Self Catering in Wexford
One of our long established local customers asked us to look at moving their existing website to a new content managed version. After a meeting we choose a system that would suit the clients needs and budget and in this day and age a customers budget will often dictate the final product. Before we set about changing anything we had to look at the sites stats, as their is no point removing one of their most popular pages! We backed up the old site, installed the new content management system with the various needed plugins such as Contact Form, Mapping and ...
Using your Head !
Business is tough today and companies need to make use of technology if they are to reduce costs whilst also offering something new to their customers. Hook & Hoist do it ! Ken Murphy is just one of those business people, Ken approached us to design a solution that would give them the capabilities they needed to provide their customers with an online facility to manage documents. The solution also happens to be a website ! At Cada Media we specialise in this type of solution and we jumped at the opportunity to show off our expertise. So we set about working with ...
Scoil Mhuire Clane Website
We are delighted to announce the launch of a revamped site for a secondary school in Co. Kildare. Scoil Mhuire Clane is one of the largest schools in the area and they approached up to take care of their website needs. We created a new site based upon a open source structure that is also fully content managed. The new site lists all the information that parents and pupils alike will need to be up-to-date with the school. All their policies are listed as well as the board of management and school calendar. The school have also invested heavily in cloud ...
Krystle Smith Website
We were happy to be approached by an Arklow based charity to help her get her website back after the domain name and hosting had expired. With over 13 years experience and contacts in the industry we were able to get everything within two weeks after been contacted. We managed to track down the previous domain name registrant, renew her domain name. Then move onto the website itself and get back the pages, images and then finally the database. We did it ! With in a matter to 10 working days we had everything back online and up and running. If you ...
Best Jewellers in Ireland.
Well, we think they are. Martins Jewellers in Wexford town have been one of our customers for many years and we have seen their business change over the years and so too have their on-line presence. From being a brochure static HTML site Kevin and his team have progressed the site with us to a full content managed site giving them the capability to update it easily. New for 2011/2012. Going social is what it's all about these days in terms of word of mouth marketing and what better way to take advantage of this new medium using social media site such as ...
Unique Christmas Voucher Ideas?
Around this time of year we get asked what is the most popular website to buy from or what would be a unique items to buy on-line. Ironically people also wish it to be unusual or unique, something that isn't in every stocking, well why not get a Christmas voucher for a Discover Scuba Diving Course. Ok, these vouchers don't have to be used on Stephen's Day, but when its thawed out a bit more it would be a great way to get back outdoors and see a different side of Ireland. Scubadive West in Connemara run Discover Scuba courses and they have a ...
Santa in Wexford
Just a little reminder that if you are looking for Santa in Wexford this year and searching online for a place to bring the kids then look no further than Kia Ora ini Farm. They are a family run mini farm that specialise in putting on a good how for seasonal themes. They ran a great Halloween show and now have revamped the entire Mini Farm to a Winter wonderland. They are based between Gorey and Courtown just off the M11 at exit 23. Directions to Kia Ora, click here. We created their site a while back and it still works and brings ...
Somebody took my domain name? GRRRR
We recently had a meeting with a new business starting out here in the Southeast. We met, discussed their intension's and objectives etc. At this point they had not even registered their business name with the companies office So they registered as a Sole Trader and used the name that they wished to trade under. So they were set . . . . or so they thought, so day they came back to us with the idea of securing the domain name, but in the weeks that passed somebody else registered the domain name for a website. It's gone. If you want to ...
Online shops . . did you know . .
Just thought I'd throw it out there and let businesses with online shops know that depending on the software used to build your site and the way that it was built etc, you might be in for a surprise when you look at your bank account and find that the monies paid in were actually paid to someone else's account !!! Security Patches and Fixes If your site is not fully up-to-date and by up-to-date, I mean yesterday or today and not in the past 3 or 4 months then I would strongly recommend that you login and install any patches or ...
If I had a euro . . .
