Web Host Fasthosts Publishes Research on Online User Feedback

The dedicated server page from the Fasthosts website

(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Web hosting provider Fasthosts issued the results of a study of UK-based consumers Tuesday, finding that one in three has posted a negative review of a business online, in its “Online Reviews Audit.”

The survey of 1,300 UK consumers found that communicating displeasure online is now a common practice, with most users turning to social networking sites – particularly Facebook and Twitter – as well as online forums as their outlet, providing some data to back up a fairly common-sense observation.

The company commissioned the study via research tool OpinionMatters.

Fasthosts says the rapid growth of social media sites has given consumers new power to communicate and collaborate around consumer issues. the study found that 33 percent of consumers have posted a negative review online of a product, company or service, including 52 percent of consumers under 24 years old, 39 percent of consumers aged 25-34, 38 percent of those between 45-54 and 28 percent of consumers older than 54.

According to the survey, 84 percent of consumers would forgive companies for the mistakes if the firm engaged with their negative review and discussed the issues.

“There is clearly a good opportunity for businesses to use the Internet as a cost effective means to identify and win back unhappy customers,” says the press release.

Among 400 UK small businesses, also surveyed by Fasthosts, few choose to interact with customers who publish negative comments about them. only 12 percent of small firms say they have ever engaged with an online complaint – a missed opportunity, according to Fasthosts.

“Engaging with customers shows a business is customer-focused,” says the press release revealing the study, “and enables other viewers of these websites to see a response to a criticism that otherwise would be unanswered.”

“It is understandable that many business owners’ first instinct may be to shy away from their customers’ online complaints,” says Fasthosts marketing director Stephen Holford, quoted in the press release. “however, addressing negative online material enables a company to learn about their customer experience as well as improve their customer retention and online reputation.”

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Silverton, Automattic Put $1.2M Into WordPress Hosting And Security Service WPÂ Engine

WP Engine, a powerful hosted WordPress platform for existing WordPress.org users, has raised $1.2 million in new funding led by Silverton Partners with angels Eric Ries, Loic Le Meur, Dharmesh Shah, Jeremy Benken, Bill Boebel, Rob Walling participating. Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, also made a strategic investment in WP Engine.

WP Engine, which launched in July of 2010, provides a enterprise-level hosting service for WordPress.org users who are tired of managing servers and doing IT work themselves. WP Engine makes sure blogs have super fast page load times, and scale when hit with a ton of traffic.

Additionally, WP Engine provides all customers with a managed CDN for static content delivery, full daily backups, a complimentary staging area, and consultation on themes and plugins. Monthly plans start at $50 per month. In fact, WP Engine now has an install base of over 30,000 personal and professional WordPress blogs.

This round of funding towards scaling the product, for recruiting, and to ramp up partner relations with other elite WordPress service providers.

Today, Automattic also announced VIP Support for Web Hosts, a new partner program for hosting WordPress sites and blogs (WP Engine is the launch partner for the program). VIP Support for Web Hosts includes advanced systems and developer support for infrastructure-wide issues and improvements; annual review of the client’s entire stack as it relates to WordPress hosting; annual security audit and review of best practices and more.

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Virtual Private Server Hosting Is the New Revolution In SEO Market

Virtual Private Server Hosting is for webmasters who are fed up with the numerous restrictions put in a shared SEO hosting environment, having insecurities and fear that their data may be lost. because in a shared server if a single website turns out to be spam or gets crashed at peak hours, all the other websites hosted on the same server face the consequences. hence Virtual Private Server has come as a savior for the webmasters and their dwindling online businesses.

Individual Virtual Private Servers perform as an independent system and the client can run possibly any software compatible with the VPS, install or uninstall software application over his personal operating system with great ease.

Virtual Private Server hosting is best suited for clients irritated by fluctuating data transfer and high web traffic that is impossible to handle in a shared server hosting plan. they want dedicated server facilities within a reasonable budget. As dedicated server hosting is too expensive they settle for Virtual private Servers that cost higher than the shared servers but much less than the dedicated servers.

VPS hosting is of 2 types managed and unmanaged hosting; in case of managed VPS hosting services the host is responsible for maintaining the server and managing the applications within a VPS system. so the client doesn’t need to bother about the technicality of VPS hosting, as it is well managed by the experts of the VPS service provider.

A Virtual Private Server hosting in unmanaged form needs the client to have some basic knowledge about the VPS system. Installation of applications and software as well as managing the server is done by him only. The service provider can offer technical assistance at times. But the major job is carried out by the client only. Companies having a strong technical team usually choose unmanaged VPS hosting services.

Virtual Private Server Hosting offers faster and secure SEO hosting solutions for the client as the resources are shared in a parallel manner with all the other clients’ websites.

each client gets to run his applications independently over own operating systems without disturbing the other clients’ applications.

The websites get higher ranks as the search spiders and visitors can easily access them due to faster connectivity with the Virtual Private Server.

Daily back up can be taken automatically for the VPS server, so there is no threat of data loss due to inconvenient situations or unexpected power failures.

Most VPS systems are on large data centers that are well equipped with high security and uninterrupted power supply. hence there is no chance of a website performing poorly or crashing unexpectedly at the time of need.

