bloomtools.com/ Bloomtools Articles en 30/11/00-1 10:00:00 AM http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/review-your-online-presence-for-the-year-ahead.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/review-your-online-presence-for-the-year-ahead.html Is your website converting customers as often as it should? Do your users tend to stick around? If not, it's time to review your online presence and see what you can do to make improvements in the year ahead. Identify your objectives First of all, you need to identify your key online objectives. Your website and social media pages... Mon, 13 Jan 2014 11:18:09 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/website-tools-to-get-more-business-leads--online-surveys.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/website-tools-to-get-more-business-leads--online-surveys.html How do you know what your customers want, what they don't want and how to best deliver it? Why not just ask them? The Bloomtools Survey Tool The Bloomtools Survey Tool (which is included for free within the Database Marketing product) is easy to use and allows you to create surveys to add to your website quickly and easily. ... Fri, 20 Dec 2013 10:18:08 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-take-photos-for-your-online-shopping-cart.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-take-photos-for-your-online-shopping-cart.html If you're planning to sell products online, nothing helps encourage a sale like a well-taken photo or two. In an ideal world, every business would have the budget to hire a professional photographer, but sometimes you may need to cut a few corners and take the snaps yourself. Before you begin, make sure you know some of the secrets that allo... Thu, 05 Dec 2013 10:26:41 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/why-measurement-is-key-to-success-in-business.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/why-measurement-is-key-to-success-in-business.html Getting your business online is a great first step, but your foray into the digital world doesn't end once your site is live. As well as regular updates and new content, you need to make sure you're tracking how your users are behaving on your site, so you can work out how to get more traffic and more business. The most popular way t... Wed, 02 Oct 2013 09:21:41 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/take-the-mystery-out-of-owning-an-online-shopping-cart.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/take-the-mystery-out-of-owning-an-online-shopping-cart.html Want to start selling your products and services online, but not sure how to go about it? Catering to everyone, including existing Bloomtools clients and non-clients, this helpful session will discuss how online shopping can work for a range of different industries as well as some useful tips for getting your Shopping Cart noticed by... Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:33:33 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/online-strategies-that-increase-your-revenue---the-internet-secrets.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/online-strategies-that-increase-your-revenue---the-internet-secrets.html "Do you want to learn how you can double your revenue through your website?" It's something that a number of our clients have acheived, so this month we've recruited our Internet Marketing expert and Director, Tracey Voyce, who will take you through the winning strategies that these clients are doing to get these typ... Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:37:42 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-personal-with-customer-surveillance.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-personal-with-customer-surveillance.html Personalising communication with customers is not only common, it’s now expected. Faced with an irrelevant email, customers will hit the unsubscribe button faster than you can say “database marketing”. Marketing emails that are personalised improve conversion rates by 15 to 25 per cent. The key to knowing your customer a... Wed, 17 Jul 2013 13:28:33 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/what-s-the-big-deal-about-marketing-automation-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/what-s-the-big-deal-about-marketing-automation-.html Although marketing strategies once hinged on a striking direct-mail campaign or powerful TV commercial, technology has made things a little easier. Marketing automation is technology that allows you to streamline, automate and measure marketing tasks. That means you can optimise resources, guide customers seamlessly through the lead nurturing... Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:22:29 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/using-google-analytics-to-better-serve-your-customer.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/using-google-analytics-to-better-serve-your-customer.html The best thing about marketing your business online is the increased ability to measure your impact. Without measurement, it’s very hard to determine how you’re tracking against your business goals and whether you’re serving your customers in the best possible way. Analysing the activity of your customers reveals telling ins... Mon, 13 May 2013 15:09:32 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/key-elements-of-effective-web-design.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/key-elements-of-effective-web-design.html With the digital landscape constantly changing, it can be difficult to keep up with the trends in web design. For small businesses navigating new digital territory, think not about what’s hot, but what will help you boost your business. Find your USP: What sets you apart from competitors? This is your unique selling point (USP) ... Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:14:28 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-become-an-seo-ninja.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-become-an-seo-ninja.html You already know the importance of being found on search engines, but how do you do it? For many industries, just by following the unique steps we take you through in this webinar will get you up the top of the results.  In this webinar you will understand what the following are, and how to implement them yourselves or with our h... Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/10-ways-to-improve-your-seo.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/10-ways-to-improve-your-seo.html Improving SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is constantly on the mind of any savvy business owner and you’re right to be fixated on search for your business. Data shows that 94 per cent of users click on organic search results over paid, and 89 per cent of consumers use search engines to make purchasing decisions – it makes you wo... Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:50:41 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/five-tips-to-make-your-blog-stand-out-from-the-crowd.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/five-tips-to-make-your-blog-stand-out-from-the-crowd.html So you’ve been told you should blog about your business? Maybe you already do. But perhaps you have no idea how to cut through the noise. Don’t stress! It’s easier than you think. If yours is an established small business with high marks for customer loyalty, chances are you already have a unique personality and voic... Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:11:22 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-develop-your-usp-and-make-your-website-stand-out.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-develop-your-usp-and-make-your-website-stand-out.html With over 83% of all people searching online when looking for a business, service or product... you need to make sure your business stands out. In this webinar, we take you through a simple 7 step process to developing your USP (Unique Selling Proposition - also known as the competion killer) and show you some winning examples. Then, ... Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:46:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-post-panda-and-penguin.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-post-panda-and-penguin.html How to make your website Panda and Penguin friendly Over the past two years, Google has made some major updates to the complicated algorithms that power its search engine. Cutely named Panda and Penguin, the updates change the way Google indexes information on the web and therefore have the potential to impact your business. Here&rsqu... Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:57:43 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/it-is-the-season-to-still-get-sales.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/it-is-the-season-to-still-get-sales.html Everyone in business sees the time leading up to Christmas as being the silly season and not the time to getting sales.  Which makes it easier for the ones who do not see it this way, to stand out and get the sales that are around. The most effective way of generating more sales is through your existing and past clients.  And th... Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/tis--the-season-to-still-get-sales.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/tis--the-season-to-still-get-sales.html Everyone in business sees the time leading up to Christmas as being the silly season and not the time to getting sales.  