A guide to TripAdvisor

Posted on March 27, 2013 by admin

Over 80% of travelers use reviews when deciding where to stay/visit, therefore it essential to utilise review platforms such as TripAdvisor.

As well as the external TripAdvisor site you are able to share your reviews through your own media. By installing the TripAdvisor widget people can leave reviews through your own website or you can share reviews through your Facebook account.

Popularity ranking

A popularity ranking grades you compared to competitors within a close geographical location, as with any review system people are drawn to properties praised by others.

A company’s popularity ranking relies on three things: quality, quantity and the age of reviews. To improve your popularity ranking you must take all three factors into account.

Quantity – Encourage current and past guests to leave reviews.
Quality – Monitor reviews and use them to constantly improve your business
Age of reviews – More recent reviews effect your popularity ranking, keep fresh feedback rolling in.

TripAdvisor Management Centre

The TripAdvisor Management Centre is a free tool provided by TripAdvisor which gives users access to marketing tools that help you:

Control your property page
View page statistics
Encourage reviews
Write management responses
Register more than one employee/representatives to manage the profile
Download cards, flyers and leaflets to remind guests to leave a review
Email reminders encouraging people to leave reviews

To access the TripAdvisor Management Centre you simply: search for the property, provide your registration name, your name, your company role, email and telephone number and then agree to the company terms and conditions.

TripAdvisor need to take verification of your role within the company to ensure there is no fraud or false association with businesses. The quickest and easiest way to do so is to enter your credit card details, no charges will come from your account it is simply a way to deter fraud. The other option is to verify your role through fax/email however this can take several weeks.

How to Market your Property on TripAdvisor for Free

Register with the Management centre
Share as much information as you can
Upload photos
Upload videos
Encourage guests to leave reviews
Monitor your reviews
Respond to reviews to show their opinion matters to the business
Evaluate your feedback compared to competitors

How to manage guest reviews

70% of travelers say seeing manager’s feedback encourages them to use/visit a company, therefore it is important to leave feedback and engage with users, demonstrating that your relationship extends beyond their time with the company.

Through the Management Centre you can sign up to receive an email every time a review is left, this notification will allow you to monitor and respond to reviews in real-time.

How to respond to reviews:

Good reviews – Simply respond with a sincere thank you.
Bad reviews – Thank users for the feedback and take the opportunity to show how you have/will make improvements. Remember to remain amicable and professional as your response may be viewed by hundreds, potentially thousands of users.

Other services

TripAdvisor offers other services that users can opt to pay for, these include:

Business listings
Advertisements

By Colin Harris

A beginner’s guide to vlogging

Posted on March 26, 2013 by admin

What is vlogging?

Vlogging, a video blog or video log, is very similar to a normal blog only instead of uploading text and images you upload videos. Vlogs come in a wide range of formats including a monologue, a short video or a presentation. In most cases blogs are released in a series where the blogger will put out one blog per week, or per month on a particular topic.

Vlogs utilise web syndication to allow for the distribution of video over the Internet using either the RSS or Atom syndication formats and playback on mobile devices and computers.

The most popular platform for vlogging is Youtube.

Why vlog?

With over 65% of Internet users viewing videos online, vlogging has become a hugely popular blogging method as well as a successful marketing tool.

There are numerous benefits to vlogging including:

Vlogging allows you to put a face to the company name, personalising the company
Vlogging is an ideal platform to showcase your products/services
Research shows that vlogging increases traffic to your blog/website page
If you or your company offer a web/IT service vlogging is a great foundation to flaunt your skills and abilities

Equipment needed for Vlogging

Unless you are a professional the equipment needed for vlogging is pretty standard. Obviously you will need a camera, a computer, a site to host your vlog and a good internet connection.

For those who take vlogging a little more seriously it is vital to have video editing software, some of the more popular include: Final Cut Pro, IMovie and Windows Movie Maker.

