Ecommerce Blog

Big thanks to Fraser for the two bottles of wine that he sent me this week. As you can see from looking at the customised labels, these bottles are to promote whitewine.co.uk and redwine.co.uk - nice domains, that Fraser managed to buy from the original owners.

As I’ve been saying for years now, it’s always always best to create sites around your interestes/hobbies and by the sounds of it Fraser is starting to get serious about the wine market. Good luck Fraser, am sure you will make a success of it.

What I’m listening to right now: Hacienda - 88/89/90 from the floor

Post from Kieron’s Blog

Redwine.co.uk and Whitewine.co.uk

Original post by Kieron

Heh, Tom Foremski reads too much into traffic numbers, he notes that my blog’s traffic is down by half recently. Well, duh! If you don’t blog people don’t read.

But my numbers are way up elsewhere.

Who cares where the audience is? I don’t. Now thanks to working on my FriendFeed aggregator you’ll see my words whether I write them on Wordpress, on Tumblr, on Posterous, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Flickr, on Upcoming.org, on Building43, on YouTube, or a number of other places.

I noticed that traffic on blogs was flat. Techmeme’s traffic hasn’t gone up very quickly. FriendFeed, Twitter, and Facebook have. Here’s a chart comparing Techmeme to FriendFeed.com to Scobleizer.com.

So, I went where the traffic is. By the way, most of the people reading my blog this week came from Twitter or FriendFeed.

Original post by Robert Scoble

Heh, Tom Foremski reads too much into traffic numbers, he notes that my blog’s traffic is down by half recently. Well, duh! If you don’t blog people don’t read.

But my numbers are way up elsewhere.

Who cares where the audience is? I don’t. Now thanks to working on my FriendFeed aggregator you’ll see my words whether I write them on Wordpress, on Tumblr, on Posterous, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Flickr, on Upcoming.org, on Building43, on YouTube, or a number of other places.

I noticed that traffic on blogs was flat. Techmeme’s traffic hasn’t gone up very quickly. FriendFeed, Twitter, and Facebook have. Here’s a chart comparing Techmeme to FriendFeed.com to Scobleizer.com.

So, I went where the traffic is. By the way, most of the people reading my blog this week came from Twitter or FriendFeed.

So is blogging back? Yes, as a way to feed FriendFeed, Twitter, and Facebook.

Is it a hub anymore? No. My blog used to be the center of where you’d find everything I was thinking and doing. That hub has now moved for me to FriendFeed and for most other people to Twitter or Facebook.

By the way, my experiment of trying to stay off Twitter and FriendFeed this week is going fairly well, I’ve only slipped a few times. But there are some things that need longer than 140 characters and there are lots of things that are lame to do on a blog, like saying I’ve gone surfing.

Dave Winer, though, added that he predicted a return to blogging as people discover that it’s nicer to finish a thought that requires more than 140 characters. That I agree with.

By the way, today FriendFeed got nice new Themes. I like the new Helvetica one.

Original post by Robert Scoble

Sorry for being gone so long. It’s clear I have spent too much time on social networks. Been hanging out on FriendFeed and Twitter and not blogging.

I’m not the only one, Steve Rubel, famous PR blogger, said he’s giving up his blog for lifestreaming.

Jeremiah Owyang, the other night, told me I was losing myself. Or my thought leadership or something like that. It made me wistful for good old Wordpress. So, here I am.

Starting today I won’t use FriendFeed or Twitter until Saturday.

Now, my items will still show up on Twitter and FriendFeed because of RSS and automatic posting, and your comments will get posted here thanks to Disqus, even if you leave them via FriendFeed.

On Friday Rocky and I leave for London for a trip with Traveling Geeks anyway. Check out our schedule and I’d love to meet up with you in London or Cambridge.

So, it’s time to answer a bunch of email I haven’t answered. It’s time to dig out Google Reader and Feedly and rediscover blogs. It’s time to develop some helpful content here and over on Building43 (which is rocking and rolling, by the way).

Oh, if you care about blogs, go ahead and retweet this.

Original post by Robert Scoble

Today’s economic climate stresses the importance of a cost effective marketing strategy in order to achieve the most gain with the least expense. Blogs fit this bill because they allow you to reach a vast global audience with very little monetary cost. Free blog software has made blogs accessible to even the smallest companies, and […]

Original post by Kate

Let’s be right, the new Apple iPhone 3G S is more evolutionary than revolutionary. It has a faster processor which according to Apple means apps will run twice as fast, it has a 3 megapixel camera, can shoot short videos and erm..a compass. You can now buy it as a 32GB version but other than that it’s not really a massive change to the iPhone 3G.

So you would think that given that the iPhone 3G S doesn’t give us anything that exciting or new then O2 would give existing iPhone 3G customers an incentive to upgrade wouldn’t you? Wrong.