Which makes it easier for the ones who do not see it this way, to stand out and get the sales that are around. The most effective way of generating more sales is through your existing and past clients.  And th... Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/beginner-s-guide-to-database-security.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/beginner-s-guide-to-database-security.html Big brands have been under fire recently for failing to properly protect customer information. LinkedIn raised alarms earlier this year when 6.5 million users’ passwords were published on a hacker website, while more recently Facebook became the target of rumours that it was publishing private messages on users’ walls, which thank... Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:11:04 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/linkedin-for-business--is-it-worth-it---.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/linkedin-for-business--is-it-worth-it---.html You’re in good company if you already have a LinkedIn profile - taking new age networking to its full potential. Considering executives from all of the Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members and many business managers are now also using it for recruiting, common sense says a LinkedIn profile is a necessity not a frivolity. Not j... Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:34:23 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-blogs-work-for-everyday-businesses.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-blogs-work-for-everyday-businesses.html This client webinar covered the strategies, tips and tricks around Blogging.  Blogging is a highly successful strategy to generate leads, increase conversions and add more value to your website.  But once you have the tool, what do you do to make it work for your business and get results? In this webinar we take you through,... Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/blogging-for-business-checklist.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/blogging-for-business-checklist.html Blogs within a business website, when done right, are getting great results by increasing traffic to their websites, conversion rates, Google rankings, plus much more. As there are a lot of tips surrounding the whole blogging phenomenon, Bloomtools has pulled out the key ones that are proven to work for clients in order to give you a checklis... Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:16:12 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/pin-your-interest-on-this-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/pin-your-interest-on-this-.html There are a multitude of businesses that could benefit from the family lifestyle-oriented Pinterest social media network. Bridalwear, maternity or kidswear specialists, weight-loss companies, photographers, travel agents and interior designers, not to mention cookbook retailers, pet, baby and giftware suppliers as well as manicurists (the lis... Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:42:20 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-5-email-campaigns-that-generated-the-best-results.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-5-email-campaigns-that-generated-the-best-results.html Looking for a way to get better results from your email marketing? Well, learn from the best in this informative one hour webinar hosted by Internet expert and marketing guru, Tracey Voyce. She’ll take you through the five most effective email campaigns that our clients have generated great results from and show you how to get the s... Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/andrew-has-a-knack-for-strategy.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/andrew-has-a-knack-for-strategy.html 15 years ago Andrew Osborn used his passion for strategy and success on the football field, but now he’s applying these skills to helping businesses in Adelaide get better results from their website by launching South Australia’s Bloomtools Office. Since retiring from the game in 2001, the former South Adelaide Captain and Mag... Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-your-website-on-page-1-of-the-search-engines.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-your-website-on-page-1-of-the-search-engines.html Any successful website owner will tell you one of their greatest strategies for success is in appearing high in search engines. After a recent webinar on driving traffic to your website, many of you asked for more information and guidance on SEO. We listened, and have created a dedicated workshop for you to learn the secrets that will potenti... Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-the-facebook-timeline-will-change-your-business-page.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-the-facebook-timeline-will-change-your-business-page.html Just like your Facebook Profiles, your Facebook Business Page has changed too. Of course, this means that you need to rethink your Facebook marketing plan and make a few adjustments to your page. To help you out, we’ve already jumped onto the Facebook Timeline bandwagon so that we can give you some first-hand advice about what to do, so... Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:55:46 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/who-will-remember-to-update-my-website-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/who-will-remember-to-update-my-website-.html A few things to consider before you decide to use open source software. Let me make this clear right from the start, I am not saying that open source solutions are insecure, or that they are less secure than proprietary software. That’s a debate I will stay out of and it’s irrelevant to this article. Today I just want to point... Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/open-source-vs-proprietary-cms.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/open-source-vs-proprietary-cms.html Every website should be easy to use and update, should be built with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) in mind, and should be able to grow as your business and online strategy grow. There are numerous technology platforms that may fit the bill, so which one should you choose? Well that will depend on what your online needs are. This articl... Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:22:38 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/low-competition--high-rewards--boost-your-seo-using-niche-keywords.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/low-competition--high-rewards--boost-your-seo-using-niche-keywords.html We have written a lot of blogs and articles and even held a webinar discussing the importance of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for the success of your website. We’ve given you some great suggestions for how to optimise your website to ensure these results. Now that you have your head around SEO and have your major keywords all optimi... Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:43:05 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/want-to-add-images-to-your-website--read-this-first-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/want-to-add-images-to-your-website--read-this-first-.html Images say a thousand words and are important in assisting you to attract people to your website, keeping them there longer, helping you sell your products and services, and getting your visitors to take action. When it comes to adding images to your website there are a few strategies and techniques that will assist you in getting the results... Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-write-great-website-copy.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-write-great-website-copy.html Research indicates that almost 80% of Internet users scan the content of a web page rather than read each word. So, instead of taking a few minutes to read your page word for word, they will quickly run their eyes over the page from left to right, looking for something that is relevant to them. If they find a headline, a list or a senten... Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/five-strategies-that-will-improve-your-business-online.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/five-strategies-that-will-improve-your-business-online.html Want to kick start your business in 2012? Join Tracey Voyce, expert business advisor and Internet professional, as she takes you through her five simple strategies that are helping businesses, like yours, get better results from their online presence allowing them to save money on marketing, streamline their business, get more customers, ... Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/open-source-vs-proprietary-software.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/open-source-vs-proprietary-software.html A common question we get asked by potential clients is about the pros and cons of using Open Source software vs Proprietary Software. In today's article, we'll look at some of the biggest factors you need to consider when choosing your Content Management System (CMS) to help you make a well informed decision. What is Open Source S... Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/7-tips-for-turning-your-shopping-cart-into-your-best-sales-person-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/7-tips-for-turning-your-shopping-cart-into-your-best-sales-person-.html I’m going to cut to the chase, you want a Shopping Cart that works. Your Shopping Cart should be the perfect sales person - easy to follow, friendly, helpful, trustworthy, converts well and working for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just like a human sales person, you need to put a little energy into the initial “training&... Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/5-myths-about-online-shopping-carts.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/5-myths-about-online-shopping-carts.html If you’re like 61% of the Australian population, you’ve purchased goods or services online. You have become part of an industry that is worth almost $35 Billion and rising. However, if you are also like a majority of Australian businesses, you are not selling your goods and products online. Why is this? By denying that Onl... Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-south-brisbane-awarded-most-improved-franchisee.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-south-brisbane-awarded-most-improved-franchisee.html Bloomtools South Brisbane, which is owned by Emma Rolley, was awarded the Most Improved Franchisee at this year’s annual Bloomtools Franchisee Conference. The award recognises the Bloomtools Franchisee that has shown a marked improvement in sales, customer service, knowledge, and client satisfaction in the past twelve months an... Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/award-winning-web-design-company-comes-to-sydney-central.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/award-winning-web-design-company-comes-to-sydney-central.html This week, the award winning website design and Database Marketing franchise Bloomtools opened their second location in Sydney. Managed by experienced IT services and marketing experts Mark Ilott and Natalie Granger, the franchise is preparing to improve the online presences of SMEs (small to medium enterprises) in the Sydney Central... Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/3-business-dilemmas-solved-with-some-very-simple-strategies.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/3-business-dilemmas-solved-with-some-very-simple-strategies.html In business we all face these common challenges that, if left unaddressed, could massively affect our business. The good news is that there is a solution, and it comes packaged in a great little product called Database Marketing. Today, we’ll look at the three common business dilemmas we all face, and how some simple strategies can solv... Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:53:47 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/combating-shopping-cart-abandonment.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/combating-shopping-cart-abandonment.html No, I’m not talking about leaving your freshly emptied Woolworth’s shopping cart in the parking lot instead of the trolley bay (although, that’s a fad I’m also keen on combating!). I’m talking about the 70% of online shoppers that abandon your shopping cart before they make their purchase. “70% of onli... Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-search-algorithm-update---november-2011.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-search-algorithm-update---november-2011.html It was recently announced by Google that they have made changes to their algorithm that will affect 35% of Google searches. For businesses with websites, these changes - along with the extra competition for keywords online - means that you need to get even smarter with your Search Engine Optimisation techniques and ensure that you’re ke... Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/use-the-internet-to-make-sales-this-holiday-season.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/use-the-internet-to-make-sales-this-holiday-season.html Everyone is saying the market is slowing down, so most businesses are not carrying out any new strategies to generate revenue over the Christmas New Year holiday period. Well, guess what?  With less businesses marketing, the ones who are will get results!  So here are some quick suggestions for our clients to get ahead with their Da... Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-franchisee-celebrates-200th-website.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-franchisee-celebrates-200th-website.html This week, Lee Anne Bartlett from Bloomtools Gold Coast Central celebrated the launch of her 200th website, a massive achievement for a company that only began in 2008. Lee Anne was the first Bloomtools franchisee to come on board and services the local area with websites, Database Marketing products and Search Engine Optimisation f... Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/3-ways-to-freshen-up-your-website.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/3-ways-to-freshen-up-your-website.html Your website is one of your most important reflections of your company. In the same way that your business brochures and even yourself with your car, clothes and image needs a revamp every few years to remain fresh and look up to date, so too does your website. This is also a good time to take your website to the next level, increasing its va... Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:40:46 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/membership-management.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/membership-management.html If you run a chamber, networking group, gym or any other association that requires membership, then this is an essential webinar for you. Learn how technology can make your life easier, save you money and make your membership more effective and efficient. The key word for this webinar is STREAMLINE where leverage, automation and technol... Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:22:42 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-blogs-work-for-everyday-business.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-blogs-work-for-everyday-business.html To blog or not to blog...well, it’s not really a question anymore. The truth is the research is proving that blogs are helping businesses in many, many ways. From driving traffic to your website, to helping you get new clients, blogs are now a very effective way of promoting yourself to the customers you want to reach. In this artic... Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:55:09 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-7-google-tools-that-you-should-know-about.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-7-google-tools-that-you-should-know-about.html These days, Google is a powerhouse for Internet technologies. If they’re not building brilliant search engines, they’re recreating email programs or reinventing the Social Media experience. Today, I’m going to take you through the 7 Google Tools that we use here at Bloomtools which are: Google Alerts Googl... Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:25:35 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/taking-advantage-of-social-media-and-content-syndication.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/taking-advantage-of-social-media-and-content-syndication.html Social Media is one of the newest and most effective ways of getting your business name out there. But are you making the most of your Social Media accounts? In this webinar, you'll learn how to optimise your Social Media accounts for use with your Bloomtools website. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/is-your-browser-outdated-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/is-your-browser-outdated-.html With the way technology speeds along these days it can be a real mission trying to keep up. Sure, we don’t all need the latest smart phone, the top of the range computer or the fanciest gaming console. But when it comes to your web browser it certainly pays to be up-to-date with the latest advances. Here’s why: Security Ol... Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:11:19 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-make-sure-you-re-not-spamming.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-make-sure-you-re-not-spamming.html We’ve all had it, and just like its namesake, it’s very unpleasant. I’m talking about Spam of course - the digital kind - and as an email marketer it’s important that you understand what is (and isn’t) considered spam in Australia. So, to help you out, I’ve gone through the Spam Act 2003 and rewritten the b... Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:14:45 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/social-media--should-you-or-shouldn-t-you-for-your-business-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/social-media--should-you-or-shouldn-t-you-for-your-business-.html After speaking at a recent Women’s Network Australia event in Brisbane, and watching everyone take lots of notes, I decided to put some of my talk down into a paper. There is a lot to cover in this sphere, so here are some points to help people utilise social media more effectively.  March 2011 No doubt, you’ve heard ... Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:15:53 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/using-and-understanding-google-tools--and-more-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/using-and-understanding-google-tools--and-more-.html Are you using Google Tools yet? Do you know how to get Google Tools to work for you? Google Tools are a great way to get your online presence working harder for you, and this short webinar will give you an introduction to the best tools available. If you've been hesitant to try Google Tools because you've been overwhelmed by their perceived complexity, haven't had the time to teach yourself, or are not aware of how effective they are, then this will be a great webinar for you. Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/database-marketing---part-one.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/database-marketing---part-one.html Database Marketing. What is it, why is it essential for businesses, and what are the strategies businesses are applying to get results? You'll find all the answers in this video. Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/database-marketing-brings-in-results-for-exhibitek.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/database-marketing-brings-in-results-for-exhibitek.html We (Exhibitek Display) are a Queensland based, Australian owned portable display  business, servicing clients Australia wide. Whether you are going to a trade show or exhibition, shopping centre promotion, conducting seminars, requiring in-house or foyer displays we have the experience and the products to meet your needs. We specialise i... Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/one-database-for-everything.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/one-database-for-everything.html Bloomtools new 4.0 Database Marketing system will be released on the 9th of August. The new Database Marketing system is built to be faster, smarter and more easier to use than ever. Bloomtools began in 2004 as a boutique software development company for businesses on the Gold Coast, Australia. They are passionate about how the Internet could ... Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-database-marketing-right.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-database-marketing-right.html The Internet is an integral part of business today – we reach our customers through our websites, research other companies online and stay in contact with business associates using email. 86% of people use the internet to search for a business, product or service before they purchase. However most businesses are yet to tap into the real... Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/client-spotlight---liquid-infusion.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/client-spotlight---liquid-infusion.html Liquid Infusion is Melbourne’s most established mobile bar service and is highly regarded as a leader in this new industry. This unique business model and their passion for the industry quickly drove the company to new heights. With thousands of events now catered over the years across Victoria, Liquid Infusion has built a reputati... Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/choosing-and-using-keywords-to-optimise-your-website.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/choosing-and-using-keywords-to-optimise-your-website.html Keywords are the words that your target market are typing in when using search engines like Google, to find out about services or products they are looking into. You need to figure out what these key words or phrases are, then strategically place them throughout your website so you appear when someone conducts a search using those words. ... Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-involved-in-online-communities.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-involved-in-online-communities.html What is an online community? A great way to encourage and facilitate feedback and knowledge about your products/ services / business from customers and prospects is to get involved in online community groups. An online or virtual group is a group of people that primarily interact via an online presence, making individual contributions ... Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-caffeine.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-caffeine.html Google has launched a new, upgraded version of its search engine: Google Caffeine. Caffeine promises to improve the speed, accuracy, size and comprehensiveness of Google search. It provides 50 percent fresher results for web searches than their last search index and it is apparently the largest collection of web content that Google has offere... Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/client-spotlight---pave-world.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/client-spotlight---pave-world.html Pave World is a family run, father and son business that was established in 1994 out of a shared vision to set up a business that covered all your landscaping and building requirements as well as installation services - all in the one location. Over the years as Pave World grew they expanded their business to Campbellfield, Greensborough and ... Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/current-trends-for-bricks-and-mortar-businesses-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/current-trends-for-bricks-and-mortar-businesses-.html Niche Marketing This has been a big thing for a while and is an essential strategy for business. Past marketing was about defining your target market as one group.  Niche Marketing is about finding subsets within that group to concentrate your marketing on to find you golden baskets. The scatter gun approach of marketing no longer works,... Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/top-11-essential--must-do-s--for-bloomtools-clients.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/top-11-essential--must-do-s--for-bloomtools-clients.html 1. Sign up for Google Analytics Within your current website, you have some basic statistics showing in the 'thewebconsole.com' (the back end to your website).  To really test and measure to get the best results from your online presence you need to go the next step.  And that is with Google Analytics -  a FREE traff... Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/case-study---cosmetic-retailer.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/case-study---cosmetic-retailer.html This cosmetic retailer was relatively unknown in her local area and was struggling to stand out in a her competitive industry. She wanted to build her clientèle and increase her sales. Challenges: Sales – The cosmetic retailer wanted to access a new group of potential customers, so she needed to encourage and facilitate h... Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/case-study---weight-loss-organisation.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/case-study---weight-loss-organisation.html This small business, a weight loss organisation wanted to establish a wide base of clients that they could build strong relationships with. To do this they needed a website that would compliment all their marketing activities and demonstrate clearly their uniqueness over their competitors.  Their online presence also needed to help ... Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/businesses-expand-to-include-website-in-their-product-mix-with-no-technical-experience.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/businesses-expand-to-include-website-in-their-product-mix-with-no-technical-experience.html Being in business is very competitive and we are all looking at ways we can make our business stand out above our competitors, keep our existing clients longer, increase our average dollar etc all to increase our profitability. Print, Marketing, Web, Business Consultancy companies and more are adding online solutions to their product mix to achi... Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/brisbane-businesses-are-serious-about-the-internet.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/brisbane-businesses-are-serious-about-the-internet.html We have all seen the statistics and even felt the change in the market place ourselves, knowing that Australians are using the internet as a daily source of information, communication and commerce. Yet many businesses have been slow to ensure they are capitalising on this extremely popular medium. They may have a simple website, but that is not... Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/useful-tips-for-a-user-friendly-shopping-cart.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/useful-tips-for-a-user-friendly-shopping-cart.html The Internet has changed the way people shop – they buy online whenever possible because it is convenient and simple. In Australia alone over 40% of all Australians bought a product or service online in the last 12 months, spending over $23 billion*.  Consumers are now comfortable buying online, it's a growing market.  Sadly thou... Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/gold-coast-businesses-take-the-internet-very-seriously.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/gold-coast-businesses-take-the-internet-very-seriously.html We have all seen the statistics and even felt the change in the market place ourselves, knowing that Australians are using the internet as a daily source of information, communication and commerce. Yet many businesses have been slow to ensure they are capitalising on this extremely popular medium. They may have a simple website, but that ... Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-leads-the-way-with-new-facebook-innovation.