Getting British Business Online

The scheme is based upon the existing Google Sites™ product from Google and comes with a free .co.uk domain name supplied by BT. The entire offering is packaged up under the GBBO brand which is designed to appeal to small companies and organisations that might not otherwise have their own business website, don’t have the budget for a professional web designer or the knowledge needed to commission one.

As is the case with Google Sites; the system is web based and uses a wizard style interface to progress the User through creating a Google Account (if they don’t have one already), registering a domain name, verifying their identity via a text to their mobile phone, choosing a template from a library and then creating their pages using a WYSIWYG content and page manager.

The whole process is designed to appeal to the non-techie small business owner that allows them to get online with their own business website in 20 minutes if the blurb is anything to be believed. If you’ve no idea what the GBBO system is take a look at their website and a past post on this blog that was written back in April when iNet became an approved delivery partner for the scheme.

Are GBBO Websites Pants for Your Business?

Pants!

Having worked with a number of small business since April on this scheme either on a one-to-one basis or in a workshop environment; I can confidently say that as a web build system aimed at the non-techie, it poses more barriers and frustrations for the small business owner that holds a low level of computer literacy than it presents opportunities. For this reason and for those that I list below, I would say that GBBO websites are ‘pants’ if you’re planning to use the finished product to portray a credible image for your business on the web and as such the system is best avoided.

Here’s some reasons why…

1. The available template designs are limited and are very amateurish in their design. Whilst they may be customised with unique colour schemes using specific hexadecimal colour references or by choosing a colour from a swatch in the editor for many elements (page background, font links, text etc), the knowledge needed to do this is beyond most Users in the scheme’s target market. Whilst ‘design’ may not be of concern to many, it’s generally accepted that the design of one’s website goes a long way to creating a credible opinion of one’s business to potential customers. Therefore, ‘amateur website’ equals ‘amateur business’ in many people’s eyes. Something to be aware of.
2. The ability to upload a company logo to appear in the masthead templates is available in order to give the site some degree of corporate identity, however this image file needs to be manually resized to 93 pixels high before uploading to the site otherwise it distorts the template. Given that many Users will not possess image editing software and if they do, may not be familiar with its use or as I’ve experienced aren’t able to relate to ‘pixel’ sizing; this poses many problems in itself and can be very trying for the unwary. During my sessions I recommended that Users download and use Picasa to edit their images. This in itself, complicated the site build process as I then had to offer a tutorial on it’s use. Not a big deal really, but more information for the User to absorb. Why Google didn’t simply build in an image auto-resize module for this action into the editing interface is anyone’s guess?
3. Search engine optimisation is practically zero. This product is produced by Google. ‘The’ search engine of choice for many. Yet the ability to customise the title tag and page description for each page on one’s site, a staple requirement for SEO, is not given. Whilst I appreciate that most Users in the product’s target market may not value this option, I was surprised by the number of people who brought it up in conversation as I worked with them on their GBBO websites. Just shows you how SEO aware many people are. Adding in the feature surely, should be there?
4. Your domain name is locked in for 60 days. If you do choose to use the given .co.uk domain that GBBO gives you, just be aware that it is locked into the system for 60 days before you can transfer it away to another provider. If this isn’t important to you, fine! But if it is, for example if you choose to junk your GBBO website midway through production to use another product or service, then consider getting your domain through another provider and then transferring it in to your GBBO site (see the next point below before you do though).
5. If you already own a co.uk domain that you want to use for your GBBO website, then you must first register another one via the GBBO site build wizard and then transfer your existing one in once your site is complete. In effect this means that your website will have two domains mapped to it. Nothing wrong with that and simple in principal. However for the non-techie a potential nightmare, as the domain to be transferred in is essentially ‘pointed’ to your website by the editing of its CNAME records. CNAME records on a domain are not an easy concept to understand for the non-techie and if incorrectly edited, could result in one’s website disappearing off the web altogether. Best left to someone who know’s their way around domain DNS I would say!
6. No email addresses. This is a biggie in my book! There’s nothing more amateurish if you’re in the world of business than having a @hotmail.co.uk or @googlemail.com type of email address when doing business. So you would think, given that this product is aimed at the small business community; GBBO would offer the ability to have email address that matches the domain of your website e.g. sales@mygbbowebsite.co.uk for a website that has the address www.mygbbowebsite.co.uk Am I right? Yet the ability to have POP3 or even IMAP addresses just isn’t given. The only way around this I could figure was to forget the GBBO route to a website altogether and sign the User up for the Standard Edition of Google Apps™. This way the client gets up to 50 POP3/IMAP domain based email addresses, a website built using the Google Sites product (which as I’ve stated above is essentially what GBBO websites are) and can enjoy Google Docs™ and Google Calendar™ into the bargain, both of which are cool products in their own right.