A VPS hosting system ensures the best of SERPs to the clients’ money making sites and let them rank higher with plenty of web traffic and generating greater revenues.

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Java Hosting Platform, Jelastic, Delivers More Performance & Efficiency

WILMINGTON, Del., October 26, 2011

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Hostgator Black Friday Coupon code 2011

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Beginners Guide to WordPress Hosting

WordPress is the most important CMS tool used for the optimization of blogs, as well as websites. the popularity of this particular program was initially recognized as a blogging tool, but the overwhelming success has extended the essence of its fame in the field of website optimization as well. the majority of people are of the view that the increasing fame of this tool is owing to its plain customization and ease of use followed by a secured server system. the prolific development of website templates, secured database and plug-ins has led to a unanimous increase in th e target audience who are willing to opt for this useful CMS tool. In all, hosting of a WordPress site requires a solely dedicated WordPress hosting plan unlike the requirements of a static page. Some important features of such a hosting plan are discussed below.

Server Platform
Three basic constituent elements of WordPress are;
1. MYSQL Database
2. Style Sheets
3. PHP Scripts

The above mentioned three requirements are the key requirements to run a WordPress based website or blog. therefore, it is essential that a WordPress hosting server platform must support MYSQL database, style sheets and PHP scripts otherwise it might hinder the working mechanism of the blog or site.

Server Uptime
Server uptime indicates the efficiency of the server in two aspects i.e., availability and speed. this is the most crucial part of a hosting plan for WordPress blogging and website. the minimum server uptime which is required to ensure a proficient hosting plan is 99%, whereas the majority of the web hosting companies exaggerates about their server uptime specifications in a decisive manner. however, a good WordPress hosting company not only undertakes to provide the maximum server uptime of 99.9%, but also prove to be successful in the practical implemen tation of their claims.

Online Backup Facility
A regular updating of the CMS and consistent upgrading of the server is the basic requirement of any client who opt for the web hosting plan of WordPress. No customer would desire to have his blog or website offline at any instant as it can hinder the traffic of the target audience to a greater extent. therefore, a good service provider should be able to include an online backup facility in your hosting package so that you can ensure a continuous updating of the system and server applications.

Disk space and Bandwidth
A sufficient disk space and bandwidth are the key requirements of a proficient hosting plan. one must not lose sight of the fact that the designed template of WordPress requires adequate amount of space for the storage and uploading of content, videos, images, text, audio and visual materials, depending upon the type of website being customized. hence, the disk space and bandwidth should be in compliance with your WordPress hosting requirements.

24 / 7 Availability of Customer Support
Lastly, the hosting company should have a customer support that is easily approachable and readily available to help the clients stuck in the technical complexities of WordPress. the three most important steps for your hosting site include;

1. Installation Process
2. Consistent Maintenance
3. Upgrading of the WordPress site

Furthermore, such a hosting plan features a wide ranging of technical plug-ins, website modules and presentation templates for your website. By using this hosting plan, you can now create any kind of website as per your requirement. if your quest is related to an efficient hosting plan for your WordPress blog in order to submit or launch your SEO friendly articles or to publish your online business website content then a reputable service provider can serve the purpose to a greater extent. It can be summarized that a proficient WordPress hosting plan structure your information content precisely in order to mark the most prominent features of your content. These operations enable clients t o go through the required information and make the best use of it.

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Kaliningrad: The Real Window on Europe

KALININGRAD — Although St. Petersburg is traditionally known as Russia’s "window to Europe," today’s Kaliningrad better deserves the moniker.

The city is the capital of Russia’s westernmost province of the same name, an exclave on the Baltic Sea that is separated from the rest of the country by Lithuania and Latvia. Locals take pride in the region’s German history — the region was historically part of Prussia — and its status as an "island" separate from what they often call "greater Russia." The area’s proximity to Western Europe means that residents are often more familiar with neighboring countries than with the rest of Russia.

"It’s easier for us to get to Poland, Lithuania and other EU countries than to travel to Moscow or St. Petersburg," said Natalya Bocharova, a 22-year-old recent graduate. "It’s been popular for a long time now for families to go to Poland to shop for groceries and clothes."

Not so long ago, Kaliningrad was the German city of Königsberg, which had been a center of power in Prussia since the Teutonic Knights founded a kingdom here in the 13th century. Today, younger residents often reference the old name by affectionately calling the city "Konig."

At the end of World War II, the Potsdam Agreement split German East Prussia between Poland and the Soviet Union, giving the Soviets control of Königsberg. those German and Lithuanian inhabitants who hadn’t already fled the Soviet advance were deported and replaced by a new population of Russian settlers. Renamed Kaliningrad in honor of Politburo member Mikhail Kalinin, the city became the headquarters of the Soviet Navy and was closed to foreigners until the last days of the U.S.S.R. more recently, the Russian government threatened to deploy tactical missiles in the Kaliningrad region to counte r the planned U.S. missile defense shield, although President Dmitry Medvedev later said he had decided against it.

Kaliningrad’s geographic proximity to Western Europe is important not only from a cultural-historical standpoint, but also a business one. Several foreign companies have found it a convenient point of entry to the Russian market.

