Calashock becomes latest Big Commerce Authorised Reseller in the UK
--- London, 26 May 2010 --- Calashock Marketing, the London based full-service digital marketing agency, today announced it has become an authorised reseller for Big Commerce shopping cart systems.
Luigi Moccia, Director of Calashock Marketing, said of the news: "We are extremely excited at the prospect of working with Big Commerce. Since we launched Calashock in 2006 we have worked on many e-commerce platforms, and Big Commerce is one of the most versatile, adaptable and user-friendly systems around. Having seen the opportunities Big Commerce offers online store owners, we have decided to work exclusively using Big Commerce shopping carts.
In a report by Forrester, online retail will see double-digit growth in the next five years, and systems like Big Commerce will make it possible for website owners to manage a professional store at competitive and comprehensive prices.
Luigi added: "Unlike some shopping cart systems, Big Commerce is keeping up with new offerings of the internet such as social media marketing, and creating modules which allow e-commerce stores to integrate with these platforms.
Big Commerce is one of the fastest growing e-commerce platforms around, with features including a drag-and-drop design mode, SEO optimised software, search engine friendly URL creation, and compatibility with several payment providers including PayPal, HSBC, SagePay and Google Checkout.
"Big Commerce websites are fully customisable, allowing website owners to utilise the Big Commerce framework and back-end systems, yet have a unique and bespoke front-end design to complement their brand and industry. This makes the Big Commerce platform ideal for online stores of any size and worth.
The status of Authorised Reseller is with immediate effect.
--- End ---
Contact
Luigi Moccia, Calashock Marketing
020 8440 9535
Notes to editors
1. Calashock Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency, offering website design, Search Engine Optimisation, and Pay Per Click management
2. This press release is available by e-mail
3. Big Commerce is a leading provider of shopping cart systems to small and medium-sized e-commerce store owners
4. More information on Big Commerce Shopping Cart systems is available at www.calashock.co.uk/bigcommerce
5. Store owners can take advantage of a 15-day trial of Big Commerce stores
# # #
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Who owns your domain?
Only a short entry today as we are up against it, but something which has become more evident as we take on re-designs is that a lot of businesses do not actually legally own their domain name. The legal owner of the domain is known as the Registrant.
What can sometimes happen is that a designer or design agency registers a domain as a service to the client, and maybe knowingly but most likely not maliciously, registers the domain under a company/umbrella account which houses other clients' domains.
The problem lies in the if, as has happened, you change designers and they have registered the domain under their account, they do not legally have to give you the domain. OK, after some legal intervention you may no longer have a problem, but in order to avoid it, either register the domain, or ask for confirmation the domain will be registered in your name, and at your address.
To check who owns your domain, visit http://www.domaintools.com.
Right, back to work...
What can sometimes happen is that a designer or design agency registers a domain as a service to the client, and maybe knowingly but most likely not maliciously, registers the domain under a company/umbrella account which houses other clients' domains.
The problem lies in the if, as has happened, you change designers and they have registered the domain under their account, they do not legally have to give you the domain. OK, after some legal intervention you may no longer have a problem, but in order to avoid it, either register the domain, or ask for confirmation the domain will be registered in your name, and at your address.
To check who owns your domain, visit http://www.domaintools.com.
Right, back to work...
Thursday, 20 May 2010
10 must have features for any website
It has been some time since our last blog post, as we have been busy designing and developing Big Commerce websites for our clients.
Speaking with our clients, who vary from sole traders to medium-sized businesses, there are many different requirements, budgets, and expectations. But 1 thing is common throughout - the 10 must have features the website must have. Some are free, and some have an additional cost, but at the end of the day a website is an investment, and if money, time and thought are invested correctly, then the result should be a positive return on investment (ROI).
Below we have listed the 10 must have features, and they are true for both static and e-commerce websites. The aim of the list is to give you, the reader and website owner, information and ideas so you can integrate these into your own site.
1. Google Analytics
The only time this should not be integrated into a website is if you already have an in-depth analytics tool. Google Analytics allows you to monitor your website visits, learn what keywords are being used to find your website, how long the average visitor spends on your website, where in the world visitors are coming from...the list goes on. Available from www.google.com/analytics.
