In support of Small Business Month, Webnames.ca has partnered with Small Business BC to offer a great contest for the month of October.

When you're a small business, having a strong online presence is vital to your success. Having a great website that ranks in the search engines can make all the difference. Webnames.ca and Small Business BC want to make this part of your business planning simple by giving you the chance to win a FastTrack WordPress website or a 30 Second Professional Video!

What is FastTrack?

FastTrack is Webnames latest Web Design program, giving you a fast, professional and affordable WordPress website for just $499!

FastTrack includes:

• A six page website built in WordPress
• Custom home page banner and colour scheme
• One round of revisions
• One year hosting and domain name
• One hour training with WordPress

Why Video? 
Webnames has partnered with BBN3 to bring our customers video production that will help  you get found online, attract a new audience and increase SEO.

"Video views now account for nearly 7% of all consumer landing page behavior on small business websites - up 85% increase over 2009′s numbers."
-WebVisible, Q4 2010


Contest closes October 31st, 2011. Good Luck!

Do you think you're ready to take the leap and bring your business online? Building a new website can seem like a daunting task. Between content, pictures, design, logos; all the while having to worry about things like SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Social Media, it can all be overwhelming. There are several steps you can take to help you better prepare for the experience and make it a bit less frightening.

Find the right domain name
First, check to see if the domain name you want to use is available. Having the perfect domain name for your website is very important as it gives you your online identity and it should not be overlooked. Check to see if your desired domain name is available, and register it right away.  You will also need hosting which you can register at the same time. Hosting is often included when you sign on to work with a web developer, however finding the best package for your needs is important as you may need multiple mailboxes, online streaming, blog capabilities etc. Webnames.ca has some great new plans available and you will get your domain FOR FREE. Know what your needs are to ensure you pick the right hosting plan.  Take a look at Webnames Hosting Plans.

What is the purpose of your website?
You should  have a clear idea of what your website will be used for, and what your visitors want from your website. Knowing your target market and how to meet their needs will help you choose the overall look and feel of your website.
Get an idea of what key components you want on your website (home page, about page, blog etc.). You will also need to consider things like eCommerce (will your visitors be purchasing from your site? If the answer is yes, how will you collect the funds?) Your decisions are not set in stone, but it is important to have somewhere to begin.

What is your budget?
This is an important one, as this will help to determine what kind of features you can have on your website. The more complex you want your website to be, the more time it will take the developer and this will lead to an increase in price. You may need to be flexible either with your website or with your budget to get exactly what you want, so keep that in mind.

Content, Content, Content!
If you want to have more than blank space on your website, you need to write some content. This is a huge portion of your website, and not something to be overlooked. You know your business better than anyone else and you need to supply your web developer with the content, don't expect that they will create it for you.Your content is also very important as it affects your Search Engine rankings. If you want to be found online, you want to be aware of the keywords that visitors will be using in an effort to find your business. Read more about SEO.

Images
Pictures are a huge part of making your website stand out. Ensuring your graphics are appropriate and communicate the concept of your company, service or product cannot be ignored. Do you already have photos ready to use for your website? Do you need to have professional photographs taken? Or are you planning to pay for stock images? Consider all your options and choose the best photos to better represent your online image and identity.

Who will design your website?
There are many design firms and freelance Web designers out there who can help you create your website. It is sometimes hard to tell one from the other and making the right decision can be a challenge.

A Freelance Web Designer/Developer
- May be more cost effective than a big design firm.
- May not have all of the resources needed for larger projects and continuity in relationship (if they move or go out of business) can be an issue.

A Professional Design Firm
- Often provides the most comprehensive set of skills, resources and services.
- Usually the most expensive option.
Make sure you take these items in to consideration before you get started on your new website. Although there are a lot of items to be aware of, choosing the right web designer to help walk you through it all can make all the difference.

Ready to start the Process?
Get the best of both worlds with a professional website at a great price! Webnames.ca has two comprehensive packages, FastTrack (starting at just $499) and Essentials ($1895) that will set you up with a great looking Wordpress based website.
Learn more about FastTrack and Essentials, and see which one is best for your business website.

Choosing Webnames.ca, you always know you are getting the highest level of service and the ease of knowing the job is being done right.

