Link Building - Effective, Authentic SEO

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is about lifting the website of your choice up the search engine rankings. Link building is one method of doing this authentically, thereby building trust as well as getting more hits.

Copywriters Need Copy

I've been looking for a way to make money online using my writing talents. Textbroker pays people to write copy for websites but because the requirements are specific, I find myself unable to get any work done without the information I need.

How Your Web Presence Affects Your Reputation

I've had arguments with various people about what makes or breaks the reputation of an individual or group. Given my personal experience I'd say, hand on heart, it's conduct, i.e. what you actually do. That said, other factors play a part and tonight I'm going to look at the role played by your web presence.

How To Become Debt Free And Financially Independent

My friend Sam came to our house this morning for brunch and an opportunity to talk about debt freedom and financial independence. While I'm not in debt and have a bit stashed away, I'd like to be able to afford more holidays and a comfortable retirement. Enter Genistar's Game Plan.

Old Web Designers Never Die, They Just Volunteer

Web design never paid very well for me so I quit it and took a normal admin job. The thing is, I can't quit it. Not web design, not social media, not the great and groovy graphic design. I'm hooked, I tell you, and I don't want to give it up. Needless to say, when the opportunity to design the promotional literature for our church's women's discussion event came up, I simply couldn't resist the opportunity to stretch  my creative muscles in a professional capacity.

How Customer Service Makes Or Breaks Your Company

I don't know if this happens to you but one of the banes of my life is unwanted marketing communications. I really can't be dealing with them and the worst thing is that in the age of the internet they really, truly seem to think that sending me unwanted letters is the best way to get me interested in their products. Hint: it's not.

Free Comic: Wendy's Web Design Woes, Episode 2: SEO-gician

You lucky bunnies! I just can't help giving free stuff away and today there is more! SEO-gician tells the sad and sorry tale of a client who can't tell the difference between SEO and web design, and doesn't understand the role of content and engaging with the audience in a website's success.

It's mobile-friendly and everything! Eventually I'll have a whole series but as with all my artwork, help yourselves. I only ask that you cite and link me. If you like my work, buy me a coffee. Or hire me, that's good, too.

ISG Marketing

SMS Marketing services

From time to time I partner with other companies so we can promote each other's services and I can offer services I can't deliver myself. Everybody benefits.

ISG Marketing Solutions is offering a 30 day trial of their SMS/Text Marketing services.

Statistics show that within 10 minutes, 95% of text messages sent are read by the recepient... Imagine 95% of your customers will see your offer within the first 10 mins... no other marketing platform comes close to this. Email only has an open rate of 23%

If you have a list of customers and are not sending them offers with text messaging (as long as they agree for you to send them offers via text) you are missing out on a lot of recurring business.

Try out the service FREE for 30 days. We will work with you to discuss the best type of promotions to send to your customers to help build your customer mobile phone list and the type of offer to send your customers that brings in more business for you.

To get started, Visit isgmarketingsolutions.com/contact, fill out the online form and we will contact you and help you to start connecting and promoting to your customers with sms, and bring in more business for you.

What Is Text Message Marketing?

SMS (Short Message Service) Text Message Marketing is the ability to send “permission-based” text messages to a group of people who have opted-in to your mobile list.

The small, yet powerful, 160 character space is one of the best marketing tools available today.

 

Why Text Message Marketing?

• Most Mobile Users Send and Receive Text Messages Daily


• Text Messaging is the Most-Used Mobile Service


• Consumers ALWAYS Have Their Mobile Devices with Them

 

Text Message Marketing Ideas

• Offer Mobile Coupons and Discounts


• Use Appointment Reminders to Cut Down on “No-Shows”


• Send Text Message Offers on Slow Days to increase traffic

Pinterest: The Buzz And The Benefits

Every once in a while a new social media website comes up and there's a bit of a buzz around it. I got into Meengle till I realised it wasn't working for me in terms of putting me in front of potential clients. Zerply is used by some of my peers but it doesn't do anything that the others don't. It's really a creatives' noticeboard. So along came Pinterest and I went, "Meh!" Actually, there are substantial advantages in getting on board.

