Here are the Top 5 in each category, click each winner below to check out the Board for yourself:

Most Popular Boards by Followers
1. L.L. Bean – Woodland Creatures: 4,689,706
2. Jetsetter – Daily Moment of Zen: 4,353,320
3. Nordstrom – Garden Wedding Ideas: 4,199,549
4. Everyday Health – Joy Bauer: 3,761,427
5. Lowes – Build It!: 3,549,154

Boards With the Most Comments
1. Purex – Purex Promotions: 5,115
2. HTC Mobile – HTC One by Cushnie et Ochs Giveaway: 3,700
3. Mashable – Tech and Gadgets: 2,069
4. Better Homes and Gardens – Blogger Faves From BHG.com: 1,791
5. Sephora – Holiday: 40 Days of Wishes: 1,519

Boards With the Most Likes
1. Swarovski – Wedded Bliss: 160,120
2. Better Homes and Gardens – Blogger Recipes We Love: 131,326
3. Better Homes and Gardens – Blogger Faves From BHG.com: 84,767
4. Nordstrom – Garden Wedding Ideas: 84,565
5. L.L. Bean – Woodland Creatures: 64,273

Boards With the Most Repins
1. Better Homes and Gardens – Blogger Recipes We Love: 1,021,643
2. Better Homes and Gardens – Blogger Faves From BHG.com: 444,215
3. Real Simple – Real Simple Finds: Recipes to Try: 289,908
4. Swarovski – Wedded Bliss: 253,296
5. Etsy – Yum! Recipes to Share: 249,195

Lastly here are a few additional ‘Pinteresting’ facts (excuse the pun) courtesy of Unmetric.

Did you know Clicky Media™ offer Pinterest Management? Click Here to find out more about what we can do for your Pinterest Boards!

Source: Mashable

West Coast Energy is a leading independent wind energy developer based in Mold, North Wales. Since the company’s inception in 1996, West Coast Energy has secured 670MW of renewable electricity for the UK, that’s enough to power over 350,000 homes!

We have previously built West Coast Energy’s main site (you can read more about that, here), and have since been commissioned to put together a bespoke minisite theme to roll out across all of the windfarms, for better community engagement.

The WordPress site utilises many features including an interactive project gallery, a panoramic gallery view, a community area – where people can discuss latest developments – and an interactive letter generator.

Take a look around the website by visiting www.goreswindfarm.co.uk – and let us know your thoughts!

Want to get your own bespoke minisite? Chat to our award-winning web team today!

Design 911 and Prestige Performance Centre (PPCGB) are both dedicated to providing specialist servicing and repairs – both have a wealth of knowledge in car performance.

The Facebook Pages use WordPress as the Content Management System, so text and imagery is easily accesible and simple to update.

A ‘Like to Reveal’ function, feed for recent news and Tweets, carousel of products and a map with a tooltip of locations have also been incorporated in these Facebook pages.

Want a bespoke Facebook Page but don’t know where to start? Get in touch with us today!

Mobile websites are specifically designed to be used on small screens, with the direct needs of a mobile user in mind. This can significantly help a business to not only connect with customers on the move but also drive sales and conversions.

Here at Clicky Media™, we designed and developed a bespoke mobile website to accompany the main Apropos website. Ensuring that the distinct branding and imagery found on the Apropos desktop website was also clear on the Apropos mobile site.

One great feature on the new mobile site is the ‘Click to Call’ functionality, this makes it incredibly easy for someone visiting the site to call Apropos using their mobile. Simply click the ‘Call us Today’ button in the top left hand corner of every page and recieve the option shown here.

The mobile site also features retina graphics and rotating items functionality that includes a homepage slideshow, gallery of images and testimonials.

You can visit the mobile site on your phone, simply enter www.apropos-conservatories.com

<<Click Here>> to find out more about Mobile Websites Designed & Developed by Clicky Media™.

McLintocks are local Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors with offices in Chester, Wrexham and the Wirral.

The site features many call-to-actions, including a newsletter signup and a request an appointment form. We have built a bespoke content-managed slider, along with drop-down menus to access their many services and expertise. Landing pages have also been created for these areas, allowing users to navigate the site easily.

We have used the Google Maps API to show office locations to the user on an interactive map, and have a bespoke team area which allows you to filter out staff members by location and expertise.

Take a look around the website, by visiting:  www.mclintocks.co.uk

In the coming weeks we will be launching a mobile website to work alongside. We’ll keep you posted!

The Yew Tree Inn was built in the 19th Century, by the Earl of Crewe and has since been restored with beautiful open fires and old beams, all in a cosy atmosphere!

The Clicky Media™ Web Team worked hard to create a fully functional mobile site, which would work hand-in-hand with their website, but with thumb-friendly links and buttons, and a full screen image gallary.

A location based feature on the homepage tells users how many miles away you are from the Cheshire pub, and directions from Google Maps help you to find your way.