If I got a Euro for every call I get to the office asking can we help companies track down their web designer as their domain name has expired and he has apparently moved aboard. Emails lost, website lost, google position lost, orders lost, credibility lost. In some instances we can help them as we have good contacts in the trade etc and other times we have to tell them all their work is gone! If this has happened to you, call us.
Server Disk Replaced
We would just like to let our customers know that we have replaced one of the hard disks on the main hosting server last night. The server in question has a number of disks that mirror their data. One of disks was running slowly and so it has been replaced. All sites tested and working fine. Regards Dave
Artisan food website
Earlier this year we (Cada Media Ltd) were part of a Dragon's Den style competition in North Wexford to try to find and help a new start up business. The winner of this was a fresh new business called Ciara's Pantry, registered in March 2011, a home based food business producing artisan jellies and chutney's. As part of that price Ciara won a content managed website from ourselves. We have a number of products and services that we offer and for this competition we donated a custom package to help this new business get on-line. Ciara's Pantry already had a holding page that was registered and ...
Granite Worktops in Ireland
We have just launched a new website for an established business here in Wexford. Wells Granite & Marble Ltd are one of the top suppliers of Granite worktops in the South East. We received a phone call and after some discussion about our services we called out onsite to meet Lisa and her team. An impressive purpose built factory just a few miles south of Gorey, Co. Wexford. Revamp our website. One of the main issues of their existing site was that it could not be updated by themselves, it also couldn't be updated by anyone else other than the original creator ...
Firefox V6 Beta – Download Ready
For those of you who are interested in using some of the latest internet browsers well then go get yourself the latest version of Mozilla's Firefox. Beta Version 6 is now ready for download and seems to be good so far. Its been released very soon after people are only getting used to version 5. This appears to be explained in the release notes as many of the updated in the version are security related. The release of the new version is also related to the increase in sales in Tablets in the PC market. The new version is designed to ...
Facebook Chat Hack Virus
Today I was working away as usual and a customer came onto Facebook and said Hi and then told me he was away in London with the family and got mugged and needed help. A little strange as I know him, but didnt think we were at 'That' stage of business that he would be so familiar and chatty. I knew something was wrong and called his office and the receptionist told me he was actually in Gorey and that he was with a client in the next room. I said what had happened and that she believed he might have ...
Mar 11
13
Server RAID system back online
Just a quick note to let our hosting customers know that our main hosting server is back on-line as of last night at 1:45am. The server has a multiple hard disk system that duplicates the content called a RAID system. One of these hard disks was failing last week and we had to be replaced.
The server then needed to synchronise the data between the disks. The hard disk was trying to synchronise,while fetching and displaying websites. The result of this dual process was causing site to run slowly, therefore I took the decision to give the priority of synchronising the disks over the viewing of websites as it could have taken another 72 hours to run the sync and display the sites. This meant that all sites were down on Saturday afternoon and evening while most people were watching the Ireland V’s Wales rugby match. As most websites are now content managed it meant that each time a customer updated a website themselves, the new content was added to the queue and thus the sync was getting longer and longer.
Because all websites get less traffic at the the weekend, meant that it was an ideal time to carry out this maintenance work and in turn would mean no down time during the working week.
Emails
With the “Apache” and “MySQL” side of the server switched off the Email facility was left running in order to keep the thousands of emails flowing through the system and allowing our customers to maintain email contact with their clients in turn.
The Sync is now fully complete and all services are functioning correctly. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and apologies for any inconvienience caused.
Dave Jordan
With one of the busiest weeks nearly over and many meetings with new clients completed, I found myself repeating the same phrases over and over again. As many of our employees have heard me say in the office over the years as I end up explaining layout and design to the customers. The website we create is for their customers and not themselves. Often they mix up what they personally like and what is best for a potential client.
