bosweb blog

The Rocket has liftoff!

Fri, 11 May 2012 07:04:00 GMT

The construction of our new office, The Rocket! Adobe Business Catalyst Service Centre and Webcasting Studio, has lifted off!

Designed specifically to meet our demand for growth, we aim to double our team size over the coming 18 months so we can develop high-end online marketing solutions and continue to grow, support and proactively service our clients, our Adobe Business Catalyst reseller network and distribution channel partners.

Details and images of the construction of our offices can be found at our previous blog post

Latest Timelapse: From construction to our move in (from various angles)

Stage 6 (@ May 2012):

Latest photo's of final fitout before our move (and a little after) can be viewed at our Facebook page

Construction details of our offices can be found at our previous blog post

Latest Photo's can be found at our Facebook page

Customer Service and the online experience

Fri, 11 May 2012 03:36:00 GMT

Over the last several months, we have been keeping you updated with the various stages of our new building.

We have dealt with a myriad of suppliers, local and national - providing services to us both online and in the 'real word'. High levels of customer service from a variety of providers have helped keep us sane when things have 'gone wrong' as they always tend to do in big projects.

It has been great to be able to ring people and get quick attention with last minute changes and technology hiccups (or disasters - are you listening Telstra!) and have those suppliers respond quickly to our concerns, come on site and if need be fix or amend issues.

This past week I purchased new violin strings for my daughter, a new bow and a new shoulder rest as she has now graduated to a full size violin and so is now playing the family heirloom violin (my old one).

The experience of purchasing online from The Sydney String Centre was a very pleasurable one for me. Why?

Easy to drive website
Simple interface
Clear instructions for delivery and returns
No forced registration and
SPEEDY DELIVERY - new strings and bow ready for rehearsal within 48 hours.

It was obvious that this company is thinking about the online customer service experience and not just selling online.

Good planning up front will help to minimize customer service issues at the end.

How am I planning to make the online customer service experience as good as my 'real world' customer service experience (assuming you have a good one!).

Good ideas for customer service online

Don't make it hard to contact you - display your phone number prominently.
Make sure people can easily click on contact us for all your details - if you are a bricks and mortar business as well - tell people your address
Get a dedicated mobile version of your site with the key parcels of information in it - making it easy for people to ring you on the go, find your address or deal with problems quickly.
Use social media - Make sure your Facebook page has the messages area enabled and that you ensure you are following your mentions and DM's via Twitter
Have a handy list of Frequently Asked Questions at your site - make sure the answers are in a friendly tone suitable to your business. You are trying to help people here - not fob them off!
Use technology to help - ie How to Videos on You Tube, Skype sessions or Downloadable How to Guides in a Knowledge Library. The Sydney String Centre uses Skype where people can dial in and ask questions and show their instruments when the problem or question is too hard to do just over the phone or via email.

There are many areas where your website will allow you to drive efficiencies in your office, but avoiding customer service is not one of them.

It just makes the process of providing it a whole lot easier!

A huge shout out to www.datavoicecommunications.com.au who provided support above and beyond!

Their assistance with getting our internet back to normal - when various parties within Telstra could not be bothered was beyond fantastic. If your business is looking for integrated data comms services - you cannot go past these guys.

It's time your website went mobile

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:09:00 GMT

It is predicted that smart phone usage will dominate web browsing in the coming years. This is definitely one of the faster growing ways that people are finding your site online.

So is your website mobile friendly?

I don't just mean can it be viewed correctly on a mobile - but is it allowing for "fat finger syndrome". A mobile version of your site, detects what kind of device you are using and shows a version of your site that suits that device.

Ask yourself these questions

do you have a version of your site that specifically is designed to suit a hand held device
if you do, is it easy for fat fingers to navigate
does the copy flow straight up and down and not across and then down
does it suit our tendency to browse with our thumbs when on the phone

If the answer is NO - then you need to start thinking about a mobile version of your site right now!

