bartercard
issue thirteen
Personal Development . The Child Cancer Foundation . . A More Productive 2012 . Market Research, The Basics . . Making Sense of Google Analytics . Escape to Rarotonga .
CONTENTS
6
9
17
THE CEO’S DESK 3 FROM Personal Development
TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR CLIENT 12 TIME DATABASE & INCREASE SALES
BARTERCARD FOUNDATION 4 THE Supporting the Child Cancer Foundation 6 SPONSORSHIPS NZ Breakers TIPS FOR A MORE PRODUCTIVE 9 TOP 2012
YOUR NEXT EVENT USING 14 PLANNING SOCIAL MEDIA SENSE OF GOOGLE ANALYTICS 16 MAKING What do all of those graphs really mean?
A quick guide for small businesses
10 A quick guide for small businesses
MARKET RESEARCH - THE BASICS
SHORTCUTS 17 KEYBOARD Save time by using these simple keyboard shortcuts
18 RAROTONGA Escape to Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Join us on facebook www.facebook.com/BartercardNewZealand
Not a member of Bartercard? To find out more and join the world’s largest trade exchange phone 0508 BARTER (227 837) or visit www.bartercard.co.nz
bartercard vivere PRODUCED BY Bartercard New Zealand Marketing Team Marketing Manager: Emma Oliver Graphic Designer: Erik Lopeti Marketing Assistants: Melissa Marcinkowski, Steven Wong Please contact your Trade Broker with any Advertising queries. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sarah Ferguson, Emma Oliver
Bartercard New Zealand PO Box 101 563 NSMC, Auckland info@bartercard.co.nz www.bartercard.co.nz
FROM THE CEO’S DESK
Personal Development P
oint 6 in my series on Servant Leadership is Personal Development. As leaders we need to take responsibility for our own personal development and that of our people. Let me ask you a question when did you last read a book, go to a seminar or conference, listen to a CD or download something from the internet that had a positive impact on your own personal development? If you as a leader want your people to grow; then you must first grow yourself and create a vacuum for your people to move into. It is very rare that people following a leader will grow beyond where the leader is personally. So how do you grow yourself? It takes discipline just like being the best at anything. Let’s use the analogy of getting healthy, you put good food in and you exercise to become healthy. If you put good food in your brain and exercise it daily by using what you have learned then you will grow personally. Find people who are where you want to be in life and learn from them, you will find that most people who have been through years of personal development understand that they have a responsibility to help others and are quite likely to be open to helping you. What have you got to lose in asking? Become an insatiable reader. There are so many fantastic books available that can help leaders grow, everything from specifics on leadership, to management principles, understand personalities, how to listen, how to set goals, how to have a purpose in life and a whole raft of other subjects. Reading is just like eating, some taste better than others and some are better for you than others, but take the good parts from what you do read and make it part of who you are. I cannot express strongly enough how important reading is to personal development. The trick is once you have read a book, give it away, give it to your staff or the people you are leading and let them read it too. When you have really read a book and taken something positive from it you will be a promoter of that book. You will find selling it to your staff to read is a lot easier when you have read it. If you find good books pass them on, if you get nothing from a book then be discerning and determine if your people would benefit from it before passing it on. There are a myriad of seminars that you can attend right here in Auckland on a regular basis, there are people who have the ability to communicate powerfully through speaking and you will find every seminar you attend you should be able to take home at least one new piece of information that can help with your personal development. Take your staff to the seminars as well and everyone can benefit from the positive input at the same time. Personal development is a simple formula, garbage in garbage out, inspiration in inspiration out, become the leader you were destined to be by growing yourself personally, enjoy the adventure.