2. XML sitemap
An XML sitemap is in essence a list of all the pages on your website, and allows Google better index pages on your website, and also the priority of each web page. There is a free online tool which can create an XML sitemap for you, but being free, has limitations. Also remember that any time you add or remove pages, or change page names (i.e. www.calashock.co.uk/search-engine-optimisation to www.calashock.co.uk/seo) you need to create and re-submit a new XML sitemap.
3. Heat maps
Heat maps are an excellent way of understanding where in your website visitors are clicking. For example, if you have a banner at the top of your page advertising a special offer, you can monitor whether or not this is attracting people and having the desired effect. Heat maps also allow you to ensure important links are placed in areas where visitors tend to click on the most (top left hand corner, etc.).
4. AddThis button
The AddThis button allows website visitors to share the page they are on with their social book-marking accounts, twitter/facebook, via e-mail, or even their printer. It is free and takes up a small area. Available from www.addthis.com.
5. Google Base
If you have an e-commerce website, ensure your website has a feed (a link) to Google Base. Google Base, or Google Shopping, is a free price comparison search. It is free, and if you sell using Google Checkout, allows potential buyers to see how many reviews you have received from previous customers, and the average rating out of 5 (which also helps you to ensure you are offering a 5 out of 5 service!). Try it here: www.google.co.uk/products
6. Registration with Webmaster accounts
Google Webmaster Tools, Yahoo! Site Explorer and bing.com Webmaster Center are all tools search engines give website owners, or website designers/marketers, so they can log in, register the domain, link sitemaps, check for errors, and ensure that their website does everything is can to rank well in the different search engines. No cost involved, and needs minimal knowledge or coding and website design.
7. W3C Compliancy
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) is the main international standards organization for the web. Because websites are built using coding, and website designers apply different styles, W3C offer a validation service which checks for errors, and allows website owners, or their designers, to fix them. Not all errors can be fixed (google.co.uk is not W3C Compliant) but it can help to ensure web pages are displayed correctly on all browsers (Firefox, Safari/Google Chrome, Internet Explorer) and search engines like websites which are W3C compliant. You may have to compromise some design requirements to ensure compliancy, but there are always alternatives, and would you rather have a great website with low search engine ranking, or a good website ranking on the first page of search engines? Not all our web pages are W3C Compliant as we are working our way through them, but our home page is compliant, as can be seen here. Interested? Access the W3C Validator.
8. Company Information
If you are a UK Registered company (PLC or LTD) you must have a page with your company registration details on your website in order to comply with the 2006 Companies Act. Our Company Information page can be accessed by the link in the footer of each page.
9. Contact Form
Your website is online (or should be...) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Therefore, someone may want to contact you whilst you are sleeping. There are many websites that do not have contact forms which allow visitors to submit a request for more information. Also, just having an e-mail link on the contact us form may cause problems as this automatically opens a mail client link Outlook, and if people do not have this set up on their machine, or are using a public computer, they cannot contact you very easily.
10. Thank you page for the Contact Form
Once a contact request has been submitted, you need to be able to monitor a successful conversion, and also let the prospect know what will happen with their submission...will you get back to them within 24 hours? Will you call them or e-mail them? What should they do if they do not hear from you within 3 days? Every contact form should automatically load a new page which gives this information, and at the same time allows you to count how many submissions you have received.
The list above is generic, and not for every site or for every requirement. Some sites would benefit from a '20 must haves' but we will write these in the future. With some features being free, there really is no excuse for not having them installed on your website - as not only can they help to give your visitors a better experience, but it can help you plan an effective and successful website strategy.
If you have any questions about the features your website has, or should have, or would like to speak with us regarding implementing any of the features, please contact us or call our London office on +44 (0) 20 8440 9535.
Speaking with our clients, who vary from sole traders to medium-sized businesses, there are many different requirements, budgets, and expectations. But 1 thing is common throughout - the 10 must have features the website must have. Some are free, and some have an additional cost, but at the end of the day a website is an investment, and if money, time and thought are invested correctly, then the result should be a positive return on investment (ROI).
