White Papers- Digital Audit and Business Strategy advice you can trust

On May 26th 2012, in just 24 days time, UK legislation passed May 2011 governing the use of “Cookies” on websites will come into effect. This law, a part of the wider-reaching suite of European Legislation known as the Data Protection Directive, is designed to protect the privacy of individuals by ensuring that all websites ask permission before storing ‘Cookies’. In the UK the ICO, or Information Commissioner’s Office, will have responsibility for enforcing the law. The purpose of this article is to address the large number of questions businesses have regarding the legislation including: what is a Cookie, what does the law demand, what are the potential and realistic penalties and how can a website be made compliant. Continue reading →

Businesses in the UK are becoming increasingly dependent on digital technologies; not only in their operations, but also in their marketing and sales. The variation of potential services a business can employ to make this happen is vast. From the Traditional IT Infrastructure, to Cloud Services, to E-commerce websites, SMEs have to be more savvy than ever in leveraging opportunity against risk. A recurring issue we encounter is when a business experiences downtime in their website, and it’s especially concerning where that website facilitates sales. This white paper looks at the reasons for a website becoming inaccessible, further providing the simple steps a business can take to minimise the likelihood of their occurrence. Continue reading →

When buying a website, it can often be difficult to know if what is being delivered is up to scratch. Just like when buying a new car, you have to double check everything is as per spec before you drive off the forecourt. Most importantly you’ll want to check that the website will meet your current future needs, that it matches the brief you provided, and ultimately that the website is secured against any hacking that could cause significant disruption to your business. This special report looks at the process you should undertake prior to accepting a new website. Continue reading →

Office Computing, and the world of computing in general, has changed significantly in the last 30 years. In fact, it wasn’t so overly long ago that every computer had a 15” CRT monitor, was only available in beige and sprouted a plethora of complex looking cables. In 2012 technology has been vastly simplified- most novices with a small degree of technical aptitude can buy 3 or 4 computers for an office and set them up with a WiFi router to create their initial office environment. Email and Calendaring can be sourced and implemented quickly and cheaply through Cloud Computing solutions such as Google Apps, meaning a non IT professional really can establish a small office without any outside involvement. As these organisations grow the role of the IT Manager becomes somewhat diluted. Problems with computers considered common 5 or 10 years ago are no longer apparent and device set up and configuration is streamlined for the non-technically aware. Whilst IT management is still essential in medium to large sized businesses, smaller technically-savvy enterprises will be quickly reinventing the role of the IT Manager. This special report will look at the coming changes to IT and how the role of IT Manager will evolve along with it. Continue reading →

As one of the most expensive possessions a business will acquire, the planning and consideration that goes into your website will need to be considerable. A website is the equivalent of investing in a new sales person, and can quite often cost just as much. Whilst many businesses appreciate their website as an investment, they sometimes struggle to equate it to resources with which they are more familiar, namely Property, Labour or Vehicles. In this paper we will use analogies based on these three areas common to both the consumer and business mentality. The result of this special report should be that your organisation will have a much better ability to approach the planning, design and maintenance of your website in cost-effective manner designed to support and enhance your on-going operations. Continue reading →

The iPhone and Android mobile devices have been a roaring success. These phones and tablets have changed the way we as consumers interact with portable devices, and they’ve created an entirely new industry/economy for small groups of programmers to providers applications for these devices. This quick evolution means that more and more organisations are beginning to hear from companies that want to build you an iPhone or Android application. Their sales pitch is well thought out and often high-pressurised, just like that of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Whilst some small software-houses are creating apps to sell directly to the paying public, many others have turned their attention to the lucrative B2B market. From Accountants to Solicitors, and Health & Safety organisations to IT Consultants, each field is being offered generic applications rebranded to act as a short-term marketing tool or USP to increase their awareness over that of their competitors. Unfortunately, as Mobile Applications are a relatively new service, most businesses are not sure of the right questions to ask to make an informed and educated purchasing decision. Continue reading →

Within the space of a few short years the majority of individuals, as consumers, will predominantly access the Internet via mobile devices. The traditional web experience to which we have become accustomed over the last 20 years will be relegated to the office environment. Laptop and Desktop computers in the home will become a thing of the past, present exclusively for hobbyist or individuals requiring access to software that demands more precise methods of data input such as the Computer mouse. This transition in Internet-access technology will undoubtedly lead to a steep rise in Website Disputes. This article will assess the effects on business of the consumer transition to accessing the Internet via a mobile device. Continue reading →

This Buyers Guide is part of SafetyNet Ensure, the Digital Marketing Risk Management Toolkit from Berea Associates Ltd. Find out more at http://www.berea.eu/for-businesses/safetynet/ Continue reading →

As we look to the year ahead, and recap 2011, Digital Marketing has once again proliferated exponentially. The massive, and impossible to understate, growth in mobile marketing (Tablets/Smart Phones) is changing the way we as consumers access, interpret, process and store information. It is changing the way consumers find stores and spend money. As couch-commerce (buying through media consumption devices such as the iPhone and iPad) becomes increasingly commonplace, the ways in which a business now has to monitor and control it’s Online Presence becomes ever more complex. In 2000, a business may have considered solely employing a website, in 2005, a website and email marketing campaigns were cutting edge, in 2010, a business needed a website, email marketing, Facebook, Twitter, SEO and Pay Per Click, expertly balanced, were required to be competitive. In 2012, we’re seeing a rise in new technologies and services facilitated by the growing affordability of mobile devices capable of accessing the Internet. These technologies are, for the use of an awful modern phrase, game-changers. Many hard-learnt lessons of the past must be forgotten, and new lessons learnt quickly, if a business hopes to thrive in what will prove to be a pivotal year for digital advancement. This Special Report investigates technologies that will be heavily marketed to businesses in 2012, and why caution and common-sense should be watchwords when the services are presented. Continue reading →

The scope of opportunity for a Digital Marketing Agency/ Website Provider to cut a corner or take advantage of business with limited knowledge of Web Marketing is huge. The outburst of frustration that typically leads a business to discover Berea often stems from anger from lack of control pent up over a protracted period of time. The experience of such helplessness can make what should be a straight forward business dealing feel like paying a ransom, or worse, at it’s darkest, blackmail. This white paper will present four case studies outlining the circumstances of our clients and the unfortunate situations they found themselves in. Continue reading →