Graham Charlton

15 tips for getting the best out of your guest bloggers

Post Panda and Penguin, guest blogging has become a more popular tactic for link-building, and I see the evidence of this in my inbox every day.

We value the contribution of guest bloggers on this blog as they have been responsible for some of our best content, but it's important to manage guest writers well for the benefit of both parties.

Here are 15 tips to help you to make the most of guest posts...

by Graham Charlton 09 May 2013 13:05pm 4 comments

Announcing The Digitals awards shortlist

So, after reading through a whopping 850+ entries, we have decided upon a shortlist of 156 for our Digitals Awards.

All entries were judged during the first phase by Econsultancy's internal staff then sent to our external judges, comprised of some of the finest minds in digtal marketing and ecommerce.

The judges work at firms such as House of Fraser, John Lewis, Poke, Santander, LBi. BSkyB, Samsung and more (You can see the full list here).

There have been some really fantastic things going on in digital in the past year or so, and we believe that the shortlist represents real innovation and best practice in our industry.

Well done to all who have been shortlisted, and commiserations to the others who just missed out (some by very narrow margins).

The winners will be announced at our Awards night on June 27...

by Graham Charlton 09 May 2013 11:34am 5 comments

Is Primark mad to ignore ecommerce?

Obviously, we're big believers in ecommerce at Econsultancy, and we would advise any retailer to start selling online, if they aren't already doing so, but one big name still doesn't see the virtues of online retail: Primark.

I've written in the past about retailers that have shied away from online retail, and most of these retailers have since taken the plunge.

Not Primark though, and it seems the retailer has no immediate plans to sell online. Indeed, its most recent trading statement (pdf) makes no mention of the internet at all.

So, is Primark missing out as other fashion retailers grow their online sales, or is its business model somehow less suited to the internet?

by Graham Charlton 01 May 2013 11:43am 38 comments

11 great ways to use social proof in ecommerce

One of the most effective techniques you use on your ecommerce site to increase the confidence of buyers is 'social proof'.

Social proof is the phenomena where people tend to believe that the decision and actions of others reflect the correct behaviour in a given situation.

Here are 11 examples of social proof in action on ecommerce sites.

Some obvious, some more innovative. Please suggest any other great examples you've seen...

by Graham Charlton 24 April 2013 10:50am 10 comments

Ayssa Adnani of jamieoliver.com on a UX-focused redesign

Jamieoliver.com was redesigned recently, with a focus on providing an improved user experience, and tempting visitors to look at more than just recipes.

It's a tricky balance to strike, and the aim was to continue the focus on recipes, while attempting to showcase the other content and areas of the site.

I've been speaking to Jamie Oliver Head of Online Ayssa Adnani, and Pixelgroup, who were responsible for the redesign.

by Graham Charlton 25 April 2013 11:30am 2 comments

Q&A: Ian Monk of Bathrooms.com on a PR-focused approach to SEO

Bathrooms.com was launched by Ian Monk in 2004, and has just recently relaunched with a fully redesigned website.

Part of the relaunch included a focus on social and a PR-centric SEO strategy. I've been asking Ian about the thinking behind this approach and the results so far...

by Graham Charlton 23 April 2013 11:07am 5 comments

Start Me Up! A profile of Concept Cupboard

Concept Cupboard is a marketplace connecting businesses, from startups to big brands, with the very best student and graduate freelancers.

I caught up with General Manager Adam Ball to ask about the business and his future plans.

by Graham Charlton 16 April 2013 16:22pm 1 comment

11 valuable Google Analytics advanced segments

Along with custom reports (and sometiimes in conjunction with them), custom advanced segments are a great way of gaining extra insight and value from your Google Analytics account.

In this post, I'll round up ten very useful custom segments that you can import straight into your GA account, and save yourself the trouble of creating them yourself.

Please suggest any other segments you find useful in the comments...

by Graham Charlton 16 April 2013 11:37am 10 comments

How to use Google Analytics advanced segments: a guide for beginners

Google Analytics is a great tool, but its standard reports can be limited, so a little customisation is necessary to improve the quality of insight you can gain.

One way to do this is to create custom reports, which is an excellent idea, and another is to use GA's advanced segments, which allow you to filter reports to find the insights you need.

In this post, I'll explain how to use advanced segments. It's for GA beginners really, so I apologise in advance to any GA experts reading this...

by Graham Charlton 16 April 2013 09:40am 1 comment

How Kia used consumer reviews online and offline

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post asking whether online reviews could work in an offline setting, and the consensus was that this could be a useful tactic.

To find out more, I spoke to Kia's John Bache, as well as Reevoo's CEO Richard Anson to find out more.

Kia has been using Reevoo reviews in its print and TV ads, as well as in its showrooms. It has worked well so far, and provides a lesson for other automotive brands.

by Graham Charlton 10 April 2013 14:08pm 4 comments