Mancala Today

Mancala Today has Moved

2009-10-24T07:17:00.000+01:00

From today this blog has moved to a new URL- Mancala Today. From now on you can find us at http://www.mancalatoday.co.uk

Ecommerce Success Story - Thorpes of Gosforth

2009-10-16T13:05:00.001+01:00

Google Appreciation Club - Google Analytics

2009-10-16T12:36:00.001+01:00

Analytics is great. I just wanted to write a post and show my appreciation to Google Analytics for a genius program which they provide for…FREE!

Adding no more than 10 lines of code to your website gives you a wealth of information.
Most people are only interested in ‘hits’ however have you ever stopped to think about what these various hits stats mean?

Visitors – The number of times people have been on your website. You need to know how many people are coming to your site and if it improves with any techniques that you implement in your internet marketing strategy.

Organic visits – How many visitors arrived via search engines?

What keywords have visitors been arriving by? Another great one to monitor- are the keywords you are targeting actually working?

The bounce rate – another big one. Are people arriving at your site and taking an instant dislike to it? If so you need to fix this.

Conversion – How many people come to your site and those come to your site and actually convert into a customer? How many are bailing out half way through – could changes be made to this?

If all these have gave you food for thought then do look into it, or if you want more advice on analytics give us a call we’ll be happy to talk to you.

If you have your own analytics stats or gems that you use please share by posting a comment.

Mancala helps Client Heat up their Sales

2009-10-05T17:21:00.003+01:00

A long Standing Client of Mancala's has recently been in the news. Thorpes of Gosforth is a Bricks and Mortar Business spanning 3 generations but also has incredible success on the web.

Mancala have helped Thorpes of Gosforth create thefiresideshop.co.uk which incorporates an easy to use online store, the use of search engine optimisation and a Google Advertising campaign which are all used to promote the online store to a national audience - together with their excellent customer service they have happy customers up and down the country.

View the full Fireside Shop Story

We look forward to help Thorpes of Gosforth continue this phenomenal success story.

Shiro extends the Mancala Team

2009-08-06T10:31:00.000+01:00

A new member of the extended Mancala family, introducing Shiro he is a 10 week old West Highland Terrier and is enjoying life in Andy and Livi’s new house. He loves playing in the garden and pretending to hunt Andy. Shiro’s favourite activities are eating, sleeping and peeing on Andy’s nice new floors. Check out the photos of him below.

Ramon Arrives from Spain

2009-07-06T14:54:00.003+01:00

Ramon joined us from Spain in June, and we got him to give us a run down of his time so far in Newcastle.

Over to you Ramon...

"Really liked the city, and the work of course haha.

Not very happy with the accent almost everyone has around here (no offence ;-) ), since it is enough difficult for me to understand ‘normal English’, but I think I am getting used to it, and who knows, maybe I will end up talking like that haha. However, definitely happy with people from this city, they’re very nice.

I enjoyed the cloudy days the first weeks since I preferred that rather than 40 degrees C in my home city, but I am starting to get tired of the weather here :-). Anyway, every sunny day makes me happy :D, something that didn’t happen to me back in Spain haha."

Let me Google that for you!

2009-05-20T11:18:00.004+01:00

Ever wonder why people ask you obvious questions, when you know they could find the answer by using the worlds biggest search engine, Google?

Now you have a tool to help you combat these obvious questions, simple point them in the direction of Let me Google that for you, or lmgtfy.com

Take for example, A person is looking for Internet Marketing Newcastle, you would give them this link and they can get a step by step google guide: http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=internet+marketing+newcastle&l=1

Click on the link and you will get the only result that matters in a step by step guide!

For more information on Internet Marketing Newcastle, consult the friendly team at Mancala, The Internet Marketing Experts.

I just went out to Lunch and...

2009-05-14T15:17:00.009+01:00

I popped out at lunch to grab a bite to eat and bumped into these creatures! Imagine my surprise when 3 giant birds came along, I'm talking 8 foot high here... if you don't believe me check out the pictures I managed to snap on my phone...

I can bet this lady was unawares!

If any body knows what it is about please let me know! There was 3 different shapes and colours, Bizarre! Cheers, Tracy.

Google Hires Goats

2009-05-05T10:57:00.003+01:00

In an effort to be Greener Google has contracted 200 Goats to keep the land surrounding their Mountain View based HQ trimmed and fertile.

It has been reported that it is apparently the same cost as getting a crew of lawn mowers and the fuel they would use to do the same job, what a way to bring down spending, I say ‘goat on them’ to Google!

Quick one...
Patient: Doctor Doctor I feel like a Goat!
Doctor: How long have you been feeling like that for?
Patient: Since I was a kid.

Go to Search Engine Journal for the full story. Visit Mancala if you are looking for ways to save money with a more effective Internet Marketing Strategy.

