A new breed of entrepreneur

Lawrence Jones, September 23rd 2008, 2:28PM

A new breed of adolescent is gracing England’s green and pleasant land – the teenage entrepreneur.

Typically technology-savvy, the teenager you thought was simply chatting over MSN or adding to an already buckling Bebo account may well be using the internet to far greater effect. Astoundingly, in 2007, 43 per cent of teenagers used the internet to make money online.

“Big deal,” you might exclaim. “Anybody can sell on eBay!”

But bear in mind that 22 per cent of those teenagers actually set up an online business. And over four fifths of these young tycoons do it from their parents’ homes. No overheads, no rent, no leaving the house - just pure profit. It beats a paper round, that’s for sure.

As a youngster, back in the dark ages, I would have killed for a platform like the internet from which to do business. I made my extra cash as a very young entrepreneur setting up unofficial tuck shops. Then as I grew older my stock became more and more varied. I sold anything I could get my hands on; sunglasses at one point, T-shirts the next.

My teenage self was daring, bold and unaffected by the rules of business; something which I have taken into my adult career. The beauty of the young mind is that it is completely unhindered by boundaries. Teenagers “think outside of the box” simply because they’re not aware “the box” exists. However, the platform I was able to work from and products I could offer at such a tender age were restricted. The internet changes everything.

Unfettered are the youth of today. They can source pens from China for 5p a bushel and distribute from a website where they never need disclose their age or identity. They have a technical know-how which probably exceeds many of their adult counterparts. And they have the luxury of time.

Encouraging Britain’s young business minds, especially in the current economical climate, is something companies and educational institutions alike should be embarking upon. We need to take the brightest sparks, cultivate the freshest ideas and look to the next generation of entrepreneurs for inspiration.

Tags: business, entrepreneurialism, making money
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Can your choice of operating system boost your marketing campaign?

Lawrence Jones, September 1st 2008, 11:21AM

When you’re choosing a server to boost your business you should be thinking about your server’s capabilities as a marketing tool.

A couple blogs ago I wrote of the importance of a speedy dedicated server to build your brand online. Since then I’ve been asked several times whether a Linux or Windows-operated server is more beneficial to the marketing of your business. The key to a successful online marketing campaign is a fast server, so which operating system offers the quickest service?

In actual fact there is very little difference in the speed of Linux and Windows servers. Speed is largely based on the quality of the hardware. So, if your online business resides on a Quadcore Dell or HP, with a high level of bandwidth your server and therefore website will be much faster.

As discussed in a previous blog, server speed directly affects Search Engine Marketing because Google ranks sites that provide a valuable customer experience more highly. So as long as your server is fast, your Web marketing campaign benefits.

Tags: dedicated server, linux, marketing, windows
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How to get people to buy from your website

Lawrence Jones, August 20th 2008, 5:01PM

The results are in from my latest poll – what makes people buy from a website? The options were trust, appearance, price and usability and the results show some very interesting trends.

At 43%, trust is by far the most popular choice. So the question is how do you promote trust on your website?

For ecommerce sites secure payment is imperative. Your customers need to know their personal details and cash are safe online. Internet security is a hot topic and everyone is aware of the threat of hack attacks and identity fraud. You need to demonstrate to your web visitors that yours is a reputable enterprise.

An SSL certificate shows your company’s commitment to safe transactions online. UKFast clients who purchase SSL or EV SSLcertificates invariably fare better. SSL indicates that you care about your customers and establishes your business as a trustworthy organisation. This promotes a professional online identity, develops confidence and so generates more sales and increased profits.

If you have an SSL certificate make sure it is displayed prominently on the relevant webpages.

Another manner in which to build trust is to show your affiliations with other reputable organisations. Display logos clearly on your homepage so your visitors know straight away the sort of organisation they’re dealing with.

