Organise Internet

Digital Economy on a Bicycle

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:15:00 +0000

After a recent visit to South Australia to assist in the launch of a so called Digital Enterprise Centre I came away with a tasty new view of economic development.

The village of Willunga in the vales south of Adelaide is renowned throughout the cycling world for its infamous hill that is an annual fixture in the ever-expanding Tour Down Under. The three-kilometre hill is broadcast to tens of millions of viewers each and every January, as the world's best cyclists fight each other for the title of 'King of the mountain'.

Yet Willunga and the surrounding district is also a centre of both local fresh food markets and the super-high-speed internet through the National Broadband Network (NBN) pilot program. The village is therefore an eclectic mix of events and possibilities that on the surface don't naturally fit together. Yet, I soon discovered 'oil and vinegar' make for great salad dressing.

The farmer's market in Willunga is held every Saturday morning in the town square and features both real farmers and real local food. As a result it has won local, state and national awards for its food and atmosphere. Locals walk or ride their bikes to stock up on fresh food, wines and bakery items. Others also come from as far away as northern Adelaide to get the best and freshest food that can be found. In many ways the area has echoes of provincial France or Italy, and its older colonial homes and small churches complete the milieu.

The farmer's market organisation, though, has also been infected with innovative ways. The marketing and development managers have spawned the idea of replicating the real market place as a Virtual Farmer' Market, which has set heads a-spinning.

The idea that has been prototyped allows people to walk through a virtual market in 3D and visit the tents and stalls as they are in reality. The young team that's working on the project has been inspired by the possibilities their local NBN roll out has afforded them: the opportunity to create new and innovative services to augment the market is driving optimism and change.

Billy Doecke and Dave Abrahams at the Willunga Markets.
Photo courtesy of Dave Abrahams.

Billy Doecke, part of the innovation team, speaks enthusiastically of the possibilities of the emerging new 3D service. She says they’re hoping to create video introductions of the stall holders so people can get to know them before they arrive and purchase produce. They’re also keen on getting the sellers to list what they are selling each week so people can view online what will be sold at the markets on Saturdays.

Now, having left Willunga, I feel a little sentimental - not so much for their provincial setting and fresh food, but for the positive and innovative atmosphere that they are building on the back of their NBN roll out. I hope to be able to inspire a similar change in my regional economy when the NBN rolls out on the Central Coast of NSW later this year.

Perhaps fresh local food, wine, optimism and superfast networks can deliver a new economic renaissance to many regions across Australia. Oh, and with such high speed 3D virtual reality don't forget your bicycle helmet.

Article originally published on myregion.com.au.

Social Business - travel

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:46:00 +0000

The term 'Social Business' is accelerating through the modern online vernacular and for good reason. Businesses and organisations, governments and NGOs are all frantically trying to apply a largely personal technology to enhancing business outcomes.
The big question remains. "Does social media lend itself to profitable business applications?". The risks are clear from a manager's point of view TIME WASTING. Though there are clearly some examples, that have worked, at least in raising the profile of various campaigns. Used in a disciplined way some savvy organisations are making social media work.
One such organisation that has turned the use of social media on it's head was the successful European airline Norwegian. They recognised that people wanted to use social media all the time, so they made it available for all their travelling customers during the entire flight for free. They certainly gained a lot of goodwill and cashed in on the service big time.
In this video OI principal consultant Dave Abrahams talks around the opportunities around travelling.

Social Media Addiction in business

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:31:00 +0000

What does an addiction to social media mean for the work place? Well if you jump on the stereo-typical bandwagon we'll be thinking about stupid rude teenagers in customer service roles. Though this is way too simple, most employees have social media accounts these days and most of the keenest new users are middle aged.

Simplify your Social Media and get on with business in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:26:00 +0000

How many hours do you use on "Social Media Production" at work. We suspect for some of you it maybe a fair amount of time. The next question is how effective is the time used.
1. Are you repeating yourself on Twitter, FaceBook and YouTube etc?
2. Are you communicating effectively to the right people in you social media channels?

We've made a short little video that covers this topic:

Simplify your Social Media this year

Why not put a little effort into moving some people between your various account. Take some of your prospective customers from FaceBook and Twitter, move your professional contacts into a LinkedIn account. Or invite people to watch your conversational video on Google+.

We've witnessed some great success with our branded online video customers using PixelMache.TV to distribute their messages.

How would a few thousand extra video views work for you? When you think of what that amount of customers would do... you get the idea.

Video and Mobile set for Centre Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:11:00 +0000

Get ready for mobile broadcast...

Last week, OI (the region’s only Google Engage partner) attended the first official Google+ Hangout session hosted by Google Australia. The trends that we have have noticed, primarily the uptake of mobile content have been confirmed by data they have been collecting. Google’s data indicates close to 1 in 4 search queries are from mobile devices, almost double what it was last year.

For some time now, OI has recognised and anticipated that mobile internet usage would be the highest area of growth and have begun developing websites that automatically adjust their layout based on screen resolution, rather than device. This solution represents a more cost effective and future proof option compared to designing versions of an existing website to cater for specific products. Here is a selection of our recent work: Invest Central Coast (an initiative of the Regional Development Australia),Search 4 Hurt, and Bounce Performing Arts. Try browsing these sites on your PC and your mobile.

