Compelite

Solutions by Compelite

2009-11-12T17:06:00.002+08:00

Is your website working for you? Are you getting at least 20 enquiries per week from your website? If not, you should talk to us!

Compelite specializes in helping companies achieve online success. We offer graphic design, website design, custom application development, online marketing and Internet services. Through many lessons learned, we have developed a set of industry-leading approaches, technologies and processes that enable us to deliver cost-effective, visually stunning, successful online sales platforms incorporating the latest search engine tactics from the ground up.

Compelite provides solutions for budgets of all sizes.

* We offer all clients FREE telephone consultation to discuss your needs.

* Don’t worry if your challenge seems too small or too big…over the last 12 years our clients have ranged from small businesses to large organizations.

* We pride ourselves in our customer service and project management skills, with hundreds of projects delivered on time, in budget.

* Our goal is simple ...We want to make you happy.

Services Include:

Graphic Design – We offer a full range of Corporate Identity services in the form of Logo Design, Graphic Design and Corporate Style Guide services, including trade show, brochure, mass media print and outdoor advertising conceptual, design and layout services.

Websites – We have developed websites for small businesses and for Fortune 500 organizations and everything in between since 1997. We produce award-winning, search engine friendly Web Designs for startups and Web Redesigns for organizations looking for the next level of beauty & functionality as well as tighter integration between their website with their operations.

Website Extensions – Do you need to add an event calendar, a file uploader, a photo album, a blog, a discussion board, an interactive chat, a Twitter or Facebook interface or some other type of interactive application to your website? We have a huge library of add-ons that can really make your website POP in the eyes of the market.

Shopping Cart – Our search engine friendly eCommerce Engine provides all of the features and functions you need to get into eCommerce with a simple, easy-to-use turn-key solution.

Website Optimization – If it isn’t yet, then make your website more search engine friendly! We follow the guidelines set by the major search engines and have direct relationships with them. If you would like a free phone consultation to discuss your website and review items that we would suggest optimizing and/or adding to your website to make it more search engine friendly, please contact us today.

Custom Software Development – oCrystal reports, ERP integrations, Java, PHP & .NET apps and much more...our programming team has been building custom applications for over 12 years.

Let us know your needs and we can deliver your solution!

For more information on how we can help you please contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or sales@compelite.net

Web Business Growth - Part 5

2009-11-12T17:03:00.000+08:00

Growing a profitable Web Business is a strategic process that requires long-range vision, careful planning, precise execution and patience. It's vital that you know exactly what you want to accomplish and that you have a detailed blueprint to follow.
Your Internet Presence
Of course you need to have a website that is optimized and tested to convert traffic, and then you need to devote time to developing and executing short-term and long-term promotional strategies. These strategies must stand on their own as well as work together to get you the best results.

In the last 4 issues we looked at the first four of five key strategies you can use to advance your business and improve your profit margin: #4 Use the Power of Email to Convert Visitors into Customers, #3 Invest in a Virtual Assistant, #2 Find the Best Use for Your Marketing Budget, and #1 Always Look for Opportunities to Increase Sales. In this issue, we will look at the fifth and final strategy in our series:
#5. Develop a System for Everything You Do
Make sure to design methods and procedures that simplify and expedite important aspects of your business operation. Very often these systems will evolve from trial and error, but when they have been perfected they should become standard procedure.

The most efficient systems are those that get you to your objective as quickly as possible, for as little money as possible and with the least possible effort.

Compelite has a wide range of products and services which can help you become more efficient and to grow your Web Business. More importantly, we have over 12 years of experience to back that up. Feel free to contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or via email at sales@compelite.net for a FREE consultation on how we can help you grow…

eCards

2009-11-12T16:54:00.002+08:00

With the holidays coming up (both Christmas and Chinese New Year right around the corner), now is the time to start thinking about your company’s greeting. This holiday season, Compelite can help you to send your clients warm wishes. And why not go “green” this year by sending out an electronic greeting card (eCard)? Not only will you be helping the environment, you’ll also be able to send a more “dynamic” greeting to your clients!

We have a range of existing templates to choose from or we can even design an eCard from scratch. Everything from simple static cards to fully animated cards with music – Compelite is your one-stop source!

If you’d like to make your eCard even more special, you can include a “charity counter.” This includes tracking of all opened cards and links to a webpage which can register a fixed amount to be donated by your company to a charity of your choice.

To see some samples of previous eCards designed by Compelite, please visit here. For more information on eCards by Compelite, please contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or via email at sales@compelite.net

eDocumentation

2009-11-12T16:46:00.002+08:00

Office space is at a premium, so why waste it by storing paper documents in-house? Compelite’s electronic indexed documentation system (eDocumentation) eliminates the need for hardcopy printouts and bulky binders for storing all kinds of valuable documents and allows you to save on storage space costs, printing costs and delivery costs.

