to accommodate the ârapid growth of its on-line and mobile phone products.â
In Mr. Shoebridge's article, various industry commentators and market analysts opined (often differently) on the prospective outcomes for traditional print and on-line directory advertising in the light of the rapid advancement of on-line directory products.
The end of the article mentions that the on-line version of Sensis' Trading Post newspaper has seen an 85% increase in usage over the past two years, and that Sensis advertising spending increased by 10.3% (to February 28 this year) over the previous same 12 month period. Moreover, âTelstra's total ad spending jumped 52.6 per centâ¦during the same period.1â
With such large corporate bodies wrestling thus with the impl Read more:Shift
Microsoft and Google Compete 2007-05-16 00:00:00 John Davidson's recent Australian Financial Review Article reveals that Microsoft
, having failed to acquire DoubleClick recently (losing out in the bidding to Google
,) had moved on to attempt a partnership with Yahoo! in order to strengthen its on-line advertising capabilities.
The Financial Review article suggests that there will potentially be some intriguing knock-on effects in Australia if Microsoft partners with Yahoo stateside - due to the local partnering between Microsoft and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. (ninemsn) and Yahoo and PBL competitor Seven Media Group (manifest as Yahoo!7.)
To further emphasise the degree to which competition between the two IT giants is heating up, not only is Microsoft considering partnering with Yahoo to try and gain search market share from Google, but Google is continuing with the promotion of its Google Apps software, which is seen as an attempt to penetrate Microsoft's office technology stronghold.
References and Further Reading Read more:Compete
web 2.0 websites outsell salespeople 2007-05-09 00:00:00 Should a business hire a new salesperson or develop a new web 2.0 website ?
Having encountered this scenario time and time again in my sales role at Wiliam web design and web development, the answer is highly dependant on a range of factors;
the nature of the business's products and services
the sales process (lead times, current conversion rate, current sales material)
the demand for the business's products and services through current channels (referalls and cold calling)
The demand for the business's products and services online (to be examained in detail below)
An overall assessment of the long-term and short-term benefits of a web 2.0 website to the business' growth
The business'committment to utilise a web 2.0 website to attract leads and compliment the current sales process
Transactional or service based ?
The above factors are of particular importance to businesses that deal with the sale of products and services that require alot of assistance, time and
Email Marketing Survey, how to make campaigns more effective 2007-05-08 00:00:00 An recent article by Mark Brohan on Internet Retailer survey: A missed message evaluated the results of a survey conducted with 302 web merchants.
The survey discovered some interesting facts on the effective
ness of email marketing and the popularity of emails as a key marketing tool. This articles discusses some of the survey findings and analyse how merchants can improve on their email marketing strategy.
To begin, email marketing industry standards state that in order for a email marketing campaign to be considered effective it must have a delivery rate of 80% to 85% and an open rate of 35%.
Survey ResultOf the 302 merchants surveyed only 59.3% of them had acceptable email delivery rates
Solution A low delivery rate is often a reflection of a ill maintained mailing list. It is crucial to maintain your mailing to remain as current as possible.
sitecast Wiliam's email marketing solution allows users to easily manage, update and edit their mailing list to ensure that all email c Read more:Email
, Marketing
, Email Marketing
drive.com.au launches car buyer research 2007-05-07 00:00:00 I was a guest of Wiliam client, The Alto Group at a lunch last Friday, hosted by Fairfax Digital CEO David Kirk.
The lunch was to launch research undertaken by Drive, The Sydney Morning Herald's (and The Age's) Friday and Saturday car classifieds section, and Fairfax Digital's online car classifieds search engine. Drive has been a consistent second to carsales.com.au in respect to online visitors and pages, though combining both print and online users, is Australia's largest vehicle classifieds. They were particularly keen to push this point as you would imagine.
The research itself was conducted by Blue Moon Research, and while comprehensive and no doubt well conducted, nonetheless presented as a thinly veiled sales presentation for Drive.