This leads us to the next most important statistic Google has shared with us. Landing page usability on mobile devices correlates directly with AdWords campaign conversions rates. Figures suggest that a higher percentage of visitors on mobile phones are in “buying mode”, but a landing page that is not usable deters people from continuing. Is your website mobile-enabled?

Talk to us about attending a power briefing in 2012 starting from February, contact sales@organise.net.au to subscribe.

Deface your Facebook says East Gosford man - Local News - News - Express Advocate Gosford Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:34:00 +0000

"De-Friend" : Join the devolution

If your social media relationships are overwhelming you perhaps it's time to seriously consider taking part in the "De-Friend" campaign. Join the movement that plans to establish a National Defriend Week. The first "De-Friend" week was November 2011, with a future view to establishing a more widespread campaign in 2012.

The average social media user has about 120 relationships, many "heavy users" have 400 or more and hard core addicts have THOUSANDS!!! A spring clean of our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn relationships could just be just what the doctor ordered!

More information can be found on the fledgling website: Defriend.net.au

Article link:

Deface your Facebook says East Gosford man - Local News - News - Express Advocate Gosford Edition

MX Sydney Commuter Paper

Also heard on:

Radio National
ABC 92.5
Woolongong
SBS

Seen on:
NBNTV

Fast Videos Inspire Us

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:20:00 +0000

PixelMache a Social Media Machine!

Here's a sober Social Media tip that demonstrates how video blogging via our award winning Pixelmache.tv product can build your brand responsibly.

I shot, branded, published and distributed this video in less than half an hour.

Innovation Award presentation for Pixelmache.tv

Interested in making your business fly?

info@pixelmache.tv

Teleworking - Are we ready?

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:23:00 +0000

Our principal consultant, David Abrahams (a.k.a. digitdave) was invited to attend the Telework Forum in Sydney recently. The discussions opened his eyes to how beneficial the high-speed broadband (NBN), could be to many Australians. "The technical and cultural shift in how we work is one of those classic examples of how thousands of businesses doing seemingly small things add up to a huge difference for the country".

Dave cites how a couple of his employees already telework and explains how why he thinks it is a way of keeping "valued staff even if their circumstances change". Unfortunately his staff members belong only to a small percentage (6%) of lucky Australians that actually telework. Research suggests that some people are commuting up to 6 hours daily and there will be a strong desire to reduce the amount of physical commuting. He suspects that research currently being run by the University of Newcastle will confirm his opinion.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy Stephen Conroy was also present at the forum and said that Australia is quite down in the ranks of teleworking nations. About 10% of US employees telework at least once a month, and more in parts of Europe. In Norway, which in many ways is similar to Australia in economic and social terms, it is close to 20 per cent. They obviously realised years ago that small benefits for individuals can mean big benefits for the nation.

According to Access Economics, if just 10% of Australia's workforce teleworked 50% of the time, Australia would collectively save about 120 million litres of petrol, reduce traffic by 5%, delivering an overall saving of $470 million and 320,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Annual productivity gains of more than $1.4 billion could have been realised.

High speed broadband will change the way we work and here are some tips:

Start small and grow your own teleworking initiatives.
Trial low quality video conferencing in anticipation of a high quality NBN roll out.
Start defining workers by outcomes, not time at a particular desk.

To him, all this means a more productive workforce and ultimately a more profitable local business... a good deal for all.

Google Ranking Algorithm - A Sneak Peek into their Change Process

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:29:00 +0000

Online marketers, primarily those that breathe and live Google woke up to a small surprise in the form of a video released by the search engine giant. The video did not reveal how Google actually ranks websites as many news publications out there might be eluding to. It does however confirm how frequently Google updates it's search algorithm and the procedures they take before releasing these updates to the public.

Amit Singhal confirmed that "just last year, we launched over 500 changes to our algorithm. So by some count we change our algorithm almost every day, almost twice over". Scott Huffman, Google Engineering Director, continues by stating that they "analyse each potential change very deeply to try to make sure that it's the right thing for users". He adds, "In 2010, we ran over 20,000 different experiments. All the data from the human evaluation and the live experiment are then rolled out by a search analyst".

This video discusses how Google identifies, tests, and implements tweaks to their algorithm in their quest to server it's users with the best content that they are searching for. As an example, the video then looks at the reasoning and test procedures that affected the "did you mean" and "showing results for" change earlier this year.

Watch the entire video below.

How often do you "google" ?... and see adwords

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:40:00 +0000

How often do you 'Google' each week?

Strangely, a hard question to answer specifically, as these things are shrouded in commercial mystery. However I think we can safely answer "a great deal" as there are global statistics that point to over 3 billion searches per day! Last year(1)
Almost all of these searches are accompanied by a series of paid advertisements, aka AdWords. These are the online advertisements we see wrapped on the top and right hand side of each Google search. However did you know AdWords are everywhere online. Keep your eyes open and you'll see them on third party websites, inside emails on maps and mobile phones and even on YouTube videos.
Though there are only a small amount of businesses that are represented in AdWords listings In Australia only about 1% of businesses use Adwords campaigns. Most of these are big businesses and interestingly businesses mostly based outside of Australia. See the image below, no local results for a very popular search term.