Paul Bolte, CEO Bartercard New Zealand vivere 3
BARTERCARD FOUNDATION
Bartercard Foundation
Enhancing lives of those in need
As an ambassador for the Child Cancer Foundation for 2 ½ years I have been privileged to meet some incredible kiddies and their families. It never fails to amaze me how strong and resilient they are as they face challenges unthinkable to most families. I know that all you hope for as a Mum is a healthy and happy child. As a mother of two toddlers, that is my one wish in life. A mother never takes for granted their child’s health because you know that having a sick child changes everything – even a cough or a cold can be tough. So when I have visited kids in hospital flushed with fever and pain from the many infections they are so vulnerable to when they are neutropenic (low immunity and ability to fight infection), I am overwhelmed by their bravery. My heart also goes out to their parents. For most of us, taking our kids along to have a quick immunisation injection is stressful enough. But the reality is that for cancer kids, that’s a walk in the park. I can’t imagine what it must be like to watch your child endure chemotherapy, radiation, biopsies, transfusions or surgery. I’ve heard families say how totally overwhelming the cancer experience is. I am so proud to be involved with the Child Cancer Foundation and have enjoyed seeing how they wrap their arms around the whole family on the child cancer journey. The Family Support Team around the country do an incredible job and your generosity enables us to continue doing that. One family we have supported, the Tongas, from Auckland, have kindly agreed to share their cancer journey story. In 2008 six year old Tina Tonga was diagnosed with Ependymoma, a type of brain tumour. Since then she has undergone surgery, chemotherapy and radiation but unfortunately they were unable to remove all of the tumour. “It was very sad when we found out Tina had cancer. Every time she ate she vomited, she couldn’t walk or talk, she would fall down…” says Mum Lile. When Tina was diagnosed the family was about to move to Levin for Tina’s father Sosefate’s new job. Unfortunately they were forced to stay in Auckland so Tina could undergo her treatment. This left Dad without a job and the family living in an extended family household of 11 people. The Tongas were referred to the Child Cancer Foundation by their hospital social worker and were assigned a Family Support Coordinator soon after they were diagnosed. Helen is the family’s current Family Support Coordinator. “Helen is very helpful to us, she explains things I can’t and it is so much easier,” says Lile. The financial impact of the Tonga Family’s change in circumstances was huge. Helen provided the family with grocery vouchers to help relieve some of the immediate financial strain. She visited Tina’s family at home, in hospital and at the Child Cancer Foundation’s Family Place and was a valuable intermediary between oncologists, nurses, social workers and the family. When Tina eventually finished her treatment and started primary school, Helen was there to help settle her in. “When Tina first started school she wasn’t making friends, because the children didn’t understand why she was so boisterous. Then Helen came to the school and talked to the kids about the effects of her tumour. Now they understand and things have been better for Tina. I feel good about that” says Lile.
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BARTERCARD FOUNDATION Bartercard Foundation
At school, Tina’s teachers were concerned about her learning abilities, behaviour and vision - all side affects caused by the tumour. “Tina can see better in familiar places, but when we go away from the house to places like church – it is harder to see” says Lile. Helen contacted the hospital and met with Tina’s social worker and oncologist. Together they organised an assessment to measure Tina’s learning and development. Helen also met with a psychologist for the Ministry of Education and a sight support representative and put together an application for funding to support Tina in her classroom. Tina was able to access a Child Cancer Foundation Scholarship which allowed her to have a teacher’s aide straight away until other funding could be accessed. Tina even took her Beads of Courage to school to show to her classmates – all 250 of them given for every treatment and procedure as recognition of the courage she had shown during her cancer treatment. Unfortunately, housing has still been an issue for Tina’s family. Helen has been Lile’s support person with Housing New Zealand and has supported the family seeking better living conditions through their local MP. Tina’s treatment is finished now, but she is still being monitored regularly. Some of the side effects from her tumour will be with her for the rest of her life. Tina and her family’s cancer journey has been a hard one, but there is so much we can do to help reduce the impact and isolation. With your help, the Child Cancer Foundation Family Support Team can continue to make a difference for kids like Tina and their families. Thank you for your continued kindness.
Warm regards,
Bernadine Oliver-Kerby
Yes!
I’d like to help a child on their cancer journey.
Bartercard has long supported charities by allowing members to donate Trade Dollars to charitable causes. Your donation to the Bartercard Foundation will enable the Child Cancer Foundation to continue to help brave children like Tina throughout her cancer journey.
Tina with her Family Support Coordinator Helen.
Donate Trade Dollars online today www.bartercardfoundation.co.nz
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SPONSORSHIPS NZ Breakers
NZ BREAKERS The NZ Breakers are proving to be hot property again this season. Currently sitting on the top of the table, they are also a team that cares about the community. making time in their busy schedules to spread some Christmas cheer at the annual Starship Chrismtas Party. Good luck to the boys for the remainder of the season.... GO BREAKERS!