Here in the UK, according to the official O2 Twitter feed the cost of upgrading will likely be “monthly cost x months left on your contract, but specifics may vary slightly”. So let’s say you have 6 months left on a £34.26 a month contract that’s £205.56. If you bought into an 18 month contract, which if memory serves you pretty much had to do when upgrading from the original iPhone to the iPhone 3G and have say a year left then that’s £411.12. To add insult to injury however, when you upgrade you are only given the choice of a new 18 month or 24 month (come on O2, 24 months is seriously taking the water isn’t it? There will probably be 2 new iPhones in 2 years) contract. And if you choose from the 2 lower monthly payment options - as most people will - then you have to pay an additional £274.23 for the 32GB iPhone 3G S.

Add that all up and for people on the average tariff with between 6 and 12 months remaining on the contract and it’s going to cost around £500 to upgrade to the new iPhone 3G S. Just for a compass.

To add yet more insult to injury 02 are now offering a “tethering” option. This is where you can use your iPhone 3G S as a modem for your laptop. Sounds good right? As one of the key benefits of the iPhone 3G is that you get unlimited web browsing as part of the monthly fee. Not the case for tethering though. O2 have now seen fit to charge us £14.68 a month for a lowly 3GB and a massive £29.36 a month for 10GB. I really don’t understand this pricing model one bit. It’s free to browse the web via an O2 iPhone but if you connect a laptop to it, it can be up to £29.36 a month??

Wow. O2 can you find any more ways to take your loyal existing customers eyes out? These price plans are nothing short of outrageous. I certainly won’t be upgrading and may even move to the HTC Magic on Vodafone which is free and quite possibly the better phone.

What I’m listening to right now: DJ History Balearic Charts

Post from Kieron’s Blog

O2 let customers down with new iPhone 3G S pricing plan

Original post by Kieron

The following is a guest post from Ben Johnson of Logoinn, custom logo design service provider based in UK. Logoinn designed the logo for my “Bring Spotify to the USA” facebook group and come recommended.

Among all the significant activities of marketing and branding, logo designing is considered to be the most crucial. A well-designed logo speaks to the people and tells what your business is all about. But sometimes people get tired of looking at the same logo again and again. No wonder why Google changes its logo when any holiday or anniversary comes, because they want to portray the more dynamic feel and to show that their logos actually talk to the public.

Case Study: Google Doodle

According to Google

“At Google, we like to reflect the ever-changing world of our users through the logo designs on our homepage. These ‘doodles’ celebrate different people, events or special dates and are designed by our original Doodler, 30-year-old Dennis Hwang.”

If we go back to the history of Google, the first ever dynamic Google logo (they call it Doodle) was designed by the Larry Page and Sergey Brin themselves. It was designed for the Burning Man festival in the summer of 1999. They created this in case their site crashed, and for browsers that were wondering why the phones weren’t being answered. Now the browsers would know they left for the festival.

Later on, they hired a graphic designer named Dennis Hwang, who has now become the official doodle maker of Google. He draws the designs by his own hands and then computer graphed them. Dennis has designed nearly 150 doodles up till now. At present, Google designs Doodles for nearly every event, and place it on their website for certain period of time.
The last doodle was placed at April 27, 2009, in which Google celebrated the birthday of Samuel Morse, and displayed it all across its homepages. Samuel Morse was an American painter who created the single wire telegraph system using Morse code. This code is a type of character encoding that transmits telegraph information using rhythm. This doodle is in the same Morse code.

Conclusion

Google has been using doodles which come with slight changes according to the events. This branding tactics reflect Google’s image as a more advanced and up-to-date company, and also shows their affection with the events. This not only looks eye-catching to the customers but also helps Google to position its brand dynamically. Hence, you can be the one who can use this tactics to brand your company by using dynamically designed logo on your website at every event. You can even develop an event calendar to get your logo designed before any event arrives. Make your logo to actually speak to your customer.

Ref: http://www.google.co.uk/doodl϶google/

What I’m listening to right now: The Dream feat. Kanye West – “Walking On The Moon”

Post from Kieron’s Blog

Does your logo speak?

