June 3rd, 2011
There are actually more iPhone users than Android users in our office, however the sheer flexibility of the platform means it will always be ahead of Apple. As such we have compiled a list of some of our favourite FREE applications on the Android phones.
1). Angry Birds
Well what is there to say about this essential timewaster of an app. Entertaining, frustrating and so addictive. It’s no wonder it keeps winning awards.
2). Stupid Zombies
Another physics app in a similar vain to Angry Birds. Just as frustrating and entertaining so when you’ve finished Angry Birds and you are waiting for the next release, try this one to pass the time.
3). BBC iPlayer
It may only be wifi enabled, but watching BBC content on a phone such as the Desire HD is a joy. Plug the headphones in and no need to wake the wife. Mind the battery consumption.
4). World War
This is a strategic game where patience is the key. Undertake missions and battle other opponenets to build an army and become invincible. I have put over a year into this game, playing most days and it’s still keeping me going.
5). Facebook
There are quite a few apps for Facebook and each one has it’s merits / disadvantages. Search the market for the one which suits you best and you’ll soon be addicted to updates and check-ins.
6). Google Goggles
This application is one to impress the oldies with (well it impressed my folks). Simply put the camera infront of an object such as a can of drink and it will scan the brand / logo and bring back search for that term. Very impressive and pretty accurate.
7). Zoopla
This app enables you to view the houses for sale in a specific area from many of the top estate agents. Providing you with information such as average house prices as well as allowing you to view down the street using street view augmented reality, it’s a very useful house hunting application.
8). Songbird
One of the best music applications for the Android OS. There are plenty out there so search the market and judge for yourself.
9). Spotify
Whilst the app is free, it does require a £9.99 per month subscription to Spotify premium. However, having a vast range of music and offline playlists is fantastic for long journeys or just when you fancy listening to something new.
10). Evernote
A free note taking and planning app and desktop application which seamlessly sync with one another. I find it invaluable to keep up to date with my workoad and maintaining an accurate to do list.
Take a browse around the Android market on your phone and let us know your favourites.
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May 3rd, 2011
But not a sale in sight !!!
Many clients are often impressed by the level of traffic that their website is receiving. It’s a very similar principal to walking down the high street and seeing a busy shop. “Wow they must be raking it in”. Well the shop may be busy but how long is the queue at the cash tills? In a nutshell, people may be attracted to go in the front door, but are they buying goods?
The website is no different in this respect; high numbers of visitors do not equate to a high number of sales. So what are some the key barriers which stop your visitors making a purchase?
Navigation – can I find the product I want?
Price – not just the product price, think about the addition of VAT as well as any delivery charges which may be added during the checkout process. How much has that added to the customer’s inital outlay?
Poor Images – would you buy a product if you can’t see it?
Poor Descriptions – I want to know all this product can do for me and if you don’t tell me, Ill go somewhere else. However if you give me too much information which is badly organised, it will be too much to take in and I will go somewhere else. A fine balance – yet a very necessary one.
Stop Asking me Questions – if I have to fill out form after form just to buy a single item, chances are that I will be put off. Imagine just wanting to buy a pint of milk from the supermarket on Christmas Eve with queues stretching as far as the eye can see – just not fun
Attracting the wrong type of customer – if you don’t deliver abroad, the thousands of daily visitors from the USA are just leaving disappointed.
Non existent offers or promotions – make sure all you offer information is up to date. If you have a promotional code offering 20% off, don’t make the customer jump through hoops to get it – or worse find out that it no longer exists
All this information is easily managed via a website statistics package such as Google Analytics. This is free and can be easily installed within in your website by your web developer.
Using tools like these can help you identify areas of the website which require improvement as well as the sections which are working. Do your research before making knee jerk changes to the pages on your website. It’s your website, it’s your business – make sure it’s doing everything for you.
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Tags: Analytics, Statistics, Web Design, Web Management
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March 22nd, 2011
Running any business can prove testing at any time but surely your website is doing everything it can to promote your business. Well is it?
It’s often the case that many small businesses spend so much time with their clients, the begin to neglect their own marketing material. It can often be very difficult to step back from your own brand and evaluate it objectively. Focusing on the business website, here are a few tips to help you identify some areas for improvement and perhaps a spring clean of the website might not be a bad idea.
First impressions count
Is your website up to date or is your latest news a few months old and the range of products and services out of date. Finding a website that has up to date content provides confidence to the visitor that you are on the ball and provides an instant impression of professionalism.
I want to make a change – Can I make the change?
Your website should inform visitors about your business in a clear and engaging manner. Keeping your services and products up to date is essential and having to contact your web developer or agency just to make the smallest of changes can be time consuming and costly.
Putting you in control of the content means you can easily manage the information on the site and with so many Content Management Systems (CMS) out there, you may want to ask the question “Why can’t I do this?”
I have no idea how many people visit my site.
You may receive a couple of enquiries a week from your website and be happy with this level of business, but how many people are looking at your website? Make sure you have a Google Analytics account and you use it. Getting information on the key trends, strengths and areas for improvements on your site will make your website work harder for you. Some of the results may surprise you.
Loads of homepage text – that’s good for SEO right?
People want to use your homepage as a signpost to the desired information. Are the most important / requested / profitable areas on the website easy for the visitor to find. if not, you need to look at the information hierarchy for the website and make sure that the visual language and typography reflects the required hierarchy. It’s no use burying Contact Us away in the corner if it is your main source of customer conversion on the website.
“What do I do now?”
“Well I’ve found the relevant information but I don’t have any visual stimulus to make the next step. I can’t find your email address, phone number, contact form – so what do you want me to do now”
It is surprising how many times this occurs and it will do nothing for the user experience. Don’t rely on the user finding the call to action, make sure they cannot miss it. If you have other relevant information, make sure they can easily find links to this.
If your site is exhibiting these symptoms, I recommend that you have a chat with your existing developer / agency and if you are not 100% happy with their response, why not have a chat with us on 0114 267 9277
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February 10th, 2011
Is your desktop beginning to look a little cluttered? Stuff everywhere and little organisation – well try BumpTop. Turns the desktop into a 3D box so you can organise files, shortcuts and programmes onto different walls.
Being able to focus on a specific wall, make icons bigger and smaller depending on their importance, organise icons into piles which can then be easily expanded or collapsed – all means that a messy desktop (well mine really) can easily be organised with the minimum of fuss.
These chaps have been bought out by Google so there are no updates, only the free version which is available to download here
Why not give it a go and see what you think
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