The Apple iPhone, Android and Windows 7 phones are fast becoming the norm rather than the exception – in fact in June 2011, there were 29.28 million mobile services in operation in Australia (more than the number of people that live here!) and 46% of those were Smartphones.

Industry estimates put this figure at 60% by the end of 2012.

This kind of growth is hard to ignore and Smartphones are changing how consumers access the internet, search for products, consume news and manage social networks.

In July 2011, Telstra in association with The Nielsen Company released their yearly Smartphone Index Report which highlights some interesting facts relevant to small businesses marketing.

The full survey can be found here - but I have summarised 4 key points to consider below

1.    44% use Smartphones daily to check email.

It is important that your email communication is clear and easy to read. Clear call to action graphics will work wonders in email campaigns.

2.    24% use their Smartphone to find locations of retail stores.

Hook up your address to google maps - claim your business location in Google Local. Make sure your phone number is text to allow for easy one click calling.

3.    61% of Smartphone users are accessing the mobile internet daily.

The Smartphone is likely to overtake the desktop as the device most consumers use to get access to the internet. This is predicted to occur at some stage in 2014. There is a higher proportion of MALES using smartphones at present - so if your site is a natural fit with a male demographic - than a dedicated mobile version of your site is a must (ie a trades site, technology, automotive etc)

4.    31% of users compare prices of products before going to the store.

To be considered by consumers, your products and pricing must be available on your website. If you don’t clearly display your product information, how do consumers compare? Vital for all sites - not just mobile versions!

May is going to MOBILE MONTH here at bosweb systems, so if you wish to take advantage of our exclusive offer for any Adobe Business Catalyst site, contact us now

Some samples of recent mobile sites are listed below ( the images are not their actual size - have a look at them on your phone!)

www.cwcu.com.au

www.dcls.com.au

www.wpa.net.au

www.popupparramatta.com.au

Seen the new Google+?

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:55:00 GMT

So Google+ had an update recently and just like you I'm trying to figure out how to use it, what the benefit's are or if I even like it (jury's still out on that one).

Regardless of all the 'new white space' and, love it or hate it, Google+ is here to stay.

Google is pushing this bad boy (so it doesnt lose the social media race), and if those Google (augmented reality glasses) are anything to go by (and by that I mean 'real'), then Facebook better watch out!

In the meantime though, check out SocioloG+ - it's a great resource to help you take full advantage of Google+

http://sociologyplus.com/

Sneak Peek of our new office

Fri, 11 May 2012 03:58:00 GMT

The construction of our new office, Adobe Business Catalyst Service Centre and Webcasting Studio (codenamed 'The Rocket!'), is preparing to launch!

Two years in the planning, the construction of our new offices will be the sixth in our twelve+ year history, and by far the largest, being specifically built in order to meet our demand for growth.

We'll continue to develop high-end online marketing solutions and advanced business systems for our clients; however our new Service Centre will empower us to grow, support and proactively service our clients and Adobe Business Catalyst reseller network and distribution channel partner opportunities.

A few details;

Location: Commercial Avenue, Blueridge Business Park, Dubbo, Australia

Site size: 560m² (6028 ft²)

Internal                 Walk-in foyer, large open office area, comms room, meeting
Features:               room, seperate offices, male & female bathrooms, shower,
                              kitchen, boardroom/conference/broadcast studio with full
                              screen projector and opening to entertainment courtyard,
                              reverse cycle air-con, smart controlled thermostats and natural
                              ventilation, combination carpet/tile floor panels, energy
                              efficient & acoustic dampening internal walls & ceiling panels
                              partly exposed 3.5m ceiling cavities, soundproofed ceiling in
                              boardroom, bespoke desks & office furniture, 2 person
                              reception area, space for 6x3 person workstations, opening
                              windows, floor to ceiling internal glass wall, VOiP POE telecoms,
                              power & data cabling dropdown via suspended ceiling including
                              wall mounted 55" LED screens for 'live monitoring' throughout,
                              game consoles & media server installed for 'breakout' spaces

