In the unlikely event that something should go wrong with your emails, your site goes off line, or you need all-important technical assistance at a moment’s notice you need to know that someone will always be there. So chose your host with care.

Over the years we’ve worked with several different hosts and there are some that we would recommend and others we wouldn’t. So what should you look for when choosing who will host your website?

• First I would look for a host that you can ring up and talk to. Try calling their service line and see what happens. Are they friendly? Do they know what they are talking about? Can you send them an email if you need to? You should also look to see if they have online documentation that you can turn to if you need help with common problems/questions.
• Check that the host offers the kind of hosting you require. For example, a WordPress site will need Linux hosting. And if you plan to include a lot of multimedia files in your site – images, audio, video – ask if there will be server space for this.
• Look at bandwidth. This will be crucial if you are expecting a lot of visitors or expect people to download files from the site.
• Does the host handle domain name purchase and management? It is so much easier if they do, and usually cheaper when hosting and domain names come as a package.
• Ask how many email addresses are included. You’ll want at least five included in the price to give you some kind of flexibility. Avoid deals that just include one, and check data limits. I would expect to send and receive emails of up to 10MB. Anything less can be very limiting if you are used to getting lots of attachments.
• Consider cost but don’t be swayed by seemingly bargain offers. Avoid any host that charges per month, particularly if they want to set up a direct debit from your credit card. These deals are never as good as they look and perilously difficult to get out of once you are in. Any reputable company will charge you on an annual basis and I think £45-£60 a year for hosting and email is a good price for a basic package.

PS The gratuitous pic is Salisbury Crags in the park opposite our office, taken with the hipstamatic app on my phone. Nice, eh?

So with this thought in mind we decided that our lovely new website would be able to automatically adjust its content to whatever screen it was being viewed on. To use the current jargon this means it is a responsive site. A responsive site allows for an advanced layout to recognise a smartphone or computer tablet, and simplify its design to fit. It involves more work for the web designer, but is well worth the extra effort as all elements are fully functional and no magnification is required to view the site on an iPhone or iPad or similar.

Now that the new site is up and running I couldn’t be happier: when I meet a client or prospect I can easily take out my phone and offer an instant demo, wherever I am. When the client checks the website on their own phone, they can click on my number and call me anytime, or pass it on to friends and colleagues who may be interested in our services. And if you’re not viewing this article on your phone, give it a go now. You’ll want your site to the do the same.

First, Zone Architects is a cutting edge practice specialising in striking new build homes  and intelligent conversions. The firm’s existing website dates back to 2004 and has been doing a great job, but has been overtaken by leaps forward in technology and user expectation. We’ll be putting together a 2012-friendly site that is totally responsive in the next month.

For The Crannach, a café and artisan bakery in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, we’ll also be offering an update to an existing site. The new website will feature updating menus, an online shop and enhanced promotion for all aspects of this mouthwatering business.

Amazingly I’ve heard some people say, “Testimonials? We’ll just make them up … everybody does it.” It’s not very ethical, but you can do it if you like. Personally, I think you can always tell when praise is real or invented. Great testimonials tell the story of what your business means to your client: what a difference you made to their business, and/or their life.

When approaching clients for testimonials don’t be afraid to offer them some guidance on what to send you, and remember to choose those clients whose stories will make the most impact. Then get them to answer the following questions:

1. What did they do before they came to you, ie what was the problem they were wanting to solve?
2. What specific things did they ask you to do? How did they feel during the process?
3. What was the result of working with you? Here you are asking them, if possible, to measure that difference. It’s great if they say their business or their swimming technique or whatever improved, but better if they say “Sales increased by 50%” or “I can swim 50 more lengths without stopping, or (*insert appropriate benefit here).”
4. Make sure you get them to refer back to the initial problem, and outline how that problem was resolved.

If you can get them to put their thoughts in writing that’s great, but if you are dealing with an extremely busy person you could suggest that you interview them and write up the testimonial yourself. You can then send it to them to approve. Add it to your website or printed material, then sit back and feel the love doing its magic.

As I’m sure you’re aware regular blogging improves your search ratings and reminds your clients that you are still open for business. It also, hopefully, is valuable to your clients/prospects who can pick up tips from you as an expert on your subject.

If I’m honest my excuse is that I have been busy. Too true, and its nice to be busy working on many, many interesting projects – I’ve just added a new website case study to my portfolio and there are lots more to come there in the coming days/weeks – but in truth blogging is something I really should make time for. It falls into that “important, not urgent” category that is often put on the back burner whilst you concentrate on the “important, urgent” and “not important, urgent” tasks.

If that rings true for you as well, don’t neglect it as it could really drive your business forward. If you really don’t have the time, get someone else to do it for you. I can help! Give me a call on 0131 620 1129 or get intouch@geordiemac.co.uk

In that time we’ve entertained (amongst others)Truckstop Honeymoon, a couple of blue grass punk rockers from Kansas with their four kids and nanny in tow, Kan, a dazzling Celtic supergroup (pictured above), The Bevvy Sisters, a trio of vocal delights that defy categorisation, Walter Strauss, a fingerpicking guitar virtuoso from California, and Brigid Kaelin, a multi-instrumentalist from Kentucky.

