A Search Engine is a tool that is designed to look for specific information from all over the internet. Common Search Engines include Google, MSN, Bing and Yahoo! When you have a website, your goal is to move it up in the Search Engine rankings so that it appears as near to the first item as possible. This will increase your chances of people clicking on your site when doing research on the internet. It will also increase the demand from advertisers to have their products on your page, for which you will receive payment. The process of ensuring that your website moves up in rankings is called Search Engine Optimisation.

This is done primarily through the repeated use of the most common words and phrases that you expect people to enter into the search field. For example, the Kruger National Park will choose keywords and key phrases such as “game reserve South Africa”, “game parks”, “Big 5″ “South Africa holiday”, “South Africa accommodation” and so on. These words need to appear throughout the pages of the site in order for the Search Engine to recognise them and move the page up. As a page becomes more recognised by the Search Engine, it will attract a number of links from other sites. Link building carries much weight in the ‘eyes’ of the Search Engine.

Other writing tips to ensure optimal Search Engine Optimisation include:

• Using bullets and headings to break the text and including the keywords or phrases in them
• Repeating these words three to five times in every page without sounding repetitive
• Writing articles of at least 200 words each
• Adding links wherever possible

The text has to be original to ensure that your page is not blocked by the Search Engine on grounds of plagiarism. This is taken very seriously and is not worth the risk.

Ensuring that your website becomes respected and used by the Search Engines in a way that works for your advantage is a time-consuming task that requires patience and innovation. However, it is well worth the effort as your service or product enters the global market through a trusted Search Engine.

Who?

Non-profit organisations and those dedicated to the upliftment of local culture, the care of those discriminated against, the conservation of the environment and the development of the world and its inhabitants are those that should seize the opportunity to make a difference by creating a website to achieve this.

How?

Use the Internet to gain access to millions of people all over the world and let them know about your challenges, needs, events and goals. This kind of large-scale awareness is unrivalled and educates those more fortunate about the existing needs in the world around them. Use your website to:

• Announce fund-raising initiatives and competitions
• Include bank details for monetary donations
• Appeal to volunteers
• Request donations
• Provide information about your cause and its goals

Why?

The Internet is a global medium of communication. The vast majority of the population that has the means to help a charity also has access to the World Wide Web. It is also a very cost-effective way of marketing, as only a standard (usually small) hosting fee is payable. This is far more economically viable than expensive marketing campaigns and advertising materials.

Use the Internet to the full for the gain and advancement of good, both locally and internationally.

Where?

One of our favourite websites is called Care2.com – please support them by sending E-cards or signing petitions that really DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Individuals can be involved by:

• Flying the flag in your office
• Putting mirror socks on your vehicles
• Using the logo as your profile picture on Facebook and Twitter
• Wearing a badge of the flag
• Letting your friends and family know about the Keep Flying campaign and encouraging them to participate
• Posting this article or the URL of the campaign (www.keepflying.co.za) on your intranet or as an extra below your email signature
• Staying positive about our wonderful country and its huge potential
• Wearing clothing with the flag printed on it

Businesses and large corporations can contribute to this initiative by:

• Displaying the flag in your offices and reception areas
• Allowing employees to wear the flag as a badge or printed on their clothing (perhaps on a specific day of the week, if not every day)
• Promoting the idea to clients by making the website address (www.keepflying.co.za) a standard feature of every outgoing email
• Encouraging employees and suppliers to participate by speaking to them about this campaign in a positive way
• Flying the flag outside your building
• Decorating your garden, public areas and signage with the flag
• Holding a charity function in which you promote this ideal

By engendering a spirit of support and optimism amongst individuals, colleagues, clients, suppliers, friends and families, you will be instrumental in changing attitudes.

Several advertising campaigns have come on board with Keep Flying and have benefited hugely from their canvassing. Individuals are also being encouraged to hold up an inspirational “what if…” message before a camera, sharing their dreams for this country with millions of viewers.

By encouraging such a broad base of South Africans from all sectors of the community to participate in such a positive campaign, Keep Flying is already succeeding in uniting this land in their hopes and aspirations.

365 Digital offers their clients a holistic approach, which includes all forms of advertising sales and the managing of their traffic. The online display of ads is administered through the unique relationship that 365 Digital shares with ADTECH. This company boasts a collection of online sites that are rich in unique, pertinent content; featuring high up in the search engines.

Celebration is the leading online wedding resource in the country, making it a major player on the internet platform. In mid-2010, there was an average of 10 000 unique browsers visiting www.celebration.co.za each week! As such, it is imperative that all advertising and traffic be managed professionally and efficiently. It is with this in mind that we are so proud and excited to bring 365 Digital on board.

