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30th June 2015
Google search has changed
Google has now implemented its biggest change to search in 3 years, by revising the way it responds to search requests by actively promoting sites that are mobile and tablet friendly to the top of the results, at the expense of those that do not have that facility. If you have not yet read what this can mean for your business, then have a read of this recent article in the Guardian newspaper.
Test if Google rates your website Tablet friendly
Getting Tablet and mobile friendly will help your customers who view your website on their tablet and smartphone, as they look at your website content and contact form, the website will re-configure itself so the user can see all the information much more clearly with larger fonts and layouts. This latest change was communicated back in January so many of your Competitors will have already changed their own websites to ensure their sites are responsive to mobile and tablets, they may well jump above your position on the first page. You can check if your website is mobile friendly by clicking this link and entering your domain name.
Change your site to WordPress or HTML5
The reason these changes are being made is due to the rise in usage of Tablets and Smart Phones to browse online, Google has recognised that many websites are not mobile friendly and is taking steps to change this. The best solution to tap into this market is to have your website designed in HTML5 or WordPress. With over 11 years of continual development and an open- source philosophy it’s no wonder that WordPress is the most popular website system worldwide. It is extremely flexible and can be adapted to suit your business as it grows. This means your business can confidently move with the times and embrace changing trends.
The website above is built in WordPress, which allows a great deal of flexibility in design and is fully compatible with tablets and smartphones. You can see some examples of recently built HTML5 and WordPress Websites featured on our website Portfolio page
12th May 2015
Advice on getting more quality online enquiries
As everyone becomes more familiar with using the internet, and the Search Engines get better at answering our search queries it has become apparent that searches are often more complex and key words alone will not always provide the right answers to get your site noticed.
Research shows that there are normally four reasons that drive a search. These are:
- Informational: answers a question or clarifies an uncertainty.
- Navigational: drives the searcher to a pre-determined destination.
- Commercial Investigation: aids researching and implies a future transaction.
- Transactional: aids the searcher in making a purchase or completing a specific task.
Is your Site providing the answers?
To keep abreast of this ever changing world it’s important to review your site on a regular basis and make the necessary adjustments to keep your site in the spotlight. Here are some ideas to consider.
- Look at your existing content, especially the home page. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask yourself if the site supplies the information they are looking for.
- Think about the Intent of the person visiting your site – why would they seek you out, does the content on your site give them the right answers? If you can understand your customers’ intentions you may be able to identify a missed opportunity or area for improvement.
- Optimize your site. Once you’ve identified the areas where your content fails to meet the mark, it’s time to optimize. Tell your customers’ story. Use trust-building words, case studies, and factual information to back up your claims. Your keywords will fall in naturally. Now, your focus should be more on the reader’s experience with your content than trying to show search engines that you’re relevant
- Be Patient. Once you’ve made the changes monitor your site to see what’s working. It can take time to become effective but after a week of any adjustments going live you should be able to see a difference in your analytics.
May News
88% of your Customers read online reviews
Everyone agrees that the most powerful form of advertising is word of mouth, or recommendation. A recent study showed that 88% of customers spent time reading online reviews before making a decision.
Your website is the perfect medium to showcase your business and explain to visitors why they should choose you above all the other sites they might visit that day. The one factor that will make you stand out from the crowd is your testimonials from satisfied customers.
You have 15 seconds to make an impact.
Most people visit a website for less than 15 seconds, if they don’t find what they are looking for in those first few moments they will be off your page and on to another one. Your website should be professional and visually appealing, easy to navigate and uncluttered too, so that your visitor can find the information they are looking for in order to make the crucial decision whether they are going to buy from you.
How to make them stay
Give your website visitors what they are looking for – Proof! If you can back up your services with genuine reviews from really satisfied customers, maybe with before and after pictures, your prospective customers will be able to make an informed decision as to whether your Company is right for them and make an enquiry.
Websites like ‘Checkatrade’ and ‘Rated people’ have grown because customers want the reassurance that they are employing someone that can fulfil their needs. Your own website should link directly to these Trade sites to reinforce your credibility and build on the confidence that these brands have successfully achieved.
April News
Google search changes today
Today Google will implement its biggest change to search in 3 years, when it revises the way it responds to search requests by actively promoting sites that are mobile and tablet friendly to the top of the results, at the expense of those that do not have that facility. If you have not yet read what this can mean for your business then read this last weeks’ article by tech magazine.