Douglas first started hosting the house concerts four years ago. His house is a converted co-op shop that doubles as a photographic studio and has long standing connections with local musicians. Before it was converted into a dwelling space the basement was a popular, if vertically challenged, rehearsal space for bands such as Salsa Celtica, Shooglenifty and The Felsons.

The idea for letting bands perform in the upstairs space came together when Dean Owens of The Felsons asked if he could play an informal solo gig one Friday night. Though the space is large, it really feels as though the musicians are playing in someone’s front room. The crowd, which can number anything up to 60, make a donation (usually £10 each) to the artists and bring their own liquid refreshment. It’s a reasonably priced night out for the punters, and a nice little earner for the musicians who go home with all the takings.

After Dean’s gig, other local musicians started to ask if they could play and it became an almost monthly fixture, but in the past year the house’s popularity has snowballed with musicians from overseas picking up the phone and asking if they can book it for a properly scheduled stop on a UK tour. Now it is not unusual to be hosting gigs every week. The mailing list has expanded as happy music lovers leave their details with us after a gig or press their business cards into our hands, and we are taking delivery of CDs from hopeful artists almost every day.

So given that the demand for gigs from musicians and music lovers alike is growing organically, why the need to market? The fact is that having concerts in your home every week is not a sustainable way to run a venue. The patience of the neighbours, we suspect, may be wearing thin, and with all this amazing music on offer we feel that the time is right to start investigating options for a permanent venue  in Edinburgh with the same welcoming vibe for artists and audience alike.

We’ll keep you posted on developments in that direction. In the meantime, if you are interested in great live music in a venue with a vibrant but homely atmosphere, where you can meet and interact with the musicians, drop me a line to intouch@geordiemac.co.uk, I’ll add you to the mailing list and let you in on Edinburgh’s best kept musical secret.

Follow the house concerts at twitter.com/houseconcerts42

Hmm, just realised that I’ve just asked myself a question with a headline. Well, that’s what you get from spending too much time with yourself working at home I guess, but it’s relevant to this blog post. When I start each week, I have certain jobs planned. This week that meant writing the main feature for a swimming magazine, swapping over some adverts on the same, producing the email newsletter for Art of Swimming, and some promotional activity for the AoS. I’ve also been looking into some sponsorship possibilities for the Outdoor Swimming Society, and working on a website proposal for a major new Edinburgh organisation. So far so routine, but I’ve also begun working on a more unusual job.

As of this week I am putting together and promoting a running workshop for Malcolm Balk, the Alexander Teacher and running coach who wrote Master the Art of Running. He is to the running world, what Steven Shaw and Art of Swimming are to swimming. Malcolm is based in Montreal and he comes to the UK once a year to pass on his wisdom and technique to recreational and competitive runners. However, Malcolm had never taught in Edinburgh, and when interviewing him for the magazine in February I suggested he came here, he said, “Okay, if you arrange it.” Never one to dodge a challenge I agreed.

The workshop is on Saturday 14 May and so I have been running (how appropriate) round town all day with posters (see above) for running shops, contacting runners groups and Alexander Technique teachers who might have pupils who like to run.

Most interesting were Edinburgh’s running and triathlon shops. I’ve never been a runner myself, walking’s my thing, but it’s easy to see how you might be seduced by all the spangly kit available. There were shoes that favour the front of the foot, shoes that offer stability (as opposed to what exactly?), shoes that offer support, and shoes that mimic running barefoot (surely negating the need for shoes?). Then there is all the clothing in hi tech material when probably what you have rolled up at the bottom of your wardrobe would do.

But I digress. The point is that, as John Lennon once sang, “life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans”. I know that some would say you should concentrate on your core business and not be distracted, but the truth is I like to try new things and you never know where it might lead.

Next week, I expect to find myself immersed in the world of Adult Education for another new client. It’s a fresh subject for me, but one I’m looking forward to immensely. Oh yes, and if you have a project that you’d like to run past me, give me a call. I might just take up that challenge.

Have a good weekend everyone, and if you are interested in a running workshop in Edinburgh click here for more info.

I first heard about World Book Night back in December on the BBC’s Culture Show. The idea, first mooted by Jamie Byng of Canongate Books, was to give away a million books chosen by the nation’s literati. Brilliant, I thought, I’d like to get involved in that.

Then I looked at the list and realised that I was not quite the discerning bookworm I thought I was. Between you and me, I had only read one on the list of 25, however it was one of my very favourite books: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I thought I could easily “sell” that title and quickly signed up online to be a giver.

As it turned out, it was a popular choice and I got an email saying I hadn’t been chosen as one of the 20,000 givers. Boo. Luckily for me, the organisation of this rather ambitious project was a bit hit and miss, and over the past month received several emails saying that I might get some books, or not, or maybe I could be a reserve, or not. Hmm.  Then on the day before the event I received an email saying some books were waiting for me at Musselburgh Library. Yay.

