Making use of keywords is one of the most important and high return activities in the search-marketing field.  Whether this is a hot topic of yours or something that is relatively new, keywords (or key terms) is a must, and is really important in helping you optimise your website either with PPC campaigns or updating webpage content.

Keyword research can help you predict shifts in demand, respond to changing market conditions and produce content that your potential customers are already actively seeking.  So when a customer does a search for a particular brand or service you provide, you want your site to appear – and the ultimate aim is to have your website occupy the #1 spot.

Next time you have a few minutes spare, look at your website or blog and consider tweaking and adjusting your content in ways that may cause it to rank higher.  Have a look at your website and think to yourself – when was the last time I refreshed my web page content? When did I write my last blog article? What phrases do I want my website to be found for? What am I currently being found for? Where do I rank in Google searches if I search using these words?

Would you benefit from having an expert advising you on all of these things and more every month? Talk to us about Innovation Club from AsOne starting at only £39/month.

Darkblade have been awarded best online retailer at the 2012 UK LARP Awards!! A massive congratulations to all the team – and keep up the good work!

For those that are unaware of what Darkblade are about, then what better opportunity to check them out at their open day workshop on the 10th March!!

(Source: search.hmrc.gov.uk)

Starting a new business?

More and more people are incorporating their own businesses with companies house online when previously it was the role of your accountant. If you register your business at your own address (not your accountant’s as is the usual practice) you might find some interesting scam letters through your door.

If you receive a very convincing letter from Intracom VAT registry (see link for sample http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/vat-scam.pdf) shred it!

If you would like to help protect other businesses share the information at your business networks and share this post on Facebook, retweet on Tritter or simply write your own.

(Source: search.hmrc.gov.uk)

If you receive an email claiming to be an “important notice” regarding your domain name renewal, a domain service notice or a search engine submission notice don’t be fooled. Read the small print at the bottom. It is a solicitation (phishing) email designed to make domain owners panic and sign up to something they don’t need.

Do not reply to them just add them to your junk list.

If you are an AsOne customer and are unsure about any renewal notices you receive for domains, hosting, search engine marketing or anything internet related please ask us. Fill in a support request at www.asone.co.uk/support and we will look into it for you.

Google have now published a new initiative called “Search, Plus Your World”, which aims to bring you more personalised search results.  Now, when you search for anything in particular, you have the option to include related data from your Google+ profile as well as those privately shared with you.

The change will also provide auto complete results from your contacts, so if you begin typing their name into a search field, Google will automatically recommend their Google+ profile.

These changes have now come into practice, and you should be able to see two small icons on the top right of your search page that lets you toggle between two types of results – a globe (which offers the standard results) and a human icon – which will display related data form Google+.

But is this a good thing, or a bad thing?

The simple answer is, if you are a Google user then this is fantastic news- bad if you are a direct competitor.  If you have a Google+ profile and depending on the various circles you are a part of, you have the chance to gain personal, unrivalled information that can only be beneficial when you make a search. However, if you are a rival to Google, in what is now becoming a social media world, then it’s not so good – just as Twitter found out! 

Social Media is where you want to be when it comes to helping your business expand, as it is a priceless asset in the marketing world. Social media channels like Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin attract so much continual attention from Internet users, it has become a phenomenal and powerful venue for advertisers to create interest and traffic. Here are five reasons to use social media for business.

1. Help Increased Search Engine Rankings:  Social media profiles frequently rank highly with major search engines. Using brand names and keywords in your profiles can help you to generate traffic for your social media sites and company homepage.
2. Generate Site Traffic:  By updating regularly on sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn with posts that link back to your site, you can create additional traffic to your site.
3. Find New Customers Through a Company Profile:  Your company profile is a great opportunity for you to post regular updates on your activities, but also about important news and trends in your industry. It’s critical to post regularly if you want to increase your followers or fans and convert them to potential leads.
4. Brand Monitoring:  Having a social media presence allows you to better understand what current and potential customers are saying about your product or services.
5. Networking:  Through social media you can quickly build a network of core supporters, which is essential for any up and coming business to keep growing and expanding. It is that group of loyal followers that will keep bringing your company business and referring it to others if they are pleased with what they are finding.

Following on from this, here is a little bit of ‘New News’ - Introducing Tokkster, a new type of chat room.

Tokkster is a new type of Internet chat room, which enables users to chat with other people over the same webpage. Pretty Unique.