This great article was recently published by our friends at Small Business BC. It tackles a subject that many small businesses struggle with - how to make small, incremental improvements to an existing website that have real impact on search results and customer experience.


10 Ways to Improve Your Small Business Website
By Mark Tempest


How well is your website performing?  Many small business owners do well with their website through word of mouth and referrals, however, as we all know, Google can be picky about what it displays in its search results, and that's key to helping new customers discover your business.  Below are 10 quick tips of how you can improve your website for both search and your potential customers.
 

1. Make sure every webpage on your site has a unique Page Title that contains the keywords that you would expect someone to use when searching for the page or product. If you need some ideas about which words people might use to search for your business, use Google's Keyword tool to give you suggestions.
       
2. If you have an About Us page - make sure that the page title includes your company name e.g. About Small Business BC.
       
3. Include your company's full business name and address on every page in the footer of the website to increase your chance of being included in local search engine results and on Google Maps.
       
4. Make sure you have installed Google Analytics and use it.  Track a couple of key metrics about your website each month, such as how many people from your local area have visited and how many visits did the website receive from search engines?
       
5. If you want to be found locally for a specific service, make sure you put your location in the page title of the very front page of your website.  For example rather than "Acme Plumbers inc" consider "Vancouver Plumber: Acme Plumbers Inc" as potential clients will be searching for Vancouver Plumber, not your company name.

Read tips 6 to 10 and rest of this article on the Small Business BC website.

Small Business BC is a champion for British Columbia's small businesses and the province's premiere resource centre for knowledge-based business products and services.[Read More]
 

As a board member of the Small Business Roundtable of British Columbia, I'm happy to announce the launch of the "Most Small Business Friendly Community" award. The award is geared towards local governments who are invited to compete and demonstrate how they have implemented measures to support local business and attract new small business investment to their communities.

The importance of small business is paramount to the BC economy and the social health of each community. The award recognizes the leaders in local governments who foster the growth and success of small business.  Applications for the award will be evaluated based on measures the local government has implemented that are aimed at:

• Reducing regulatory barriers

• Enhancing small business competitiveness

• Recognizing Small Business's contribution to their community

• Climate Action initiatives that support small business

One award will be granted in each economic region of the province. Up to three finalists per region will be selected and announced in August 2011.  The winners will be announced during Small Business Month in October.

Deadline is June 15 so act fast. To participate, please encourage your local government within British Columbia to complete the application form provided through the following link:
http://www.smallbusinessroundtable.ca/Awards/Documents/SBRT%20Award%20submission%20form_FINAL.PDF

You've built your website, it's been working well for a while, but it's time for an update. Keeping your website the same for too long is like not updating the paint on your home. Eventually it starts to look outdated. Looking at your website as something that needs to be refreshed and updated is the best way to ensure you get the most out of your online presence.

A website re-build or re-design can be daunting and does take some level of planning to ensure it's a success.  Things that you need to consider are similar to the things that go into the design of a new website, such as target market, prioritization of goals, your overall image, etc. Here are some important steps to take when planning to update your website.


Assessment - What is currently working well on your site and what isn't?
If there are areas of your current website that are working well, and attracting clients, there is no use in changing it. Make sure you take a good look at the analytics of your site and any user feedback you have received. Make a list of the things that are working and make note of why they are working well. At the same time, take a look at the areas that are performing poorly and try to come up with ways that may help to improve them.

Goals - Think about what you are trying to accomplish
Having the best looking logo design, great graphics and a site that looks better than your competitors is great, however, if you do not have a website that aligns well with your overall business plan and goals, it makes no difference.
Ensure you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish with the website (more leads, sell more etc.). At this time take a look at some of your competitors to see what they are doing that works. This will help you get creative with things that could be used for your own website.

Targeted Content - Are there areas/pages you can remove?
Having an over cluttered website is common. Oftentimes by reviewing the information on your website, you can come up with ways to simplify it by either removing pages, or combining some. Think about your audience, how they are using your website and what information is crucial. Getting rid of any "extras" will only help your clients better navigate your site. Alternatively or in addition to this, you may find that other sections and pages need to be added as your business develops. Things like a blog or image gallery are very common today and can increase the traffic to your newly designed site.