We at OI often wonder why so many businesses don't see the opportunities to advertise in the Adwords platform space. The statistics are clear; people are spending more and more time online every month, they are searching for products and services more and more. They are reading newspapers and watching broadcast TV less and less. Yet advertisers are failing to see the opportunities online. The Australian Financial Review this week put a focus on these AdWords in an article 'Click here for top dollar'.
Are Aussie businesses technology averse? We don't think so.

We think that most Aussie businesses are simply unconvinced that these AdWords and related DisplayAds are working alternatives to print media. We also think that setting up an Adwords campaign is actually quiet complex and very time consuming for what they may or may not receive. Fair cop we reckon.

Remember AdWords are a so called PPC or Pay Per Click system, where the customer agrees on a click maximum limit (say 10 cents) and a per month maximum PPC spend. Inside these constraints you compete in an automated auction with other advertisers in your chosen location and industry sector for AdWords placements.
There are a host of other options that in theory let you target age groups, gender, income levels and even street level focusing. There are also options that include inclusion on maps, email, YouTube channels and third party websites, such as industry or popular news websites.
Coming up with the 'creative' text is also an art, as well worded ads attract many more clicks than poorly worded ones.

OI has been working on this for some time and has recently just been accepted as a Google Engage Partner, something that helps educate us on the ins and outs of advertising in the online space. We recently attended the inaugural partner event at Google Australia HQ. I'm pleased to say there was very little sales pitch and a lot of education and learning around the products and services. Something that we can now pass onto our clients and partners. Expect to see a heap more targeted advertising in the AdWords space very soon.

Yours in AdWordising

The OI Team

References
1. These are comscore worldwide estimates in 2010 source: SearchEngineLand

Pixel Maché - Online Video Broadcasting Channel

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 02:00:00 +0000

As the online platform surges forward, more of us are using videos to research products, services and information.... it's refreshing to hear of an initiative that leans on low-tech simplicity to bring a whole new marketing tool for those searching for a fresh online 'edge'.

Enter Pixel Maché, brainchild of multi-award winning portable filmmaker Jason van Genderen (Treehouse Creative) and gadget guru Dave Abarahams (Organise Internet). At face value, Pixel Maché provides businesses with a low-cost, customised online TV channel that's easy to use, encourages user-generated content and provides brands with a completely new way to present their message to a new video-centric audience. "It's brutally simple yet an incredibly powerful offering all rolled into one", says Dave "considering the recent explosion of online video media, many businesses are realising the need to have a presence there but either have no time, no resources, or no understanding of how to monetize it. Pixel Maché is a turn-key broadcasting solution for businesses on the front foot."

The distinctly unique offering goes beyond the platform itself. For less than $5,000, businesses can have their own online broadcasting platform created, including registration of their TV domain name, design of a custom channel space, portable HD video camera kit, full training, custom YouTube host channel, content management system, and targeted SEO marketing. More importantly, this allows businesses access to a globally recognised multi-award winning expert in mobile film-making (Jason). Imagine having a Tropfest winning director guiding your team and sharing his secrets and tips on creating concise, simple webisodes that sell your products or service.

"I've seen inferior systems sell for more than $22,000, without the in-depth training we offer. Pixel Maché represents a whole new democracy in this space; at a price that's within reach for even the smallest of businesses." added Jason "We can show any business how they can embrace the online medium to help spread their commercial message into a whole new space". Dave adds "and remember that YouTube is a search engine affirming technology, something that boosts your online presence massively."

Several Pixel Maché early adopters include Apex Insurance Brokers, along with Cherry Road Nursery. Darren Hutton, managing director of Apex Insurance is excited about using this new channel to both educate and market their services to a broader audience.

For more information, email info@pixelmache.tv or go to www.pixelmache.tv to see what it's all about.

Source: Central Coast Business Review

Is "Free" software a curse?

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 01:51:00 +0000

Having just gone through a bruising series of quotes with a large customer and losing the bid I'm feeling a little dark. Not at the company that picked up the contract, good luck to them and good luck our (until recently) 'customer'. But I've heard on the grape vine that they've gone down the "free software" route. Something that as an online professional I find both amazing but also quite worrying.

Has the whole online world gone DIY? Well perhaps. You can get most things for free: Free email accounts, free websites, free social media apps, free document storage systems, free calendars, free advertising and even free sexual prowess, apparently. Wasn't it The Beatles that sang "Money can't buy you love" so presumably that's free too.

So I find myself wondering if I should pack it all in and head for the hills and grow bananas. I can at least sell them at our local markets for a pretty penny at the moment.

Then I remembered something that happened to a friend of mine recently. His identity was stolen. First his eBay user name then progressing to his PayPal account, which lead to further to freeze his real bank account, his telephone account and regular bill draws, not to mention his email and Facebook account. Ouch. Ouch Ouch. I remember at the time deeply sympathising with him as he rang endless corporations that sadly by default did not believe he was himself. It just goes to prove the adage "If you don't pay for the product, you are the product".

