The Spring Fair www.springfair.com is one of the highlights of the year for companies looking for new products to sell and sets the trends for the seasons ahead.  With regular features and news from the high street it is a focal point for businesses wanting to keep in touch with what’s hot in the world of retail.

While the news of poor sales on the high street is not helpful for the economy, the encouraging sales figures from Internet trading mean that spending has not come to a standstill. Companies wishing to embrace the Internet as a means of selling goods and services are able to make the most of this growth sector provided they have the right tools for the job, namely a well designed website and the right visibility (getting found in search listings)

If your business is looking to grow it’s on-line business then consider the following:

• Who is your target audience?
• Is your website getting the message across?
• Are you making it easy for visitors to buy?
• Is your site easy to navigate?
• What incentive is there to encourage customers to return to your site?
• Do your images do your products justice?
• Are you getting site traffic using your ‘keywords’?
• Are you getting a return on investment (ROI) for any advertising or promotion you are doing?

If you are looking for answers then please contact kathy@it4b.org.uk to see how our e-commerce solutions combined with pro-active SEO (search engine optimisation) tools and features can give your business a chance to shine on-line.

If you are looking for sexy lingerie, hosiery or even bridal underwear then Samantha Louise has the sexiest solution in town. Look good, feel good and all without stepping foot outside your front door!

E-commerce websites or on-line stores as they are often known provide the ideal platform for promoting and selling all kinds of products. If you are looking for an Internet solution for your business then contact kathy@it4b.org.uk and visit our new website www.it4bcreative.co.uk for more examples of our work.

KTL, a local training provider specialising in the textile sector have launched their new corporate website. The company was founded originally in 1998 and became a well-known provider of NVQ’s and SVQ’s. Training included management and instructor training through to health and safety.

KTL has been at the forefront of technology offering distance learning packages via CD Rom to assist with the ongoing training and development of trainees.

The new website indicates the start of a new era for KTL and an opportunity for this professional company to introduce it’s core training services to the wider audience. KTL have worked closely with IT4B to develop their new logo and branding which will be featured across their range of literature.

If your company is looking for strategic training then be sure to visit www.ktl-ltd.co.uk for further information. You will be sure of a friendly, efficient service and the opportunity to find the right solution for your training needs.

For information about KTL services see their new website at www.ktl-ltd.co.uk

An article appearing on yesterdays BBC News website highlighted the depth of card fraud on the Internet, phone and mail order. As a provider of e-commerce websites IT4B have an active interest in highlighting any areas of concern for businesses and aim to offer best advice.

Apparently figures estimated ‘card losses from phone, internet or mail order crime totalled £290.5m in 2007′ but these figures would be much greater if failed attempts had been successful. The article goes on to highlight the ease with which stolen credit and debit card details are obtained and even sold on line. Figures also indicate that there was a ‘25% rise in fraudulent use of UK credit and debits cards last year’ in overseas crime.

The risks to card holders is highest where card holder not present transactions take place so it is in the interest of the paying customer to ensure that they are fully aware of how their credit card payments will be taken and used. Customer confidence is an essential requirement for maintaining growth of online sales. Our advice to companies planning to sell on-line is to listen to your website provider and ensure that you are adhering to best practice in how you handle your customer transactions.

IT4B have negotiated preferential rates with several card payment providers to ensure our clients are getting not only excellent rates but also the reassurance that they are receiving best advice over how to manage their customers payments.

The tip has to be - put your customer first and go down the professional route.

Useful links

• IT4B offers for card payment providers http://www.it4b.org.uk/offers/.
• Protx-for information on this recommended payment gateway visit www.protx.com
• For further information on how to obtain an introduction to HandePay and TSB Cardnet for preferential rates contact kathy@it4b.org.uk or telephone 0845 226 0921

Remember customers buy on trust so make your website secure.

To keep up to date with local, national and international news visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/ there are regular features on technology issues and Internet trading.

IT for Business Ltd (IT4B) is proud to support the Kings Mill Neonatal Unit charity when they take part in the Barcelona Bangers event in July. A team of four staff members from Sutton in Ashfield based company IT for Business (IT4B) will travel from Calais to Barcelona over a period of 3 days covering 1100 miles in a car that must be purchased for less than £200.

Our team will consist of:

• Jeff Scrivner (Chief Executive) ex rally driver (yes really!) and well known business mentor acting as team consultant.
• Matt Wheatcroft (IT4B Business Manager) motivational manager and chief navigator –finding the next watering hole and getting the drinks in!
• Tim Lenton (Website Developer) part-time football referee keeping the boys under control and keeping them focussed on the rules.
• Alan Allpress (Graphic Designer) fitness guru and occasional car mechanic keeping the team on the road.

The Neonatal Unit was chosen as their registered charity after Matt Wheatcroft’s baby daughter spent a couple of days there after her birth a year ago. Matt and his wife Sam found the support offered by the staff in the Neonatal Unit really helped them through a difficult time. As a sign of appreciation IT4B are hoping to raise between £3000-£5000 as a result of sponsorship and donations in a bid to complete this challenge.

