We all know that over the last few years Apple has finally come into it’s own. Gone are the years when it was utilised by a select few, replaced with every man and his dog with his own iPhone, iPod and now iPad!

Apple has over 300 stores worldwide and generates billions (yes billions) of dollars in revenue.

And if you keep an eye on mobile technology and even mainstream laptop platforms, you can see Apple’s influence everywhere! With smart phones with touch screens, snipping tools found on standard laptops for the web and even the way in which icons are displayed on your PC you will see that there is definintely a bit of Apple going on!

Apple has pretty much always opted for user-friendly interactivity by using simple and stable designs that look nice but are very practical.

Apple has done a lot to progress technology not least with…

Progressing Wi-Fi mobile connectivity and communications. Think of how advanced Apple’s iPhone was against a conventional mobile.

iTunes – Changed the entire music industry as CDs were replaced with one platform and all your music in a virtual space.

The product range – Apple effectively has revolutionised how we work. Our emails are synched to our iPhones, we can use Facetime and a host of other things at the same time and on the move.

We browse differently – With studies suggesting that the desktop PC will be in a big minority by 2015, the iPad really has changed things. In fact, there is a 20% increase in purchases online through Apple technology like this, suggesting that we don’t want to switch things on. We want quick and seamless!

Perhaps the best thing about the iPad is the fact that it is just as useful for business as it is for the individual user.

You can take photographs, do Powerpoint presentations with it, play games, watch films, make phone calls and a million other things, making it a useful piece of technology if nothing else.

However, whether this means Apple will rule the world forever remains to be seen. Like all thinks technology does have a shelf life. The main area that would put something like the iPhone into question of late is the new Samsung! It’s actually outselling the iPhone at the moment.

Does this suggest the iPhone is going to become less fashionable?

I’d say it’s unlikely because the iPad is still the most popular tablet on the market today and for any ecommerce sellers out there, now’s the time to start thinking about your website and how it works and looks on an iPad!

Personally, I am one of those Apples out there and do enjoy using each piece of technology for different reasons. I am not planning to change this in the near future, but I’ll keep you posted!

Paul

For most people, I’m just Paul Keene the SEO specialist from London.  However, I’m also very much into my general news and something recently caught my eye that I felt I needed to rant about!

It’s not like I constantly whinge about everything but this particular news item really annoyed me!

You may have recently seen that the HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) has warned people on Ebay that if they do not declare their earnings they could face very heavy fines and a lot of hassle!  Now, while those who are earning a living from these types of online selling sites on a full-time basis should be paying tax like everyone else – it got me thinking.  What if you’re just an occasional seller?   Or just selling the odd item because you want to clear up the house from clutter?

While the HMRC are claiming that they’re focusing on professional sellers – it’s hard to work out how they can define that.  For example, I could list 100 items from my home that I no longer need.  The Inland Revenue then finds me on Ebay for example, selling what appears to be a number of items – yet I’m not a professional seller by any means.  Worse still, let’s assume that what I’m selling has been purchased with earnings I have paid tax on when they were originally purchased, I am then being taxed again!  It’s an absolute disgrace!

It’s fine that the tax office has suggested that it is not looking at people selling their personal items, but it does make you wonder.

Letters have been sent!

The HMRC have apparently sent out more than 30,000 letters to people but what’s worse is that they have also contacted trading sites and have asked for information on the sellers as well, with a view to cross referencing the self-assessment data on tax payers.

It gets to a ridiculous point where the Government waste money on this rubbish and for what?

There is a real sting in the tale though

The most concerning thing is that while the HMRC have gained additional revenue to the tune of £500 million with their new tactics, they have missed on one very glaringly obvious issue, that is far more serious and affects the financials of this country and its tax.

Amazon itself avoids paying millions in Corporation Tax, yet they still manage to operate offices in the UK and retain staff.  So why bother with the £500 million in small fish when the HMRC could do their job properly and actually go after the selling sites themselves.  They get the biggest tax breaks because they have the funds to pay accountants who know where all the loops are.

It seems perfectly okay for show business people to avoid paying tax with off shore accounts and spending time out of the UK (they’ve done it for years) but some poor soul who earns £20k a year from Ebay sales is going to get stung and very heavily.

As a tax payer myself and someone who has seen councils and public sector bodies throw money down the drain with pointless bureaucratic set-ups it really shows that there are serious issues in this country that should be addressed.

