Friday 21 October 2011

Jennifer and Saphena visit the Google Juice Bar

Jennifer John and Saphena Aziz from Sense of Sound  visited the Google Juice Bar for information on running a Google Adwords campaign. 





Thursday 20 October 2011

How to get your website working for you

Customers aren’t just a cog in your business’ machine, they are the lifeblood. So it is essential that your website goes that extra mile and ensures that your customers’ experience on the site is enjoyable and productive. If you would like some advice on how to improve your website, then why not book a Google Juice Bar appointment? You will get a one-to-one meeting with a member of the Google team, where they can guide you through any questions you may have. You can book an appointment by visiting www.gbbo.co.uk/liverpooljuicebar 
In the meantime here are a few tips on how you can add value to your website:


1. Make it easy to get help

It is crucial that customers can quickly access answers to any questions they have whilst browsing your website. You can make this happen by sharing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), links to additional resources and by placing your company’s contact details in a prominent position on the site.

Making this information easy to access will improve your customers' experience of the site, as well as helping you to ensure that any problem with the website, a product or a service is rectified quickly.

2. Know who is visiting your site
In order to create relevant and up-to-date information for your website, you need to understand who is visiting, how they found you and how long they stay. The best tool for this is Google Analytics, as it tracks the conversion rate of visitors on your website and can accurately measure click-through rates, and tell you whether that has come from direct searches, search engines, social media etc. If you would like more information on Google Analytics visit www.google.com/analytics

3. Put yourself on the map

Literally. If you have a shop, restaurant, or any business where customers need to find your premises, then why not register on Google Places? It’s a simple process which allows you to embed the exact location of your business onto your website. Also, if a potential or existing customer searches for you on Google, your business will be shown as a map reference as well as a website link. This connects you with local customers

Google Places is a really nifty tool that doesn’t cost you anything to register. You can add your business logo, contact details and a short outline of your business. For more information head to www.google.com/places


4. Social media accounts

Are you on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Picassa, LinkedIn or any other social media channels? All of these can be used on your website. Include links on your home page and contact page to encourage your website’s visitors to follow you, become a fan and engage with your company as a whole. 



5. Remember to keep it simple

With all the added extras that have been suggested for your website, it could quickly get out of hand. It’s important to remember to keep your site clutter-free and that customers or browsers don’t receive an overdose of information. Make sure you keep things accessible and easy to navigate.


Google Workshop at Aintree Racecourse - Photoblog

On the 6th of October Google held on if it's free Getting Liverpool Business Online workshop for 150 delegates, who came from businesses across Merseyside. Here are some photos from the day:




Networking over lunch.

The main presentation covered everything Google can do to help your business
The break-out session on Google Places

Learning about Google Adwords

Business were also able to sign up for one-to-one support at the Google Juice Bar 

The popular social media session


More Google Juice Bar sign-ups!




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Wednesday 12 October 2011

Top tips when starting out in Business

Google are helping Liverpool businesses to get online and maximise their potential, you can get a one-to-one meeting with an expert advisor, who'll help you with everything you need to know about making your business an online success. Book an appointment at www.gbbo.co.uk/liverpooljuicebar In the meantime, in the second of our weekly newsletters there's some advice for people who are just starting out in business, send us your business tips via Twitter using the #GLBO tag.

Top tips starting out in business

When starting your own business you'll be bombarded with advice; some of it helpful and some of it not so much. We’ve pulled together some top tips which will hopefully help you with your first venture.

   1. It’s all about focus

Starting a business is an exciting prospect and you're likely to be brimming with ideas, but be wary of jumping on every idea you have for your fledgling business, as this could divert you from the core element of your venture. Trying to juggle too many ideas will impact on your effectiveness and productivity; remember that it's better to do one thing brilliantly, than five things badly.

   2. Know what you do, do what you know

When you look at successful entreprenures they all become successful doing something that you understand and ideally love doing. If you build a business around your strengths, then you are more likely to succeed in the long term. Don’t just think about making money, you have to live and breathe your business, so you have to be happy working on it every day.

   3. If you can’t say it in 30 seconds, don’t bother

If you're invited to any networking opportunity; whether it’s with potential investors or a potential customer, you must be able to quickly and concisely pitch your business. See it as an ‘elevator pitch’. You have 30 seconds with which to state your mission, service and goals. Make sure that you don’t reel off the same thing each time; tailor it to who you’re speaking to, an investor will want to know something completely different to a customer.

   4. Get online

A website is essential to any business selling products or offering a service, but getting a web developer on board can be costly. You can get a free website and domain name for a year through Google’s Getting British Business Online campaign. Head towww.gbbo.co.uk for more information.

   5. No one will just give you money

In today’s economic climate it's going to be very difficult to get hold of large sums of capital to launch your business. When looking for investment think about your starting point. It’s not about your end point, you need to demonstrate your worth first.

   6. Know when to quit

It’s OK to admit if your idea doesn't go exactly as you planned, so don’t keep ploughing ahead for the sake of pride. If it isn’t working, then it is time to look at what went wrong and learn from the mistakes. Don’t be put off because you didn’t get it right first time, it happens to most successful entrepreneurs.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Meet Google's Partners in Liverpool

Liverpool Vision
Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, the city’s economic development company, said: “There is strong evidence that no matter how small the business, or in what sector it operates, even a basic understanding of how to exploit web and email technology is a real driver for growth. We are working closely with Google because it is another opportunity to reach out to our businesses to help them improve their efficiency through better use of technology.   A solid base of growing businesses is fundamental to the health of the city region.” 
W: www.liverpoolvision.co.uk Twitter: @LiverpoolVision


Liverpool Chamber of Commerce
Jenny Stewart, Head of Client Services at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce said: "We see a great demand from our members for information on how to make best use of email and internet to develop sales and promote business growth. We are keen to promote these events, provided by one of the biggest players in the online industry, to ensure that the businesses in the region make full use of the advantages that this technology can offer."
W: www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk Twitter: @LPoolChamber


Downtown Liverpool in Business:
Frank McKenna, Chairman at Downtown Liverpool said: “Downtown Liverpool is delighted to be working alongside a world class brand such as Google, and we hope to ensure that the wider Liverpool business community benefits from their expertise through this exciting series of events.”  
W: www.downtownliverpool.com Twitter: @Downtownbusines


Women In Business
Elaine Owen, Director at Women In Business said: “Women in Business are delighted and very excited to be involved with Google. Women’s use of technology and internet based business activity is a growth area.  Google bringing their knowledge and skills to the Liverpool City Region to share with businesses here can only be a great thing.  Get involved!”
W: www.womeninbusiness.co.uk Twitter: @WIB_NW


Liverpool FSB
John Allan, Regional Chairman at the FSB said: “The FSB is a firm believer in small businesses being the engine driving the economy. As the biggest small business member organisation across the region, any initiative which fine tunes the engine must be good. Getting businesses online with Google provides Liverpool City Region with a unique opportunity to trade locally, nationally and internationally.”
W: www.fsb.org.uk/default.aspx?loc=050 Twitter: @FSBMWCW