So there you have it! Initially enthusiastic about the concept of free websites for UK businesses under this GBBO scheme, I’m sorry to say that the promise of this scheme doesn’t live up to its publicity and falls below expectations of many a small business owner that I have worked with over the last few months.

On a Positive Note

Ultimately though, I suppose one has to look on the two main positives;

• It’s free, although there are other more superior free or low cost website creation tools out there.
• It’s quick. One can literally be online with a website in 20 minutes or so assuming one doesn’t worry too much about customising it or writing content.

Your Opinions

Do you have a GBBO website? Does it work for you? Perhaps you signed-up for your GBBO website and abandoned the process midway through. Are you a web designer, what do you think of GBBO websites? Either way tell us your thoughts about GBBO websites in a comment below.

Great news! iNet inSights has become an official delivery partner with a new UK wide campaign called “Getting British Business Online”.

With a Free Website For Your Business

GBBO which is a scheme that aims to give small UK businesses the opportunity to create a professional business website of their own – absolutely free!

If you’re in business, you’ll release that a website is one of the most effective ways to grow your business, allowing potential customers to find you, view your products, and place orders while you’re busy running your business. So we at iNet are delighted to be in position to make it easier than ever for small businesses to enjoy the benefits that a website can bring to their business.

How it Works

All you need to do is provide a few basic details about your business, such as your address and a quick description of what you do. Then an easy-to-use ‘website wizard’ does the rest. You don’t need any computer skills, it should’t take more than 20 minutes, and it won’t cost you a penny to set-up the site.

Here’s What You’ll Get

Businesses that sign up to Getting British Business Online (GBBO) will be given a free .co.uk web address that will be automatically registered in Google’s search engine, a new ‘wizard’ tool that will help them create a website in 20 minutes businesses and ways to attract new customers online.

BT will offer free telephone support to participants, PayPal will enable businesses with a GBBO powered website to turn their site into an ecommerce platform in just a few clicks. This means business can begin selling to customers and accepting payments quickly and securely via the web.

The websites are powered by Google’s technology and are hosted free on Google’s platform.

Already got a Business Website?

Getting British Business Online (GBBO) also gives you access to a range of online tools and documentation – just the thing to make a few website improvements: you can attract new customers with a free listing on Google Maps; learn how customers are using your site with Google Analytics; and make it easy for customers to buy online with PayPal.

Learn More

Come along to one of iNet’s introductory demonstrations that are being held across Yorkshire throughout April and early May 2010 to find out more and to discover the full features of what’s available to you as a business owner.

Click here to view our forthcoming seminars during which a practical demonstration of the GBBO system will be given along with some top tips on how to market your website, choose a memorable domain name and more.

To start your free website, visit www.gbbo.co.uk

View the video below for an overview of the offer.

Who are Getting British Business Online?

Getting British Business Online is a joint initiative between Google, BT, Enterprise UK and e-skills UK.

Getting British Business Online Core Partners

iNet inSights has joined the campaign so we can help local businesses in Yorkshire get the most of the Internet’s huge potential.

So why not take advantage and visit www.gbbo.co.uk or sign-up for one of our demonstration events being rolled out across the Yorkshire region during April and May.

“How’s it going?” I casually asked, to which I was subjected to a response which was not favourable to their chosen web designers and included whinges such as “it’s taking much longer than we expected” and “the cost keeps going up”.

Don’t Get Frustrated with Your Web Designers

One Side of the Story

This sort of client experience is not uncommon I’m sorry to say with many web designers; however as I’m not privy to both sides of the story, I’m reluctant to take sides with this accountant at condemning his designers particularly as my experience in the web development industry has taught me that client activity (or lack of it) is often a major contributing factor towards many a web project going pear-shaped.

A Bold Statement

Now, you’re probably thinking that I’m biased, perhaps even a little condescending; to make such a statement that doesn’t automatically side me with the client. After all, the “customer is always right”. Right?