(Space, light, energy efficiency - and fun! - are core goals in the design of our office)

External                Covered walkway pergola, landscaped & established gardens,
Features:              office will overlook water garden feature area at front protected
                              by free standing pre-cast branded panel, IP camera security

Car spaces: 9 (inc. disabled parking access bay and mounted bike rack)
plus off street parking

Staff Capacity: 30 maximum

Bandwidth: 400MB capable ethernet over fibre (direct to Exchange)

Signage: Floodlit illuminated panel at site entrance & roof signage

Opening: 1 May 2012

Latest Timelapse: March 2012 - 4 minutes (front of building)

Stage 5 (@ Apr 2012):

Painting & Tiling

Stage 4 (@ Mar 2012):

Stage 3 (@ Feb 2012):

The front windows are fitted

Walls are going in

Stage 2 (@ Jan 2012):

Area designated for 'Rocket TV'

Floor prepared for cement pour

Roofing installed

Stage 1 (@ Dec 2011):

Internal frame construction starts

40 ton crane (inside the office!) lifts wall panels into position

The rear of the building with my son trying to find a way through the barricade (the site is now closed off for the holidays)

Bosweb attends Business Catalyst Partner summit, Adobe US HQ

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:46:00 GMT

Last week I travelled to the US to meet with Adobe & four other of the world's Adobe Business Catalyst Premier Partners.

Along with Jason Tinnin (Simple Flame), Brent Weaver (BC Gurus), Brett Stockley (Pretty Pollution) and Phil Lockwood (Distill Agency), we were flown to San Francisco to meet with Adobe Excutives and product management & marketing teams (in digital print and web sectors) to discuss the BC partner network.

In line with their upcoming SaaS (software as a Service) offering, the 'Creative Cloud', we were invited to discuss the benefits of fostering a productive BC partner network and the following day myself & Jason Tinnin travelled to the Adobe Headquarters in San Jose to advise on distribution opportunities in the SMB space.

The launch of Adobe's Creative Cloud service cannot be understated; this bold move to online software distribution and file hosting/sharing solutions will reinvent Adobe and provide massive inroads to our clients and the BC partner community as a whole.

As one of the leading global partners with Adobe Business Catalyst, we look forward to servicing and educating our BC clients and growing our reseller partner network from our new Rocket! Business Catalyst Service Centre opening in May.

Standing in front of Adobe Offices, San Francisco

Myself, Alexandru Costin (BC Unit Manager), Brian Nemhauser (Muse Unit Manager), Jason Tinnin (Simpleflame)

Bogdan Ripa (BC Development Manager), Magda Neagu (BC Marketing Manager), Myself

Phil Lockwood (Distill Agency), Bogdan Ripa (BC Development Manager), Brett Stockley (Pretty Pollution), Brian Nemhauser (Muse Unit Manager), Magda Neagu (BC Marketing Manager), Alexandru Costin (BC Unit Manager), Jason Tinnin (Simpleflame), Myself, Brent Weaver (BC Gurus), Adam Broadway (BC Evangalist), Paul Gubbay (Adobe Vice President, Design & Creative Cloud), Ken Karleskint (BC Product Manager)

Visiting the "Chief TWiT"

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:22:00 GMT

While in San Francisco last week, I took a two hour trip north of San Francisco to the webcasting studio's of TWiT.tv (This Week in Technology) in Petaluma, California.

This fabulous (web only) broadcast station, (http://twit.tv) has as many as five shows a day, and I spent a whole day meeting their team and interviewing Leo Laporte on the technology used in the station including sitting in on his shows.

Over the course of the day, I met with their technical staff, Eileen Rivera (Supervising Producer and featured below on mixing desk), CEO Lisa Kentzell and Sarah Lane (host of iPad today & The Social Hour) and was also given a guided tour through the operations and technology that powers the studio.