Check it out on your mobile! Visit, www.theyewtreebunbury.com/

Interested in going mobile? Here at Clicky Media™ we have a wealth of experience in developing websites that work. To find out more, get in touch today on 0800 222 9300 or contact us on the website.

It’s fair to say the microblogging site has come a long way since its launch. Just over 200 tweets were sent in July 2006 – now users send that many in less than a second.

Twitter also saw a record of 24.1 million tweets during the night of the Super Bowl XLVII on 3rd February 2013.

We love a good infographic here at Clicky Media™, and this one shows just how important Twitter is for those on-the-go.

Source: Twitter Advertising Blog & Wikipedia

Below you’ll find the latest updates to the Facebook statistics in the UK as of March. This month we’ve focused on the age split, how this varies between men and women, as well as how other European countries such as France and Spain differ from the age split in the UK.

If you’d like to see any particular stats in our next Facebook blog, why not let us know in the comments below.

Total Number of Facebook Users in the UK

Age Split Across the UK

Age Split between Men and Women in the UK

The Overall Age Split in the UK , Spain and France

For more information on what we can do for you with Facebook; whether you’re looking for Advertising, Page Design, a Bespoke Tab or a New Competition, check out www.clicky.co.uk or call 0800 222 9300

Westheimer Energy provides advice, project management, consultancy services and IT solutions to companies in the oil and gas industries.

Westheimer approached Clicky Media™ with an initial design which was developed within the WordPress CMS, with some unique features.

The website includes a Custom Post Type within the admin area, where the client can easily update that area of the website, in this case, Westheimer are able to update the ‘Our Team’ section to add new members of staff.

The website also holds an easy to navigate archive, category and includes social integration within the News area.

Vist Westheimer Energy website, here.

C&C Kitchens has been designing and installing kitchens for almost 20 years and offers a quality range of beautiful kitchens. But don’t just take our word for it – make sure you check out the kitchens page to view the images in stunning lightboxes.

The site has been built in WordPress, which allows our client to manage the site’s content themselves.

View it here: www.candckitchens.co.uk

Pinterest – a platform where users can get ‘pin happy’ with images they love, products they desire and holiday destinations you can only but dream of – has come up top for beauty products retailer, Sephora.

The Head of Digital, Julie Bornstien, revealed that their Pinterest customers spend 15 times more than Facebook fans on the company’s products.

Bornstien added that Pinterest allows the company to measure immediate commercial impact and they can gauge exactly the products people love and hate.

But, it’s not all doom and gloom for Facebook, with 47 million fans and growing, it’s a proven tool for engagement with their customers. The digital savvy company host regular sweepstakes on bespoke Facebook tabs often with exclusive products up for grabs.

Bornstien has also revealed their fan-base grew approximately six times of their normal rate and along with that bought extra /increased traffic to their website.

Of course, all social media platforms serve different purposes and all can see dramatic results in brand growth, development and customer engagement.

Offering proven social media success here at Clicky Media™, we can help your brand develop it’s presence across all social platforms.  Find out more, here.

Source: Mashable and Sprout Insights

Trophy Pet Foods are specialist pet food providers, specifically focusing on nutritious, wholesome and British made premium food, delivering free and direct to your door. View the Trophy Pet Foods website and find out more about their products by clicking this link.

Their bespoke Facebook tab was designed and developed to give users an opportunity to easily try a free sample of pet food and also read the fantastic testimonials from their happy customers. View the Facebook Tab here, and request your free sample.

Find out more about how Clicky Media™ can help your company get social with Facebook

We are looking for individuals with a real passion for digital media and a keen eye on the latest developments.

If you think you have what it takes to join the team, take a look at our current vacancies:

• *NEW* Account Manager | Closing Date 1st March 2013
• *NEW* Office Manager | Closing Date 1st March 2013
• *NEW* Web Designer
• iPhone/iPad App Developer

* all job vacancies are subject to change at any time. Please check back for the latest opportunities.

West Coast Energy is a leading independent wind energy developer based in Mold, North Wales. They chose Clicky™ to redesign and develop a new, visually-appealing site that would incorporate an interactive Project Finder and encourage community involvement.

The website has been developed in WordPress, enabling the client to easily update the site themselves.

You can view the site here: www.westcoastenergy.co.uk/

The way we search is changing. We search at home, in work, on the go, whilst drinking coffee and even whilst shopping. We search on a desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile. In a world that is constantly connected, results that are relevant and in the correct context matter.

Google Adwords Enhanced campaigns aim to make the search results that users receive more relevant, no matter what device they are using, where they are or the time of day they are searching. Meaning search results are relevant to the context of the users intent, making it easier to reach people when it matters.

Why have Google made these changes?

Google want users to find the most relevant information possible, no matter where the user is or the device they are using.

Users search in places where historically they were unable to, but with the advent of mobile technology they can search anywhere and expect results that are still contextually relevant.