Not that it was expected, though the research was in no way ground-breaking, effectively providing affirmation of much of what is known or assumed by many automotive dealers, or at least those I talk to. This said, there research presented some Read more:drive
Design and Development of a Web 2.0 classic 2007-05-07 00:00:00 When we set about building the new Wiliam website, we asked ourselves what we were trying to communicate to people about our web design and development skills.
But, in this day and age, what do you have to do to make your site standout from the rest? Do you go with some sort of Adobe Flash example showcasing your creative and technological skills, but potentially sacrificing the search engine optimisation of your site?
Perhaps a really image heavy html site, that'll be slow on some machines but, with a bit of creativity, can be rigged to contain a plethora of keywords. How about an AJAX head rush application style site that really pushes the newest and coolest user interface and web design ideas on the internet, following in the footsteps of cool Web 2.0 sites such as Digg, flickr and bloglines.
Well, we decide to try and create something new. Something better. Something that took all 3 ideas, and turned them into something else. It would be big headed of me to say that it's web 3.0 Read more:Development
Website design for a growing Chinese Audience 2007-05-07 00:00:00 Chinese users move online
According to the 19th Statistical Survey Report on Internet Development in China published by CNNIC, by the end of 2006, internet users in China had reached 137 million, approximately 10.4% of China's population.
China's Internet users increased by 26 million in one year, comparing with December, 2005, showing a growth rate of 23.4%. In addition to this, the number of registered .CN domain names in China increased to 1,803,393 - an increase of 64.4% in just one year.
There is no way back from this incredible period of growth and now it is up to marketers to penetrate the market and to create strategies to market to the growing number of Chinese companies and consumers online.
As is evident from the emergence of the English language based Internet, it is significantly better to be avant-garde and capture this market as it grows rather struggle to enter an already saturated market years from now.
Clearly it is important to understand the specific needs an Read more:design
, Chinese
, Audience
10 tips to developing a successful intranet solution 2007-05-07 00:00:00 Magazine webmaster and vice president of technology at CIO, Tim Horgan recently discussed various strategies for making an intranet an indispensable business building asset rather than a failed collaboration tool and a significant expense. The inevitable intranet solution
To say that intranets are everywhere would be an understatement.
In a recent Forrester Research Inc. survey of executives at 50 Fortune 1000 companies, 96 percent of those polled were either building or already using internal websites. Of which, Only 4 percent had no plans to invest in intranet technology.
There's no doubt that intranets have emerged as big business information infrastructure. Used appropriately, such a powerful one-stop information resource can help any organisation improve communication, cut costs and reduce time to market.
However, the best strategies for developing
an intranet solution become less and less clear the bigger the organisation becomes. The evitable intranet project that is corr
Best New Technology Gadget Guy 2007-05-04 00:00:00 The Gadget
Guy website has experienced absolutely phenomenal success since its launch in September 2006.
What started as a idea has now truly turned into Australia's most innovative consumer electronic review website.
This was notably confirmed when Gadget Guy was awarded the Sun Microsystems IT Journalism Award for Best New Technology
Title in 2006.
The sheer numbers of visitors to the Gadget Guy website is another indication of the website's success.
Keep an eye out for more exciting things to come from Gadget Guy in the upcoming months.
Wiliam is one of Sydney's leading web design and web development firms in Australia. Wiliam offers Web 2.0, internet marketing, business web hosting, content management system, email marketing software and search engine optimisation
Link Bistro - Link Exchange and SEO Tool
Web 2.0 paves the way for Citizen 2.0 2007-07-18 00:00:00 The life of the traditional marketer is under threat. Under threat from a new generation evolving in our midst's. A new generation that is set to rewrite the marketing text book on âhow to effectively target the consumer.â
Make way for Citizen
2.0!