We're looking forward to applying what we learnt towards Rocket! tv, the establishment of our own interactive education and support webcast station for our Business Catalyst clients & reseller partner network. So stay tuned!

* Special thanks to Eva Laporte for organising my time with Leo & Lisa at TWiT.tv :)

What The Plus? Google+ Dead Already?

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:17:00 GMT

Is Google+ a ghost town on the demise?

"No way!" say's Guy Kawasaki, author of recently released e-book 'What The Plus?'

According to Kawasaki, Google+ is on the threshold of becoming the largest Social Network ever, and not just because it's another Facebook or Twitter, but simply as part of the Google search engine we use everyday (which is 3 billion times per day by the way!).

To give you an idea of how successful the growth of Users of Google+ was when launched, it took just 24 days to reach 20 million users; whereas Twitter took 1035 days and Facebook took 1152 days.

(FYI new kid on the block - Pinterest - which celebrates its first birthday in May, has already reached 11 million users in roughly 300 days.)

As of February 2012, Google+ hit 100 million users, Twitter had 500 million and Facebook users numbered 845 million users.

'What the Plus?' is now available for download from Guy Kawasaki's website www.whattheplus.com

Happy International Women's Day!

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 04:08:00 GMT

To all us great working women out there!

We've come a long way baby - with more good stuff to come!

This video was from last year - thanks Kronos - the numbers re Billionaires most likely has increased and I am sure our Gina would rate a mention...

But how fab are women really?

It's that balanced chromosome count I reckon!

Big Changes afoot at bosweb systems

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:05:00 GMT

Google Adwords Packages We are pleased to now be able to offer specialised Google Adwords and SEO services through our partnership with Ausclicks. Working together with Ausclicks, we are able to offer specialised Google Adwords & Analytics bundles to suit all needs and budgets. Contact us today to get started - bundles start from as low as $500 (not including ad spend)
Free Setup - Nab Transact The Adobe business catalyst ecommerce tools support a myriad of payment gateways, however we are pleased to advise that we can now offer to all our clients a special deal with NAB, utilising the Nan Transact gateway. Download information regarding this special offer now! We are happy to discuss this further with you if you wish. This offer is available to all our customers across Australia. A NAB Business Transaction Specialist is also very happy to speak with you, wherever you are, about this arrangement. You do not need to be a NAB customer to take advantage of this offer. Contact us to find out more
Facebook Timeline Facebook never stands still, the most recent change is Timeline for Business. This will effect all business pages from the 31/3. We are conducting some information sessions on this next week, but get in quick as they are filling up fast! Secure your place now
The Rocket is on the launchpad Are you keeping up with our new building? We are starting to get excited to see it taking shape and looking forward to all the extra room, for staff and clients. If you haven't been keeping up to date - find out more at our blog.

Facebook Timeline - all you need to know!

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:16:00 GMT

Facebook Timeline for Business will take effect for everyone on the 31st of March.

We have put together a quick list of Facebook Timeline changes you need to know!

Cover Photo

Timeline’s cover photo allows you to create an eye-catching, descriptive visual of your brand.

Image Dimensions - 851 x 315 pixels

Use every pixel of screen real estate available (851 x 315 pixels), and change the image occasionally, in line with campaigns or other events relevant to your business. You cannot have ANY calls to action in this cover image area.

Profile Image

This image represents your business' identity and should remain unchanged.

Image Dimensions - 180 x 180 pixels

About Us Section

Your profile’s “About” section is prime, above-the-fold real estate to feature a short and punchy overview of who you are as a business or entity and why people need to find out more about your business' story.

Character Limit - 170, ensure you use your web address as appropriate

Review Facebook’s updated Page Guidelines to ensure your page is up to the latest standards, noting in particular the information around cover images.

Milestones

A milestone is a major event that is particularly relevant to your brand, such as a product launch,
personnel announcement, store opening, or other moment that is significant to your brand’s
growth and development.