For example, Amy could be walking her dog in the park while searching on her mobile for a local restaurant for that night and expect to see results displaying local restaurants, opening times and phone numbers. Whilst on another evening, she could be sitting at home on her tablet searching for a local take-out with a view to placing an order there and then, on her tablet.

With the ability to target different adverts at different times of day, on separate devices, search results are a lot more relevant.

What does this mean for advertisers?

The major change is that there will no longer be separate mobile, desktop and tablet campaigns. Instead, Google have combined these into one campaign. Creating a single campaign, focused on the customers intent, that can be optimised to location, device and time of search.

Campaigns can be more reactive to the users needs and wants, making the adverts more relevant and increasing the likelihood of a conversion.

Bids can now be adjusted based on the user’s location, device and time of search, reaching users in a very flexible way, engaging with users at the point of decision when they make a search.

Multi Device Marketing

From a single campaign, advertisers will now have the ability to reach users no matter what device they are using. Advertisers will now have the control to set multiple bid adjustments to what ever is most important to them, such as increasing bids during opening times or decreasing bids on certain devices.

Context relevant search results

Enhanced campaigns display the right advert and ad extension to the right person at the right time in the right location.

For example, if the advertiser has a shop in the high street open until 5pm they can show mobile users adverts that contain location extensions and directions up until 5pm. During closing hours different adverts can be displayed to take users to their online shop.

New reporting for new conversion types

A mobile world means customers have more ways to interact with a company than ever before. Enhanced campaigns will allow the advertiser to track in detail, customers that convert through a website, purchase, over the phone and even via app download.

Future of Enhanced campaigns

There’s no doubt that Enhanced campaigns are only touching the surface of what is possible with context and multi-device-based targeting. Over the coming months and even years, the mobile and web world are sure to become more integrated, with enhanced campaigns playing a large part in engaging with these users successfully.

Resources

Step by Step Guide to upgrading to an Enhanced Campaigns

Live Google Webinars

Adwords Help Center

In addition to SEO, we manage a number of digital marketing activities for Rental Republic including PPC Management and Web Design.

Look out next month for another new ranking!  For more information about our SEO services click here >>

We’ve been so busy recently that we forgot to announce our new team members! Due to continued growth in all areas of our business, we’re pleased to announce we’ve taken on new staff in every department to help us with our ever growing client list. They’re a friendly bunch and have been settling in well over the last few months, getting stuck in with all things Digital. Each new team member has a wealth of experience in different areas and we all agree they’re all bringing something extra special to our Clicky team, helping make our work some of the best yet.

Why not email them to say hi?

• Liam (Digital Advertising) – Liam@clicky.co.uk
• Joe (SEO) – Joe@clicky.co.uk
• Amy (Digital Advertising) – Amy@clicky.co.uk
• Martin (Business Development) – Martin@clicky.co.uk
• Suzanne (Web Design & Development) – Suzanne@clicky.co.uk
• Josh (Web Design & Development) – Josh@clicky.co.uk
• Alice (Digital Advertising) – Alice@clicky.co.uk

Want to be part of something special and join our award winning team? We’re recruiting for still more roles… check them out here >>

See exposed pathways and take a virtual hike through the steep inclines.

Some of the fascinating sites include the Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab Trail and the Colorado River.

The Google Team delved into the rocky surroundings with 40-pound backpacks, carrying 15-lens camera systems. Operated by Android, The Trekker, captured more than 9,500 panoramas.

Find out how we can put your business on the Google Map with our excellent SEO and Pay-Per-Click team. Click here for more information.

Click here to see more of Google’s World Wonders.

Source: Google Blog

Since the launch of the micro-blogging site in 2009, the statistics show a growth rate of 714% monthly active users and an overall increase of 21% of the worldwide population now active.

Here at Clicky we can provide a full range of Twitter marketing services to help get your company online and engaging. Click here to find out what we can do for you.

Source: Mashable

You can see from the image above, that instead of taking you through to the source once the image has been clicked, Google instead provides you with the option to either  visit the page that the image is found on, view the original image or view the image details (size, etc.).

There are many reports from webmasters that visits from Google image results are down due to the above changes, and they are understandably aggrieved. A main positive of the change however, is reduction in the time it takes to see a larger version of the image when clicked (as you no longer need to visit and load the webpage that the image was found on).

You can read Google’s thoughts behind this recent change at http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/faster-image-search.html

Google uses a separate index for mobile content which is considerably smaller than the normal Google index. Because of this it is typically much easier to get a higher ranking in the mobile search results.

In Google’s webmaster tools it recommends the following (with regards to mobile websites)

• Keep the layout simple
• Design for thumbs, not mice
• Prioritize content – this is always going to be the case for Google
• Use uniquely mobile features
• Make it easy to convert
• Make sure your mobile site doesn’t limit access to just mobile devices (because search bots are not mobile devices)
• Create and submit a mobile sitemap
• Be sure to optimize your site’s performance to render fast results for users and search engines. Slower load speed can result to a higher bounce rate
• Make sure your mobile URLs are viewable on a mobile device (Google will not deliver them in results unless they are compatible with published mobile markup standards such as XHTML Basic 1.1, XHTML MP 1.2 and WML 1.3)
• Register your mobile site on Google Places, which recently unveiled a location-based recommendation engine called Hotpot

Since the launch of our own mobile website we have seen our natural Google rankings improve and our SEO team are continuing to work on these.