Using YouTube for Marketing - The Interactive Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-09T12:16:00.004+01:00

We're all looking forward to a well-deserved long Easter Weekend and just to help you get in the mood, how about a virtual Easter Egg Hunt? It's a clever use of YouTube (and has a lot less calories than the real thing!).

It really illustrates how you can make use of the new online media channels to do something fun and a little bit different with your internet marketing strategy - and give people a reason to share a link on their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Imagine if you linked the virtual eggs to an ecommerce store you could buy them from..? Enjoy!

So now what? When error messages just confuse you more.

2009-04-03T19:44:00.000+01:00

We quite often get phone calls from our clients when they are using one of the many eccomerce store or SEO management products we recommend and we are more than happy to help. Over the years we have had more unusual requests for error messages that make little sense to our clients - or us!

It's little wonder that you can find users hiding under desks or hitting the dreaded panic button amusingly put in the secret Santa stocking in December when the following error messages are displayed - read the Econsultancy article here.

Mixing Traditional & Internet Marketing Methods

2009-03-23T12:54:00.000Z

We're always banging on about using the internet to make your marketing spend go further in the current financial climate, but to get the highest return on your investment it is much better to mix this in with more traditional methods like letters & mailings.

When I was suggesting this to an ecommerce client the other day there was a look of absolute fear on their face! The data entry!! So, I pointed out that you can download all of your customer data as a .csv file and import it into a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel and then mail merge with your marketing letter..."Mail merge?" was the reply.

So, for all of you out there who are also wondering how on earth you can collect the data from your online store and use it to not only send emails and autoresponders, here is a great little video from YouTube showing you the basics of mail merge.

Great random tip for SEO

2009-03-12T11:14:00.000Z

If, like most people, you registered your domain name way back when you set up from your bedroom / garage / little space under the stairs and since have posh offices that you can swing a cat in (well, at least a large mouse anyway) have you thought about updating your WHOIS record to reflect your new contact details?

Not only is this a method people use to find out your contact details, but also it is potentially a way Google uses to check your contact details on your site match up with your business details - a trust issue.

There is more and more talk about trust being part of Google's grand SEO plan, so have a quick check today.

WolframAlpha.com - The Next Google?

2009-03-09T18:03:00.002Z

Reports in the press today are talking about the new search engine that is hoping to become as big as Google - WolphramAlpha.com. What's more, its British.

Professor Stephen Wolfram, founder of software company Wolfram Research, is launching the new 'computational knowledge engine' in May and is hoping it will not only accurately answer your question, it can understand what you are looking for. Think of the computer in Star Trek or Red Dwarf and you will start getting the idea.

Now as wonderful as this all sounds, as soon as I hear 'it will be just like Star Trek' I begin to worry. However, all will be revealed in May when the new site goes live and I'm sure we will be all on there trying to find the answer to life, love, the universe & everything. And then it can tell us what the right question to ask is.

Take away the guilt factor

2009-03-08T11:57:00.007Z

It's Sunday morning, and after a night out in Newcastle last night where from the traffic jam to get to the restaurant and the lengthy taxi queue to get home again it appears that the credit crunch hasn't curbed the enthusiasm of the North East folk to have a night out. But a quick straw poll of my friends showed that while financially they were no worse off (some lucky ones better off due to the plunging mortgage interest rates) they were more reticent than normal to make an 'unnecessary' purchase. Although nice shoes and bags were deemed necessary for some.

So why is this? Every time I read a newspaper or check out a news website there is more bad news. Anthea Turner has even had to sell her £5m ski chalet for heavens sake! So, the feeling goes that after years of being happy to whack out the credit card and worry about it next month everyone is being cannier with their spending habits.

Bad news for ecommerce stores then? Well, no actually. It could actually be a boom time for businesses who sell online if you make sure you are being canny with your spending habits too.

As people watch what they spend, they are increasingly going online to do price comparisons and try to bag a bargain - and a quick check of my email inbox this morning shows that there are many websites out there offering me just that.

Give me an offer to make it feel cheaper for me = I will feel less guilty for spending money I shouldn't have and buy it. And what is more, I will go and tell everyone about this great deal and how they too can get the discount. Simple.

Think about it - how many people do you know that have eaten at Strada recently? Well, a few weeks ago I knew none and now, thanks to a 2-4-1 deal publicised on money saving websites I could probably catchup with all my Facebook friends on one weekend evening in there...

So, offer something to your customers - take away the guilt factor. I'm off to get 20% off the dress I couldn't justify yesterday.

