Put the E-mphasis on Local Internet Marketing and reach first page on Google
April 27, 2010 by Urbanham Business
Filed under Advertising and Marketing |
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The concept of Local Internet Marketing is simple but requires skill to master effectively. Google provides a local business listing facility which not only contains key information about a business trading, such as opening hours and payment types accepted but also is designed to deliver relevant page 1 results as part of any locally focused searches. E-mphasis have combined this theory with their tailor made optimisation services and have produced results which are literally astounding.
4×4 Hire company John Dennis decided to explore the potential of Local Internet Marketing with E-mphasis last year. As a direct result they have seen a significant increase in new business and during the last quarter of 2009, grew their fleet by 25% – even in the recession!
John Dennis was well positioned for the bad weather in January and at its peak, saw upwards of 45000 appearances on one of their business listings on a 30-day period, something they had never experienced before with other search techniques.
The business listings facility provided by Google has recently been extended to provide even further accessibility through smart phones and notably, personalised search, which Andrew Rayner, MD of E-mphasis believes will further enhance the effectiveness of Local Internet Marketing.
“Localised marketing online is something many people don’t really understand, as the messages we hear about online strategies tend to be aimed at targeting customer segments rather than drilled down to location, recent searches, personal preferences, etc. The reality is that from the smallest independent retailer through to the world’s largest retail chains, Local Internet Marketing can sit alongside traditional search techniques and it makes a very real and tangible contribution to the bottom line.
Recent research by the Kelsey group has shown that a 97% of consumers research local purchases online before buying and in particular, highlights the benefits of coupons and online reservation or booking, so placing your company on the first page is often crucial to gaining valuable market share. The new
personalised search function, the facility where Google adapts your results pages based on your search history, will enable businesses to target their customers even more effectively based on their search preferences,” says Rayner.
ENDS
Notes to Editor
E-mphasis is an online marketing company specialising in Search Marketing. They provide professional and credible natural search optimisation services to ensure that businesses can deal with what the future brings. The company is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire and was founded by Andrew and Clare Rayner.
Andrew and the team at E-mphasis have also pioneered an innovative use of Google Maps and online business listings to create highly targeted Local Internet Marketing strategies. Local Internet Marketing is a hugely untapped area of marketing strategy and one which, thanks to E-mphasis, is now beginning to generate interest and excitement from major UK retail brands.
Andrew Rayner and a spokesperson from John Dennis 4×4 Hire Company are both available for interview.
For any enquiries please contact Becky Lewis on 01603 742892 / 07866 739306 or email becky.lewis@mediajems.co.uk
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Noted Entrepreneur, Lawyer, HR Executive and Author selected to lead Thurgood Marshall College Fund
April 27, 2010 by Urbanham Business
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PR Log (Press Release) – Apr 26, 2010 – Mr. Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., Esq. Charlotte, NC, chosen to lead the 23 year old Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), it was announced today by James Clifton, Chairman, Board of Directors, and Dr. N. Joyce Payne, Founder, Thurgood Marshall College Fund. In making the announcement, Mr. Clifton and Dr. Payne said on behalf of the Board of Directors, “Johnny Taylor exemplifies the kind of transformative leadership, strategic acumen and fundraising skills needed to move the fund to a new level of national prominence, a new era of innovation. In short, Mr. Taylor’s nearly two decades of broad senior-level corporate experience, commitment to higher education and significant not-for-profit governance, fundraising and operations experience will prove invaluable as we continue to meet the needs of our universities and students — our core constituency.” James Mitchell, Chair, Presidential Search Committee, added, “We all agree that Johnny is a well-rounded executive with senior –level legal, human resources, administrative and general management experience that will add great value to the continued growth and development of the fund.”
Mr. Taylor spent the last several years with IAC/InterActiveCorp – first as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and then as the President and CEO of IAC’s identity search engine, RushmoreDrive.com. Before joining IAC, Mr. Taylor was a Partner in the McGuireWoods law firm and President of that firm’s HR consulting business; General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Compass Group USA; and has held several senior human resources and legal executive roles with Viacom subsidiaries, Blockbuster Entertainment and Paramount Pictures.
Mr. Taylor is a recognized leader in the not-for-profit world having served as the Chairman of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), one of the world’s largest membership organizations with nearly 230,000 members in over 100 countries. At SHRM, he oversaw a 300+ employee organization with $100 million + annual revenues, served as the chief board spokesman and traveled the world as the official “face and voice” of the profession giving as many as 38 keynote speeches per year.