We use a bookmark facility so all documents can easily be located using the side menu; also a thumbnail can be displayed to easy locate the pages. Our system also indexes each word so the entire document can be searched and all pages containing the searched keyword can be located individually.

Many of the leading law firms in Hong Kong use our eDocumentation service for transaction bibles, trial documentation and any documentation that need mass storage, protection or quick access of information.

If you would like to find out more about Compelite’s eDocumentation service, please visit here or contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or via email at sales@compelite.net

COMPELITE BUSINESS STARTER PACKS

2009-09-04T15:48:00.003+08:00

Compelite offers high quality, innovative and affordable solutions designed to meet your business requirements.

Are you starting a new business? Or are you a fledgling company looking to improve your IT? Design? We have a range of packages built to suit your needs. Feel free to contact us to put together a tailor-made solution.

eBusiness Starter Package

Website and Design

Everything your business needs to get started including:
• Templated, CMS controlled website
• Website and Email hosting
• Domain registration and hosting

from only HK$ 5,000

Book now to take advantage of this great deal. Call Graham Leach on 2524 3303 or email graham.leach@compelite.net for more information.

IT Support Services

Computer Maintenance and Support Services

A comprehensive package to support your entire computer system; from desktop to internet. As well as future IT equipment queries and services:
• Scheduled check ups
• Telephone support
• Emergency service guarantee
• Next business day service guarantee
• Technical purchase advice
• Free computer consultancy
• Computer asset management

from only HK$ 10,000

Book now to take advantage of this great deal. Call David Yim on 2524 3003 or e mail david.yim@compelite.net for more information.

Web Business Growth - Part 4

2009-09-04T15:40:00.002+08:00

Growing a profitable Web Business is a strategic process that requires long-range vision, careful planning, precise execution and patience. It is important to know exactly what you want to accomplish and ensure you have a detailed blueprint to follow.

Your Internet Presence

Of course you need to have a website that is optimized and tested to convert traffic. You then need to devote time to developing and executing short-term and long-term promotional strategies. These must stand on their own as well as work together to get you the best results.

In the last issue, we looked at the third of five key strategies you can use to advance your business and improve your profit margin (#3 Invest in a Virtual Assistant; #2 Find the Best Use for Your Marketing Budget; and don’t forget #1 Always Look for Opportunities to Increase Sales.) In this issue, we will look at the penultimate of the five:

#4. Use the Power of Email to Convert Visitors Into Customers

Email marketing is one of the most economical and reliable ways to build a relationship with visitors and eventually convert them into buyers. It is an effective tool for staying in touch and developing the level of comfort and trust that is necessary before they will agree to do business with you.

You can use email to convince your subscribers of your expertise in your niche. The more they come to accept you as an authority, the greater your credibility will become and the easier it will be for you to make sales.

Plus, email is a very handy tool for keeping customers abreast of new products, special promotions and the latest announcements about your business.

Featured Client – Chocolate Martini

2009-09-04T15:17:00.003+08:00

Here at Compelite, we have the privilege of working with brands that have exciting backgrounds from a broad spectrum of industries. A great example is Chocolate Martini, a fun and eclectic clothing brand that came to Compelite to take their company a huge step forward.

As you can imagine, the idea of Chocolate Martini sprung up over a few martinis. Hailing from the UK, Jane Record grew up sewing her own clothes, painting, drawing and styling. But she never imaged she would be doing these things for a living. During her time as a lawyer, she felt out of place amongst a sea of conservative black suits. Gradually, she moved away from this profession into more creative fields. But it wasn’t until she moved to Hong Kong in 2003 that she became professionally involved in the world of fashion.

Starting with accessories and styling, Jane and an Australian designer collaborated to put together a label at the beginning of 2006, which soon after came to be Chocolate Martini. The line was originally inspired by a mix of boutique Italian designers, catwalks, vintage shops, streets around the world and the massive markets of Asia. Jane’s initiative was to make fun, eclectic clothes that women could play with and feel special, gorgeous and loved in. Each piece is designed with a twist to make it unique and theatrical. These clothes are timeless and fit for the fashion chameleon. To top it all off, these items are available at prices that won’t break the bank.

When Chocolate Martini came to Compelite, they had a name and a vision, and were ready to advance their brand. We assisted them in the development of their corporate identity, business cards and website, followed by the next logical step – eCommerce.

