Whether a user is currently travelling, at work, in a meeting, at home, watching TV, or lying in bed will all affect their behaviour, expectation, and current personal objective for using the Internet at a particular time. As Internet users’ behaviour develops the offering to audiences must continue to reflect not only people’s expectations but their browsing environments. Internet connectivity speed, browser device capability and individual situational objectives need to be taken into account if you, the provider of content and utility, are going to achieve your own objective of effective communication and transaction.

Some of these tips are new, whilst some have been around for some time, however changes in technologies or user behaviour have made the latter important in the current climate.

1. Learn three new things about Analytics. Whether you use Google Analytics or another client side statistical analytics system, it’s imperative that either you personally, or whoever reports to you, are including more detail and consideration of new areas of statistical analysis. Mobile activity will probably be included in this but there are other more in depth areas to analyse.

Google Webmaster Tools - Site Perfomance

2. Load times. One of the factors Google uses to influence rank position is page load time. This fact attracts attention but probably a more important issue is to make sure your site is faster than a majority of other sites. After replacing an old site in 2010 and reducing total page content load times from 10+seconds to 2-3seconds, we noticed an immediate increase in direct sales of over 50%. Better navigation, design and usability obviously helped here, but the most obvious change was simply a consistently faster site. It can be difficult to achieve, particularly if a graphic designer without any more advanced digital knowledge gets to design a site without any technical advice or guidance. However, it’s seriously important. Make sure you get the right balance here!

3. Screen size and small screen navigation. Different phones, pads, laptops, notepads, desktops, and monitor sizes will display proportions of any website. Also remember about touch screen navigation which requires larger navigation buttons and clickable menus as opposed to hover-over menus. Borrow an iPad and iPhone as a bare minimum and ideally test at least 5 different screen sizes and aspect ratios.

4. Get your business listed on Google Maps, Google Places and Google Local, at least. The listing costs nothing, and if set up carefully you can really position your business to gain far greater levels of traffic and visitor numbers. Just like valeting a car, you can do this yourself, pay a vacuum cleaning equipped general handyman, or pay a specialist to maximise the results. Remember, the work is normally done only once but your appearance there will last for years. Our advice is to invest very little relative cost in getting this done perfectly.

5. Content is, and will always be, king. For every minute you spend thinking and considering the design and look of your site, spend at least the same on ensuring you have great content. So £1000 on graphic design means at least £1000 on content whether it’s copy or photography and if it’s video content then at least a factor of 3 should be applied.

6. Mobile. Apart from the technical layout and usability of designing a site or multiple sites for mobile devices, try and think what your audience will be looking for whilst using a mobile. If there is a predominant common content set then you may wish to consider a dedicated site with this content at the forefront. For example, a train company will get a lot of mobile visitors looking at live departure and arrival times.

7. Geo-location Social Media placements. This is really simple. If you have premises or a place of work, just register your location using 4Square and Facebook Places at least. There are numerous others available if you like, although the usual advice about quality over quantity prevails. This follows into making sure you monitor, engage, and follow all other advice any good Social Media specialist consultant will keep you informed of.

8.  Google Search Preview. Users now have the option to see a small page preview of your webpage along the side of search results. How enticing does your website look when a smaller screen view of the page appears? This creates another issue for the web designer and should be taken in to consideration.

9. Consider video content seriously. As mentioned quality content not only draws additional direct traffic but also holds people’s attention for longer. This can potentially benefit your natural search engine positioning.

10. Appropriate social media usage. Promoting a Twitter feed, a Facebook page or a content library with your content on will fail if you simply don’t have enough of the right type of content being posted through each of these. It’s very important to ensure you use Social Media feeds appropriately. Again, the highest quality specialist advice you can afford will pay off in the longer term.

We hope you find these useful for reflective purposes. There may be instances where they are not appropriate, but, we feel they should at least be considered for all projects in 2011.

