I started with a Windows 7 64-bit laptop – nothing installed. I needed to get to the point where I could install gems, which is easy enough but there are a few steps to work through. These steps assume you have administrator rights to install programs. In addition to these instructions, you may find the articles on About.com helpful.

Step 1 – Download and install Github (optional) This is only required if you use Github to manage the development of your Ruby website, otherwise skip this step. Github is one of the most user-friendly version control systems out there. Create an account, setup a repo (repository) and start building!

To install on Windows, simply download the installer and follow the prompts. The first time you use it you’ll need to log in with your account details and sync (to copy your repo to your local drive).

Step 2 – Install Ruby for Windows – Once again straightforward enough. Grab the latest build of RubyInstaller for Windows and install. My suggestions are always accept the default install directory (e.g. C:\Ruby193 – we will use this as our example) and select the options to make Ruby available system-wide.

Step 3 – Install the Ruby Devkit – This is needed for running a lot of the native C/C++ extensions (sorry if you thought you could get away with just a light Ruby install!). Download the self-extracting zip file and extract to the C:\Ruby193\devkit folder.

Step 4 – Initialise and install the dk.rb file – Open a command window (Windows key > R, type cmd and press Enter), navigate to the folder that contains the dk.rb file (e.g. type cd C:\Ruby193\devkit) then type ruby dk.rb init to initialise the devkit. This creates a config.yml (YAML file) – it should have the correct folder for your Ruby installation but check anyway. If it’s correct type ruby dk.rb install and press Enter.

It’s probably a good idea at this point to restart your machine.

You should now be all set to install or run RubyGems. RubyGems are most likely already installed with Ruby for Windows but you can make sure they’re all up-to-date by typing gem update –system.

If you have any issues with installing gems maybe try a different devkit version.

If you run into any issues getting started or installing gems let me know in the comments section.

On average most business websites will get a fresh design every two years. Often this is part of a company’s rebranding, logo change or some marketing campaign. Or it might just be the current website is starting to look dated. Whatever the reason, if you feel your website needs a new coat of paint, then what’s involved? Is it expensive? Time consuming? Complicated?

Websites designed to be upgraded

The good news is that it doesn’t need to be any of those things, particularly if you own a PogoStick website. That’s because our websites are built on a modern framework called WordPress. WordPress is a CMS (Content Management System) that allows a new design to be applied to your website without too much work – and that saves you money and time.

This modern framework means your website is flexible enough to be upgraded without any interruption to your website service. You don’t lose the old theme so you can easily switch back to it at anytime.

What new designs are available?

If you already have a designed brand then you will likely want to retain that feel throughout your website. Colours, fonts and layout should match the style of the rest of your marketing collateral, including letterhead, email newsletters or offline advertising. You can still use any of the available WordPress themes – it will just take more time to make sure it’s customised to copy your existing branding.

If you don’t have existing branding then the transition to a new look is often easier – simply browse any of the available WordPress themes and choose one that suits your tastes and your business. There are literally thousands of different themes available, from free to premium, blog style to e-commerce, and everything in between. A quick Google search brings up a host of designer companies who offer their themes at affordable prices, whether it’s ThemeForest, Woo Themes or StudioPress, they all offer state-of-the-art designer themes that can be just the ticket to giving your website a brand new look.

I’ve got a new theme – now what?

Once you’ve got a new theme, or chosen one (we can take care of the rest), what happens next? The new theme is applied to your website using the WordPress admin tool. This provides a starting point for your new design. We say starting point because even though themes save a lot of work when it comes to changing the look of your website, they still need to be customised for your specific needs.

Additional work to make sure your new theme is exactly the way you want it can include:

• Modifying colours
• Adding your logo
• Updating the standard placeholder text
• Changing images used
• Ensuring your existing content (text) looks correct in the new layout

We’re happy to provide you with a quote for a website makeover, so feel free to send us a link to the new theme you like and we can advise what the likely costs are.

What if I don’t have a PogoStick website?

While PogoStick WordPress websites are easy to update with a new design – what if you already have a website from another provider, what options do you have? While we can assist with existing setups sometimes the more cost-effective option (and cheaper in the long run) is to switch to a new WordPress website for your business. That way you can take advantage of the power of themes to make sure it’s always easier keeping your website looking great!