Test if Google rates your website Mobile friendly
Getting mobile friendly will help your customers who view your website on their tablet and smartphone, as they look at your website content and contact form, the website will re-configure itself so the user can see all the information much more clearly with larger fonts and layouts. This latest change was communicated back in January so many of your Competitors will have already changed their own websites to ensure their sites are responsive to mobile and tablets, they may well jump above your position on the first page. You can check if your website is mobile friendly by clicking this link and entering your domain name.
Change your site to WordPress or HTML5
The reason these changes are being made is due to the rise in usage of Tablets and Smart Phones to browse online, Google has recognised that many websites are not mobile friendly and is taking steps to change this. The best solution to tap into this market is to have your website designed in HTML5 or WordPress. With over 11 years of continual development and an open- source philosophy it’s no wonder that WordPress is the most popular website system worldwide. It is extremely flexible and can be adapted to suit your business as it grows. This means your business can confidently move with the times and embrace changing trends.
The website above is built in WordPress, which allows a great deal of flexibility in design and is fully compatible with tablets and smartphones. You can see some examples of recently built HTML5 and WordPress Websites featured on our website Portfolio page.
February News
Google and Samsung are planning to compete with Apple in the area of mobile payments. Apple launched its Apple Pay app in October last year and has partnered with many major retailers and app makers.
Google has agreed a deal with Softcard and several US telecoms companies in order to strengthen its Google Wallet app which should allow it to compete more effectively in this expanding market. The app will be installed on certain Android phones in the US. This will allow consumers to store debit and store cards on their smartphones so they can use their phones to pay for items using their phones.
Samsung has recently acquired LoopPay , a company specialising in mobile payments and it is expected that they will launch a wallet app of their own in the near future.
January News
Apple appear to be planning the release of a smaller 4 inch ‘iPhone 6S Mini’ later this year, together with the updated iPhone 6s and 6S Plus. This smaller device, aimed at users that dislike the larger screen of the iPhone 6, will probably be similar to the iPhone 5S, but include some adjustments to the components, to make it more affordable. Although this sounds as it if it will just be an updated iPhone 5c it is rumoured that the design will be based on the newer curved design of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Reports suggest that the iPhone 6S may have the new A9 processor onboard. This is a joint project between Apple and Samsung. The chip should use 35% less energy and offer 20% more power and it could be 15% smaller than previous processors leaving more space for battery packs and other components.
November News
Andy Rubin, who started the Android project at Google, is to step down shortly after nine years with the technology giant. Andy Rubin, has also worked for Apple, now plans to help start-up firms in the technology sector. Google said he created “something truly remarkable” in the Android platform, with a billion plus happy users. ‘’Thank you,” said Google’s chief executive and co-founder Larry Page.
Mr Rubin has recently been working on the technology giant’s robotics project and was behind a recent takeover by Google of six robotic companies as part of a reported attempt to develop a rival to Amazon’s new drone delivery system.
September news
IPhone 6 launched in the UK
Apple has now unveiled two new iPhones, the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the larger screen 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus both have larger screens and a completely new iPad styling with ultra thin body and rounded corners, both new phones offer faster processors, better cameras, and surprisingly the new ApplePay payment system. Colours will be different too with Gold, Silver, and Space Gray, and are available with much larger storage capacity of 16, 64, and 128 GB.
Camera features are improved on both Phones with sensor upgrades, improved tone mapping, better noise reduction, and new “Focus Pixel” technology, which improves the phone’s ability to select autofocus point with the iPhone 6 Plus having optical image stabilization. There will be no waiting in the Uk as both phones will be available at the same time as the US, pricing will be £539 and £619 respectively, you can expect initial stock to sell out quickly.
July News
Cloud Back up Services
A huge technology change is taking place throughout the UK as all types of business are migrating their files and back up from the office to the cloud, and is happening at a massive rate. Small businesses have embraced the change much quicker than larger businesses, and this may be due to the amount of data stored locally. Large National corporations are in the middle of staging a major migration from the world of onsite IT and self-managed storage and security, to the future of storage –the cloud. It may seem strange that the larger corporations are the last to do this, but it needs to be remembered that corporations aren’t people, and mostly simply don’t have the flexibility to test out innovations like the cloud, until they are sure it is the way forward. They tend to move slowly because they have to, their business models have been built over time and they do not change direction on a whim, now finally they’re starting to take action and are basing this action on a good fundamental: cutting operational cost.