And this perhaps is the crux of the situation with regard to IT projects which are widely regarded as difficult to manage and commonly exceed budgets or fail to achieve the expected objective. The importance of ensuring that the whole project is nailed down to an actual detailed specification may well be the reason why so many IT projects fail.

The fact is that no one has a crystal ball and no end user, project sponsor or stakeholders are actually capable of detailing the project from start to finish in enough detail to ensure that the project actually delivers what it is hoped to achieve. If you were building a house from the ground up, would you be able to know exactly which shades of paint are required in every room, on every door and on every window, before you actually stand inside the room and get a feel for how much light is entering the room and the other colours that you see looking out through the windows? The choice of furniture and carpets all affect the final decision to choose the best colour so how can someone prescribe a detailed specification of absolutely every part of every house before its built? Possibly, although it’s quite a task to expect any non-expert.

IT projects where the end result is relatively abstract, unlike houses, the ability of anyone to accurately predict and specify in absolute detail simply is not possible. This is well recognised by Agile methodology practitioners who break projects down into bite size chunks and allow project sponsors to have choices throughout the project as to exactly what details are required after each iteration. This approach creates freedoms to choose what is and is not needed at various stages of a project importantly allowing budgets to be kept closer to what is needed and not what was predicted to be needed.

At UKNetWeb we have followed both PRINCE2 and Agile Methodologies. During this time we have found it’s quite simple: Agile as a system works and is the right solution for IT projects and those that try and keep everything in control using PRINCE2 end up with less control as the project system prevents any real ability to achieve detailed requirements.

We welcome discussion on such project management issues and are happy to explain more to both current and future clients.

It is available below for reference.

You can skip sections by using the slider control at the bottom of the video clip.

In making this move there will be many website owners, particularly those with ecommerce websites, who may need to have changes made to their website to bring the new VAT rate into action.

This change should be simple in the case of many sites; however, there will be sites where this is not the case.

VAT has stood at the present rate of 17.5% since before the first ecommerce websites were built and as such it is very likely that some website developers may have coded the VAT rate in a way that makes it difficult to change.

In the case of non ecommerce sites it may be that you reference prices on your site with VAT included or shown. Like ecommerce sites, these prices may need to be changed and should you not be able to make these changes within your website content management system (CMS) you will need your developer to help.

Where you are unsure of what changes need to be made we can perform a full site assessment and report back on what needs to be changed. Should you know the changes required we can take the details and perform the changes required.

At UKNetWeb, we have a technically focused web design and development team who can perform all the necessary VAT changes to your site.

Please give us a call to see how we can help you ensure you are prepared for the Monday VAT change. Call and speak to Aren on 01872 555933 or email info@uknetweb.com for more information. Prices start from £75.

Web development company, UKNetWeb, which advises businesses on their use of Social Media, has issued the warning after noticing a number of local business people had fallen victim to the virus which spreads itself through messages sent to each member of a their friend list.

The title of the dodgy message varies with messages such as “Maan,yyou’re great!” and “your ass looks not bad in this video” forming part of the message body or Facebook wall posting.

Anyone receiving messages of this kind should not press the link under any circumstances and should delete the message from their inbox or wall immediately.

Once clicked, these links forward you to a site which hunts for a file on your PC referred to as a cookie and prompts the user to update their video or flash software. Once accepted the Trojan virus proceeds to lock the user out of their account and messages each of the friends on their friend list with a similar message, further spreading the virus.

UKNetWeb Managing Director, Toby Parkins says, “Issues of this kind are not uncommon; however, they can be extremely disruptive and annoying to the individuals involved.”

“It is always best to exercise caution and where suspicious do not take any chances. You should ensure that your computer has the latest anti-virus and anti-phishing software installed and run on a daily basis”. He continued.

Facebook has now taken steps to deactivate malicious links in messages through the network; however, it is still possible that some may get through. Anyone worried about their security should seek the advice of their web developer or IT specialist.

The task of building the perfect website is an ongoing one. Continuous monitoring, tweaking and updating is the only way to ensure your site is the very best it can be.

