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Posted June 16th, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

If you’ve got a smart phone there are countless applications available to you regardless of which operating system or device you happen to be using. However, it can be almost impossible to find the right app to suit you, one that has a simple interface, is of a high quality and really delivers on its promises.

So, here’s our selection of some of the top applications that could be useful to you and your small business:

Apps for calls and conferencing

The Skype application is available for iPhone and iPad users and works in the same way as it does on your computer. The app allows you to call clients for free and see them face-to-face as well as send instant messages for free as well.

Skype

Posted June 23rd, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

Many of the best Facebook pages have a simplistic design, yet are filled with engaging calls to action, plenty of things visitors to the page can do, such as ‘like’ your page, visit your website, go and view your portfolio elsewhere, or even take part in a competition.

Online competitions are, for some companies, a good way of building your brand, connecting with people, spreading word of mouth and giving away some of your products and services to those interested as a taster.

Many companies both big and small hold these kinds of competitions on their websites and on their Facebook pages. However, what many people don’t realise is that there are strict guidelines about promotions on Facebook and its not just the big brands that get caught out, plenty of smaller organisations have been told to remove content because it breaks Facebook’s rules in one way or another.

Posted July 26th, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

Google is a global search engine, but increasingly search professionals are noticing that more and more people are using Google for smaller, local searches.

Instead of just searching for “restaurant” which would show millions of results, users search for “restaurant London” or something more specific like “restaurant Kensington and Chelsea” or something even more specific, like “restaurant Notting Hill”.

It’s estimated that 25% of computer searches for products and services are location specific and 60% are from mobile platforms, so it’s important for businesses to be aware of the way people are searching locally and use this to your advantage.

You can see the links to local Place Pages as well as a map show up near the top of Google searches:

Posted July 22nd, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

There have been a range of new mobile developments over the past few months that mean soon we could be dramatically altering the way we use our phones and make payments offline. These big changes are bound to have huge implications for both brands and customers alike, but just how will these new mobile payments work?

Posted July 21st, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

Ever since the beginning of March Google has been rolling out its new +1 button.

You may have seen it by the side of search results, as well as next to Google ads:

The +1 button is essentially a way to recommend content to your friends and contacts, in the same way the Facebook Like button currently works.

Over the past month these +1 buttons have also been appearing on websites, so it’s not just search results people can recommend, but specific sites and pieces of content too.

At first Google partnered with the likes of Techcrunch, Mashable and The Huffington Post and included the button in the same places you’d find the Facebook Like button as well as a share on Twitter or maybe Stumble Upon button. The next step was for Google to add the button to a number of its properties, like Blogger and YouTube.

But is the Google +1 button important and do you need it on your website?

Read more »

Posted July 11th, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

Last week, online giant Google launched a new social network called Google+ (or Google Plus). It was released by invitation only at the beginning of last week but now anyone can request an invite in order to sign up and join.

What is it?

Google+ is a social network designed and created by Google. In many ways it looks and works like Facebook, but there are plenty of other new and exciting features available to users as well.

Here’s a run down of the key elements of Google+ and how they can benefit you.

Posted July 7th, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

According to recent statistics, Facebook now has more than 750 million active monthly users worldwide.

It’s great to know, but what does it really mean for a small to medium sized local business with a customer base nationwide or even a few miles around your trading base?

How can you take advantage of what facebook has to offer for businesses in the UK?

Obviously the social network has long been known to connect old friends and allow users to share photos and chat. However, with a raft of new features and improvements over the past year, Facebook is also an ideal space for businesses to engage with current and potential customers and most importantly generate important business leads.

We’ve collected together just ten of many, many reasons why your business needs Facebook.

Posted July 6th, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

Google Analytics is an invaluable tool used by individuals and businesses in order to see exactly how their website is performing. From how many clicks a specific link gets each day to what people are searching for, Google Analytics is a very comprehensive tool and can provide you with a large amount of data.

Therefore, we were excited to see that Google Analytics has introduced social media engagement statistics alongside its regular offering.

Posted July 5th, 2011 by Codastar & filed under Codastar News.

There’s been a great deal of debate among SEO professionals over the past few months about just how much search engines pick up on “social signals” when determining the authority, relevance and most importantly overall rankings of websites.

Useful apps for small businesses

Should you run a Facebook competition?

Understanding Google local search marketing

The introduction of mobile payments

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