They are now excited to announce the launch of their online web store in conjunction with a fashion show which will showcase their Summer 2010 collection. It will take place at the lavish five-star sea-front Provençal Beach restaurant in Juan Les Pins on the French Riviera. All proceeds from this event will go to the charity RED, which supports victims of AIDS-related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa. The details are as follows:

What: Chocolate Martini Clothing Fashion Show -Summer 2010
When: Saturday 5th September at 4pm
Where: Provencal beach, Juan-les-Pins, French Riviera

For more information on Chocolate Martini, or to view their latest collection, please visit www.chocolatem.com, and become a fan on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/pages/Chocolate-Martini/38032617054

To find out how we can help you make your ideas come to life as we did for Chocolate Martini, please contact Graham Leach at (852) 2524 3303 or e-mail us at sales@compelite.net

eShots

2009-06-30T14:21:00.001+08:00

Many companies recognize the power and value of electronic direct marketing (eMarketing) in reaching out and keeping their customers up to date. Compelite’s eTouch service allows you unlimited access to do just that. However, some companies do not want (or need) to commit to a full, unlimited service.

Compelite has developed a product called eShots which is ideal for those companies who only need to send out infrequent electronic announcements. We can do everything from developing & sending your eShot from scratch, or just sending out your already developed eShot to your database using our powerful delivery platform (eTouch.)

We have a number of eShot packages available for you to choose from, depending on the number of eShots you anticipate on sending out (the more eShots you buy up front, the more cost effective it becomes.)

A typical eShot includes:

• Create and verify the HTML from your example document
• Verify the email database that you have indicated to us
• Connect the HTML to the database into our delivery platform, eTouch
• Send the HTML to your database
• Produce the tracking reports that you need

Please contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or sales@compelite.net to see which eShots package is right for you.

Web Business Growth - Part 3

2009-06-30T14:16:00.002+08:00

Growing a profitable Web Business is a strategic process that requires long-range vision, careful planning, precise execution and patience. It's vital that you know exactly what you want to accomplish and that you have a detailed blueprint to follow.

Your Internet Presence

Of course you need to have a website that is optimized and tested to convert traffic, and then you need to devote time to developing and executing short-term and long-term promotional strategies. These strategies must stand on their own as well as work together to get you the best results.

In the last issue, we looked at the second of five key strategies you can use to advance your business and improve your profit margin (#2 Find the Best Use for Your Marketing Budget; and don’t forget #1 Always Look for Opportunities to Increase Sales.) In this issue, we will look at the third of the five:

#3. Invest in a Virtual Assistant
This is an opportunity to outsource various redundant tasks to someone who is capable, reliable and trustworthy. The big advantage to you is you'll have more time to devote to activities that generate income and help you grow your business.

A virtual assistant works from his or her office as an independent contractor and is responsible for whatever administrative or operational responsibilities you assign. Compensation can be agreed upon at an hourly rate, per assignment or by retainer.

If you are not yet at the stage where you can afford to pay a virtual assistant, you can consider a suitable barter arrangement with a subscriber or a customer. You can also ask a family member or a friend for help. You can't do it all yourself and you shouldn't even consider that option for the long-term.

Compelite has a wide range of products and services which can help you to grow your Web Business. More importantly, we have over 11 years of experience to back that up. Feel free to contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or via email at sales@compelite.net for a FREE consultation on how we can help you grow…

Next issue we’ll cover the fourth key marketing strategy for growing your web business…

Featured Client - 3 Kayas

2009-06-30T13:11:00.005+08:00

One of the things that makes working at Compelite so interesting is the wide variety of clients we have, and learning more about their backgrounds. A perfect instance of this is one of our latest clients, 3 Kayas.

3 Kayas is a formalization of some property activities which the owner, Jon, has had in Bali and Java for a while which he is now going to take forward. In Bahasa Indonesia “kaya” means rich/riches; the “3” refers mainly to Jon’s sons (aged 7, 5 and 3.)

Prior to this venture, Jon was a lawyer and partner in private practice for 22 years with a leading international law firm working mainly in London and Hong Kong, with periods in other major European cities as well. He quit the law 3 years ago and in his own words “feels very lucky to have got out alive. It was a remunerative job but hard work and long hours, even though I was the laziest lawyer I knew.”

Jon’s focus now is his family and their 3 sons – according to Jon, “it’s hard work but a great joy and I’m not so lazy any more!” They’ve lived in Hong Kong for over ten years, most of that on the South Side of HK Island. Jon told us “I don't leave Stanley much, other to visit Compelite’s offices, which are happily next door to where I train in Shaolin Wushu, my other principal diversion outside of the family.”

We enjoyed working with Jon very much during his project, and we asked him how he liked working with us. He said, “The exercise of building the website with Compelite has been great and I’ve enjoyed the whole process. I surprised myself how interested I could be in designing something that is close to my heart and it was fun communicating with Leon and the others [at Compelite] and seeing the ideas come to life. They were very patient and professional!”