“The costs involved in sitting the exam, the high pass mark needed, as well as the challenging nature of many of the questions make sure that only those who really know their stuff actually achieve the qualification. I really had to draw on my years of working with AdWords and happy to come away with a successful result.”

“Google AdWords is the fastest way for businesses to achieve maximum exposure on the internet, particularly those starting out with a new website waiting to work their way through the natural search results. It provides a very targeted, measurable and cost-effective way to pitch to qualified buyers.”

“I was skeptical at first, but when I actually tried it with my own business I couldn’t deny there was a noticeable difference in the number of enquiries we were getting. Being budget-focused, it was great that we could easily specify exactly how much we wanted to spend, not just with a daily budget but also maximum CPC for individual keywords. We could simply allocate a given amount to advertising for that month, create our ads, set our location target and launch the campaign without too much fuss.”

“Gaining recognition from Google of our expertise with AdWords is good for our clients, who can have full confidence in our ability to manage their AdWords campaign, from start to finish. All they need to do is decide how much they want to spend and what they want to promote – we can take care of everything else. As a Google agency we have access to promotional vouchers and other incentives to get new advertisers off to a good start; ideal for businesses looking to get a feel for PPC without over committing themselves.”

“AdWords can seem daunting for a small business – there seems to be so much to sort out before they can even launch a campaign. Our experience with using AdWords as well as helping a range of clients from different industries allows us to give small business owners the right advice and direction on their own online advertising. From outlining the initial goals and strategy to researching keywords and choosing target markets, to writing ads and doing conversion tracking we can take a lot of the complexity out of using AdWords while still allowing even sole traders who have no time to setup a campaign to take advantage of the power and exposure of Google advertising.”

If you’ve been thinking about tapping into advertising with Google but have no idea where to start or what to do, get in touch with us and ask about our AdWords Starter package.

So how can tradesman make sure they are maximising their advertising opportunities? How can they take advantage of this unique time to build their business and their brand, and stick around for the long term? There are a few steps involved and, because you’re a busy tradesman you’ll probably say you’re too busy, but it will take less time and less dollars than you think.

Step 1 – Get a website

This is the really easy part – email us at sales@pogostick.co.nz and tell us you want an affordable website. Aside from telling us what your website name to be (e.g. christchurchbuilders.co.nz) there’s not much else to it. Of course, if you have a logo, some text for your homepage, maybe some photos of your business or links to websites you like send them through. But to get started all we need is the website name and a deposit and we can take care of the rest.

With complete website packages starting from under $300 including hosting and email services (with no ongoing charges, aside from minimal hosting fees after the first year) it will be the easiest investment in your business you’ll ever make.

We can have your website up and running within five working days of receiving your deposit – once it’s setup then it’s over to you to start spreading the word!

Step 2 – Promote your website

There are literally hundreds of different ways you can promote your website – bumper stickers, car signage, lawn signs, letterhead, business cards, email signatures, corporate gifts, classified ads, personalised plates, forum signatures, Facebook, Twitter, company uniforms, directory listings, adding it to your logo or even changing your business name (Joe’s Building becomes JoesBuilding.co.nz). All it takes is a little imagination and making sure that whenever, or wherever, your business is seen, your website name is seen as well.

The other way to promote your website, aside from publicising it, is to give people an incentive to visit it. Run a competition where people enter online, offer free quotes, a free download of a useful resource (such as a guide for first-time home builders) or a discount available only from your website (e.g. customers have to quote a secret code word or for users of our online store website you can accept voucher codes for people buying direct from your website).

Lastly, there is paid advertising, in particular Google AdWords where you can have your ads show when people search for a related product or service. Not only are these ads very measurable so you know how effective your advertising dollar is, but you can also target them very tightly, choosing who to show the ads to (only display to people in Christchurch, New Zealand and for selected keyword phrases e.g. earthquake builders). Talk to us as we can help take care of this for you. AdWords provide you with an effective method of hitting the front page of Google for relevant keywords without needing to wait the months it can take to work your way through the natural organic search rankings.

So two steps and less than $300 – now tradies in Christchurch have no excuse for driving around in a van without a website or professional email address. Get in touch today and join our growing list of happy customers!

