I am excited to announce that the Wordpress installation has been successful and the new blog is ready.
Please go take a look and bookmark the new site.
Look forward to seeing you over there.
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
Showing posts with label Websites / Blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Websites / Blogs. Show all posts
25 June 2007
24 June 2007
Another award honour
I am really excited to announce that I have been awarded the VANA Blog of the month award by my peers for this blog.
I am just glad that people enjoy it and hopefully find some useful tips that they can implement in their businesses.
Thanks again to everyone at VANA!
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
I am just glad that people enjoy it and hopefully find some useful tips that they can implement in their businesses.
Thanks again to everyone at VANA!
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
21 June 2007
New software installation
I mentioned last time that I had decided to switch my blog over to Wordpress and was trying to install it.
Luckily I have the fantastic help of Crystal, fellow VA colleague and Rev member to sort this out for me as it is proving rather difficult to get my host to co-operate.
I am hoping to have it sorted soon and then I can get on and move everything across - hopefully the next post will be using Wordpress!
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
Luckily I have the fantastic help of Crystal, fellow VA colleague and Rev member to sort this out for me as it is proving rather difficult to get my host to co-operate.
I am hoping to have it sorted soon and then I can get on and move everything across - hopefully the next post will be using Wordpress!
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
13 June 2007
Finally decided the time has come
I have decided that I want to start using Wordpress as my blog software and am biting the bullet to try to install it - I will let you know how I get on.
Would appreciate any tips.
Wish me luck,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
Would appreciate any tips.
Wish me luck,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
07 June 2007
My favourite productivity tip
I have been tagged by my VA colleague Crystal Pina - thanks Crystal. The topic for this tag is our favorite productivity tips, which was started by Ben Yoskovitz at the Instigator Blog.
My best productivity tip.....using Outlook for everything. Heres how I use it:
Calendar - all appointments are included on my calendar including personal, family and business.
Tasks - I include all tasks relating to my business and my clients and also have recurring tasks for certain items (writing newsletter copy, client invoices, specific deadlines etc).
Contacts - all my personal and business contacts are in one place and I make use of the category facility so that I can search for people easier.
Bonus Tip
Take time to focus on YOUR business. I take part in monthly vision calls where for 5 hours, I concentrate on doing some tasks for my business that I haven't been able to do that doesn't include client work (marketing, writing etc).
Who shall I tag?
From the US, my VA colleagues Laurie Dart, Patty Dost and Karen McGreevey. From the UK, Jaqueline Rogers and Karen Skidmore - can't wait to see your posts!
Here are the rules from the Instigator Blog:
1. Write a post on your best productivity tips
2. Include links to other people that have written posts, or include their tips in your post with proper attribution
3. If you use Technorati Tags, then tag your post “ultimate guide to productivity”
4. Tag others in your post to spread the meme. Tag as many people as you like!
5. If you link back to Instigator Blog and email Ben, he’ll be sure to include at least 2 links back to you.
Happy tagging!
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
My best productivity tip.....using Outlook for everything. Heres how I use it:
Calendar - all appointments are included on my calendar including personal, family and business.
Tasks - I include all tasks relating to my business and my clients and also have recurring tasks for certain items (writing newsletter copy, client invoices, specific deadlines etc).
Contacts - all my personal and business contacts are in one place and I make use of the category facility so that I can search for people easier.
Bonus Tip
Take time to focus on YOUR business. I take part in monthly vision calls where for 5 hours, I concentrate on doing some tasks for my business that I haven't been able to do that doesn't include client work (marketing, writing etc).
Who shall I tag?
From the US, my VA colleagues Laurie Dart, Patty Dost and Karen McGreevey. From the UK, Jaqueline Rogers and Karen Skidmore - can't wait to see your posts!
Here are the rules from the Instigator Blog:
1. Write a post on your best productivity tips
2. Include links to other people that have written posts, or include their tips in your post with proper attribution
3. If you use Technorati Tags, then tag your post “ultimate guide to productivity”
4. Tag others in your post to spread the meme. Tag as many people as you like!
5. If you link back to Instigator Blog and email Ben, he’ll be sure to include at least 2 links back to you.
Happy tagging!
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
10 May 2007
Blogs: 17 Mistakes professionals make with their blogs
I came across this article and thought it would benefit readers to take the time to look at their own blogs to see if they are guilty of any of these mistakes – I know I am and I will be rectifying those soon!