So be warned, if you live next door to Jimmy Carr and you earn a living from Ebay, chances are you’ll be contacted and asked to cough up!  By the way, did Jimmy Carr end up paying the tax he’d avoided?

Paul

As we near the 2012 Olympics it has finally dawned on me (albeit a bit late) that London is going to be humming with people in the not too distant future.

The streets will be buzzing, millions of people will descend on the capital and while I like people, I can honestly say that I will enjoy avoiding the crowds and have thanked my lucky stars that practicing SEO in London involves being in my office with my computer, rather than a daily commute anywhere.

This has all got me thinking to be honest.  For an SEO professional like me my life is often lived out online these days, although I do go in to London regularly of course and the fact that my SEO services are based in London does of course mean that I can’t simply ignore it altogether.  However, my online use is fairly extensive.  The amount of online shopping I do is pretty impressive, my SEO is obviously an online activity and of course everything else you’d associate with a website geek or thereabouts means being online is a way of life.

So, this small train of thought got me thinking to be honest about how many ecommerce websites I see that have ‘issues’.

Ironically they are not always in relation to SEO itself, but of the many websites I go to it never ceases to amaze me on how many ecommerce sites are obviously not checked by their owners!

In a recent case, I was merrily buying something from a website and got all the way to the checkout, only to discover that the shopping basket was broken.  For anyone who relies on ecommerce and who spends regular money on SEO services having what is a ‘broken’ website is really not a very sensible situation to be in.

It seems that for the most part, ecommerce businesses are so busy ensuring they get orders out that they often forget to check their most important asset.

So here’s my definitive list of check points worth looking at to ensure you’re getting the very best from your ecommerce website.

• At a minimum of once a week, run through a purchase on your own website.  If you don’t want too much hassle then create a 1p item and buy it.  This will allow you to check that you can accept payments and that nothing is broken in the journey.
• Throughout the year, try to get an outsider to take a look at your site.  This can often help identify issues but also highlight things that become invisible when you are looking at a site everyday.
• Check that the email system works.  There is no amount of frustration for a buyer when they want information and send an email only to discover the web form or email is rejected.  This email sent to you could be your opportunity to sell so you don’t want to miss it.
• Check the internal links on your site.  If you have a product highlighted and someone clicks through to a broken link or dead page, it will really annoy them and you could risk losing them altogether.
• With an ecommerce website it’s important that you never assume anything.  Regularly keep track of what your site is doing and where you can improve, after all your business revenue depends on it!

Now I’ve relayed that information to ecommerce site owners everywhere, I had better get back to my SEO work and use a webcam to check out the crowds in central London!

Paul

Quicker than you can say ‘SEO London‘, Little Big Voice has a new addition to the SEO team here and it’s all go.

I am talking slightly in jest here though as the actual addition to the SEO team is in the shape of a rather cute 12 week old puppy called Homer.

He’s London born and bred and if I may say, is very challenging!

In a recent blog, I wrote about the benefits of having a K9 when working from home and while I sit here watching the little Andrex style pup eat a door (or at least part of it) I still think it’s a good idea.

It got me thinking about my SEO services when I set up in London many years ago.  It suddenly dawned on me, I can in fact measure my SEO career (and the years spent working within the industry) through my dogs.

Aaaaah! Homer and Dillan

My previous dog Rocky became a loyal companion for many, many years and while I cannot honestly say his SEO skills were up to much, it was great walking near our local park in London when I needed a breather and on the odd occasion having someone to talk to in the office, rather than myself.

When he sadly went to SEO heaven though, I replaced him of course with Dillan, but recently I decided the Little Big Voice crew was still spacious enough to add to.

It’s strange having two dogs to be honest, as I’ve always been used to the ‘one man and his dog approach’ and whether the addition of my Andrex puppy will provide a whole new lease of life for me remains to be seen.

I can however confirm, that for my older dog at least, the new puppy has invigorated him and he has suddenly regressed back to times past, so it’s two puppies in the office every day at the moment.

I am now in hope of a miracle of science though.  I, like a lot of other people saw Pudsey on Britain’s Got Talent and I’m now trying to train Homer to use a computer and understand keyword research.

It’s a little fact that it will take six hundred repetitions of the same word for a dog to remember it.  So imagine if I can get him to hit ‘return’ on the PC if I say SEO London?  Or better still, get him Google qualified?

I can see it now, Homer performing in front of David Walliams, Simon Cowell and judges.