SKYCITY BREAKERS - THE TEAM 3 - Daryl Corletto 30 year old Corletto joins after ten years at the well performed Melbourne Tigers. A 6”4’ shooting guard, Daryl joins the Sky City NZ Breakers after appearing 277 times for the Melbourne Tigers during a career that has spanned 10 seasons including League Championships in 2005/6 and 2007/8. Last season Corletto was voted the Tiger’s supporters Most Valuable Player after appearing in every game and scoring 282 points (10.1 points per game) at 40% shooting from the field. A renowned threepoint shooter who is clinical from the free throw line, (3rd in the league at 96% in 2010/11) Daryl will provide the Breakers with added perimeter shooting firepower as well as a wealth of experience.
4 - Cedric Jackson A new import to the club, Jackson is a point guard with a great ability to bring others into the game, as well as score himself when required. Jackson is known for his ability to drive to the hoop aggressively and provide some open looks for teammates. With brief experience in the NBA, 25 year old Jackson is set to thrill fans on the North Shore and at Vector Arena this season.
8 - Jarrod Kenny Jarrod will be a member of the extended squad for the season. Jarrod recently lead the Hawkes Bay Hawks to the Bartercard NBL Final and was a member of the Tall Blacks for the recent Olympic Qualifying series against Australia.
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2011-12 NZ Breakers Schedule ROUND 12
Friday, December 23
Perth Wildcats
ROUND 13
Saturday, December 31
Cairns Taipans
ROUND 13
Saturday, December 31
Cairns Taipans
ROUND 14
Sunday, January 8
Melbourne Tigers
ROUND 15 Friday, January 13 Adelaide 36ERS NSEC, Auckland Tip off at 7.30pm ROUND 16 Thursday, January 19 Melbourne Tigers NSEC, Auckland Tip off at 7.30pm ROUND 17 Friday, January 27 Sydney Kings Vector Arena, Auckland Tip off at 7.30pm ROUND 18 Thursday, February 2 Perth Wildcats NSEC, Auckland Tip off at 7.30pm ROUND 19
10 - Thomas Abercrombie Still just 24 years of age, Tom Abercrombie has the world at his feet but has chosen to stay at home on the North Shore and enjoy another season with the SKYCITY Breakers. His aerial ability is recognised wherever he plays, but his ability to defend anyone is probably just as important to Coach Lemanis. Tom Abercrombie.
14 - Mika Vukona What can you say about this next player. His return to play in the second game of the semi finals against Perth last year is the stuff of a legend, he is the epitome of effort in sport with a heart the size of the Sky Tower. Mika Vukona brings his passion and no shortage of amazing ability at both ends of the court back to the SKYCITY Breakers this year.
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Saturday, February 11
Wollongong Hawks
ROUND 20 Thursday, February 16 Wollongong Hawks NSEC, Auckland Tip off at 7.30pm ROUND 21 Thursday, February 23 Townsville Crocodiles NSEC, Auckland Tip off at 7.30pm ROUND 22
Sunday, March 4
Perth Wildcats
ROUND 23
Saturday, March 10
Adelaide 36ERS
ROUND 24 Thursday, March 15 Gold Coast Blaze NSEC, Auckland Tip off at 7.30pm ROUND 25
Friday, March 23 Sunday, March 25
Townsville Crocodiles Gold Coast Blaze
image courtesy of Photosport
SPONSORSHIPS NZ Breakers
20 - BJ Anthony
21 - Dion Josh Bloxham - Development Player
23 year old BJ Anthony moves up the ranks, securing a fulltime contract with the SKYCITY Breakers after impressing as a development player last season. A regular in Tall Black teams, BJ brings power and size under the basket.
21 year old Bloxham is back in one of the development spots available at the SKYCITY Breakers this year. Josh is out of Nelson where he has impressed in the Bartercard NBL in recent years not only with his game on court, but his maturity on and off it marks him as a leader of the future.
23 - CJ Bruton
42 - Issac Fotu - Development Player
What can you say about this player that hasn’t already been said. His long and illustrious career is unrivalled, his ability to draw the best out of players around him and to nail the big plays at the right time – who will ever forget that series of bombs against the Taipans in last year’s Grand Final decider. One of the best to have played the game in this part of the world and a key player this season.