Funds raised will go towards vital specialist equipment for the Neonatal Unit and help contribute towards supporting babies and families at this crucial time.

HELP!

If you would like to show your support by sponsoring the event or making a donation then please visit our dedicated website at http://barcelonabangers.it4b.org.uk/

We are looking for three major sponsors prepared to support us to the tune of £500 each. There are opportunities for businesses and private individuals to donate smaller amounts to help us achieve our targets. For more information about sponsorship or making a donation contact us on 0845 2260921 or email kathy@it4b.org.uk or sam@it4b.org.uk

• Major Sponsorship Feature promotion on car - Website Entry min £500.00
• A4 size promo on car - Website Entry - £200.00
• A5 size promo on car - Website Entry - £100.00
• Website Entry - £50.00
• General donations and sponsors under £50 gratefully accepted. Your company can benefit from a mention on our site plus a link to your website.

MORE HELP!

More importantly if you have a car or know anyone that would be happy to supply a car to us for the princely sum of £200 or better still donate one, then we would welcome a call. Contact Alan / Matt or Tim on 0845 2260921

Mansfield 2020 is the business development organisation set up originally in 1991 with the aim of promoting and revitalising business in the town following the decline of the mining and textiles sectors. The organisation is a partnership between the public and private sectors and includes representation from Mansfield District Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Business Link, EMDA, Mansfield Area Strategic Partnership, Mansfield Town Centre Partnership, West Notts College along with businesses from all sectors.

The Mansfield 2020 website provides information about forthcoming events/local business news and there is a superb members directory enabling your company to source business support/products and services on a local level. For information about networking opportunities and also to find out who are the latest winners in the Mansfield 2020 Businesss Awards 2008 visit www.mansfield2020.com

Good Website Content – Why is it Important?

For those of you setting up a website for the first time or wanting to make an existing website more effective here are some quick tips.

Look At Me!
The look and feel of a site can capture the viewer’s attention initially. Good strap lines, quality logos, attractive design and layout are important in those first few seconds when a visitor lands on your site.

Now Stay Here!
Once the visitor has arrived on your site it is the content that keeps their attention. As we all know the longer they stay on the site the more likelihood of them buying from you or contacting you.

Content is the Key!
Information should be relevant and generally useful. The format should be concise, easy to read and interesting. So the question is what do we class as quality content?

• First of all it has to be genuine
• It should be informative
• The style should be user-friendly – even conversational (particularly for blogs)
• No spelling mistakes please!
• It should be relevant - give users what they are looking for. (Consider what information you would like to find/ expect to see if you were the customer / visitor)

More importantly the role that content plays in directing website traffic cannot be emphasised enough.

Search Engine Optimisation
Good use of keywords including density (repetition) can really impact on the way the search engines view your site. Careful use of keywords in meta tags and headings can play an important role in helping to get your website in front of customers by aiding it’s selection in keyword searches.

Writing Tips
• Keep text short and to the point.
• Be direct and use language that would come naturally face to face.
• Break ideas / topics into bite sized chunks (use headings to separate)
• Don’t over-complicate or confuse the reader with pointless information.
• Use links to direct actions – e.g. ORDER NOW! And also for providing supporting information.
• Update your content regularly to encourage return visits.

So remember, good quality content can make all the difference to the success of your business website and help drive traffic in your direction.

We have a range of ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ tools and features available. To find out more about these SEO tools contact matt@it4b.org.uk or kathy@it4b.org.uk . We can demonstrate how our websites are achieving improved search engine ranking through use of content and enhanced meta information.

Companies could find themselves with significantly increased advertising costs after a policy change from Google on the use of trade marked terms to trigger search engine adverts. But experts say that brand holders might try to fight the policy in court.

Google has announced the lifting of a ban on one company buying the right to use another’s trade mark to trigger its own advert. The move brings the policy for trade marks held in the UK and Ireland in line with that for trade mark rights held in the US and Canada.

Brand owners will now have to outbid other firms if they want their ad to appear beside the ‘natural’ search results when a user types their trade mark into the Google search engine.

The cost to brand owners

Up until now the trade mark owner could enjoy a monopoly on that ad space in Europe by asking Google not to let any other party sponsor its trade marks as keywords. That policy continues for trade mark rights held in all countries other than the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

That bidding process will increase the costs of advertising a trade marked brand through Google’s AdWords programme, experts say, with the extra revenue going to Google.

“For some brands this is going to be expensively annoying, very expensive. These brands will be typically large brands with a pure play model, for example an airline or a bank,” said Andrew Girdwood, head of search at digital marketing agency Bigmouthmedia.

“However big brands like the comparison sites Expedia, Lastminute, MoneySupermarket, MoneyNet – they may benefit because previously when I typed in Barclays only their ads would show, whereas MoneySupermarket’s didn’t,” said Girdwood. “Now these big aggregators that compare brands have the chance to bid on brands once again and drive traffic from Google to their comparison sites.”

Google’s policy change and the legal challengeOne trade mark expert has warned that Google’s new policy will be open to legal challenge, and that the law in the UK is still unclear on whether buying a keyword that matches another firm’s trade mark is lawful.