We have also have a number of clients who are also benefiting from improved Google rankings as a result of new mobile websites and more importantly an improved conversion rate >>

For more information about our mobile web design service click here >>

For more information about our mobile search marketing services click here >>

Radshape Sheet Metal Ltd have over 40 years experience in the manufacture of precision sheet metal parts. They chose Clicky™ to redesign and develop a new, visually-striking site that would both inform and impress their customers. All concerned are pleased with the results!

The site has been developed in WordPress, enabling the client to easily update the site themselves.

You can view the site here: www.radshape.co.uk

The below tweet from Dick Costolo, the CEO of Twitter, includes a short embedded video that was made with Vine, a video-sharing company that Twitter acquired in October.

Steak tartare in six seconds. vine.co/v/bOIqn6rLeIDvia @dhof

— dick costolo (@dickc) January 23, 2013

If Dick’s tweet is any indication, it appears Twitter is planning to integrate Vine to allow users to embed short clips in their tweets.

Twitter have declined to comment at this stage.

Source: Dick Costolo on Twitter & Mashable

Take a look at this great infographic from Statista:

This is not necessarily new information, but it does confirm what we already knew: sports fans are highly connected to tech and digital world.

The report also shows that about 60% of tablet and smartphone owners who use mobile devices for sports content do so at least once a day.

Sports fans in general are also more likely to have other tech-related tools and gadgets than non-sports fans, from Digital Video Recorders for recording games (42%) and games consoles (33%) to smartphones (21%) and HDTV’s (20%).

Download the Report | Source: Mashable

The news comes after the company bought 2.4 acres of land in London’s King’s Cross area.

“This is a big investment by Google, we’re committing further to the UK – where computing and the web were invented. It’s good news for Google, for London and for the UK,” commented Google VP for Northern and Central Europe Matt Brittin.

This month we have a great new Google ranking for our client Country House Wedding Venues (correct as of 21st Jan 2013)

Our SEO team have been carrying out a range of off-page SEO activities to boost the website’s relevance for the term “Marquee Wedding Venues” and the new first page position has resulted in a 244% increase in traffic to the website for that term alone.

In addition to SEO, we manage a number of digital marketing activities for Country House Wedding Venues including PPC Management, Social Media, Web Design and Mobile services.

Look out next month for another new ranking!  For more information about our SEO services click here >>

Google’s browser will send all searches over a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection. Chrome already does this for users who are signed in to Google: when they search from the address bar, their queries are sent over HTTPS. As of Chrome 25, however, the same will happen for users who aren’t signed in to Google.

In 2011 Google announced that they were introducing secure searches in the “interests of security”, however this has caused real problems for the digital marketing industry.

By making each search secure, website statistic packages (including Google’s very own Analytics) can no longer track the keyword used to find their website. See below keyword data from Google Analytics for our website:

In November 2011 Search Engine Land estimated that 39% of all Google searches were secure and this latest move from Chrome is likely to make this figure grow even further.

This issue only effects organic searches (from SEO, paid (CPC) traffic continues to track as before) but it is a really frustrating move from Google making our SEO reporting very difficult.

They do it by linking and then adding the Google Authorship markup to their author link. This is called a “rich snippet.”

There have been a few studies that show there can be up to a 150% increase in click throughs when a picture is present!

So how do you do it? Here is the explanation from Google…

If you want your authorship information to appear in search results for the content you create, you’ll need a Google+ Profile with a good, recognizable headshot as your profile photo. Then, verify authorship of your content by associating it with your profile using either of the methods below. Google doesn’t guarantee to show author information in Google Web Search or Google News results.

Option 1: Link your content to your Google+ profile using a verified email address.

Option 2: Set up authorship by linking your content to your Google+ profile

Unveiling the tool, Graph Search, at its first major product launch since the company’s IPO last May, Zuckerberg described it as the site’s “third pillar”, after Timeline and News Feed.

“Graph Search is a completely new way for people to get information on Facebook,” he told a packed press conference at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park on Tuesday.

The function will initially let users search four categories – people, places, photos, interests – and gradually expand to cover all content, Zuckerberg said.

Find out more here >>

This image has been “retinaised” too!

A great little script which we have been using is Retina.js.  Retina.js is a simple piece of JavaScript which checks for double sized pixel versions of each of your graphics as they load.

You can download it here, you then need to call it in the header of your website like this:

<script type=”text/javascript” src=”http://www.yourwebsite.com/js/retina.js”></script>

The script initially allows the standard image to load (in the interests of speed) before searching for the double pixel version and then subtly replacing the standard image with the retina version.