Visual Appeal - Do your photos and images need to be updated?
Having photos on your website that are several years old can really date your website, even if the overall look of your site is current. Getting new photos taken can truly update the look of your site and give in an "instant facelift". If you are using stock photos, take a look at some new images. You can use the images as a way to completely alter your business's overall impression and image, or stick with your current overall feel. The images you use are an integral part of your website and are just as important as the overall design.

Priority - Is a full redesign right for you, right now?
If your website is working well for you, creating leads and supplying customers with the information they require, a full redesign may not be necessary. Perhaps your site might just need some design updates to keep it current and modern. Make sure you consider all your options before jumping in to a full re-design.

Qualifications - Working with the right re-designer
Creating a new design and re-designing are two different things. You want to ensure you are working with someone who has experience with re-designs as oftentimes re-designs are more complicated than creating a new design.  If your site is complex and you want to keep some areas of your site while removing others, you need someone with the experience to ensure the process is smooth.

Ready to start your re-design/re-build?
Webnames.ca is well equipped to help you with your re-design through the Essentials Program. Essentials is designed to help you whether you want to re-design an existing website or launch your business on the Internet.

Learn more about Essentials, and see how it can help you with your business website.

Webnames.ca is once again proud to sponsor the annual BCIC-New Ventures Competition. Now in its 11th year, the BCIC-New Ventures Competition is one of North America's largest technology business idea competitions. The Competition attracts applicants from a wide range of industries including cleantech, digital media, Internet, information technology and life sciences.

Entrepreneurs learn how to develop their ideas into a profitable company plus have the opportunity to win more than $360,000 in prizes.

• $130,000 BCIC First Prize

• $70,000 BCIC Second Prize

• $40,000 BCIC Third Prize

• $40,000 BC Hydro Sustainability Prize

• $20,000 BC Bioenergy Network Prize

This year's competition includes three new prizes for Agritech and Social Ventures:

• $15,000 Vancity Social Venture Prize

• $30,000 Agritech Innovation First Prize

• $20,000 Agritech Innovation Second Prize

The competition is open to any BC person, resident or business with a technology-focused idea that has not yet secured significant financing from external investors (i.e. investors other than friends, family and company founders).

Register today and learn what it takes to make your company a success from the program's seminars, speakers and networking opportunities with industry experts.

Check out all the partners and sponsors who make this program possible.

Application deadline: Midnight April 18, 2011. Good luck!
Visit www.newventuresbc.com or follow on Twitter @nvbc for more info.

See past winners
 

Webnames.ca is thrilled to launch our new hosting! We've re-tooled, re-vamped and re-jigged our platform and plans - and we're sure you are going to love the result.

Great news:

We have feature rich hosting plans starting as low as $4.95/month.

We also have the lowest start-up price for a complete plan - only $37.50!

This price gets you 6 months of hosting, 1 year of domain registration, premium business email, database, popular apps like WordPress, Joomla, ZenCart, plus much more!

Compare this pricing with our competitors - below are their entry start-up prices:

HostGator - $81.72 US
Canadian Web Hosting - $82.32 CDN
Netfirms - $83.40 CDN
Hostpapa - $95.40 CDN
Network Solutions - $95.88 US

So if you're starting a new website or want to move away from your current hosting company, Webnames.ca new hosting is a great choice.

More great news:

• All plans now have generous diskspace and bandwith
• The plan prices are now LOWER or the same
• We've included favourite apps like WordPress, Joomla, ZenCart, Drupal, plus more
• We've implemented a fantastic Plesk control panel, so configuring and managing your hosting will be much easier
• We have no minimum term! While there are benefits to signing up for a longer term on some plans (ie. free domain), you can also choose to pay month-to-month.  

Still more great news:

• We include a free domain on all plans that are paid for 6 months or more
• Our hosting comes with premium business email - that means 1GB of dedicated storage per account, IMAP, iPhone/Blackberry compatible and collaboration tools such as instant messenger, shared calendars, plus more
• Our servers and IP addresses operate 100% from within Canada
• We provide unlimited, one-to-one, toll free telephone customer support

And of course, like all of our services, you will be backed by the best customer support team in the industry.

Read our reasons why Webnames.ca is the right choice to be your host! 

View our 4 new and improved hosting plans, and check out our detailed comparison chart for the complete breakdown of what's included.

If you are currently hosted with Webnames.ca, please visit our migration page for more information about your new hosting plan.

Ready to get started? Call us toll free at 1-866-221-7878.

