>Collate I.T

Complete Website Development

Your website is the first exposure to your company that many of your customers will have. Make sure you make a good impression through proper website design.

The Internet has become one of the most successful tools in linking buyers and sellers to one another. This being the case, it is important that your website not only display what your business has to offer, but that it is informative, easy to navigate and easy to find.

At Collate I.T, whether you are a startup company, small business or blue chip plc, your business is our business. We view each website as an individual creation and are not satisfied until you are. Our talented staff will take the time necessary to work with you so that you feel confident your website stands out and represents you and and your organisation.

Content Management System

A content management system (CMS) empowers you and your organization to easily manage your website. Easily add new pages complete with images and links and allow multiple users to manage the content.

You have complete control over what appears on your website and when it's updated leaving you confident and satisfied that the technology is benefiting you business.

Collate I.T content managed sites use ExpressionEngine to provide the most comprehensive and flexible web publishing platform you'll ever need.

Web Publishing

ExpressionEngine supports an unlimited number of sections - e.g. news, products, services. You can separate your sections into independent pages, or you can put multiple sections on the same page.

Each section can have its own unique set of entry fields. These can be input boxes, pull-down menus or textareas.

The URLs produced by ExpressionEngine are Search Engine friendly. They mimic the directory structure of static sites and are logical to humans as well as computers. So instead of www.domainane.com/products.jsp?id=1&cat=427 you get www.domainname.com/category-name/product-name.

Email entries and photos to ExpressionEngine using your mobile phone or email program.

You can create relationships between entries in different sections of your site, enabling information to be shared.

The Entry Versioning feature lets you save previous revisions of your sectionentries, so you never lose any edits you make.

Each section entry can be given a "human friendly" title for use with your comments or your permalink page.

Section entries can be made "sticky", forcing them to always show up at the top of the page.

You can post entries into the future and they won't appear on your site until that date.

You can set an expiration date and your entries will be removed from your site automatically on that date.

This feature allows your users to view older entries by clicking "next" and "previous" page links.

Upload to multiple destinations, and limit uploads to specific user groups.

ExpressionEngine lets you resize images and create thumbnails,

Selling Online Internet Retailing

The internet has come of age as a sales channel. According to retail sales analysts Verdict Research, online sales grew by over 33% last year to a staggering £10.9bn.

E-commerce is a serious business and it's getting very competitive. The focus is changing. Simply having a great website is no longer good enough.

Successful online retailers deliver in 3 key areas:

Conversion

Turning site visitors into buyers. An all singing, all dancing website is no good if people never get to the checkout.

Are you putting obstacles in people's way or guiding them down the right path?

Fulfilment

Delivering on the customer transaction. Have you got the processes in place to manage the order process.

If not, you're failing to deliver.

Retention

Winning customer loyalty. You've got paying customers congratulations. Now tap into the goldmine and keep them coming back for more.

It’s an integrated process that builds profitability and customer loyalty

Our easy to use, no-limits, eCommerce solutions provide all you need to start selling online. From products and payments to marketing and delivery we provide everything to enable to you to grow your business online.

Business Web Hosting

You've got your state-of-the-art website now where do you put it? Oh that's right a friend-of-a-friend will host it for you or a mate will do a favour and put it on his server.

Just think about this before you go any further.

The hosting of your website and email is critical to your business. As your company grows and develops online you increasingly rely on having strong foundations. Without it, you become frustrated, your clients will go elsewhere (yes they really are that fickle) and ultimately your profits will suffer.

Collate I.T use our own dedicated servers hosted at multiple points around the U.K. We have 24/7/365 support by telephone (that's right we have real people who answer your questions!) and email.

Room to grow

We don't impose any limits on storage space or bandwidth. You can have as many websites and email addresses as you wish.

Software that makes hosting simple

Setup and manage your websites quickly and easily. Create new email addresses, setup email forwarding or alternatively (if you can't be bothered!) just drop us line or give us a call.

Stable and secure

Performance is nothing without stability. That's why we maintain all aspects of server hardware, system software and the Helm control panel for you. Our clients get high availability websites they can trust and rely on.

Secure storage and backup

Hard drives fail. But our powerful storage technology and daily backups minimize the risks. Oh, and just to be sure we backup the backups.

A network that doesn't die

Geographically diverse servers, with a resilient infrastucture using a BGP Multihomed Gigabit Network. Or, to put it another way, a network that doesn't die.

Easy ways to Email Marketing

Discover a way to great looking emails

Now you can create and send great looking emails in-house without any design experience. Once an email template has been created, you can easily add your own content, select recipients and schedule delivery in your own time.