Check out a few links below for the different mentions of Celebration.co.za:

• http://www.themediaonline.co.za/themedia/view/themedia/en/page2164?oid=52260&sn=Detail&pid=1
• http://www.themarketingsite.com/live/content.php?Item_ID=11761
• http://www.mediaupdate.co.za/

A .mobi domain is very much the same concept as a .com domain or a .co.za one. The exception is that a .mobi domain has been formatted and built to be viewed and navigated using a cellphone. It is viewable on a normal PC browser, but is simpler and smaller (in terms of the actual size of the data that needs to be downloaded). By guaranteeing that users are viewing a site specifically formatted to be viewed on their mobile phones, they are assured that it is smaller, taking less time and space to download and, therefore, costing less. They are also saved time as .mobi sites do not require that navigators type the http://www in front of the domain name.

The information on a .mobi site has to be direct, punchy and to the point. So, users are not forced to read through the more flowery, detailed language of the internet, but get instant access to relevant, necessary information.

One of the main advantages to using a .mobi domain is that there are vastly more cellphone owners than people who have access (at home and / or in the office) to the Internet. So, even large corporations that can afford the best website is not guaranteed that their target market will see it if they are not part of the group that uses the Internet on a computer. However, by creating a .mobi site, their market is able to visit their site and access vital information by using their mobile phones. This increases the range and potential reaches of their marketing campaigns exponentially.

Today, cellphones are the main medium of communication all over the fast-developing globe. The conveying of information is just another form of communication. Therefore, it makes sense that we use the mobile phone to access information, whether it be by word-of-mouth or on the Internet.

Some sites are even making it possible to purchase goods and services online via a .mobi site. This means that buying and selling can literally be done anywhere, at any time, by anyone. Even electronic banking is transformed by the potential opportunities that .mobi sites enable.

Another feature of .mobi sites is that telephone and mobile numbers and email addresses can be hyperlinked so that the user is able to call them or email to the addresses directly from the website. This makes for the ultimate convenience and access.

.mobi is supported and managed by key global players, such as Google, Nokia, Samsung, Ericsson, Microsoft, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Telefónica Móviles, Telecom Italia Mobile, Orascom Telecom, GSM Association and Visa, amongst others. This lends it an added sense of credibility.

Internet users and businesses that have their own website are encouraged to explore the .mobi domain, its benefits and opportunities a little deeper to ascertain the world of advantages that it opens up to you.

So, in short, PayPal allows anyone to send and receive money quickly and safely from the comfort of their own home or office. This is all done without ever having to share private financial information, making it safe and reliable. A credit card is required and PayPal accepts American Express, MasterCard or Visa cards. Uses for a PayPal account include donating to a charity, setting up an online shop and trading via that, being able to accept credit cards on your own website, earning rewards by using your credit card(s) and shopping online via hundreds of online stores in almost 200 countries.

As the Host Country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, South Africa has entered the online world of commerce in a very big way. Launching PayPal just before this mammoth event means that South Africa is even more open to the global marketplace and equipped to handle its ever-increasing demands than before. International contacts can trade with South Africa with more flexibility and confidence than at any other time in our financial or commercial history.

PayPal has partnered with First National Bank (FNB) for this initiative because, as PayPal representatives stated, they have the same focus on innovation as FNB. So, FNB customers can open a PayPal account, link it to their FNB account and begin trading with businesses and individuals around the world. Their PayPal account will receive payment in 21 different currencies, which will automatically be converted into South African Rands when the money is transferred to their bank accounts.

To calculate whether the client is eligible for Merchant Rates, PayPal will assess their sales volume from the previous calendar month.

The price per transaction is determined by the monthly sales bracket. That is:

A fee will be charged on receiving eCheck payments. However, this fee will never exceed $5.00 per transaction.

With the South African economy and online commercial world developing at such impressive paces, local and international traders can be assured of efficient, world-class services and products.

The site needed a facelift. We decided to relook at both our brand, our offering to both our wedding suppliers and visitors and functionality and the content of the site. In addition, we have received so much feedback from clients, brides, wedding suppliers and even family over the years – we took the advice, suggestions, criticisms and created a site that we think looks beautiful and covers an array of items relating the wedding industry.

We have introduced a number of new features on the website making use of fantastic technologies that are at our disposal now-a-days including Ajax, JQuery, PHP, MYSQL, RSS and more.

New features on the site include the following:

• Real Weddings – this section displays an range of different bridal couples wedding days PLUS information about the bridal couple themselves and their wedding planning process.
• Wedding Competitions – this section provides a list of wedding related competitions that are available currently. Who doesn’t love to win something? So, we are making sure that bridal couples out there are know what to enter and what is available to be won!
• Wedding Ideas – this section is for those looking for inspiration or ideas for their wedding day. This is still new, so if you are getting married, definitely keep an eye on this section.
• Wedding Articles – we always had wedding articles on the site, but now we have made them more prominent and we are constantly adding articles that will be able to be referenced by couples looking for advice, information, ideas, tips and more relating to their upcoming wedding.
• Ask Sarah – this allows those to ask a question if they need help with some part of the planning process.
• Wedding Events – this section also existed previously, but it was very hard for bridal couples to find expos in their area, so we have provided the option to view events by province making it much easier for visitors to find wedding expos / events taking place in the coming weeks.
• Improved search – we have implemented a search now that we feel is more user friendly and provides more accurate results.
• Improved functionality all around

We are very excited about the new site and still have more to come, so watch this space.