For MT

Alexander Yaroshuk, Mayor

Q: Which of Kaliningrad’s business sectors are the most attractive for investors? a: Tourism, the service sector, logistics, food production, aquaculture and the processing of agricultural products, enterprises developing modern communications infrastructure as well as residential real estate and business real estate. Currently, process-manufacturing enterprises make up 78 percent of Kaliningrad’s industrial production. our firms are moving from primary “screwdriver” assembly to a localization of production based on the most advanced technologies and equipment.

Q: Why is Kaliningrad a good place for business? a: Not only because of the special economic zone, but also thanks to the close cooperation with our neighbors Lithuania and Poland, and now with the EU. Local business has managed to adopt a lot from the Western entrepreneurial culture over the course of two decades of contact with neighboring countries, as well as with other EU nations. One indication that Kaliningrad entrepreneurs compare well with the rest of Russia is the s uccessful growth of Kaliningrad retail chains that have become national chains, such as Vester and the Viktoria group of companies. Every third tin of canned fish and 70 percent of televisions produced in our country are from Kaliningrad.

Q: the Economic Development Ministry has proposed to cancel the tourist special economic zone in Kaliningrad. Why? a: the tourist special economic zone is being canceled on the Curonian Spit. this is 40 kilometers from the city of Kaliningrad. I’m confident that our city has a big future in tourism and that it will soon become a unique jumping-off point, a base of operations, allowing tourists from other parts of Russia to become acquainted with our region and to visit neighboring European countries.

Q: What would you like to see Kaliningrad achieve in business and culture? a: It’s essential to use our human resources to the maximum to become a convenient staging ground for cooperation between Russia and the countries of Europe in business, the innovation economy, education and culture. To achieve this goal, we need to conduct a drastic modernization of the existing transportation and utilities infrastructure and to raise our manufacturing and service sectors to a new level of quality.

Q: Do Kaliningrad residents consider themselves distinct from the rest of the Russian population? a: I like the phrase about how the Kaliningrad region is an ordinary Russian region that wound up in extraordinary circumstances. I won’t remind your readers of the standard set of problems that arise from our detachment from the rest of the country, such as visas and excessive transportation delays. the proximity of borders means that Kaliningraders’ demands for quality of life and employment are higher than in other regional capitals in Russia.

— Alec Luhn

"the region is located among countries of the European Union, and for this reason it’s easier and more convenient for European investors to get to than to get to the main part of Russia," said Oleg Skvortsov, managing director of the Foreign Investors Association in the Kaliningrad region.

Although unemployment in the Kaliningrad region is higher than in many other Russian regions, Skvortsov said the region’s location and its status as a special economic zone with tax incentives could spur growth. Kaliningrad is also expected to be one of the 2018 World Cup host cities, which would provide a boost for infrastructure development.

The region’s former top economics official Alexandra Smirnova cautioned, however, that the uncertainty over the economic zone’s future — the law governing it expires in 2016 — is hindering investment.

Historically, Kaliningrad is well known for goods including marzipan, sprats (small smoked fish preserved in oil) and cognac, notably the old Königsberg brand. but the region’s trademark product is amber, as an estimated 90 percent of the world’s extractable amber is located here. Amber-hunting is a popular trade as well as pastime, while a mine in the town of Yantarny near the coast extracts the fossilized tree resin on a larger scale. For a few hundred rubles, visitors can stock up on amber souvenirs from stores or street vendors, including pieces containing fossilized mosquitoes a  la "Jurassic Park."

Kaliningrad hopes that tourism will eventually become a major money-maker. Although the temperate weather rules out Kaliningrad becoming a popular destination for its Baltic beaches, some envision it as a health tourism destination, the Russian equivalent to Baden-Baden. A planned gambling zone would add to the Baden-Baden analogy.

"the climate won’t attract tourists, but we have something that will in the therapeutic mud and mineral water," said Vyacheslav Genne, a local architect and former head secretary of Kaliningrad’s coastal Svetlogorsk district.

The Kaliningrad region could increase the flow of tourists to 2 million per year (from an estimated 400,000 currently), but the inadequate quality of infrastructure would disappoint many visitors, Sergei Karnaukhov, then a top regional official, told The Moscow Times in April.

Kaliningrad was named one of seven special economic zones for tourism in 2007, although Mayor Alexander Yaroshuk confirmed that this designation would be canceled. Vedomosti reported in August that the decision was linked to a lack of investor interest.

Local authorities are working to facilitate more outside investment, partly through a council chaired by the region’s governor that meets with potential investors, Skortsov said. The strategy of attracting investment has changed little with the arrival of Governor Nikolai Tsukanov, he added. Tsukanov was appointed in 2010 after thousands of protesters rallied for the ouster of Governor Georgy Boos and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, whose wife was born here.

What to see if you have two hours

Downtown Kaliningrad still features a smattering of structures dating to before the arrival of the Soviets in 1945. To begin your tour, pass through the King’s Gate, one of seven large gates left over from various defensive structures. The three reliefs at the top of the gate depict the three "city fathers": Ottokar II of Bohemia, who founded the city in 1255, Frederick I, the first king of Prussia, and Albert, duke of Prussia.