Preview the email as you build it

Our live editor allows you to see the email as you build it. You can add your own text and images to your template and even change the order any items might appear. The moment you add your own content you'll automatically see the draft so you can come back and finish it later.

Pick a template, any template

We design an unlimited number of email templates, so you get to choose how the email will look from a gallery. You might have one for press releases, another for a monthly newsletter and one for special offers - it's completely up to you. You simply select which template you'd like to use and add your own content.

Complete sender control

You can use your own 'from name' and email address, so the email always looks like it comes from you. You can also select your own subject and which email address any replies should be forwarded to. We take all the messy work out of the equation by processing any bounces and unsubscribes for them automatically.

Send now or schedule for later

Once your happy with the email, you can send yourselves a test version, send it immediately or schedule it for delivery at another time. This way you can build your campaigns in advance and schedule them for delivery tomorrow, next month or any time in between.

The Pinnacle Program

The Pinnacle Program provides a way for you to have an outstanding eCommerce site plus get the ongoing benefits of Search Engine Optimisation, Pay Per Click advertising, Email Marketing campaigns and efficient back office solutions. In fact it gives you everything you need to have a successful online business.

It's no longer good enough just to have a great website. You need to market your business constantly and make sure people can find you. Once you get them to your website you need to make sure you convert them into a paying customer, process their order smoothly and effectively and then repeat this process to keep them returning.

All this takes a lot of effort but without it your missing out on lost revenue while your competitors make the most of it.

The Pinnacle Process

Hosting and infrastructure - fast loading websites, zero downtime with great support.

Ecommerce software - state of the art solutions to manage thousands of products simply and easily at the click of a mouse. Integration with legacy systems.

Content Management - instant pricing, product descriptions, product discounts, custom pricing

Payment processing / Security - payment providers, payment comparisons, security analysis

Analytics - traffic analysis, behaviour analysis

Marketing - Pay-Per-Click advertising, Email and Direct Mail campaigns, loyalty programs

Fulfillment - delivery flexibility, warranty, service

Pay As You Grow eCommerce

If you're a fast growing business it can be difficult to manage your cashflow and pay for a successful eCommerce site. So for a small deposit plus a percentage of your web sales you can get the eCommerce site you can be proud of.

About Us

Hi, I'm Stuart Whitman founder and owner of Collate I.T, a Newcastle upon Tyne website design and software development company. I specialize in creating websites and online stores for growing businesses.

History

I began my career in 1988 at the tender age of 16 as a Production Controller for a large continuous stationary print company - Ken Stokes. After 9 years working in various roles I left to become a Pick programmer / Software Developer for Sanderson Computers.

From 1997 onwards I implemented, managed and developed ERP software for a wide range of print companies across the U.K.

In 2001 I relocated to Newcastle upon Tyne and the great North East after being offered a job as lead developer for Dataform Print Management for whom I'd just completed a large and complex backoffice system. For the next 4 years I developed and customised Dataforms' I.T systems to keep up with business acquisitions and rapid growth.

In 2005 I took the plunge and founded Collate I.T. I'm the Managing Director of Collate I.T. and live in Gateshead.

Design Philosophy

My style is informed by the fact that I learned by creating real websites for real businesses. I am practical in my approach, preferring what is dependable and well-implemented to what is flashy and cool. I am guided by the principles of usability and accessibility: I believe websites should work as well as look pretty. I am an advocate for utility and simplicity, however, I believe that every useful thing can also be beautiful.

Business Philosophy

I believe it is my responsibility to help my clients understand their options and get the best solution for their needs—even if that sometimes means referring them to someone more suited to their project or recommending a less expensive solution than they had originally planned for.

During the past years Collate I.T has been working for a variety of companies from startups through to multi-national Plc's. The overiding reason I do this is because I know what computers and the Internet can do for you, and with my help you can utilise technology to grow and develop so that your business succeeds online.

Privacy Policy

This privacy statement covers the website www.collateit.net.

If users have questions or concerns regarding this statement, they should first contact us

Information Collection and Use

Collate I.T Ltd is the sole owner of the information collected on the website. We collect information from our users at several different points on our website.

Log Files

Like most standard Web site servers we use log files. This includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks to analyse trends, administer the site, track user's movement in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses, etc. are not linked to personally identifiable information.

Communications from the Site

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and about issues relating to their account. We reply via email or phone.

Sharing

Collate I.T Ltd does not pass on or sell information about our customers to any other business or organisation. The only exception to this is where we are legally obliged to do so to comply with a current judicial proceeding, a court order or legal process served on our Web site.