Compelite is proud to have worked with Jon to help him develop his Corporate Identity/Logo and Website for his development land in Java. And we look forward to working with him in the future as he looks to roll out 3 Kayas to include the beachside development land that he has in West Bali!

For more information on 3 Kayas and their land development, please contact Jon at www.3kayas.com And for more information on how we can help you to make your ideas come to life please contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or sales@compelite.net

Outsourced IT Support

2009-06-30T12:56:00.002+08:00

Now, more than ever, companies are paying attention to the bottom line and watching costs. You can reduce your fixed IT Staffing Costs with Compelite’s Outsourced IT Support!

Compelite has been in the business of supporting companies of all sizes and industries for over 10 years in terms of their IT services. Why keep an expensive IT technician on payroll when we can offer you a cost-effective option with a four-hour response promise, remote assistance and a help line?

Our IT support costs are LOW and we have a LARGE POOL of multi-talented IT technicians. Call today to find out how we can lower your IT costs in 2009.

Feel free to contact David at david@compelite.net or 2524 3303 for more information on how our Outsourced IT Support service can help you…

Integrity for Professionals

2009-05-22T15:05:00.004+08:00

Despite the dire economic conditions and unfortunate layoffs, many people are looking for the silver lining. They are using this opportunity to set up their own company and strike off on their own.

Compelite has developed a package which is ideal for the smaller company which is just starting out called Integrity for Professionals. This package is designed to give you a Corporate Identity and an Online Presence hassle-free and at very attractive pricing.

This package is a “no surprises” deal for professionals who seek a hassle-free way to develop a Corporate Identity and put an Online Presence together for two years so they don’t have to think about it very much afterward. The package includes:

• Basic Corporate Identity (logo, name card, letterhead)
• Registration of domain name
• Development of “template” website
• Website and email hosting for twenty four months
• Four (4) semi-annual website updates

Please contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or sales@compelite.net for more information about our Integrity for Professionals package to see if it is right for you.

Web Business Growth - Part 2

2009-05-22T15:01:00.003+08:00

Growing a profitable Web Business is a strategic process that requires long-range vision, careful planning, precise execution and patience. It's vital that you know exactly what you want to accomplish and that you have a detailed blueprint to follow.

Your Internet Presence

Of course you need to have a website that is optimized and tested to convert traffic, and then you need to devote time to developing and executing short-term and long-term promotional strategies. These strategies must stand on their own as well as work together to get you the best results.

In the last issue, we looked at the first of five key strategies you can use to advance your business and improve your profit margin (#1 Always Look for Opportunities to Increase Sales.) In this issue, we will look at the second of the five:

#2. Find the Best Use for Your Marketing Budget
After you have identified your market demographic, fixed your goals and decided on a promotional strategy for reaching potential customers, the next step is to figure out how to maximize your budget and get the job done without over spending. Even though the exact process will vary from business to business, the principle remains the same.

You want to expose your product or service, as often as possible, to consumers who will derive the most benefit from it. Studies show that the average consumer will see a promotion about five to seven times before taking action on the offer.

So instead of blowing your budget on a single opportunity to reach your select group, it is much wiser to get everyone's attention with repeated promotions. Use as many different forms of advertising as you can afford and squeeze the most out of your marketing dollars.

Compelite has a wide range of products and services which can help you to increase your sales. More importantly, we have over 11 years of experience to back that up. Feel free to contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or via email at sales@compelite.net for a FREE consultation on how Compelite can help you to grow your Web Business.

Next issue we’ll cover the third key marketing strategy for growing your web business…

Time Technology

2009-05-22T14:46:00.004+08:00

WORK SMART, TIMESMART

Time – there is never enough of it. Time Technology, a leader in productivity and time management, understands the need to create more time in order to have better quality work:life balance.

Take Control with TimeSmart

TimeSmart is radically different to conventional time management courses; traditionally, these rely on to-do lists, paper-based note books and top-down delegation.

TimeSmart teaches individuals and teams to work smarter by fully utilizing the technology already sitting on our desktops – Outlook or Lotus Notes.

Over 7,000 executives across the region (Time Technology has offices in Hong Kong and Singapore) have enjoyed achieving extra time. The TimeSmart programs are offered in English, Cantonese and Mandarin and are conducted in-house and through regular public workshops.

Time Technology was formed in Hong Kong in 2003 by Christine Petersen, an authority on productivity and value added management. With a long and successful career in both learning and development and the corporate world, Christine has always been at the forefront of helping leading individuals, teams and organizations meet the demands of a constantly changing business environment. Christine developed her intellectual property, Time Technology, in response to a growing demand by business leaders for practical ways to achieve better control in the workplace.