The process is relatively simple but it will require you to recreate your images in a double pixel size first before saving a double pixel version with “@2x” appended to the end of the file name and then saving the standard image.  (example: a logo saved as “logo.png” would need the double sized version saving as “logo@2x.png” and saved in the same directory as the standard image)

We are going through our website currently updating some of the graphics such as this one:

Standard version: (http://www.clicky.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/web-trends-2013.png)

Double pixel version: (http://www.clicky.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/web-trends-2013@2x.png)

The results are great but the process is incredibly time consuming, especially if you have a lot of images.

The main thing to consider is all future images are best started on a double pixel width canvas before you start to build the graphic.

If you have a Retina display check out our home page to see the results.

Links: Retina.js 

About the Author | Google

Click the image above or click here to see the page on Facebook >>

The most common mistake we see some “big” agencies/companies make is to launch a new website without redirecting their old pages (and search engine listings) to the new versions.

What does that mean?

Your old website may have had a different file structure than your new website meaning old links no longer work, returning errors when users try to access them.  Search engines will have the same problem and each listing which returns a 301 error (not found) will eventually be removed from the search engine listings.

For example your website’s old contact page might have been at “www.yourwebsite.co.uk/contact.php” and your new website may be at “www.yourwebsite.co.uk/contactus/”.

What needs to be done?

To ensure search engines and users alike are not frustrated and more importantly your traffic levels do not fall off a cliff, you need to ensure you have setup permanent redirects which are active along with the new website.

For Linux websites we recommend the use of HTACCESS redirects which are essentially a small text file which sits at the route of your server detailing a list of pages which have moved and their new location.

Each line looks like this:

Redirect /old-index.html http://www.mynewwebsite.com/foldername/new-index.html

For Microsoft (IIS 7) servers things are quite a bit more complicated but here goes:

• Open IIS Manager and locate the website under sites
• Right click the website and choose “switch to content view”
• In the right hand pane locate the file you want to redirect
• Right click the file and choose “switch to features view”
• Important! Verify that it shows the correct file name at the top of the screen
• Under the IIS section open “HTTP Redirect”
• Put a check in “Redirect requests to this destination” and type in the new URL
• Change the status code to “Permanent 301″
• Click Apply (this results in an HTTP status code of: HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently)

Need more help? Speak to our SEO team on 0800 222 9300 and they can get it all arranged for you >>

The page has loads of functionality linking to their website including get a quote and directions to each store.

If you are looking to creat a professional presence for your company on Facebook, check out our Facebook page design services here >>

1. Responsive Design

You might have seen us banging on about this in previous posts but it’s big business this year as we all seek to accommodate the huge range of different display sizes.  It’s a big task and you will normally need a complete redesign to achieve a fully responsive design.  Find out more about our thoughts here >> 

2. Full Screen Backgrounds

A nice way to ensure you captivate your audience is to fill their browser window with interesting imagery which sums up what you are all about. Screen sizes are getting bigger and avoiding too much white space is easily fixed by a large background image which can give your website a nice look and feel without causing too many issues with download speed.

3. Simplicity

People like simplicity and it is increasingly popular when we talk to clients.  If you can get the balance right, a nice simple design will maximise your chances of converting visitors into customers.  Beware! it is all about balance – too simple doesn’t work either!

4. Sidebars

Popularised by Facebook, the simple sidebar is getting a revival this year with loads of new designs incorporating a left sided sidebar navigation system, leaving the majority of the screen available to impress.  Often it is animated with some nice hide/show functionality.

5. Retina Support

Apple are leading the way with retina graphics.

Their new MacBook range and the 3rd/4th gen iPad’s come with retina screens which essentially work at twice the resolution of normal displays, creating a really clear and crisp visual experience.

The problem for web designers is that it messes with a long established method for producing web graphics.  To get it right you need to create 2 different versions of each graphic element which can load should a retina display be identified.  It increases load times but it does look great.

Vector graphics can be used for icons and other suitable graphics to save time.  This year will see more Apple products launched with retina displays and undoubtably other manufacturers will be joining the party in 2013. See Retina.js website for a cool script - we use it!

As you may have seen mobile web browsing has soared in the past 2 years and Google estimate that 2013 will see mobile web browsing become more common place than traditional desktop web browsing.

Typically mobile web browsers have smaller screens and users usually use their (often clumsy) thumbs to navigate around – this makes navigating some websites a real pain and research shows users will often give up if it is too difficult to use.

So basically you need to make sure your website works easily for mobile users to ensure you convert mobile users into customers.  A recent case study of ours has shown a massive improvement in mobile conversion rates after the launch of a dedicated mobile website.

So what are the options?

• Re-design your website as a fully responsive (this is the buzz word at the moment) website- This is a website which automatically adjusts it’s visual look and feel in accordance to the browser window size.For example a desktop user may see a nice wide design to suit their screen size but should they resize their browser window, the content will adjust itself to match the screen size, ensuring it is still simple to use.This includes mobile screen sizes (e.g. iPhone), which typically have the smallest pixel widths but also will adjust itself for slightly larger pixel widths such as the iPad.