Business Transitions

In the event Collate I.T goes through a business transition users will be notified via a prominent notice on our Web site for 30 days prior to a change of ownership or control of their personal information. If as a result of the business transition, the users' personally identifiable information will be used differently from that stated at the time of collection they will be given choice consistent with our notification of changes section.

Choice/Opt-out

Users who no longer wish to receive promotional communications may opt-out of receiving these communications by using the unsubscibe link in the email or contacting us.

Links

Our website contains links to other sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this website.

Surveys and Contests

From time-to-time our site requests information from users via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary and the user has a choice whether or not to disclose this information. The requested information typically includes contact information (such as name and email address), and business information. Contact information will be used to notify the winners and award prizes. Survey information will be used for purposes of monitoring or improving the use and satisfaction of this site. Users' personally identifiable information is not shared with third parties.

Security

Our website takes every precaution to protect our users' information. When users submit sensitive information via the website, their information is protected both online and off-line. All our employees are notified and/or reminded about the importance we place on privacy, and what they can do to ensure our users' information is protected. Finally, the servers that store personally identifiable information are in a secure environment.

Correcting/Updating/Deleting/Deactivating Personal Information

If a user's personally identifiable information changes or if a user no longer desires our service, we provide a way to correct, update or delete/deactivate users' personally identifiable information. This can usually be done by contacting us.

Notification of Changes

If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes to this privacy statement, the homepage so our users are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.

If, however, we are going to use users' personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time of collection we will notify users via email. Users will have a choice as to whether or not we use their information in this different manner.

Questions

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, or the use of your personal information, or if you wish to request us to stop using your information in any way, please write to:

Data Protection Officer
Collate I.T Ltd
Suite 7, Salisbury House
2 Buddle St Wallsend NE28 6EH

If you have any questions for Collate I.T Ltd relating to privacy, please send them to this address.

Terms of Service

This regulates your use of the Collate I.T Ltd website and all material within it. If you do not agree, do not use this site.

1. The information contained in this website has been prepared solely for the purpose of providing information about ‘Collate I.T’ and its business.
2. The materials contained within this website are directed at those who access the website from within the United Kingdom. Those who access the site from other locations are responsible for compliance with local laws to the extent that they are applicable.
3. Top the fullest extent permitted at law, ‘Collate I.T’ is providing this website and its contents on an ‘as is’ basis and makes no (and expressly disclaims all) representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, with respect to this web site or the information, content, materials or products included in this site including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In addition ‘Collate I.T’ does not represent or warrant that the information accessible via this website is accurate, complete or current.
4. Except as specifically stated on this website, to the fullest extent permitted at law, neither ‘Collate I.T’ nor any of its affiliates, partners, members, employees or other representatives will be liable for damages arising out of or in connection with the use of this website or the information, content, materials or products included on this site. This is a comprehensive limitation of liability that applies to all damages of any kind, including (without limitation) compensatory, direct, indirect or consequential damages, loss of data, income or profit, loss of or damage to property and claims of third parties. For the avoidance of doubt, ‘Collate I.T’ does not limit its liability for death or personal injury to the extent only that it arises as a result of the negligence of ‘erskine’, its affiliates, partners, members, employees or other representatives.
5. Copyright © 2007, Collate I.T Ltd. All website design, text, graphics, the selection and arrangement thereof, and all software compilations, underlying source code, software (including applets) and all other material on this website are copyright Collate I.T Ltd and its affiliates, or their content and technology providers. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
6. No part of the text or graphics on this site may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from ‘Collate I.T’. However, you are permitted to print or save to your local hard disk one copy of reasonable extracts from the site for your personal use.
7. ‘Collate I.T’, ‘computing without the gobbledygook’ and / or other ‘Collate I.T’ services / straplines / marks and logos referenced on this website are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Collate I.T Ltd in the United Kingdom, United States of America and / or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned on this website may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
8. Any visitor to the ‘Collate I.T’ website who hyperlinks to any other website is deemed to acknowledge that ‘Collate I.T’ has not reviewed and disclaims responsibility for any information contained in any such site accessed through the hyperlink.

Accessibility

The Collate I.T website has been designed and built to be accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Some people with disabilities find using the web difficult and while we know that it is impossible to design a site that everyone can use, if you have problems using our site, please let us know and we will do our utmost to help.

Access keys

Most browsers support jumping to specific links by typing keys defined on the web site. On Windows, you can press ALT + an access key; on Macintosh, you can press CTRL + an access key. The following access keys are available throughout the site:

Access key Target

• 1 - Home page
• 9 - Contact
• 0 - Accessibility policy

Standards compliance

All pages comply with priority 1 guidelines of the W3 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and the U.S. Federal Government Section 508 Guidelines.

All pages validate as XHTML 1 Transitional. They use structured semantic markup.