I reckon "free" is good if it's about beer or chocolate but I think that "free" is bad when it comes to building trustworthy communications systems and relationships. "Free" software systems are in other words also free from responsibility, security and reliability.

After that little thought bubble I'm feeling better. Free beer to all of my friends.

Digital Dave

Waves of digital innovations

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:53:00 +0000

Just recently I was called into an unusual meeting with a large client. I'd known this particular manager for some time and we've talked loosely about the opportunities that digital media present to get both engage with people and drive productivity gains. Though as we talked I become aware that he had managed to convince his ageing bosses that this digital evolution thing was worth focusing on. Though who can blame the older generation of senior managers. Innovation in the online world has been exhausting over the last two decades,

An incredible set of innovations have washed over us in the last 20 years; Email, The Web, Mobile Phones, eCommerce, Social Media all have spawned industries, companies and opportunities that were not even conceptualised in the world we occupied previously.

Take a quick look at the current waves hitting the beach; YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter & Mobile Apps. All have some surprising similar traits. They offer innovative groups of people a platform for real and lasting change if they can adopt them for their own purposes.

This post was originally modified from the Regional National Broadband blog with thanks.

Mature Approach to Getting Found on Google

noreply@blogger.com (Digital Dave) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:54:00 +0000

The world of being found is changing quickly. For years now the phone books were a 'must' for businesses of all types, now we're all moving online at an astonishing rate. According to Nielsen, 80.1% of Australia’s population were online in 2010 (= 17.03 million people). A recent Sensis report claimed that 90% of Australian internet users used the internet to look for information on products or services.

Taking into consideration Google’s 94% market share in Australia, we can deduce that 14.41 million Australians have used Google in 2010. That’s almost 68% of the entire Australian population. No other site has this kind of penetration! This represents a rapid growth over the last three years. In fact the latest trend points to a huge increase in using mobile phones for searching for businesses and services, an area Google very keen to expand quickly, and for good reason. A recently published statistics indicate that 41% of all mobile phone users in Australia access the web, with searching for products and services listed as the 4th most popular activity at 56% which represents a 15% increase over the previous year.
Organise Internet has been in THE SEARCH BUSINESS for many years and our accumulated experience is reflected in our mature and practical approach to online developments. Our deep knowledge of other Google products and services really helps navigate this relatively new area of business marketing. So if you're looking at getting found by the people who want to find you, talk to us. We're not script kiddies or back room operators, we know a lot about search and we're happy to help you get the results you're looking for.

Email David or Danis or call us on (02) 4340 5706 and book a low cost briefing session. We're bound to surprise you about the possibilities for those that adopt a flexible mature approach.

Improving Your Facebook Page's Engagement Rate

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 04:19:00 +0000

It has been estimated that 30 billion pieces of content i.e. links, stories, blogs, pictures, etc. are shared on Facebook each and every month. Getting noticed is becoming ever more difficult as more marketers converge on this platform.
If you are involved with managing a Facebook page/presence, you will undoubtedly have asked yourself questions such as:

When’s the best time to post?
How often should I post?
When are people engaging with our content?

A recent study conducted by Buddy Media (a Facebook marketing software company) has answered many of these questions by analysing a sample size of 200 clients for a two week period earlier this year. Below is a summary of their findings that we thought many of you might be interested in.

Post Length

Keep your message short and sweet! Posts shorter than 80 characters have a 27% higher engagement rate.

URL Shorteners

Asking your followers to click a shortened link (tinyURL, etc.) is a question of trust. By using a full-length URL, you are essentially tripling your engagement rate. If you must use URL shorteners, utilise brand-specific shorteners, e.g. http://org.int/234c.

Best Time to Post

It’s estimated that 60% of posts are published during office hours. Brands that post outside of these times usually enjoy a 20% higher engagement rate. This emphasises the idea that most people check their feeds outside of office hours, hence it represents the best time of engagement (early morning or late at night).

Best Day to Post

Buddy Media’s research indicates that engagement rates on Thursday and Friday are 18% higher than on other days of the week.

Fans Follow Instructions Well

The fundamental rule is to keep requests simple. Outright requests to “like”, “post”, “comment”, or “tell” you something will typically generate a response.

“Softer Sell” Keywords Work Best

If running a contest, sweepstakes, or promotion, the use of “softer sell” keywords such as “winner”, “win”, “event”, and “offer” will resonate better with your fans. Generating excitement rather than selling directly is more effective and increases your engagement rate.

Ask Questions at the End of Posts

The aim of a question is to invoke a response. Placing your question at the end of a post yields a 15% higher engagement rate than posts where question placement is near the beginning or middle of the post.

Final Thoughts

Many companies and businesses are now looking to Facebook to engage with their customers/clients. With the amount of posts generated each day, it’s very easy to be overlooked by your target audience. A well thought out marketing plan is only as good as its execution. We hope the above summary was helpful in maximising the returns of your efforts.

Our New Year’s Strategy : Partnerships

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 06:15:00 +0000

Our New Year’s Strategy : Partnerships

As part of a strategic move, OI has now cemented two vital partnerships.

Consider us a one-stop-shop for all your online needs.