The only problem is, at the moment I can’t get him to ‘hit’ return.  It’s more like he wants to ‘eat’ return, but just like SEO itself, a lot of patience and hard work will at the very least deliver me a dog that ranks well in terms of behaviour.

So, the message here is clear.  If you work from home, get a dog or even two and you’ll never have a moment’s peace, but you will enjoy the challenges it brings.

Oh and if you are in London, if you see a man running after two dogs in the park shouting “SEO London” it’ll be me and the dogs training.

Paul

In the last few years in the UK (and certainly in London) there have been a number of factory styled SEO companies cropping up.  They offer services to unsuspecting business owners and have somehow managed to convince many people that their factory approach is good value.

I presume these kind of SEO companies are full of Umpa Lumpas who send out thousands of emails every day, click a few keys and mostly are more concerned at earning the money for potential SEO than actually providing a service that will get anyone ranked.

Presumably they must be so happy with this and are inspired to sing all day while they sit at their desks (complete with telephone head set) with orange faces and green hair (okay I’m not sure about the latter unless it’s ‘fancy dress day’) but in essence they call you up, make false promises, take your payment and then forget all about you.

Somewhere in the building is Veruca Salt, a thoughtless and very greedy business person, who is mostly interested in getting money for nothing so she can feed her sweet habit.  She probably killed Willy Wonka long ago and as for Charlie, he was officially escorted from the building!

Of course I’m being rather light about all this but in short, if you get a telephone call or email from someone offering you cheap SEO for nothing, they probably not an Umpa Lumpa (that would just be weird) but they are working in factories selling services that are sub-standard at best.

So here are a few things you should know about SEO factories:

• They are usually relatively cheap, charging say an upfront cost of £99 and a minimum of £30 a month thereafter.  – However, for financial benefit you’d be just as well to shred your cash instead.
• When they get you ranked it’s usually for really easy keywords with little or no competition.  In short, anyone can get ranked for these kinds of keywords.
• They usually pressure sell and get a commission for every sale made.  This should automatically tell you how dangerous they are.
• They will use clever words and possibly even technical jargon you don’t understand.
• They won’t let you ask questions, preferring to interrupt you with more sales speak so you don’t see just how rubbish their services are.
• They won’t be able to give you tangible examples of companies like yours they’ve got ranked well on the major search engines.
• They’ll tell you that hundreds of companies have found them great, but again won’t be able to specifically name them.
• They’ll waste your money!

There are so many reasons that Willy Wonka like SEO factories are a waste of time and let’s not forget.  Even if you do suddenly realise they’re really ripping you off when you try and contact them?  They’ll conveniently not be available and have another set of ‘excuses’ to deal with you.

So don’t be a plonker and go for Willy Wonka!  SEO should be provided by a professional that will not dangle a carrot in front of you in the hope that you’ll buy it and not ask questions.

Be safe with your SEO!

Paul

If you are like me and spend your days at home working alone then you will know how it can feel at times.

Yes I love my work – if I didn’t I wouldn’t have dedicated the last few years of my life to providing SEO to businesses all over London and beyond, but it has to be said it can be very challenging at times.

Of course working at home does have its benefits.  For instance, I can get out of the home office when necessary to visit a client in London to discuss SEO without the need for hours of travel.  I can also set my own hours (just about), but that said it can get very lonely at times when you’ve no one at home to talk to or share the day with.

Before you think I’ve gone mad and concluded that I’m suffering from some kind of breakdown though – think again!

Dillan my faithful chocolate labrador

The sheer demand on your personal life that working from home creates deserves some practical solutions and it struck me the other day, when I looked at my dog just how valuable he is to my company.

As a nation of animal lovers –something like 23% of those are dog owners.  That’s millions of dogs throughout the UK and I’m one of that 23% with good reason.

My dog is a great office companion to be honest.  As well as being fun, he’s a great excuse to get out and take a walk and while he does not possess SEO skills himself (although there’s plenty of time for that) the fact that I can be in my London home, working away with him next to me is really positive experience.

I’ve always had dogs in my life and never let it be said by anyone that they are NOT man’s best friend.    They can be natural stress relief, good fun and unlike virtually everyone else in the world to some degree – don’t demand anything but exercise, food and water!

In fact, whether other dog owners would admit or not – I’m sure there’s plenty of home workers outside of London that enjoy being able to vent some momentary frustration or express happiness to their old faithful dog!

There has been many a day when I’ve been under stress I’ve started talking to myself (maybe even sworn a couple of times) and in a moment, had that stress completely alleviated just by looking at my K9 friend panting away at me happily.