Next, stroll along Kant Island, located in the Pregolya River, which runs through the city center. At the eastern end of the island stands the Königsberg Cathedral, which was built in the 14th century and is now the city’s most recognizable landmark. The cathedral also hosts organ concerts, often given by visiting musicians, so check the cathedral’s web site (sobor-kaliningrad.ru) to see what’s playing. Adjoining the cathedral, you’ll find the grave of Immanuel Kant, known as the father of modern philosophy, who was buried in the cathedral in 1804. Kant lived his entire life in Königsberg, then t he capital of Prussia, and remains the city’s most famous son.

For MT

Alexandra Smirnova, Adviser to the chairman of Avtotor and former top economics official for the Kaliningrad region

Q: Why is Kaliningrad a good location for your business? a: We have the special economic zone. if we make big investments, we are free from the corporate profit tax for six years and property tax for six years. And because our business is very capital-intensive, it’s a big deal for us.

Q: Would you say developing a business in Kaliningrad is easy or difficult? a: I would say it’s rather difficult. We have substantial tax credits, but at the same time, the conditions make us very vulnerable. We suffer from the decisions of customs authorities and border authorities much more than any other company in any other special economic zone or any other territory in Russia because we have to make customs clearance twice for our products, first when our goods leave Kaliningrad and then whe&# 110; they come to Russia. And transportation costs are quite high. To access the main Russian market, it costs us twice as much or even more than it costs a plant in any other Russian region. right now, the tax credits balance the excess cost, which makes our business attractive.

Q: What are some promising industries in Kaliningrad? a: We now have a lot of food processing, furniture production, car assembly, shipbuilding, but all these industries work for Russian markets. the only way for growth is to reorient on the export market. this should be done because of the exclave location of Kaliningrad. the only way to do this is to change regulations.

Q: where should outside investors put their money in Kaliningrad? a: because of the big uncertainty of when the special economic zone incentives program expires in 2016, we cannot make any projections right now.

Q: What do you like about Kaliningrad as a resident? a: I moved here 3 1/2 years ago from Moscow, and I refused to return to a higher position in Moscow. Kaliningrad is a European city with a lot of culture, with very European-oriented minds. People can see what’s going on abroad, they travel a lot. they behave like Europeans, and they have high demands, not only for living standards but for democracy and the accountability of the government.

— Alec Luhn

After you’ve paid your respects to the philosopher, cross the river and walk south to the ethnographic and artisanal shopping center Rybnaya Derevnya, one of the most highly visible new developments in the city. if you still have time, you can hop on a river tram out to the port to see the city by water.

What to do if you have two days

On any longer trip, you would be remiss to skip the "pearl of Kaliningrad," the Curonian Spit. Located less than an hour by car (two hours by bus) from the city, the spit stretches nearly 100 kilometers from the town of Zelenogradsk to the Lithuanian city of Klaipeda (the northern half of the spit belongs to Lithuania) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the spit lie such sites as the "Dancing Forest" of strangely warped trees near the town of Rybachy, a mystery unsolved by scientists to this day, and the wildfowl paradise Swan Lake, separated from the Curonian Lagoon by a thin stri p of land.

But the spit’s main attraction is its sand dunes. The tallest of these, located near the town of Morskoye not far from Swan Lake, is the Efa Dune, which a local described as "a mountain of sand." A looking platform at the top of the Muller Dune reachable by wooden stairs offers an unparalleled view of the lagoon and the Baltic Sea.

South of the Curonian Spit, you can see how Kaliningrad’s famous amber is unearthed at the amber mine in the town of Yantarny, an hour’s drive from the capital. Visitors can also try their own hand at digging up some of the fossilized tree resin, but even if you strike it big, don’t quit your day job: Staff at the mine are rumored to bury pieces for tourists to dig up later. if you still feel the need to test your digging skills, come back to Yantarny in the summertime for the annual International Amber- Hunting Championship.

History buffs may want to see some of the forts in the city. Fort No. 5 houses a museum of weaponry and a memorial to soldiers who died when Soviet forces stormed the city during World War II. About 5,000 Soviet soldiers died taking this particularly adamantine fort. there are also 11 Teutonic castles scattered around the region, including Insterburg, a large ruined fortress located near the town of Chernyakhovsk about 100 kilometers east of the capital.

What to do with the kids

The World Ocean Museum (1 Naberezhnaya Pyotra Velikovo, +7 401-253-8915, 253-8804, world-ocean.ru) contains alluring options for any age group. Kids will enjoy marveling at the museum’s aquarium and climbing aboard both the Soviet research ship Vityaz and the military submarine B-413, which features a working periscope. Meanwhile, adults will be loathe to leave once the submarine’s guide, who speaks English and German, starts telling interesting facts and sea tales.

Nightlife

Places for going out after dark are sprinkled throughout the city. The discotheque Vagonka (12 Stanochnaya Ulitsa, +7 401-295-6677, vagonka.net) has been operating since Soviet times and enjoys a cult status among the locals. The venue, which prides itself as the westernmost club in Russia, hosts parties, DJ sets and concerts every weekend, sometimes featuring internationally known musicians.