Original post by Kieron

Thanks to Gadfly for the mention in this weeks’ New Media Age magazine. In this article he talks about my Internet Stars and their cars blog post from last year. As a result I’ve seen a spike in traffic today from visitors looking for the original article. Well, here it is

I’ll probably be doing a follow up to my original post in the coming weeks, so if anybody has any recommendations of people on ‘tinternet who are petrolheads, please leave suggestions in the comments below:

What I’m listening to right now: Kieron’s R&B Mixtape Volume 3

Post from Kieron’s Blog

Thanks to Gadfly and New Media Age - Internet Stars and their Cars

Original post by Kieron

We have all come across “That Guy” at one time or another using social media- you know the one we’re talking about! “That guy” does not use social media to participate in healthy balanced conversations; instead, he/she indulges in narcissism- making sure to be the center of attention or the loudest voice in every discussion. […]

Original post by Kate

We have all come across “That Guy” at one time or another using social media- you know the one we’re talking about! “That guy” does not use social media to participate in healthy balanced conversations; instead, he/she indulges in narcissism- making sure to be the center of attention or the loudest voice in every discussion. […]

Original post by Kate

Seeing as I’ve been involved in the Internet sector for 9 or so years now and run a multitude of online businesses I’ve decided that I should make more of a commitment and contribution to the “Digital” networking scene here in the North East. To be absolutely honest, up until very recently I wasn’t even aware that we had one. However it transpires that there are quite a few of us around as well as a couple of regular networking events. I love networking and meeting people who don’t just stare at you blankly when you try to explain to them that you make a living online and are not a web designer/porn peddler/spammer/eBay shop. So needless to say I’m really looking forward to getting together with like-minded people and making some new contacts.

So the first event I will be attending is BarCamp NorthEast on May16th in Newcastle, get your free tickets here. I really don’t know what to expect from this event but found the following on the website under “The Rules of BarCamp”.

BarCamp is an ad-hoc unconference born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees.

Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to join.

When you come, be prepared to share with barcampers.

When you leave, be prepared to share it with the world.

NO SPECTATORS, ONLY PARTICIPANTS

Attendees must give a demo, a session, or help with one, or otherwise volunteer / contribute in some way to support the event. All presentations are scheduled the day they happen. Prepare in advance, but come early to get a slot on the wall. The people present at the event will select the demos or presentations they want to see.

OK sounds cool, I have no idea what to talk about though. I may go with my Affiliate Marketing presentation that I gave at Think Visibility in March, or I may talk about ShareMyPlaylists.com. I’ll decide nearer the time. Follow BarCamp NorthEast on Twitter @BarCampNE.

The second event I intend to attend is Thursday Fizz held in Newcastle once a month. Here’s how they describe it on the site.

Thursday Fizz is a monthly meet up for anyone who works in/with/or aspires to be in the creative or media industries. Our aim is grow a like-minded community that will inspire, support and mentor each other whilst having fun at the same time.

Our events are social driven and are mix of live music, good food and cocktails. Everyone is welcome. However due to demand events are often by invitation only, so make sure you’ve signed up to our mailing list!

I admit that I like the idea of the cocktails but this also looks like a great way to meet people in the North East who work with the web. I fully intended to visit the last Thursday Fizz last week but couldn’t due to a ridiculously stupid eye infection that had me quarantined for a few days. However whenever the next one is announced, I will be there! Follow Thursday Fizz on Twitter @ThursdayFizz.

So, have I missed any other regular North East networking events? Please do let me know if I have via the comments and I’ll be sure to blog about them here.

What I’m listening to right now: Teairra Marie Ft Kanye West – “Diamonds”

Post from Kieron’s Blog

North East networking events: BarCamp NorthEast and Thursday Fizz

Original post by Kieron

Yesterday Bigmouthmedia announced the B.A.B.E. Award. Babe stands for Bigmouthmedia Affiliate Blogging Excellence Award and it’s purpose is to recognise and reward the UK affiliate blog that has contributed the most to the affiliate community in the last year.

First of all, who are Bigmouthmedia?

For anybody not sure of who Bigmouth are, they are a digital agency who manage SEO, PPC, Affiliate campaigns and much more besides. They are big hitters, have been around for 12 years and have offices on 10 countries. Despite their “blue chip” status I think they very much maintain their grass roots status and still strive to forge close partnerships with the SEO and affiliate community. Case in point, they have a dedicated Twitter account (@bigmouthmedia) as well as a more specialised Twitter account for affiliates (@bigmouth_aff).

So what is this award all about and why should I care?

Well I believe the award is designed to not only recognise affiliate bloggers but also to recognise the affiliate marketing sector as a whole and to increase the visibility of our sector to the masses. After all, there are countless SEO awards, conferences etc. but very little in terms of affiliate marketing (with the obvious exception being the annual awards and Expo ran by Affiliates 4U). So for a mainly SEO based digital agency to publicise our sector, we should welcome it as an opportunity to preach our gospel to a wider audience.

How do I vote and who shall I vote for?

Simply visit the site here and complete 3 short fields asking for the blog URL of your favourite blog, the name of the blog author and your name. That’s it, it will take you 10 seconds. As I mentioned above I think it’s a really good thing that Bigmouth are promoting our sector so I would urge everyone reading this to vote. As to who you should vote for, well…tbh I think the most important thing I can say right now is that you SHOULD vote. It doesn’t matter who for, the fact that you have taken the time to vote and help spread the love we all share for affiliate marketing is what counts. Wouldn’t it be great if Bigmouth received a record number of votes that just blew them away?

