I was researching on-line this morning and looked for a specific website here in the South East that had a “blog” with their news on it. Great idea to have a blog as it informs the public of your company news and events and creates communication between you and your customer in a less formal method than a website, but not as casual as maybe Facbook.

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

It’s great to see a local business in Wexford using all media to promote themselves and their new services and products.

Gravity Forest Park.

This local swimming pool in Courtown had their grand opening this weekend for their latest addition to the centre. A outdoor adventure centre with zipline, climbing wall, fan drop and two high walks and all side by side.

The management organised the opening day with traditional promotion methods including, signage, print, radio and all pushing their website address. Many companies forget to mention their website address and later wonder about poor web hits and even less inquiries.

If you have it, flaunt it!

They have also embraced social media and embarked upon getting envolved with their clients and engaging them in an online conversation and all the while promoting Gravity Forest Park

Well done to Shane and the rest of the crew at Gravity. Now take a leaf out of their book today, for help call Dave Jordan of Cada Media today.

A question arose today where a caller to the office was wondering if Truvo / Golden Pages had done a deal with Google. The answer is Yes, but so has everyone who has a Google Account !

Looking further it looks like they are just selling Google Adword.

What are Google Adwords?

This is a method by which you pay Google to display an advert for a search word or phrase someones looks up. These types of Adverts can me made by yourself or you can pay a company such as Golden Pages to make them for you.

But the thing that caught my attention was that this caller is the owner of a major business in Dublin and he really thought that they has “stricken a deal” with Google, he then emailed me a copy of their email to him and all it actually was, was a proposal for Truvo to make these adverts for him and “they” would display them on Google for him.

We too at Cada Media Ltd have this “special Deal” with Google and we too can make you number One in Google for the right price. We do this by setting you up with a Google Account and inserting the terms and phrases that you would like to appear under. The price of these adverts are governed by you!

You pay what you wish to pay and if its enough the advert will be displayed higher and higher in their search results. The cute whores took a leaf out of the auctioneers books years ago and you put in a blind bid to get your advert displayed. These bids gan be as little 11 cent but could also be $20 per advert if you really needed it to be.

Pay Per Click Adverts

Yes as it says, you pay Google every time someone clicks on your advert, each time someone searches for a phrase like “hotels in Wexford” Google will display adverts at the very top in a light yellow colour with the word “sponsored” on the top right hand side. These are Adverts from Hotels in the south each wish to grab you attention. The adverts costs them nothing until you click on it and then it will bring you to their website and also deduct a fee from the hotels google account.

This is how Google earn their money, many people under estimate how much they earn from this type of system, but imagine getting a euro from everyone in Ireland each day, I’d enjoy that so does Google!

So if you wish to do a “deal with Google” and get you company to the top of search engines call Cada Media Ltd today and let starts start getting more business on-line

Tel: 053 9430748

This is a very interesting question and one that comes up all the time, even today we have a caller to the office looking for a price for “web marketing”. Trying not to bore them with the different options I explained that it depends on how much they wish to spend and the scale of the project.

Web marketing is a process that we “web designers” split up into packages in bite size chunks that companies can afford and also understand. It is a science, computer science that changes each day as technology and search engines change.

The methods we use are all above board, called “White hat” methods. This is an important point as many so called web designers will use sneaky tricks to try to cheat google, and when google find out about these tricks you can imagine the result . . . Yes, the can de-list your business and effectively make you ex-directory.

Web marketing should be taken seriously and at Cada Media we respect our clients, we respects search engines guidelines and build structured online marketing campaings for companies who take the Internet seriously too.

Call Dave Jordan of Cada Media Ltd today to start marketing your business. Tel 053 9430748

As many people might already know, we at Cada Media Ltd are proud members of the local chapter of BNI, Business Network International. The local Gorey chapter has weekly networking meetings where we help grow each others business by looking out for referrals for each other.

This network model is an americian philosphy that is 25 years old this year. Unlike other networking groups that are the flavour of the month, Bni is proven to grow your turn over and profits by relationship networking.

The relationships are strenghtened by a unique structure in Bni and that is only allowing 1 member per category. This means that we only allow one person per seat/category. By keeping this structure we reduce conflicts and work with each other to grow and understand each of our businesses and therefore be in a position to give real referrals.

What is a referral?

This is simply an indication that you know of someone who is interested in your service or product.

Example: Say we get a new client that is starting a new business and during our process we find see that they have no accountant or business cards printed yet, well we are in a great position to tell that client about our business partners on BNI.