For MT

Mikhail Chesalin,

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CHOGM … The punitive-minded police state cranks up for CHOGM

What strikes the visitor to Perth most forcefully, and most immediately, is its air of self-confidence. while politicians and commentators in the east like to play down the potential longevity of the west’s current mining boom — the better, one suspects, to keep the romantic secessionist rumblings in check — those who actually live here have a uranium-glow of optimism about them.

When I was here in January, I was told by a woman who works on an offshore oil rig that what the state was actually experiencing was “not a boom”, but rather “a boom within a boom”. on the first day of my most recent visit, I was told that the latter of these booms, the what-the-hell-is-water boom, would last “a hundred years”. this prospective timeframe accords nicely with the comments of Perth’s recently re-elected lord mayor, Lisa Scaffidi, who last week told reporters that the city is on th& #101; brink of its “Belle Époque”.

It almost goes without saying that the honour of hosting this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting fits in perfectly with the city’s idea of itself as a cultural and economic powerhouse. That Perth should have been chosen as the site for this get-together is seen to be indicative of its growing importance, not only within the context of this country’s national accounts, but on a larger, global scale, too. far from being hassled with a ll the trans-continental flights, the thinking goes, world leaders should feel honoured to be coming to one of the most remote cities in the world. Perth, the thinking continues, is worth it.

And yet things haven’t been quite so belle in the époque leading up to the meeting. Anti-CHOGM protesters, making common cause with the increasing transnational Occupy movement, are very loudly planning to march on the event’s opening. Organisers’ houses have been raided on dubious grounds and said organisers interrogated about their plans. (After Occupy Melbourne and the manner in which it was put down, Perth’s organisers have started to back away from their original plans and are now claiming they have no intention to enter or occupy restricted areas. somewhat less sensibly, t&# 104;ey have also started claiming that CHOGM is a meeting of the 1%, rather overlooking the GDP per capita of several of the countries that are actually attending it.)

Perth’s prisons — and this is my favourite of the recent security-related news stories — have been ordered to make sure they have enough room to handle mass arrests, the sort of order that makes such arrests sound, not only possible, but inevitable. indeed, the feeling one gets, in the ore-speckled air, is less that of a European city in its golden age than a punitive-minded police state cranking into gear. One can only assume, in other words, that the city’s 100 years of enlightenment are on hold un til next week, when Queen Elizabeth II is safely aboard her chartered jet and somewhere out over the Indian Ocean.

Walking around Perth’s CBD on Saturday, the signs of the security ramp-up were subtle but many. they were also quite literally signs. Hundreds of them, sandbagged to the ground or zip-tied to light poles, have appeared without fail at 10-metre intervals all up and down St George’s Terrace and Riverside Drive, warning the reader that he is entering a CHOGM security zone and may thus, among other humiliations, be searched without warning. like signs in airports that prohibit photography, which one always feels a stra nge compulsion to photograph, these signs stir one’s nascent urge towards civil disobedience.

You find yourself wanting to steal one of these signs, put it in your bag, and then get the attention of the nearest police officer so that he might search you without warning and find it.

The nearest police officer shouldn’t be too far away. on Hay Street Mall, a seven-strong posse, blue limbs sprouting from their fluorescent yellow torsos, made their way along a predetermined route, scoping things out. Meeting another three of their ilk coming at them in the other direction, the seven stopped to form a quorum of 10 in the middle of the mall, before each group went its separate way.

Of course, those aforementioned 10 police officers — the seven on their route-mapping mission and the other three keeping the 16-year-olds in the mall under observation — had divided and multiplied by yesterday, when the full-scale APECisation of Perth really got under way. With Julia Gillard flying into town ahead of today’s cabinet meeting, hundreds of uniformed and plain-clothes police, in marked and unmarked cars, took to the streets. Some of them will have only recently completed their training. others won’t even be from this side of the country. And that’s just the heat that the ground will be packing.

A $600 million Boeing 737 AEW&C, or Wedgetail, will be airborne every day of the meeting, the better to fire laser beams at anyone who’s feeling lucky (or so the very excitable West Australian would have you believe). Eight RAAF F/A-18 Hornets and several Black Hawk helicopters — the latter of which have been heard throbbing over the city like mechanised blowflies all week — will be stationed at Base Pearce, 35 kilometres north of the city, in case anyone should run at anyone with a starter’s pis tol. (Talk about keeping calm and carrying on, by the way. Prince Charles was straightening his cuffs throughout the entire incident. as much as you hate him, you’ve got to love him.) the Wedgetail and the Hornets will be flying trial runs over the city today and tomorrow.

If the behaviour of the police on the weekend was anything to go by, they’ll be spending more time flying over the mall than they will over the security zone itself. on Saturday, at least, the latter had hardly anyone in it. Down there, besides the naff floral arrangement that spells “CHOGM 2011” atop a grassy knoll, and the large Hollywood-sign letters that spell “PERTH” and that, from a certain an gle on Fraser Avenue in Kings Park, appear like a name tag on the breast pocket of the city, the country town deadness of a lazy weekend afternoon was complemented by a more insidious sense that one probably shouldn’t have been down there at all. One thing the police have been relying on this week is that media coverage of their plans might to help generate a sort of self-policing city.