Your website should be designed for your target market, it should give them the information they came to the website for. It should then encourage them to do something with their new knowledge, such as make a booking, make an appointment or telephone you. If they simply leave, it means you’ve just educated them and they will buy the service elsewhere!
If you don’t want to fall victim to this style of website design then talk to myself, Dave Jordan and lets make money together. Call me on 053 9430748 and lets set up a meeting
Mar 11
10
Facebook Live Updates!
Anyone see the new feature on Facebook whereby they are updating the comments live on the page without the refresh the page. I was having a chat with a web designer in Leitrim called Leon Quinn when the comments were popping up live. Another demonstration that websites are living and breathing animals that are always changing and adapting.
Instant Updates.
These are all the trend these days as people are growing up in a instant twitter fed news environment that Facebook seem to have realised that people are looking for. It maybe have search implications too as Social Media sites are featuring higher in search results these days.
Any thoughts people?
Mar 11
8
Pc Repair in Gorey
We saw a sign in Gorey recently for a new Pc Repair service in Gorey and called in to say hello. They based up above street level beside Wreckless Skate Shop, over what was Pooles, or the Bank or Katie Daly’s as its know now depending how old you are!
The pc repair centre is also involved in Pc Sales and Servicing as well as mobile phones and laptop repair.
For more details see www.goreypc.com.
Welcome to Gorey and North Wexford.
Great to see that the items I talked about to candidates during the election have been put into the Programme for Government with a great use of the Internet as a means of getting this country off it’s knees and gaining us some respect in Europe.
Some of the items in the new programme include better use of Cloud Computing and making Ireland an digital Island. This document lays out the plans for serious development of digital media i schools and progressing our knowledge base of Internet Technologies.
We have a Bright Future
Quote from the Document:
Innovation and Commercialisation
We will implement innovation and commercialisation policies as outlined below subject to cost benefit analysis.
• We will progressively implement the recommendations in the Trading and Investing in the Smart Economy Report
• We will support our indigenous digital game industry by reforming R&D supports available to the industry, setting aside funding from Innovation Fund Ireland for a seed capital scheme for Irish digital gaming start-ups, introduce a digital media component to Transition Year programmes and promote Ireland as digital gaming hub.
• We will develop Ireland as a ‘digital island’ and first-mover when it comes to information technology by ensuring more progress on e-Government and moving Government services online, investing in ICT in schools, and investing in information technology in the healthcare sector.
• We will make Ireland a leader in the emerging I.T. market of cloud computing by promoting greater use of cloud computing in the public sector, organising existing State supports for cloud computing into a package to promote Ireland as a progressive place for I.T. investment, establishing an expert group to address new security and privacy issues arising from the use of cloud computing and reviewing the adequacy of current legislation and identify what steps need to be taken to ensure a supportive regulatory environment.
• We will develop a National Intellectual Property (IP) protocol to give predictability about the terms on which business can access IP created in Higher Education Institutions and the wider digital sector.
• We will promote and support investment in technology research, development and commercialisation beyond basic research supported by Science Foundation Ireland, as well as removing barriers to innovation and accelerate exploitation of new technologies.
• We will target key technology areas and sectors where innovation can be applied including but not limited to high value manufacturing, advanced materials, nanotechnology, bioscience, electronics, photonics and electrical systems and information and communication technology. We will also focus on the application of technological innovation in established sectors of the economy like energy generation and supply, transport, creative industries, high-value services and architecture and construction by identifying challenges, establishing priorities and developing strategies which specify necessary actions to transition to more innovative approach.
• We will promote Ireland’s full engagement with the ‘Innovative Union’ proposals issued by the European Commission in October 2010 as one of the seven flagship initiatives under EU2020 Strategy, with the specific aim of refocusing R&D and innovation policy on major challenges and at turning inventions into products.