Here are ten tips to improve your website…

1. Understand the customer – sounds simple but so many people get it wrong.

Get all your great products together with a clearly defined and communicated brand message and you’re on to a winner!

2. Make finding things easy – some sites are just so damn complicated!

Provide easy to use, fast and accurate search facilities as standard. Ensure that navigation is simple and easy to use – no hidden or difficult to find buttons or tabs.

3. Once you have their interest why not show them what else they want?

Upsell, cross-sell, showcase promotions, offers, best sellers and new products. A sure fire way to increase basket size and average order values is to show similar or slightly better products at the checkout.

4. Understand your performance.

Use analytic tools to ascertain what’s going on with your site. The information gathered could unlock areas for additional marketing, enhanced usability or missed opportunities to tap into.

5. Let them see all you have to offer.

Use rich imaging (a fancy way of saying zoom and alternative views) with professional, clear photographs throughout.

6. Tell them what you have to offer.

Make the words on your site interesting and engaging to your target audience as well as optimised for good search engine rankings. Don’t bore them with drawn out technical specs and data which could be summarised in a table elsewhere.

7. When you offer help – give it.

Don’t you just hate the little button that says ‘Sizes Explained’ (or something equally promising) that then links to a nightmare table of numbers with no explanation or help in sight?

8. Get the customer to tell you you’re good.

Positively encourage your customers to leave and publish reviews.

9. Offer other information options.

Newsletters, promotional emails, catalogues or store information should be offered for those who want it. You could make a regular customer instead of a one off sale!

10. Offer something different.

In a world where everyone has a store online being different to the competition will help your site stick in the mind of the customer and could make the difference between a sale or not. Check out your competition and see what you could do better.

The term ‘web cart abandonment’ refers to consumers ending their purchase somewhere between adding an item to their shopping cart and final payment being made. There can be a number of reasons for this occurring from complicated processes at the checkout, to consumers feeling unhappy with the information being requested.

What makes cart abandonment so frustrating for e-commerce owners is that all efforts to draw the customer in, offer the right product and get them to place the item in their basket have succeeded only to lose the all important sale at the last hurdle.

Not all reasons for abandonment are under your control, there will always be those people who dash to the phone, realise the credit card is maxed or just decide they didn’t really want that item after all but understanding the reasons under your control can help leverage additional value from your site.

Although things are improving year on year (web cart abandonment rates fell from 59.8% in 2006 to 52.1% in 2007 according to Marketing Sherpa Ecommerce Benchmark Guide 2007) e-commerce owners can still go along way to drive levels downwards and increase site profitability.

Ask yourself would you willingly accept any other source of such a loss of revenue to your business? Can you really afford to ignore losses exceeding 50%? What profits could you expect if you improved your checkout and cart processes?

If you are a typical e-commerce owner I expect you would like to ensure the highest levels of returns from your site. You may have worked really hard on SEO strategies, paid for sophisticated features and bespoke programming, brought in designers, copywriters and the works all to lose the sale only moments away from the money hitting your account.

So what causes potential customers to retreat from a sale?

Popular reasons for cart abandonment include; unexpected charges at checkout, products out of stock, requirements for the customer to register before purchase, limited payment options, postage or delivery costs too high, no clear delivery information, lack of contact details or complicated / time consuming processes.

Careful consideration and research is needed to fully understand issues. It may be that some areas can be addressed while at the same time causing an issue in another. It is important, as with most web developments, to test, evaluate and modify your systems on a regular basis to ensure that your site remains ahead.

Setting up tracking on your site to measure activity is vital to making the right decisions with regard to your shopping cart. You need to gather information relating to the following areas on an ongoing basis and especially before tinkering with any site processes;

• Abandoned Carts

Track the overall number of carts being abandoned.

• Abandoned Products

Track whether abandonment figures are the same for all products / product ranges?