As for Fraser Avenue itself, the only street besides those directly adjacent to Government House that is going to be closed to all traffic for the duration of the meeting, it remained untouched on Saturday afternoon, with neither the yellow-vested keepers of the peace or the blue-and-white-checked threats against one’s orifices. But then, there was a mining industry function at the restaurant atop the hill that night, and one doubts that the city would have wanted to put any o f its captains of industry out.

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Community briefs

Recycling drive starts today 

This month’s plastic drive by S.A.V.E. and community partnerswill be held Nov. 11 through Nov. 14 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1100N. last Chance Gulch. 

Items collected at the event are type one (No. 1) and two (No.2) plastics including: type one beverage containers (e.g. water andsoda bottles), type one clear clam shell tray (e.g. the heavierduty, less “crackly” trays that often contain fruit, but not thosethat contain cookies), type two natural color containers (e.g.standard milk jugs, distilled water containers) and type two colorplastics (e.g. orange juice containers, white milk jugs, detergentbottles). Motor oil containers are not accepted.  Cooking oilcontainers should be thoroughly rinsed beforehand. Items shouldalways be stored without lids for quality control and safety.  

The event-based plastics drive is a partnership by S.A.V.E., thecity of Helena, City-County Sanitation, Pacific Steel andRecycling, General Services of the state of Montana and the MontanaBeverage Association with additional support from CarrollCollege. 

America Recycles Day Celebration will be held Nov 15, from 6 to9 p.m. at ExplorationWorks on 995 Carousel way in the GreatNorthern Center. Event is free and open to the public. 

Additional details, volunteer opportunities, and 2012 collectiondates are available at Savemobile.org or by calling449-6008.

Fall bazaar today at Neighborhood Center

The Helena Senior Center Advisory Council is hosting theirannual fall bazaar today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the basement onthe Neighborhood Center, 200 S. Cruse Ave.

The bazaar will feature high-quality used items includinghousehold items, Christmas goods, crafts, books and puzzles. Noclothes will be included, and prices are always customer friendly.The council will hold silent auctions for unique items.

For more information, call Carol Kellerher at 442-5369 or447-1680. 

The Helena Senior Center Advisory Council is an informal groupthat fundraises for and advises the Helena Senior Center at RockyMountain Development Council.

Free car-seat safety inspections  

Tri-County Buckle Up Montana and Economy Auto Body will offerfree car-seat safety inspections on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.at 2308 Euclid in Helena. Nationally certified child passengersafety technicians from law enforcement and other organizationswill check for correct use, installation and answer questions.these inspections take approximately 25 minutes-no appointment isnecessary.  There will be refreshments and activities for childrenavailable.  

Proper use and installation of child safety seats and seat beltsare the most effective means of reducing the chance of injury orfatality in motor vehicle crashes. In Montana, all children lessthan 6 years old and weighing less than 60 pounds must be riding inappropriate child-safety seats. for more information, call324-1072.

Garden Club to discuss guerilla gardening

The Helena Garden Club will meet Saturday at 10:30 a.m. atMontana Wild, 2668 Broadwater Ave. off Euclid Avenue/Highway 12.this month’s program will be guerilla gardening, presented by MFGCLewis and Clark County Director Sue Leferink. Participants willlearn how to take a risk and learn to beautify the areas aroundyour local neighborhood plus there will be an activity on thebasics of making seed balls. The public is always welcome. 

The Helena Garden Club is part of the Montana Federation ofGarden Clubs and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. The club meetsmonthly, September through June, on the tsecond Saturday of themonth at 10:30 a.m. for meeting locations and upcoming activities,visit helenagardenclub.wordpress.com, find it on Facebook orcontact Christi Mock, HGC president, at 465-6142.

AARP announces classes, veterans promotion

To recognize and thank veterans, active military and theirspouses for their dedication and commitment to service, AARP isoffering them a driver safety program classroom course at no chargeduring November 2011.

The course was developed for participants age 50-plus; but isopen to all ages. It is taught by AARP-trained volunteers with nofinal test to pass. The course fee for non-military is $14 ($12with AARP membership card). 

Auto insurance companies in Montana provide a multi-yeardiscount to Driver Safety Program graduates 55 years of age andolder. 

Nov. 12 â€" St. Peter’s Hospital education center, 2475 Broadway;8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Nov. 22 â€" Mountain West Bank-East, 2728 Colonial Drive, noon toabout 4:30 p.m.

To register, call 457-4712. 

Bring questions to extension booth at farmersmarket 

Bring your gardening and horticulture questions, plants, weedsand insects down to the Helena farmers market at the fairgrounds.The MSU/Lewis and Clark County Extension Office and the Helena areaMaster Gardeners will have a booth at the farmers market thisSaturday and on Nov. 19.  

Each Saturday there will be a special theme. The Nov. 12 themeis season extension techniques, and Nov. 19 is composting.  If youhave an insect or plant that you would like identified, or you havea question about a tree of yours that isn’t looking too healthy,bring them down to the farmers market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at thefairgrounds.  