Compelite is proud to have enjoyed a long-term relationship with Christine and Time Technology. Over the years, Compelite has worked on many projects for Time Technology, such as:

Design and build their website, including the booking function

Domain registration and hosting

eNewsletters

IT Equipment and IT Support

We are also big believers in what Time Technology does. In fact, we at Compelite send our employees to Christine’s TimeSmart classes to make our work effort more efficient!

For more information on how to “work smarter” please contact Christine Petersen at Time Technology (www.timetechnology.net.) And for more information on how we can help you with your online business please contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or sales@compelite.net so we can discuss your requirements with you.

MessageLabs

2009-05-22T14:30:00.005+08:00

MessageLabs, part of Symantec, provides a range of managed services to protect, control, encrypt and archive electronic communications. Listed as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant and many other analyst reports, MessageLabs services are widely recognized as a market leader in the messaging and web security market.

Compelite partners with MessageLabs to offer the one stop services including web hosting, email and web security and more. This privileged offer has been welcomed by the local Hong Kong corporations and now has further extended the coverage to more cities in Asia. Click here to look into some successful cases among the SMB sector and learn more about the benefits by adopting the new outsourcing trends.

Contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or via email at sales@compelite.net to learn more about the variety of services that MessageLabs offers, and which ones are right for you.

Remote Booking

2009-02-27T19:59:00.004+08:00

Turn visitors into customers!

Have you ever wondered how to make your website more effective to your business’ bottom line?

The answer begins with information and ends with action.

If you are running a website offering something (package vacations, for example) can you quickly and easily determine how many people are visiting your website each day? Do you know which of your packages are the most popular? Can you engage people who spend a “lot” of time on your site, either looking at several packages or taking a long look at a single package to convert them from visitors into CLIENTS?

For 2009 we have put together a system designed to answer all of the above questions and more. Our remote booking service provides you with all of the information and tools needed for real-time live web monitoring, interactive chat, and more.

* Remote booking enables our operators to view website visits in real-time. They can watch visitors arrive at your site and watch how visitors move from page to page. They can see where the visitors came from (Google, for example) as well as glean specific data about the visitor, such as Country, City and the Browser they are using. Our system also tracks whether or not this is a repeat customer. If they are, the details of each previous visit are retained, including referring source, pages visited, previous chats and more.

* Remote booking comes with a wide range of powerful reports that we can provide to you at any frequency desired (daily, weekly, monthly) and to any degree of detail desired. Our reports can be delivered in email or over the WWW and we have over 75 different pre-defined reports to choose from. Plus, we can create custom reports if your needs demand as such.

* Remote booking allows visitors to your website to chat with our operators in an easy, natural way. Whilst chatting, our operators can instantly see details of the visitor’s visit (what pages they have looked at) and their previous visits. They can also access previous chats that visitor may have had with other operators, speeding up the booking process as well as forging stronger ties with the visitor. Our operators can ‘push' pages to visitors to help your organization promote a specific special or package, or simply help the visitor get to the package they are looking for with a minimum of fuss.

* Remote booking enables our operators to proactively invite visitors to chat with them, sparking conversations and raising the ‘close rate’ of your website significantly. Using our Prospect Detection facility allows you to focus on high-probability visitors to your website by flagging key pages. When viewed by a visitor, these pages immediately inform our operators that a ‘Prospect' is on the website so they can take immediate action.
Our remote booking is ideal for many industries, such as hotels, spas, resorts, travel agents, hospitality, retail, and much more.

Click here for more information on how remote booking can turn visitors into clients (and repeat clients.) Or contact Graham Leach at 2524 3303 or via email at sales@compelite.net

FEATURED CLIENT

2009-02-27T19:50:00.004+08:00

WWW.TECHTIUM.COM

Compelite’s success is due to our clients. In this issue, we would like to focus on one of our more recent clients, Techtium.

Founded in 1995, Techtium is an international analog semiconductor company that specializes in mobile battery management products and solutions. Techtium’s backupower™ IC based technology may be used in a variety of solutions, all of which share a common result – they all bring true meaning to the phrase “mobile device”. With backupower™, mobile device users enjoy the freedom that comes from knowing their devices are powered-up and ready to use anywhere, anytime. Techtium’s battery management technologies include backupower™ and smartcavity™.