The first step in to this arena for most large Corporations began with customer relationship management (CRM) software, and this success has paved the way for other services and now, the ability to divest themselves of costly IT equipment and maintenance, the land it stands upon, the buildings that house it, and all those employees needed to run it all.
This isn’t the end for IT professionals, in the business environment, they will always be needed, but many jobs that were dependent upon the on-site hardware will be lost in the short term future, as corporations look to shift the majority of their functions into the cloud. There will be some who will adopt the hybrid cloud approach, which essentially means local servers working together with the cloud for a more balanced approach. Cloud service providers that offer safe security services will continue to play a role in keeping data safe and those that provide secure tablet/ mobile applications that help personal clouds for individual employees will be popular. Third party providers that continue to offer improved mobility solutions are also being embraced by many businesses looking to resolve business transition problems, as a way to embrace the new increasingly mobile workforces of today.
June News
Google to produce 100 driverless cars
Google has announced a prototype driverless car, it has designed, without a steering wheel or normal controls, that will work on stop or Go commands. These cars will undergo stringent safety testing so that they can bring the technology to the world safely.Google have a huge research department where they have for several years been testing everyday cars equipped with computers, sensors, navigation equipment designed to drive themselves without human commands, but this new concept car has been secretly developed from scratch and will have no human control, other than an emergency stop button.
Google say the aim was to run extended tests in California where Google is based, as a way of improving road safety and transforming mobility for millions of people, The concept car is not much larger than a toy car and has two seats, a screen displaying the route and a top speed of 25mph, a multiplex of sensors which allow the vehicle’s computer to determine its location and surroundings, according to Google.
May News
Etihad Airlines is bidding to attract more mega wealthy technology wise travellers with the coming launch of ‘The Residence’ believed to be a cabin complete with three rooms, large screen TVs and your own private butler, within the airline’s A380 Airbus. Each A380 in Etihad’s fleet will have a 125 square foot ‘Residence room’, available for single or double occupancy, with luxuries like a reclining sofa in the living room, a six foot full length bed in the bedroom and a shower in the bathroom. The living room will boast 32-inch TVs with dual controls and noise-cancelling headsets, a 27-inch LCD screen TV in the bedroom, offering live TV and a Panasonic entertainment system, it will be Wi-Fi enabled, and all the technology will also feature a touchscreen unit that controls every element of the automated cabin, with ambient and mood lighting and window shading. Guests will have touch controls to adjust their seat position, firmness, in-seat massage or call the personal butler to press the buttons for you.
April News
Has Apple finally shot itself in the foot with the imminent release of two large screen i Phones? The hugely popular Apple’s iPad Mini may find itself competing shortly in a world with not just one but two new large screen iPhones, according to recent chatter, Apple will bump up the screen size on its next iPhone to 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches later this year. Many believe that consumers might update to the new iPhone 6 to get the bigger screen instead of buying a new iPad mini, however there were similar concerns when Apple first introduced the iPad Mini in 2012 in direct competition to its older larger brother but Apple still benefits no matter which product is being chosen by its customers.
March News
It’s been a long time in coming, but at last Microsoft has launched Office for the iPad, and by all accounts it is taking the US by storm, with Word becoming the most downloaded app within hours of going live stateside. It is not possible to get exact figures just yet on the actual download numbers, but Excel and PowerPoint also fill the top 5 positions. Apple customers have been asking for a similar product for years with no really good options available directly from the world’s most profitable company, Microsoft have now made their premier products available to their big competitor, so how much will this all impact on Windows? We will all find out later this year.
February News
Brands and Trademarks are registered within various categories, with each offering different goods, products and services, so it’s possible that similar designs can each be trademarked if the companies concerned are not competing in the same market, however the cost of copying a brand are very punitive so it is best to take legal advice if you are not sure or get your own brand registered to stop others from copying you. We find if a client asks us to copy, they do not really need a designer at all.
January News
Latest figures released recently says smartphone penetration in the US is up to 63.8% , and as expected Apple remains the top individual smartphone with 41% market share followed by Samsung at 26%with all others losing market share to the two market leaders. Google remained the top mobile website with 87 percent audience reach, while Facebook continues to be the top mobile app.
December news
At Simply –Digital we have found a high demand for web design services and SEO in the county of Devon, so will shortly be opening a new office in Exeter to cover the county with a dedicated team based at Exeter business park, not far from the Met office.