The ability of 17 year old Isaac Fotu was recognised with his inclusion in the recent tour of Europe by the Tall Blacks. Fotu is a product of Rangitoto College and was named in the All Star Five at a recent Nike All Asia Camp in China.
24 - Dillon Boucher A foundation Breaker, Dillon Boucher comes back for another tilt at a third ANBL title to go with his 8 NZ titles. If any player is looking to replicate a career and development on and off court in that time, this is the guy they want to talk to. Always a defensive lynchpin in any side and a leader on and off court.
33 - Leon Henry Very much a part of the SKYCITY Breakers last season, filling in briefly for players on short term contracts but staying to scrimmage with the roster for the entire season. He has since won a championship with the Wellington Saints and featured for the Tall Blacks in the recent Oceania series against Australia.
35 - Alex Pledger ‘Chief’ as he is known to his team mates, Alex Pledger, returns to the SKYCITY Breakers after a stellar and award winning season with Waikato in the Bartercard NBL. Stamping his mark on the iiNet finals series with that put back one handed slam dunk, Chief will have a big role to play on the roster this year as he continues his development in the game.
Judd Flavell - Assistant Coach, Academy Coach Judd begins his sixth season with the Breakers this year as Assistant Coach and Head Coach of the Basketball Development Academy. Flavell continues to work brilliantly with the young talent in the game, teaching them not only how to cope on the court but also in areas of leadership and responsibility off the court.
Dean Vickerman - Assistant Coach This is Dean’s fifth year as Assistant coach with the SKYCITY NZ Breakers, prior to which he served as an Assistant with the North Melbourne Giants, Melbourne Tigers and the Singapore Slingers. Dean again coached the Waikato team in the Bartercard NBL, taking his team to the finals for the third year in a row after winning the title in his first season in charge in 2009.
Andrej Lemanis - Head Coach This is the seventh year that Andrej has been at the helm of the SKYCITY NZ Breakers, last year of course coaching the club to a maiden iiNet Championship title. Andrej is also assistant coach to Brett Brown in the Boomers camp and will be involved with the Australians at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
55 - Gary Wilkinson Gary returns to the SKYCITY Breakers this season, no doubt ready to pump the crowd with his chest thumping and all court game. His value to the roster was recognised with inclusion in the iiNET All First team last season, one of the better imports to come to the league we are thrilled to have Gary, Jessica and their new baby boy back this year.
15 - Dion Prewster - Development Player Captain of the 2009 NZ Junior Team at the FIBA U19 World Champs here in New Zealand, Prewster returns from the States to take up an opportunity with the SKYCITY Breakers as a development player. The 6”3’ guard or small forward played with Wellington in the Bartercard NBL.
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FEATURE NZ Breakers
2010-11 iiNet Australian NBL Champions NZ Breakers
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BUSINESS Increasing your productivity in 2012
TOP TIPS: For a more Productive 2012 DO... Simplify
Simply your to do list, delegating tasks where possible. This will allow you to focus on the most important tasks.
Identify the most important task and then start on it
When you get in to the office each day take care of your number 1 task. Then, check your email!
Make an appointment for important tasks
If you have a deadline for a task, book out time in your diary. Close your email and turn your phone to voicemail. By doing this you will accomplish much more as your complete focus is on the task at hand.
Check your email at set times throughout the day
By having your email open all day, you are constantly interrupted and your attention drawn away for the task at hand. Set specific times in your day to check and respond to emails.
Master your tools
By learning to use short cuts on the computer you will save yourself time and increase your productivity.
Ask - is this the best use of my time? If it’s not… do something that is!
DO NOT... Multi-task
By multi tasking you may feel like you are accomplishing more but it is actually more effective to take care of one task at a time. Get the task completed, then move on.
Answer calls from numbers you don’t recognise
Let it go to voicemail and then check them. This will help you avoid unwanted interruptions and being caught up with telemarketers.
Agree to meetings without a clear agenda and time limit
Make sure each meeting you attend has a clear agenda and set time for finishing. Request any additional information you need in advance so you can be prepared.
Procrastinate on short tasks
If something will take only 5 minutes, do it now! By tackling something that will only take 5 minutes it will give you a sense of completion and get another task out of the way, that you would otherwise need to try to remember to do later.