• The critical gap between basic research promoted and funded by Science Foundation Ireland and third level institutions and its subsequent development into commercial opportunity for investors can only be closed by making new technologies ‘investment ready’. We will establish a network of Technology Research Centres focused on applied technological research in specific areas, to be linked to appropriate higher- education institutions. The centres will accelerate exploitation of new technologies by providing infrastructure that bridges gap between research and technology commercialisation. We will initially establish 3 additional centres foccussing on biotechnology, nanotechnology and high value manufacturing. Further centres from a number of other areas will be selected at a later time.
• We will support the development of an International Content Services Centre to make Ireland world leader in managing intellectual property.
• We will pioneer within the EU a model of ‘fair use’ in European Copyright Law, like in the USA, which effectively permits the use of portions of a copyrighted work so long as the normal economic exploitation of the originating work is not undermined. This will allow internet companies and other digital innovators to bring their services
End Quote
In local services, we will establish a website – www.fixmystreet.ie – to assist residents inreporting problems with street lighting, drainage, graffiti, waste collection and road and path maintenance in their neighbourhoods, with a guarantee that local officials will respond within two working days.
http://www.finegael.ie/upload/ProgrammeforGovernmentFinal.pdf
Mar 11
7
Server Upgrade
I would like to let our hosting customers know that at 8am on Thursday 10th March 2011, we are upgrading the main hosting server. The upgrade will take approximately 15 minutes to perform services will resume once the server is booted. If you have any questions before this takes place then give me a call on 053 9430748.
Mar 11
5
Trade Show photos
Here’s a slide show with some images from the BNI Trade show in Gorey last week. You can also visit the website of the Falcon Chaper to see the images . www.bnigorey.com
Mar 11
4
Social Media Mum
I have a contact who is a Social Media Mum as she calls her self and if looking for work maintaining Facebook and Twitter accounts for small businesses in the Wexford area. She love Facebook and currenmtly runs campaigns for Driving schools and Florists etc.
If you are looking for this type of service for your buisiness and would like to farm it out to someone then give me a call and I will put you in touch.
053 9430748
Mar 11
4
Website Stats – Who reads them?
Had a great meeting today with a new client that inspired me in a time when I thought I was loosing faith in businesses and their understanding of the Internet and how to use it. Don’t get me wrong, we have a large mixture of clients from every walk of life, from Scuba Diving in Ireland to Walking Holidays in Tenerife, you name it we’ve worked in that industry.
Anyway, this new client has worked hard over the past few years in putting together a few websites and building a few gateway pages to his website. He also has installed google analytics and also told me he had a very low bounce rate.
He had my complete attention.
A customer talking about bounce rates, now that’s my type of client. We talked about the various web businesses that he had used from his early beginnings in 2003 with his first domain name registered by a family member to the latest person who has now taking a full time job in Dublin and so he is left adrift in cyberspace trying to push his business online and all the while with a hammer and saw in his hands as he works outdoors for a living.
Strategy and Direction.
With no formal plan or specific goal beside getting more hits we discussed the measurement of marketing and the reading of web stats and understanding the setting of goals and the regular analysis of this data would provide us with the information we need to refine and spend his marketing budget better and wiser each month.
Later with a handshake and a target set a deal was made and we are starting on a new design and a structured plan to grow his business further.
If you are looking for a internet partner and would be interested in a real working relationship with your web designer then give me a call and lets set up a meeting.
Mar 11
3
Google Wedding Planner
For those who are looking to plan a wedding will know, most/all wedding planing is now carried out online. If you are looking a wedding venue, inviting guests with email or inviting them with facebook events etc you will know that without the Internet there would be a lot of leg work.
Marry Google!
People who know me, know I wish I could, but the guys at Google have put together a great wedding package to help you get married. Their services are the perfect partnership for the innovative cost cutting wedding couple looking to be up-to-date and have all their plans in an accessible place and not on a USB key they will loose in the washing machine. (Yes I have done it!)
Putting all their products and services under the umbrella of a wedding planner is a great way to show off their products and also for people who use these services for business to use them in a social setting.