Recently we spent four months traveling around the world, flying in to Paris and finally, 17 weeks and 16 countries later, flying out of LAX. It was an amazing experience and didn’t require as much planning as a lot of people say an adventure of that magnitude needs. And, thanks to Airbnb, it cost a lot less than is normally expected when you’re staying in the world’s capital cities for four months.

We are travelers on a ‘mid-range’ budget (not that anyone was really counting) but we didn’t want to sacrifice too much. So sleeping in parks, WOOFing or couch surfing was not on the list of options. I don’t have anything against couch surfing but I’ve moved on from just ‘making do’ when it comes to accommodation. I’ve also come to appreciate that getting a good night’s sleep is worth its weight in gold when you’re on the road – for the sake of saving a few dollars you pay the much bigger price of feeling off par the next day, or worse, become the grumpy travel buddy nobody wants to be around (normally that would be me). Some of the thousands we’d saved flying with a budget airline could at least be put towards paying a little more for good accommodation.

Turns out we didn’t have to dip into those ‘savings’ with the amount of places on Airbnb, many available for around $USD80 per night for an entire apartment. That is so much better than the hostel option, which is normally around $USD40 per person. Add in that most hostels force you to share a bathroom and lack cooking facilities (another cost saver in itself), you’re on your way to becoming just like Charlie Sheen – bi-winning.

And, even though we were traveling during peak season and hitting all the tourist hotspots, we still had plenty to choose from despite only booking a week or less in advance (mostly due to our ‘go where we feel like it’ planning approach). So after four months on the road, traveling around the world, I’ve come to the conclusion that Airbnb is definitely a big win for travelers.

Here are my top five reasons.

1 – Hosts care about reviews

Airbnb is built on a feedback system, where every person who stays gives a review of the place. Star ratings are given for a range of factors including cleanliness, value and location. Reviews are a significant factor when guests choose their next place to stay. More positive reviews definitely impact on the number of bookings a host gets.

Hosts know that every guest will be reviewing them, unlike hostels where there’s no setup to gather feedback from every visitor. Just one tip on reviews: While it’s a great way to trust you’ll get good accommodation, places with little or no reviews are sometimes priced accordingly, meaning that if you’re willing to risk it, you can bag a bargain (more than once it worked out really well for us).

2 – Hosts care about their home

This might sound a little ridiculous but it’s one reason Airbnb stands head and shoulders above many hostels (and even motels and hotels). Because your accommodation is the host’s home you can be sure it has been cared for, a side-benefit of a house-proud host. Conversely, I’ve seen many a hostel or motel in an advanced state of entropy – peeling wallpaper, dirty amenities and the worst crime of all, hairs in the bed – while all the time there’s a guy at check-in who, politely put, doesn’t give a damn.

3 – Hosts take better care of their guests

With an Airbnb host, you’re not just another number, a faceless tourist checking in, sandwiched somewhere between a busload of Japanese tourists and that group of footie players on a weekend drinking expedition. Think of it this way: imagine walking into a hotel and you were the only guest. Sporting chance you would get royal treatment. Besides hosts remember the first point we discussed so of course they want you to enjoy your stay!

One notable experience we had was a host who went way beyond the call of duty when he got up at 5am on a Sunday to prepare our breakfast so we could make it down to Pier 33 to get our Alcatraz tickets. We had tried to dissuade him the night before but he insisted. I have never had anything resembling that level of amazing service at any hotel I’ve stayed at.

4 – You get a better ‘local’ experience

Hosts are locals and generally live where the locals live. They do the things (no matter how banal they are, they are interesting to you as a visitor) that locals do. They know all the best places to go, the local spots away from the tourist trail and Lonely Planet crowd. The new Guidebook feature on Airbnb (which I’ve just started using) is a case in point.

Hosts can often give you better advice and even discounts to local attractions or public transport passes. We’ve had people stay with us that travel for work and are just sick of the corporate-blah of hotel life, cocooned away from the real world.

5 – You get more accommodation for your money

It’s not just about saving money; it’s also about getting a better all-round accommodation experience. You can stay at some very unique places (we almost got to stay on a luxury yacht in San Francisco) – places with a lot of history or good, old-fashioned charm. You can also get more features for your money. While a hostel or hotel might restrict you to a room and cramped bathroom facilities, there are plenty of entire homes available on Airbnb. And many of them are very reasonably priced. For the cost of a basic motel room, we rented entire apartments in most of the major cities we visited in Europe. Aside from the pleasure of having an entire place to ourselves, the cooking facilities meant we also saved on having to eat out every night.