Maybe, but hear me out!

Having been involved in numerous web development projects at every stage and on both sides (client and developer) over the years, for a whole range of different types of clients; using my experiences and observations I’ll wager that this accountant or his staff have a big part to play in their problems.

Now, before I carry on; this post shouldn’t be taken as a rant at client’s even though it may come across as that! Far from it, instead it should be taken as guidance for companies who are preparing to refresh their website or have a new one built from scratch.

Here’s my summary of points to consider on the road to a successful website design and build project.

Points to Ponder

1. Research what you need from your new website, look at your competitors’ websites, note what you like and dislike. Think about the purpose of the site and what objectives its users will fulfill and the paths they will take as they move through the site.
2. If you employ a number of people; get your employees involved, perhaps creating a focus group to bounce ideas around. You could even ask some of your customers if you have a good relationship with them.
3. Collate all your ideas together into a written document that you can give to your chosen designers. This document is often called a ‘brief’.
4. Be realistic with your time scales for the whole site design and build process. Take into account unexpected events such as the demands that your business will put on you, realistic periods of time for feedback from staff, holidays and even the time associated with your internal processes e.g. the time taken to pay your designers invoices. When you have a time estimate for the project that you’re comfortable with, double it!
5. Your designers will ask you for a number of “deliverables” throughout the build process. Such elements may include photographs or copy text. Don’t underestimate the amount of time and effort needed to write website copy for your website if you plan to do it in-house. If you’re in any doubt at your abilities to deliver appropriate copy for your website to your developers in time for the site’s anticipated launch date, get a professional copywriter in. It’s often a false economy not to.
6. In just about every web project I have been involved in over the years, the client has added in “features” midway through the project. It’s human-nature! So unless you are very focused and know exactly what you want from your site; in readiness for such modifications, make room for  additional budget costs to the tune of at least 20–30% over the original project cost agreed with your designers at the outset.
7. Finally, whilst this is not an exhaustive list; one important point to make is that you should listen to the advice of your designers. You’re employing a professional web designer to build you a website so take advantage of them. That’s what you’re paying them for. Any web designer worth his salt and who has a good portfolio, will be able to bring many ideas to the ‘table’ and will have a tried and tested process in their methodology.Many a website has gone belly-up because the client felt it necessary to override the proven advice or processes of their web designer. You wouldn’t ignore the advice of your accountant or solicitor as you know they are professionals in their field. Think of your web designer in a similar light.

So there you have it. A few pearls of wisdom from someone who knows and has ‘been there’.

If you’re company is looking to have a new website designed and built for itself but you don’t know where to start when it comes to choosing a web designer, writing a brief or even managing the project, then give me a call — that’s bread and butter business for me and I’ll be able to manage the project for you.

I’ve taken the risky step of installing the “DoFollow” WordPress Plugin onto this Blog as a means of encouraging more people to leave comments on my Blog Posts.

Now before I go any further it’s worth pointing out that I will be talking techie to some degree in this article but I ask you to please persevere because if you run your own Blog, you’ll find what I have to say interesting and if you use ‘Blog Commenting’ as a method of promoting your website, you’ll similarly learn something.

The NoFollow Link Attribute

As a reader, when you go to a WordPress based Blog (such as the one you’re reading now) you can, like most Blogging platforms; contribute to a post by submitting a comment about it. This comment then appears at the end of the post as a thread in a similar manner to what you’ll find on a message board or forum.

It’s one of the features that makes Blogging both interesting, interactive and therefore popular from the readers’ and writers’ perspective.

So for example if you were to submit a comment to this post, you’d fill in a few simple fields in the form at the end of it which would include your name and your website’s address and then submit the form.

Blog Commenting

When your comment is published, your name (or whatever text you enter into that field) is turned into a link to your website within the post’s comment.

Anchor Links

This type of link is called an Anchor Link. The HTML for such anchor links generally looks like this:

Anchor Text HTML

When the spider based search engines, such as Google, crawl a website in order to catalogue it; their Web Spiders or Robots search for links between pages and between websites. In that way they can travel around the web and take a view as to which are the most popular pages being visited as well as cataloging them for their databases.

By modifying the bog standard Anchor Link HTML code to include the attribute rel=“nofollow” one is able to control how Google’s indexing spider travels around a site and what pages it indexes. In effect the “nofollow” attribute stops Google’s spider from following a particular link to another page or website.