Organise Internet has always acknowledged that it cannot be great at everything, hence we have engaged and worked with several design and technology partners to provide our clients access to the best in the business without the need to engage multiple providers. Our core business has been and will continue to be online development and search and business processes.

As part of a strategic move, OI has now cemented two vital partnerships with Treehouse Creative and vTeam Social Media. This move brings web development, design, SEO, social media, e-marketing, and print marketing all under one roof... literally, at West Gosford! After a short period of time, this partnership has proved itself fruitful.

Partner Profile

Creative, mature, talented, passionate, and professional are just some of the words that have been used to describe our partners.

Treehouse Creative - More than just a design studio, the team at Treehouse has proven time and time again why they’re industry leaders. They are very creative, talented and passionate professionals with a wealth of industry background who are renowned for their left-of-field solutions. If you’re looking for great designs, marketing ideas, and novel approaches to stand out from the crowd, chances are you’ll be blown away by their work.

vTeam Social Media - vTeam has developed a solution for people to collaborate online without the risks usually associated with traditional social networks; imagine a managed private version of Facebook! Organisations that have benefited from this solution include the sporting icons, like the Sydney Kings, Central Coast Mariners, as well as schools, community services, travel groups and emergency services. It is a very secure system that creates online communities which foster communication and collaborative teams, delivered in “the cloud”...

So what’s the big deal?

Fewer overheads, less communication, less stress, less management, and improved ROI.

OI is now in a much better position to offer our clients a wider range of quality products and services which typically could not be found under the same roof. Imagine the added value you can achieve by dealing with a single company to get multiple jobs done. Fewer overheads, less communication, less stress, less management, and improved ROI are just some of the potential benefits of engaging us, apart from quality service. Consider us a one-stop-shop for all your online needs.
We think the combined wealth of knowledge and experience will differentiate us from other organisations and will allow us to provide solutions that are second to none. Speak to us today about anything related to the online space, social media, search and marketing. That’s all the buzz words in one space. So if you’ve got a project idea buzzing around in your head, come and talk to us.

New Business Year Resolution 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:18:00 +0000

Organise Internet's Three Step Guide

Create good online content - generate interesting and engaging information!
Get found on search engines - get where we all search for products and services!
Create or improve your online sales channel - Make it easy and make it a habit.

Story of Disorganisation?

The big domestic retail companies are on the offensive and trying to lobby the government to effectively restrict offshore sourced online sales. While this appears logical, we think it’s like swimming against the tide.

Gerry Harvey is a great Australian businessman and philanthropist but sadly he typifies much of the national business attitude to doing business online: “It’s a fad that people will get over”. Well, hello guys the train has come and is leaving the platform. You need to jump on board.

Australian retailers still only sell about 2% of their goods online, this is surprisingly low when you consider that Australian consumers are some of the fastest adopters of technology in the world. Weird when you think most people still are forced to buy electronic equipment in a big retail store that are in turn paying dearly for floor space, their aisle walking staff and such abominations as letterbox advertising. A wonderful paradox don’t you think.

Banks as an Example?

There are of course exceptions to national online business successes. Take our banks for example. There’s no hiding the fact that ‘our’ banks deliver a huge amount of their service online, which is heavily used by most citizens. This is helping financial institutions deliver huge savings and dare I say much extra income to their share holders et.al.

So take a leaf out of our banking sector’s business manual, invest online. Now you may not have budgets like a bank, but you can do something progressive. Use our three point guide to help you. You may not have a budget for this or have other plans or providers, though you should know that we at Organise are here to help when you’re ready.

Get Organised

Organise Internet is one of those rare mid-tier online development companies that deliver high quality online products and services with a great success rate. Our staff are full-timers, they know their stuff, they work well as a team, they’re a mix of older hands and young guns.
We are NOT web designers, we leave that to our excellent graphic partners, we ARE however top notch advisers, programmers, constructors and testers of the online world.
So this year move ahead, work with us in making your online presence profitable, professional and visible. If you wish to make us part of your business progress this year please contact us. You can send us an email, or call us on 1300 30 17 18.

Here again is the Organise Internet three step new year’s resolution guide.

Create good online content - interesting and engaging information!
Get found in search engines - go to where we all search for products and services!
Create or improve your online sales channel - Make it easy and make it a habit.

Why not copy, paste and print these simple goals.

Social Networking Browsers

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0000

The popularity of Social Networking services continues to grow at a rapid pace. In order to stay connected, the masses are turning to purpose built apps on smart phones. What many people don't realise is that there are also specialist Social Networking web browsers created specifically to allow you to stay connected with your friends and easily share content whilst browsing the web.

These browsers operate as you would expect a typical web browser to work, with the added bonus of specially designed toolbars that keep you up to date with your friends' latest posts. Unlike standard web browser, these toolbars are not add-ons, but are native to the browser itself, providing unparalleled performance, stability, and functionality.

Social Networking browsers also allow its users the ability to post to various social networks from within the browser, no matter where you are on the web. This eliminates the need to browse, log in to social networking websites, and switching tabs.

Flock (http://flock.com) has been around for quite some time and is a popular choice.

More recently, there has been much anticipation and excitement surrounding the soon to be launched RockMelt (http://www.rockmelt.com) browser.