- Google Docs
- Google Calendar
- Google Chat
- Google Picasa – images
- Google Video – YouTube
- Google Maps
- Google Tasks
Link all of these services together and have each one communicating with each other and then you will see how planning a wedding and the frustration of organising it can be reduced letting you delegate the tasks to the various people involved. Create and share lists of table plans online, let your family and friends upload images and video to the site after the wedding. No matter what you want to do for the wedding Google have a solution . . . You can’t even get lost going to the church because you will have with Google Maps!
Oh and remember this is all available on your phone !
For more information on how Google can help plan your wedding, give me a call and I can help set this up and hand it over to you. Or if you want to know how the Internet can help reduce the cost of living for your life, Call Dave on 053 9430748
Mar 11
3
Google Streetview Trikes
Talking to a business recently about tourism in rural Ireland and they were suggesting that they were thinking of getting a company to create a few 360 degree images for Tourism. Well I would suggest they think about just letting the biggest tech business doing it for them or asking them to come and visit their area. Google’s Street view have gone a step further and be prepared to see their Trike out and about when you are offroad in Ireland.
This means great news for areas that were not covered by the google cars traveling around Ireland mapping each road. Now there is an opportunity for visitors to Ireland to see great locations that the car didnt travel on. Have a look at the video below to give you a preview of whats coming down the road. Pun intended !
Feb 11
28
Dragon’s Den Winner – North Wexford
An amazing night was had on Thursday last and its taken me till Monday to get back on-line and tell everyone about it! Our Tradeshow/Dragons Den “style” night was a roaring success with a fantastic turnout and equally as good presentations from the final 5 contestants of the event.
The show started off with the Gorey chapter of BNI showing their businesses with a trade show layout with Stands and Samples etc. This gave the visitors coming to the competition a chance to catch up and talk with the organisers and see their products and services. These exact services would make up part of the prize for the winning entrant.
The layout of the Dragon’s Den “style” part of the evening was very similar to the actual real show on the TV, we have a top table made up of our very own “Dragon’s” which included:
- Fabian Doyle : Sovereign Security
- Deirdre O’Flynn: Spell Check Editorial
- John Timmons: Glasgorman Computers
- James Doyle: Doyle Foley Accountants
- Mary Gething: Eco Evolution
Our panel of experts headed the top table of the largest room in the Ashdown Park Hotel with around 200 audience members looking on with anticipation as our host for the night Michael Molloy of Molloy Architects Gorey ran through the sequence of events that would enfold throughout the evening. The show it self was similar to the TV show as each of the 5 contestants were given a 5 minutes window to “pitch” their products or services to the top table and then a sequence of questions were asked about business plans, sales projection and back ground to the business ideas etc.
With the music and lighting to made the “Dragon’s Den” feel to the evening the first applicant came to the spot light and gave her pitch. Ciara O’Dowd of Ciara’s Pantry gave a good presentation backed up with a slideshow and samples of her products. Questions followed and a great applause as she completed the first pitch to the Dragons.
Next up was Ciaran Dolan of Gorey School of Kayaking who brought with him samples, yes, Kayak’s were part of his pitch to the dragons, followed by questions and answers. Then came Dean Keating of Monaseed Sales who pitch was for a new Sales and Marketing business helping struggling businesses to get a “Sales Rep” using his services. Then came Lynsey Morehouse of Irish Dance Super Store who wants to set up an Irish Dancing Shop using her skills as an Irish Dancing Teacher. Lynsey brought along her samples with her daughter and friends modeling the clothing and accessories.
Last up was Kelly-Anne Breen of Shen Acupuncture Clinic & Shen Cosmetic Acupuncture Clinic. Kelly Anne gave a great presentation too with a slide show explaining how her Acupuncture business was a great model for Franchising to expand the business. Kelly Anne’s business acumen was pushed in the pitched as she has worked in various business positions and believes that her idea is a good concept to be backed.
Applause all round.