As sponsor of the BCIC-New Ventures Regional Competition, everyone at Webnames.ca would like to congratulate the winners of the 2010 competition. Winners are selected by the competition's expert panel of judges, who base their decision on which company has the most potential for success.

$30,000 BCIC First prize: Reef Safe Fish (Victoria, BC)
Recent university graduates and siblings, Ashley and Robert Roulston at Reef Safe Fish have developed a closed loop waste-recycling technology that filters fish waste and then combines it with fertilizer to produce fish food onsite.

$20,000 BCIC Second prize: SideStix Ventures Inc. (Roberts Creek, BC)
As an athlete and amputee, Sarah Doherty and her team at SideStix have revolutionized the common walking crutch for the disabled, developing an ergonomic, shock-absorbing forearm crutch that significantly reduces joint compression and the secondary injuries that often arise from using crutches.

$10,000 BCIC Third prize: MemoryLeaf Media Inc. (Kamloops, BC)
MemoryLeaf's online memorial service, created by Jonathan Bowers whose family runs a local funeral home, lets users create a lasting legacy for their loved ones through photos, videos and stories. The service, arranged through local funeral service providers, also offers professionally developed resources to help answer questions about the grieving process.

Over 100 people attended the awards ceremony in Kelowna on February 24, 2011.

For photos of the event, check out the BCIC-New Ventures' new Facebook page.

For more info click HERE

I've been a judge of the Small Business BC Business Plan Contest for a number of years and last year, the format of the awards was enhanced and rebranded, "The Successful You Awards".

The Successful You Awards are back again this year and they are even bigger and better! Over 400 guests including entrepreneurs, contest nominees and finalists, industry professionals, government delegates, award sponsors and media will be in attendance at the awards ceremony March 29, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of small businesses and entrepreneurs in British Columbia.  The most interesting part of the judging process is getting to meet the entrepreneurs to hear their business pitches and to learn more about their stories and hear the passion in their voices about their ideas and plans for growth.

The next round of shortlisted finalists was recently announced. Congratulations to the companies listed below for advancing to the Top 10 in their respective categories. The final round of Top 5 will be announced February 15th 2011.

The Top 5 companies will present their business pitches to judges and we will select one winner from each category which will be announced at the award ceremonies March 29, 2011.

Tickets are available at http://www.successfulyou.ca/awards-ceremony

Top 10 Finalists to the 2011 Successful You Awards (in alphabetical order)

BEST CONCEPT

Cargoh - Vancouver, BC
Cycle Component Network - Vancouver, BC
Hapi Foods Group Inc - Sechelt, BC
Hear at Home - North Vancouver, BC
Jazz Café Kelowna - Kelowna, BC
RauDZ - Kelowna, BC
Serenity Performing Arts Centre- Birch Island, BC
Ugi Fitness Inc. - Vancouver, BC
Urban Foliage - Burnaby, BC
Vshoen Boutique Inc. - Victoria, BC

BEST COMPANY

All That Jazz Enterprises - Vancouver, BC
Appnovation Technologies - Vancouver, BC
Innergy Corporate Yoga - Vancouver, BC
Masc - Vancouver, BC
McDonald & Lawrence - Cobble Hill, BC
Open Door Yoga - Vancouver, BC
Quicktech - Vancouver BC
Steeples Restaurant - Shawnigan Lake, BC
Tasktop Technologies - Vancouver, BC
Trisko Talent Management - Vancouver, BC

BEST GREEN BUSINESS

Digitech Renewable Printer Cartridges - Vancouver, BC
Down to Earth Health Shop - Fort Nelson, BC
FROGBOX Inc. - Vancouver, BC
LimeLight Event Marketing - Vancouver, BC
Ricardo's Mediterranean Kitchen - Kelowna, BC
Saul Good Gift Co. - Vancouver, BC
The Car Co-op - Vancouver, BC
Walker Technologies - Courtenay, BC
West Coast Helicopters - Port McNeil, BC
West Coast Sightseeing - Burnaby, BC

BEST EMPLOYER    

Bellevue Natural Health Clinic - West Vancouver, BC
CityMax.com - Vancouver, BC
Kary Movers Ltd. - Langley, BC 
McDonald & Lawrence - Cobble Hill, BC
Ricardo's Mediterranean Kitchen - Kelowna, BC              
Seeds Natural Food Market - Cumberland, BC
Steve & Cara's Auto Shop - Creston, BC
TS Developments - Cowichan Bay, BC
Van-Isle Truck Tech Ltd. - Ladysmith, BC

Congratulations to all the finalists in their respective categories.
 

