Throughout the time I've been in business I've found networks and networking to be a good source of referrals.

However most people approach networks as some gold vein where it can instantly be mined. They breathlessly hand out business cards whilst interrogating you on why you haven't bought their product? Sound familiar?

The reality is more long term than this. Gold diggers face a myriad of challenges to identify and access the seam, and without thorough geological preparation a lot of effort can be wasted. The analogy is not wasted on me. I have found to simply be natural and know more about them as people and what challenges they face. You typically can give them some tit bit of information that helps them, or introduce them to someone useful. Get involved in societies and help their executives. Typically they are overstretched and constantly wishing they could market their society more widely. Of course we are all time poor so you must choose your battles carefully, but even token gestures can count.

I've been secretary of the

I love these repetitive articles that advise businesses how to manage their online presence. The ubiquitous top 10 tips.

There will come a day when I deign to churn my own top 10 tips. Shouldn't we feel good about recycling after all? One of these tips usually says don't develop your web site in a vacuum from other marketing efforts. So often web sites simply repeat (sometimes word for word) other marketing materials. The term online brochure becomes quite literal.

I wanted to look in detail at comparing and contrasting online and offline and where this process of re-packaging by definition ceases to apply.

1. Animation: Apart from limited holograms on paper, the world of animation exists only on a screen. There are unique opportunities to provide moving, dynamic presentations to entertain or to inform or both.

2. Order processing: eCommerce cuts down on the administrative effort and combines marketing with sales, service, support and after sales.

3. The human face. Albeit this gap is closing as video, sprites and avators fill the gap. VOIP will mean that soon web sites will offer click to call facilities (it's a wonder no one has released this already. Much is made of the human presence and 'difference'. The other enabling technology is of course broadband, and web casting (or pod casting as seems to be the fashion). I recently listened to a macromedia presentation using their web cast software. Wow! It is only what's been available for a long time, but the pieces are coming together.

4. Dynamicity. Imagine having to publish and circulate updates to paper materials on one can do on the net! It would be like running an ISO9000 system. Intranets and Sharepoint services are further examples of collaborating online. The next step from the ubiquitous email/attachment system that serves most.

5. The database: The darling of the digital age. Everything is made possible via databases. The WWW address convention, search engines, ecommerce catalogues, applications. The invisible friend that makes it all happen. The closest offline gets to a database is a filing cabinet.

There are a number of subtleties that off and online marketing presents. Play to their strengths.

Sometimes we can focus so much on one area of using the internet - the ubiquitous search engine optimisation - that it is easy to overlook the other forms that people use to "index and use information".

Personally I extensively use bookmarks, always have done. I honestly could not live without my bookmarks, so I automatically back up these as part of the procedure. Because they don't sit under "my documents" about 90% or more people don't consider them when backing up.... don't be one of them!!!

Whenever we back up computer systems for Clients (for example for a re-install where they've got the average (extensive) bombload of viruses, spyware and nasties filling their PC, we always back up then restore the bookmarks.

For the more sophisticated there are some Bookmark management programmes that can further assist in the classification of information. My favourite is AdqURL which actually is really useful when going about link building and analysing web presence on the internet.

The implications for marketers is also very important. The key challenge is to encourage the user (if they are so minded) to prompt the user to add the page to bookmarks. A simple verbal prompt may be enough. Another technique (which I extensively employ on swconsult.co.uk is to use javascript to "facilitate the process". The other variable is the keywords used. By default these are the title of the page (which of course the user has an option to over-ride and edit). By using the javascript option you can actually optimise both the title of the page PLUS gear the bookmark with a separate more relevant tag.

Perhaps you might like to bookmark this page? Or if any aspects have intrigued you, and you are seeking help with Marketing/Technology, then pick up the phone and call us on 08700-427980.

Good luck in emarketing!

Today has been one of those days where we strive for purity.... purity of HTML code that is!

Having W3C compliant code is really important in search engine marketing, it's a bit like speaking fluently to a search engine spider (via your web site code of course) rather than speaking like a Brit on holiday. And no, shouting at a spider doesn't make yourself understood.

There was a debate for a long time as to whether search engines did take this into account, but come on, does fluency count?

The problem of course is that for web design to be practical tools must be used - such as dreamweaver - and these broadbrush strokes leave dirty code - so the finesse, the purity, takes time but in my experience is worth it... on the basis that top ranking search engine results, the increased business and procits are worth it.

Well back to debugging for me, if you're feeling keen then try http://www.htmlhelp.com - or if you're interested in getting your web site code cleaned - we're happy to help.

I have been designing eMarketing campaigns (and often the wider marketing campaign too) for 5 years, specifically working with small business, and finding ways to punch above one's weight.

My customers have been of course in Newport, South Wales, (where I am based) but also Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Swindon, London, and places inbetween on the M4 Corridor.

I've preached for some months now on the power of blogging, so now it's time to practice too. Yet another powerful, free-to-use tool that can bring about results.

So the web site's www.amicore.co.uk and we're Newport eMarketing experts look forward to speaking soon....

John Chinery