SEO No-Nos: Five Ways To Lose Me At Hello

I get a lot of emails from companies offering me SEO services. Sometimes I respond to them. A professional approach will at least get you time of day. Here are five mistakes SEO service providers have been making with me.

An Open Letter To Potential Employers

Hello,

thank you for viewing my profile on Monster and associated job boards. I appreciate you taking the time to view my profile and consider me for employment with your clients. I am also flattered that some of you called me, but there are a few things I might not have made clear. I need to in order to help you decide whether to call me or not in future.

Dreamweaver

First of all, although Dreamweaver is the industry standard and I have a working knowledge of it, I don't actually use it day to day. I use Kompozer, an opensource WYSIWYG HTML editor. In layman's terms, I use a simple tool to do my work, then hand-code as and when necessary. Most people who use Dreamweaver, if they value web standards, will tell you that they end up having to compensate for the fact that the code generated by DW is messy and it doesn't always do what they want it to do. The way I do things is faster and easier than using that clunky ol' thing, is what I'm saying. And I do it well. My clients are certainly happy with me. See my testimonials.

The trouble is, the clients you might end up putting me with might not like the thought of employing a hand-coding nerd with a deep and abiding love of all things opensource. And free. Which Adobe Design Suite tools are not. Sorry I didn't make that clear enough in my CV. Please be sure to ask your clients if Dreamweaver is a definite must, and if it is, you can screen me out and save yourselves a call. I'm not going to buy it. Why should I, when I've got better tools? It's overrated, if you ask me.

Illustrator/Photoshop

I'd be lying if I said I've used Illustrator, but I have used Photoshop. Like other Adobe products it's flashy and clunky. There's that word again. I say it because doing the simplest thing, like taking a screenshot and resizing it, for example, is insanely complicated compared to the way I do it in GIMP, my opensource image editor. GIMP has a screenshot option in the File menu. Photoshop makes it much more difficult, and don't get me started on the layers. They're compulsory. In GIMP, they're not. I can get rid of the layers menu if I don't want to use it. And most of the time, I don't because I don't need it. Again, Photoshop is the industry standard. If it is required to be an experienced regular user, I fail at the get-go because I've used it in college but use GIMP and Inkscape for day-to-day graphics.

Grids

I use them when the design calls for it, and favour the 960 Layout System for its ease of use and ability to create stacked columns of content. However, the trouble with grids is they're rigid and complex, and there's not much wiggle-room if you need to make changes to the content - which you need to have in advance before you set it out. Changing the content in any way can upset the balance of boxed content. If you suddenly find you have more pictures or text than expected, you have to work hard to find a way to make it all fit nicely.

As top designer Jeffrey Zeldman said,

Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it's decoration.

Tweeted by Jeffrey Zeldman, 5 May 2011

As a designer, I believe that content is king, and my purpose as a designer is to present the content to its best advantage rather than design for its own sake. That, in a nutshell, is what I offer: beautiful functionality, and I will use whatever technique is best suited to deliver it.

So what DO I do that employers might want?

First of all, I'm a hardworking and reliable problem-solver, taking full ownership and responsibility for my work. I don't make excuses; if a client wants something, it's my job to make sure they get it and I won't be happy until they do. I'm tech-savvy and can find ways of delivering the results a client wants - nine times out of ten they don't care how a job is done as long as it's done.

Remote Freelancer

The biggest advantage of taking on a remote freelancer like me is you can give me a job to do, and if I do it well, you use me again. If not, they won't. It's less of an investment or risk on the part of an employer. I know they're not keen on such casual arrangements, but I am reliable and never let my clients down. Working from home gives me instant access to all of my scripts, books and tools - everything I have on my PC. It also means I'm never late for work and I have no distractions. I can simply get on with the task at hand.

Keep up with the latest trends in web design

I'm an avid reader of Twitter, where I follow Jeffrey Zeldman, Ethan Marcotte and Jason Santa Maria. I'm also subscribed to Cruzine and Smashing Magazine, where I read up on and practice the latest tutorials for CSS3 and HTML5. That said, all my designs are in HTML4 for cross-browser compatibility.

Validate my work

Web standards are important to me, so I use W3C's validator to check my work to make sure it's properly done. That way, my sites will load quickly and be SEO friendly.