Below we have listed the 10 must have features, and they are true for both static and e-commerce websites. The aim of the list is to give you, the reader and website owner, information and ideas so you can integrate these into your own site.
1. Google Analytics
The only time this should not be integrated into a website is if you already have an in-depth analytics tool. Google Analytics allows you to monitor your website visits, learn what keywords are being used to find your website, how long the average visitor spends on your website, where in the world visitors are coming from...the list goes on. Available from www.google.com/analytics.
2. XML sitemap
An XML sitemap is in essence a list of all the pages on your website, and allows Google better index pages on your website, and also the priority of each web page. There is a free online tool which can create an XML sitemap for you, but being free, has limitations. Also remember that any time you add or remove pages, or change page names (i.e. www.calashock.co.uk/search-engine-optimisation to www.calashock.co.uk/seo) you need to create and re-submit a new XML sitemap.
3. Heat maps
Heat maps are an excellent way of understanding where in your website visitors are clicking. For example, if you have a banner at the top of your page advertising a special offer, you can monitor whether or not this is attracting people and having the desired effect. Heat maps also allow you to ensure important links are placed in areas where visitors tend to click on the most (top left hand corner, etc.).
4. AddThis button
The AddThis button allows website visitors to share the page they are on with their social book-marking accounts, twitter/facebook, via e-mail, or even their printer. It is free and takes up a small area. Available from www.addthis.com.
5. Google Base
If you have an e-commerce website, ensure your website has a feed (a link) to Google Base. Google Base, or Google Shopping, is a free price comparison search. It is free, and if you sell using Google Checkout, allows potential buyers to see how many reviews you have received from previous customers, and the average rating out of 5 (which also helps you to ensure you are offering a 5 out of 5 service!). Try it here: www.google.co.uk/products
6. Registration with Webmaster accounts
Google Webmaster Tools, Yahoo! Site Explorer and bing.com Webmaster Center are all tools search engines give website owners, or website designers/marketers, so they can log in, register the domain, link sitemaps, check for errors, and ensure that their website does everything is can to rank well in the different search engines. No cost involved, and needs minimal knowledge or coding and website design.
7. W3C Compliancy
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) is the main international standards organization for the web. Because websites are built using coding, and website designers apply different styles, W3C offer a validation service which checks for errors, and allows website owners, or their designers, to fix them. Not all errors can be fixed (google.co.uk is not W3C Compliant) but it can help to ensure web pages are displayed correctly on all browsers (Firefox, Safari/Google Chrome, Internet Explorer) and search engines like websites which are W3C compliant. You may have to compromise some design requirements to ensure compliancy, but there are always alternatives, and would you rather have a great website with low search engine ranking, or a good website ranking on the first page of search engines? Not all our web pages are W3C Compliant as we are working our way through them, but our home page is compliant, as can be seen here. Interested? Access the W3C Validator.
8. Company Information
If you are a UK Registered company (PLC or LTD) you must have a page with your company registration details on your website in order to comply with the 2006 Companies Act. Our Company Information page can be accessed by the link in the footer of each page.
9. Contact Form
Your website is online (or should be...) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Therefore, someone may want to contact you whilst you are sleeping. There are many websites that do not have contact forms which allow visitors to submit a request for more information. Also, just having an e-mail link on the contact us form may cause problems as this automatically opens a mail client link Outlook, and if people do not have this set up on their machine, or are using a public computer, they cannot contact you very easily.
10. Thank you page for the Contact Form
Once a contact request has been submitted, you need to be able to monitor a successful conversion, and also let the prospect know what will happen with their submission...will you get back to them within 24 hours? Will you call them or e-mail them? What should they do if they do not hear from you within 3 days? Every contact form should automatically load a new page which gives this information, and at the same time allows you to count how many submissions you have received.
The list above is generic, and not for every site or for every requirement. Some sites would benefit from a '20 must haves' but we will write these in the future. With some features being free, there really is no excuse for not having them installed on your website - as not only can they help to give your visitors a better experience, but it can help you plan an effective and successful website strategy.