Long story short, we liked Airbnb so much that we’ve put our own house on there, and over the last 18 months have had quite a few visitors, which has been a welcome shot in the arm for our local tourism, struggling with the aftermath of a deadly earthquake and drastic accommodation shortage.

If you haven’t already started using Airbnb then you don’t know what you’re missing – making your next holiday more affordable, without having to put up with budget accommodation could be as simple as browsing Airbnb.

Have you used Airbnb? Would you recommend it to other travelers?

With the super affordable business website packages available from PogoStick Web Services, clients save hundreds by using the included content management system to add their own content. It makes it a lot more affordable than most websites available in New Zealand (in fact, we stand by our claim of having the cheapest website package in the country!) but it does require a little extra motivation to get the project done. So if you have one of these great value websites but you feel like it’s not quite there yet see if the following symptoms are familiar and, if they are, take action to follow through on finishing or upgrading your business website.

1 – It’s not finished

You know the feeling. You got excited about having your own website. You started with a bang but that quickly turned into a fizzle – you got distracted with other things and your motivation went off the boil. Now you just can’t face doing the work to get your website up to scratch – it all just seems too much of a chore! How can you power through to the finish line and have a website you’re happy with?

Solution: Set a finish date and stick to it! Go one step further and tell your customers you’ll be launching your new website in x number of weeks. Write a list of what needs to be done and start ticking them off. Enlist some help. If content needs to be written delegate to someone else in the business or take advantage of our copywriting service.

2 – You don’t like the look of it

Style can be a subjective thing; what looks great to one person might be an eyesore to someone else. The fact is, if you’re not happy with the look of it then you’ll be less motivated to work on it or to promote it to your customers. At the same time, it’s worth taking the advice of someone who isn’t emotionally invested in it, someone who can be objective about how it looks, particularly in comparison with other professional websites within your industry. Be prepared to let go of some cherished flashing rainbow graphics in order to meet what’s commonly accepted among most modern websites (unless your business persona is all about being different!).

Solution: Websites are not set in concrete. Unlike a house where it’s major work to change to a different style with PogoStick websites there are literally thousands of different looks available and changing colours, fonts, images and other styles does not have to be a major project. In most cases you’ll need us to make the changes and the best way is to provide us with the specific changes you want (and we can provide a quote) as well as (if you have them available) links to similar websites that showcase the style you want.

3 – It hasn’t been updated for more than six months

This is a common trap that even big company websites fall into. To see what we mean just look at their blog and you might see a flurry of posts to start with that slowed to a trickle and now seems completely abandoned. Social media channels (such as Facebook and Twitter accounts) also suffer the same disinterest. Other pages, such as current specials or promotions, may also bear traces of tumbleweed that tell the visitor the lights are on but no one’s home. It’s a bad look for any website and gives a bad impression of your business in general.

Solution: Think about how you can use your website as a tool to communicate with your customers in real time. Do you regularly have announcements you would like to share with customers? Change of store hours? New products? New promotions? Perhaps online only specials (extend this to Facebook and Twitter fans)? Remember blog posts don’t have to be long – something short yet interesting and relevant to your customers is just as effective. If you don’t already have a blog setup on your website get in touch and find out how easy it is!

4 – You still have an ‘under construction’ page

As far as business website no-no’s go this is right up there (second only to not having a website at all!). It’s all very well wanting to launch with everything ‘just right’ but if you get too pedantic it’s possible your website will be in a perpetual holding pattern, and that’s bad for business. And please, this isn’t the 90s so no more of those ‘under construction’ animated gifs!

Solution: When we build a new website our clients can request a ‘website coming soon’ page to hide their site while it’s being put together, however in most cases it’s really not necessary. There’s very little chance anyone (apart from you) will see the website and unless your sharing government secrets there’s problem no harm if someone did. Keep in mind too that website’s are designed to evolve over time, so the initial look and feel can be changed within days or weeks. It’s better to have something to show your customers your ‘on the net’ than a boring ‘under construction’ page with no end date in sight!

5 – It’s using placeholder text

Placeholder text can either appear as words along the lines of ‘something something coming soon…’ or the beloved lorem ipsum used by graphic designers for decades as dummy text. It’s acceptable for the first week or two but after that it just looks bad. Really bad. Particularly if you have pages of the stuff. Fine for someone who reads Latin but for the rest of us it just looks like the website owner is MIA.