The vlogging process

Theme/topic – Before establishing your vlog it is essential to decide what theme or topic you will focus on. This should be: a hobby, passion or area of expertise. This way you know what you are talking about and vlogging won’t seem like a chore!
Define your target audience – Like with any publication it is essential to know your target audience, this will allow you to specify what content to publish and how to promote your blog.
Create a schedule - Some vlogs are released once per week while others may be more frequent or infrequent. Select a realistic release schedule for your vlog, keeping in mind that you will have to record, edit and upload new videos for each release. This will not only keep you organised and on schedule but give followers a routine to follow. Like with any blog it takes time for a following to develop, regular posts will help your growth.
The camera – Whilst it is not important to have an expensive camera it is essential to have a good quality camera. We would recommend using a web cam or a video camera – try avoiding use a phone camera! When choosing your camera it is essential to check that it has clear and concise video and audio, visitors will not watch a distorted video – unless for the comedy value.
The message – When deciding on whether or not to follow a vlog visitors are looking for three things: originality, insight and purpose. People want to watch a video that they haven’t seen before, that offers a new slant on an old perspective or a new topic on an old theme but most importantly they want to take something away from the video, whether it is a good feeling from a funny video or knowledge from a tutorial, they need an incentive. It is important however not to lose track of your personal or company message – you are still trying to promote an overall ethos.
The performance – Whilst nobody is expecting a Broadway performance it is important to remember you are performing for an audience. Therefore it is essential to have a projected voice, clear pronunciation, a steady camera and most importantly a positive and animated attitude. To attract an audience and then keep them hooked many vloggers have a gimmick, this could be anything from the use of special effects or a voice changer to using an interesting location to shoot – why not give it a go?
The editing – A lot of beginner vloggers choose not to edit their videos and that is fine, however editing can make a lot of difference to the quality of a video. The two main examples of this are that it allows you to delete any pauses or mistakes and you can nominalise the sound within the video.
Uploading the vlog – When uploading the video make sure you give it a clear and relevant: title, description, category and tags.
Monitor vlog comments - It is important to monitor visitor’s comments on your vlog as it will allow you to gauge what are the most popular topics and themes and ultimately what isn’t engaging the audience.
Promoting the vlog - Send links to bloggers of similar interests, add links to your website or blog and promote your links using social media websites, such as Twitter and Facebook. If possible when replying to blog posts, use your vlog playlist address as a URL. When you see opportunities to endorse your vlog, take advantage of them and post links, for example categorized blogger conversations on Twitter are an ideal platform to do so.

By Colin Harris

Council launches new website

Posted on March 22, 2013 by admin

MORPETH Town Council has launched a new website giving residents greater access to the latest council information whilst ensuring they still have the services they would like to use at their fingertips.

The site has been developed as part of Morpeth Town Council’s dedication to improve access to current news and information regarding the services, activities and events relating to the authority.

The website, designed and developed by ourselves features a revamped and improved homepage, a simplistic navigation system and search facility as well as the ability to download the latest council documents.

Colin Harris said: “We took the underlying structure of the old website and modernised it throughout, reflecting the informative and efficient ethos of the council.

“The site is a WordPress based content management system which allows the council staff to amend and update information on a real-time basis, ensuring the site is up-to-date with the latest council news.”

Councillor Ken Brown said: “The new website is an exciting development in our drive to grow our online presence and most importantly our efficiency. Due to the content management system the council staff have direct control over the uploading and modification of any online content allowing us to provide our users with the most relevant and current information.

“We were delighted to award Colin Harris Website Development the contract due to an excellent balance of cost-efficiency and high quality results, as well as an extensive proven track record.

“We will continue to develop the website, including the addition of an online voting function – allowing users to have their say on local issues. This is just the beginning of what we hope to be a long and fruitful relationship with Colin Harris Website Development.”

Colin Harris Website Development was also responsible for the design and formation of The Morpeth Neighbourhood Plan website, a project in which Morpeth Town Council takes the lead.

To take a peek at either website visit http://www.themorpethneighbourhoodplan.org.uk/ or http://www.morpeth-tc.gov.uk/

As featured in The Morpeth Herald

By Colin Harris

The technical talk

Posted on March 21, 2013 by admin

We understand that not everybody knows the technical jargon involved in building websites so we have put together a guide to help you understand website design and perhaps even some of our website content!

Blog – A website or webpage which is used to regularly update visitors of the author’s opinions, observations, news etc

CMS (Content Management System) – A system used to manage the content of a website via a web browser.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) – A style sheet language used to describe the presentation of a website, ultimately styling the site.

DNS (Domain Name System) – A popular analogy for a DNS is that it is the phone book of the Internet. A DNS is a system for naming computers and networks that are organised into a hierarchy of domains.

Domain Name – Domain names are alphanumeric strings separated by full stops, which act as a unique name for a web address, for example www.colinharris.net.

E-Commerce – Commerce conducted electronically e.g. online shopping.

HTML (Hypertext MarkUp Language) – A system for tagging text files to achieve font, colour, graphic, and hyperlink effects, in essence it is what styles the site.

IP Address – A unique set of numbers separated by full stops, which identify each computer attached to the Internet.

jQuery –A code/technique hybrid which allows interactive tasks to be performed within a web browser.

