You probably already noticed that there’s a lot of anti-Google sentiment out there. If someone awoke from a ten year coma today, they might be puzzled. They might assume that Google manufactured cigarettes or perhaps chopped-down rainforests as a sport. I’m as critical as anyone else when it comes to the things that Google could and should do better, especially … Read More
Google – one step backwards, three steps forward
Google Labs have launched two new experimental products that actually have the potential to change the way we search for news and pictures. Google News Timeline “allows users to view news, scanned newspapers and magazines, blog posts, sports scores, and more on a zoomable, graphical timeline”, while Similar Images “helps you narrow your search by finding images that are visually … Read More
Google vs. Yahoo – is there a prize for second place?
I like to indulge myself a little on a Friday morning, and look for emerging trends across all of our client accounts. I did say a little. When looking at which search engines send traffic to our clients, like Olympic events, the three medal winners stand on a podium. Unlike the Olympic podiums, the Gold medal winner stands several kilometres … Read More
Familiarity vs. innovation
Our company has worked with a lot of different applications over the years, and I usually recognise a good application when I see one. When first evaluating an application, one of the first things the user notices is the interface. Most Windows applications use a similar convention. They have a row of menu items that make use of dropdown menus, … Read More
Live Website Critique Webinar – A fresh look at your website
Blinkers are used by horse riders to prevent their animals from being distracted by what may be happening behind and to the side of them. If you’re racing a horse, it can be a very good idea, as you want them to focus solely on getting to the end of the race, as quickly as possible. In business, there are … Read More
New AdWords conversion metrics – Conversions (many-per-click)
If you are using AdWords conversion tracking on your website, you might not have been aware that only one conversion will be counted for a particular visitor. For example, if you have the same conversion tracking code set up on each of your software downloads, you will only see one conversion for a particular visitor, even though they may have … Read More
New AdWords Ads Increasingly Getting Stuck in the ‘Under Review’ Black Hole
I’ve recently noticed a frustrating AdWords trend. It seems like every new ad I create takes longer and longer to actually begin running. Depending on the client, and which AdWords GUI format they’re using, the new ads assume the label of ‘under review’ or ‘Active’, but in either case the ads exist in a state of limbo, unable to accrue … Read More
Twitter demographics; most users aged 45 – 54?
comScore recently released a fascinating analysis of Twitter’s users; some of the figures were impressive but not surprising, while others were completely unexpected. It comes as no surprise that Twitter’s growth figures are incredible, with more than 10 million visitors to Twitter in February this year – a 700% increase when compared to February 2008. Yet as large as the … Read More
How long will they remember you? Assumptions and the 3:35 vs 10:45 rule.
Get ready for a large number of assumptions. Let’s assume that someone out there is in need of what you sell, and that they go to Google (where else?) to see what solutions are available. Whether it’s one of your AdWords ads or one of Google’s regular listings, let’s assume that they see your website first, and click on the … Read More
Google bashers of the world unite!
Have you ever noticed how many people aspire for greatness while hating those who achieve it? Many small business owners dream of their companies one day being large enterprises, but it seems that there are limits, even for our dreams. Small and medium are good, large is questionable, and very large is a definite no-no. The same rule applies to … Read More
