Rene's Roadshow Rhapsody

Our final seminar of the year took place in Inverness today. It's been a good run, and we're grateful for having had the chance to go all across the country, from Lochgilphead to Stornoway. I hope that all of the businesses who attened have learnt something, and it's good to get a chance to meet the people who are actually using the techniques we teach.

It's no lie to say that we learn as much from them as they do from us. And it helps us to focus our seminars more keenly on the required subjects.

The seminars have definitely been enhanced with the involvement of ex-hotelier Rene Looper. Who has gallantly filled the 'dead zone' after lunchtime, with his real life experiences in the hospitality industry. Thus reinforcing the seminar topics and presenting them in a more poignant way for the delegates.

Rene's latest project http://www.greaterspeyside.com/ has also helped us to illustrate other topics more vividly. Particularly regarding destination management and streamlining content.

I'd also like to thank the Scottish Tourism Forum and Iain, Elaine and Sharon, for organising the events and fuelling me with cups of coffee.

Hopefully there are lots more to come in the New Year. (but let's get Xmas out of the way first).

HIE Workshops Forres

The 2nd last of this year's HIE e-tourism seminars took place in Horizon Scotland, Forres today. A bit of a 'home' game for myself and Stewart.

A diverse array of businesses attended from small b&b's to larger concerns such as Johnstons of Elgin and the Knockomie Hotel.

Hopefully everyone received some useful insights into how to improve their web presences and we wish everyone good luck in improving their online strategies.

Stornoway Workshops

Continuing our travels with the E-Tourism workshops, we recently conducted one in Stornoway. The course was keenly attended and (we believe) well received.

This seminar illustrates how keenly the internet has been adopted by the remoter Scottish locations. Which I guess is no suprise, as it these very locations which have the opportunity to benefit most from the technology.

The connection was amazingly quick, considering there were 10 laptops running off the wireless. Thanks to the effort and ingenuity of Connected Communities, who managed to create their own DSL system on the island. Necessity is not only the mother of invention but also of improvement.

All delegates showed a particular aptitude and knowledge of web issues, which hopefully we helped them to enhance.

I'm only sorry I didn't get to spend more time to explore during my first foray to the Outer Hebrides.

And thanks for the comment Helen, I hope you enjoy blogging.

Search Engine Mythology

It still seems that there are companies out there, promising the Earth to their clients when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation and website rankings.

Having worked in the building industry I can't help but see the parallels.

So many people but their faith in others who have knowledge and experience, to get a job done which they cannot do themselves.

I always advise my clients to avoid anyone who 'guarantees' a top listing in Google's organic results, but not everyone has the benefit of a friendly advisor to hand. So, just to re-iterate, nobody can guarantee the top ranking on page one of any given search result. Not even Google themselves. That's how they designed it.

Google's entire empire rests on the validity of their search results. A bond of trust has been developed between themselves and the user. And an unwritten pact to deliver where possible accurate and relevant search results. So it makes no sense that all companies can be top of the rankings.

Search engine optimisation isn't a silver bullet. But, like most worthwhile things, it requires effort.

Coding is only the start of the process and developing content and valuable reciprocal links is the main part of the battle.

But, ultimately, your site has to be useful to those who use the internet. So whilst SEO is important, it's what your site does and how well it does it that matters.

New Workshops for June

The success of our e-business seminars and workshops keeps rolling on. HIE Moray have again asked us to present a series of 6 seminars from the 25th till the 29th of June.

Topics featured will be:

• Best Practice Web Design & Web Review
• Supplier Management Principles and Web Review
• E-Marketing and Technology Management Review
• Search Engine Optimisation & Advanced E-marketing Techniques
• E-business integration techniques & E-commerce Database options
• Benefits of Broadband & Content Management Options

If attendance is anything like our E-tourism seminars in January then we'll be chock full.
Thanks again to Horizon Scotland for providing us with the perfect venue for all of our forthcoming e-business events in 2007.

E-Tourism Workshops

After our first round of E-tourism workshops last week, we were over-subscribed. Feedback has been excellent so far and we're having to present more workshops to satisfy the demand.

Everyone has shown great enthusiasm and willingness to share their own experiences of using the internet to promote their business. Even submitting themselves to a 'Pop Idol' style crit of their websites, which gives me the chance to play Simon Cowell, but hopefully in a more constructive manner.

Our main aim with the workshops is to increase the level of knowledge for all businesses in the Moray area, in the hope that they can compete more effectively in a busy marketplace. And hopefully we are helping them do this.

Thanks must go to Horizon Scotland for the venue, HIE Moray for the organisation and, most of all, to the local businesses who have taken valuable time out to attend.

E-Tourism Workshops

After our first round of E-tourism workshops last week, we were over-subscribed. Feedback has been excellent so far and we're having to present more workshops to satisfy the demand.

Everyone has shown great enthusiasm and willingness to share their own experiences of using the internet to promote their business. Even submitting themselves to a 'Pop Idol' style crit of their websites, which gives me the chance to play Simon Cowell, but hopefully in a more constructive manner.

Our main aim with the workshops is to increase the level of knowledge for all businesses in the Moray area, in the hope that they can compete more effectively in a busy marketplace. And hopefully we are helping them do this.

Thanks must go to Horizon Scotland for the venue, HIE Moray for the organisation and, most of all, to the local businesses who have taken valuable time out to attend.