Archive for the 'Friday Afternoon Reading' Category

Business Attraction Website For Virginia, USA

Published
by
Ian Smith
on August 25, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Friday Afternoon Reading and Investment Attraction
. 1 Comment

Pop quiz.

What makes a good website for business attraction?

a) Current and relevant key location factor data
b) Social media tools to push information and great marketing content
c) Multilingual content
d) Database of available real estate options in the region
e) All of the above

After our evaluation of the leading economic development agencies in Canada for the 2010 Canadian Online Marketing Index, Intelegia believes that the answer is definitely, e).

We were alerted to the Yes Virginia website by Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) via the LinkedIn group, Foreign Direct Investment Professionals.  The website deserves a closer look in regards of the elements vital to investment attraction efforts.

I) Multilingual Content

Seeing multilingual content on a website that is devoted to investment attraction is a clear indication of “openness” on the part of a region.  Supplying information in more than one language allows a region to put itself on the radar of investors who speak French, Spanish, German or other languages.   Figure 1 illustrates Yes Virginia’s content in German that deals with Virginia as a place to invest.

Figure 1: Yes Virginia German Content
Please Click On Image To Enlarge

This particular section of the site provides details on:

  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Investment by Country
  • Strategic Locations
  • Mergers, Acquisitions & Joint Ventures
  • Success Stories
  • Export Programs

Along with German content for the above is available in French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, China and English.

II) Site Selection

It only makes sense for a site selector to have access to database of available real estate option to evaluate possible sites.  Yes Virginia gives site selectors the opportunity to conduct in-depth research based on their needs.  Figure 2 is the search interface for a query for industrial sites.

Figure 2: VEDP Property Search Interface - Industrial Sites
Please Click On Image To Enlarge

III) Contact Information

One faux pas that agencies commits on  the website is the lack of contact information for key individuals. VEDP provides a detailed a staff directory on their website.  Figure 3 is a sample of the directory.


Figure 3: VEDP Staff Directory
Please Click On Image To Enlarge

Each individual that is listed in the directory has their phone number and email address.

The three elements of the VEDP’s website that were highlighted in this post should be at the core of any website for business attraction.

  • Multilingual Content - Multilingual content ensures that agencies do not discriminate against potential investors who may speak a difference language other than English.
  • Site Selection - This portion of the site must give selectors and potential investors the ability to place themselves in a region to benefit from the existing infrastructure, especially transportation.
  • Contact Information - By simply providing a list of contacts relevant to investment attraction, agencies can remove the first barrier associated with promoting a region.

SouthAfrica.info Facebook Fan Page

Published
by
Ian Smith
on May 26, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Friday Afternoon Reading, Investment Attraction, Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized and Web 2.0 Search
. 0 Comments

My colleague, Isabelle Poirier alerted me to the SouthAfrica.info Facebook Fan Page which is worth a look from agencies who are still wondering what content should be posted on a Facebook page.

The page is an extension of the International Marketing Council of South Africa website and as part of its web 2.0 branding campaign for the country.  Other elements of the campaign include RSS Feeds and a Twitter account, SA_Info.  Figure 1 is a screen shot of the Facebook Page.

Figure 1: SouthAfrica.info Facebook Page

The first thing that visitors notice on the page are the photographs associated with each postings.  The content that is available is a mix of news dealing the South African economy and the upcoming World Cup of Soccer.  Figure 2 is a look of postings from May 21st and May 24th, 2010 on the subject of the country’s GDP and an investment project from Omina Solutions.

Figure 2: Postings On SouthAfrica.info From May 24th and May 20th, 2010

The search engine optimization for the Facebook Page needs a bit of work.  Entering the keywords, “south africa” + investment and “south africa” + “economic development” in Google does not deliver the direct link to the page.

My New Year’s Resolutions

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 10, 2008
in Friday Afternoon Reading
. 0 Comments

Yes, I know it is a littleStud a Siete Cartas es un juego del casinos que es de el grupo del juegos clasicos. late to be making resolutions in terms of internet intelligence practices on the 10th of January but who is going to stop me. The important thing is to stick with them to remain an efficient researcher and a provider of highly relevant information, right????

1 - Improving Keyword Selection

I find myself not have enough keywords when I am dealing with a complex question. Having just a few keywords really limits the ability to find information from various resources online. I’m going to try to be more creative in terms of listing words to be used in search queries. Using tools such as Google Suggest, Keyword Suggestion Tool from Wordtracker and KeywordDiscovery will be a very good start.

2. Management of RSS Feeds

Okay, I have to admit that I’m not the best person that knows how to manage RSS feeds efficiently. I’m getting better but I need to brush up on the newest tools and approaches to filter information that is pushed to me.

3. Learn more about new tools.

Sometimes as information professionals, we are so focused on research mandates 9am to 5pm that we do not make time for trying out new tools to find and organize information. I think I need to take a hour out of my week to play with different applications on the web. A good place on the web to visit and find new tools is Tara Calishain’s ResearchBuzz and for Google maniacs, see Google Labs .

4. Keep Blogging

Yes, I know I have been a slacker when it comes blog postings over the past three months. I will try my darn best to blog two to three times per week. If I don’t come through on this resolutions, you have my permission to remind me every few weeks.

Dear Santa Claus

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 21, 2007
in Friday Afternoon Reading
. 0 Comments

I know that you have not heard from me in awhile, okay 25 years, but I have been very good. Trust me!!!