Both browsers integrate with Twitter, Facebook and YouTube - along with a host of other popular social networking websites.

To give you an idea of what social networking browsers are capable of, please watch the RockMelt preview video below:

These purpose built Social Networking browsers aren't the only way to stay connected and get your Social Networking fix. If you are happy with your current web browser and not comfortable jumping ship, you may be pleased to discover that with most web browsers you can install “add-ons” or “extensions” to achieve similar functionality.

Below is a list of popular browsers, along with links to available Social Networking add-ons/extensions on their official extensions websites:

Firefox - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/extensions/social-communication/
Google Chrome - https://chrome.google.com/extensions/featured/social?hl=en-US
Internet Explorer - http://www.ieaddons.com/gb/social

IE market share reaches record low

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:38:00 +0000

According to recently published data from StatCounter, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is showing signs of losing the browser battle in Australia. IE’s Australian share of the browser market has fallen for the first time below the 50% mark, an unprecedented event.

In the space of a year, IE's market share in Australia plummeted from 54.31% to 49.78%. Advances made by Firefox in the last few years combined with heavy adoption of Google’s Chrome and Safari in more recent months has led to this decline. StatCounter’s data suggests that Chrome’s market share has more than doubled from 4.8% to 10.58% in the last year alone, with Safari’s growth slightly more mundane growing to 9.41% from 6.87% in the same time period.

In a bid to overturn this decline, Microsoft released the beta version of IE9 to the public last month. According to Microsoft, it is a totally revamped browser and addresses many of the common issues users faced when using previous versions of the browser. IE9 is touted as a reinvention of the browser and promises to improve its compliance with HTML 5 and other modern standards. Another IE9 highlight is its improved performance. It achieves this by utilising hardware acceleration to improve the rendering speed of graphics, videos, GUI, and JavaScript execution by accessing the GPU through Windows.

The battle of the browsers is heating up, which in our eyes is terrific news as it promotes innovative thinking and further product development. Firefox and Chrome are currently also testing their hardware acceleration solution. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this front and will keep you updated as more news becomes available.

In the meantime, please share your thoughts and experiences with IE9. Do you think Microsoft has hit a home run with a product that delivers what it promises and get back in the game, or is it all just a marketing exercise to slow down the death of IE? Which browser do you prefer and why?

AdWords campaign post Google Instant

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:46:00 +0000

Google Instant's launch has caused a lot of buzz around the industry. It is undoubtedly the largest update it has undergone since its initial launch. Although it hasn't been rolled out in Australia, it's a good idea to prepare ourselves with what is on the horizon.

Having played with Google Instant recently, we have made some observations:

Typing quickly results in an almost seizure inducing flashing of search results, with the page’s content flashing by so quickly that our eyes began to hurt after some time (headache will vary depending on your computer and connection speed).
Luckily Google gives people the ability to switch Google Instant off, in which case the interface reverts to the classic view.
Once the headache subsided, we remembered seeing ads also flashing past at an equally alarming rate, being only displayed for a few milliseconds between suggestion changes.
This made us wonder how it will affect people with AdWords campaign which are paying by the number of impressions their ad gets?
And equally, how will it impact the Click Through Rate (CTR) of those on pay-per-click?

Luckily Google has also given this issue some thought ahead of time and had the following statement to make:

New predicted query

Although Google Instant won't change the way ads are served, ads and search results will now be shown for a new "predicted query." For example, if someone types "flow" into Google, an algorithm predicts that the user is searching for "flowers" (the predicted query) and therefore displays search listings and ads for flowers. Those results will continue to show unless the next letters that the user types lead to a different predicted query.

How impressions are counted
When someone searches using Google Instant, ad impressions are counted in these situations:
The user begins to type a query on Google and clicks anywhere on the page (a search result, an ad, a spell correction, a related search).
The user chooses a particular query by clicking the Search button, pressing Enter, or selecting one of the predicted queries.
The user stops typing, and the results are displayed for a minimum of three seconds.
We recommend monitoring your ads' performance the same way you usually do. Google Instant might increase or decrease your overall impression levels. However, Google Instant can improve the quality of your clicks since it helps people search using terms that more directly connect them with the answers they need. Therefore, your overall campaign performance could improve.

Google's post is trying to assure people that they could see their campaign's performance improving, but is also acknowledging the fact that it could negatively impact others and warns to monitor your campaigns closely. It also seems to us that the impression count will become more inaccurate, especially with the new three second rule. Imagine the number of additional unintentional impressions Google counts because someone was interrupted by a phone call whilst in the middle of typing a search query, dropped connection, and many others. As so many people rely on Google's statistical search data, this is a major issue that Google hopefully will be able to address quickly.

There's a lot of maybes and speculation in their statement which is fair enough considering the novelty of this update, and to their credit Google has put a lot of thought into their product's release and mechanisms to reduce unwanted side-effects. Having said that, there's no wonder why many people in the search and internet marketing industry are anxious, worried and losing sleep over these current developments. There are many people making and publishing articles/blogs which are based on speculations, which can be very scary for those that don't have a sound comprehension of SEO and PPC. Some say this marks the end of SEO, others suggest that SEO has become more important than ever. Only time will tell which speculations hold water. We'll keep on top of new developments as they emerge and will report more on this subject.