Want to know more?

If you would like to be part of our network and learn how to network professionally then why not come along to an information evening.

When and where?

Tuesday, 27th April, 2010 at 7pm in the Ashdown Park Hotel

The evening will be aimed at explaining how Bni works and that we are looking for new members in specific seats and categories, so if you think you could handle more business at the moment, why not come along.

Call Dave Jordan for more details.
053 9430748

www.bnigorey.com

We had a busy day today with out first meeting starting at 6.45am in the Ashdown Park Hotel as part of the Wexford BNI chapter here in Gorey. Then followed by catch up meetings to dicusss work currently being carried out for our clients.

Then back to the office to go through the snail mail and return a few calls. 12.45 time to go around to the new indian restaurant in gorey called Indiana. It’s upstairs over a tracksuit/sports shop beside the Permanent TSB on the main street. There was a good number of businesses represented including Finance companies, bankers, estate agents and IT people too.

One interesting new comer to the group was a young woman doing sales for a new business directory in Gorey. I thought it would only be fair to introduce myself fully as being the company behind existing business directory for Gorey called  GoreyLinks.com. We had a great chat and was delighted to hear that they are actually charging for a listing on the site. It’s brand spanking new and its great to hear that they are getting companies to sign up each and every week.

Of course this is nothing new to us at Cada Media as we have seen many business directories for gorey come in our 10 years here in Gorey. It does however reafirm a very valid point, that people will buy anything when it comes to the internet. We have been allowing companies to advertise in Gorey for free for years and about a year ago we brought in an administration fee to cover our costs of running the busiest website in Gorey! We’ve written before about Advertising in Gorey before but never really pushed the idea of actually selling advertising space till now.

We’ve actually been thinking of revamping the website for years but never had the motivation to do so as many businesses are still happy enough with whats already out there with WhatsWhat.ie and Ireland-directory only up the road in Arklow. So next week we will be launching our new version of the best website in Gorey! GoreyLinks.com will be reborn and revamped!

The Chamber meeting was short enough as it is always run during lunch time so its up to the business owner themselves to push their business cards around and meet as many people as they can during the short window they get at these types of meetings. I would suggest that more members of the chamber of commerce in Gorey(also a client of ours!) join in and get involved. It’s a great way to keep your business in peoples mind when they are asked “Do you know anyone who can etc etc”

Looking forward to the next meeting, oh by the way the food is top notch in the restaurant!

Is traditional advertising dying?

This questions was on the table this week on Sunday’s edition of the new business program on tv3. Part of the program talked to traditional Advertising Agencies in Dublin who would see digital advertising as a small part of their business. Overall it was great to see that Yes in fact traditional advertising as we know it, TV, Radio and Print are taking a hit, but that “Digital Media” is holding it’s own in an Ireland gripped in recession.

I must say that I was smiling all the way through the show as our ideas of how to help business grow in a recession were confirmed. It was also mentioned that companies who are involved in the Advertising Game still think of the Internet as some sort of fad, or something their kids do on their laptops. It’ true it won’t make the Advertising Companies the profits they are used to. I thought they were totally missing the numbers who are on-line via all sorts of methods, including free wifi for laptops, net books, mobile devices and the list goes on. Sit on a bus from Gorey to Dublin and see how many people are on-line. Please try it, you will be amazed.

Only two weeks ago their was a supplement in a Sunday paper telling use how broadband and the Internet will help get Ireland out of a recession. Using every element it offers can help companies reduce costs and indeed expand their target market.

One item that did catch my attention too was the talk about diversifying your online advertising into niche areas and going to where people are on-line. A quick version of this is facebook, a client of ours is using FaceBook to attract and retain clients for their on-line shop, with in weeks they have over 2,000 fans and are updating their facebook page daily with special offers and news. It has been a great success for them.

Advertising needs to be more specific and more targeted. If you advertising in a magazine for sports then find an on-line edition and make sure you are listed on that. If you are looking for get clients in a certain town then advertise on a website for that town.

Overall the program is very good, Ivan Yates is at the helm I would recommend to sky+ it if you get a chance.

This is a questions we get asked all the time, no matter if it’s on-line, via the office telephone or sitting at a family dinner table. What the hell is twitter and why would anyone be mad enough to upload “I’m having my lunch” as a statement on their twitter page.

Let me explain how we see it.