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BUSINESS Market Research Basics
Market Research - the basics The main purpose of market research is to provide information to make informed business decisions. Many small businesses have an advantage over larger companies, in that they know their customers. This provides them the opportunity of being able to sense their customers needs through their experience, although this information may not always be relevant and can have an element of bias.
Why do it?
Market Research will help you understand; your industry, your competition and your market. By learning who your customers are and what they want, you are able to tailor your product or service to the market thereby meeting your customers needs and expectations. It helps to decrease business risks, see trends in the market, identify opportunities and create plans to take advantage of these.
Types of Market Research
There are two main kinds of market research - quantitative research and qualitative research. Quantitative research is about getting the hard facts and figures. It includes numbers such as market share, how many people think x, how many people see a particular advertisement, how many people have brought x product. Fixed surveys are used as the objective is measurement, so it is important that all people answer the same question. Qualitative research is about exploring why people do things, or think the way they do. Qualitative surveys are about exploring an issue with people. Interviewers do not use fixed questionnaires, instead using their interviewing skills to draw views and opinions from people The two types of surveys compliment each other as you may look at reasons why people buy using qualitative research, then measure how important these reasons are in quantitative research.
Primary & Secondary Research
Market research consists of two types of research – Primary & Secondary. Primary research is where you go directly to the source for information. Primary research examples include focus groups, interviews with your target market via the phone, online or in writing, visiting competitors’ stores, observation of your target market in the market place. Secondary research is generally cheaper to acquire as it is gathered and published by others. You will find secondary research online, through industry associations, in trade publications or on government websites such as Statistics New Zealand.
7 steps to undertaking Market Research 1 Define the Problems & Opportunities that exist for your business This could be; low awareness of your product or service, the launch of a new product, product distribution problems or a poor reputation or company image. 2
Set objectives, budget & timetables The objective may be to explore the problem or to define it further. Your objective may be to measure the number of people that would buy your product if packaged a certain way at a particular price or, how sales volume would change with a 15% reduction in price. How much are you willing to invest in market research? How much can you afford? Make sure you have a realistic time frame with appropriate dates to allow for cyclic changes in your business.
3 Select research types, methods & techniques Look at what methods you will use – primary or secondary? 4 Design research tools Most commonly this is a questionnaire – remember to keep it simple, include instructions and pre test so you are able to fix any issues. Make sure you do not use leading or ambiguous questions and that your questions are relevant and targeted to your demographic. 5 Collect data To decrease bias you can outsource the data collection to an external research company. Try to be scientific when collecting your information. 6 Organise & Analyse Data You need to edit and code the data so that you are able to see patterns in the information and group common needs & information. Look for relevant data that focuses on your problems and opportunities.
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BUSINESS Time To Clean Your Database
TIME TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR CLIENT DATABASE AND INCREASE SALES Over time, companies collect a lot of data on both clients and prospective clients. They can have entire databases full of information that needs sifting so it can bring real value. Cleaning out your data is something that you should be doing regularly throughout the year. But as business people it’s often the last thing on our minds. If you want to make the most of the databases you have and run more effective sales campaigns, it’s time to spring clean your data. Removing latent, dormant and incorrect details can save you a lot of time, and money, when it comes to improving the efficiency and ‘strike rate’ of your sales team. Without cleaning out the dead wood, your sales team is wasting time chasing useless prospects – just because they appear on the sales database. One of the very first things to ask is how the data is entered in the first instance. Many times, it’s a junior member of staff who is responsible for entering the data, and they have little incentive to ensure that the data is 100% accurate. If a piece of data is incorrectly entered, it will potentially cause problems later down the line. If that same piece of data is entered differently twice, then the two opposing records result in wasted time, irritated prospects and confused sales staff. Whether you keep physical addresses and phone numbers or email addresses, you need to ensure that you minimise the rate of duplication. Accurate, reliable data is vital to the efficacy of your sales force and incorrect data leads to unsuccessful campaigns.