Solution: If you’re having trouble coming up with the words for your website consider the following questions: Do you really need the page or text? The less said the better. Websites should get to the point – fast. How much information do your customers really need (or want)? It’s quite likely you could put it in bullet point format instead of trying to craft it into a paragraph. Could an image be used to convey your message instead? A picture equals a thousand words, and a great picture even more. There are lots of free stock image websites that can help you out. If you get stuck with the writing then perhaps consider our copywriting service as an alternative option.

So take the time to review your business website and give it the TLC it needs. A ‘coat of paint’ or some fresh content can make all the difference! Of course, we’re here to help should you need any expert advice.

Not all website prices are created equal

Venturing into the world of business website shopping can be scary, intimidating and confusing – and you thought buying an office laptop was bad enough. Googling “affordable business websites” brings up pages of potential vendors. Where to start? The first results may not always be the best value for your business; they may just have spent more on optimising their website for Google to appear higher in the results. A lot of vendors don’t provide accurate pricing or obscure the pricing by listing a “monthly” price with no upfront costs but expensive long-term contracts.

Other variations with website packages can include optional extras such as content management systems (CMS), interactive forms, custom design, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), logos or email services. And, once again, no prices are listed making comparison extremely difficult. In the end, you may just give up on trying to find a website provider with the help of Google and just end up asking friends or business colleagues for their recommendation.

What are some common website expenses?

To help clear things up here’s a list of the common costs associated with a business website, and some valuable questions to ask when talking to a website supplier.

Hosting - Hosting is needed to make your website live and able to be viewed on the world wide web. All PogoStick websites include free hosting for the first 12 months, and after that there is a $6.50 a month fee, which also includes domain renewal. We don’t put limits on your hosting either, like some providers that restrict your traffic or website size. Using fast, secure US-based servers we can avoid expensive NZ hosting and the potential problems of local hosting (such as the Christchurch earthquake). It is worth checking hosting fees since they can be outrageously expensive!

Email services – When you get a website, normally you will want email services too. No point buying a fancy new domain name if you still have to advertise that unprofessional-looking Hotmail email address. The extra cost can be off-putting however, especially if your budget is limited. At PogoStick, email services are included at no extra cost. We use the flexible, yet powerful, Google Apps solution that not only provides you with web-based email (that can be collected using Microsoft Outlook if required) but also offers additional features such as a company intranet and online document storage and collaboration.

Content management – The content of your website is the text that fills in the pages. For your initial setup will you need to write your own content or will they do it? How much will that cost? Will you be able to edit your own web pages? Or will you need to pay for every change? We offer you the choice to do it yourself for free and let us do it for you at a very reasonable hourly rate. The content management system (CMS) that comes free with every PogoStick website is easy to use, and lots of tutorials are available on the internet including instruction videos on YouTube.

Future changes – What options are there for future changes of my website, such as branding updates, new pages, current promotions or new features such as online forms? How much can I do myself (using the CMS)? Is the website platform open or proprietary (meaning that it will be difficult or expensive to transfer to another provider)? We use WordPress, one of the world’s most popular open platforms, which means if you want to switch to another company it’s absolutely free to take your entire website somewhere else, and there are many WordPress developers and trainers to choose from, so there are no risks with a PogoStick website!

Opportunity costs – This is one that’s often overlooked because it’s not a direct expense you “pay” for, however it’s a trap that can seriously cost you. Some places, like Yola, VistaPrint or Wix, offer “free” websites. Supported by ads or URLs that they own the website might be free but it could be costing you in lost sales. These types of websites often present a poor image for your business, and it can scare away potential sales. It’s a cost that you can’t put a number on but it’s worth taking into account. Our Premium website package offers additional styling and design but even our cheapest package allows a professional look that will send out the right message for your business.

Don’t get stuck with a website your business can’t afford

Recently, talking to a business friend, she told me that she wanted to make some changes to her existing website. I gave her a quote for the changes but, as much as she would have liked to take up the offer, she discovered that she was essentially locked into her current provider and the cost of making the changes was exorbitant. This highlights the potential pitfall of choosing certain providers that will build your website using their own proprietary systems – it means that when it comes to future changes or development you will most likely be stuck with them, unable to choose a different, more reasonably-priced provider.