Links

Many links have title attributes which describe the link in greater detail, unless the text of the link already fully describes the target (such as the headline of an article).

Whenever possible, links are written to make sense out of context. Many browsers (such as JAWS, Home Page Reader, Lynx, and Opera) can extract the list of links on a page and allow the user to browse the list, separately from the page. To aid this, link text is never duplicated; two links with the same link text always point to the same address.

There are no javascript: pseudo-links. All links can be followed in any browser, even if scripting is turned off. There are no links that open new windows without warning.

Visual design

This site use cascading style sheets for visual layout. If your browser or browsing device does not support stylesheets at all, the content of each page is still readable.

Accessibility references

• W3 accessibility guidelines, which explains the reasons behind each guideline.
• W3 accessibility techniques, which explains how to implement each guideline.
• W3 accessibility checklist, a busy developer’s guide to accessibility.
• U.S. Federal Government Section 508 accessibility guidelines.

Accessibility software

• JAWS, a screen reader for Windows. A time-limited, downloadable demo is available.
• Home Page Reader, a screen reader for Windows. A downloadable demo is available.
• Lynx, a free text-only web browser for blind users with refreshable Braille displays.
• Links, a free text-only web browser for visual users with low bandwidth.
• Firefox, a visual browser with many accessibility-related features, including text zooming, user stylesheets, image toggle. A free downloadable version is available. Compatible with Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and several other operating systems.

Accessibility services

• Bobby, a free service to analyze web pages for compliance to accessibility guidelines. A full-featured commercial version is also available.
• HTML Validator, a free service for checking that web pages conform to published HTML standards.
• Web Page Backward Compatibility Viewer, a tool for viewing your web pages without a variety of modern browser features.
• Lynx Viewer, a free service for viewing what your web pages would look like in Lynx.

Related resources

• WebAIM, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving accessibility to online learning materials.
• Designing More Usable Web Sites, a large list of additional resources.

Contact Us

The best way to contact Collate I.T is via email. We are committed to replying to your each and every enquiry personally and in as little time as possible.

Please be sure to specify the scope of your project, your desired timeline, provisional budget (if applicable) as well as to include links to any material you or your company have already published and you feel may be of relevance. All enquiries are handled with due dilligence and responded to.

Email your project

Alternatively, you can send correspondence to the address below, or just call us for a chat (it's free).

Collate I.T Ltd
Suite 7, Salisbury House
2 Buddle Street
Wallsend
Tyne and Wear
NE28 6EH

Freefone 0800 612 2702

Registered in England and Wales No. 5292856
VAT Registration No. 874759758

Frequent Questions

What next

We’ve worked on projects ranging from small brochure sites to large scale web applications. The chances are you’ll want something in between, but our philosophy is always the same: we listen to your business and customer needs. And if you’re unsure how to embark on a web project, we’ll guide you through the whole process. Just call us free on 0800 6122702 and have a chat about how we can make your business succeed online or submit a quotation request.

After reviewing your responses, I determine if we are a good fit to work together and ask any follow-up questions I need to clarify your needs and goals. Then I create a proposal and quote for your project, which I send via email. If you agree with the plan and the price, you pay half as a deposit and the other half when the site is finished. Significant changes to the original agreement can incur additional fees, but these are always discussed before they are completed or charged.

How long does a project take and how much is it going to cost

The price is based on the nature of the site, any special functionality that might be needed, the style of design desired, and the amount and nature of the products or information to be displayed. A simple brochure site would would normally take 4-6 weeks and start at £1000. A large content driven site or web application could take several months and cost upwards of £20k.

I quote a flat fee for each project so you will always know how much you are paying. My fee for hourly work (like website maintenance) is £50/hour. However, I build systems so you can update your site yourself, thus reducing or eliminating the need for ongoing maintenance.

What kind of projects have you done before

We’ve worked on projects ranging from small brochure sites, Ecommerce websites, Sales Order systems, Event Management systems, Sales Invoicing systems, Print Management systems and large content driven web applciations. Take a look at our portfolio to find out more.

AAA Stationery stand out from the crowd

AAA Stationery a rapid growth office stationery and business supplies company based in Peterlee have today joined Collate I.T as it's latest client. Collate I.T will design, develop and manage the eCommerce store, promote the business online and make the backoffice computer systems more efficient.

“As an innovative and fast growing office stationery company, we are always looking for new ways to develop our business whilst using our resources efficiently” said Cameron Watson, Managing Director or AAA Stationery. “Collate I.T offered us the chance to take advantage of their proven eCommerce and computer system techniques, and we are confident that they will deliver superior results.”