M-Commerce (Mobile commerce) – Commerce conducted through mobile devices such as mobile phones and PDA’s.

Mobile Optimised Site – Sites that have been converted into a mobile friendly platform.

MySQL (My Structured Query Language) – A database which is used to store and return information

Open Source –A software which for which the source code is freely available e.g. WordPress or Drupal.

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) – A widely used programming language used to build websites.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) – SEO refers to the tactics and strategies used to increase the number of visitors to a website by obtaining a high-ranking placement in search engines.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) – The address of a World Wide Web Page.

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) – A WYSIWYG editor or program is one which allows a user to see the content as it will appear as an end result, whilst still in the development stage.

We understand that the technical speak can be confusing: if you have any questions or queries about our services please do not hesitate to contact us.

By Colin Harris

Health M.O.T – Steven Ions

Posted on March 14, 2013 by admin

STEVEN Ions, 24 of Ponteland, is senior website developer at Northumberland-based Colin Harris Website Development.

The company has rocketed into the new year with a host of client wins and the hiring of three new specialists, doubling the size of its workforce in the process.

Steven’s role entails website build, project management and supervising the team of developers. He will be joining the rest of his team on a 10k charity run this summer.

Were you ill much as a child?

No, I am lucky in that I have always been quite healthy.

What sports and activities did you take part in at school?

I have always enjoyed playing football (5-a-side and 11-a-side) however my interest in other sports and fitness didn’t develop until I was older and became more aware of the benefits to my health.

Have you ever had a health scare?

No, fortunately not.

Have you ever had an operation?

Yes I injured my knee playing football and had to have surgery to repair the cartilage.

How often do you exercise and what do you do?

I try to maintain a rigorous exercise schedule; I go to the gym 3-4 times a week, play 5-a-side at least twice a week and every Sunday morning I play 11-a-side.

I’m quite lucky in that I really enjoy exercise and find football a great way to socialise.

What is the most challenging activity / event you have ever done?

The final two miles of my latest Great North Run were extremely difficult, it was literally an uphill struggle.

Have you ever done the Great North Run?

I have completed the Great North Run twice as well as being extremely close to my heart I find it a great way to challenge myself.

My sister used to compete in the run however a few years ago she became seriously ill. I made a promise to her that is she recovered I would do the run in her place, thankfully she did.

How do you keep motivated?

I think most people would like to improve their physique, it is striving for a better body and a healthier lifestyle which keeps me motivated.

I also attribute a lot of my motivation to my sister, seeing what she overcome and how she maintained her health greatly inspires me to do the same.

What’s your diet like and how could you change it?

I try to keep a healthy and balanced diet particularly through the week however my vices do occasionally get the best of me. Incorporating more vegetables into my diet probably wouldn’t hurt either!

Have you ever been on a diet and did it work?

I believe in healthy eating and have always tried to be sensible however I am not one for fad diets.

Are you happy with your body?

I am happy with my body; however I am always striving to improve.

What are your guilty pleasures?

I love eating out and dine out at least once a week; this and my love for takeaways are probably my downfall.

How much do you drink a week?

I don’t go out as much as I used to however I do enjoy one or two pints at the weekend.

Have you ever smoked?

No.

Do you have any health or fitness tips to pass on?

I think the most important thing is to find an exercise or sport that you enjoy, I think this helps maintain a routine.

What are your health and fitness goals for the future?

I would love to maintain my fitness and maybe grow my body confidence but my real goal for the future is to complete the Great North Run in less than two hours.

For more information on Steven or the gang take a peek at our Team page.

As featured in The Journal and The Journal Live.

A basic guide to Pinterest

Posted on March 7, 2013 by admin

What is Pinterest?

Launched in March 2010 by Ben Silbermann, Pinterest is rapidly becoming the most creative way to showcase your products.

Mimicking a photo board Pinterest is an online photo sharing website. Allowing users to upload their own content as well as like and ‘re-pin’ the collections of others, Pinterest uses visuals to create connections and share interests.

Pinterest terminology

— Pin: A pin is an image added to Pinterest. You can link to an image from a Web site or upload an image from your computer. You can add your own captions and keywords to any pins, making them more relevant to your company.

—Repin: Once something is pinned, it can then be repinned by other Pinterest users.. If you see something you like on Pinterest.com, you repin it to share it with your own users, this is how content spreads virally.

—Board: This is where your pins reside. You can have separate boards for different subjects. For example, the Colin Harris Pinterest page has boards for: Web Development, social media and Northumberland.

