Marketing Analytics: SA companies must shape up

An interesting article about web analytics and the importance thereof. I can personally say that implementing and learning how to analyze web stats has made a Huge difference in my business. 

Marketing Analytics: SA companies must shape up
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/16/50512.html

Web analytics, the process of measuring, collecting and analysing Web site data in order to improve a site’s performance, dissects an organisations’ online and offline marketing activities to provide valuable insight into their customer base (and potential customers), which truly translates into tangible business earnings. However, Google Analytics, the defacto free analytics tool today, and other players such as SiteCatalyst and Truviso, are not being used extensively enough in South Africa. While the practice of analytics is nothing new with local companies who have been making their living online for several years now, sectors such as retail, where an online presence may be perceived as secondary to the offline store, there is still much upskilling to be done. In fact, in our experience, many South African companies have not been in a rush to embrace analytics as part of their marketing strategy, and many of them may be losing out of valuable business opportunities as a result.

(via Instapaper)

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New website theme

I’ve just installed a new template on my website and so far I’m very impressed. I know the site still needs some work, but apart from that this is a truly customizable theme where you can change colors, fonts, graphics etc all with an online visual editor. Apart from the design it also includes what they call “hooks” where you can place html or php in any part of the site (below each post, in the footer of all pages, etc) which is great. Anyways, for anyone interested the theme is called Headway. I bought a developer license to be able to use the template on all my sites. I’ll be testing it on a couple of my other websites and will post an update on my findings.

Wake up to an Apple planet, PC world

Wake up to an Apple planet, PC world
http://blogs.computerworld.com/16593/wake_up_to_an_apple_planet_pc_world

Driven by the iPad and iPhone, Apple is the world’s leading personal computer maker — but this isn’t reflected in so-called market share studies from the likes of Gartner or IDC.

An outrageous claim? It isn’t. It is a statement of fact.

This is because at present neither Gartner nor IDC include iPad sales within their PC data calculations — even though they will include figures detailing netbook sales.

They’ve decided — at least for the time being — that Apple’s tablet doesn’t qualify as a netbook, even though many of us acquiring an iPad are doing so in order to use it as a netbook.

Indeed, that’s precisely why some corporate and business users are opting for iPad.

That truth is that Apple leads the PC industry, delivering quarter after quarter of Mac marketshare growth for the last 13 straight quarters. iPhone has set the standard for what a smartphone should be, and iPad has eaten the netbook market.

With cloud computing — the real thing — just around the corner, then devices such as an iPhone are peers to any desktop,when apps and files are held in the cloud.

This is the new PC world. And it is an Apple planet.

Get used to it.

(via Instapaper)

Some interesting reading about the current status of the PC and Apple market share. I do agree that the ipad should be included if netbooks are. I for one actually got an ipad to replace a full Macbook Pro. In fact, I now use the iPad even more than I used my Macbook because of battery life and portability. 

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Keep Flying Video

This PSA forms part of the ‘Keep Flying’ non-profit campaign launched by DraftFCB South Africa. Studies have shown that all previous host nations of the soccer World Cup have gone through a post cup depression. Keep Flying encourages South Africans to continue celebrating themselves and to keep up the momentum gained from positivism during the 2010 World Cup. Prior World Cup time the country was rife with poitical turmoil and threats of xenophobia – the World Cup united us.

AirFilms wanted to shoot a PSA with a sense of realism and truthfulness. Meet Alfred Tshibalanganda, 83, from Soweto who has been collecting laundry and dropping it off at his local laundromat for the past 50+ years with this same old bicycle. Still in good health, Alfred says: ‘My bicycle is my doctor’.

Everything was filmed in natural light. A real man, his real bicycle and in his own wardrobe bar the hat and shoes that we provided. We chose to film at locations that carried the tensions of our Nation’s past, present and future. Constitution Hill and the Nelson Mandela Bridge were perfect.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible.

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Google Now Displays Complete Backlink Data For Your Website

Google Now Displays Complete Backlink Data For Your Website
http://www.dailyblogtips.com/google-now-displays-complete-backlink-data-for-your-website/

There is a big change in the Google Webmaster Tools. Historically Google only showed a sample of your backlinks (i.e., 10% or less), so webmasters had no way to know how many backlinks their websites had according to Google.

People argued that this was a measure to prevent people from trying to reverse engineer Google’s search algorithm.

I was reading Search Engine Journal yesterday, however, and I discovered that Google just changed this feature. If you log into your Webmaster Tools account now, under the “Site Analysis” and “Links to your site” section you’ll find the complete backlink data for your website.