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-leads-the-way-with-new-facebook-innovation.html Facebook created quite a splash with its announcements on its new social plugins — including the Like button at the f8 developer conference last week. The most interesting fact is that more than 50,000 websites have already implemented the “Like” button in just one week after release. The sites leading this implementation incl... Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/10-simple-google-search-tools.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/10-simple-google-search-tools.html This article looks at the top 10 tools you can use to get more out of a simple Google search. These tools will help you to cut down on search time and help define your searches. 1. Use Google as a calculator. Google has a built-in calculator — try entering a calculation like 110 * (654/8 + 3). Yes, your computer also has a calcu... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/apple-ipad-everything-you-need-to-know.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/apple-ipad-everything-you-need-to-know.html Apple's iPad, is a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and wei... Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/client-spotlight---midnight-fashions.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/client-spotlight---midnight-fashions.html Midnight Fashions was established in Stones Corner in 1999 and quickly became a fixture in the Stones Corner fashion precinct. From slinky dresses for school formals, to cute cocktail dresses for the races, to renowned bridal gowns, Midnight Fashions has the dress for you.  Specialised and trained staff are always in store to assist in f... Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/does-your-business-have-a-social-media-policy-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/does-your-business-have-a-social-media-policy-.html With the popularity of Facebook and Twitter these days, it's highly likely your team members are using social networking websites.  You probably are too! But do you have any rules in place for how your team uses social networking?  There is a lot of potential for damage to your business if social media is not managed properl... Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/twitter-101---getting-started.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/twitter-101---getting-started.html You've no doubt heard of Twitter, and probably even heard the masses of articles telling you to get your business on Twitter, but are you on it yet? If not, this article is ideal for you. We will cover everything you need to know about setting up an account and immersing yourself in the Twitter-verse! So, what is Twitter? Twitter ... Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/tips-for-keeping-your-passwords-secure.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/tips-for-keeping-your-passwords-secure.html Several large companies have recently been hacked due to lax security when it comes to passwords - Google, Adobe and many more.  To ensure this doesn't happen to your business, our team have put together some tips for creating strong passwords and keeping them safe: Do... Use numbers and symbols - you can boost the security of your p... Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-celebrates-700th-website-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-celebrates-700th-website-.html Bloomtools has already reached its first milestone for 2010 - our 700th website! This week, we are building our 700th website since our business began in 2004 - wow, we've been busy! We are very proud to have achieved this and look forward to building many more online solutions in 2010 and beyond. Our lucky 700th client is Studio Qi, an acupun... Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/i-will-get-results-from-my-email-marketing.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/i-will-get-results-from-my-email-marketing.html Over the last few years Email Marketing has evolved to become the most cost effective medium to increase loyalty, referrals, repeat customers and revenue in your business. It helps you maintain regular contact with your existing customers and your prospects, showing them that you care. Most importantly, however, it's easy to do will a bit... Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/top-australian-search-terms-for-2009.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/top-australian-search-terms-for-2009.html Ever wondered what topics other people are interested in?  Thanks to our friends at Google, we have a great list of the most searched terms online in 2009.  From breaking news to weird topics, Australians have searched for it all... The fastest rising searches of 2009 One HD twitter.com Masterchef Melbourne Cup 2009 Grooveshark ... Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-integrates-facebook-and-twitter-into-search-results.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-integrates-facebook-and-twitter-into-search-results.html Google is set to become even more of a one-stop-shop on the internet, as they have just announced plans to integrate real-time feeds from Twitter, Facebook and Myspace into their search results. Social media has become so popular now that the demand for this real-time content is huge - users want up-to-the-minute conversations, not outdated web... Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/building-trust-and-credibility-on-your-website.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/building-trust-and-credibility-on-your-website.html In a physical store or business, a secure and comfortable environment is created by the visually appealing layout and tangible products, plus the helpful sales people and informative signs/brochures/banners etc.  You can quickly and easily find out anything you need to know before you buy and there is always someone there to answer your quest... Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/gen-y-online-shopping-stats.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/gen-y-online-shopping-stats.html If your business sells to Generation Y consumers, it's essential that you understand how they shop.  Here are some recent statistics from Hitwise Intelligence to give you some hints: Bricks and mortar searches much more dominant than online brands. 18-24 year old females and males were both more likely to search for bricks and mortar brands... Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/basics-of-making-your-site-google-friendly.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/basics-of-making-your-site-google-friendly.html Here's some reasons your website needs to be Google friendly: There are more than 300 million searches performed online every day, with around 90% of Australasian searches on Google 86% of your customers search online when looking for a business, service or product Businesses that are maximising Google are getting more than 65% o... Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/wellington-businesswoman-opens-first-bloomtools-franchise-in-nz.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/wellington-businesswoman-opens-first-bloomtools-franchise-in-nz.html Wellington businesses will now have access to world-leading online solutions to help them get results from the internet, as website development and internet marketing company Bloomtools opens an office in Wellington. Owner of the new Bloomtools office, local businesswoman Wendy Page, is aiming to help local businesses get online presence up to ... Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/real-estate-industry-revolutionised-by-new-bloomtools-system.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/real-estate-industry-revolutionised-by-new-bloomtools-system.html Bloomtools has just launched its Real Estate Website Design service for real estate agents, a complete online software package for marketing properties for sale and rent. The tool will save agents considerable time and money with their property promotions, offering more functionality than any other system available in the market. The Real Esta... Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-joins-google-apps-authorized-reseller-program.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-joins-google-apps-authorized-reseller-program.html Bloomtools Announces It Will Resell Google Apps Bloomtools today announced it has become an authorized reseller of the Google Apps suite of communication and collaboration tools. James Greig, Director of Bloomtools, is excited about adding Google Apps to the range of business web tools his company already provides. "We are all about givi... Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/twitter-hacked---their-future-plans-exposed.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/twitter-hacked---their-future-plans-exposed.html One of the most popular sites on the web, Twitter, was  hit by a hacker last week and had sensitive documents about their board meetings, business deals and future plans published on popular technology blog, TechCrunch. TechCrunch decided to publish some of the documents after receiving them from the hacker, who noted that it was surprisin... Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-working-on-operating-system-to-rival-windows.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-working-on-operating-system-to-rival-windows.html Google announced this week that it is planning to spread it's dominance of the technological world even further by building it's own operating system to rival Windows. An operating system is the underlying software that operates the basic functions of a computer and currently 95% of computers use Windows as their OS, with most of the remainder us... Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/make-your-website-your-best-salesperson.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/make-your-website-your-best-salesperson.html For most businesses, the main purpose of their website is generating sales - whether that is direct online sales or just getting the potential customer to call them or go into their business. To achieve sales through your website, you need to define exactly what the goal is (eg. buy from the online shopping cart, submit a quote request /inquiry ... Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/microsoft-launches-search-engine-to-challenge-google.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/microsoft-launches-search-engine-to-challenge-google.html Microsoft has recently launched a new search engine in an attempt to challenge search engine giant Google. Microsoft's Bing (www.bing.com) has evolved from Microsoft's other search engines Live Search, Windows Live Search and MSN Search and offers a similar service to Google - general web search, image and multimedia search, news search, maps and... Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/government-plans-to-help-businesses-get-online-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/government-plans-to-help-businesses-get-online-.html In the Government's recent budget, they announced a plan to help small businesses take advantage of the internet - "And to enable small businesses to take full advantage of the National Broadband Network, a further $10.0 million will be provided over two years to establish a Small Business Online program. The program will equip small busin... Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-more-customers-with-a-fresh-website.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-more-customers-with-a-fresh-website.html Back in the early days of the internet, a business could get a website design made and then just forget about it - it would do its job of generating sales without any involvement from them. Well the internet has changed a lot over the last few years and it's now essential for businesses to invest some time and effort in their website. These day... Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-top-6-ways-businesses-are-boosting-their-website-traffic-for-free.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-top-6-ways-businesses-are-boosting-their-website-traffic-for-free.html Without traffic, a website is a billboard in a desert - seen by no one and a complete waste of money.  To make your website a worthwhile investment for your business, you need to put some effort into promoting it. The good news is that there are many free ways to generate traffic to your website - all they will cost is some of your time.&n... Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-franchisees-blooming-despite-challenging-times.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-franchisees-blooming-despite-challenging-times.html Refusing to be drawn into the doom and gloom surrounding the economy, web development franchise Bloomtools and its franchisees are still achieving great success. With franchises operating across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, Bloomtools is making its national presence felt and is quickly building up a large base of clients achi... Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/free-bloomtools-database-marketing-whitepaper.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/free-bloomtools-database-marketing-whitepaper.html Your business should be using a multi-level database marketing strategy to attract new customers and maximise existing ones.  We've put together a training whitepaper to help you create a database marketing plan for your business that includes a variety of different strategies to ensure you are getting the most from your database. Download ... Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-importance-of-keyword-research.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-importance-of-keyword-research.html If you are serious about getting results from your online presence, you should have an expert (like Bloomtools) working on search engine optimisation for your site.  But, if you want to do some of it yourself,  there are some free things you can do to help get your site up higher in search results. The most important thing is keywords... Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-the-latest-internet-stats-from-hitwise.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-the-latest-internet-stats-from-hitwise.html Want to be really internet savvy?  Then you need to check out Hitwise.  This company publishes research and statistics about the internet in Australia on a weekly basis.  Their stats include everything from most popular websites, to top searches and they regularly do reports on specific industries or sectors.  There are som... Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/tips-for-great-email-newsletters.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/tips-for-great-email-newsletters.html So some expert has told you that it's not worth your while to do a newsletter because every man and his dog has a newsletter and people are sick of having their inboxes filled up with junk? That expert does have some valid points - lots of companies send newsletters and people are sick of spam - but that doesn't mean you should ca... Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-web-solutions-named-in--smart-100--index.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-web-solutions-named-in--smart-100--index.html Bloomtools' Content Management System  has been named one of Australia’s 100 most innovative products, according to 1,600 maven judges, in one of the largest and most audacious innovation awards of its kind in Australia – the ‘SMART 100’ Index. Leading business magazine Australian Anthill and market research lea... Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/taking-your-customer-retention-online.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/taking-your-customer-retention-online.html The paradox of our current economic climate is that customers are demanding more value, at the same time that businesses are looking for more cost-effective ways to deliver service.  Consumers are being much more careful with how they spend their money so they want to make sure they are getting the most for the least.  This can present... Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/are-you-guilty-of-having-a-bad-website-design-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/are-you-guilty-of-having-a-bad-website-design-.html The verdict is in and it’s essential for all law firms to have a professional, functional website that generates real bottom line results.  Does yours?  Lawyer turned web consultant Emma Rolley from Bloomtools South Brisbane explains the amazing things you can achieve online to get more clients and save money for your business. ... Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/quirky-web-tools-everyone-is-talking-about.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/quirky-web-tools-everyone-is-talking-about.html Struggling to keep up to date with the latest tech tools and wacky websites out there?  There are so many new products and ideas being launched every day that it's near impossible for anyone to know and use them all.  So to save you the time, we've asked some of the web nerds at Bloomtools HQ to share their top 5 time-saving tools with y... Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-gold-coast-central-on-hot-tomato-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-gold-coast-central-on-hot-tomato-.html Bloomtools Gold Coast Central won the 'Workplace of the Day' competition on Gold Coast radio station 102.9 Hot Tomato this week. Lee Anne and her team got to choose 3 songs to play on the radio and tell listeners about Bloomtools and what we do. "It was great fun - we got to meet the radio team, do an interview and it was just a huge laugh ... Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/industry-report-says-online-retail-is-essential-for-bricks-and-mortar-businesses.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/industry-report-says-online-retail-is-essential-for-bricks-and-mortar-businesses.html In it's recently released Christmas Retail Review, internet intelligence company Hitwise states that in 2009 "the online channel will be more important than ever in winning business and competing against both bricks and mortar and online retailers." The report compared the performance of various retail channels over the Christmas 2008 ... Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-future-of-the-internet.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-future-of-the-internet.html So what can we expect the internet in 2009?  And how will at affect your business?  While none of us are getting around in flying cars yet, technology is definitely advancing rapidly.  Exhibit A – the internet.  It seems like every day something new is invented for the web – podcasts, YouTube, blogs, content mana... Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/ask-bloomtools--how-to-sell-you-products-online-and-make-more-money.