Are you getting results from your business blog? Is it getting harder for you to spend time on your blog because you’re just not seeing how it is going to pay off? If so, you’re not alone. Hundreds of blogs are started each day and many of them are abandoned after several months because it takes time and energy to keep a good business blog going.
Make no mistake, blogs are a great tool for building community, interacting with potential clients and marketing your services. And, it’s not enough to set one up and post occasionally. You have to use it effectively to drive traffic and gain readership.
We’ve discovered several common mistakes professionals make with their blogs. Mostly, they aren’t using some of the features available to them with their blogging software, because it hasn’t been sufficiently explained. Eyes glaze over with the mention of RSS, pinging, trackbacks and permalinks. Professionals may be ignoring these things, hoping they don’t really need to know. But they do if they want results from their business blog.
Here’s a list of what we found on a recent trip around the professional business blogosphere:
Content
1. Not posting frequently enough (recommended 2 – 3 times a week).
2. Content is not focused and the target audience is not clearly defined.
3. Posting articles that are too long, instead of using extended post features.
4. Not linking profusely (because the professional isn’t researching their field on the internet).
5. Poor spelling, bad grammar and typos.
Design
6. No name of author in tag line or on side bar.
7. No author photo.
8. No signature or name in the footer; no way to tell who wrote post on a multi author site.
9. No subscription form; no way to get blog updates through RSS or email.
10. No way for readers to leave comments and use trackbacks.
11. Too many categories or none at all.
12. No information about their business services and products.
13. Calendars for no reason at all (what is the point of those calendars anyway?)
Marketing
14. Blog isn’t submitted to blog directories.
15. Not pinging each time a new post is published.
16. Not using trackbacks referring or linking to other blogs.
17. No blogroll or list of favourite blogs or websites.
If you’re considering using a blog to build your business, optimise it by taking time to learn the features and steps that will ensure success. A blog is like any other marketing tool – you've got to use it correctly to get positive results.
Here are a couple of suggestions
1. Get an ebook and take the time to learn about your blog software or hosting provider.
2. Hire a professional blog expert to coach you on how to rev up your blog.
Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman are two blog experts who have teamed up to form The Blog Squad (http://www.fixmyblog.com). They provide advanced training and coaching for professionals who want to beef up their blog for marketing optimization. Each month a blog is selected as Blog of the Month and undergoes a rigorous makeover. At the end of the month, the blog must pass the Blog Squad Seal of Approval to be certified a success. Patsi and Denise also publish a popular blog at http://www.buildabetterblog.com
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
Are you getting results from your business blog? Is it getting harder for you to spend time on your blog because you’re just not seeing how it is going to pay off? If so, you’re not alone. Hundreds of blogs are started each day and many of them are abandoned after several months because it takes time and energy to keep a good business blog going.
Make no mistake, blogs are a great tool for building community, interacting with potential clients and marketing your services. And, it’s not enough to set one up and post occasionally. You have to use it effectively to drive traffic and gain readership.
We’ve discovered several common mistakes professionals make with their blogs. Mostly, they aren’t using some of the features available to them with their blogging software, because it hasn’t been sufficiently explained. Eyes glaze over with the mention of RSS, pinging, trackbacks and permalinks. Professionals may be ignoring these things, hoping they don’t really need to know. But they do if they want results from their business blog.
Here’s a list of what we found on a recent trip around the professional business blogosphere:
Content
1. Not posting frequently enough (recommended 2 – 3 times a week).
2. Content is not focused and the target audience is not clearly defined.
3. Posting articles that are too long, instead of using extended post features.
4. Not linking profusely (because the professional isn’t researching their field on the internet).
5. Poor spelling, bad grammar and typos.
Design
6. No name of author in tag line or on side bar.
7. No author photo.
8. No signature or name in the footer; no way to tell who wrote post on a multi author site.
9. No subscription form; no way to get blog updates through RSS or email.
10. No way for readers to leave comments and use trackbacks.
11. Too many categories or none at all.
12. No information about their business services and products.
13. Calendars for no reason at all (what is the point of those calendars anyway?)
Marketing
14. Blog isn’t submitted to blog directories.
15. Not pinging each time a new post is published.
16. Not using trackbacks referring or linking to other blogs.
17. No blogroll or list of favourite blogs or websites.
If you’re considering using a blog to build your business, optimise it by taking time to learn the features and steps that will ensure success. A blog is like any other marketing tool – you've got to use it correctly to get positive results.