Twitter came about as a mini type of blog It allows it’s users to publish a short sentence about their feeling, opinions, questions they might have and other users who are linked to their page can view, read and answer them. In the industry we call it starting a conversation. Be it on-line, it’s still a conversation.

Many people also assume that to use twitter you must be sitting starring at a computer all day. Again another myth. You know we are always saying “The Web is Everywhere, Be part of it” the reason we are saying this is that the website is also on mobile phones and has been for some time now. Many users are still afraid to use it because of massive roaming charges whilst abroad and high prices of using the internet via a mobile device.

Blackberry & Internet ready devices

Everyday we see people we assume are “texting” as they stroll along the street, but in actual fact many are updating their Twitter or facebook profile. Some are personal pages telling their friends what they are doing right now and thus inviting them to meet them for lunch etc. Others are maybe business people in a new town looking for help for finding a business or location. It is said that twitter was the first method in announcing the death recently of Michael Jackson, from a person updating their twitter profile and that profile being “followed” by others.

Following someone on Twitter??

This simply means that you are saying to that person that you will read what they are putting on their profile. As with other social networking website, what you write appears on other people profiles. (can you see why they call it the web now?) This linking from profile to profile or website to website is what makes the internet special. It’s dynamic, it’s evolving, ever changing and like it or hate it it’s where the majority of people both in business or private get their information from.

Broadcast Media?

Noticed over the past few years how TV stations are pushing their website addresses more and move after each program and during shows themselves. It’s because they are loosing viewers. They know people are moving on0line and so they have heavily invested in on-line media in order to try to regain some on their audience.

Advertising on TV? Why bother?

Using Sky+ has changed my life, no longer waiting up to see late night tv programs etc. I can record everything using the record button and then the green series link button. so now when i get home i press play and watch my favourite show (House, lets say). Then its time for an Ad break and we see the show is sponsored by Carpet Right, then what happens?

Fast Forward through the Adverts. . . .

Completely missing all the ads and their clever messages till we see the sponsoring advert again then we press play. Now tell me honestly how many of you do that. Everyone i have spoken to does. Now would you still agree to paying thousands on TV adverts. I wouldnt give them €100 euro

So how does all that relate to Facebook or Twitter. Well basically broadcast media is throwing it our there and see who may or may not be watching. Online publishing allows the audience come to you.  A completely new concept to many business people. Some companies still believe in shouting and telling everyone about themselves, others are now understanding that people can get in touch with you by less formal means, by “Starting a conversaion” with you on-line or via a mobile device. It’s less formal, it’s cheaper and easier to get involved in.

Any size business can use these type of services, from one may bands to multinationals. Their are great benefits to be had by using the power of the internet no matter what shape of form it takes.

To start growing your business, call Dave Jordan on 053 9430748 today.

The Web is Everywhere, Be part of it.

So there I was working late in the office when the at around 8pm the phone rings . . . a mans voice asking for “Gorey Link” and something about a bus for Saturday night? I was confused as he said he was calling from a Koo restaurant. I politly said that in fact this number was “Cada Media, website designers in Gorey“. We said our good byes.

The phone rings again and It was the same voice looking for a bus. I repeated who we were and the call ended!

It then “clicked” to what was happening, so I dialed the number and the same voice answered. I said who I was and asked had he searched online for something and found us. He said he had looked for “Gorey Link”. I explained that we have operated an online business directory for Gorey Town called GoreyLinks.com for the past 3 years and that Google might have brought us up first. He had got our telephone number from there.

Again we said our good byes.

So whats the moral of the story. . . . . . we are great fans of Irony and seeing a business who used the internet as a last option on the “marketing plan list” turning around and using the Internet to find another business.

Classic !

GoreyLinks.com

This is our own business directory for Gorey Town, It was established in 2005 to help new arrivals to the area to find the main businesses in the town. We have around 600 business listed with a more still to be listed. The chamber of commernce in Gorey also have a site thats lists businesses but they they list members, we are a member and are one of the 100 or so businesses that are listed.

There are many new website out there these days like MyTown.ie or YourLocal.ie and these are larger sites covering the entire country. We only list businesses in each town and its surroundings. This has kept the Gods (Google) happy and we are usually listed in the top three for a key search phrase for the town.

We also have directories for other towns in Wexford, Carlow and Wicklow. Some of the main ones are

www.GoreyLinks.com

www.EnniscorthyLinks.com

www.NewRossLinks.com

www.Wexford-Links.com

If you would like to be listed on any of our directories please give me a call on 053-9430748 ( many businesses use our directories as their home page.)