I remember years ago that someone somewhere in the world did a study of the affects of stress with and without a dog and apparently – those people with dogs suffered less from stress related illness.  So there has to be some reason we have the lovable animals.

A word of caution however…

This may sound ridiculous but someone I know had always worked in their own office outside of the family home and due to a relocation ended up basing most of their working week from their house in London.  Amusingly perhaps – the dog didn’t like it and it actually caused quite a few issues initially.

In fact, the person I’m thinking of said how bad they felt when the dog would just sit there all day staring right at them and would never look away, but that they never had the time to take him on a proper work or give him attention.

It wasn’t until I suggested that the dog just needed a better routine under the new working day that they understood.    What I didn’t tell them though, was that a good routine applied to them AND their dog.  Both needed a bit of a stress vent.

Letting the dog out is not the same as dedicating some play time and of course walks and I know that if I didn’t take mine out for a good hour a day, I’d go insane and no doubt he would!

All home workers have challenges.  Not, withstanding the fact that it’s virtually impossible to switch off if you work from home as technically you’re always in your office – even when you should be doing something else.

So, my best advice to anyone working from home is most definitely to get a dog!  It’s the only way you stay sane, get exercise and feel that you’re still connected to the world outside!

Paul

Update: A week after writing this post my heart was telling me to get another dog as company for Dillan. So a week later without much thought I headed on a 12 hour round trip to Wales and collected my cute new 14 week old Labrador puppy Homer. I called him Homer as he was yellow just like Rocky who passed away a year ago and also because he keeps mounting Dillan  making him a Homer Sexual dog! 2 weeks into having him he’s turned my life upside down – I don’t sleep properly anymore, he chews and pees everywhere. Seriously, the dog behaviourist is arriving this afternoon to try and help me get my life back on track – I hope it all works out OK.

Recently while searching Google, I happened upon a rather bizarre and offensive site.  People who read my blog will know that I do try and share information on what I find – some of it SEO based – some of it as a way to offer up new insights in to the online sector.  But for this blog, I am digressing slightly, but most certainly with good reason.

While there has been a lot said recently about the lack of policing on the Internet and how it seems anyone can create a website with content that can offend or is indeed even illegal, it begs belief that in this society a website that looks like the official Her Majesty’s Court Service website, evidently feels that a Swastika is perfectly acceptable as a way to imply that the UK legal system is run by ‘Fascists’

I am not going to go in to whether the legal system in the UK is indeed run by Fascists or controlled by a totalitarian government – but that’s not the point. What I find more offensive is that the Swastika in its Nazi roots can be used in this way, like it has any bearing on something that is so far removed from what happened in Europe and beyond during the Second World War.

It is not remotely funny or clever to utilise a symbol that was part of a regime that imposed genocide on millions of people.  It is completely offensive to use a symbol that stood for a regime that tortured and abused millions of people.  And above all, it is not acceptable to use a symbol that stood for a world where hatred and condemnation of millions of people was allowed to happen, just because of their religion, sexual orientation and race.  It is not clever or justified to use it as a way to degrade the legal system, because the connotations of a Nazi Swastika are fundamentally more serious.

Millions of people died during the Holocaust and in my mind, you do not need to be Jewish to appreciate why it is offensive and how inappropriate it is to use it in a way that completely degrades those that suffered even further. It is not too dissimilar to seeing a certain Royal Family member or Conservative MP parading around a fancy dress party dressed as a member of the Nazi party. If used right, it can be effective satire a la Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator, if used wrong it can become grossly offensive.

It’s important to remember that the Swastika and all that can be tied to a time in Europe where the Nazis allowed horrific things to happen to innocent people was actually not really that long ago.  In fact, it was only seventy three years ago that the war started. That’s still within a lifetime for some people who lived through and survived it.

What really annoys me is the fact that upon calling HM Court Centre in Watford to complain about it and to ask if it could be removed completely I was promptly told; “We can’t promise anything. We’ll see what we can do. Someone will call you back right away”.  And guess what? Two weeks later I’m still waiting for that call and the offensive site is still ‘live’.

If someone was to stand on a street corner today, holding up a Swastika citing hatred to certain people in society they would be arrested and certainly wouldn’t be ignored.  There are in fact countries where this behaviour is a criminal offence.  So the fact that it has been used so thoughtlessly on the Internet seems to mean it’s okay and therefore because there appears to be no way to control it, it does not matter.