Cross-browser compatibility

The trouble with CSS3 is that it looks fantastic in Gecko and Webkit browsers but dreadful in older versions of IE. The good news is that, because I'm so keen on reading Smashing Magazine, Jeffrey Zeldman and tweets from other web designers and developers, I've come across some excellent scripts for correcting the discrepancies. Therefore the gradients, rounded corners and transparencies I'm so keen on can be made to display properly in older browsers. I also have tools for checking my work in different browser sizes.

Multi-disciplinary approach

I'm a one-woman band. I do absolutely everything myself except for those services I use partners to deliver, i.e. hosting, domain registration, and things like that.

As a DHTML specialist I have a library of scripts to call upon for particular purposes. For example, I'm very keen on slideshows and use them all the time. I've got several of them. Signing up to forums has helped me with my PHP-coding skills: I don't and won't outsource email form data collection. That goes straight to the client. And I will make sure it works properly before it does.

My knowledge of PHP and JavaScript grows with each job because I use them all the time and often consult help forums to learn more. I also advise on scripts and best practice for website development to help the client to take control of their websites.

Applications programs

My particular speciality is opensource php-based applications programs such as online shops, blogs, galleries, and forums. I can upload them, configure them, update them, add modules or plugins as required and match them to the website theme for a seamless viewing experience.

Social media

As an avid user of social media, I can add apps, customize the accounts and automate posting from a blog to Facebook and Twitter. Tweets would appear on the client's Linked In account.

Content writing

My creative writing background comes in handy sometimes, particularly when a client needs a bit of content adding to his site. I edit and advise on content and can generate it as required. I can also present it nicely so it sits neatly on the page, which I am required to do for Acore Development and Training, which has me on retainer to make changes to the site every now and again.

Partnerships

I partner with other companies in order to offer services above and beyond my capabilities. More often than not, this means taking on affiliate deals to offer hosting and other services. The fact that I'm affiliated with so many means I'm not tied to any particular one.

Oh, and did I mention my office skills? I'm an experienced office administrator, once described as the perfect utility temp because I can turn my hand to anything. I can use most reception switchboards, I've worked in call centres and can use PowerPoint.

I think that's it. Anyway, if, after reading all this, you still think you can make me an offer, feel free to call me. I'd love to hear from you.

BT Tradespace: Why Should you Bother With It?

BT Tradespace, let's be honest about this, is a rubbish website. It's slow, it's butt ugly and it doesn't give you much in the way of styling ability. The support isn't great and usually consists of shrugging and saying there's not much they can do about it. Don't get me started on the navigation: Scott of the flippin' Antarctic would lose another team in there, it's so awkward to use. Is there any benefit in having an account there at all?

The old adage that you get what you pay for has so far held true for BT Tradespace. It's free for the most part and you don't get much bang for your buck. You can pay to upgrade, of course — but to what?

What it is

It's a social networking behemoth that lumbers slowy from one function to another, providing a website of sorts to people who haven't got one. You can, in theory, forego having a website and just use BT Tradespace instead. Functionality includes

• home and about pages


• discussion forums/help/customer service area


• galleries to display images


• news that imports the RSS feed from your blog AND allows you to post items


• selling online via an Amazon app

Who does it better

Facebook. By a country mile. It's faster, easier to navigate, has more interactivity and better apps integration.

So why should we use it, then?

After all I've said about it you'd think it best to give BT Tradespace a very wide berth, but actually there are some advantages to using it, most of which are to do with SEO. The one and only reason I have an account there is to boost my SEO. Nothing else. No one interacts with me there (I presume they're all at Facebook) and I've never had an enquiry from there. I used to offer account setup, configuration, integration and customization there but never got a response for it one way or the other. But you should at least consider having an account there because of the SEO advantages which include

• It makes you put keywords and titles on each image you upload


• It gives you separate areas, each of which has a link of its own


• You can make as many business profiles as you like: one for each of your websites if you have more than one


• The apps integration allows you to connect your Twitter account and your blog


• You can make as many services, community and gallery pages as you want

A brief search of my name alone will bring up a few of my BT Tradespace links on the first few pages. It's one of the things that makes me findable online, so as much as I despise it, I'll update my services pages, galleries and what have you from time to time to keep my content fresh — and add more SEO value to my account.

