Newsletters
Newsletter August 2010
Business Description
We urge all members to review their listing and send us a profile or description that tells visitors what products you sell or services you provide. Adding this information to your listing page will add a lot of value to your listing, make your listing easier to find for visitor searches and give you better backlinks to your websites. You can email this to us or use the Listing Update Form provided under the Member Tab on the website. We can add a photo of your business if you send one as well.
Welcome to the Cooloolabusiness.com Newsletter for August 2010.
By the time you read this, the Muster week will be almost over and Spring begins in a few days. Hopefully, the end of winter will also see better times for small business although the uncertainty of the Federal Election result will probably see the current economic climate continue at least in the short term.
MEMBER NEWS
On to brighter news. We are sponsoring the Gympie Gold Rush Festival and have competed re-development of the Gold Rush website using the latest version of WordPress and the Genesis Framework. The Gympie Gold Rush Festival is an 11 day celebration with a range of diverse and exciting activities that highlight Gympie’s famous Gold Mining History. The Festival commences on 6th October and closes on the 16th October with the Cornett’s IGA Street Parade. Click this link for listing details – Gympie Gold Rush.
Listing Syndication – we are continuing with syndication of our listings to obtain further backlinks and strengthen web presence. Our systems re-create our listings with links on a range of other websites. To ensure you get the best value from this program, your business profile should be updated and provide a full summary of your operation. While we are not charging our clients for this work, you are reminded that these listings are a valuable advertising method for your business (that others charge around $300 per year to provide). As an example, our visitor statistics show that the top listing pages viewed so far this months as:
- Tracwell Motor Body Builders with 179 page views
- Tyrepower with 163 page views
- Toyworld with 162 page views
- Brad Adams with 161 page views
- Twin Lakes Hotel with 160 page views
- Williams Electrical with 159 page views
This represents good advertising which is provided free for our Members through our complimentary listing pages just for being a client of cooloolabusiness.com
New WordPress Packages – We are in the process of developing a new all inclusive WordPress website package which will incorporate:
- WordPress installation and customisation
- the use of any of the Studiopress Genesis theme range courtesy of our long term Studiopress Pro Developer status (We also have access to the orginal Revolution Pro themes as we were Pro Developer members long before Revolution became Studiopress).
- Full theme customisation and design to suit your business
- Worpdress Premium plugins for website enhancement including the just released Email system from IThemes
- Inclusion of a mobile WordPress site providing smartphone accessibility
- WordPress training videos to help you with adding new content to your site (and if you aren’t in a hurry, we can even do that for you for free as well providing it is text only in digital format ready to go)
- 12 months Domain registration
- 12 months managed hosting (we use Australian and US based CPanel servers and provide full management including WordPress core updates etc)
- Free access to our experience and knowledge – we have been developing and hosting websites since 2001 and have working hands-on in-house with WordPress since 2007 (so we know how things work)
While this package is designed for new clients, we will be offering an upgrade package for clients with existing standard HTML websites at a discount (we are looking at a tiered discount that increases with length of membership to reward our valued long term clients). Contact Allan on 5482 3478, if you would like more information on our new upgrade package.
INTERNET NEWS
Monitor your business online. We have probably all used Google for searching for information on the Internet, but did you know that Google can provide you with information about your business and competition. Google provides a free “ALERT” service which allows you to be notified when your nominated search word is found in new results on the web.
Google alerts are very simple to setup. Just visit www.google.com/alerts and add some details and the system will send you an email with the information you requested.
To complete the alert request form:
- Search Term: Enter a Search term in the first box. For example, if you run a plumbing business in Gympie, you could enter “gympie plumbing” and then Google will send you the latest relevant Google results for that term. As another example, if you enetered your business name, Google would send you results that would list pages whenever your business name is mentioned. You can also enter a competitors name to receive on new web results that mention your competitors name.
- Type: I suggest that you leave this set at “everything”
- How often: this the frequency that Google will send you emails. Once a week is probably often enough but daily is fine if you are in a competitve industry.
- Email Length: I usually leave this at 20 results for daily. Select 50 rsults for weekly
- Your email: Enter an email address that you check regularly.
- Finally, click the “Create Alert” button. Google will send you an email requesting that you click a link to verify that you have asked for the alert. Click the link and then Google will send you the information as it finds it.
This is a very powerful tool that can easily help you monitor your online reputation and keep tabs on competitors.
Online directory billing warning
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has sent out a warning to remind small businesses to check all invoices carefully to avoid paying for things they don’t want or need.
The ACCC is aware of an international company sending out faxes requesting payment that appear to be from a very well known business directory and are urging small businesses to be vigilant when dealing with invoices and other requests for payment. Remember, once you have signed a contract it can be very difficult – not to mention costly – to get out of. It is advised that businesses take the following steps to avoid signing up to something they don’t actually want or need:
- Limit who has authority to buy or order anything; keep written records of all orders and purchases; and only deal with people you know and trust.
- If you are unsure whether you have received a legitimate invoice or request, contact the organisation that sent it. Don’t rely on contact details provided to you in an email – obtain the details through an internet search, telephone directory or official letters/statements from organisations like banks.
- Make sure you and your staff remain informed and alert
We also receive regular enquiries about letters from domain registration companies. These letters look very much like an invoice and appear to be aimed at tricking unsuspecting website owners into registering domains that they don’t have or need. If you receive a letter that looks like an invoice from a company you don’t normally deal with, do not pay it. Clients are welcome to contact us to check on these scams.
HANDY SOFTWARE
GIRDAC Free PDF Creator is an application for creating PDF documents from more than 300 Windows applications. Girdac PDF Creator can create a PDF file from any file or document that you can print on your PC. Once installed, open the document to be converted to PDF in it’s own program (e.g. open Microsoft Word and open your document) and then select print and then select GIRDAC printer by clicking on it. More information at:
www.girdac.com/Products/PDF-Converters/Free-PDF-Creator/Info/Features.htm
Youtube Video Downloader
If you use Youtube, from time to time you may find a video that you would like to download and keep on your PC. Freemake Video Downloader downloads videos from YouTube, Google, Facebook, Dailymotion, other sites in HD, 4K, MP4, FLV, 3GP, and is able to convert web videos to MP3 or AVI.
VLC FREE Video Player
If you have video files on your PC e.g. Youtube downloads, you may need a software program to pay them. We use VLC Video Player – it plays a large range of different video files types. More information at:
MEMBER CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISEMENTS
(send us an email to advertise here for free)
Phone: 5483 6477 For all Printing in Gympie.
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Gympie Business Directory is a web promotion service for Gympie businesses provided by cooloolabusiness.com