In the meantime, please share your views and experience with us using the comment box below.

Google Instant

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Google is constantly working on improving its core product, the search engine. Many enhancements have been tested and most that make it past the testing phase and are actually implemented on its website go unnoticed by many. So it’s no surprise that Google’s recent enhancement, dubbed Google Instant, is receiving a lot of attention as it will have a significant impact on its users' experience.

Launched on Sep. 8 2010, Google Instant will dynamically display search results as you type and concurrently predict what you are likely to search for before you’ve finished typing. Google is predicting that this change will help people get to the right content faster. Based on usage information Google has been collecting, its prediction that Google Instant will save the typical user anywhere between 2-5 seconds per search is very plausible.

Google Instant can trigger a fundamental shift in the way people approach search. Since the inception of search engines, people are used to viewing search results as an outcome of a query. With dynamic results and predictive searching, people may need to change their perception. Seeing results as you type helps formulate a better search phrase by providing instant feedback which allows you to adapt on the fly until the results match what you are looking for.

Google has been quick to reassure people that this will not slow down their internet connection considerably, stating that the additional load it places on the connection is far less than streaming video and online gaming. Although technically more search results pages (SERPs) are served, Google has minimised the actual amount of data received and transmitted by only sending parts of the page that change.

Whilst many will welcome this innovative feature, not everyone will have access to it, at least not for now. Google Instant is being rolled out progressively in the following countries: US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia with other countries to follow “over the next several months”. Users will also have the ability to opt out of this new interface, and use Google exactly in the same manner they have been used for years.
Check out Google’s official video introducing Google Instant below. For more information visit Google.

Social Media in Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Important global social media statistics

Social media sites are currently enjoying the largest online consumption growth. It is estimated that three quarters of the entire world's online population has visited social network sites or blog sites, with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube the most noticeable brands in this market. This represents a 24% growth compared to last year. The average visitor is now also spending 66% more time on these site; almost 6 hours per month which translates to 22% of their entire time spent online.

Australia's social media statistics

Australia's social media landscape is slightly different than the world trends might suggest. Here are some interesting facts about social media adoption in Australia that every business owner should know about:

80% of the Australian population is online.
9 million Australians use Facebook.
According to recently published statistics from Nielsen, Australia leads the world when it comes to social media site usage with the average Australian spending a staggering 7 hours and 19 minutes per month on social networking/blog sites.

What this means for you?

Social media has created an entirely new channel to engage your customers and promote your brand. There is much evidence that shows social media is here to stay and gaining popularity. Get in early and leverage this to your advantage before it's too late. Jump on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc and register an appropriate page/username before anyone else registers it. First in, best dressed!

If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Already have a Facebook page and twitter account and would like to know what your next steps are? We will be publishing some tips on this topic in the near future, so stay tuned. To receive updates on this matter and other related subjects, follow us on Twitter and become fans of our Facebook page by clicking the Like button at the top of Organise Internet's new Facebook page.

SEO and how it can benefit you

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:00:00 +0000

What is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?

Search Engine Optimisation is a system of methods, strategies and tools used to enhance a website's ranking in search engines' natural search results, which in turn increases the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines for targeted phrases. The process of SEO includes initial analysis, keyword research and analysis, competitor analysis, inbound link building, optimisation of on-page factors, such as using relevant keywords, choosing correct Meta data, and a whole range of other techniques. SEO strategies are constantly evolving as search engines update their algorithms.

Top search engine placement is a vital key to a company's online success. Companies can save a fortune on their traditional print media advertising costs and find a way to easily beat the competition. The internet is taking over as the primary source of products, and services delivery channel. Australia’s online leading Pre-Shop® portal, Lasoo.com.au determined that 90% of Australians are conducting pre-purchase research online and are likely or very likely to make a purchase within the next 4 weeks.

Whether you are optimising an existing web page or starting from scratch, one key thing to remember is that optimisation is an ongoing process. Search engines are constantly changing and improving, algorithms are constantly being updated and new search keywords and phrases are created at lightning speed. To keep up with these frequent changes, search engine optimisation needs to be a top priority for any business seeking a strong web presence.

The many benefits of SEO

Here are some of the benefits you may reap from an ongoing SEO campaign:

Promotion that never sleepsImagine having your own marketing and promotions company working exclusively just for you! One that works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days every year. That's the benefit of SEO!
Increased sales, sales leads, client loyalty, and repeat business - SEO can mean increased sales and leads of your product or service.
Increase brand visibility - SEO can give your brand a high international profile - and for a comparatively low outlay.
Targeted traffic - SEO can increase the number of visitors who are actively searching for your service or product.
Increased credibility and presence - Having a
solid presence on the internet can build trust and credibility.
Lower Cost Per Click (CPC) - When running Google Adwords campaign, an SEO friendly target/landing page can reduce the actual Cost Per Click.
High ROI - Dollar for dollar, SEO brings you a higher return on your investment than any comparable form of marketing. SEO is among the most
cost-effective ways of marketing.
Long term positioning - Once in place, a properly designed and optimised site should stay long term in the rankings compared to PPC where costs and outlay are ongoing and unpredictable.
Increased accessibility - Observing sensible optimisation procedures can make your site more accessible to all users.
Usability - Observing basic optimisation guidelines should mean that visitors have a more pleasant user experience.