Greg Muller, Managing Director of iFocus, an Australian-based eBusiness information management firm wrote an article for The Age highlighting the impact that Citizen 2.0 will have on marketing communications come 2012. Citizen 2.0 / Generation Z / Generation Alpha / Generation 9/11, however you want to refer to this socioeconomic group as it matures into a spending consumer has already been tagged 'The connected Generation' and brings with it a whole new set of core values, expectations, and requirements that marketer's really need to start considering now as the shift begins.
No longer does the mass market 'one message for all' philosophy reign supreme, marketers should be broadening their skill set now to b
Gadget Guy TV Launches, Online Video Advertising On The Rise 2007-07-18 00:00:00 Last week Wiliam Web Design and the Gadget
Guy launched Gadget Guy TV, featuring a comprehensive archive of all appearances of the Gadget Guy and special online only videos this website is an example of the growing trend of online videos and online video advertising.
eMarketer recently revealed their prediction that by 2008 50% of the US population will be viewing online video on a regular basis. In consideration of the continual improvements in Australia's broadband network, it wouldn't be long before a similar trend will appear in Australia.
This leads to Gadget Guy TV, directed at the tech savvy mums and dads of Australia, Gadget Guy (Peter Blasina) regularly reviews the latest gizmos and gadgets. The decision to launch Gadget Guy TV is based the promising outlook of increases in the Australian population accepting online videos.
Particularly, marketers advertising online videos have the opportunity to target consumers emotionally along with global reach similar to traditional me Read more:Advertising
, Online Video
Social Networking, Web 2.0 is it Dangerous for School Children 2007-08-10 00:00:00 A recent article on techdirt Shocker: School
Boards Notice That The Internet Isn't Dangerous outline that much of the political hype and the passing of the new Deleting Online Predators Action (DOPA) is an exaggeration of the threat the internet poses on school children.
There are obviously legitimate concerns that there are predators out there preying on vulnerable children, though this vulnerability is just apparent as it is on the streets and online. Survey results outline in Schoolboards: net dangers over-rated; bring social networks to school reveled that school children has experience limited negative experience through social networking.
Furthermore, school children using online social networking websites commonly acknowledge the dangers of revealing personal information and only 1 out 1,277 surveyed students have met a stranger from the Internet.
This indicates that school children are very much aware of 'stranger danger' and apply the use of commonsense in both physi Read more:Social
, Children
It's not what you say, its how you say it - automotive online gets personal 2007-08-15 00:00:00 There's no getting away from it, despite what you might say in the majority of cases where married couples buy a new or used vehicle, it's the woman who makes the final decision.
The alpha male may be reluctant to admit this, especially in the presence of a car sales man, after all the car yard is a man zone! However, at the end of the day, once all of the chest beating and back slapping over kilowatts and brake horse power, engine size and torque has died down, the final words uttered by the alpha male are usually âI'll just ask the missus..â
In an article published by insidercarsecrets.com almost 80% of new or used vehicle purchase decisions made by couples are a result of the woman calling the shots.
Further support for this comes from American online
car giant cars.com, who in a recent study identified that 53% of all new car purchases and 85% of all car sales are made by women.Quick to recognise the potential of this, cars.com added motherproof.com to its network of c
4 Things to Consider When Delivering Online Video Content 2007-08-15 00:00:00 Online video content offers great opportunities for companies to deliver to users a rewarding and engaging experience. With the continual uptake of broadband users it is a known fact that online video streaming and online video viewing will continue to rise.
A recent article 'The seamless video experience: how it's possible' outlined important considerations for publishers and content providers to consider when delivering online video content. The top 4 things outline in the article have been discussed below.
Automatic bandwidth checkingBefore delivering the online video content, it is important for the service provider to detect the bandwidth of an individual user. This ensures that a user will have an optimal viewing experience with no hesitation of video content because the file being streamed is too large for the bandwidth.
Auto pausing of videoProvide users with the ability to auto pause streaming videos as soon as another area is clicked. It often frustrates users as they view Read more:Content
Web 2.0 set to sweep the Australian Real Estate market 2007-08-23 00:00:00 Web 2.0 trends in business so far have conquered the Australian
travel and leisure industry and the automotive industry with relative ease, with consumers becoming far more receptive to the new ways of content absorption and consumption in a very short space of time.