If you’re buying a website it pays to ask a potential vendor for details of these costs so there are no nasty surprises when it comes to paying both the initial, and any future invoices. That’s one thing you’ll find with our cheap PogoStick websites is our “sticker price” is all inclusive – website build, design, CMS, hosting and email services. The complete package. As for ongoing costs, you’ll only pay $6.50 a month after the first year to cover hosting and domain renewal.

So before you sign up for that new business website make sure you understand the TCO, all costs (both short and long term) of owning the website. Don’t get locked in to a website that seemed good to start with but burdens your business with expensive ongoing fees or long term contracts that are either difficult or expensive to change. By doing your homework before committing to that new website you’ll enjoy the best value website for your business without any unnecessary expenses. If there’s anything here you want more detail on, or would like to enquire about one of our website packages, feel free to get in touch.

It became the fallback when I got tired of shopping for the perfect Android smartphone. Sure someone could argue there are better phones out there but if you’re wanting a good all-rounder you can’t go too far wrong with a Galaxy S2. Prices are dropping significantly with the S3 making an appearance so you’ll probably pick one up at a bargain price (try www.pricespy.co.nz to see who’s doing the best deal).

I’ve had the Samsung Galaxy S2 for about a month now and learned a few things along the way I’d like to share with you. I’m sure there’s more to learn but here are the big questions I had and the answers I came up with – it might save you some time because some issues didn’t seem to have obvious answers when I Googled them.

Overall I’m pretty happy with the S2 – it does everything I think it should and has only locked up when I’ve tried to make it do something it really shouldn’t (like plugging in a non-standard USB keyboard). If you have any questions or would like to add your own Galaxy S2 tips feel free to leave a comment.

1 – Micro-USB is really useful

One thing that’s exciting about smartphones like the Galaxy S2 is that they are basically mini-computers. I’m about to travel overseas for four months and a laptop is just too big to be carrying around Europe. The thought that I could just use my phone to connect to a mouse and keyboard and then fire up Google Docs, Gmail and anything else I needed was very appealing. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Micro-USB adapter – For most devices, such as memory sticks or keyboards, that you want to plug-in to your phone you’ll need standard USB. Buy a USB to micro-USB adapter for the job.
Low-powered devices only – The S2 can only accept low-powered USB devices. It doesn’t have enough grunt to support many devices that require extra juice – it will warn you when a device is too demanding (in my experience this error can also appear if your phone is in power-saving mode).
Standard USB devices only – If a device is not built to standard spec it’s quite likely it won’t work. I was keen to use a roll-up flexible keyboard but none that I tried would work. So don’t expect just because it’s USB it will play nicely with your phone.
USB hubs can work – Even though there is only micro-USB plug on your phone I have successfully run a USB hub and connected two devices (keyboard and mouse). It can be hit and miss however.
Bluetooth is another option – If the USB option isn’t working for you you can always buy a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse set.

2 – Don’t bother with a larger battery

I was seriously tempted to buy a larger battery just because I’m not used to having to recharge my phone every other day. You can find larger batteries on Trade Me to replace the standard 1650 battery for around $30.

The downside is that some, due to their larger size, require a new phone cover (your existing covers may no longer fit) and there are reports of batteries overheating. And, because I have yet to see or read any reliable proof that they significantly improve battery life I’ve decided to pass on the bigger battery for now and just look at ways to conserve what life I do have.

There are apps such as Juice Defender which are very popular but basically its about switching off the services you don’t need e.g. GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth etc. It’s common sense really.

3 – Play all video formats

Before you convert your entire video collection to mp4 to play on your S2, install the MX Player app. This app will play almost any video file e.g. avi, mkv etc.

Of course you might need some extra memory so go out and buy yourself a 16Gb micro-SD card to beef up storage on your phone. Just remember to get Class 6 (higher transfer rate that Class 4 or lower) or higher so videos play smoothly.

4 – Get familiar with the Google Play store

This is where the real action is. The S2 is a great phone but really it’s all about the apps. Browse the store, get recommendations from others on great apps and you’ll have your own favourites in no time.

It’s a good idea to read the reviews for additional information about apps and don’t stress too much about all the permissions they request when you download – most apps are the same and if an app was causing problems you can be sure Google would pull it from the store pretty quickly!