Where do I sign?

Although SEO cannot benefit every business, the majority of businesses will benefit from implementing SEO on their website. Our ongoing Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) services will help your customers, members, supporters and sponsors find you quickly and easily. We won't promise you the world, though we will help you in becoming more popular online. It is in our experience that businesses with a stronger online presence have a higher chance of success.

For more information regarding the different SEO packages Organise Internet can
provide you, please visit our SEO packages comparison page. To see why Organise Internet is the #1
SEO company on the Central Coast, please do not hesitate to contact us regarding your SEO needs. We can tailor any campaign to suit your requirements and expectations.

Google releases new indexing technology: Caffeine

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Google has recently announced the public rollout of its new web indexing system, codenamed “Caffeine”. The new indexing technology promises to provide “50 percent fresher results” compared to its previous system. The old search index consisted of several layers, some which were updated more frequently than others. Caffeine on the other hand will analyse the web in smaller portions and update Google’s search index continuously on a global scale, meaning user will be able to find fresher information than ever before.

This new indexing system is said to use a very impressive 100 million GB of storage in a single database and adds hundreds of thousands of GB of new information daily. The reason for Google's new development is to address users' higher expectations of search. Google explained, "searchers want to find the latest relevant content and publishers expect to be found the instant they publish".

Caffeine is reported to be the reason for sleep deprivation (pun intended) amongst many SEO practitioners. It’s still not clear how much impact this will have for businesses that rely heavily on being ranked on the coveted first page of Google results. As the case is with many of Google's other tweaks to their mysterious ranking formula, some business and websites may see their traffic suffer as the changes could results in them falling down the search rankings. This possibility should be taken into consideration and will undoubtedly alter the way search engine optimisation experts conducts their business. Only time will tell how SEO friendly Caffeine is.

If you have any concerns regarding this new development, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Great Australian Firewall

noreply@blogger.com (Oi) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:00:00 +0000

History

The Federal Government has proposed a law to filter and restrict access to certain online content from all Australians. Internet filtering on a national scale is not new, but this could very well be the strictest filter ever to be implemented in a western nation. Many also have the opinion that this level of internet censorship rivals those of countries such as China, North Korea, and Iran.

The proposed filter will become mandatory and will be based on a blacklist that is to be maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The list will contain websites which are deemed to contain prohibited content, which is then encrypted and added to a filtering software that is implement at the Internet Service Providers (ISP) level.

In theory, sites containing content that is illegal to own in Australia such as child pornography, material relating to terrorism, detailed instructions promoting criminal activity, drug use and sites promoting racism will be blocked, among many others. An additional list will also be maintained to block websites whose content are deemed unsuitable for a younger audience. The idea is to help parents protect their children from being exposed to unsuitable content such as pornographic images and gambling websites. In contrast to the mandatory first list, consumers will have the ability to opt-out from the “child filter”.

Acceptance

The proposed plans have stirred many discussions and met great opposition. Recently, the US government has expressed its concerns, stating that the scope of the material that could be censored is far too wide. Whilst its intention could be admirable by restricting access to offensive material including child pornography, bestiality, terrorism, and instructional information promoting criminal activity, it could for example be applied to news agencies reporting details of a crime. The leak of a blacklist some time ago proved that false positives are very likely to occur, no system is perfect.

Even Google and Yahoo, the two largest search engine companies have entered the debate, announcing their opposition to the plan. They too think that the filter could restrict access to legal content. Google is of the opinion that a mandatory ISP-level filtering system with a scope that goes well beyond what is only absolutely necessary can raise genuine questions about restrictions on access to information and matters of free speech.
Another issue raised is the cost to implement the plan and the effects it would have on consumers. It is estimated to cost tax payers $82 million dollars to implement. It is still unclear who will have to pay for the equipment, resources, and additional traffic data once implemented. It’s very possible that part of the cost could be passed on to the end consumer. If it were the case, consumers will be forced to pay more for slower access to the internet caused by the additional traffic overheads.

Possibly the most important issue is that many parents could be under the (false) impression that the internet is then entirely safe for their children to explore. Yes the filter will block many objectionable content, yet there are numerous techniques to circumvent the filter. A person does not need to be very tech-savvy to implement some of these techniques. Many can be found easily on the internet, and are undoubtedly already known to many children across Australia. The other problem explained by Yahoo is that the filter would not block peer to peer file sharing, cyber bullying, nor prevent online predators approaching children in chat rooms, or social networking sites.

Conclusion

There is no single solution to the problem we are facing in combating objectionable and illegal content on the internet, and ensuring our children’s online safety. We are of the opinion that nothing can substitute education and parental guidance.

A program such as the one proposed by the government has its merits, but we as a society also need to take into consideration what implications it would have. The internet is not just websites, it’s a network of computer systems that have the ability to communicate with a variety of protocols, not just HTTP. It’s very possible that it would give unknowing parents a false sense of security. If this were to happen on a large scale, the result of this program would actually take us two steps backward from where we currently are.