In addition to his reputation as a strong business executive, Mr. Taylor has demonstrated a significant commitment to higher education and HBCU education in particular. Mr. Taylor has served on the Board of Trustees of Johnson C. Smith University and Drake University, the University of Miami’s President’s Council and the Board of Visitors of Queen’s University. Equally important, he has earned a reputation as a prolific fundraiser in political and higher education circles, including serving as the UNCF Annual Campaign Co-Chair for Johnson C. Smith University, the TMCF Charlotte Regional Dinner Co-Chair, the TMCF 2007 Annual National Awards Gala in NYC and raising significant funds for various congressional and presidential campaigns.
“I could not be more excited about the opportunity to lead the nation’s pre-eminent organization committed to preparing the best and brightest leaders from our nation’s public historically black colleges and universities. I will work tirelessly alongside the presidents of our 47 member institutions, our incredibly committed corporate and governmental partners, and hard-working and talented TMCF Board of Directors and Staff to build upon the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall,” Johnny Taylor stated in accepting the position. “I am humbled by this awesome challenge, responsibility and opportunity,” Taylor added.
Mr. Taylor received his Bachelor of Science in Communication, with general honors, from the University of Miami, Master of Arts in Mass Communication with honors, from Drake University; and Doctor of Jurisprudence with honors, from the Drake University Law School, where he served as Research Editor of the Drake Law Review and argued on the National Moot Court Team. He is a member of the Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C. bars, and holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.
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Upgrade that browser!
April 6, 2010 by Urbanham Business
Filed under Business tech |
One of the challenges in web design is that we (web designers and developers) always find ourselves tasked with creating websites that work on a variety of browsers. This is a task that can put even the most talented web designers in a funk. Internet Explorer which is still the most commonly used browser to date brings its own set of design challenges. The problem with IE browsers before version 8 is that Microsoft did not pay much attention to standards. Standards are simply a set of rules that should be followed when creating a browser for public and commercial use. Well Microsoft for a long time did not necessarily follow these rules and decided to do things their way. So to make a long story short, Internet Explorer version 6 will not render a web page the same way Internet Explorer 8 renders a page. In fact a web designer would have to create work-arounds in order for the browser to display the same page correctly. Crazy…. right and I know this may not make sense to many of you so to make it simple I will just say Upgrade that Browser to version 8. This simple upgrade will not only give you access to some of the newer web browsing features but makes it much easier for you to view web pages the way the designer meant for you to see it. Microsoft decided to pay attention (well somewhat) to the cries of web designers and corporations that rely on pages showing up correctly. Throw in the fact the they were also losing ground to the popular Firefox browser and you can see why there was a change of heart at Microsoft on implementing the standards. If you are using a version of Firefox, Safari or Opera then you are in luck. For years those browsers followed the standards and usually work out quite well. However you should still consider upgrading to the latest version of these browsers when prompted.
Most corporate entities have technology policies in place that may not allow you to upgrade. The reasons for this can be justified due to security or web applications that can only be used with the version of the browser currently in use. In this case you are simply out of luck on the upgrade and may always find yourself using an old browser at the office.
Russ McClinton is a web design consultant with Media.Broadcast.Internet and former web design instructor.
MBI launches new website
April 6, 2010 by Urbanham Business
Filed under Business Profiles |
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Media.Broadcast.Internet (MBI) has launched a new website designed to better share the capabilities and work of the creative firm. Chief Technology Officer Darren McLaurin spearheaded the redesign effort and says it has taken several years for the company to focus on it’s own website. “We are always busy working on projects for our clients but we felt it was time to refocus the MBI brand and spend some time on our own website.” says McLaurin. CEO, Russ McClinton says the new website brings much needed synergy to the company as it continues to build it’s client base. “Many people are only familiar with our Urbanham.com brand and don’t realize that we are also a top notch web design firm. We felt with a new website we could give our clients more insight into what we actually do and better showcase some of the great projects we have had a chance to work on.”
MBI offers consulting services to the City of Birmingham, The Florida Lottery, McWane Inc., The Birmingham Jefferson Transportation Authority and a host of small and mid-sized businesses throughout the southeast and Chicago.
MBI is a subsidiary of Digital Arts Inc. which currently offers creative services, online products and apparel. You can check out the new website at www.mbi-llc.com.