  Often a fully responsive website will change its entire navigation system to suit your screen size and some graphics may swap to suit smaller or larger screens.

  This is usually the most expensive option as usually your website will need to be completely rebuilt, however it is certainly considered the most technically elegant solution as each and every different screen size is catered for.

  Example: see http://foodsense.is – try it out by resizing your browser window!

• Build a specific mobile version of your website-  this is a commonly used method which swaps the entire visual style of the website based on whether the user is using a mobile or desktop device.

  Usually a script is used to detect a mobile browser and then serve the mobile user a different website design to make it easier for the user to navigate.

  Typically the same content to the desktop website is used but the content is completely re-organised to suit specific smaller screens such as iPhones.Should a desktop user resize their browser window the website stays at the same pixel width and usually we choose to serve the desktop website to tablet users (such as the iPad)

  We currently utilise this method.

  This is usually a cheaper option as the existing desktop website will not necessarily need to be altered but is a less elegant technical solution.

  Example: see http://www.clicky.co.uk/?mobile=on - this is made for an iPhone so obviously is best viewed on a mobile device.

So what should you do?

We are advising customers on a case-by-case basis, but should a customer be building a brand new website it is definitely worth considering a fully responsive website.  For existing websites it may be easier, cheaper and simpler to create a mobile version of their website (see some examples here >>)

A fully responsive website is a great demonstration of technical ability and many agencies (like us) are redesigning their websites to demonstrate their ability but it does come at a cost, and not just a monetary cost.

A fully responsive website does create some design limitations and when any edits are made you need to consider every different screen size before you carry them out.  It also may be more time consuming in the future to create different graphics for each screen size and some design elements may not be possible at all.

Admittedly if done well, responsive websites are great, but we cannot expect our average customer to be too impressed – after all they just want it to work and they may even notice a lesser visual experience due to the new limitations in design.

Some of the big boys have opted for mobile versions (maybe just for now) such as eBay and Amazon as making their websites fully responsive is a massive task (maybe even not possible)

Either way we need to consider mobile users and also a range of different devices to ensure their experience of your website is a good one.

Find out more about our mobile website design services here >>

Further reading: Smashing Magazine 

For a select few this could become a real option by the year 2023 when a Netherlands-based nonprofit group called Mars One are looking to put the first colony on the Red Planet. They released the specifications for aspiring pioneers, these include intelligence, good mental and physical health and dedication to the project.

Norbert Kraft, the chief medical officer at Mars One made a statement regarding the requirements “Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria. Now, we are more concerned with how well each astronaut works and lives with the others, in the long journey from Earth to Mars and for a lifetime of challenges ahead.”

The colonization is due to start with a number of robotic cargo missions over the next few years, these will be followed by the four first pioneers in 2023 and more settlers being sent every two years. To fund the project Mars One are planning on launching a global reality-TV event which will begin by selecting the first settlers and continue to monitor their progress.

Mars One have already reported receiving more than 1,000 emails from individuals interested in going to Mars before they’d even launched the official Astronaut Selection Program. Their communication director released this statement: “We are working hard to launch our selection campaign as soon as possible, to open the doors to everyone who aspires to do something tremendous in their lifetime.”

The ultimate questions still remains, would you move to Mars? Particularly as there’s no plan for a return trip. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Source: Mashable, Space.com

Facebook gave no clues as to what it plans to announce; the invite only read, “Come and see what we’re building.”

It has been widely reported that Facebook have been working on a phone to rival the iPhone.

This is the first media gathering the company has hosted since it announced a number of new retail partners for its Gifts app at FAO Schwartz in New York City in November.

One of the most obvious but vitally important part of any digital marketing campaign are effective calls to action (CTA).

When we talk about calls to action in a digital marketing sense, we mean clear and obvious links on a website which is a prompt a user to click it and continue down a conversion funnel.

There is surely nothing worse than spending good money to get potential customers to your website, and then miss out on their business because your competitors have better calls to action than you!

Typically (there are hundreds) a call to action could be:

• Get a quote – a simple form which when filled in is sent to a sales person to follow up.
• Add to cart – possibly the most common and simple call to action seen on eCommerce websites
• Download – this might be a brochure or datasheet.  Typically these involve some form of data capture but not always.
• Call – the often forgotten but surely the most obvious call to action of all – but make sure it is measurable with call stats and use a “website or campaign only” number so it can be tracked later.
• Start a chat - this is a nice way of interacting with visitors during working hours.  Zopim is great.

Whatever your goal might be it is important that:

• It is clear and obvious - Sounds obvious but don’t hide it! Make it the most obvious part of your page and explain to visitors what will happen one they complete the goal.
• Easy to do - Again not rocket science but make sure the thing you are asking the user to do is easily done.  Test it on users, make sure they don’t misunderstand or get confused.
• Measurable - Use Google Analytics or similar to measure the numbers of online conversions and split them by the traffic source so you can see what works.  With calls use campaign or website only numbers which have call data so you can see how many calls your website generated.