If you have any questions about the features your website has, or should have, or would like to speak with us regarding implementing any of the features, please contact us or call our London office on +44 (0) 20 8440 9535.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
SEO - The proof is in the pudding
Search Engine Optimisation. Often expensive. Often out of reach of the majority of website owners.
True, SEO is expensive, partly due to the expertise required to successfully market a website using white-hat, or honest methods, and partly due to the time and work it physically takes to optimise a website, but the results gained from employing a reputable and knowledgeable agency can be very profitable.
On Friday 23rd April 2010 we registered the domain cappuccinocreamer.co.uk, and a few hours later, set up the hosting and holding page. This is one of our latest projects, and the client has asked for the website to be optimised, and so true to form, we started the SEO process immediately.
The meta tags of the holding page were optimised, with 100% relevancy and reasonable keyword density of around 3%. We also linked the website up to our portfolio page, ensuring the website has inbound links (and from a website with a higher page rank) and registered the website with all the search engines in their Webmaster areas (Google Webmaster Tools, Yahoo! Site Explorer, Bing Webmaster Center) with the crawl rate increased.
2...3... days later, and on the 26th April 2010 the website is in google, with page 1 rankings for the keywords 'cappuccino creamer', 'frabosk cappuccino creamer' and 'cappuccino creamer frabosk'. For now just google, but this gets over 70% of searches in the UK so we, and the client, are pretty happy!
This may sound like a 'too good to be true' scams, but it really is not. You can check all the details of this project.
Why are we so excited about this relatively modest achievement? It is because it proves that with SEO, a website is in another league, and every business should really consider Search Engine Optimisation for the websites (even more so if it is a new launch) and invest the budget wisely with a good agency.
To speak with us more about this project, call us on 020 8440 9535 or e-mail info@calashock.co.uk. And don't forget to visit www.cappuccinocreamer.co.uk!
True, SEO is expensive, partly due to the expertise required to successfully market a website using white-hat, or honest methods, and partly due to the time and work it physically takes to optimise a website, but the results gained from employing a reputable and knowledgeable agency can be very profitable.
On Friday 23rd April 2010 we registered the domain cappuccinocreamer.co.uk, and a few hours later, set up the hosting and holding page. This is one of our latest projects, and the client has asked for the website to be optimised, and so true to form, we started the SEO process immediately.
The meta tags of the holding page were optimised, with 100% relevancy and reasonable keyword density of around 3%. We also linked the website up to our portfolio page, ensuring the website has inbound links (and from a website with a higher page rank) and registered the website with all the search engines in their Webmaster areas (Google Webmaster Tools, Yahoo! Site Explorer, Bing Webmaster Center) with the crawl rate increased.
2...3... days later, and on the 26th April 2010 the website is in google, with page 1 rankings for the keywords 'cappuccino creamer', 'frabosk cappuccino creamer' and 'cappuccino creamer frabosk'. For now just google, but this gets over 70% of searches in the UK so we, and the client, are pretty happy!
This may sound like a 'too good to be true' scams, but it really is not. You can check all the details of this project.
Why are we so excited about this relatively modest achievement? It is because it proves that with SEO, a website is in another league, and every business should really consider Search Engine Optimisation for the websites (even more so if it is a new launch) and invest the budget wisely with a good agency.
To speak with us more about this project, call us on 020 8440 9535 or e-mail info@calashock.co.uk. And don't forget to visit www.cappuccinocreamer.co.uk!
Friday, 23 April 2010
Big Commerce Shopping Cart system - comparison
As you may have read, we have recently started working with Big Commerce, and as UK Authorised Resellers, we need to know the product inside out! So, this morning we have a very productive staff meeting, followed by some training on the Big Commerce platform.
The Feature List for Big Commerce is 5 pages long when printed out (compared to 2 and 3 respectivley for the 2 nearest competitors) so there is a lot to take in, but at the same time, the great thing about all these features is that there is something for everyone.
Firstly, as can be expected nowadays by a modern and professional shopping cart system, Big Commerce is web-based, CMS platform with SEO friendly pages (W3C compliant). No software required.