Make the most out of milestones:

Use photos & videos to tell your story
Tailor the content to the industry to which your brand belongs
Include questions to prompt conversation with your fans

Pin Posts

A pin post is a post that a brand may “pin” to the top of its Timeline for 7 days at a time, as a way
to curate its Timeline content and encourage a post’s “stickiness.”

Image Dimensions - 404 x 404 pixels

Make the most out of pin posts:

Showcase links and other information about tabs and promotions that you want to drive
visitors to - such as encourage people to LIKE your page
When you’re running a contest or campaign, pin a post that calls attention to a particular
phase of the promotion, and schedule the post to run the length of the promotion’s phase

Stars

Highlight an important post on your brand’s Timeline by “starring” it. When you star a post, it will expand to widescreen and always be visible. Milestones cannot be starred, so aim to star non milestone posts that you wish to call particular attention to.

To star a post on your Timeline, simply hover over the post and click the star icon that appears.

Image Dimensions - 843 x 403 pixels

What tabs should I features below the cover photo?

Tabs are more narrowly scoped in the Timeline format: there are four tabs featured on the top navigation, and brands can customize three of them (the Photos tab is fixed).

Since the featured tabs are always visible to users who visit your Timeline, you should choose them strategically.

To see additional tab applications, users must expand the tab panel by clicking a drop-down box located in the top navigation. If you wish to integrate new features here, we are happy to help!

Make the most of tabs:

Focus attention on the photos you upload, as this tab is always front and centre!
Switch up your three customizable tabs periodically, according to current brand objectives, product releases, or product popularity. You may not have 3 tabs! Do not worry if you don't!
Choose tab images that are descriptive and are good 'CALL to ACTION ' images
Assign names to your tabs that clearly indicate what the tabs is about - again this is another 'CALL to ACTION' here
If you drive users to a landing tab, include an on-brand call to action in the tab name that encourages users to click (e.g., “Shop Now” or “Book Here!”)

Image Dimensions - 111 x 74 pixels

What do I need to know about direct messages?

Timeline gives users the ability to send private, direct messages to brand pages. It is a great potential customer service tool. Make sure that you put processes in place to check these messages sent to your Facebook Page so that messages your page receives are responded to or escalated in a timely, appropriate manner.

It’s worth noting that Timeline does not give brands the ability to direct message fans or other users. You can respond to a user up to two times, but only after that user starts the conversation with your brand.

Facebook Timeline - is your business ready?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:47:00 GMT

On the 31st of March - Facebook will be rolling out a significant change to how business pages look and work. Facebook Timeline will take effect for all business pages around this day.

Is your business ready?

We will be conducting several information sessions to help you get ready for the change.

We can also book you in for any changes you would like us to do on your behalf.

This information session will cover

The new cover page and changes to the rules around what can be used on this graphic
Modifications to your TABS and where they will appear now
Favourites - what this means for your key content
Changes to your default landing page
Private messenging - how this works for brands.

For more details, make sure you visit our training page.

Places are filling fast - so don't delay!

Bosweb Team Planning Day

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:45:00 GMT

Today we spent a very productive day away from our computers!

With a full day ahead of us, Brendon presented '2012 and beyond', which outlined not so much our reinvention as our evolution.

Throughout the day the team spent time understanding the history of Bosweb, and the growth & growing pains that we've gone through to get to this point and, more importantly, how our business is "Rocketing" ahead.

Brendon lays out the future of the Bosweb Rocket!

The team came together to share idea's, collaborate on increasing business efficiencies and develop internal system & process improvement strategies.

Leanne explains the management of growing our team(s)

Still at it over lunch (a very full day and no rest for the wicked!)

The day end's on-site, planning for the move ...

Hanging in the "car park" - under development!

We look forward to revealing more in the coming months!

Security Update to Member Area

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:55:00 GMT

As part of enhanced security for all Adobe Business Catalyst websites, the way passwords are handled in the administration area of your website has been amended.