Collate I.T will promote AAAStationery.net through its Pinnacle Program solutions: eCommerce store, ultra-fast hosting, product catalogue management, backoffice systems, search engine optimization, online pay-per-click advertising, and website visitor conversion. The proven strategy will amplify both search-referred traffic and number of online leads by at least 150 percent to increase overall sales.

“Collate I.T is looking forward to elevating the AAA Stationery brand to the next level while once again proving the effectiveness of our computing and eCommerce approach ,” said Stuart Whitman, founder and Managing Director, Collate I.T. “Our innovative Pinnacle Program will not only have a positive impact on AAA Stationery website leads and sales but also on the company’s marketplace prominence.”

Get Safe Online

Collate I.T is proud to be supporting Get Safe Online. This HM Government-led initiative to ensure the online safety of both business and personal Internet users was launched in October 2005 and recently celebrated its first anniversary by launching Get Safe OnlineWeek.

Collate I.T provides eCommerce websites and shopping cart software that is used by thousands of people every day and it is in the best interest of all parties to make their online experience as safe as possible.

Research carried out by Get Safe Online during September 2006 indicates that 21% of respondents felt more at risk from Internet crime than from burglars breaking into their houses.By offering advice about how to deal with phishing, viruses and other malicious attacks on computers, Get Safe Online aims to empower Internet users to avoid becoming victims of Internet crime, and to take advantage of all the Web has to offer as a tool for communicating, banking and shopping.

Desktop Developments make their mark

[Desktop Developments](http://www.desktopdevelopments.com/) a office stationery and business supplies company based in [Hartlepool](http://www.destinationhartlepool.com/) today signed up as the latest client to take advantage of Collate I.T Pinnacle Program. Collate I.T will design, develop and manage Desktop Developments eCommerce website, online marketing and backoffice systems to increase sales and reduce costs.

“As a small business we are always looking at ways to increase sales whilst keeping costs in check.” said Tom Williams, Managing Director or Desktop Developments. “Collate I.T offered us the chance to develop our business systems and trade online with a straight forward approach that will get things done for the best value.”

Collate I.T will promote DesktopDevelopments.com through its Pinnacle Program solutions: eCommerce store, ultra-fast hosting, product catalogue management, backoffice systems, search engine optimization, online pay-per-click advertising, and website visitor conversion. The proven strategy will amplify both search-referred traffic and number of online leads by at least 150 percent to increase overall sales.

“Collate I.T is looking forward to elevating the AAA Stationery brand to the next level while once again proving the effectiveness of our computing and eCommerce approach ,” said Stuart Whitman, founder and Managing Director, Collate I.T. “Our innovative Pinnacle Program will not only have a positive impact on Desktop Developments website leads and sales but also on the company’s marketplace prominence.”

Spacehouse get ready for launch

Spacehouse the media sales and management service based in Macclesfield and London have today joined Collate I.T as the latest client to take advantage of our straight forward approach to getting things done whilst benefiting from the latest web technology. Collate I.T will provide hosting and technology services to help Spacehouse grow and deliver a wide range of new solutions to media clients.

Aqua-Systems make a splash

[Aqua-Systems](http://www.aqua-systems.co.uk/) a leading bathroom provider of premium bath fittings, showers, kitchen mixers, thermostats and installations systems based in [Peterlee](http://www.peterlee.gov.uk/) has today joined an evergrowing list of clients to take advantage of Collate I.T [Pinnacle Program](/services/pinnacle-program). Collate I.T will design, develop and manage the eCommerce store, promote online sales through Search Engine Optimization, and Pay Per Click advertising and make the backoffice computer systems more efficient.

Everything’s going to Plan

Plan Cars the fast growing car leasing, fleet management and business vehicle rental company with offices around the U.K have today agreed a deal with Collate I.T for website design and infrastructure services. Collate I.T will provide a complete re-design and development of all Plan Cars websites to achieve a greater corporate identity along with a single content management system that will be easy to use and manage across all the brands. Pukkapad premium web hosting will provide a new hosting and email infrastructure for all offices and franchises to manage the continued rapid growth of the business.

Get cashback with your shopping at QuidCo

It's not everyday you get something for nothing but that's exactly what's shopping with QuidCo cashback cooperative can do for you.

Simply register for a free account, find the merchant you need in QuidCo's directory by browsing or searching, then click on the link and make your purchase as normal. Behind the scenes Quidco tracks your purchase and the cashback for your purchase will show up in your Quidco account, usually within a day or two. It then takes 1-2 months from the date of your purchase for the cashback to be paid into your bank account via BACS or PayPal.

I personally have purchased over £900 worth of insurance through QuidCo in the last 3 months and have got over £313 cashback. As the Vauxhall advert says "C'mon"!