Cebit

2009-03-03T08:30:00.000Z

Cebit 2009 opened it's doors today and we're all really interested to see what the fair known for launching new hardware and software solutions will bring. Some of the normal big players like Samsung have decided not to attend this year so it's a great chance for the smaller firms to shine. BBC's Click have a good roundup of what has been on show this year.
We'll be keeping a close eye on the digital marketing solutions being launched to add to our current range of internet marketing solutions.

Did you know you can update your blog via email?

2009-02-19T17:35:00.000Z

Well you can, just like I amdoing now. What a great way to keep everyone up-to-date with what is going on even if you aren't at your desk!

Website MOTs from £60

2009-02-19T16:12:00.005Z

Great new service available for those of you who want your website marketing to be given the once over by an expert.

For a one off fee of £60 (£90 for and ecommerce store) one of our internet marketing experts will go through your website against our checklist for internet marketing and send you a 10 page report within 7 days - simple!

Even better is the fact that if you decide to implement any of our recommendations we will knock the cost of the MOT from your final bill.

What are you waiting for then? Find out more at the Mancala website here.

New Privacy Laws Needed Because of Facebook

2009-02-18T18:43:00.003Z

This is just going to keep on rumbling...

What happens when you create a site which encourages people to give away as much personal information as they possibly can (those lucky enough to be my Facebook friends can see my favourite books, bands and what i ate for tea last night) and then change your terms of service to say you own the data not them? Loads of trouble and airtime.

90,000 people joined the group "People Against the New Terms of Service" within a matter of days. Even Perez Hilton joined the fight by calling for readers of his blog to boycott the site. The Electronic Privacy Centre have called today for new & comprehensive privacy laws to be created. This could have a wide ranging impact on how the web can use data so we will be keeping a very close eye on this one.

Remember though, one of the reasons Facebook is such a powerful internet marketing tool is because you can be so precise about the audience you are targeted with your ads. From a users p.o.v. it means that you should only see ads that are relevant to you rather than the normal scattergun effect. Advice? Don't put anything on Facebook that you might regret losing the rights to.

Wikipedia is changing

2009-02-17T16:57:00.000Z

Anyone with kids of a school age will know that although Wikipedia is an amazing source of information, it does have its flaws. There are loads of stories about how information has been erroneously updated creating many laughs but also many confused teachers marking history essays.

So, Wikipedia is trying to address this by making some changes to how content is edited on the site. Listen to an audio interview with founder Jimmy Wales at the BBC website here.

Facebook in data row

2009-02-17T11:44:00.000Z

Just read a v. interesting article on the BBC website about Facebook and how they have changed their terms and conditions which means that you don't own your own data on the social networking website anymore. I can imagine bouycots will follow.

I find it odd when phenomenal sites such as Facebook make basic mitakes that annoy their avid fans who make them what they are. Facebook has one of the best advertising portals available - making them very rich indeed, but if everyone leaves the site as they are scared about data issues then their value will nose dive.

Read more at the BBC website.

Smug Couples Day?

2009-02-13T14:16:00.001Z

We all know it's smug couples day tomorrow (or at least I hope we all do) so if you have realised that this is Friday the 13th with good reason, make sure you get yourself in the good books tomorrow by picking up something for tomorrow from the supermarket the way home:

Skint? A £2 pound bouquet of red roses from Asda wont break the bank
Special offer from Sainsburys gives you a box of Thorntons Chocolates and a bottle of pink bubbly for only £12

Enjoy tomorrow!

What do you buy a six year old for their birthday?

2009-02-12T12:22:00.000Z

Another year gone, another year older - Mancala turns six today and we've certainly come a long way from the cupboard under the stairs...

So once the party poppers have stopped popping and the jelly and ice cream has melted into the brightly coloured plastic bowls we will celebrate properly - by making sure this year is the best yet!

You can read what's changed in the world of the web and internet marketing and SEO on my Online Marketing for SMEs blog here.

Facebook Changed My Life

2009-02-04T16:35:00.000Z

We've been banging on about social network marketing for a while now, but it is easy to forget the impact that sites like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo etc have on everyday people, not just us in the Internet Marketing community.

There's a great article on the BBC website about everyday people in not-so-everyday circumstances who claim that Facebook - 5 years old today - has changed their life. From finding the job to let them stay with their girlfriend from being reuinited with long lost relatives it appears that the eponomous site has indeed got philanthropic qualities as well as mercenary ones.

Have to admit though, if I ever only communicate with my sister via the internet, please give me a pen.

Tweeting on Twitter

2009-01-06T15:24:00.000Z

Deryck has just announced that Twitter is the future...if he can get it to work from his mobile phone (anyone know how to set it up via Orange?).

Twitter appears to be basically Facebook without all of the annoying applications and photo tagging (you know who you are) - basically you just say what you are doing right now in 140 characters or less. Stephen Fry is already a fan so it must be good.