In the meantime, check out the new site for South Africa Weddings

So, for an small inside scoop as to what has been happening, we have put a list together that you can run through so you’re up to speed with the Mammoths.

• We have moved offices – yes, again we moved and this time we’re super happy with our premises in Lansdowne Rd in the old Felix Unite building. We have the entire top floor, with an awesome balcony and lots more space!
• Mammoth has more fun furniture! We are all about work, but to ensure we get up from our desks and have a little more fun in our day, we got a pool table which has been an excellent addition to the Mammoth furniture list.
• Mammoth has increased in size. We now have 3 new lovely ladies working with us who have helped us make sure we are up to date with different sites and everything is working as it should be.
• We have some excellent new projects we are busy with. Having completed a few sites for various radio stations, we are currently rebuilding about 3 new sites (very big sites) for clients which are taking us in new directions of technologies. If this interests you, then you must keep an eye on our portfolio in the coming months to catch a glimpse of what has been done.
• We are busy with 3 new internal websites which all going well will be released by no later than June 2010 – just in time for the World cup!
• 3 of the Mammoths are tying the knot this year!

That’s it for now. So, for those who have been out of touch with the Mammoths, this should give you an idea on where we have been hiding and where you can find us now.

• Internet Explorer (IE)
• Firefox (FF)
• Safari
• Opera
• Chrome

Internet Explorer

IE is a Microsoft product at comes installed as the default web browser on anyone running Microsoft, therefore making it one of the most used browsers internationally among PC users.

IE requires you, the user, to upgrade when new releases are done. This can be nice for some users as some people do not like change and generally with IE, when there’s a new release, there’s very often a learning curve required for the user.

Download Internet Explorer

Firefox

FF has been developed by Mozilla, a global community of people whose main intention is to ensure the internet is developed in a way that benefits everyone. They have been developing FF since 1998 and FF has definitely given IE / Microsoft a run for their money.

FF updates itself – the software is able to detect when a new release has been launched. This can be very annoying, but for some it’s nice – see for yourself and make a call which works best for you.

Download Firefox

Safari

Safari is the Apple browser and like IE with PC users, is the most used browser with those running on Apple Macs. Safari has recently allowed PC users to now download and install Safari on their Windows platform, thereby increasing its use / popularity.

Download Safari

Opera

Opera, developed by Opera Software ASA (originally Telenor) in 1994, is another popular browser. It’s definitely not the most popular, but there are loads of people who love this browser. It is however a very popular mobile browser for people who are able to run a web browser on their cellphones.

Download Opera

Chrome

Chrome was recently launched by Google as the latest addition to their online monopoly. Chrome is quick, has a great look, and naturally ties into Google Search quite nicely.

Download Google Chrome

Which browser to use?

A browser is certainly a matter of preference. IE and Safari for example do a smoothing effect on websites whereas FF currently does not. Some do tabs and others don’t. Some have certain features that are better than others, so the best way to find out which one you prefer the most is to download them and play with them.

Websites and Web Browsers

When developing a website, one needs to ensure that the webpage looks correct across all browsers. This always throws a spanner in the works as every browser can treat things differently. This is not your problem, as the client, but your web agency’s problem. Make sure that when you go through a web development process with a web agency, you either check your new website in the different browsers or make sure that your web agency has done the necessary checking.

Summary

Web browsers are necessary and pretty much the only way you can search or browse websites or the internet. So, to find the one that suits you best, consider downloading the different ones mentioned above and get “in the know” about web browsers and their different capabilities.

So, a little bit about social networking and what it’s all about…

A social network, where social networking ultimately takes place, has been described as follows by the Wikipedia:

A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services.

Typical social networking websites will require you to setup a profile with some details about yourself and then “link” or “associate” yourself with other parties (people, companies, etc).

MySpace was probably one of the first to create a large awareness of social networking, but with the release of Facebook and Twitter, these 2 websites have certainly kicked up a storm.

The beauty of Facebook and Twitter is that they both allow businesses to keep fans, fellow companies, members, etc up to date on information via status updates, pages, groups, mails and so much more.

There are loads more social networking websites available – they are super easy to come by – just start chatting to your friends and do search on Google for social networking and you will find loads that can either be great fun or help you promote your business / service or just stay in touch with friends!

Below some examples of Social Network pages that assist business. In this case we will use Baby Sense, whom Mammoth Solutions built an online baby shop for:

• Babysense on Facebook
• Babysense on Twitter

Celebration.co.za, South Africa’s Most Exclusive Wedding Directory:

• Celebration.co.za on Facebook
• Celebration.co.za on Twitter