Techtium’s R&D center is based in Israel, their ASIC design is in the Netherlands, and they have Sales & Marketing divisions in the USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China along with local OEM/ODM support in Hong Kong – they truly are an international company!
Compelite helped Techtium to revamp their older website’s design and to add a Content Management System (CMS) which will allow them to keep their products, solutions and news updated. Due to the nature of Techtium’s business, they have a lot of product information, so their website not only had to be engaging but also had to present information logically and in an easy to find manner. This was important to Techtium because many of their clients (both existing and prospective) are engineers who, in addition to product names and descriptions, need the finer details and specifications as well.

The CMS developed by Compelite also allows for eCommerce so that companies across the globe can order Techtium’s products. Techtium can use the CMS to update the products they have available along with the descriptions, set the prices (this can be done by unit cost based on numbers ordered), determine if samples are available, and allow the customers to select multiple items and even method of shipping they would like to use.

For more information on revamping your own website… or even building a new website from scratch… feel free to contact us so we can discuss your requirements with you.

Web Business Growth

2009-02-27T19:29:00.002+08:00

Exchange Email Accounts

2009-02-27T17:33:00.001+08:00

With the economy in a downward trend, most companies are looking to cut costs and freeze spending. However, this can hurt productivity as it keeps you from getting the services you actually need. A good example of this is an Exchange Server; many companies need the benefits of an Exchange Server but can’t foot the price tag at this time.

That’s where Compelite’s Exchange Email Accounts service fits in… for HK$150 per month per account, you will get:

5GB Storage

Outlook/Exchange Connection

Outlook Web Access

Windows Mobile Synchronization

If several of your employees get this service, they can share their calendars, client list and files. It’s like getting a lite edition of an Exchange Server at a fraction of the cost!

Feel free to contact David at david@compelite.net or 2524 3303 for more information on how our Exchange Email Account service can help you…

The Need For Search Engine Optimisation Standards

2008-05-28T14:47:00.003+08:00

In recent times much has been said about the introduction of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) standards being established in the industry.

On the surface this sounds very viable, and offers advantages for both the clients and the service providers, which I will cover below:

Clients can be sure of the service they receive:

In Search Engine Optimisation today many clients are unsure of the level of service they receive. They do not know what SEO is exactly, and have doubts about it due to having heard negative things in the past about websites being banned from the search engines due to search engine spamming, and over the top prices being charged for a service with no guarantee.

With Search Engine Optimisation standards in place, clients will know exactly what level of service they should receive, what needs to be done on their website, and what the expectations are in terms of website visibility.

Providers can be sure of giving a service that is parallel to competitors:

Currently, SEO providers are constantly battling with competitors to get the best performance possible out of their client’s websites. This increases prices in the industry and also encourages “black-hat” SEO’s (those who try to SPAM their way to the top of search results) to become more devious and secretive in their tactics for wooing customers.

With Search Engine Optimisation standards in place, providers would be able to focus more of their efforts on improving their client’s websites, and less on questionable marketing tactics. This would keep costs down and regulate the industry.

But what about the search engines?

While it can be clearly seen why implementing Search Engine Optimisation standards would be beneficial for both the client and the provider, there is also the perspective of the search engine companies to consider.

Search Engines are still evolving their techniques of indexing pages on the World Wide Web (WWW). Therefore the automatic equations used to rank websites (algorithms) are constantly changing (in some cases on a weekly basis) to provide a better user experience when one types their keyword phrase into search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Live.

This introduces a major complication into the idea of establishing a SEO standard. Because search engines are always improving and changing their methods, so too must the SEO Firms, in order to give their clients a better service. Further more, search engines are notorious for keeping their website ranking algorithms as closely guarded secrets, requiring SEO professionals to discover the new ‘rules’ of the game through educated guesses and painstaking trial and error.

Looking at this issue from the client and service provider perspective it can easily be argued that search engines should in fact introduce standards, or specific guidelines on how websites should be built and maintained in order to rank highly in search engine rankings, and should also commit to updating the guidelines whenever a new algorithm change comes into existence.

However, since search engines are in competition with one another to provide users with the best results for search keywords, they have a very legitimate business case for keeping their methodology confidential. In addition to this, making the algorithms public could also have the undesired effect of allowing “black hat” SEO’s to become more adept at manipulating search results, boosting their rankings through spamming or tricking search engines into believing that their website is more important than it actually is.

Seen from this perspective, it seems very unlikely that any type of meaningful SEO standards can be established in the foreseeable future. Until standards emerge, a business’s best protection will come from choosing their SEO provider wisely.
Compelite has been providing professional SEO services to our clients for over 5 years, and would be happy to meet with you to discuss how our experience and expertise can achieve positive, predictable and measurable results for your website visibility. For more information, please contact our SEO Services Manager Michael Pieper at 2524 3303 or via email to info@compelite.net.