It’s frankly worrying that a site that also looks like an official HM Courts Service website is even allowed to operate on this basis, particularly when you consider that even pretending to be a Police officer in the UK is a criminal offence.

What is the idiot (Gerry Coulter of Hitchin, Hertfordshire) who is running this site trying to achieve exactly?  Does he have no consideration or respect for a history that saw some of the most awful atrocities ever seen in a lifetime?

So, if it’s so hard to get sites taken down, it’s interesting to consider that anyone who has uploaded content to You Tube of the recent Grammys has had it promptly taken down because of copyright infringement.  Therefore, if You Tube can remove a video of Adele singing so easily, then why is it so hard to do something about a Swastika on a site that is obviously playing on its similarity to HM Court Service, with no thought as to the real impact the Swastika may have to users.

If people want to express their hatred and dislike for our legal system – that’s up to them – but when they show no respect for people who have genuinely had generations of issues because of a regime that had no regard for people it is fundamentally wrong. Let’s not forget, the Nazis under their Swastika flags murdered women, children, men, elderly people, jews, gay people and gypsies during their reign of terror – something that should never be forgotten or abused for the wrong reasons.

The truth is that a Swastika is a symbol for hatred. That hatred became political and was used as the driving force for the murder of millions, and it’s not that long ago that world witnessed this level and degree of intolerance and genocide. Now the legal system in the UK may be riddled with many flaws and even potential ‘illegalities’ in how it operates, and while the justification for a website that highlights these things is not without merit, it’s all in the presentation of that information. They should drop the Swastika and the sensationalist approach if they ever want their message to be taken seriously at all.

Paul

Good customer service is a prerequisite for any ecommerce website that wants to be successful. It strengthens customer loyalty and retention in the future; it basically keeps them from wandering off to your competitors and purchasing from them. It’s a digital spin on positive word of mouth! If a customer has a bad experience shopping with a site, they have the enormous forum of the digital world in which to voice their annoyance and discontent.

Bad news travels fast online and a poor customer experience can result in your company being lambasted in a very public forum. Think how well your company can do with a strong SEO strategy and where it can land in the Google, Yahoo and Bing search results; now imagine that a bad customer review lands up on the rankings above or below your result. Online shoppers make up their minds very quickly and they are just looking for a reason not to buy your products.

David versus Goliath

In my previous blog, I wrote about the problems I’d had dealing with a small business and the abysmal customer service I’d received. It’s not just small businesses committing these infractions against their customers; big businesses are doing it too. Some small companies seem to think that they don’t have to provide a good customer service because of their size. Some big companies think that they’re above responsibility to their customers because they have survived this long.

In the end, both have a responsibility to do their best to offer customers excellent customer service. Strong customer service is a huge asset for businesses because it – like search engine marketing or SEO initiatives – can help to spread positive word about the business. Positive word will bring customers back time after time and as they tell their friends about it, the positive word of mouth will bring more people to the site.

Sweet Apples and Sour Lemons

I’m a bit of a computer game nerd. I had wanted updates for a game on my Mac – I won’t tell you what it is for fear of undermining my credibility. (Just kidding, but I’m still not saying.) I had two options: to buy directly from the Apple App Store or buy direct from the game’s company in question. I opted to go for the non-Apple company and I was appropriately punished for my choice.

I purchased the updates and breezed through the checkout process with ease. After purchasing, I found that the updates weren’t actually compatible at all (although this was never displayed on the website). When I emailed them (annoyingly there was no telephone number) to see about a refund, they told me that that wouldn’t be possible. They then referred me to an obscure section of their terms and conditions. They then reiterated the resolute and unwavering NO and told me that they would not offer me a refund. The service I received was so brutally blunt that I can honestly say that I will never buy from them again. Instead of offering a good service and a sympathetic ear, they were rude and trying everything they could to usher me away.

After I’d come to terms with my own anger, I went to the online Apple App Store with my tail tucked between my legs. As usual with all my Apple computer, music and movie purchases Apple gave me excellent customer service. The whole process was a breeze and they gave me advice from a place of knowledge and a foundation of strong, attentive customer service. In the end, I’ll sing Apple’s praises until I’m blue in the face and I will never go to the other company again. Ever. And my friends and family will never use them again. Ever.