The booth will provide Extension fact sheets on related topicsand free MontGuides, which are MSU Extension publication pertainingto yard and garden installation, plant selection, integrated pestmanagement and other related topics such as food preservation.

For more information, contact Brent Sarchet at 447-8350 orbsarchet@montana.edu.

Bjerke family benefit slated for Sunday

There will be a benefit for the Brett Bjerke family Sunday, from5 to 10 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1867 N. WashingtonSt.

Brett’s battle against esophageal cancer has been a horrificchallenge physically and financially for the Bjerke family. Pleasejoin family and friends for an evening of caring, sharing andgiving.

Events include: a chili dinner from 5 to 7 p.m., live karaoke,50/50 raffle and a silent auction.

Items donated include: two-day ski package, jewelry items,saddle racks, Lexmark printer, ski pass punch cards, autographedMiami Dolphins footballs, artwork, flowers, wine/liquor/coffeebaskets, stained glass wall art, clothing items, auto maintenancegift certificates, 40 square feet of slate and so much more.

For more information or to donate, call 439-8528 or 933-5971.

Library accepting food for fines

Since Helena Food Share is experiencing a critical need forfood, the Lewis and Clark Library would like to help out byoffering “Food for Fines” to our patrons the week of Nov. 13through 19. Simply bring in nonperishable food items along with allof your overdue items and the circulation staff will waive yourfines.

Some restrictions do apply, however.  Patrons must have allover-due items turned in and must present their food sharedonations in order to have their account cleared. Also, patronswith accounts in collections, or who owe for damaged or lost items,will not be able to benefit from “Food for Fines.” Patrons mustpresent one nonperishable food item per overdue item.

The Lewis and Clark Library will donate all collected food itemsto the Helena Food Share. 

So find those overdue books and head to the main branch of thelibrary at 120 S. last Chance Gulch, or one of the branch librariesin Augusta, Lincoln and East Helena, between Nov. 13-19 and help ushelp Food Share.  For more information, please contact thecirculation staff at 447-1690 ext 6 or log ontolewisandclarklibrary.org.

Learn about gluten-free diets

“Gluten Free: Fad or Medical Necessity?” will be presented freeat St. Peter’s Hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m., in thehospital’s education center by clinical dietitian JenniferColegrove, R.D., L.N. 

Topics include eating gluten-free for weight loss, healthbenefits and complications of not eliminating gluten, illnessesassociated with gluten and more. There will be time for audiencequestions. Gluten-free recipes and resources will be provided.

St. Peter’s free well Nourished lecture series is sponsored bythe Real Food Market and Deli. for a complete schedule of WellNourished lectures, visit stpetes.org or call 444-2189.   

Enjoy an evening of magic and adventure 

Helena Center of Creative Living will host a free movie nightNov. 18 at St. John’s Law Library, St. John’s Building, 25 SouthEwing St. Doors open at 6 p.m.; films begin at 6:30. The featurewill be the 2010 Disney film, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” starringNicolas Cage as a modern-day sorcerer with his hands full defendingManhattan against dark forces. The film is rated PG. A bonus shortfilm called “The Lost Thing” will also be shown. “The Lost Thing”was the 2010 Oscar winner for best animated short. 

Arrive early for community and snacks. you are invited to bringa favorite snack to share in the lobby, but there is no obligation.for more information, visit thehelenacenter.org. 

Skating club to present fall show

The Helena Figure Skating Club will be presenting its fall show,“A ‘Glee’ful story,” on Nov. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. this will feature basic skills students, members of the club and even some of theadult beginning students and parents.  This is one of the moreambitious presentations that the club has put together. It isloosely based on a “Glee” like story, and will feature music thathas been presented on that television show.

Montana FSA announces SURE 2010 Crop Disaster Programsignup

U.S. Department of Agriculture Montana Farm Service AgencyActing State Executive Director Dick Deschamps recently announcedto Montana farmers that enrollment for 2010 crop losses under theSupplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program will beginNov. 14 and end on June 1, 2012.

“Eligible producers who suffered crop losses during the 2010crop year are encouraged to visit their local FSA office aftersignup begins on Nov. 14 to learn more about the SURE crop disasterprogram and how to apply,” Deschamps said. 

SURE is available to eligible producers on:

- farms in counties with secretarial disaster declarations,including contiguous counties, that have incurred at least a 10percent crop production or quality loss, or both, on all cropsgrown by a producer nationwide, except grazed crops; or

- farms in which, for the crop year, the actual production onthe farm because of disaster-related conditions is 50 percent orless of normal production of the farm. 

Although farmers may be able to sign up for the SURE program inNovember, the SURE payments may not be issued until sometime laterbecause the 2010 National Average Market Price (NAMP) data may notbe available for all crops. The NAMP prices are intended to reflectthe actual marketing value of a crop during the marketing year andthe marketing year for some crops will not end until the beginningof 2012. 

For more information, call or visit your local county office. Amap of Montana counties that were designated as 2010 primary orcontiguous secretarial disaster counties and more information aboutFSA programs are available on the state FSA website atfsa.usda.gov/mt.