“Within a year, almost 20% of your database will be out of date and
”
incorrect
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BUSINESS
If you store email data sourced through your website, you should ensure that there is a straightforward way for clients or customers to easily change and update their own data. This frees up the time your sales team has to follow up leads by allowing the client to keep your database records accurate for you. Likewise, with email data or data gleaned from online sources, you should occasionally offer the client the opportunity to opt-in again and delete all of those clients that do not. Avoid the chances of getting in trouble with Anti Spamming Legislation by deleting anyone that doesn’t opt-in again. Delete anything that you no longer need, if you don’t - the consequences could be devastating for your business. Of course, this is considered to be an incredibly boring job. The proper sorting and sifting of masses of customer data records is thankless and dull. It’s neither enjoyable nor stimulating, but it’s got to be done. It’s one of those ‘maybe later’ tasks on a priority scale, but it’s far more important than you might realise. An effective, accurate database makes sales, but a sloppily kept record system full of duplicates and errors stalls, interrupts and prevents sales. It might not be fun but it’s the perfect excuse to contact your old prospects and clients again! This can lead to re-established links with lapsed accounts, connecting new clients, and adding value by increasing the value of your present leads data. So, if the reason why so many telemarketing campaigns receive low hit rates is just incorrect data, you know what you have to do. People move homes, change jobs, transfer extensions and within a year, almost 20% of your database will be out of date and incorrect, meaning 20% of your time is spent chasing leads that aren’t ever going to be closed.
TECHNOLOGY Social Media
Planning your next event using social media There is no doubt of the value of social medias impact on the business world. It now enforces us to approach things quite differently. In this issue we look at how to use Social Media to invite people to an event or product launch. The days of phoning people or sending an invitation to an event seem like they took place so long ago. Technology has rapidly changed the way we invite people to and hold events. Email invitations are still used, however by using social media sites such as Facebook you are able to gather feedback, encourage attendees to interact pre and post event online and create a real buzz. Social Media is able to make the planning process smoother and spread the word in a very cost effective way. Why not plan an online event such as a webinar and use Facebook to attract people to log on? Or use social media to make people aware of your event and to put it in their calendars?
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Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of social media when planning your next event:
Facebook is a powerful tool Creating a page for your event is easy and allows you to build a specific fanbase over time. Using this event page to create a Facebook event (and leaving the default settings ticked) you are able to create viral visibility through people who like your page as it appears in their news feed and also their friends, as they share the event. Don’t forget to add the like button to your website and other areas where you have web presence. Target Facebook ads are another way of promoting your event and help you to reach those who may not currently be aware of you. If you RSVP to an event – write on the event wall. It increases your visibility. Be sure to keep people posted on what is happening and generate excitement by commenting on your own Facebook wall. This is another great way to remind people of your event and encourage them to register.
Tweet all about it If your event is large enough you may like to give it it’s own twitter account. Send out Tweets with a link to your Facebook page. If you are using any other social media platforms be sure to promote the event on these also. This can also increase your followers across your other social media platforms.
Your event title Make sure you include an enticing title and photo. Just like invitations of the past, it is important to get noticed - tell people what is in it for them and why they should attend.
Upload videos & links Videos and links provide a glimpse into what people have to look forward to. It may be an interview with a guest speaker, a promotion of the event or some photos of previous events. Make sure you also use these post-event to encourage people to share their experiences. People love their 15 minutes of fame so if you are able to tag them in any photos it is even better.
Provide an incentive to pass on your event details By offering a free ticket or giveaway for one lucky perosn you can quickly increase the awareness of the event. This may be given to a person who uses the hashtag on Twitter, or who after registering for your event, uses the “tweet that you are attending” or “tell your friends you are attending” link.
Include non attendees Where possible provide a live stream or upload photos and posts during the event for those that were unable to attend. You could set up a YouTube account for the event and post videos before during and after.
Social media extends the life of your event, enabling it to continue for days, weeks or even months after the actual event date. Use social media tools such as your Blog or Facebook page for a “wrap up” of the highlights, post photos or videos, plus any relevant documents that people can download, provide links to reviews or interesting articles. It is also a great tool to receive feedback and help in the planning of your next event.
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TECHNOLOGY Making Sense of Google Analytics
Making Sense of Google Analytics Launched in September 1998 from a garage in California, Google is now a household name with the term to “Google” even introduced to the Oxford Dictionary in 2006. The name emerged from the word googol, representing 1 followed by 100 zero’s represented their goal of having an infinite number of resources available. Google has a large number of tools available making it much more than just a search engine. Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, AdSense, Chrome, Google Apps and Google+ are a few of the brands that Google has become famous for. Although we take many of these tools for granted, Google Analytics has power that many small business owners are yet to realise. With so much data available, it can be hard to figure out where to start. With any small business it is vital that you track how your website is performing. The best thing about Google Analytics is that it is free, simple to install to your web pages and displays information in a range of formats to enable you to make sense of what is happening. There are a few key items that you need, to ensure you are tracking to be able to make sure you understand how visitors reach and browse your site.