The Australian Association of Hong Kong

2008-05-28T14:17:00.004+08:00

WWW.OZHONGKONG.COM

Compelite is pleased to have been working with the Australian Association of Hong Kong for a number of years, providing regular website maintenance and updates. When the time came to completely revamp and refresh the website to give it a more up to date appearance, Compelite was happy for the opportunity to expand its involvement with the Association.

The project’s aim was to provide a modern, clean, and engaging design, maximizing the use of space while at the same time providing an easy to follow, intuitive navigation allowing users to reach the important information with a minimum number of clicks.

As the Association organizes a considerable number of events each month, one of the objectives for the new website was to keep members up to date with the schedule of upcoming activities. This was addressed by creating an online Calendar which is visible on all main pages of the website, allowing visitors to see at a glance which dates in each month have activities scheduled. Mousing over a particular date displays the particular events occurring on that day, and each event can then be clicked to provide the detailed information. Members are then able to register for the event by downloading and filling in the Event Registration form.

The Australian Association is the publisher of KangaNews magazine, which is distributed each month to Australian expatriate homes, businesses and interest groups. In the future members will be able to log in to a special password protected section of the new website where they can download each issue in electronic format.

In addition to the enhancements for website users, the new website also includes features that make it easier for the Association to manage. Incorporating Compelite’s Content Management System, website administrators are able to quickly add and update site content by using a simple, easy to use, web browser based interface.

Are you considering revamping your existing website? Compelite would love to work with you to make your project a similar success. Please feel free to contact Pete Grella at 2524 3303 or via email at info@compelite.net to arrange a free consultation.

In-house vs Outsourcing for your IT Support?

2008-04-14T11:35:00.007+08:00

As technology becomes more standardised, reliable and simpler to maintain, law firms should re-examine their IT support costs. It has been customary for many to have in-house technical staff for rapid response when needed, but now with low cost redundancy servers and advancements in hardware and software, the blue screen and network downtime are finally becoming a thing of the past (or at least should be if you have the right IT team). This means firms can realistically expect to outsource IT without worrying about being seriously inconvenienced should mishaps occur.

Studies show that there is an increasing trend to outsource, and law firms are leading the trend. So does outsourcing IT mean you are compromising? Far from it! Actually outsourcing allows law firms to concentrate on what they do best whilst your IT partners do what they do best. Below are some common areas where outsourcing your IT makes perfect sense.

Cost Savings
As you only pay for time used, outsourcing results in significant savings. Also, setting fixed costs for projects allows better budget control.

Better service quality
As IT is now handled on a client/service provider basis, service tends to be better than that provided by in-house staff.

Keeping up to date
Technology changes rapidly, and outsourcing providers will have greater appreciation of developments in other industries and be able to determine which emerging technologies can be beneficial to your firm.

Better Risk Management
Risks are reduced as the IT partner will have prior knowledge and experience on projects and only offer proven working solutions. Not only will they have far more real-world experience in many industries they will also be better at mitigating the risks involved in handling delicate tasks like upgrades and security management.

Hiring and Training services
For projects that must be handled in-house, top professional IT outsourcing companies can assist in hiring and training staff to ensure they have the appropriate skills. This training can be conducted on the job, with IT outsourcers providing secondment arrangements where their staff can work at your location.

Economies of scale
Most small firms simply can not afford to match the in-house support services that larger firms have, limiting what can be done, and when. A good outsourcing firm will have the resources to start immediately. Outsourcing also helps small firms act "big" by giving them the economies of scale, efficiency, and expertise that large firms enjoy. Sometimes far better solutions due to less internal bureaucracy...

Local outsourcing partner
When outsourcing is mentioned one often thinks of working with staff in developing countries like India. However effective outsourcing can be done locally so you have a familiar faces in the office, it's also good to know who you are working with. Choosing the right partner is the key to success. Never forget to consider the following questions:

How good is the company's infrastructure?
What is the quality of its workforce? How qualified and experienced are the employees you will be relying upon?
How successful has the firm been in handling projects in the past?
Who are they currently working with and for how long?
How confidentially or discreetly will the company be able to carry on your work and what are their security policies?

Once you have satisfied yourself on these counts your firm can unhesitatingly go ahead, outsource and benefit from it...

Garry Smith is Managing Director of Compelite Limited, an IT services provider with a wealth of experience helping law firms in Asia implement cost effective outsourced IT solutions.

Featured Website - SquareFoot.com.hk

2007-10-31T15:44:00.005+08:00

In our Featured Website section this month, we take a look at http://www.squarefoot.com.hk/. Launched in late 2007 but already a popular stop for those looking for middle to high end property, http://www.squarefoot.com.hk/ provides visitors with detailed listings of residential property for sale or rent in Hong Kong, Kowloon, New Territories and Outlying Islands.