2013 will see mobile users of websites surpass numbers of desktop users (using a laptop or desktop computer)

This means your website will need to work on mobile devices to succeed online.

Speak to one of our team today to find out how we can help make sure you are ready! – Call 0800 222 9300

See Mobile Websites for more information >>

We are all back in Clicky HQ today after the Christmas break and wanted to wish everyone a Happy New year!

2012 was a fantastic year for Clicky Media™ and our plans for 2013 are pretty amazing! Heres to another great year!

Citing “several industry executives,” Advertising Age reports that “by April at the latest,” advertisers will be able to target video ads in users’ News Feeds on desktop and mobile. The length of such videos would cap at 15 seconds as opposed to the standard 30-second TV ad, according to the report.

Facebook have so far not commented on this speculation.

The video ads are likely to be “autoplay,” meaning they will start running automatically, a potentially controversial move. IN addition, on desktop, the ads will expand out of the News Feed and into the left- and right-hand columns.

More news on this as we get more information from Facebook.

Source : Mashable / Advertising Age

Essentially Google state that they are “including a new signal in our search ranking algorithms: site speed. Site speed reflects how quickly a website responds to web requests.”

Google consider the load speed of you website a vital element of a good user experience and therefore measure your website’s speed as part of its ranking criteria (essentially an equally built website (in terms of content) may rank higher if it loads more quickly than yours)

Page load speed is typically influenced by 2 factors:

• The physical data size of your pages – number of images influence this massively
• Your server capability – an old slow server will mean your site will load slowly

Google suggest using one of the following tools to check your website’s speed:

• Page Speed, an open source Firefox/Firebug add-on that evaluates the performance of web pages and gives suggestions for improvement.
• YSlow, a free tool from Yahoo! that suggests ways to improve website speed.
• WebPagetest shows a waterfall view of your pages’ load performance plus an optimization checklist.
• In Webmaster Tools, Labs > Site Performance shows the speed of your website as experienced by users around the world.
• Many other tools on code.google.com/speed.

If you think your website’s load speed is affecting your rankings, then speak to a member of our SEO team today and they will be happy to help!

Take a look at our 3 rules we stick to:

1. Keep it simple

Unless you are a purposely mystical brand or you are trying to create intrigue, keep things simple.  If you want a usable website with high levels of visitor interaction (like most of us) then simplicity is the key.

When it comes to functionality, people like convention.  Users want to instinctively now how to navigate your website without being told and if they get confused, they will look elsewhere.

Your home page should quickly and simply show who you are and what you are about.  It should also encourage visitors to delve quickly into deeper lying content and most importantly it must be glaring obvious how to get back!  Once they feel confident navigating your website they will feel comfortable to purchase or interact with you.

2. Look good

Visiting websites is a visual experience and people are fickle! (yes i said it!)  If your website is ugly they will take this as a reflection of your business ethos and they will already start to imagine a poor customer experience.  This of course may not be the case but it will be too late to convince your visitors otherwise – you don’t get a second chance.

We take pride in creating attractive and usable websites that convert.  It is most certainly a balance but we strongly believe you need to have both in order to succeed.

10 years ago a good looking website was hard to find.  Slow internet connections meant websites had to be built with minimal imagery and lots of text. Luckily with the advent of broadband and 3G/4G, we can really improve the visual experience with a nice mixture of imagery and text content, making the experience a much more entertaining experience.

Our designers take huge pride in their work and they want you to look good (after all it reflects on us too!) and we know exactly what it takes to create the correct balance.

3. Just work

I’m stealing an Apple’s company ethos here but it is one we believe passionately about.  Your potential customers don’t care about how complex your website is or how clever it is, they just want it to work.

This means considering all of your users and ensuring that no matter what they want to do, your website will be able to do it. This could be to buy something, request a quote, download a brochure or simply navigate your website effectively.

Make sure your website is hosted on a quick server, which matches the needs of your website.  For our customers we handle this for you, but if you have your hosting elsewhere, make sure load speeds are acceptable so users and search engines are not put off.

Huge shifts in device usage has meant people are not just interacting with your website using a PC running Windows.  Your website needs to work on any device your potential customer decides to pick up when they want you.  This could be an iPhone, iPad, Windows Mobile, Windows PC, Mac, Linux, even a Smart TV and the only way to make sure your website is functional is to carry out comprehensive testing pre and post launch (new devices are hitting the market on a daily basis)

Find out more here >>

As Jacob Nielsen (leading thinker in usability) says “The homepage is your company’s face to the world. Increasingly, potential customers will look at your company’s online presence before doing business with you — regardless of whether they plan to close the actual sale online.”

It is also true that your home page will get the most page views than any other page – although search engines mean users will enter your website from many different pages, your home page will nearly always receive the most visitors.  Visitors who entered your website from another page are most likely to visit your home page after reading that content.