Next on the Australian industry hit list, real estate!
Already trademarked 'Real Estate
2.0', the associated technologies and techniques of the second generation of the internet is pushing boundaries well beyond the conventional in the USA already with Point2 - the national marketing and advertising platform exclusively for Real Estate professionals launching their Real Estate application for Facebook in July. Created to help users organize their Facebook networks around cities and neighborhoods while streaming property listings into these neighborhood groups, Point2 have recognized the potential of social networking opportunities.
Zillow.com, a property search engine already suppor
Online eCommerce on the rise! 2007-08-23 00:00:00 An article published on The Register 'UK eCommerce breaks the 4 billion a month' detailed a 80% increase in online sales in the month of July compared to last year, according to a study by IMRG.
This trend in the UK indicates the growing acceptance and faith consumers have in purchasing products online. Further factors that are contributing to the increase in online sales through eCommerce websites include major brands launching new websites that offer a much more rewarding shopping experience coupled with Web 2.0 technologies.
The success of many major brands in re-launching the new generation of websites fuel the growth of online consumers and the success of eCommerce websites in general.
In addition, new season catalogues, increase in domestic broadband and growing consumer comfort in shopping online contribute to the growth of online sales through eCommerce websites.
Wiliam web design recently launched the Bloch website a great demonstration of a well branded, user friendly
Facebook Social Media Optimisation 2007-08-27 00:00:00 Wiliam, Australia's leading Web2.0 design, development and marketing firm has introduced 'Facebook
application development' to it's suite of SMO (Social
Media Optimisation
) services.
Facebook, which has 224,000 active Australian members and 34 million worldwide, is a social networking portal that's attracted worldwide media attention in recent months. Some of the world's (and Australia's) largest brands have leveraged the opportunity to reach very targeted niche markets (known as online communities) through developing smart applications for Facebook users.
Once a target demographic has been established, Wiliam can develop profiles and build applications with design, content and user functions in mind - with the objective to build your brand amongst highly populated niche markets.
Facebook consists mostly of user generated content and applications designed by third-parties. There are no limitations to what applications can be created by Wiliam, with the primary goal of building
Top 5 Tips for Social Bookmarking 2007-08-29 00:00:00 What is SocialBookmarking
?
Social bookmarking is used in the same way that you would book mark your favourite web site, instead users store a catalogue of bookmarks via a Social Bookmarking
service.
This allows other individuals with likeminded interests to connect, browse and comment on bookmarks creating a basic but powerful platform.
Top 5 tips for Social Bookmarking
The most interesting thing about Social Bookmarking is that it generates traffic from users actively looking for a particular product, service or a solution. The addition of several key techniques ensures your web site gains the optimine amount of visits, reinforcing your business brand and ultimately generate new sales.
Here are the top 5 tips in optimising social bookmarking to generate more traffic to your web site
1. A well structured marketing strategy to promote your site and the goods or services you sell. Bookmarking links to your web site will steer more traffic to your site from your target market.
2.&
What is User Generated Content? 2007-08-29 00:00:00 What is User Generated Content
?
User Generated Content runs under the notion that the internet is a shared space for all to enjoy and Web 2.0 supports the concept that users have a real sense of ownership over such a vast space. At Wiliam web design we believe this creates a very detailed and personal experience, ensuring users feel they have a connection with others using Web 2.0 technologies.
Web 2.0 technology has revolutionised how we perceive and utilize the internet today. Gone are the days where the internet was a read only, one way medium. Today, posting text, graphics and videos is instant, quick and easy. Web 2.0 is not only about linking information; it's about connecting people with brands.
We consider the key to featuring user generated content on your web site, is giving users a reason to participate. Companies need to focus their web site content on the needs and desires of their target demographic. In order to successfully achieve user participation, it is a mus
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