Make Your Own Apps

I came across a post on Linked In this morning about apps and how it's possible to make your own. At first I was intrigued but when I started to use the website I was reminded once again that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

iPhone apps are big business. Apparently, over 70% of the world's population now owns a mobile phone. There are over 425,000 apps for iPhone, and Apple's competitors aren't far behind. Prices for apps vary between free and $300 USD, and people can make their own and make them available to the public, either paid or free. Some people have gone on to make money from their apps.

Becoming a developer

That's all well and good, but as the last article I linked to pointed out, you need to have a good, original idea. Otherwise your app ends up as just another RSS feed reader that displays a list of posts from your blog, as the one I came up with here does. What I ended up with isn't terribly impressive unless you're a web design and internet nerd like me. On createfreeiphoneapps.com you get more of a choice of what you can do with your app, but you need to pay to get onto Apple's developer program. Since it costs the best part of $100 USD and the average paid-for app costs under $3 USD, whatever has persuaded you that your app is the next big thing had better be right because there are better ways of spending that money.

The bottom line is, if you want to make an app that only you and perhaps your immediate circle will use, i.e. the rss feed for your blog, you can make it for free but it might not be approved. If you want to make a decent one that is either useful or popular you may well have to pay for the privilege.

The most popular apps

The most popular apps, according to Apple, are the trivial or games ones. The most popular is Candy Mail, which sells via iTunes for $1.99. People's blogs feeds apps are presumably far down the line. The idea I had was to present people with a way of exchanging business cards via their phones using an app that displays their details in the same way that paper business cards do, but hundreds of people appear to have gotten there first, including these eight developers. Or you could take the lazy way out and use a business card scanning app.

QR Code

I've already mentioned the QR code revolution which is quietly taking over the way we look stuff up online with our mobile phones. It's a pain in the rear to tap in the URLs on our touch screens or using those tiny buttons so QR is a Godsend because all you have to do is get the app required then use your phone to scan it, then you will be taken straight to the website it leads to. Since that is a shortcut to the information people want from a business card, it's probably your best bet for an app - and there are loads of them. This is probably why I keep seeing them on business cards. I'll have to put one on mine.

Conclusion

All I really wanted was an easy way to pass on my business contact details or to advertise my website. It transpires that there have been simple ways of doing exactly that for ages and some of them are free.

Make Your Own Ads

I'm always looking out for more ways to promote my business and today I'm going to tell you about adverts and how to make your own.

If you don't have an image editor and can't afford Photoshop, use GIMP. There are other images editors around but I find GIMP easy to use and it's a decent, versatile program that easily gives Photoshop a run for its money. /End plug.

Beginner: static ad

Okay, you've fired up your image editor and you're ready to go. The standard sizes of the ads you're given for use on blogs and websites by Commission Junction are:

• 460 x 60px
• 250 x 250
• 200 x 200
• 300 x 300
• 125 x 125
• 125 x 60
• 729 x 90

The figures for skyscraper (vertical) ads are usually 120 wide x varying heights up to 720 or 800px. The example animated gif above is 320 x 50px because I originally made it as a mobile phone ad.

Before you make your ad you've got to work out where it's likely to go when someone places it. For smaller ads you've got to make the content count and my business name is a long one. It's advisable to use eyecatching colours and clear text. The sharper the resolution is, the easier it will be to read. Usually, ads are placed where they're out of the way of the main content on a website or blog. I tend to put my CJ ones at the bottom of my posts and the JavaScript ones in the sidebar. Since that's where your ads are likely to go make sure it's not too big.

In GIMP click File, then New, then choose your dimensions. Click the x in the layers dialog. You don't need it. Go to View, Zoom, 400% so you can see the picture four times bigger. Click on the pencil icon in the left hand box and click on the Brush box to choose the brush size. Since this is basic we're not doing anything fancy just yet. Now click in the bottom left hand corner of your picture to make a small mark. Now hold down the shift key and slide your mouse up as far as you can to draw a straight line. Repeat until you get to the top, then hold the shift key down and drag your mouse across. Stop when you've drawn a thin black box around your ad.