Here are a couple of suggestions
1. Get an ebook and take the time to learn about your blog software or hosting provider.
2. Hire a professional blog expert to coach you on how to rev up your blog.
Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman are two blog experts who have teamed up to form The Blog Squad (http://www.fixmyblog.com). They provide advanced training and coaching for professionals who want to beef up their blog for marketing optimization. Each month a blog is selected as Blog of the Month and undergoes a rigorous makeover. At the end of the month, the blog must pass the Blog Squad Seal of Approval to be certified a success. Patsi and Denise also publish a popular blog at http://www.buildabetterblog.com
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
16 February 2007
Blogging as a useful marketing tool
What is a Blog?
A Blog is an online diary detailing an Authors thoughts and ideas. Used effectively, a Blog can help businesses reach their customers, target market and industry.
Why should I use a Blog?
Blogs are fast becoming a ‘must have’ addition to a businesses’ marketing and PR activities.
Used in conjunction with a website, newsletter and other media, a Blog can become another means to stay in touch with your target market – therefore increasing the chance of them saying ‘yes’!
I don’t have the time, how can I still utilise this tool?
To ensure that your Blog is successful, you need to make posts on a regular basis. If you can’t do this, then delegate to someone within your company or outsource to a Virtual Assistant.
Resources
Below are the top 3 software available for writing Blogs. However, technology changes daily so have a look at what is around!
Blogger – free facility and software which is extremely easy to use
Wordpress – open source but some programming skills would be an advantage
Typepad – small monthly cost involved
To learn more about Blogs and how it can help your business, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
A Blog is an online diary detailing an Authors thoughts and ideas. Used effectively, a Blog can help businesses reach their customers, target market and industry.
Why should I use a Blog?
Blogs are fast becoming a ‘must have’ addition to a businesses’ marketing and PR activities.
Used in conjunction with a website, newsletter and other media, a Blog can become another means to stay in touch with your target market – therefore increasing the chance of them saying ‘yes’!
I don’t have the time, how can I still utilise this tool?
To ensure that your Blog is successful, you need to make posts on a regular basis. If you can’t do this, then delegate to someone within your company or outsource to a Virtual Assistant.
Resources
Below are the top 3 software available for writing Blogs. However, technology changes daily so have a look at what is around!
Blogger – free facility and software which is extremely easy to use
Wordpress – open source but some programming skills would be an advantage
Typepad – small monthly cost involved
To learn more about Blogs and how it can help your business, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
18 January 2007
Companies to update websites and emails before 2007
You can locate the original news item here.
An article published on The Register (21st December 2006) outlined regulatory changes that will effect UK business email. From 1st January 2007, companies in the UK will be required to include certain regulatory information on all business email.
This update to the Companies Act requires you to clearly present the following information on your business emails:
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
An article published on The Register (21st December 2006) outlined regulatory changes that will effect UK business email. From 1st January 2007, companies in the UK will be required to include certain regulatory information on all business email.
This update to the Companies Act requires you to clearly present the following information on your business emails:
- Company Registration Number
- Place of registration (e.g. England & Wales)
- Registered office address
The article, which was written by Outlaw.com outlined how businesses failing to include this information will be in breach of the Companies Act and this can result in a fine. The article also mentions the UK Ecommerce Regulation requirement to include the same information on websites.
I have already updated my email signature to include the necessary information and am making changes to my website shortly. Is your information up to date? If not, make the changes now so that you don't incur a fine!Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
13 April 2006
Why you should continually update your website
As someone who runs a business via the internet, I am always looking at other peoples websites to conduct business as that is what is comfortable for me.
However, the amount of times I look at a website to find it hasn't been updated for 2 years, the following thoughts go through my head:
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
However, the amount of times I look at a website to find it hasn't been updated for 2 years, the following thoughts go through my head:
- They are not in business any more
- They do not want my business
- They can't be bothered so why should I buy from them?
- They don't know they should be updating their website
If you have a website, you need to ask yourself 'what makes visitors keep coming back to my website?' People will only come back if there is new content which means you need to have in place an Online Marketing Plan to ensure that you review and update your website regularly.
Take the time now to look at your website through the eyes of a visitor and evaluate the good and bad parts so that you have somewhere to start.
If you need some help updating your wesbite or conducting a makeover, contact us to see how CKPA can help.
Until next time,Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)