Does online marketing produce a return?

This week I was running a masterclass when I asked what I thought was an easy question. I simply said, “What, exactly, are you hoping to achieve with each item of content on your website?” There was a pause, some puzzled looks and then a mumbled, “What do you mean?” …

Read More

Are your passwords too complicated?

This week saw a surprising announcement. The person who told the world back in 2003 that we needed to have complex passwords that we changed every 90 days has admitted he was wrong. Security expert Bill Burr now says he was barking up the wrong tree. He is not alone. …

Read More

How well do you know your competition?

Yesterday saw the start of the World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium in London. Leading athletes like Sir Mo Farah and Usain Bolt have been amongst the participants. And like all top sports people, they will have prepared for months for this event. Part of their preparation will have …

Read More

How distracting is the Internet for you?

There might not be a connection between these two things, but productivity in the UK is lower than most other top economies, AND the UK is the part of the world with one of the greatest amounts of Internet activity per head. Indeed, since we have started using the Internet …

Read More

Should you use decoy pricing?

No doubt you have visited a website where there is a three-panel pricing grid, like the one above. You find them, for instance, on web hosting company sites where the firm offers three levels of service, each with different features. You can also find these price panels on membership sites …

Read More

How often should you post on social media?

There are two types of social media these days. One is actually “social”, which is Facebook. It is where people chat to each other and be social. Usage statistics show that the amount of social activity happening on Facebook dwarfs what is going on with all the other supposedly “social …

Read More

Are newsletters a waste of time?

You probably think this is a strange question to ask, given that I am doing so in my weekly newsletter…! However, two things have happened in the past week that has meant the whole notion of newsletters is being questioned. The first thing that made people question email newsletters is …

Read More

Is your phone affecting your work?

This week the iPhone turned ten years old. When it was launched, it was nothing compared with today’s devices. At the time the iPhone was first introduced, leading experts and industry leaders all rounded on Apple saying they had invented something that wasn’t necessary and which had no future. Even …

Read More