You can change the colour with the bucket tool by clicking on the top colour square and changing the colour when the colours dialog comes up. When you've chosen the colour you want, click on the bucket icon then click on the line or you'll change the inner part of the ad. The point of the border is to display your work space better otherwise you may end up going over the line later on. You could use the box tool but I don't find that reliable because if you go over the edges of your workspace you've wasted your time: no line is drawn around the edge.

Now that you can clearly see what you're doing, let's add some pictures and text. You may have to shrink an image to size using the scale tool. If you're not sure what that is, hover your mouse over each tool in the toolbox on your left till you find it. Open the file you want to shrink, then click on the tool, drag your mouse to resize it, then click on "Scale."

Click on the A to add a text layer and to choose your font. GIMP will find all the fonts you have on your PC and display them in the toolbox. The default is Sans but if you click the box beside that and scroll up or down you can find something more interesting. I'm going to use Deja Vu Sans because it looks good at small sizes. Some fonts simply don't work at 10px or smaller. Tunga's 12px looks the same as Arial at 8px so I'm using that for the smaller text. The reason is, some fonts distort at smaller sizes and shrinking a picture with text on blurs the text.

To make it work as an ad, you add this code:

<a href="http://yourwebsite.com" target="blank"><img style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;" src="http://yourimagehost.com/images/yourimage.png" title="Buy my great product!" alt="The thing I'm promoting" width="120" height="120" /> </a>


That code directs people to your website when they click on the picture. Using .png instead of .jpg will help keep the images sharp. Ads that small aren't terribly effective but space on websites is at a premium so you need to be disciplined with your use of space. That's where animated ads come in.

Intermediate: animated ad

To make an animated ad like the one at the top, make a series of images that are all the same size. Then choose one to be the base image. If you're using GIMP go to Layer and choose New Layer/Transparency. Now go to Layer/Transparency/Semi- Flatten. Open the next image file, copy, then paste the image on top of the first image. Go to Layer. You may have to click on Transparency twice to get the option to choose a transparent layer. This is important as failing to do so leaves you with a messy animation. Repeat the process till you get to the last one which doesn't require a new layer. Now go to Filters/Animation/Optimize (for Gif). This will prepare your image as a duplicate file with the images ready to go. Choose Filters/Animation/Playback... and if it looks good to you save the duplicate untitled file as a .gif.

Save as animation. If you Merge Visible Layers you'll have to start again. the next dialog gives you the opportunity to set the transition time so you can slow down your animation. Tick the Loop forever box if you don't want it to run to the end then stop. Delay between frames where unspecified should be 2500 milliseconds or more. Choose Frame disposal: cumulative layers (combine) box. Tick the Use delay entered above for all frames box. Tick the Use disposal entered above for all frames box.

Use the same code to link the ad to your website. You're using an image hosting account to link the image from because if you don't you'll use up more bandwidth than you usually would if your ad is being used on sites other than your own.

Advanced: JavaScript ad

A simple Google search will turn up a multiplicity of links to websites offering free scripts to use for rotator banner adverts. Since they're basically carousels that do the same job as the fading slideshow on my Home page, I might as well use that. The Spyka Webmaster banner script is in use here. As I said, it's basically a carousel except that it shows the images in a random order rather than the set order I would prefer. You need to use JavaScript for mobile phone ads as far as I know. You can download the zip file by clicking on this link. The instructions for using it are all in there.

Want to use affiliate marketing? I've found some links to reputable companies that offer affiliate software or hosted solutions.

aflite.co.uk

winsite.com

software.informer.com

Or you could use the Google URL builder and make your own. I didn't realise they offered that until today. If you choose that option follow the instructions there and off you go. You will need a Google account with Analytics enabled.

Well, that's all I know about setting up your own adverts. I don't offer affiliate deals for my own company but I do have affiliate deals with companies that offer complementary services such as hosting, hardware, software, office and printing supplies, etc.

It's cool to think that, if I wanted to, I could set up my own affiliate program just as easily as clicking a few links. And so could you.

Annoying Apps: Five Ways Facebook Fails

Facebook and Twitter both offer access to certain websites via apps: they allow you to sign in to them, and you are asked if you are happy with sharing your personal information with, let's say, Digg.com. Therefore, certain companies have jumped on the bandwagon because association with a bigger company grants them a certain level of respectability than they'd get without it. And boy, do they take advantage of it!