Install Google Analytics
Traffic Sources
Install Google Analytics by copying and pasting a snippet of javascript code into the webpages you would like information on.
This overview shows you where the traffic to your site is coming from. Is it from search engines? Other websites? Or Direct Traffic through your website URL? Here you can also see what particular keywords people are using to search before arriving at your website.
Bounce Rate You want to try to decrease your Bounce Rate. This is when visitors arrive at your site, only view one page and then leave without looking at any of your other pages.
Visitor Location Where are your visitors coming from? The Map Overlay gives a quick visual reference so you can analyse your visitor’s origin. Where are your target visitors? Are these the people that are visiting your site? This tool is valuable when looking at how you are marketing yourself – is your current marketing having the affect intended?
Number of visitors & number of page views Although it is great to have a large number of people visiting your site, it is important to see how they are interacting with the site. Are they just bouncing straight off again? What pages are they visiting? What interests them? How long are they staying on the page? The New versus Returning graphs will show you easily how many of your visitors have looked at your site for the first time, versus returning for further information. This can even be broken down for each day of the month.
Top Content Under Top Content you will discover how many pages were viewed and the total number of times viewed. Using this information you can see the pages that people find most relevant. This can help you to tailor your website content to create further interest and make sure that the content people desire is easy to access. How do people flow through your website? Where do they exit? end their journey. All of this information is vital to enable you to create a successful website. You can check your website statistics throughout the day. This will enable you to build a picture of your website visitors online habits and over time build up a profile of how your website is performing. A new release of Google Analytics will be released shortly. So far improvements such as further customisable dashboards, real time reporting and reporting available on your mobile device have been announced. There will be more features to make using Google Analytics even easier so watch out for this in the near future. To find out more about Google Analytics visit their webpage by clicking here.
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Save time with Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard Shortcuts By learning a few simple shortcuts on your computer keyboard you will increase your productivity and appear a pro to those around you. There are thousands of shortcuts; even different browsers have different shortcuts. Learning them all would take forever but here are a few to get you started. The shortcuts are slightly different for a Mac and a Windows PC. When using a Mac, use the Command button instead of Control.
Control N = New
Control A = Select All This will select all of your text in a text box or document.
Control C = Copy Copy selected items.
Control V = Paste
Mac Shortcuts F3 – Displays all of your open windows F4 – See your Widgets Command Q – Quit the current program you are in Command W – Close the window you are in
Paste copied items.
PC Shortcuts
Control P = Print
F2 – Rename the selected item F3 – Search for a file or folder F5 – Refresh the current window
This shortcut will bring up your print window for you.
This command will create something new, a new document in word, or a new window when browsing the web.
Control Z = Undo
Firefox Shortcuts
Undo the previous action
Control S = Save
Control Y = Redo Action
Ctrl-K - Takes you directly to the search box at the upper right, where you can search Google, Amazon, and more with one click (Enter)
This will save your current document. If this is the first time you are saving something, it will bring up the standard save screen so you are able to name your document. If it has already been saved, it will just save your changes.
Redo the previous action
Control F = Find This is highly useful when wanting to search your document for specific text. Just type the text you are looking for in the box and it will look for it for you. This works on a webpage and also in programs such as word.
Enter / Return Will let you click in dialogue windows. Use the arrow keys to select the option you want and then press Enter/Return.