“The change of policy seems to be the inevitable consequence of a series of court decisions in the UK, the latest being the Mr Spicy decision, which seem to suggest that the use of a registered trade mark as an AdWords trigger would not constitute trade mark infringement, unless the registered trade mark concerned appeared in the visible text of the sponsored link or on the website linked to the advert and directly lead to confusion in the marketplace,” said Lee Curtis, a trade mark attorney at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind OUT-LAW.COM.

“However, Google needs to be careful in this new policy in that even in the UK and US, it would appear that if the use of a registered trade mark in an AdWords advert causes confusion in the marketplace in the words of the UK courts as to ‘trade origin’ then it is still possible that a court could come to an decision against the defendant,” he said. “The jury, as they say, is still out on that matter.”

Earlier this year the High Court delivered a ruling that cleared Yahoo! of trade mark infringement. The owner of a trade mark for the term ‘Mr Spicy’ in relation to food had taken the case. But the High Court said that Yahoo! had not used his trade mark when it displayed ads beside the search results when ‘Mr Spicy’ was entered as a search query. The advertisers in that case had sponsored the dictionary word ’spicy’, not the trade marked-term ‘Mr Spicy’.

“Google has possibly taken the Mr Spicy decision as a green light to relax their policy in line with the US,” said Curtis. “However, the UK case law is probably not as liberal as Google might desire, as the case law clearly states that if such use causes confusion as to ‘trade origin’ then infringement will be found. It is not as simple as saying the use of registered trade marks in all AdWords in all circumstances is now allowed by case law.”

Google told users of its AdWords system late last week that the rules governing its use would be changing. “From May 5, 2008, our trademark complaint investigations will no longer result in Google monitoring or restricting keywords for ads served to users in the UK and Ireland,” it said. “This will bring our procedure in line with the approach taken in the US and Canada.”

It will still be the case that advertisers are not allowed to use a trade marked term in the actual advert itself under the new rules. Advertisers will be able to buy the right to display their ad when a trade marked term is used by the searcher, but will not be able to use that term in the advert.

Google’s policy change only applies to the UK and Ireland operations, said Curtis. “This new policy does not appear to apply to continental Europe and in particular France, where the courts have taken a much less liberal approach to the use of registered trade marks in AdWords,” he said.

Intellectual property law expert Iain Connor said that European court rulings could end up impacting the situation in the UK.

“If Google is successfully sued over an AdWords dispute in a European territory outside the UK and Ireland, then given our harmonised trade mark law it is likely that a UK or Ireland based claimant will seek to rely on the case as binding authority,” said Connor. “If the UK or Ireland court refused to follow Europe, the only way to resolve the issue is to go to the European Court of Justice.”

“The ECJ is likely to say that if the bidding on a keyword affects the essential function of the trade mark as an indication of origin, it is an infringement. As to whether the ECJ will say that is a very difficult question,” he said.

Connor said that brand holders might even argue that Google is taking unfair advantage of their marks. A provision of the UK’s Trade Marks Act states that a person infringes a registered trade mark if he uses it in a way that “takes unfair advantage of, or is detrimental to, the distinctive character or the repute of the trade mark.”

Source: http://www.out-law.com:80/page-9017

The Mansfield & Ashfield Business Day has been organised by Nottinghamshire Business Venture http://www.nbv.co.uk/ and is supported by some top local organisations including:

• Mansfield District Council www.mansfield.gov.uk
• Stopford Associates www.stopfords.co.uk
• Lloyds TSB www.lloydsTSB.co.uk
• Business Link East Midlands www.businesslinkeastmidlands.co.uk
• Ashfield District Council www.ashfield-dc.gov.uk
• Hopkins Solicitors www.hopkins-solicitors.co.uk
• Imprint www.imprint-mansfield.co.uk
• Chad www.chad.co.uk

If you would like to find out more about the Internet and how a website can benefit your company then feel free to visit the IT4B stand or visit http://creative.it4b.org.uk/ for more information and samples of our work.

IT4B also offer telephone and remote computer support as part of our ‘Membership’ providing an ideal back up for your business. As a ‘not for profit’ IT company we can offer advice to members from what pc to buy to how the search engines can help grow your Internet business.

For details of IT4B membership visit www.it4b.org.uk or contact kathy@it4b.org.uk for details of our commercial services.

IT4B offer a whole range of tools, services and consultation to help your website reach it’s potential. We take an integrated approach to web marketing. This encompasses a wide range of factors in order to provide the best possible rankings & traffic generation. Commonly a web marketing campaign will be made up of the following:

• Organic Search Engine Optimisation
• Pay Per Click Management
• E-mail Marketing

Web marketing results are best with a constant marketing effort, IT4B can continually promote, analyse & maintain your vital search engine rankings. In order to analyse your web marketing spend and Return on Investment (ROI) it is crucial that you have good Web Analytics. IT4B can integrate web analytics directly into your web site to provide you with information such as:

• where your visitors come from
• understand visitor behaviour
• navigation effectiveness
• set & track goals

Contact IT4B today with your requirements for a free, no-obligation quote.