The key changes are listed below

All passwords are now encrypted in the administration area of your console - this means that neither you nor us can view them.
The Lost password feature no longer will send the password in the body of the email - it will send an email to reset the password and instructions as to how this can occur. We are working our way through all our member sites to amend your standard lost password text so that this email will make sense to your members.
Email Marketing Features will no longer allow the emailing of passwords, this has been replaced with the Reset Password feature
Email Log in details inside your secure zones will no longer email both the username and password - this will now just email username and reset password. We are also working through all our client member sites to ensure that this text makes sense to your members.

These are changes global changes to Adobe Business Catalyst and in fact are industry standard for member based sites and the transfer of sensitive password information. It is always best that any password details are NOT sent via email.

We thank you for your patience as these changes are implemented.

Is your website working? (Analysing website success)

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:18:00 GMT

Having your website reach the performance levels you desire isn’t easy. It takes constant monitoring and measurement of visitor data to optimise web usage. This is where Web Analytics comes in. Not only is web analytics useful for measuring website traffic but it is also an effective tool for both business and market research.

By tracking user behavior, we can begin to see how they are interacting with our website and how we can begin to communicate more effectively to our audiences. In this article we’ll take a closer look at how Web Analytics can be utilised and what effect this has on the design process.

What is Analytics?

Every time a visitor reaches your site, the web server records this transaction. This data is then processed by Web Analytics software to produce detailed reports and charts. This software is most commonly available in web-based applications such as the popular Google Analytics, which allows you to see what’s going on with your website through cold hard data.

1. Measurement

Web Measurement is the process by which Web Analytics is utilised. While hits were popular in the early days of the internet, analytics have become much more sophisticated over the years. Basic metrics – such as visits, bounce rate, referrers, and conversions can be measured after determining the outcome you want your website to accomplish.

2. Bounce Rates & Exit Rates

Bounce Rates and Exit Rates are two metrics to analyse in determining whether or not you’ve grabbed the attention of your users successfully. Exit rates will tell you how many people left the website through a particular page, while bounce rates tell you how many people left the website without visiting a second page.

The potential drawback to measuring user behavior using bounce rate is when your website is intended to find what they are looking for on the entry page, as opposed to sites with well-defined conversion steps requiring multiple page views. In the latter case, bounce rate is a good metric to use in indicating conversion success.

3. Referrers

Where the visitor came from is a good metric in understanding why some visitors convert. A referrer is a website that sends you traffic. In addition to search engines, referrers send you traffic as well. Seek out those in your industry or network to build positive, meaningful relationships – whether it be through social network activity, blog conversations, or even writing articles in your niche. More conversions may end up coming from human referrals than search engines, as these individuals are likely in your industry and can see the need for your product or service moreso than the rest.

4. Call to Action Clicks

Your design should appeal and inspire your target audience to take action. Does the design make them feel like they are getting value from your services and, more importantly, are they clicking on the call to action buttons? Analytical tools provide reports to easily understand what users do on your site and where they are clicking. Alternately, you can use A/B testing to help test different designs and determine which is the most effective.

5. Conversions

If you’ve gotten this far, you know you’ve satisfied most of your visitors and gotten their attention. The crucial step now is to get them to convert. A conversion is a term used by marketers to describe the final outcome of a site visit. Don’t thwart your visitors from completed the intended action. This means optimising your web forms for your users and making the form submission or checkout process as user-friendly as possible.

The metric for measuring conversions is Funnels and/or Paths taken. Tools allow you to track funnels and paths to conversions. If you’re on a tight budget, Google Analytics’ goal and funnel-tracking can also be used.

Conclusion

With Web 2.0 and Analytics, a culture of improvement has been laid before us. We can gauge more accurately how visitors are interacting with your content. With these tools, the ability to improve the experience your online customers have is at your fingertips. In some cases, you no longer have to guess or wonder why your site is getting the results it is. How is web analytics working for you?

(this article was originally posted here)