There are several payment providers which can be integrated into the website, inclduing PayPal Pro and Google Checkout, and also a variety of shipping methods. Further, what is great about this system in a Social Media frenzied market is SocialShop - the ability to sell on facebook.
As can be expected, there are many standard features such as Google Analytics, multi-currency support with automatic exchange rate updates, voucher/coupon facility, and image magnification.
Finally, there is also the ability to use Google Optimiser, which is a new feature in Big Commerce.
In all honesty, we could go into the night talking about the features, but to learn more you should download the Complete Big Commerce features list from our website.
If you would like to see how Big Commerce can help increase the revenue and profitability of your website, call us on 020 8440 9535 or contact us through the website.
The Feature List for Big Commerce is 5 pages long when printed out (compared to 2 and 3 respectivley for the 2 nearest competitors) so there is a lot to take in, but at the same time, the great thing about all these features is that there is something for everyone.
Firstly, as can be expected nowadays by a modern and professional shopping cart system, Big Commerce is web-based, CMS platform with SEO friendly pages (W3C compliant). No software required.
There are several payment providers which can be integrated into the website, inclduing PayPal Pro and Google Checkout, and also a variety of shipping methods. Further, what is great about this system in a Social Media frenzied market is SocialShop - the ability to sell on facebook.
As can be expected, there are many standard features such as Google Analytics, multi-currency support with automatic exchange rate updates, voucher/coupon facility, and image magnification.
Finally, there is also the ability to use Google Optimiser, which is a new feature in Big Commerce.
In all honesty, we could go into the night talking about the features, but to learn more you should download the Complete Big Commerce features list from our website.
If you would like to see how Big Commerce can help increase the revenue and profitability of your website, call us on 020 8440 9535 or contact us through the website.
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Calashock becomes Big Commece UK Reseller
Hi, thought we would share some exciting news with you today.
Last week (well, actually it was the week before...) we were approved as Authorised Resellers for Big Commerce Shopping Cart solutions.
Since we started designing websites in 2006 we have used a variety of shopping cart platforms, from Actinic to ePages, and free, opensource systems like Zen Cart and OpenCart. 4 years on and we have finally found an e-commerce solution which ticks all the boxes!
Big Commerce costs from just $25 a month, which includes hosting. There are a variety of features in the Big Commerce system, including SEO friendly URLs, Video uploads, Google Base integration (nothing new I know), but the easy to use Control Panel is packed full of tools and options making it easy to create products and categories, and makes the job of optmising the website very simple (it has been optimised by none other than SEO guru Aaron Wall).
If you are looking to set up an e-commerce store, or considering a move from your current provider, seriously consider Big Commerce. Furthermore, we are also able to provide you with a bespoke design service if you want a look of your own or the many templates just need to be customised.
Call us on 020 8440 9535 if you would like find out more about the Big Commerce Shopping Cart system - if it does not impress you, I don't know what will!
Learn more about the Big Commerce Shopping Cart system.
Last week (well, actually it was the week before...) we were approved as Authorised Resellers for Big Commerce Shopping Cart solutions.
Since we started designing websites in 2006 we have used a variety of shopping cart platforms, from Actinic to ePages, and free, opensource systems like Zen Cart and OpenCart. 4 years on and we have finally found an e-commerce solution which ticks all the boxes!
Big Commerce costs from just $25 a month, which includes hosting. There are a variety of features in the Big Commerce system, including SEO friendly URLs, Video uploads, Google Base integration (nothing new I know), but the easy to use Control Panel is packed full of tools and options making it easy to create products and categories, and makes the job of optmising the website very simple (it has been optimised by none other than SEO guru Aaron Wall).
If you are looking to set up an e-commerce store, or considering a move from your current provider, seriously consider Big Commerce. Furthermore, we are also able to provide you with a bespoke design service if you want a look of your own or the many templates just need to be customised.
Call us on 020 8440 9535 if you would like find out more about the Big Commerce Shopping Cart system - if it does not impress you, I don't know what will!
Learn more about the Big Commerce Shopping Cart system.
Friday, 5 February 2010
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