• Abandoned Units

Establish how many units are being abandoned. Some research can be skewed by results from customers mistakenly placing multiples of a product into their cart.

• Where are they abandoning their purchase?

Set up tracking to establish the areas where the greatest numbers of potential customers abandon their purchases.

Once you are armed with this information you are ready to begin investigating the problems and making the necessary amendments.

Take the information gathered and use the site to make a number of your own purchases. Can you see any reasons to justify why customers are abandoning their items at these stages? Can you see how the process could be improved?

Take your research to recent or current users of the site and ask them why they stopped their purchase or how you could improve the usability of the site or shopping cart. Run usability tests on the products pages or the checkout areas to establish any known issues.

Once you feel you have all the information, try to summarise all your findings by category. i.e. Process too long or Postage charge too high. Use this list to plan a fix or series of fixes for each issue. It may be that some issues will cost too much at this stage to implement; however, delayed plans to deal with these areas should still be made with a schedule detailing when they will receive further attention.

Before carrying out any changes decide on a method of measuring the results of each fix and ensure that appropriate tracking is set up to catch the required information. Where your fix has not worked you may need to look at alternative plans to address the same issue.

This process shouldn’t be a one off. Customer habits change all the time and as such regular reviews, testing and implementation should be a part of any ongoing online strategy. Schedule times to regular monitor performance and tweak as necessary. It could be that minor changes in the sites usability reap huge rewards for your profitability.

Where you don’t have the time to monitor these areas yourself enlist consultants or your web development team to track details and suggest regular changes or upgrades. Many companies will offer retainers where they will identify issues or areas for development which could lead to increased profits for your business.

Below I have listed 10 more simple areas to watch with your website checkout process. These offer some basic guidance on how your site may be improved with a little bit of tweaking.

1. No Hidden Extras
Don’t try adding hidden costs at the checkout. Customers will feel you’re abusing their trust and will not only abandon carts but may never buy from you in the future.

2. Provide Information
Don’t surround your store in mystery. Make customers aware of the process involved in making a purchase, be sure to explain; total costs including postage, delivery details, availability, returns policy and telephone contact details should they have an issue at the beginning of their purchase.

3. Don’t ask for too much too soon.
Some websites still make the mistake of asking the customer to register when placing items in the basket. Allow your customer to feel ready to make a purchase and pay before asking for too much information.

4. Keep it simple.
Limit the number of choices that potential customers have to make when checking out. Higher drop out rates have bee found on those sites with the highest number of choices.

5. Offer payment options
There’s nothing more annoying than getting to the checkout in a store and finding out that they don’t accept the card your holding. Try and offer as many payment options as you can.

6. Ask for the minimum
Don’t be too greedy for information. Minimise the information taken to that required to process a transaction. Additional info requests increase your chances that your buyer will not complete the purchase.

7. Be contactable
Display clear contact details throughout the checkout process, such as phone number and email, plus provide a live online chat where possible. Customers like to know that they can contact someone should something go wrong with their order.

8. Show you’re site’s Secure
Ensure potential customers know that transactions processed through your site are secure and encrypted. Explain any company policies on protection of consumer information and privacy as well as displaying any safeguard logos.

9. Get their email first
Ask for emails near the beginning of the checkout process, preferably on page one. Sample customers who have abandoned shopping carts and email them to find out why they decided to abandon their purchase when they did.

10. Own your own checkout
Ensure that your checkout process is part of your system rather than forwarding checkout processes to third party sites.

This piece was originally written for catalog | e-business magazine – [published April 2008: Issue 151].

If you would like to see the finished piece you can view it on the ‘Press Coverage’ page of our news feed site by clicking here

With many companies, organisations and individuals generating new content all the time it is worth taking the time to see how each may improve the way you do business, research or networking online.

In this post I have attempted to catalogue some of the many sources I have found useful in my role researching and advising companies at uknetweb on the possibilities presented by Web 2.0.

Some of the links refer to other list blogs cataloging the best of the web, others are my own selections and some are link to directories I found useful when browsing the web.