You can follow Deryck on Twitter at http://twitter.com/newcastleseo

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T17:15:00.000Z

2008 has been a great year for Mancala. Not only have we moved to our fab new offices at Black Swan Court on Westgate Road, but we have also been lucky enough to meet lots of people at our Internet Marketing and SEO seminars whether at our Newcastle City Centre office, at La Riviera on the Newcastle Quayside or through the Business Link Enterprise Shows.

We're really looking forward to coming back in the new year to get going with our hands-on workshops focusing on SEO Newcastle, Email Marketing, AdWords Campaigns and How to Run a Successful Ecommerce Store from our fabulous Newcastle City Centre offices.

Our Christmas night out on Monday was great fun at Barn Asia in Grainger Town where the Asian fusion food was to die for and Deryck got a wee bit over-excited about the cheese plate (see photo) as I did about the Singha beer that made me wish I was spending Chiristmas in Thailand a la 2002...

So, all that is left to say is that we hope your holiday is a warm and fuzzy one and we look forward to helping you ensure that 2009 is a successful year.

Merry Christmas!
xxx

PS - You can check out our holiday hours here.

Christmas starts here!

2008-12-12T11:06:00.000Z

We realise that it's Christmas here at Mancala when we can't leave the office because of the height of our to-do pile. It's a cruel joke - we should be eating, drinking and generally being merry (or at least shopping anyway) but December is traditionally our busiest time of year.

So, thank God for Aegis IT whose annual Christmas bash gave us the excuse we needed last night to leave the office and have some fun. Reindeer hats, Play Your Cards Right and Deryck winning the bingo card later and I'm wondering whose turn it is to nip for a skinny latte and bacon sarnie...

Mancala @ The Enterprise Show

2008-10-06T12:39:00.003+01:00

Exciting news - I will be presenting two key seminars at the Business Link organised Enterprise show. And Tracy & Gillian will be manning a stand so you can visit us and pick our brains on all thing Internet Marketing. Our seminars will cover Internet Marketing & SEO and are completely free to registered delegates.

The shows are at St James Park, Middlebrough Teaching and Learning Centre, Alnwick Garden and Durham County Cricket Club.

For more information check out our Enterprise Show page of our website.

Goodbye & Good Luck Mark!

2008-06-02T10:39:00.001+01:00

On Friday the team headed to our city centre local to send off to Mark who is leaving us for pastures new. A great time was had by all.

Good luck in your new job Mark!

Mancala at play

2007-12-20T15:50:00.000Z

As promised, here are some pictures from the Aegis IT Bond themed bash last week. I'm particularly impressed with my pictures with the Jaws look-a-like!

I was expecting you Mr. Bond...

2007-12-14T09:49:00.000Z

Last night all the employees from Mancala had an amazing time at the Bond themed Christmas party held by our clients and fellow residents of Charlotte Square - Aegis IT.

Aegis IT are a team of IT professionals with many years experience in the supply, procurement, implementation and management of IT solutions. Established in 2004 by David McPherson, Aegis IT is Based in North East England with an office in Charlotte Square, Newcastle upon Tyne.

After being welcomed by Bond girls on stilts, confronted with a 007 vodka frozen fountain and playing on the casion all night, as you can imagine we are all feeling a little more than delicate this morning...

Pictures to follow!

Adding New Content to your Website

2007-11-22T15:32:00.000Z

When was the last time you updated or added new content to your website? Yesterday? Last week? Last Month? NEVER?!

I hope it is not the later, but don't worry if it is you can change that from now.

Search Engine Optimisation Tip - Did you know that many search engines check to see when you last updated your site and use that as a gauge as to whether your site is up to date and relevant - the logic here is that a site that has been update in the last month is going to be more relevant that a site that has not been updated for over a year.

So what to do about this. Well assuming you have access to edit and add content to your website (either via FTP or through a Content Management System) you should go in an make sure that the information on your website is up to date. It is? well start adding some content - Make it a once a week habit (once a day if you can really spare the time).

There is another added bonus of doing this - over time you will be building your website so it could have potentially hundreds of pages of content. Each of these pages is an access point for someone to visit your site via a search engine - the more pages you have then potentially the more Keywords and Phrases you will be targeting - before you know it you will have hundreds, if not thousands of daily visits to your website. What you do with that traffic once it is there is up to you (I'm sure I will cover this in a post some time in the near future).

Here are some tips on what to do if your imagination is struggling to think of how to update your site with new content -

Create an Articles Section on your website
Think of 5 articles related to what you do and write them up (try and make the article at least 300 words long if you can).
You now have 5 weeks worth of updates for your website.
Keep a notepad handy, when ever you think of a new article title jot it down. You will then start to develop a list for when you can't think of what to write about.
Keep with it. Short term you will not get much benefit from doing this - 12 months down the line, you will be amazed by the results.

Good luck!