5 – Silence that camera!

One of the biggest gripes from users seems to be that it is impossible to shut the S2 camera up (the rumour is that it has to do with child safety laws in Korea where the phone is manufactured).

There are camera apps that you can download that say they offer a silent option but in my experience none of them work.

One option that does work (I have tested this) is to install the Camera360 app. Use ES File Explorer (only available for rooted phones – this is the best guide on how to do it) and navigate to the root directory (which is why you need to root your phone to do this). Find the System > Media > Audio > UI folder. Rename all the camera related sound files e.g. change Cam_Start.ogg to Cam_Startold.ogg.

Now start the Camera360 app and choose the silent option. No more embarrassing clicks or whirrs when taking photos at the art gallery.

6 – GPS has limitations

GPS might seem like magical technology. Track your friends whenever you want. Find your exact location in seconds. Sadly no. It’s important to understand the limitations of GPS so you don’t get all disappointed when it doesn’t work out.

Firstly, GPS will not work indoors. Your phone will use WiFi or cellular positioning when you’re inside (or underground), which is less accurate. The Galaxy S2 has A-GPS, which simply means it can start up GPS quicker, nothing else.

Secondly, GPS will drain your battery. Smartphones in general are battery hungry but GPS makes it even worse. Switch it off if you don’t need it (drag down the top of the screen) to enable or disable GPS (and other services).

If you do want to track your friends then get the Google Latitude app. This will require a data connection (so your phone can transmit its location to the Google servers).

7 – Educate yourself

One advantage of the S2 is there are a lot of other S2 owners out there, so by doing a bit of Googling you can quickly find tips on shortcuts and secret button combinations that can turn you from average to power user in no time.

Did you know that by holding the Home button and pressing the Power button that you can take a picture of the phone’s screen? You only need to hold the Home button for a second before pressing the Power button (otherwise the Recent Tasks window appears obscuring the view!). This is a handy way to share your screen with friends.

Another tip: Hold the Power button for at least 10 seconds will force the phone to shutdown (if it locks up).

8 – Beware of auto-updating apps

It might seem the convenient option but it can chew through data if all your apps are set to auto-update, even if you set it to only update when on WiFi. My personal preference is set the default to not update and only manually update those apps that really need updating, rather than letting apps re-download and install themselves every time the developer does a bug fix!

9 – Precache maps on WiFi

Want to use Google Maps on the go but don’t have a data plan or don’t want to incur extra costs? The solution is to precache maps in your Google Maps application (make sure you have the latest version).

Go to Settings and choose Labs. Tick the Precache option. Now when you’re on a WiFi connection you can long touch a spot on the map and choose the option to precache the map. It will save a 10 mile radius of the area. Handy.

10 – The Galaxy S3 is out

This is more a general reminder that no matter what phone you buy, there is always a better, faster model around the corner. Don’t get sucked in to the consumerism vortex – just buy what you need and stick with it. And now that Ice Cream Sandwich is available for the S2 you’ll be able to match the new phones OS at least.

11 – Bonus – Music players. What music player?

Ok, so just one more. This is my own pet peeve with Android. You would think with all the billions behind Google they could at least come up with an iTunes equivalent. I have tried several different music players and have not found a semi-decent music player for the Android (disclaimer: have only tried free players) – none appear to have any reasonable method of managing your music and playlists from your PC. I’ve ended up going low tech – create separate folders for each playlist and just do a straight copy from iTunes to the phone using the USB cable.

Of course there’s lots more to learn about the Samsung Galaxy S2 but hopefully this will help you hit the ground running. Feel free to leave a comment of your own and share your tips.

The trouble is, how do you know what keywords the people you want to visit your website are using? You could guess but there are ways of knowing what keywords to target with more certainty than the hit-and-miss approach.

Obviously once you know what keywords people are using in your market space, you can start using those keywords to improve your SEO and PPC efforts.

1 – Start with a root keyword for your website

You most likely have a starting point for your keyword research. It’s quite likely a generic description of the business you’re in. For example, if you sell flowers then florist is quite likely that root keyword.

It’s a safe bet that a lot of searches using that keyword are looking for businesses that sell flowers, and provides a good root keyword that you can stem from to locate other useful keywords.