We launched our Search Engine Optimization service last month and I wanted to give you a taste of what I learned from our (frankly) brilliant SEO consultants.

There are some fast and easy things you can do that should garner you noticeable improvements in your search engine ranking.

#1 quick win - The Title Tag.
Your website's title tag is the first piece of real estate that Google indexes. If it just says Benson and Sons you've given the engines nothing to work with and unless people already know about you, it doesn't say what you do. But if you say "Benson and Sons -Winnipeg Area Private Investigators and Bail Bondsmen",  you've told the search engines where you are and what your business does.

#2 quick win - Words, Words, Words 
Google loves words and primarily indexes words. Your landing page should have at least 250 words on it and some of those words must be the key search terms that you want to be found on. So for Benson and Sons I would suggest the landing page have something like this:

"Benson and Sons is a Winnipeg based private investigation firm that also specialized in bail bonding.

Our certified investigators and bondsmen are discreet and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Bonds and investigations no longer need to be the embarrassment they once were! You can make inquires by phone, email, online or in person. Our process is simple. Once you contact us we will get back to you within the hour. We will listen to your problem and come up with a solution plan that can be acted upon quickly.

No bond is too high and no investigation too small.  Bail for a loved one falsely accused of being the Kissing Bandit? We've got you covered. Would you like us to find out who the real Bandit is?  Our state of the art undercover and online sleuthing will complement your solicitors work.

We take all manner of payment for our bond and investigation services - credit card, mortgage lien, high performance vehicles, estate jewelry and the like.

We service Winnipeg and southern Manitoba as well.  Call Benson and Sons today. Our satisfied customers all say the same thing "I have never had my bail bond and private investigation needs handled so quickly and efficiently".

Should you need us to work in any other province; we will gladly assist one of our many professional associates in those provinces who are certified bondsmen and investigators. At no time will we hand off the work to another company.  Your satisfaction is our only goal."

The key words that they would be found on would be : Winnipeg, bail, bond(s), investigator(s), investigation.

This block of text uses the key words organically.  It covered off what we do and our location. Both of these are essential to being found.

Our resident filmmaker Rami, shot to the first page of Google (from page 4) on the term Vancouver Cinematographer by changing his Title tag. It had been Rami Films Personal Portfolio and then became Rami Films Vancouver Cinematographer.

He also made sure that he peppered his blog posts with the two words and then added those posts to his blog roll on his main page at www.ramifilms.com.

Our SEO service consultants can help you figure out which words you should be trying to be found on. They can tell you how to use the description fields for your pages and the alt tags for your pictures.

They'll look at your competition and figure out what you can do to leap over them in the rankings. They'll teach you about links in and links out.

So give us a call today and we'll get you set up with a consultant ASAP. And if you want some snappy copy for your website we can help with that too! Just give us a call.

CONNECT is a conference for early-stage tech entrepreneurs who want the answers to "what's next for my company". 

Join over 800 attendees learning from tech entrepreneurs and mentors who've been there and made it - and be inspired to create your strategy for startup success.

 WHERE: October 12, 2010 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West

WHY ATTEND: Uncover the answers to the burning question on every entrepreneur's mind... What's my next step?  Learn what you didn't know straight from the people who've accomplished it.

What you can't afford to miss:

• Keynote address: Lane Merrifield, Co-Founder and General Manager of Club Penguin
  

Made in BC: The inspiring inside story of how an Okanagan startup caught the eye of Disney and the world.

• Case Studies: There are two sides to every story: Hear what worked and what didn't from both the Entrepreneur and the Expert. Topics: Startup Business Strategies, Marketing Strategies, Get Fundable
  
• Lightning Lessons: How I Did It - 5 minutes from 5 startups on HOW they beat the odds. Topics: Partnerships, Funding, Growth Beyond BC
  
• Structured Networking: Sign up to speak directly with 30 of BC's tech leaders, together in one spot.
  
• Great lineup of speakers
  

Purchase your ticket before September 24th and you will be entered to win an iPhone 4 - Powered by PayPal Canada.