Ctrl-L or F6 (latter PC) – Takes you to the URL field to type in a new web address Ctrl-T – Opens a new tab Ctrl-D – Bookmarks the page Ctrl-+ – Increases font size on any webpage Ctrl-[-]- Decreases font size Ctrl-0 [zero] – Returns font to original size
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TRAVEL International Destination - Rarotonga, Cook Islands
RAROTONGA THE ‘DOWN SOUTH’ ISLAND If you enjoy white sandy beaches, a relaxed pace and palm trees, Rarotonga is for you. Bartercard has recently brought on a number of new members on the island of Rarotonga making it a perfect Bartercard holiday destination. The islands present day name comes from ‘raro’ meaning down and ‘tonga’ meaning south. Flights are available daily landing at the Rarotonga International Airport. Book a rental car from Budget Rentals using Trade Dollars and set off to explore the island. The island is surrounded by a lagoon, extending over one hundred meters to the reef, and then slopes to deep water. In the southeast, the lagoon is at its widest and deepest so this part of the island is the most popular for swimming, snorkeling and boating. Popular island activities include snorkeling, scuba diving, bike riding, horse back riding, hiking, deep-sea fishing, boat tours, scenic flights, restaurants, dancing, island shows, squash, tennis, zipping around on mopeds, and sleeping on the beach. Why not explore Rarotonga by 4 wheel drive with Raro Safari Tours. Get off the beaten track and visit places where only a 4WD can go. Visit mountains and enjoy panoramic views of the lagoon and sweeping valleys. If fishing is your passion be sure to book a fishing charter with Akura Charters. Akura fishing boat charters Rarotonga has everything you need to enjoy a day on the waves. No-one knows more about landing big game, finding the fish and teaching the basics than Captain George. A 30-year fishing veteran and Cook Islands Game Fishing Club’s rod-and-reel record holder, he has the secret bait and insider information to make your Rarotonga fishing trip a truly special event. You may have seen Akura Charters on TV shows like Gone Fishing.
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To experience the crystal clear waters of beautiful Rarotonga take a Muri Lagoon Cruise with Captain Tama’s Lagoon Cruizes. On Captain Tama’s Muri Lagoon Cook Islands cruise, you will experience Rarotonga’s Muri Lagoon and snorkel with thousands of colourful reef fish. Visit a marine reserve for a snorkel before heading to a small island (Motu) in the lagoon to enjoy a fresh fish open fire BBQ “island style”. To top off this magic day, enjoy the sounds of the N.S.A (No Strings Attached) local string band then be treated to a couple of shows on the motu from the boys that are guaranteed to have you in stitches. Sometimes known as “the lost village” Highland Paradise is a cultural feast of Cook Islands entertainment and spiritual experiences. Their multi award winning, Wednesday and Friday sunset cultural nights, include hosted roundtrip transport, expert guides, village cultural immersion experiences, marae visit, a tapu lifting, warrior welcome, cocktail, underground oven (umu) feasting like you have never experienced and a spectacular stage show telling the story of their ancient heritage through singing, dancing and drumming. Their dancers, musicians, chefs, barmen and guides are all descendants of Ariki (High Chief) Tinomana and are proud to be part of the extended family which brings this mountain village back to life and keeps it alive. There are plenty of options for dining and refreshments whilst staying in Rarotonga. Reefside Rarotonga is the newest of its kind in Rarotonga, they roast and blend their own coffee beans as well as gathering the best fruits in season to make ice cream, smoothies & shakes. The openair Yellow Hibiscus Restaurant in Palm Grove overlooks a peaceful garden and offers great food in a casual atmosphere. The Yellow Hibiscus serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, and provides weekly specials in addition to menu selections. Club Bana Bistro offers you divine Food & Entertainment right in the heart of Paradise at the Banana Court Complex. If you are looking to party, check out the nightlife at Staircase Restaurant & Bar or Whatever Bar & Grill. The Crown Beach Resort & Spa offers three distinctive eateries for its in house guests, that are regarded amongst the best in the Cook Islands. Windjammer Restaurant, rated the ‘best’ restaurant in the Cook Islands, offers island style upmarket dining with international cuisine orchestrated by a team of creative chefs. Tang Tapas & Cocktail Lounge presents a modern exotic space with savoury Spanish tapas with the latest lounge tracks & live Jazz music. Tantalising tapas at truly affordable prices with generous portions. Oceans Restaurant & Bar continues to enthrall the people with quality theme buffet programs including the world famous Island Night Feast & Cultural Shows. A wide variety of accommodation options are available using Trade Dollars, including 2010 World Luxury Hotels Award Winner Muri Beach Club Hotel. To book your Rarotongan escape contact the Bartercard Travel Desk on 0800 228 722.
Muri Beach Club Hotel
A day out with Akura Fishing Charters
Contact Bartercard Travel for further information on visiting Rarotonga with Bartercard. Freephone 0800 228 722 or visit www.bartercardtravel.co.nz to download a tourist guide.
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