Don’t Email large files just DropSend

If there's one thing that seems to cause problems on a regular basis it's trying to send large files as attachments in emails. Somewhere along the line they go missing in action and things start to get a bit fraught. Well thank goodness the clever people at CarsonSystems have come up with DropSend a simple and elegant solution to sending large files over the internet. You can either use a web interface or download a little application for Mac OS X or Windows to send your files.

When you set it up you have four different plans to choose from. Yes there is a free option too which limits you to 250MB storage and 5 e-mail sends a month. Next is the $5 option with 1GB storage and 15 e-mail sends a month. For $9 you can store 10GB and send 45 emails. The fourth option costs $19 and has unlimited sends per month and 25GB storage.

The interface is clear and easy to use, it just concentrates on sending and storing files. You have an Inbox, Sent box and Storage folder which can contain nested folders. When you have sent a file to a client you can check if it has been picked up, you can even receive an e-mail confirmation.

Photography: More Than a Decent Camera

A picture is worth a thousand words. And in the ecommerce world, a product image can determine whether a customer makes the purchase, or not. But for potential merchant photographers, it turns out taking something as simple as a picture isn't really all the simple. The process often times becomes complicated and confusing and requires navigating between the sometimes-perplexing world of digital cameras, megapixels and software. Fortunately, there is help available.

[Article courtesy of Practial eCommerce]

Online retaling powers ahead

Consumer e-commerce will nearly double to £78bn in 2010 according to market specialist IMRG, and Collate I.T clients are gearing up to take full advantage.

IMRG reports UK consumers spent £42bn online in 2006, up from £30bn in 2005. Sales were just £1bn in 2000. As further evidence that e-commerce is now an indispensible part of everyday life, over 40% of the population made internet purchases last year.

Online retailers are investing heavily to keep ahead in a fast moving game. E-commerce sales rose 54% over Christmas 2006, to £7.7bn, and in April 2007 for example were up 55% on the same month last year.

We are seeing more diversification into niche websites for special product ranges. Site upgrades are making the customer experience richer and more satisfying, which in turn drives up sales.

Firms which have previously resisted e-commerce have seen competitors beating them into the online market and are having to react fast. In boardrooms around the country the debate is not 'if' but 'when'.

Other factors are coming into play too. Campaigns such as 'Go Green - Go Online' are highlighting the positive contribution e-commerce is making to reversing climate change, as well as helping companies improve their carbon footprint.

If you are planning a new e-commerce store, particularly if it is aimed at Christmas 2007, now is the time to talk with us.

Top 10 e-commerce developments of the decade

While mooching about some of the technology sites today I came across this article on what the staff of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIAA) believe are the top 10 most significant developments in retailing online.

While some of these I whole heartedly agree with I fail to see how YouTube or Blackberry are helping you to sell online for the vast majority of small business.

Google Adwords should definately be at number 1 - it's why Pay per Click may be the most important Marketing development you will ever use to get customers into your business

Google AdWords: It Just Keeps Getting Better

Over the past few months, Google has announced a number of new features in the AdWords interface. Some are relatively minor and simply affect the interface; some offer new functionality and a lot of value to the advertiser. Either way, they can help you run your AdWords campaigns more effectively, so it’s important to be aware of them. Three recent improvements are worthy of investigation.

[Article courtesy of Practial eCommerce]

Six Sure Fire Ways to Boost Sales

I would venture to say that not a single website in the world has reached its peak of effectiveness or earnings potential. No matter the circumstances, every site can "better its best." If a "magic" formula for website success existed, you'd see the big boys like Google and Yahoo using it. Since no formula exists, they constantly test and tweak for new ways to squeeze more money from their sites, and you should, too.

If you operate a website and want to squeeze maximum revenue from it, the following 6 tips will kick-start your efforts.

[Article courtesy of Practial eCommerce]

If you don’t think like a monkey, you’ll hate yourself later

Your website is costing you money. It's also filled with simple mistakes that turn off visitors before they have a chance to become customers.

According to marketing guru Seth Godin, a website visitor is a lot like a monkey looking for one thing: a banana. If that banana isn't easy to see and easy to get, your visitor is gone with a click on the "back" button.

This is so true.

You can have the best looking website money can buy, but if you put obstacles in peoples way (flash entry pages, obtrusive adverts) or don't make it completely obvious what to do, the visitor will lose interest.

Here's what we know

People don't visit many pages considering how many there are.

When they do visit a page, they decide if they're going to stay in less than three seconds. If they don't know what to do they hit the "back" button.

The vast majority of people who visit your website aren't going to figure out what to do in three seconds.