Anchor Text HTML with the noFollow Attribute

There are a number of reasons as to why a website owner would want to implement the “nofollow” attribute on a link, however I’m not going to go into the reasons why in this post, needless to say that WordPress by default, deploys the “nofollow” attribute to all Anchor Links posted as part of its blog comments.

Comment Spam

Search engine marketers know that one way, inbound links to website help build the PageRank value of the target website which in turn boosts its ranking in Google.

Unfortunately the unscrupulous web marketers also know this and as result, blogs have become targets for large volumes of pointless and often irrelevant, comments. ‘Comment Spam’ as it is known as marketers try and build the number of inbound links to a particular website.

It’s an issue of great annoyance to anyone who runs a blog.

To counteract this many of the blog software providers such as WordPress now incorporates the “nofollow” attribute automatically into the links created in their comment posts. This stops Google following a link through to its destination website and as such, contributing to its PageRank value.

Still with me?

DoFollow

So whilst I want to discourage Comment Spam as much as the next man (I’ve also installed the Askimet plugin to counteract it), I also want to encourage legitimate comments on my posts which will contribute to the PageRank value of the commentators website.

Hence the need to remove the “nofollow” attribute from WordPress’ default comment posting settings.

The DoFollow plugin from SemioLogic does this nicely.

Got a WordPress Blog yourself? Then read this useful thread and then download the Plugin for yourself.

Now I’m not saying that your average small to medium sized business owner knows what Web 2.0 is and as a result is specifically asking that we “Web 2.0 enable” their own website (if that’s the correct phrasing).

Far from it, and why should they after all we’re into ‘geek territory’ here are we not?

However such people are often enthusiastic Users of Web 2.0 technology themselves whether they realise it or not; and having seen the benefits of it, are thinking,“Wow I can see how that [feature] would work really work with our own company’s website.” Which is where I, with my business, start to get get involved.

Okay I Give in! What Are You On About?

Well without getting into the technicalities of what Web 2.0 technology actually is (I suggest googling “Web 2.0″ to find some definitions including this good one from the O’Reilly site); what is Web 2.0 and how does it affect my needs on my company’s website?

The easiest way is to define what Web 2.0 technology is for we normal folk, is to think of the User generated content available through the likes of YouTube, Zimbio, NowPublic, and Blogs; think of the online interactivity and communities that exists through sites such as Facebook and MySpace; think of social connectivity through services such as Twitter and finally, think of how Users organise and share their web pages through sites like StumbleUpon, Digg or Delicious.

If you think of these web services and participate in one or more of them, then you’re using Web 2.0 technology.

So What?

So how does such technology start to creep into the requests that we get from business owners?

Well it’s quite simply the fact that people are using the social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube more and more, and are seeing the practicalities of Web 2.0 technologies and as such are asking us to mirror a particular feature from on one of these sites.on their own.

Such a request can be along the lines of “I really like how it’s possible set-up an event and then invite people to it by email who can then respond with an R.S.V.P.” (as can be done on Facebook) or “We’d love the ability to upload video files to our website from our camera, whereupon they are viewable on our website” (as can be done on YouTube).

Prior to Web 2.0, your average web User wasn’t privy to such features and unless they were particularly focused on what they needed, were oblivious to the feasibility and ease of deploying such features to their website.

Just goes to show you how a handful of ‘big’ websites are starting to influence the average business website owner.

Static Websites are Dead

Dead as a Dodo

In my opinion it’s because of this trend, which shows no sign of slowing by the way; the typical Users’ expectations of what the web is all about and what it can do for them is changing rapidly. People are expecting a level of interactivity, changeability and cross platform compatibility (browser, phone, smart phone) from the websites they visit, that has not been seen in the last 10 years of the web.

In a nutshell, this means that competition for traffic amongst all websites will become even fiercer and it’s only sites that can satisfy the expectations of their Users in the way that Web 2.0 currently does, who will survive.

In terms of business websites this means that the typical company website which is typically nothing more than an online brochure, will need to change in order to survive and to remain a formidable contributor to a company’s marketing mix.

So with this in mind, if you’re a business looking to develop its web presence as a serious marketing or service delivery channel, appoint a company who knows what the future landscape will look like.

It’s an investment worth making.