Advantages of using Pinterest

Through Pinterest you can: crowd source, demonstrate expertise, showcase products and run competitions
Perhaps the best use of Pinterest is to paint a clear picture of what you want that you can’t express in words. For example you can create and showcase mood boards for projects, even modifying privacy setting these so only certain users can access them.
Pinterest users’ likes and interests are easily view-able for all to see.
Pinterest is a great way to showcase your work. For example, the Colin Harris Pinterest page has a board containing screenshots of websites we have produced.
Pinterest can act as a great platform for a focus group.
You can link your Pinterest account to other social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. Signing into Pinterest through Twitter or Facebook will link your timeline to your Pinterest posts. This will allow your friends and followers to see the content you upload to Pinterest, providing a link to your page.
Pinterest allows you to interact with others of similar interests
With over 11million users Pinterest has seen skyrocketing popularity and was in fact the fastest site ever to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark
Pinterest appeals to multiple vertical markets
Research states that Pinterest is now 2-3x more engaging than Twitter
A great way to source inspiration on similar projects
Easy to use

Evaluating your Pinterest account

Quantify your number of followers
Quantify your number of repins
When looking at your traffic sources report in analytics Pinterest will show you which piece of content generated the referral click and allows you to click through and see that item. These analytics make it easier to identify what pins and pinboards people are engaging with the most (likes, comments, repins) and what is driving traffic back to your website, allowing you to focus on interacting with these people and producing more relevant content.

To take a peek at or follow our Pinterest account click on the Pinterest ‘P’ in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.

By Colin Harris

How to make a successful LinkedIn account

Posted on March 5, 2013 by admin

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 175 million members and rising with approximately two new members joining per second. LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.

Building your LinkedIn profile

Raise your profile – The more complete your profile, the easier it will be for people to find you through the search engine.
Update your status regularly – Updating your status regularly with relevant and industry news not only keeps you fresh in the mind of your connections but shows you are a thought leader within your industry.
Make sure you have a professional photo. This should be a clear forward facing head shot.
Have your current or previous work endorsed – For professionals, having recommendations from current or former clients, employers and colleagues can act as one of the most efficient ways to secure new clients/prospects. Everybody knows word of mouth is the greatest form of PR/Advertising.
Update your jobs and profile to include keywords so that you appear more frequently in searches.
Update applications that highlight your interests for example your blog or Amazon reading lists.
Make sure your headline and summary are catchy. These will be a viewer’s first encounter with your profile so use it to grab their attention and make a good first impression.

Building your company page

Whilst the above tips for building your LinkedIn profile also applies, there are additional tips for building your company profile.

Add staff/ have them add the company to their profiles
Add past and present clients, press contacts and industry contacts
Have your skills section endorsed
Use outlook to search work and professional contacts
Add products and services to your page so viewers have a clear understanding of what you offer
Post job vacancies or tenders so that the relevant audiences know you are hiring
Connect your Twitter and/or blog to your account so that people are always up to date with the company

LinkedIn Groups

Join relevant industry groups. Joining Groups related to the industries you work within is a great way to make new connections and get stimulation. Using these groups to engage in conversations and topical issues is a great way to find and connect with relevant people.
Connect with people you interact with during group discussions
Add a ‘promotion’ if you have an event that you would like to promote and/or share.
Start a relevant discussion with the group page to help get your name out there.
Get involved in the discussions already taking place.
Start your own group so like minded professionals can interact with you.
Read the popular discussions so you know what is trending within the industry.

LinkedIn answers

Post a question in LinkedIn answers to expand your network and see what other like-minded experts think.

Search LinkedIn answers for questions asked by others in the industry. Share your opinions and answers to help make a name for you as an expert.

Connect with your connections

Always respond to emails promptly and courteously
Comment on the statuses and updates of your connections to remain fresh in their mind
Write a professional recommendation for one of your close connections, this will not only create goodwill but you will then appear on their profile for others to see
In turn seek recommendations from connections who have experienced your work
Send messages to those in your network, be it a Happy Birthday message, congratulations on the new job etc. Finding new contacts is equally as important as staying in touch with the contacts you already have
Monitor LinkedIn Today – LinkedIn Today keeps you updated with the top trending articles that your network and other professionals are sharing on LinkedIn and Twitter. It is essentially a customized news feed for your interests and industries, giving you the perfect lead into a conversation as well as the latest know

Grow your connections

Grow your network – Connecting with all relevant parties from customers and co-workers to clients is a great idea because it shows your contacts you are online and gives you an edge on the competition that may not be utilizing the network to its full potential. It also gives a great medium for those on your networking to see your full skill set and potential
Request a ‘Linked Introduction’ to contacts you feel would be important to have
Look at the ‘LinkedIn people you may know’ page. This changes almost every time you log in so it is essential to keep on top of this for any potential new contacts
Upload your email address book and add contacts from this
LinkedIn allows you to browse those who went to the same school as you or who you have shared a workplace with. Search these and add those relevant to your profile
View your second connections and see if any of these are relevant to your industry

By Colin Harris

The truth behind online web hosting companies

Posted on March 1, 2013 by admin

With the economy as tumultuous as it is, the past several months have seen an increase in people using online web hosting companies opposed to specialist website development agencies. Here Colin Harris, discusses the reality of using these sites.