What I’m listening to right now: Jive ’til you bleed

Post from Kieron’s Blog

The B.A.B.E. Award - Bigmouthmedia Affiliate Blogging Excellence Award

Original post by Kieron

Regular blog readers will know that I’m a big fan of Nate and the guys at Unique Blog Designs. They designed this very blog, as well as a couple of my other sites.

These guys know the affiliate space very well and have today launched Affiliate Theme. Affiliate Theme is a customisable WordPress them designed especially for affiliate sites. What makes this really special is the fact that you don’t need ANY technical knowledge whatsover to use it (ideal for me then). You can change the layout, colours, fonts, button sizes and more, all from the options panel. No coding necessary!

I’ve said for years now that WordPress is all any affiliate marketeer needs in order to get a fantastic website/blog, and Affiliate Theme just makes it even easier to get a great looking site online instantly. Even though it’s very easy to use you can also access video tutorials, articles and post questions in the support forum - all included in the price.

Speaking of prices, it’s incredibly good value for money. Here’s the options you can chose from:

Affiliate Theme - Single-Use Package - $97.00 (one time payment)

* Use Affiliate Theme on a single domain/website
* Six (6) unique page templates
* Access to Video Tutorials, Knowledge Base, and Support Forum AND Affiliate Interviews

Affiliate Theme - Multi-Use Package - $147.00 (one time payment)

* Use Affiliate Theme on a UNLIMITED domains/websites
* Six (6) unique page templates
* Access to Video Tutorials, Knowledge Base, and Support Forum AND Affiliate Interviews
* Free Lifetime upgrades
* BONUS Ten (10) pre-made UBD Niche Header Graphics for various affiliate marketing niches

Affiliate Theme - Super Affiliate Package - $197.00 (one time payment)

* Use Affiliate Theme on a UNLIMITED domains/websites
* Six (6) unique page templates
* Access to Video Tutorials, Knowledge Base, and Support Forum AND Affiliate Interviews
* Free Lifetime upgrades
* BONUS Thirty-one (31) pre-made UBD Niche Header Graphics for various affiliate marketing niches
* SUPER AFFILIATE PAYOUTS! Super affiliate payouts! Earn 50% (compared to the normal 30%) of all Affiliate Theme sales you refer to us.
* BONUS Get access to new UBD headers graphics, every month!

As you can see this represents fantastic value for money, especially on such a quality product from one of the biggest and most well respected blog design companies on the web.

I’ve embedded a video below that gives a bit more of an overview of Affiliate Theme in action. I would love to hear feedback from anybody who buys it too.

Click here for more info on Affiliate Theme.

What I’m listening to right now: Chrisette Michelle - “Epiphany”

Post from Kieron’s Blog

Affiliate Theme launches today - brilliant new WordPress app for affiliates

Original post by Kieron

There are still a *lot* of people that I speak to who don’t get Twitter. They don’t know how to use it to get the best from it and they definitely don’t see any use for it in business. However it can be a huge source of traffic if you do it right.

The above pie chart shows the split of all traffic sources to my new site ShareMyPlaylists.com that I launched just over a week ago. As an experiment I used Twitter as part of the launch plan, to see if indeed it could bring me relevant traffic. The biggest source of my traffic (64.70%) is from direct referrals, people who have bookmarked the site or just type in the URL. The second biggest source of traffic however is Twitter, at almost 10%. Result.

I’ll share my findings in more detail along with how I used Twitter to bring in the traffic, in a more detailed post at a later date. For now though, I just wanted to demonstrate that Twitter can be good for business.

What I’m listening to right now: Modern Soul 2

Post from Kieron’s Blog

Who says you can’t use Twitter for business?

Original post by Kieron

There are still a *lot* of people that I speak to who don’t get Twitter. They don’t know how to use it to get the best from it and they definitely don’t see any use for it in business. However it can be a huge source of traffic if you do it right.

The above pie chart shows the split of all traffic sources to my new site ShareMyPlaylists.com that I launched just over a week ago. As an experiment I used Twitter as part of the launch plan, to see if indeed it could bring me relevant traffic. The biggest source of my traffic (64.70%) is from direct referrals, people who have bookmarked the site or just type in the URL. The second biggest source of traffic however is Twitter, at almost 10%. Result.

I’ll share my findings in more detail along with how I used Twitter to bring in the traffic, in a more detailed post at a later date. For now though, I just wanted to demonstrate that Twitter can be good for business.

What I’m listening to right now: Modern Soul 2

Post from Kieron’s Blog

Who says you can’t use Twitter for business?

Original post by Kieron