Paul

It’s a hard question to ask. It’s also a hard question to get an honest answer to. There are a great many companies offering both direct and white label SEO services to companies in and around London. The surprising thing is not that there are so many companies offering search engine marketing, but that these companies are offering them to London businesses from as far afield as Edinburgh.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing inherently wrong or bad about marketing companies in the United Kingdom offering search engine marketing services to companies in London. I’m not saying – not for a second – that only London-based search engine marketers are knowledgeable enough to offer wise and comprehensive advice on SEO. Far from it; anyone with experience in SEO is more than qualified to advise businesses on their search engine marketing needs. But the difference is that London-based SEMs (search engine marketers) have experience working with businesses in the city of London.

It’s a funny situation when a London-based business is looking for SEO advice for someone outside of the city. I’ve learned everything I know about SEO from on-the-ground experience in London. I’ve learned a lot from working with businesses, getting to know a client and their needs and then applying it to marketing their specific keywords and information.

Working with companies is important, especially in a city like London where businesses are trying desperately to get a straight, honest consultation in SEO. Learning about their business needs is vital to providing a competent and informed SEO service; one that is suited to their business. I’ve always found it key to talk with the company first to establish the sorts of keywords that they would like to be ranked highly on, as well as bringing my own ideas to the table on what their keywords should be. So many companies don’t do this these days, particularly when they are not based in the same city as their clients. It’s also important to understand the brand well before advising them on search engine marketing.

It’s a worrying trend in the industry that people sell high-minded and pricey search strategy and search engine marketing packages to companies from up and down the country without anything to back it up. No experience, no real knowledge of the way search works. Nothing.

Being in the same city as your clients gives you a unique insight into their SEO needs and helps you to provide a better service to the client. Most importantly, it gives the client the best possible basis with which to improve their business’ digital offering. I strongly believe that it’s important for both the business and the SEO provider to be in the same city to build an informed and tailored approach to their search needs and deliver the best possible service.  That’s how I’ve built up my knowledge and skills within the industry and it’s how I provide the best possible service to London-based businesses.

Paul

Little soldiers behind the iron walls

Good customer service is a prerequisite for any ecommerce website that wants to be successful. It strengthens customer loyalty and retention in the future; it basically keeps them from wandering off to your competitors and purchasing from them. It’s a digital spin on positive word of mouth! If a customer has a bad experience shopping with a site, they have the enormous forum of the digital world in which to voice their annoyance and discontent. Bad news travels fast online and a poor customer experience can result in your company being lambasted in a very public forum. Think how well your company can do with a strong SEO strategy and where it can land in the search results; now imagine that a bad customer review lands up on the rankings above or below your result. Online shoppers make up their minds very quickly and they are just looking for a reason not to buy your products.

I’ve had a couple of very bad experiences online recently. Both of these experiences were down to appalling customer service, yet these companies were very different: one big, one small. The common thing tying both experiences together – other than the horrendous customer service – was the fact that both companies hid behind the comfort and detachment of their websites. In doing so, they remained separate from the issue and could ignore it for a very long time.

It started off simply enough, as most stories do. I’d placed an online order with a small company. The journey was smooth enough and the checkout process was relatively painless; I got through the whole process in about 10 minutes – I’d been reading some customer reviews and lost track of the time. I should have been suspicious when I didn’t get an automated email confirming my purchase right away, but hindsight is a blessing and a curse. The lines were silent and I didn’t receive the items I ordered, so I called the company to chase it up. After a week still no order. I called them again.

This time was a different story. They told me that they had ordered the wrong products and couldn’t fulfil the order. I reordered and still nothing. By this point, the vein in my head was probably the size of a football; I’d started to look like Stressed Eric on a particularly bad day. When I finally got through again, they told me that they had forgotten and that they took full responsibility.

‘Okay,’ I thought.

My last nerve was understandably raw. After another wrangle, they finally admitted that it was still kicking  around their offices. Never again.

I won’t name the company here because it wouldn’t serve any purpose other than to start flinging mud around. The point is this, some companies have grown so comfortable in the detachment of the online community that they have completely lost sight of the basics of a good shopping experience: customer service. So many businesses these days hide behind their websites and telephones to avoid having to face up to the fact that they have failed their customers. It’s not good enough.

If a customer has a bad experience on your site, they are almost certain to blog about it, tweet about it or circulate the information online. They certainly won’t recommend you to anyone else. They’ll most likely badmouth you to all of their friends, family and colleagues; by the end of it, they will deter a fair few people from ordering with you.

Good customer service costs nothing; bad customer service can cost you everything.

Paul