The client had an existing static .COM website however there were two main issues with it: Firstly, both the domain and hosting renewal fees were exorbitant and secondly, publishing images and details of stock offered for sale was impossible without a webmaster’s intervention.

The decision was made to tear down and rebuild on a .IE domain using a different hosting provider and develop on WordPress.

In addition to the WordPress database, a second was created to hold the following information

• Image of horse
• At which venue would it be offered for sale
• Its age, sex, pedigree etc.
• PDF of the sales catalogue

These data were easily maintain by the client via a simple web interface.

A bespoke WordPress plugin was coded that queried the database and outputted the list of horses and their details in a formatted table. For the client, it was as simple as adding [inserthorses thevenue="Saint Cloud"] in the appropriate page.

For years now I have been monitoring traffic to numerous Web sites. Always of interest is discovering how users come by these sites – is it via a link from elsewhere, via a search engine, directly by entering the URL?

An example of one very prevalent method is shown below.

The visitor, and I am guessing it was just one, used the phrase “glicit.com” to find this site.

Why?

Why if you already know the URL would you bother searching for it? If you haven’t lost your car keys you don’t go looking for them. You don’t have to!

Have people become slaves to Google, thinking that nothing exists on the Internet unless it is found via Google?

If you know the URL just type it in the address bar of your browser. Hit enter. There, you’re done. You have reached the site in one step. You are not doing a Google-search, then locating the link and then clicking.

I have asked users why they do this and the responses have varied.

However the most common is that “my boss can’t see what I’m doing if I get to a site through Google”. Eh, sorry, you’re wrong. That’s just a myth that has somehow perpetuated among office staff worldwide.

The next most frequent explanation is that “there is no other way”. Trust me, there is. Use it and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and effort.

As promised, the slides for the presentation I gave to the ActionCOACH group are now available to download. Note: This presentation was prepared using OpenOffice, a free alternative to MS Office. I exported the file to PowerPoint format for the sake of the download. It should be fine, but do let me know if you have any problems opening it.

In addition to viewing the presentation I also suggest you take a moment to browse through the accompanying speaker’s notes. (A How-To for viewing PowerPoint presentation speaker’s notes is available here).

As time was short (and I tend to rabbit on far too much when dealing with my pet topic) we didn’t get to cover as much as I would have liked. Therefore I have fleshed out the answers to some of the questions posed below. I have included a list below that of some more Irish blogs you may wish to take a look at. Feel free to contact me if you have any more. More importantly, as this is a blog after all, feel free to leave feedback in the comments area below.

Questions and Answers

Hint: Click the questions to expand the answer; click again to collapse it.

How do I go about setting up a blog?

Can I edit/delete feedback on my blog?

What if someone makes a complaint via feedback? All my customers can read it!

Could a politician be subjected to feedback on their blog from someone not in their constituency?

How do I know people are reading my blog?

Bonus (made up) question: I asked that question up there – why didn’t you name me? Why didn’t you say “as SoAndSo asked …”?

Irish Business Blogs

(More listed on the presentation itself)

Bubble Brothers (Wine merchants)

EirJobs (Recruitment portal)

John Lee (Artist)

Puddle Ducks (Rain-wear)

Ferdinand von Prondzynski (DCU President)

Tast.ie (Natural baking mixes and spice mixes)

Rabodirect (Bank)

Paddy Power (Bookie)

Piaras Kelly PR (Public relations)

I have been asked Fergal Keane of ActionCOACH to deliver a talk on Social Media and Blogging at ActionCOACH’s GrowthCLUB – 90-Day Planning Workshop tomorrow, Friday 9, January.

I’m looking forward to meeting the group and, if the truth be known, checking out the facilities and food at the Dublin Airport Clarion Hotel.

All going according to plan I will be uploading my presentation here immediately after the event. Feel free to leave feedback below.

Update: Slides and more available here.