I have compiled a wish list of things that I would like to have which would make my life easier as an internet intelligence research specialist. The list is not that lengthy however; I assure you that all of the items will be put to good use.

1. A Super Google - A Super Google is a search engine that would help me find information within five minutes, regardless of where it is on the web. I’m sick and tired of jumping around difference search tools.

2. Access To More Premium Content - As more information becomes available on the web, the more content will be archived and become difficult to access based on fee-based websites. No doubt having the ability to search amongst the million of documents on the deep web will give me the power to provide relevant information that is not readily available on the web.

3. Broken Link Managers For Every Website - Broken Links have been a pet peeve of mine since I have started by career in internet research. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking that you have found a page rich with information and then finding out that the link to the page is no longer working. I would like content providers to have the proper tools to maintain their site to ensure access to information on the free web.

Santa, I hope that these three items are not too much to ask. One out of three should not be that bad.

Merry Christmas

Ian

PS. If you are looking for cookies when you arrive, you will not find any. Have a carrot stick. It is much healthier for you.

My Challenge To You, The Google User

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 30, 2007
in Friday Afternoon Reading
. 0 Comments

“Googling” is a term assigned to search and retrieve online content via Google. My question to you the reader is, “How many people know how to use ‘Google’ properly?”. The other day, I saw this guy at my nearby library searching the web with Google using commas in his search statement. I had to withhold by laughter as a left the workstation.

This situation has cause me to think of how many individuals do not know the finer points of using Google. Okay, so you may not be a hardcore internet sleuth but you should be aware of some tips that will make your life easier when searching for information on the web. Here are some bare essentials:

1. Google News - The keyword here is “News”. If you would like to find out something may have happened within the past 30 days, click on Google News and enter your keyword(s). All operators that you can use in a general web seaarch can be used in a news search.

2. Advanced Search - Okay, raise your hand if you have never used the Google Advanced Search? If you have your hand up, then you are one of the millions of users that haven’t dared to click on the option. Using the option will make your life easier when trying to find information in a particular file format or a from a particular point of time just to name a few advantages.

I could go on and on regarding the various tools and functionalities that Google has to offer but I will probably bore half of my loyal readers. If you would like to learn more about how to use Google more efficiently, please check out the following sites:

My challenge to you, the Google user is to begin using Google Advanced Search starting now and let me know how you like it. You will be amazed on what you can find by going beyond the routine Google search.

Colour Codes For Wikipedia Entries

Published
by
Ian Smith
on August 16, 2007
in Friday Afternoon Reading
. 0 Comments

For those who are frequent visitors to Wikipedia, you should be aware that there will be a slight addition to the web 2.0 based encyclopedia.

To deal with the credibility issue of submissions, a colour coding scheme will be introduced to “estimate the trustworthiness of each page” on Wikipedia. For more information on how the scheme will work, please here.

I wonder why it took so long for someone to create a system that will help users to identify sound and reliable information versus entries that may appear questionable.

Interesting Factoid Regarding Search Engines

Published
by
Ian Smith
on August 9, 2007
in Friday Afternoon Reading
. 0 Comments

According to Jupiter Research, men prefer using Google, while women prefer Yahoo when it comes to search the web. Very interesting….

Big Brother Google

Published
by
Ian Smith
on August 9, 2007
in Friday Afternoon Reading
. 0 Comments

Pretty scaring stuff this Google Street View is. As apart of the Google Maps, the application is originally suppose to provide a virtual tour of cities streets has come under criticism.

The application is controversial because it makes available random pictures from difference locations that may uncover the whereabouts of unsuspecting individuals. See a recent example in San Diego.

Should this be a cause for concern? When does the right to access public information trump the privacy of citizens?

Life Without Google…Imagine

Published
by
viorel
on July 12, 2007
in Friday Afternoon Reading
. 0 Comments

I was on the Time.com website and there is an interesting article titled, “25 Sites We Can’t Live Without” and of course, Google was on the list. It prompted me to think, “what would people do without Google?” First, a whole lot of people would freak out and go into shock.

Seriously, it would change how people go about searching the web. I do remember what life was like before Google. Alot of my time was spent browsing through web directories with sources that could have pages of information which could hold the answers to my questions. As a result, it was very important to know the topic-specific sources in order to track down relevant and current information. Certainly, more attention was paid to research methodologies rather than plugging in keywords in a search interface and hoping for the best.

If you depend on Google for your work, I urge you to take a step back and think about what would you do without the search tool and associated applications.

Relevant blog post: A Day Without Google

The Importance of Keyword Selection

Published
by
Ian Smith
on June 26, 2007
in Friday Afternoon Reading
. 0 Comments

Too many casual users of the internet take for granted the process of entering keywords in a search engine. Yes, you may get lucky when you enter the first couple of keywords that may come to mind to arrive at list of results however, searching the web is a skill and not a game of chance. One element that individuals seem to ignore when searching the web is taking the time to select the right keywords. It is a process will save you a tonne of time and avoid headaches. I’ll give you a great example.

For the past two days, I have been conducting literature searches on the web, specific from news sources. I was lucky enough to find what my colleague needed however, additional background information was required. Naturally, I used the same keywords in the initial search and changed the date range in the advanced search option. I assumed that I obtain some kind of result. No dice. A few minutes later, I decided to simplify to the query statement to see what I would get. Presto, the result that I was looking for on the first page.

Morale of the story: Do not abandon your search until your have choosen the best combination of keywords.