24 June 2010

Archive your Newsletter

If you are sending email newsletters, like this one and you are not archiving them onto your website - contact us to learn how to add them to your site or get us to do it for you.

Google Tip #7 - Find out what Google knows about you ...

Searches, blogs etc - you may use some of Google's services, and how much does Google know about you and your activities?

To find out ...

Point your browser to google.com/dashboard, sign in with your account details and you will see a list of Google offerings, each with a summary of your involvement.

You can change your details through the dashboard, which is pretty handy.

Website Software

From the getgo we have been software developers. We develop our software for "the cloud" or software that runs as part of a website - software to

- update websites

- send email newsletters

- manage databases

- provide safe  secure private spaces on the web

 The software we develop is designed & built to run in the cloud (on the web) and that means there's no software to install.

Please pass the cloud computing message on to anyone you think could benefit from our services.

Follow us on Twitter

Talk to us on Twitter - tell us stuff and follow what's happening.

We have a special deal for people following us on Twitter this month, but you need to be twittering to take advantage of it!

My favourite Twitter site this month ...

Wellington Zoo

Animal drama, hospital procedures, events and news.

Over 1,000 followers.

Pass it on

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Hi

Happy Matariki, as I write this, I note that the daylight hours are getting longer. I've been planting garlic over the weekend and look forward to harvesting the fat, juicy bulbs in the summer and creating a store of bulbs for next year.

We have also been updating our website with new case studies and updated profiles on the team. If you are interested take a look at our new profiles, especially Myst's profile which has 3 funny You Tube videos on it.

I use our website as a storehouse of information ... planting free information to help people with their web stuff , background information about our team and case studies of our work , all aimed at presenting us as-we-are to people who may be researching or deciding on their next web project.

How do you use your website?

Stay warm and dry,

5 Tips for Finding the Right Web Professional

Many business owners are frustrated with the search for the "right" web professional to work with on a project. Someone who will:

• Complete work on time
• Stick to the budget
• Answer the phone & return your calls

Consultant Success Story

Consultants form a significant niche in our business. In particular consultants whose clients are Government Agencies or large corporate entities and need a smart, dependable website built to the highest professional standards. The latest consultant site we delivered also involved collaboration and working with a branding expert.

Working with other people and organisations to bring you the best possible result is something we are very practiced at and very proud of our achievements in this area.  My tips for working with others can be found on my blog.

You can read a short case study of this project on our website.

Ask an Expert

How can I promote my new coffee supplies business online with Twitter?

Just begin - signup at twitter.com - its FREE, easy to use and one of the fastest growing communities on the web. You need to use it in a smart way - no one wants to hear where you are having breakfast today but they are interested in your special promotion. This is what to do

1. Setup a Twitter account for your store e.g petoneCoffee
2. Start sending tweets
   • when new stock arrives
   • when you have a sale or event
   • when your neighbouring shops have something happening
   • with tips on making coffee (or tea)
3. Get feedback and tweet what your followers want
4. Tell everyone you are on Twitter and why they should follow you

Examples of successful Twitter accounts in retail are

• Zappos has 1.7 million followers
• Lacoste has 142,000 followers
• Kirkcaldie & Stains has 344 followers
• Oyster Gallery on Jackson Street has over 300 followers

Using Twitter enables you to send a relevant message to people who are interested in receiving news of your business and draws them into your website or retail store.

Congratulations Cain

Being sustainable means several things to us,  its not just about the environment! A sustainable business offers products and services that fulfil society's needs while placing an equal emphasis on people, planet and profits.

Cain recently published code he developed for the new version of Nautilus, to the open source community. This is part of our commitment to people in the community, in this case the world wide programming community.  The user control Cain developed  is part of the code in Nautilus used to resize images and create thumbnails. Read more »

Nautilus Note

If you want another copy of the Nautilus manual or a refresher training session, contact Maxine on 586 2686 or maxine@spiral.co.nz.

You can also download the Nautilus Manual from our website.

The web is an increasingly complex place, both the manual and the training in our office are free as part of our commitment to make the web a simpler place for you.

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