November news
Google have just launched the Nexus 5 smartphone, it is the fifth generation of the Google-designed Nexus Android which is says is now faster, slimmer and even better. The Nexus line represents the best of Google in a smartphone which is built by its’ manufacturing partner LG, and gets involved directly with the creation of the hardware as well as producing the software. The Nexus 5 is as close to the iPhone’s business model, of producing everything under one umbrella, as is possible with an Android platform and although built by LG, it is a Google phone through and through, the result is real competition to the iPhone 5s to retail at under £300. Businesses wishing to take advantage of customers searches on these smartphones need to have their own standalone mobile website and re-direct code entered in their current website, click here for more details.
October news
Simply-digital is having an autumn push on ‘online services’, from mobile websites to online video content that allows consumers to view a 60 second online video showing exactly how each business delivers its services. We are hoping new businesses that join us will enrol in a full menu of online content, obviously a well built website is key, but also getting an online stand-alone review platform, a mobile website for smartphone users and making use of our SEO services to get their online message across to their consumers.
Slower start for the I phone 5s
Apple’s latest version of its hugely popular smartphone, the iPhone 5s, is not enjoying as good a start as its last offering the I phone 5 and its lower spec brother the iPhone 5c is selling even less, according to an a report citing statistics from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. It was a bold move by Apple to simultaneous launch two iPhone models so initial feedback and consumer reactions are likely to mean a re-structuring in the supply chain towards the more popular model and colours on offer; Apple shows no sign of a decline as yet in the smartphone market.
16th October 2013
Foiling the Hackers
Hackers are causing a headache for many small businesses in the UK by breaking in to business websites and using them to send out tens of thousands of Spam E mails nightly advertising all types of fake goods on secondary websites they run from Eastern Europe. Here at Simply Digital we recognise the treat is real and can cause an innocent website to be blocked by Search Engines, so we have recently updated the security on each and every website we host.
9th September 2013.
Fingerprint technology
We have been hearing news on the next iPhone update and that it is likely to have a fingerprint scanning feature through iOS 7, fingerprint security is widely accepted as the next security level to be developed for smartphones although Apple have not yet made a formal announcement on the subject, it could be will us by early 2014.
Online Video Production
Simply Digital announce that they can now produce a 60 second business services video for your own website, we can use photos of your work and your company branding to tell a story of your business that can be uploaded to your website and You Tube, with a professional voiceover giving a really easy to understand explanation of what your business has to offer, click here for more details.
Google Chrome
Google’s Chrome is Britain’s second most popular browser, a sign of the internet giant’s increasing grip on the UK search market.
Three years after launch, Chrome last month captured 22% of UK users and marginally overtook Mozilla’s Firefox browser, according to the web metrics firm Statcounter. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is losing market share to Chrome but remains the most popular browser for UK users with 45% – although it has a head start by being pre-installed on almost all computers sold in Britain. Apple’s Safari is UK number four, with a 9% share. Google’s rise in the browser market is in part down to nationwide advertising – Chrome is the first Google product advertised on British TV – but is largely attributed to its speed.
Lars Bak, the Google engineer responsible for Chrome, said the goal had never been to attract a huge user base, but to energise a dormant browser market: “Speed is a fundamental part of it, but it’s also about the minimal design and the way it handles security. If you as a user try [to load] a webpage and it feels snappy, it’s really hard to go back [to another browser]. It has shown that people spend more time interacting with the web.” Unlike most of Google’s talent based at its Mountain View headquarters in California, Bak works from a converted farmhouse in the Danish countryside two hours from Copenhagen. He has become obsessed with speed, and despite numerous tests that show Chrome outstrips all rivals, he thinks it could be much faster. “You should never be happy with [existing] speed,” he said. “Of course it gets harder to make substantial gains, but it’s all healthy competition. From the beginning we wanted everybody to be fast, and now all browsers are fast. I’m absolutely flabbergasted [by the improvements made by rival browsers].”
Chrome is the number three worldwide, with a 20.65% market share according to Statcounter. But analysts expect it to edge ahead of Firefox, which has dipped steadily since January. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has also fallen heavily, to 43%, with warnings about security vulnerabilities. Google last month announced its Chromebook laptop, based on its browser and seen as another ambitious attack on Microsoft; it will be made by Samsung and Acer, companies that previously made computers running Microsoft’s software.
Unlike most computers, the Chromebook has almost no capacity to store and hosts most data online in a “cloud”. Bak said: “The Chromebook is really important because it tries to simplify the machine – it is basically no maintenance, which means you can cut the price. If all you are doing is using a browser it’s a fantastic tool.”