Facebook Apps: Fan Pages And Welcome Tabs

I've been able to make Facebook welcome tabs for some time now, and really enjoy making them. There's a slew of apps you can use to add functionality and there's a lot that can be done with them.

• Run contests


• Special offers


• Embedded videos


• Adverts


• Interactivity, including call-to-action buttons

iPage, my current web host, used theirs to run a little contest at Halloween. Some people like to update theirs on a regular basis. Since I'm usually insanely busy I have automated mine by adding a feed reader widget that displays my latest blog posts on them so there's always something new to see there. What frustrated me, until recently, was my inability to get comments added to them, but today I found out how to do it so I'll share what I learned.

The code

<html xmlns:fb="http://ogp.me/ns/fb#">

<div id="fb-root"></div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script>

<fb:comments href="http://www.wendycockcroftwebdesign.com" num_posts="2" width="500"></fb:comments>

The markup

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns:fb="http://ogp.me/ns/fb#">
<meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type">
<title>Wendy Cockcroft Web Design on Facebook</title>
<meta content="Wendy Cockcroft" name="author">
<meta content="Facebook landing page, one of the services I offer as a web designer and developer." name="description">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.yourwebsite.com/fb/style-fb.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.yourwebsite.com.com/fb/menu/menu_style.css">

</head><body><div id="fb-root"></div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script>
<div id="container">(your content here)
</div>
<br>
<fb:comments href="http://www.yourwebsite.com" num_posts="2" width="500"></fb:comments>

You need a doctype because you've got an actual web page there; it's in an iframe. Although I can make the app that makes the iframe, I prefer to just use Woobox's static iframe app because otherwise I'd have to make one for each client and I don't need to if I use that. It also gives you an editor (don't use it after you've added the code for the comments or it won't work properly) and the ability to insert several kinds of HTML so you can give fans and non-fans different experiences. You might, for example, decide that you want to only let fans add comments.

And why stop there? You can find a great range of social plugins right here to do the other thing I wanted: import my wall into my welcome tab. See the result.

All of my fan pages now have social plugins on the welcome tabs, adding interactivity to the page and value to the service I offer since it's going to be standard unless the client says otherwise. I've had great fun setting these up, and I hope you do too.

Our Holiday: What We Can Learn From An Excellent Experience

I had an excellent holiday in Carlisle, exploring the Roman ruins and the associated tourist attractions. It was really inspiring and I can't recommend it enough. It occurs to me that there are some principles I can pass on from my excellent experience there, that can be applied to general customer service.

Customer Service Failures And What We Can Learn From Them

I've mentioned before that I've been having trouble with payment gateway CyberSource, who are absolutely lousy at customer service. They're not the only ones. But are we any better than them?

The North West Business Show, Day 2

Another day, another opportunity to visit the North West Business Show to see what was on offer for companies in the North West and to seek out chances to do business with people in related fields.

North West Business Show

The buzz

I ran into my friend Mumba of Dynamic Heights, a client and personal friend, while I was trying to catch the eye of an IT service provider. We went to the Linked In lecture to hear a lady earnestly try to persuade us to get paid Linked In accounts. We could barely hear her over the hubbub in the crowded auditorium. It was so busy that there wasn't enough seating room for the people who had gathered to hear what she had to say. Dragon's Den luminary Richard Farleigh was there to give a keynote speech, but I don't have a product like Reggae Reggae sauce that needs a cash injection for development and I doubt he would give me the dosh to purchase the Adobe Creative Suite for a share of my business, so I gave it a miss. There were Business Angels there too, and probably with a similar ethos.

The companies

As well as people in related areas, I met some very interesting people from companies that serve high-end clients but were willing to accept emails from me with a view to possibly consider doing business either as affiliates or my offering them a design-related service.

Towngate PLC

I spoke to the wonderfully friendly Hannah Cooper of Towngate PLC, a commercial and industrial property developer. Storage services and parking spaces are also available. She passed me her card and invited me to email her with my proposal, so hopefully something will come of that.

Healthwork

Dr. Shahed Khan of Healthwork is a lovely chap. When I joked about the possibility of getting an Indian head massage, he offered to do it on the spot! They actually had a chair there for offering this service to passers-by. They offer occupational health and safety services to call centres and companies where stress comes with the territory.

