2007 - The year we all became 'Gamers'

As we see in another new year, many of us are wondering what direction the Internet will take. Blogging and online video sharing through sites like U-Tube became pretty-well mainstream in 2006- So where to now?

I believe you will find the answer to that in online games like 'Second Life' that are virtual worlds in which the viewer takes on the form of a virtual character and moves through the world, interacting with other web users and objects they have created.

I could see the web becoming a large game or number of games in which we all adopt caracters and websites becoming buildings or offices in these games, which our adopted characters visit.

Sound a bit far fetched? Just look at the statistics from Second Life which, by the way is growing exponentially: 2.2 million registered users (up from one million in October last year], US$1.14 million spent in the last 24 hours.

Kids are growing up with these games: My younger kids don't surf the web, they go to 'Club Penguin' where they take on the characters of penguins and meet and interract with friends, who have also taken on the character of penguins. They play games, earn money, buy things for their Igloo etc.

Games like 'Second Life' have taken this a step further and have their own currency, which has a trading value against $US. Players can buy virtual land and using the games sophisticated modelling tools, create buildings, objects or even games within the game that they can rent, sell or charge other players to use. And there are a number of people deriving an income from this.

I imagine as cities develop within this game, this virtual land will become quite expensive and real money will be made buying and selling it as money will be made trading the currencies. In fact, I can see trading in some of these virtual currencies even becoming mainstream in the near future.

And this has not been lost on the major players - Big companies are already diverting advertising dollars to create a presence in these games.

But we will really know it is becoming mainstream when Google snaps up one of these games for billions of dollars - And I predict we will see that sometime this year.

Is the web a 'Silver Bullet' for your business?

The Internet can be an amazing place to expand your business - You can increase sales beyond your wildest dreams - But can expanding a business on the web actually save it from failing?

Of course that depends on the business model you are operating. If the only thing wrong with your business is a lack of marketing, then a website especially a well planned, well promoted one can breathe new life into it.

If however, there are problems with some other part of the business such as incorrect pricing, increasing sales by way of the Internet may actually accelerate your demise.

I have recently had the pleasure of working with an exceptional business anylist and author, Michael Burdette who's latest book 'Contemplate Your Business Navel' makes you very quickly realise how much you actually know about your business. This book is a 'must read' for anybody expanding a business on the Internet - Before you go online.

Get the business right first and it will be plain sailing all the way.

To find out more about Michael Burdette and his powerful business book: 'Contemplate Your Business Navel' visit his website: www.bookbiz.com.au

Empowering You With Content Management

At last, we have a real Content Management Solution for Small Business. CMPOWER.

Australian Business Productions developers are currently finalising this new product to be released in November.

This will make true content managed websites affordable for small business.

CMPOWER sites are not templates - Each site will be individually designed to suit the needs of the client and style of the products and market.

CMPOWER sites will be true Content Managed Sites, including:

• The ability to load images and video files
• organise information and products in tables
• add, delete and re-arrange pages
• an integrated Shopping Cart
• The ability to add or delete administrators
• The ability to update and send newsletters
• Facilities for people to suscribe to newsletters
• Each site will come packaged with a TRACKER enquiry form

New clients are already booking CMPOWER websites and we will be offering existing clients an upgrade path to CMPOWER.

Stay tuned for more on this exciting development

Exciting New Website Release

It's been in the pipeline for a couple of months, but now it is out - TRACKER - A simple but effective way of tracking responses for all your campaigns both offline and online.

Read more about this fantastic new product

Here's what marketing Guru Chris Barton says about Tracker:
"Being involved in the Marketing industry for a number of years, I have seen many products come and go that claim that they can measure the effectives of business's marketing campaigns. They all pale in comparison compared to Tracker.
If you are looking for a cost effective, marketing tool that can simply and efficiently measure the effectiveness of your marketing, Tracker is the answer. Take the guess work out marketing and get Tracked today ! You will not be disappointed."

Chris Barton- Director Systems 2 Succeed- http://www.createabetterbusiness.com.au/

Why Make A Boring 'About Us' Page?

"We are a consulting company, operating in corporate consulting market since 1997. Our history of success is based on delivering strategic planning, business - planning, corporate financing, marketing activities, management accounting and budgeting, legal consulting results for clients meeting their most rigorous requirements. "

Sound familiar? It could be anyone's 'About Us' page but it is from a scam email!

So why are 'About Us' pages usually paragraphs of corporate speak thrown up as an afterthought and so easy to be duplicated by scammers?

Why not have a dynamic 'About Us' page with real information on the company and people involved. Use it as a way for prospective clients and customers to get to know you better.

Talk to Australian Business Productions about a real 'About Us' page and differentiate yourself from the scammers!

Why Not Make Your 'About Us' Page A Little Different?

You'll notice something different about this 'About Us' page - It's a Blog - and you'll find a whole lot of different posts on here, some quite amusing (we believe if you can't have fun doing what you do, you're in the wrong business). So why do something different, anyway? Simple - It can affect your bottom line by 30% according to the experts read on:

MarketingSherpa > Personable 'About Us' Page Lifts Ecommerce Conversions 30%: "On most sites the 'About Us' page (aka 'Company Info') is a copywriting backwater -- a little dry, a little boring, a lot corporate.
But, what if you lavished the creative marketing attention on your About Us page that you do for your top offerings and landing pages? Can an outstanding About Us page help an ecommerce site stand out in an ocean of competitors?
Oh, yes, it can.

Internet Terminology Explained

I have noticed a need for a simple dictionary of computer terminology for clients, so I consulted some Australian experts and we've drawn up a list of the most commonly used phrases. (For US visitors, a ute is a pick up and prawns are shrimps):

Log On - Adding wood to make the barbie hotter.
Log Off - When it's a bit hot and the prawns are starting to burn.
Monitor - Keeping an eye on the prawns.
Download - The wood from the back of your ute for the barbie.
Keyboard - Where you hang the keys to your ute.
Byte - What your mother's yappy little dog does to your ankles when you visit.
Megabyte - From a larger dog.
Gigabyte - A byte from a bull terrier.
Website - Something that happens if you leave the ute in the shed for too long.
Search Engine - When the ute won't start.
Cursor - When it still won't go.
Yahoo - When it finally starts.
Network - What you should have done to the net before fishing for prawns.
Internet - Where you want the prawns to go.
Netscape - When the prawns found the holes in the net.
Modem - What your wife made you do to the lawns before you could start the barbie.

I hope this helps,
Tremendously, Mike