Visit www.connectnext.ca for complete program details.

 

Webnames.ca, sponsor of The New Ventures BC Competition, would like to congratulate the top 10 Finalists recently announced for the 2010 competition.

The Top 10 in alphabetical order by company name are as follows:

• Catalyst oneMAR
• EnergyCzar Solutions
• Green Sense Innovations Inc.
• Hiretheworld.com
• Jostle Corporation
• MedVoxel
• Quadrogen Power Systems, Inc.
• Solegear Bioplastics Inc.
• Tingle.com
• Weddingful

These companies will go through Round 4 Oral Presentations on September 9th and 10th followed by a media training workshop on September 15th.

Join NVBC September 23rd at the Awards Ceremony at SFU Segal Centre where $300,000 in prize packages will be awarded.  REGISTER HERE.

When I used to think about Foursquare, my mind would go to rubber balls or squares drawn on pavement. Now the first place my mind goes to when I hear that term is social media.

So What Is It?

Foursquare is a location-based social network that connects you with your friends and syncs with your other social media like Twitter and Facebook. However,  unlike Twitter or Facebook, Foursquare is about sharing the places you visit (restaurants, clubs, venues, retail stores, etc.) and recommending them to other people..

The application allows you to share your physical location with friends. So, when you walk into a bar or restaurant or store, you "check-in" (Foursquare's term) on your cellphone or mobile device, and your friends cansee where you are on a Foursquare map.

Foursquare engages a local audience by encouraging them to explore their neighbourhoods and cities and rewards them for doing so.  

By combining friends and city guide elements with game-like technology, Foursquares' members earn points leading to "Mayorships" and can uncover all kinds of bonuses for not only trying new places, but going back to old favorites.

Playing the Game

As a Foursquare user, you can earn points every time you check-in at a location, unless you check in to the same location repeatedly. Foursquare encourages its users to step outside the box, awarding more points for visiting new places, trying new things, or going to multiple venuesin one night.  After the network has been built a user can earn points for giving recommendations and crossing off their "to-do" list ( a virtual "note to self" about what you should do or where you should go next).

The goal of the game however is not just to try new locations or revisit old ones, you need to claim these locations, and by doing so earn points towards a "Mayorship".  Becoming a mayor gives someone bragging rights for being the person who comes to a specific location the most and as businesses know, customers love being rewarded for visiting places they genuinely like. 
 
(Congrats to @Yarbo on Twitter who became the new Mayor of Webnames.ca yesterday!)

For your mayorship, you're not just competing against your friends; you're competing with everyone in your location that week (because on Sunday at midnight, the scores are all reset to zero- Monday is always a new game). Are you beginning to see how this can be good for business?

Foursquare for Business

Take me as an example. I recently moved to Vancouver, a big-ish city in which most people stick to their neighborhoods - Kitsilano, Main Street, Gastown, Yaletown, North Van, West Van - you get the picture. I already have a circle of friends in Vancouver who are on Foursquare. As a user, I can add tips for other locals to know where go in a 'hood and what not to bother with.  Before I even check out a new place (which Foursquare encourages me to do  ... remember new places equal more points), I already will have an idea of what to expect from what other people are saying about it.  A business can develop some serious word of mouth advertising through Foursquare these days.

As Foursquare continues to develop, so does the way businesses are using it to interact with customers and potential customers. Similar to Yelp, businesses can encourage their patrons to post reviews and also offer rewards to their customers. A café or shop can let its community know they are "in the game" by registering on Foursquare and adding their mailing information to the list for free Foursquare window decals. From there a business can promote itself by rewarding customers with discounts for checking in or even freebies like Starbucks, Sports Authority, Ben and Jerry's and Whole Foods have done.

To cite a local example, Granville Entertainment Group recently did a promotion that saw them raffle off Canucks tickets to FourSquare mayors who visited the company's Doolin's Irish Pub on a specific evening.

For businesses, the simple act of recognizing customers as "regulars" can better their relationship with them and encourage repeat customers. Since joining Foursquare, some Starbucks have seen a 50% increase in check-ins at locations and AJ Bombers (a Milwaukee burger joint) has seen a 30% increase in menu item purchases (Foursquare Blog, 2010). How is this possible? Well, Foursquare isn't exactly fringe anymore. This past spring it surpassed 1 million registered in April 2010, and since then has it has only picked up momentum! 
 