Blue Camroo

Paul Clark is most enthusiastic about Blue Camroo, particularly when it comes to their project management (better than Box.net) and email marketing services. Tied in to the social networks, the idea is to provide an all-in-one solution to attracting, working with and retaining clients. This might be an opportunity for me to offer more advanced services to clients. Watch this space.

CES

Next I spoke to Damian McCoy of Cost and Expense Solutions. They help businesses to save hundreds of thousands of pounds in expenditure, in areas such as telecoms, utilities, fuel, printing and stationery. Typically, they aim for high-end clients, but they do help smaller businesses too.

AAP3

aap3.com are a are a Global IT and Business Solutions provider for all business entities, operating across four verticals; Consultancy, ICT Services, Software Solutions and Recruitment.

IMSM

International ISO specialists, IMSM aim to help companies conform to recognised standards of management, customer service, staff motivation and data management.

Communication ID

An interpretation and training company, Communication ID work with British Sign Language, translating, interpreting and working for social integration and cohesion of deaf people.

Computerised Business Systems Ltd.

A company that provides a comprehensive IT service, Computerised Business Systems Ltd offers not only the computer hardware and software service and support, but network design, internet services and even staff training. They provide experienced, professional consultants and engineers on call without incurring the costs associated with employing trained I.T. staff.

SICL Cloud

SICL Cloud provides enterprise-class IT solutions for any size organisation. Services are provided on-subscription and without major capital investment, tailored to individual requirements and fully supported from the DataCentre to the desktop. Fast, flexible and resilient on-demand IT.

Etelligent

An email marketing company, Etelligent plan, create, send and track personalised customer messages and webpages allowing businesses to reap all the benefits of email and sms marketing. Clients are typically high end and include Stena Line, BBC and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

CTL Digital Solutions

A photocopier and printer supplier, CTL are approved dealers for Olivetti and Canon.

Excel Publishing

A major business-to-business publisher, Excel produce high-quality glossy news magazines presenting news and views on trends in an assortment of industry sectors such as construction and healthcare.

Access Point

You know those till receipts or bus tickets with the vouchers on? Access Point make those, among other things. I use them all the time. They are a marketing and brand awareness company offering third party marketing and promotion.

Digital Exchange Products

Digital Exchange Products offer a range of telecommunication equipment and services from leading manufacturers including Avaya, Nortel and Siemens. From Digital and VoIP telephone voice systems such as IP Office, BCM and HiPath to system maintenance services and asset management.

Reach Further

A social media consultancy and training company, Reach Further help companies to market and manage their web presence via the social media such as Twitter, Linked In and Facebook.

1010

An IT services company, 1010 offers a comprehesnsive service that includes every aspect of a company's online needs from telephony to hardware, software, IT systems maintenance & support and web services.

SEO Next

I can already offer SEO services via a partnership with another company, but really, the more the merrier. Justin Blackhurst built SEO Next from the ground up, and they now employ over 100 people. It only took six years!

PR2 Go

PR2Go is the UK's largest press release service. For a small consideration, they write a newsworthy story about your business then look for relevant distribution channels, which sometimes includes the broadcast media to send it to. From trade magazines to internet buzz sites, the story of your business is circulated with the intent of getting people talking about your business.

Beever and Struthers

A chartered accountancy and business advisory company, Beever and Struthers offer advice and support to companies and one-man-bands like me on all areas of tax and financial management.

Entrepreneurs Circle

The brainchild of business mentor Nigel Botterill, Entrepreneurs Circle is a service offering support, advice and encouragement to business people to help them grow their businesses. One to one support is available.

Mitel

Mitel is a leading global provider of enterprise and small business communications solutions and services. They provide advanced voice, video and data communications platforms, desktop phones and Internet appliances, intuitive applications for customer relationship management and mobility, messaging and multimedia collaboration.

The North West Business Show, Day 1

I'm reporting back from Day One of the North West Business Show at Manchester Central (formerly G-Mex), where a host of business owners, support services and speakers got together to network, educate and inspire. Although there were scheduled events such as speed networking and lectures from leading lights, I went with one thing on my mind: to find out what an event like that could do for a sole trader HTML web designer and developer.