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/ask-bloomtools--how-to-sell-you-products-online-and-make-more-money.html Times are changing - consumers don't always go in to stores to buy things any more.  Now more than ever, they are buying online.  In fact, 54% of Australian internet users say that they have purchased a product online in the last three months, according to a report released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (A... Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/ask-bloomtools--how-do-i-choose-keywords-for-my-site-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/ask-bloomtools--how-do-i-choose-keywords-for-my-site-.html Question: I understand how important it is for my website to be on search engines but how do I go about choosing the right keywords? Answer: All your search engine optimisation efforts are dependant on the keywords you choose for your website so it's very important that you choose the right ones.  Keywords are the words and phrases you th... Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-launches-seo-services.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-launches-seo-services.html Bloomtools is excited to announce the launch of its search engine optimisation services for business websites. Here's a statistic to think about - 61% of internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for.  If you don't have a presence on the first 2 pages of Google and the other search engines, then you will miss out o... Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-launches-petrol-price-tracker.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/google-launches-petrol-price-tracker.html This week Google has launched a new system to track fuel prices and keep consumers up to date with the cheapest prices in their area.  The Petrol Price Tracker Gadget was launched after the search engine noted an increase in the number of searches for fuel prices.  The system finds the price of unleaded, diesel, LPG and other fuel ty... Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/behind-the-scenes-of-your-website---save-time-and-money-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/behind-the-scenes-of-your-website---save-time-and-money-.html When it comes to your website, it’s not just what’s on the outside that counts.  The public front end of your website is your shopfront, so you’ve probably spent a lot of time getting that up to scratch and working effectively.  But have you thought about adding more functionality to your site, that only a chosen f... Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-use-social-media-to-get-more-customers.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-use-social-media-to-get-more-customers.html Everyone is talking about social media – websites like Myspace and Facebook have millions of members and big businesses everywhere are using online communities and interactive content to attract customers and build their brand loyalty. But social media isn’t just for corporate giants or catching up with old friends.  The inte... Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/first-bloomtools-franchisee-hits-the-ground-running.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/first-bloomtools-franchisee-hits-the-ground-running.html Businesses on the Gold Coast can now find a world-class website developer in their own backyard, with Bloomtools Gold Coast Central now open for business. Gold Coast Central is the first Bloomtools franchise to launch in Australia and the proud owner, Lee Anne Bartlett, is excited to be part of such an innovative, supportive company. &ldqu... Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/9-facts-about-seo-that-all-businesses-need-to-know.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/9-facts-about-seo-that-all-businesses-need-to-know.html Statistics like "51% of all Australians research online before making a purchase" highlights the importance of getting your site high in the organic (free listings) results of search engines when a person searches for a word/s related to your business.  The process of making adjustments to your site so it displays high for keywords... Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/your-new-year-internet-plan---part-2.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/your-new-year-internet-plan---part-2.html Welcome to Part 2 of the Bloomtools internet plan - giving you 6 more great strategies you can use in your own business to get more customers, make more money and save more time. July – Start an Adwords campaign You’ve probably noticed that when you conduct a search in Google, there are some businesses that get their site listed... Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/your-new-year-internet-plan---part-1.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/your-new-year-internet-plan---part-1.html The start of a new year is always exciting – there are so many opportunities and adventures ahead.  When it comes to business, many of these opportunities are now online.  So why not make 2008 the year that you really take advantage of what the Internet has to offer your business?   Using the internet in your business can... Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-more-readers-with-punchy-email-subject-lines.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-more-readers-with-punchy-email-subject-lines.html Once you have written all the content within your email marketing, it’s all done and ready to be sent out, right? Wrong! You’ve forgotten the subject line, one of the most crucial factors in email marketing success. The subject line is what appears alongside your name (the sender) in your recipient’s email inbox and identif... Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-set-to-franchise-their-online-business-tools.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/bloomtools-set-to-franchise-their-online-business-tools.html Bloomtools, Australia’s leading developer of online business solutions, today announced plans to launch their web design franchise around the country. The successful website development and Internet marketing company is franchising in order to give the small to medium business market what it desperately needs – a complete onl... Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/client-spotlight---small-business-works.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/client-spotlight---small-business-works.html At Small Business Works, we provide financial planning advice to a wide range of clients from business owners to wage earners and young families as well as those nearing or already retired. With our Accounting practice working side by side with our Financial Planning practice we are able to assist clients with more complex financial needs and... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/case-study---law-firm.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/case-study---law-firm.html This Law firm wanted to refresh and update their old website as it was out of date and they were not attracting many leads or sales through their website. They also wanted to make their new website more credible, clearly demonstrating their strengths, and areas of speciality. And to utilise the power of the online tools to educate their clien... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/four-case-studies---how-surveys-made-a-real-difference-in-their-business.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/four-case-studies---how-surveys-made-a-real-difference-in-their-business.html Ever wondered how surveys might help your business out? Then read our next four case studies from Bloomtools clients who have had amazing successes with surveys. Case Study 1 - Surveys to introduce a new idea / gain insight into consumer thoughts A retail business wanted to know if their customers would be interested in buying their pr... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/6-easy-steps-for-creating-an-effective-online-survey.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/6-easy-steps-for-creating-an-effective-online-survey.html Getting your client's or target market's opinion on your business is essential. It enables you to take the guesswork out of what you need to improve on, gives you insight into your market's thoughts, and provides you with some good benchmarks to measure your business by. Customer feedback is an important part of any business. With... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/must-have-online-tools-and-strategies-for-your-business.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/must-have-online-tools-and-strategies-for-your-business.html So you’ve got a website?  That’s great – every business needs one.  But are you taking full advantage of all the technology that the internet now offers the everyday business owner?  There are lots of tools out there that can help you get more from your internet presence and, surprisingly, a lot of it is ... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/spam-trigger-words-to-avoid.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/spam-trigger-words-to-avoid.html Spam is a huge issue on the internet these days and unfortunately, it has impacted on businesses that send legitimate bulk emails using database marketing tools.  It means that we have to work alot harder to get our emails to our reader's inboxes.  All email programs (from Hotmail to Outlook) have in-built spam filters that ... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-7-essentials-your-business-needs-online.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-7-essentials-your-business-needs-online.html These days most businesses - including bricks and mortar businesses - realise that they need to have a website in order to be competitve. Sadly, many of them have no idea what they need to have on their website in order to improve their business and increase their sales. So to help these businesses out, we've created this simple guide to ... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/give-your-customers-what-they-want.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/give-your-customers-what-they-want.html Lots of people visit your website, including current customers, past customers, prospective customers, shareholders, suppliers and maybe even members of the press. When these people arrive on your website, they are usually seeking some specific information about your business. They may want to find out about:  What products and servi... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-the-internet-can-streamline-your-business.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-the-internet-can-streamline-your-business.html The internet has only been around for about a decade, but it has already advanced dramatically in that short time. It is now at a maturity level where it can be used for much more than just marketing in a business – it is a fully functional business tool that can provide real bottom-line results for businesses. One area we have seen... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-top-6-things-every-business-needs-online.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/the-top-6-things-every-business-needs-online.html These days most businesses realise they really need to have a website in order to be competitve, including bricks and mortar businesses.  Sadly, many of them have no idea what they need to have on their website in order to improve their business and increase their sales.  So to help these businesses out, we've created this simple guide ... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-create-surveys-that-work.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-create-surveys-that-work.html Customer feedback is an important part of any business.  Without it, businesses often wouldn’t know when they need to make changes, add new products or improve their services.  Thanks to the Internet and email, there is now a fast and simple way to get feedback from your customers – online surveys. An online survey ... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/building-your-database-of-contacts.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/building-your-database-of-contacts.html Most successful businesses have a large database of contacts, including clients, past clients, prospects, alliances and suppliers, which they keep up-to-date and fully utilise. This is why your contact list is a goldmine for your business. The number and variety of strategies (eg.  email marketing, ecards, value adding, referrals, event... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/starting-your-own-online-community-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/starting-your-own-online-community-.html Online communities are a great way to get your customers and prospects interacting with your business. Establishing a community group on your website is also an effective way to boost your site traffic and generate leads. For more information on these groups and the people that participate in them, read my other article. To build a group around... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/easy-ways-to-generate-leads-for-your-business.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/easy-ways-to-generate-leads-for-your-business.html All businesses need to be spending some time and money on generating leads, because new leads mean more sales and greater profits. The key to lead generation is using a variety of strategies at the one time. Just advertising your business in a local newspaper probably won’t generate a large number of leads for you to turn into customers &n... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/write-great-website-copy.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/write-great-website-copy.html The copy is probably the most important aspect of your website design because it communicates important information about your business to your customers and prospects. Writing for the web is a lot different to everyday writing. Web users read the content of websites very differently to the way they would read a newspaper or book, and you ... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-create-winning-newsletters.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-create-winning-newsletters.html Producing a newsletter used to be a hard, complex and costly project, not only in writing the material, but also in producing the newsletter and getting it out to contacts. Thankfully that era is now changing, with email marketing making it so much easier, faster and more economical to send out newsletters. As a business, what do yo... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-your-online-and-offline-marketing-working-together.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/get-your-online-and-offline-marketing-working-together.html Most businesses spend a large percentage of their profits on promoting their business online and offline to their customers. However, many of these businesses are missing out on the full benefit of their marketing activities because they are not integrating the offline activities with their online presence. Integration is very important ... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-get-people-to-spend-more-time-on-your-website.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-get-people-to-spend-more-time-on-your-website.html Getting your customers to stay on your site longer will help you build a relationship with them and get them to purchase from you again. Most visitors don't spend more than a couple of minutes on your site, so they aren't exposed to your brand or your products for very long. However, if you can offer something to your visitors on ... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-the-most-out-of-your-online-advertising.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-the-most-out-of-your-online-advertising.html To get great results from sales, seminars, whitepapers or other promotions your business is running, you will need to advertise them online. Online advertising is a relatively cost-effective method for attracting your target audience to your promotions and getting conversions. The different types of online advertising include Pay-Per-Click a... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-capture-the-details-of-your-site-visitors.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/how-to-capture-the-details-of-your-site-visitors.html The internet has advanced so much in the last few years that websites are no longer just brochures that your customers browse before calling you or visiting your store. Websites now have the ability to facilitate businesses – they can generate leads, customers can purchase your products online and you can use your website to engage in regu... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/give-your-customers-what-they-want-.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/give-your-customers-what-they-want-.html Lots of people visit your website, including current customers, past customers, prospective customers, shareholders, suppliers and maybe even members of the press. When these people arrive on your website, they are usually seeking some specific information about your business. They may want to find out about:  What products and servi... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-your-emails-opened.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-your-emails-opened.html Email marketing has become a popular way for businesses to engage in regular communication with their prospects and customers, because it is simple to use and highly cost-effective. However, as the popularity of email marketing has grown, so has the amount of spam we receive in our email inboxes on a daily basis. In order to combat the increase... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-your-business-online.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/getting-your-business-online.html In today’s internet age, having an online presence is essential for most businesses. A website can be a valuable business tool for conducting sales, contacting current and potential customers, promoting products and building brand loyalty. But getting your business online isn’t a quick process and there are a lot of important con... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/boost-your-business-by-being-the-expert.html http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/boost-your-business-by-being-the-expert.html It is a widely-known fact in business that people love buying, but hate being sold to. So how do you overcome this as a business that has products and services to sell to customers? You need to be the doctor – the expert that listens to their problems, diagnoses them and then tells them what they need to do to fix it. People will b... Mon, 28 Nov -0001 10:00:00 +1000