2 – Grow your list using keyword tools

I know a lot of people suggest using several different keyword tools to grow your target keyword list. I understand they are concerned about built-in bias in some tools (specifically Google keyword tools) and, while I agree with this in theory, we’re going for the 80/20 approach – get an 80% result in 20% of the time. If you have time, sure spend the extra 80% fine-tuning your result but for the purpose of growing your keyword list, just using the tools provided by Google is sufficient.

Google offers plenty of helpful tools to determine keywords Google Insights for Search, Google Trends, Site Search reports in Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools. If you are an AdWords user take a look at the Keyword Tool, Search-based Keyword Tool, Search Query Performance reports, and more.

What to look for
After entering your root keyword into the keyword suggestion tools, look for keywords that have the following attributes:

• Significant search volume – Aim for over 200 monthly searches (if targeting the local NZ area) or over 1000 if you have a global market. There’s no point putting effort into optimising your website for a keyword that is only searched a few times (unless it is very valuable to your business).
• Commercial intent – If you’re selling something then you want keywords that indicate someone is looking to buy. If you’re a florist then obviously “free flowers” is not a keyword you will be interested in. Look for “buy flowers”, “wedding bouquets”, “flower arranging services” etc.
• Focus on your niche – Don’t waste your time chasing all possible keywords. Narrow your selection to those that closely align with your USP (Unique Selling Point). If you’re the only florist near a major hospital then choose keywords that highlight that e.g. “florist st marys hospital” etc.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you narrow the list of potential keywords to target. In fact, it makes sense to limit your list to a maximum of 10 keyword phrases. It’s better to invest more time in a few keywords than making a half-hearted attempt at a 100 keywords.

3 – Implement your new keywords

Once you have your final list of keywords to target it’s time to add them to your website (or your PPC AdWords campaign). Here are some ways you can implement your keywords (refer to the image above for help on where you can change these website elements).

1. Domain name – Whether you already have a website or not you may consider purchasing a domain name that includes or matches one of the keywords on your list. While the value of name matching has declined in recent years it can still be valuable to capture click through as people will see your website as being more relevant. It’s the reason domain names like aucklandflorist.co.nz usually get snapped up quickly.
2. Page heading – This is the H1 on the page (in most cases) and the name of the page as it appears in your website menus (and the page title by default) so make it relevant, concise and inviting.
3. Page text – Rewrite your website pages (with PogoStick websites a free CMS is included so you can make your own changes) to include the keywords. Make sure it still sounds natural and don’t overuse them. Try to include synonyms of the words where suitable.
4. Page title* – Make sure the page title accurately reflects the content or message of the page. If you are promoting Get Well flowers then why not change the page title to reflect that? Keep it short and descriptive.
5. Page description* – The description is good for two reasons – it is normally the snippet shown in the search results encouraging people to click through to your website (improving your ranking in Googe) but it also helps the search engines assess the purpose of the page, so they are more likely to suggest it to people searching on those keywords. Your PogoStick website will be equipped with an All in one SEO plugin that will help you setup elements like this on each page.
6. Keyword tag* – Unfortunately spammers overused the keyword tag making it pointless for modern day websites, unless you want to show your competitors what keywords you are targeting (hint: look at competitor websites, right-click and View Source and look for meta name=”keywords” – you may be able to see what keywords they are going after!).

*If you can’t see these fields when editing your web page, check the Screen Options link (top right of the page editing screen).

Fine-tuning your keyword target list will be an ongoing project as the words people use to find your product or service change over time but by scheduling a review every six months you’ll be able to make sure that you’re giving your website the best chance of being found by your target market.

But who wants to be having to access three or 4 different email services to keep track of new mail? Not me. There had to be a better way. There was and you’ll be pleased to know it’s actually really easy.

Step 1 – Enable POP on your Google Apps account

Firstly login to your new Google Apps email. Go to Settings and Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Enable POP for your all your email (this will fetch any existing email in your account) and save the change.

Step 2 – Add the account to your existing Gmail account

Login to your main Gmail account. Go to Settings > Accounts and add your Google Apps email account:

Email: email@mydomain.com
Username: email@mydomain.com
Password: xxxxx
Mail server: pop.gmail.com
Port: 995
SSL selected

That’s it – you’re done! I recommending choosing the Add a label option so you know where your emails are coming from.