The first page people see when they arrive at your website is critical to your success.

If the visitor has to stop, even for a click, to read some useless information, or wait for something to load, they're going to flee.

Think like the monkey

Remember you're the monkey looking for the banana.

This means your visitors are busy, ill informed, impatient, not very thoughtful and eager to click on something right now.

So you need to make is easy - why have 3 clicks to something when 1 will do. Make it obvious - literally spell it out. Give them what they want, when they want it.

You can get Seth's book "The Big Red Fez - How to make any website better" from Amazon for about £2.50 second hand.

The Truth about Advertising

There are many reasons that most Advertising does not work (despite the efforts of the newspapers and magazines and certain 'publications' to convince you otherwise.)

Of all the reasons that you want to be terribly careful with advertising - one reigns supreme.

That reason is 'wastage.'

The principle is very simple.

If you advertise in your favourite newspaper or magazine, there may well be people who see you ad who will respond. But to get to those people, you're also paying to reach hundreds, probably thousands of people who have absolutely no interest in what you're offering.

Paying to reach these people is the 'wastage.' The cost of reaching them, just to get through to the handful who do respond, is what makes most advertising a huge waste of money for most small business owners.

Now imagine this...

What if there was a publication where every single person who saw your ad had a strong interest in what you have to offer. In addition, this publication doesn't even charge you for showing your ad. They only charge you when someone responds to your ad.

A few years ago this seemed like business fantasy. Now, it's very much a reality in the form of Pay per Click Advertising, pioneered by Google.

With Pay per Click, you are only reaching people who have an interest in what you're offering (because they've searched for it on Google.) In addition, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. If that wasn't good enough, you decide how much you're willing to pay.

That's the good news. It's why the Google founders are billionaires and it's why Pay per Click may be the most important Marketing development you will ever use to get customers into your business.

The bad news, is that if it's not done properly, Pay per Click can also be a huge financial drain.

Having experienced the power of this first hand and helped hundreds of business owners with it, I have to say it is totally beyond my comprehension how anyone can run a business without getting great at Pay per Click.

Be Smart and Backup your Email

If your anything like me you've got thousands of emails on your computer which would be a disaster if you lost them.

How would you get back that important email you sent to your best client or what about the documents that were sent as attachment? Well fortunately we can use good old Google Gmail as a free backup service.

By signing up for a free Gmail account and then simply redirecting/forwarding email from a selected email address on the web server all incoming email are automatically forwarded to Gmail. You can even flag these messages in your Gmail account by applying a label e.g. I add the label work for all my collateit.net emails.

Give me 2 minutes and I’ll give you an invoicing system

When your starting out in business the last thing you want to be doing is shelling out money on complicated accounting software you don't need or doing everything on the back of a fag packet.

Happily the folks at Blinksale have come up with a simple way to create and send invoices online. Using a web based system means you don't need to install any software, it runs through a browser on your PC, Mac etc and it's dead easy to use.

Dashboard

Login and get a quick overview of your sales. On the Dashboard you'll find recently sent, closed, and past due invoices.

Creating Invoices

It only takes a couple of clicks to create and send professionally-designed invoices online. Or, you can print and mail them yourself.

Browsing Invoices

Browsing your invoices should bring a smile to your face—and perhaps a little jingle to your pocket. You can filter your invoices by date, by status (open, closed, past due, or draft), or by tag. You can even export the results of your filter to an XML or Excel file. Or, check up on your invoices via your invoice RSS feed.

Payment and Follow-up

One of the primary reasons invoices go past due is because of some form of communication breakdown. Maybe your invoice got delayed in the mail, sent to the wrong person, or simply forgotten. Perhaps there was an error on your part—or your clients'. Following up on past due funds can drain your time, but Blinksale makes it a breeze. Blinksale's blog-like invoice history lets you easily track payments made, reminders sent, thank-you notes written, and general conversation about your invoices. That way, if a payment goes AWOL you're only a click away from reconnecting.

Recurring templates

Blinksale is an ideal service for those who need to bill a client—or group of clients—on a regular repeating basis. You can create a recurring template, add clients to that template, and set your schedule. Every week, every month, every year, etc. New invoices will automatically be created and sent to your clients when the appropriate time comes around. Let Blinksale due the heavy lifting for you.

I've tried a whole host of accounting systems, invoicing software, Access databases, Excel spreadsheets over the past 15 years and Blinksale truly is the easiest thing I've ever used.

What you ought to know about Email markeing

Put simply it works

Based on research conducted by the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing is predicted to return an incredible £23.91 for every pound spent in 2007. To put this in perspective, that's more than double the average return for other forms of online marketing and more than 6 times the return from print brochures.