All you need to do is sign up with a Tokkster account (and yes, it’s free). And that’s it. Once signed up, you browse websites like usual. What you will notice is a Tokkster Status bar in which you are able to see other peoples faces that are browsing the same page at the same time. Of course, if you don’t feel like chatting, either minimize the app (to become invisible) or don’t log in.

Only available in Internet Explorer version 7.0 and above (other version coming out soon).

1. Assess your website:  Websites are a fantastic way in drumming up business, and with the continuous ways of being able to advertise, it’s a great opportunity to obtain customers. But like anything, first impressions count, so make sure your website is impactful and accurately represents your business.It doesn’t matter what product or service you are selling, if someone takes a disliking to it – it will be hard to retrieve them again. There are cost effective services that will design/redesign and help you manage your website throughout the year. Make sure you have a website service that allows you to make edits yourself, like AsOne’s CMS or have someone do it for you. Finally, update your website content throughout the year to keep it current to visitors and also refresh the search engine friendliness. Search engines like new content and come back often if your website is updated frequently. All of these activities will ensure that your business is running efficiently in 2012.


2. Access Social Media:  Social media is a powerful way to gain new visibility by connecting with people that are interested in your products or services. With the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Google+ at your fingertips, you can advertise all about your business. This will not only help get your business recognised, but the more traffic generated through social media, the sooner your website can earn a higher ranking among search engines.


3. Reward your loyal customers:  Long-term customers are customers that keep coming back because they enjoy your product or service. Make sure you take care of these people with discounts and cost savers. You can advertise exclusive specials on your company website or Facebook page, or through email communications like AsOne’s eShot eMail marketing system.

Google+ (Google Plus), Googles answer to Facebook, may not have the massive membership numbers that Facebook now enjoys, but it has just recorded its strongest-month ever and, according to Experian Hitwise, should reach 400million users by the end of the year.

Hitwise tweeted: “Google+ total US visits reach more than 49 million in Dec-11, biggest month to date & up 55% compared to Nov-11 ow.ly/i/oT3R,” 

they further tweeted that Google+ visits have increased in all but one week over the last 5 weeks. As usual figures are base in the US but are a good indicator of the global uptake in english speaking countries.

Analysts expect that Google+ will reach about 400 million users by the end of 2012, thats half the current number of Facebook users but it will have taken Google+ just over a year to reach compared to Facebook taking 4 years to reach 60 million. Of course, Social networking is now in the public conscience and many will try a new network out or simply stamp their mark on it.

Google integrates its Android smartphones with Google+ so it is now even easier for users to access Google+. With sales of Android devices of more than 700,000 per day the numbers should soon increase.

What does this mean for business owners? It is one more place to advertise and engage with potential or existing customers. Have you set up your Google+ Business Page? Talk to AsOne about how you can make steps to leverage the potential of Google+, Facebook and other social networking services.

Look out Birdcage Manchester, we’re off on our works do tonight! Dinner and dancing, just like the good olde days!

Do you check in on Foursquare, Facebook or another location-based app at least once a week? If so, you’re among just 2% of the adult population, according to a new US report.

Forrester Research surveyed 37,000 people with mobile phones and discovered that 70% no only didn’t regularly use location based check-in apps but didn’t even know what they were. On the bright side thats better than last years 84%. From the 30% this year who are aware of the Geo-Social applications only a tiny 5% are classed as active and only 2% check-in at least once a week.

If “checking-in” is not mainstream, what is the point of using it as a marketing tool?

Forrester found that American adult location-based service app users are twice as likely to share information about products or services they are considering purchasing or have purchased. Its those tiny minority who are the powerful influencers and early adopters who can also start trends and generate hype for brand other will later follow.

Promoting Check-Ins for your business can improve Checkouts!

Think, what can you do in your sleep to earn you money?

Well if you have a ‘real world’ shop, if you make something, import something or in any way have items you can pop in the post; you could be selling online while you lie in your bed.

AsOne can build a fully featured eCommerce solution integrated into your existing social network for under £4000? Be up and running in weeks and capitalising on eCommerce instead of struggling on the high street. You can even spread the cost over 10 months interest free.

Ideal if you are already trading in a shop, by mail order or on a market. Expand your customer base by taking your products online.

Contact the innovative award winning web design team at AsOne for more information.

If you don’t know what to do about Social Networking or you need help to market your brand digitally you need to check out AsOne’s exclusive Innovation Club from only £39/month you can have your domains, hosting and regular guidance on your marketing and results.