Free Useful Software

Open Office – Why pay for MS Office when you can get most of the functionality for free with Open Office?

A suite of software with programs offering many of the functions found within the Microsoft Office Suite. Worth downloading and playing around with – it works across operating systems and platforms . (The Draw program is particularly useful for preparing flowcharts and process models.) If you’re interested how these programs are free – click here.

Open Workbench – Specifically for Project Managers

Similar to OpenOffice this is a program for Project Managers available as a Free Full Download. This neat little bit of software has all the functions to make a project run according to plan and timescales.

Free Online Applications and Downloads

Flock – Manage the Web 2.0 World

Already the subject of one of my past entries I am still loving the functionality of Flock, an alternative version of the Firefox browser system. The Flock browser brings together all of your social networks, bookmarking sites, picture sites, blogs, rss feeds and much much more.

WordPress – More than just a blog site!

WordPress is one of many free blogging systems available free of charge on the web. With loads of functionality in the hosted or download ble versions this great piece of open source content management software makes it easy to publish anything online. Try it out to see what I mean.

Slideshare.net – Get presenting to the World.

I first used Slideshare to publish a presentation given by my MD to a local Chamber of Commerce (click here to view – E-commerce 2008 and Beyond). I never intended Slideshare to be anything more than a convenient place to host presentations for interested parties to download; however, on the first morning after uploading we received 65 viewers from across the globe.

Ning.com – Host your own network

If you’re getting bored of using other social networking sites, Ning.com provides a great location to host your own network. Featuring many of the functions you’d expect to find on other social network sites, Ning gives you control over the name, content and style of your own network. Desktoptwo – The Desktop that travels with you. A handy little online environment featuring a range of online applications accessible through one secure online virtual desktop. Features 1gb of free storage.

The Best Lists

The Top 50 Proprietary Programs that Drive You Crazy — and Their Open Source Alternatives

The title says it all – Packed with links to useful software that gives you the opportunity to put two fingers up at our dear friend – the Big Mr.G.

25 Firefox Extensions to make you more productive

If you have switched to Firefox or Flock this list features a host of add-ons / extensions that make your day that little bit more productive. Warning: you might not like the results of MeeTimer – an add on that identifies where you spend your time online – splitting it into neat sections which include; ‘procrastination’.

ReadWriteWeb – List of Web 2.0 Lists

As it says this is a list of the best lists of Web 2.0 applications, this is a veritable list bonanza!

All Things Web 2.0 – Top 100 Top Rated

This is a link to a directory of the Top 100 (Top Rated) Web 2.0 resources. Navigate the site to find apps etc listed by top recommendations, number of users or category. Really useful site to keep up to date with the latest developments on Web 2.0.

I hope you find these useful. If you have any of your own suggestions please let me know and I’ll get them up here as soon as I can.

]]> http://www.uknetweb.com/blog/technology-and-commentary-blog/business/the-best-free-software-online-apps-and-lists-on-the-web-20/feed/ 0 http://www.uknetweb.com/blog/technology-and-commentary-blog/business/feature-in-catalogue-e-business-out-now/ http://www.uknetweb.com/blog/technology-and-commentary-blog/business/feature-in-catalogue-e-business-out-now/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:39:28 +0000 Aren Grimshaw http://uknetwebnews.wordpress.com/?p=11 We are proud to announce that our Managing Director, Toby Parkins has just been featured in industry magazine, ‘catalogue | e-business’.

Writing on the subject of web cart abandonment, a subject close to the hearts of any e-commerce store owner, Toby suggests a range tactics that can be used to increase site sale conversions and insure higher online store profits.

The full feature will be reproduced on our blog within the coming weeks. In the meantime why not order your copy from subs@catalog-biz.com

*Please note a printing mistake has led to our company name being included as ‘ukneweb’ – it should of course be ‘uknetweb’. Anyone interested in learning more about the company should visit our corporate site at www.uknetweb.com