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It seems like the perfect advertising solution: the ability to highly target users in certain business sectors, in companies of a particular size, in specified geographical areas.

We have had LinkedIn’s Direct Ads running for a couple of days now so it’s a little too early for results but we are beginning to get some clickthroughs. At the moment the clicks that LinkedIn say we are getting don’t match up with our web analytics software but we’ll give Direct Ads the benefit of the doubt for a little while longer.

I’ll provide an update in a couple of weeks letting you know how we get on.

The Companies Act 1985 already requires the company’s name to appear clearly in all its business letters, cheques and other documents. And, from 1 January 2007, a company’s name should also appear clearly on all its websites. Also, the company’s business letters, order forms and websites have to include fuller particulars, namely:

• the company’s place of registration and registered number
• the address of its registered office
• in the case of an investment company, the fact that it is such a company
• in the case of a limited company exempt from the obligation to use the word “limited” in its name, the fact that it is a limited company

All these requirements apply whether the document is in hard copy or electronic or any other form. If you are an Ideal Websites customer please get in touch and we will be happy to update your information for you, free of charge. For anyone else, we would be happy to advise about limited or public company website requirements, just give us a call.

The Companies Act 1985 already requires the company’s name to appear clearly in all its business letters, cheques and other documents. And, from 1 January 2007, a company’s name should also appear clearly on all its websites. Also, the company’s business letters, order forms and websites have to include fuller particulars.

Ideal Websites wishes everyone the best success in the year ahead and would like to take this opportunity to inform you of our new services for 2007. 2007 is tipped to be another year of ground breaking advances in web technology with more and more businesses moving their systems and processes to web based applications due to the Internet’s unique accessibility. In the past year we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of clients asking us for data driven websites, from content management systems to e-commerce solutions and even to public display systems.

Our clients’ success is important to us so we are always happy to offer free advice about how emerging (and established) technologies can benefit them. Should you have any questions please contact us via the various methods available on our contact page.

Our recommendations for 2007

Google AdWords

Have you ever thought about paying for your search engine rankings? You can be at the top of Google search results for as little as 4 pence per click, with the advantage of only paying for visitors who are interested in your product or service. Ideal Websites frequently uses AdWords to advertise its services and highly recommends it.

Mobile Internet

There are four times as many people with access to the Internet on their mobile phone than on a desktop PC. Is a mobile website something your business could benefit from?

Customer Support

The vast majority of businesses offer support to their customers via telephone and email but this can sometimes be hard to keep track of. Ideal Websites has already developed customised support systems that help to keep track of emails and phone calls making it easier to track the history of a support request. With all this information in a centralised system it is easy to locate previous correspondence with clients and review performance statistics.

Technology Review

With the current pace of the internet and increasing use of web 2.0 technologies it is always prudent to assess whether you are taking advantage of the latest on-line developments. As mentioned above, you are always welcome to ask us about any technologies you may have heard of or that you think could benefit you. We will be happy to assist you in deciding whether they could be of value to your business.

When commissioning a new website or upgrading your current one, the accessibility of your website must be considered in all stages of the development. A number of common pitfalls found from the study are outlined below:

• 93% failed to provide adequate text descriptions for graphics
• 73% relied on JavaScript for important functionality
• 78% used colours with poor contrast, causing issues for those with colour blindness
• 98% did not follow industry web standards for the programming code
• 97% did not allow people to alter or resize pages
• 89% offered poor page navigation
• 87% used pop-ups causing problems for those using screen magnification software

The report showed that although most UK adults believed in supporting local businesses they are not likely to purchase products or services from small/medium businesses without an adequate online presence. The report goes on to say that eight out of ten consumers use the internet to research a product or service before buying it.

It is important to note here that selling a product online is not crucial for a return on investment. For businesses unable to invest large amounts of their marketing budgets in to an eCommerce solution just yet – having a professional, accessible and informative online presence is all that is required.

If you are interested in developing or upgrading your company’s website take a look at the services we offer here or contact us from more information.