After the competitors were finished the Dragons retired to make their decision and then Michael Molly took the stage again to have a chat with our local success stories in business and see how they are dealing with sales in a recession. Our local success hero’s were
- Shane Byrne – Arklow Waste Disposal
- Niamh O’Sullian of Rudy Rouge
- Pat Walsh – Walsh Mushrooms
Michael asked all 3 how they have kept their businesses going through hard times and who was their favourite of the 5 contestants. Once this was done the Dragons came back into the room and the announcement was made that the business the Dragons wished to give the €10,000 prize was:
Winner: Ciara’s Pantry
Michael Molly thanked the others for their presentation and told the audience to “watch this space” to see how they got on in business. The evening then turned into a networking event at the bar in which the winner was congratulated by all around and toasted as been a great business in which the BNI Chapter in Gorey was proud to be involved with.
We will be working with Ciara in the coming weeks and updates on how her business succeeds will be available online and she gets a brand new website from ourselves !
The event was a great success and requests from the floor for it to be an annual event have come forward. What can I say, ” Watch this space” !
Feb 11
24
Dragons Den Gorey Style !
Tonight is the final of the Dragons Den Style Event being held in the Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey. The top finalist have been chosen and they will be pitching in front of our panel of “Dragon’s tonight at 8pm.
Where: Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey, Co. Wexford
When: Doors open at 6, show starts at 8pm
Who: All welcome, Free in
Our finalist are : Cosmetic Acupuncture Clinic , Specialist Retail Outlet with an Irish Theme, A Craft/Specialist Food Producer, An Adventure Sports School, A business Services Provider
We have just updated a website for a Furniture business that has expanded into Gorey from their hometown of Arklow Co. Wicklow. Haplin Furniture Ltd are a well know family business situated on the Docks Road in Arklow. They run a successful business and have decided to expand into the North Wexford Area to help boost sales and push their business forward.
They have gained a great address and secured a well know property in the Gorey Shopping Centre area of Gorey at the bottom of the Avenue. The new shop has loads of light and a mezzanine level with great views of all the furniture and the specific areas that they have set up for Living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms etc.
We have updated their website to help show this new shop in Gorey with their telephone numbers, new photos of the shop, address and of course the location maps using google mapping so that visitors to the site can get exact directions. The update also means that we have put new content regarding their industry and products and services and submitted it to the search engines again.
Michael Halpin decided to get the update on the website as he knows that his online visitors would be disappointed to travel to Arklow and pass the new Gorey shop as they didn’t know it was there. Using the internet to get your new message across is one of best methods of getting the message across these day.
We would like to wish Michael and family the very best on the expansion into the Wexford area and hope if is a great success for them.
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Mar 11
4
Building links to my website
April 2009 News !
This was the last entry on the company news blog and since then it appears that each of the news items on the site have got a great response as their was about 30 to 40 comments on each topic. As I get only a few comments I was jealous and clicked on the links to read the feedback.
Viagra Sales
Each of the comments on the blog were automatic responses that a blog would get to a new post, but unfortunately there has been no spam filter applied and no one has approved the comments on the site. To make matters worse all most all of the comments contained back links to the Viagra and adult websites. Giving them great links to their sites but giving the business poor links away from theirs.
Do Links Matter?
Yes, having good links pointing to your website is very important as links are like sign posts to your business. On good quality website it is important to get linked from , so County Councils or major brands suppliers etc are perfect. So on the other hand having bad links can have a negative effect in search results. It means that the content of that persons blog is mainly about Viagra and Adult material. I am guessing that the search engine Gods would not look favourably on the site and its content any more. And in fact I would image that they would push it down in their listing rather than promote it.
I know this business spends money on advertising their site and its a pity that once you get there the experience is poor, so the moral of the rant/story if you have a website or blog or anything online, look after it and keep it up to date or delete it.
For more tips on building your on-line reputation call myself Dave Jordan on 053 9430748