So according to Jacob Nielson what are the top 10 most important things to consider?

Explain Who You Are and What You Do

1. Include a One-Sentence Tagline

Start the page with a tagline that summarizes what the site or company does, especially if you’re new or less than famous. Even well-known companies presumably hope to attract new customers and should tell first-time visitors about the site’s purpose. It is especially important to have a good tagline if your company’s general marketing slogan is bland and fails to tell users what they’ll gain from visiting the site.

2. Write a Window Title with Good Visibility in Search Engines and Bookmark Lists

Begin the TITLE tag with the company name, followed by a brief description of the site. Don’t start with words like “The” or “Welcome to” unless you want to be alphabetized under “T” or “W.”

3. Group all Corporate Information in One Distinct Area

Finding out about the company is rarely a user’s first task, but sometimes people do need details about who you are. Good corporate information is especially important if the site hopes to support recruiting, investor relations, or PR, but it can also serve to increase a new or lesser-known company’s credibility. An “About <company-name>” section is the best way to link users to more in-depth information than can be presented on the homepage.

Help Users Find What They Need

4. Emphasize the Site’s Top High-Priority Tasks

Your homepage should offer users a clear starting point for the main one to four tasks they’ll undertake when visiting your site.

5. Include a Search Input Box

Search is an important part of any big website. When users want to search, they typically scan the homepage looking for “the little box where I can type,”so your search should be a box. [Make your search box at least 25 characters wide,] so it can accommodate multiple words without obscuring parts of the user’s query.

Reveal Site Content

6. Show Examples of Real Site Content

Don’t just describe what lies beneath the homepage. Specifics beat abstractions, and you have good stuff. Show some of your best or most recent content.

7. Begin Link Names with the Most Important Keyword

Users scan down the page, trying to find the area that will serve their current goal. Links are the action itemson a homepage, and when you start each link with a relevant word, you make it easier for scanning eyes to differentiate it from other links on the page. A common violation of this guideline is to start all links with the company name, which adds little value and impairs users’ ability to quickly find what they need.

8. Offer Easy Access to Recent Homepage Features

Users will often remember articles, products, or promotions that were featured prominently on the homepage, but they won’t know how to find them once you move the features inside the site. To help users locate key items, keep a short list of recent features on the homepage, and supplement it with a link to a permanent archive of all other homepage features.

Use Visual Design to Enhance, not Define, Interaction Design

9. Don’t Over-Format Critical Content, Such as Navigation Areas

You might think that important homepage items require elaborate illustrations, boxes, and colors. However, users often dismiss graphics as ads, and focus on the parts of the homepage that look more likely to be useful.

10. Use Meaningful Graphics

Don’t just decorate the page with stock art. Images are powerful communicators when they show items of interest to users, but will backfire if they seem frivolous or irrelevant. For example, it’s almost always best to show photos of real people actually connected to the topic, rather than pictures of models.

To read more of Jacob Nielsen’s fantastic usability tips click here >>

This year has seen some incredibly successful videos, influencing millions around the globe (PSY – Gangnam Style to name just one). As YouTube becomes ever larger, it seems the power of video is stronger than ever.

Click here to see the top 10 videos in the UK & Ireland over the last 12 months>>

YouTube have also made their own spoof video featuring some of the video stars of 2012: Click here to view>>

 
Google
 

Click this link to See Your 2012 Year in Review: Facebookstories.com/2012

Or find this button on your Profile Page:

With 2012 coming to a close the Facebook team have also compiled a list of Trends for the past year, check out the lists below to find out the top 10 Songs, Check-Ins and Most Talked About Topics.

Source: Facebook.com

The U.K. uses 424 megabytes of data each month — a 60% hike from last year. Second-runner-up Japan uses 392 megabytes per month, and the U.S. places sixth using 319 megabytes of data, The Guardian reports.

Ofcom also found that U.K. Internet users spend, on average, 728 minutes a week online, a slight drop from last year’s average of 746 minutes.

The increase in data usage could stem from U.K. users accessing television via Internet in high quantities (even more than the U.S.), Ofcom suggests. The Financial Times also reports that the U.K. has “one of the highest levels of penetration of smartphones in the world at 58% of the population, while just fewer than one in five owns a tablet computer.”

Is your website mobile?

Source: Mashable

Christmas is just around the corner! If you want to contact the Clicky Media™ office over the festive period here are our opening hours:

Monday 24^th December: Christmas Eve – Office Closed

Tuesday 25^th December: Christmas Day – Office Closed

Wednesday 26^th December: Boxing Day – Office Closed

Thursday 27^th December: 9.30am – 5pm

Friday 28^th December: 9.30am – 5pm

Monday 31^st December: 9.30am – 5pm

Tuesday 1^st January: New Years Day – Office Closed

Wednesday 2^nd January onward: Normal working hours – 8.30am – 6pm

Watch the video above or see the full 2012 Year on Twitter website here >>