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Apple’s iPad Is Going To Destroy The Netbook Market, Says Goldman

Apple’s iPad Is Going To Destroy The Netbook Market, Says Goldman (Sorry, Microsoft)

Remember a year ago, when netbooks were the fastest growing segment of the PC market?

Not anymore.

And not ever again, as far as Goldman Sachs is concerned.

Because Apple’s iPad is going to wipe the netbook market out, says Goldman.  (Sorry about that, Microsoft. Netbooks were a headache for you, too, because of the lower software price-points and Linux threat, but now even those low price points are going to zero).

Goldman offers a bunch of touchy-feely reasons why iPads are so revolutionary, cleverely packaged into 5 C’s:

http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-ipad-is-going-to-destroy-the-netbook-market-says-goldman-sorry-microsoft-2010-7

(via Instapaper)

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Keep Flying The Flag

Keep Flying The Flag
http://blog.onlineshopping.co.za/keep-flying-the-flag.php


From OnlineShopping Blog
July 22, 2010

I have noticed in the last few weeks since the world cup ended a banner floating around on people’s emails and on face book with the slogan Keep Flying. At first I thought it was an advert for one of the airlines and the more I saw it, the more curious I got.

So eventually I decided to go see what it was all about and went onto their website. After spending a bit of time on it, I realized that this was something I wanted to support and be a part of.

In my opinion who ever started it needs a great big pat on the back as I think it is going to do great things for us all, because it’s going to help build our nation and create unity amongst us all, which has been lacking for as long as I can remember.

Up until the world cup we all had our own agenda’s and to be honest I was one of those people. All we did was bitch about everything, and then carry on with our lives with out actually doing anything positive about it.

Let me tell you the World Cup was an awesome experience for me and really I have never been so proud to be a South African, the memories will remain with me forever and I am truly gratefully that I can say I was there. I’m pretty sure all of you can say the same thing, as the vibe and the way all South African’s came together was truly remarkable.

And it just shows you there is a lot of hope for us if we all just do a little bit to make it better.

Anyway back to keep flying – here’s their website Keep Flying – go support it, grab the links and place it in your email, if you have a website go put the logo up. If you don’t know how to do these things then just go tell everyone you know about it.

Lets all get involved in making our country a better place, because we can if we try.

Also here is the link to their Face Book Page – it has some awesome video’s which will put a lump in your throat.

 

The above was posted as is from my friend Dale Maxwell as posted on his blog. Please help spread the word and support the cause!

Thanks

Chris

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Eassy live, but consumers must wait

Eassy live, but consumers must wait
http://www.techcentral.co.za/eassy-live-but-consumers-must-wait/

The East African Submarine System (Eassy), the second high-capacity fibre-optic cable along Africa’s east coast, is live. However, local Internet users will have to wait until at least August to enjoy the benefits.

The West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), the largest shareholder in Eassy, announced this week that the cable is ready to be tested by its owners.

Alcatel Submarine Networks, which built Eassy, will officially hand over the cable to the WIOCC board on Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya.

Though the cable is live, local operators say it will take a little longer before it carries commercial traffic.

Telkom says it hopes the testing will take only two weeks and expects the cable will be able to begin carrying commercial services from as early as August.

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Article: DigitalPoint Banned From Google AdSense. But Why?

DigitalPoint Banned From Google AdSense. But Why?
http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/022565.html

On July 15th, DigitalPoint Forums, a forum we cover here often, no longer was showing Google AdSense ads on their pages. Rumors began spreading so Shawn Hogan, the owner, posted a blog post saying A 3rd Party CAN Get You Banned From AdSense.

He claims that his account was banned due to third-party web sites. He said:

While I still think the majority of people who claimed to have their AdSense account unfairly terminated are probably just whiners that got caught doing something they shouldn’t be, I can say for 100% certainty now that it can (and clearly does) happen sometimes.
He showed how many sites were using his code on their own site in the wrong way. Why? He doesn’t know for sure but maybe to get him banned from AdSense. He said he began using the Whitelist feature after Google suggested it to him, but a few days/weeks later, he was banned.

(via Instapaper)

Wow, this is bad news if in fact they were banned because of the misuse of their adsense code by others. I hope Shawn gets his account restored soon. 

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Seth’s Blog: The non-optimized life

When you measure an activity, you can improve it. Computers make it easy to optimize just about every portion of your life.

Surely, you can optimize a website or a blog for traffic. You can optimize ads to make them yield more results. You can optimize your presentation style to close more sales or change more minds. You can optimize your workout to get faster and stronger. You can optimize your diet to lose weight and gain muscle. You can optimize your sleeping patterns to get more rest in less time. Cosmo even says you can optimize your sex life…

And then, at some point, you realize you’re spending your best energy on optimization, not on creation.

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