*  It's cost effective - While the cost of actually designing your email creative can be comparable to direct mail, the big savings start when you consider there are no printing costs and you can get your message delivered for around 1p per recipient.
* It's immediate - Email generates an immediate response, instead of waiting for a subscriber to visit your site you can get your message to them when it counts. The majority of your recipients will see your message in the first 24-48 hours.
* It's relevant - Email makes it easy to segment your subscribers using a variety of criteria like demographics and past campaign behaviour (such as clicking a certain link). This way you can ensure your message goes to the individuals most likely to be interested in your offer.
* It's completely measureable - More than any other form of marketing, email can provide actionable data on the results it generates. Keep track of who opened your email and when, what topics they were interested in, who forwarded it on to a friend, how many sales were generated and much more.
* Emails are a great way to get in **closer contact with your customers**. It doesn't rely on your customer remembering to visit your site, or seeing a print advertisement.
* You can **personalize emails to suit the particular interests of that customer**, instead of sending a generic brochure.
* You **only pay for people you are actually sending to**, instead of shot-gunning out to the world at large.

Discover a way to investigate website identities

People are often amazed that someone has "taken" their favoured domain name. I then get phone calls asking if I can find out who this person or organisation might be and when the domain was regsitered.

Well the good news is you can do this yourself, and, it's free. Whooohaaa!

You need to use something called whois. Pronounced "who is" - it's a utility which interrogates the Internet domain name administration system and returns ownership and other details of the specified domain name.

Our favoured whois website can be found at http://whois.domaintools.com/. Just type in the domain name in the search box and away you go. [Note] It is now possible for individuals to hide their details so not all information may be displayed.

7 reasons why we give you more

1. We talk plain English - No gobbledygook just straight talking
2. We answer the phone - Here’s a novel idea: technology backed by a little humanity. No matter what time of day you need help, we guarantee real people will answer the phone and provide you with real answers.
3. We're affordable - When you truly consider the facts - when you add up all of the features - we undeniably offer more value than any nearest competitor. Sometimes you have to look beyond the price and consider all things such as quality, uptime, support and then features. There is a cost to "cheap web hosting" - don't let it burn you.
4. Serving since 1999 - We've been in the web hosting business for over 8 years. We're not "fly by night" - we're not going anywhere. Our longevity and experience matters.
5. We're dedicated - to you
6. Innovative - creative solutions to getting things done
7. Independent and open minded - so you get the best advice

There's probably more, but we can't think of them at the moment. You can always ask our clients.

Easy ways to your perfect name on the Internet

If your looking to get your place on the web it can be confusing knowing where to start, what you need to do and how much too pay.

The easiest way to search for a domain name is to use one of the domain registration services - I'd recommend either GoDaddy or 123-reg, both are reputable companies who have 1,000,000's of domains registered and provide excellent value for money. [Tip] Sign up for GoDaddy's newsletter or search Google for "GoDaddy Voucher" and you can usually get another 10-20% off their published prices.

A new service that's incredibly convenient and easy to use is ajaxwhois. Just a type a domain name and its availability will appear instantly.

If your actually having trouble deciding on a name it's well worth reading this article about how to name your company but I think the main points are

• Keep it simple - don't try and be clever
• Make it memorable - just think of the websites you visit regularly
• Don't use hyphens - it just confuses people
• Keep it short - yes you can have a long domain name but people will get p*%ssed off when they type in your email address!
• Get the .com or .co.uk at the very least the .net - don't bother with uk.com, .org, just think of another name

Home

Your website is the first exposure to your company that many of your customers will have. Make sure you make a good impression through proper website design.

The Internet has become one of the most successful tools in linking buyers and sellers to one another. This being the case, it is important that your website not only display what your business has to offer, but that it is informative, easy to navigate and easy to find.

‘has an extroadinary ability to bring order to chaos... no matter what the task or how frustrating a problem, particularly those with limited computer skills, with Collate I.T you only have to mention the problem once and a solutions won't be long in coming.’

— Peter Bennett, Managing Director, Stonebrook Print and Design

Helping your business succeed online

At Collate I.T, whether you are looking to build a website, sell your products online, or just get your email under control, your business is our business. We view each website as an individual creation and are not satisfied until you are. Our talented staff will take the time necessary to work with you so that you feel confident your website stands out and you understand how the technology is working and benefitting your business.

We give you access to the most effective ways of getting the most from your websites, so your business is ready to succeed online.

• No-nonsense plain English advice without the gobbledygook
• Creative solutions - simple straight forward approach to getting things done
• Dedicated to helping your business benefit from computer technology
• Independent and open minded - so you get the best advice