Visibly show contact details so web visitors know yours is a real company. Have a specific contact page with an address, phone number and email details so you’re easy to reach if a customer or potential client has a query. In certain situations, such as in smaller organisations with a less established brand, it is a good idea to display names and faces. This indicates professionalism and shows your company is not a dodgy, faceless organisation, run from some dingy student cellar.

After trust come usability and price - both at 29%. Usability is incredibly important so make sure you have a strong navigation system and relevant information is clearly displayed and easy to find.

However, tread carefully when it comes to price. Think about the brand image you are trying to portray. For example, use price comparisons if you are offering price competitive goods. However, stay away from comparing prices if your offering is focused on premium priced quality.

The final option, appearance, received no votes at all. Looks aren’t everything and you definitely can’t judge a website by its cover, but you should always make sure your site’s appearance is professional, clear and easy to use.

Tags: marketing, websites
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A fast server is intrinsic to your online marketing campaign

Lawrence Jones, July 4th 2008, 3:21PM

Did you know the speed and reliability of your website is a massive factor in the stickiness of your site, for both human visitors and search engines?

For the ever demanding customer, website response rates have to be immediate. How long do you spend on a slow page which doesn’t load properly? My guess is not long at all. And neither do your potential customers.

For slow websites the click-away rate is often incredibly high – and what do web users do when they’ve clicked away? They go to the next search engine listing, which just happens to be your fiercest competitor.

Speaking of search engines, many of the top ones use website response rate and server speed as part of the ranking process.

When a website responds more quickly, search engines see the site as more reputable and of a higher quality. These sites are rewarded because they offer a good customer experience and so they’re boosted higher in search rankings.

Fast websites are always located on quick and powerful dedicated servers. The hosting solution will often include more than one dedicated server for increased stability and performance – but that’s for another blog.

When you choose an internet hosting provider make sure you check out the reliability of their hardware. The speed of your server is as vital as other parts of your online marketing campaign.

Meta, keywords, PPC, dynamic content, great design and link building are all successful methods with which to advertise online. But what’s a great campaign if the website it’s based around is too slow to keep the attention of your customers?

Tags: dedicated server, marketing, ppc, seo, seo campaign, ukfast, websites
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Dispelling the myth - jobs in IT aren't always dull

Lawrence Jones, June 25th 2008, 5:12PM

Whilst perusing the World Wide Web I came across a report by CRAC stating that students think careers in IT are boring. It’s true, there is a certain stigma attached to the computing industry. Everyone thinks we’re geeks, we spend our spare time glued to World of Warcraft and our social skills are non existent.

This stereotype doesn’t exactly exude glamour and it goes a long way to explaining why half of IT employers are currently failing to fill the necessary roles. So, at UKFast, we’re working hard to disprove the theory that jobs in IT are boring and the rewards have been fantastic. We attract plenty of new recruits – over 200 graduates arrived at our latest open day this month – and we’ve picked up some fantastic new talent.

The CRAC Development Director Robin Mellors-Bourne is reported as saying: "Over 60% of non-computing students cited boring work as the main reason they would not join the sector. Employers should be able to counter that kind of perception.”

I agree. It is the responsibility of employers to dispell the myth that jobs in IT are always boring and it pays to take a step back and take a look at what we're achieving to inspire the youth of today and the brains of tomorrow. At UKFast the technology we deal with makes the internet faster on a daily basis. And the internet is the biggest informational source the world has ever seen. How can crossing new frontiers fail to be exciting?

At UKFast our employees look forward to a five star working environment. Team building activities regularly take place at the Snowdon property and employees benefit from a relaxation room with table tennis, pool and video game facilities.

Because we're passionate about what we do, we're happy to invest in people and we offer a fast-paced working environment with fantastic perks, we have no trouble hiring the top IT graduates. I’d encourage others in the industry to do the same. Shout about what your company has to offer and let the world know just how worthwhile and fun a career in IT can be.

Tags: recruitment, ukfast
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