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

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/

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)

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)

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      

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 :)

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!

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. 

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

1. The new cover page and changes to the rules around what can be used on this graphic
2. Modifications to your TABS and where they will appear now
3. Favourites - what this means for your key content
4. Changes to your default landing page
5. 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!