As usability and clear presentation of information are critical to the success of a website of this nature, Compelite worked very closely with the client to develop a layout design which was practical, efficient and attractive. But there was also another perspective to consider. As the property agents who list their properties on the website are also important, their feedback and suggestions we taken into consideration as well.

Striking the appropriate balance between form and function, while satisfying the needs of the various stakeholders was an involved process, and the design went through many adjustments and refinements before final approval. All throughout Compelite’s design team worked in close concert with Square Foot’s management team to ensure that the end result was just right.

Of course, a property portal needs more than a great look and feel - it needs an array of applications designed to make the process of home hunting simple, efficient, and yes, even fun. Building on Compelite’s existing CMS system framework, several custom designed modules were created with both the end user and the administrative users in mind. These include:

Property Search Tools

View the property and area details
Contact the property agent directly from the website
Search expansion feature gives users one-click function to find more properties with similar details, in the same building or from the same agent

Property Management Tools

A specially modified Content Management System was created to make it easy for property agents to upload individual or bulk property listings, minimizing the administrative work involved in keeping their listings up to date.
Reporting tools provide information to the agents detailing how many views their properties received, which were clicked on, and requests for more information/view appointment.
Scheduled expiration of property listings, with one-click listing extension for properties which are still on the market.
User management feature allows property company to add multiple representatives, and specify which properties each are responsible for.

Whether your need is for a basic ‘brochureware’ web page, a full scale portal with custom programmed applications like Square Foot, or for something in between, Compelite can provide solutions to match your needs and your budget. We’d love to discuss your requirements with you - please call us at 2524 3303 or send an email to info@compelite.net.

Yahoo Search Marketing Panama Upgrades

2007-06-04T15:11:00.000+08:00

Yahoo is extending the reach of its Panama Pay Per Click System throughout Europe over the coming months. Up until now, it had only been launched in the US.

The promise to improve geographic targeting will bring much relief to those who use Yahoo's current system.

Panama also promises quicker approval time, allowing ads to be shown quicker. Previously, this took between 1 and 3 days, compared say to Google AdWords where you can have ads showing within 15 minutes of signing up for your account. Panama will now be in par with Google on this front.

Panama will use the feature of ad testing (much like Google's existing feature), whereby ads will be rotated evenly, and tested simultaneously for best performance. Those performing better will be shown more often.

A Visible Quality Index will be implemented (again much like Google's Quality Score) to ensure that advertisers who optimise their accounts and provide users with a quality experience (Google's term), will achieve a higher Quality Index. This will ensure that they achieve a higher ad position at a lower cost in comparison to their competitors.

The new system has been developed so that it can evolve with market trends easily. Hopefully, when Panama has been released worldwide, it will offer the ability to target multiple countries from one log in account. As it stands now, users must create separate accounts for the countries they wish to target. Not only is this frustrating, but also extremely time-consuming and costly as each account must be managed individually.

Find more information on the Yahoo! Europe Panama Upgrade here.

SEO or PPC or BOTH?

2007-05-31T12:33:00.000+08:00

Many people assume that if they are appearing in the organic results (through Search Engine Optimisation - SEO) in search engines such as Google, Yahoo or MSN that there is no need to use the respective Pay Per Click (PPC) systems such as Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing or Microsoft adCenter.

This assumption is wrong.

Recent results carried out by Google show 3 major statistics:

AdWords: 1000 impressions will recieve on average 10 clicks in top position
Organic: 1000 impressions will recieve on average 20 clicks in top position
BOTH: 1000 impressions will recieve on average 60 clicks in top position

These results show that you can double your traffic by being at the top of results in both PPC and organic listings.

What must also be taken into consideration is the syndication that takes place when PPC is deployed. When opted into the search network in Google AdWords for example, your ad will be syndicated across seven other search engines including Lycos, Netscape, Alexa, Ask, Hotbot, AOL and Go. Yahoo Search Marketing have a similar system spanning Altavista, Alltheweb, Yahoo and Dogpile.

Therefore, taking this into consideration, it is important to be at the top in both the organic results (through SEO) and the sponsored results (through PPC Management) to get the most traffic to your website.

What is more important is to have a fully optimised PPC account to get the best Return On Investment (ROI). Google has the most advanced PPC system and the widest reach on the internet, therefore Optimisation is a must. Unless you are making use of all the features available to you in your PPC account, you will lose money as you will be paying top price for the top position. With a fully optimised PPC account, you can increase your quality score, resulting in a higher position with a lower Cost Per Click (CPC). Our PPC techniques page shows all of the functions in Google AdWords that you should be using to get the best ROI. If you are not using these functions, then contact us for a quote on PPC Management to maximise you Return On Investment.