Recently there has been an increase in people using sites which allow them to choose a web hosting service and create their own website. Understandably many people have turned to using services such as these as initially they look like a cost effective way to run a website. You can design and host your own websites from around £9.99 a month or £36 for E-commerce; however over 2-3 years this can be more expensive than having a bespoke website designed – without the benefits and customisation.

Sites such as these can afford to have small monthly costs as there is little or no man hours put into developing the sites, this is up to the user who must upload and manage their own content and images.

As with most things you get what you pay for, for example, take the following analogy of cars. If you are looking to buy a new car and your choices are between a brand new Mercedes and a worn out Micra, which would you choose: a shiny new car which will turn heads on the street or a less attractive car whose reliability is questionable? Or on the other hand if the dealer offered you the Mercedes for £100 you would be sceptical – why would the offer a high-end product for such a small price?

Sites like these can be ideal for small businesses and personal websites who would like a pre-designed template. However, these do not tailor to individual design specifications restricting what you can do and ultimately how much your website represents and imitates your brand.

One of the main issues users of these sites face is that they have no ownership of the website or the domain name but are in essence ‘renting’ a website. This makes transferring domain names and switching web hosts extremely difficult.

Another problem many users face with sites like these is that there is no real point of contact or more particularly, no face-to-face contact is available. There is no expertise guiding clients into what works best on the web – having access to the tools isn’t the same as knowing what works on the web.

A website is often a consumer’s first point of contact with a company so it is vital to ensure it portrays the correct image. For some this may be possible through pre-designed sites, they are ultimately perceived as cost-efficient and easy to use however for many others this is often a high-end tailored website which can be equally as cost efficient.

By Colin Harris

E-commerce – converting visits to sales

Posted on February 26, 2013 by admin

Last year in the UK an estimated £50 billion (an average of £1000 per adult) was spent on online shopping– accounting for 11.8% of all trade. Despite this however the average conversion rate for E-commerce sites is a slight 2-3% or for the more successful sites it can range from 15% and upwards.

There are many factors needed to create a successful E-commerce site, the most vital however is that it needs to engage the user. The two main ways to do so are through the functionality and navigation of the website.

To convert a visit into a sale the user needs to be able to do three things easily and successfully. The first is that they need to be able to find the product/products they are interested in; a simple yet effective way to do so is through a search function. The users then need all the product information at their fingertips, this may include; size, price, delivery options etc. Finally they need to be able to process the order, this will entail an easy to use ‘add to basket’ and checkout system.

The final step, the payment is the most crucial action for any visitor. Firstly, don’t discourage the user by having too many steps in between adding products to the basket and the purchase. E-commerce is not limited to geography or socio-economic status therefore it is crucial to accept as many payment methods as possible – credit cards, debit cards, PayPal etc. Most importantly reinforce the ethos that shopping online is safe and that all user details will be kept secure and not used for spam or 3rd party marketing.

An E-commerce site is a platform for both communication and promotion, therefore it is essential to utilise it to its full potential. Promote matching or recommended items to customers when they are viewing a product, for example if they are looking at a shirt suggest matching ties. An alternative is to offer the customer incentives to make a purchase, this can range from: free postage, gift wrapping, discounts or free items/discounts on their next purchase.

As with any website if you wish to succeed it is essential to continually develop, look into expanding your market, perhaps by offering new services such as international delivery, M-commerce or digital downloads.

E-commerce is ever-growing in popularity with hundreds of thousands of online product searches taking place each day. Therefore whilst it may seem obvious it is essential to ensure that the site works on all online platforms: mobiles, tablets, PC’s and other devices, the greater the accessibility the greater the likelihood of visits.

By Colin Harris

Colin Harris Website Development Blog

website design and development blog

Call us on: 01665 714433

Council launches new website

The technical talk

Health M.O.T – Steven Ions

The truth behind online web hosting companies

E-commerce – converting visits to sales