I called the Library and found the librarians as bemused as I was. I pitched up and they told me that they had had no idea they were going to receive these boxes of books until they arrived. They then discovered that none of the boxes had my name on it, but one was labelled “reserve giver”. They decided that I could have that, so before they changed their minds, I was off with a box of 48 copies of The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.

You will not be surprised to learn that I had never even heard of this book, let alone read it. So I quickly looked it up on Amazon, the 21st century equivalent of Brodies Notes, and prepared to bluff my way through.

When Saturday arrived I realised that I had absolutely no idea if there were any guidelines for giving the books away, if they had to be given out in the evening, or all in one place. I couldn’t find much guidance on the World Book Night website, but quickly turned to twitter where the #worldbooknight hashtag was pinging out updates every second. People were giving the books out at tube stations, shopping centres, up hills, in village halls, outside book shops – anywhere they fancied really.

Then I learned that I should write identifying numbers inside the back of the books so they could be tracked, but I hadn’t been sent any numbers and couldn’t get any guidance on that anywhere. What the hell, I wrote my (twitter) name inside and the place where I gave the book away and left it at that. Apologies to anyone who got one of my books and can’t track it because of the lack of id number.

By early Saturday afternoon I was ready. As I trial run, I took four books to the park with me when I went out with the dog and easily got rid of them to fellow dog walkers.  Next location was decided by my partner in crime, Douglas Robertson, who agreed to snap a pic (see above) and swing me round town on the back of his motorbike. We pitched up at The Shore, Leith, where initially I was shunned by a few people, most of whom were foreign tourists. Others were clearly worried that I was trying to sell them something or peddling some happy clappy religion. Hmm. I soon worked out, however, that if I said, “I’m giving away free books for World Book Night” I got a much better response. I even found someone who had already read the book. He didn’t take a copy btw, but was able to give me a great potted review.

Lots of people I gave books to at The Shore, and Frederick’s Cafe, Edinburgh (our second destination) seemed to know about World Book Night, and were delighted to be offered a freebie. I enjoyed lots of conversations about what books they liked to read, how difficult it was to read with a small child in the family, their plans to read more, and how they were definitely going to read The Reluctant Fundamentalist and pass it on.

I finished off my giving at 11pm, rather fittingly I thought, at the Canon’s Gait pub in Edinburgh, where I treated the bar staff, the band and a few punters to my last books. I admit that I saved one copy for myself. Before I went to bed I was already five chapters in. The verdict? The World Book Night people may have problems running a book give-away smoothly, but they really know their books. The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking read, and I look forward to giving this last copy away as soon as I finish it. Promise.

2010 was a year of transition for GeordieMac, as I moved further into the online world and embarked on a seemingly endless upward learning curve. 2011 will be a time of capitalising on all of that learning. And if that sounds like a New Year’s resolution you’re absolutely right. You can call me on it this time next year!

Looking back over 2010, I’m extremely proud of our first online magazine SwimShawMethod. It continues to climb the Google rankings – 6th for swimming magazines at last look – and I look forward to building on its success this year. It’s sister site www.artofswimming.com is also picking up the challenge of optimising the client around popular search terms for swimming lessons, and finding new ways to engage with prospects and existing clients alike. We’ve also been busy designing and producing vouchers, leaflets, posters and a regular monthly email newsletter for Art of Swimming this year.

Over at another key client, Apex Training, we have also found innovative ways of delivering a message. Through short story books, clients who sign up to the company’s training courses can understand key concepts before they even step into the training room. We look forward to expanding this activity into new areas of training in 2011.

Internally at GeordieMac collaborations with the freelance team, especially Paolo Drusi of New Tree Design have really come together over the past year. I have worked for Paolo’s clients – providing content for websites – and he has provided the technical expertise for my clients. This relationship is due to be formalised in 2011 as Paolo and I are about to join forces with photographer Douglas Robertson and Charlotte Halliday of Nobel Ox Marketing to form a one stop digital agency for all your marketing and publishing needs. Expect more news on this shortly. In the meantime, let’s look forward to a sunshiny 2011 and a long season of ice in our cones not on our roads.

The brief was to replace the client’s previous site with a presence that complemented their online magazine, launched back in June. But most importantly Art of Swimming wanted a site that showcased their offering across the UK, and around the world with dynamic content. They were also keen to include a number of minisites where customers could easily learn about Shaw Method of swimming tuition near them. Finally, they wanted to ensure that visitors to the site could search on their terms so we asked them ‘What would you like to do?’ and ‘How would you like to learn?’

Naturally I couldn’t have put this project together without the support of the brilliant GeordieMac team. BIG thanks are therefore due to razor sharp designer Lewis Bilsland who once again read my mind, Edinburgh’s No 1 photographer Douglas Robertson who supplied our fabulous front-page image (and many others besides), and wonderweb guy Paolo Drusi who put it all together with care and patience.