So why not get in the game? Not only is Foursquare a good way to connect with new customers and reward returning ones, like Twitter it has become an important tool for monitoring your brand and keepting tabs on the competetion. Sign up and play a part in growing a community around your business.

Learn More

Learn the lingo at Foursquare? An Introductory Guide by PublicRelationsblogger.com

Join in by visiting Foursquare's Business Page

Visit the Foursquare Church for news and articles 

  

In two weeks time the harmonized sales tax (HST) will replace the existing provincial sales taxes (PST) and the federal goods and services tax (GST) in the province of British Columbia.

As you know, Webnames.ca is located in Vancouver; this means that BC's adoption of the HST will impact you, our customers.


What Does the HST Mean for Webnames.ca Customers?

The HST will be applied on all Webnames.ca services at a rate of 12%, consisting of the 5% federal portion and a 7% provincial portion, beginning Thursday, July 1, 2010.

Hosting, Web Builder, Email

Because Hosting, Web Builder and Email are already subject to 12% taxes due to the nature of these services, there will be no changes to your invoices or receipts for these items.

Domain Registrations, Domain Renewals, SSL Certificates

Domain registrations, renewals, SSL certificates and special program fees will become subject to HST as of July 1, 2010. This means your invoices and/or bills for these items will increase by 7% for a total of 12% taxes above the retail price.

* Customers who wish to purchase or renew domain or SSL services before July 1, 2010 will realize a savings of 7%.

Webnames.ca invoices and receipts have been updated to show the HST and will take effect July 1, 2010.

Claiming the HST as a Business

While it is hard to get excited about a new tax, the HST does have advantages for businesses. The move to HST now means that businesses can claim 12% taxes, an increase of 7% over the GST.

As with the GST, if you are operating a Canadian business you can claim back the HST you've paid out during a particular reporting period by claiming it through Input Tax Credits (ITCs) on your HST return.

Additional HST Information and Resources

For general HST information, including how to apply for an HST account and HST credits/rebates, we recommend visiting Canada Revenue Agency's GST/HST Topics page and the "Information for Consumers" section of the HST for British Columbia page.

Outside of the CRA, About.com's Small Business Canada portal is the most comprehensive resource for information on all things HST, including information specific to BC and Ontario. If you have additional HST questions, you will be able to find answers here.

The first time I saw a QR Code was about a year ago on a photo of a realtor's lawn sign that was posted on Flickr.  I thought it was interesting but didn't understand what a QR Code was or could do.

It's amazing what a year can do for the popularity of a piece of technology.  We're beginning to see them everywhere.

QR Codes are the square shaped barcode thingys that you have been seeing in newspapers and on other print material. They are a 2D barcodes that hold information on the vertical and the horizontal. Regular barcodes hold 20 digits, these bad boys can carry loads more information than that.

If you scan them with your Smartphone they tend to return information from the other side of URL.  Your phone scans the URL and then launches your browser and takes you to the piece of information the code was advertising.

Our office in downtown Vancouver is in the historic Gastown area.  The Gastown Blog and the Gastown Business Improvement Society have teamed up to provide historical information on the buildings in the neighbourhood via the QR 2 code.  

The building next to our offices has a code in the window and all you have to do is scan it and it gives you the history of the building. 

This is such a fabulous idea.  Imagine you are in Milan and you see some beautiful building that you would like to get more information about but your Italian is "poor".  You just scan the code and get linked to a podcast perhaps or an English version of the historical society's website. DIY walking tours!

I like the QR 2 code for real estate - rental, sales and leases.  You walk by a For Lease sign on an office building.  You scan the code on the sign and it brings up the dot tel for the building that gives you rates, space available etc.  You scan the code on a For Rent sign and it shoots you off to the Craigslist posting with prices and pictures. You scan it on a For Sale sign and the virtual tour loads in an instant.

You can pay your restaurant bill via the code and phone these days (not everywhere but soon - soon).   I'm sure somebody has already thought of linking them to review sites so I can make intelligent decisions when I'm buying a camera or a netbook or some such.

What uses would you put them to? Send us any cool uses you have already seen.  This bandwagon needs a parade!

Image - Webnames.ca's .TEL GIft Card QR Code