Volunteers working to collect gifts forkids

While many Helena families are busy with holiday activities, agroup of local volunteers is focused on filling empty shoe boxeswith school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes ofencouragement for needy kids overseas. Helena families areparticipating in the world’s largest Christmas project of its kindâ€" Operation Christmas Child â€" an effort that has hand-delivered 86million gifts to kids worldwide since 1993. 

This year-round project of Samaritan’s Purse is coming to itspeak, as local businesses, churches and schools prepare to collectgift-filled shoe boxes during National Collection Week, Nov. 14 to21. Participants can drop off their shoe box gifts at Helena FirstAssembly of God’s Youth first Building, 2315 Dodge Ave. Operatinghours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday.

 Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christianrelief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, uses whatevermeans necessary to reach suffering children around the world withthese gifts of hope, including sea containers, trucks, trains,airplanes, boats, camels and dog sleds.  Tracking technology alsoallows donors to “follow” their box to the destination countrywhere it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To registershoe box gifts and find out the destination country, use the FollowYour Box donation form found at samaritanspurse.org/occ.

For more information on how to participate in OperationChristmas Child, call 303-745-9179 or visitsamaritanspurse.org/occ. 

Ovando announces 11h Annual Old West ChristmasFest

On Nov. 25 and 26, Cowboy Claus returns to Ovando atop hisfaithful horse, to visit with all the kids who come to town toplace their Christmas wishes. Dressed in his traditional weatheredchaps, red plaid flannel shirt, black cowboy hat and boots, andbearing the family resemblance of long white beard and hair, Cowboy Claus will arrive every day at 1 p.m. during Ovando’s 11thAnnual Old West Christmas Fest on Thanksgiving weekend.

Returning to this year’s Fest is the Ovando Outlaws for theirdaily whenever-they-feel-like-it gun fights. All for fun, ofcourse. Too Tall Tom Black returns with his axe throwingdemonstrations and contests, as will gingerbread house extrememakeovers.

The usual arts and crafts from the local talent will beavailable in the school gym. And don’t forget to put in your bidfor this year’s Old Fashioned Outhouse with all proceeds going tothe Ovando Improvement Fund.

If that doesn’t get you enthused to drive into Ovando afterThanksgiving, think about your stomach. The newly remodeled StrayBullet opens its doors for soups, sandwiches and sweets, along withbeer and hot mulled wine. The Blackfoot Angler brings back itschutney and BBQ sauce and the very popular Kathy’s BlackfootTruffles just in time for Christmas gifting. And to help quell thechill, the Blackfoot Commercial Company has the much neededespressos with a myriad of flavors.

The Old West Christmas Fest is Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m.until 4 p.m. Lodging is available and questions are cheerfullyanswered. call Peggy at 793-5555, for more information.

East Helena announces Christmas Stroll and CraftShow

The East Helena Downtown Christmas Stroll and Arts and CraftsShow will be Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. There will beseven vendor locations: Comm Tech, VFW, Boilermakers Union Hall,The Eagles, Firemen’s Hall, East Helena library and city hall. Bustransportation will be available. Also featured will be kids’activities on Main Street, performances at city hall, a raffle,refreshments served by Main Street businesses and a visit fromSanta Claus. 

Jackson to hold Christmas Bazaar

The Jackson Christmas Bazaar will be Saturday, Dec. 3, at theJackson Hot Springs Lodge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

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Cheap Dedicated server web hosting – Over time Connection

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Jay Cutler Breaks Thumb, Season Possibly Over

Jay Cutler, quarterback for the Chicago Bears, broke his thumb yesterday and will possibly miss the rest of what has been a solid season for him and the Bears.

Cutler injured his hand not while attempting a pass or stretching a run for the first down–it was while chasing down a defensive player who had intercepted his pass, according to the Chicago Tribune. Cutler was blocked and hit his hand on the ground. still, it didn't seem like a big deal at the time as the sometimes enigmatic QB stayed in the game and threw two more passes, according to Sports Illustrated's Peter King.

There are conflicting reports about just how long Cutler will be out. Vaugn McClure, the Bears beat writer for the Tribune, tweeted today that multiple sources told him Cutler will have surgery and miss 6-8 weeks. McClure also heard, though, that the Bears would not place Cutler on injured reserve, making him available for any potential playoff games. ESPN Chicago, meanwhile, heard that Cutler could miss the rest of the season.

This loss has the potential to sink the Bears season. the team is 7-3 and sitting on the edge of the NFC playoffs, but the glue to their offense has been reliable play from Cutler. With him on the sidelines, they will be forced to line up with Caleb Hanie under center.

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10 Ways To Increase Feedback Via Your Business Blog

Receiving feedback from customers, clients and partners is absolutely vital to the life of a any business. Businesses who don’t listen will meet needs that don’t exist and businesses who do that don’t last very long.

Unfortunately businesses often attempt to limit the feedback mechanisms made available to their community. While I understand the temptation, I strongly caution against this approach. All communities are diverse and allowing only one communication platform, or tool, will greatly diminish your ability to receive feedback. In today’s online business world, you must be able to receive feedback from many communications equipped platforms. (Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, get Satisfaction, etc.)

While these sorts of platforms are necessary only one provides you with the controls required to tie all of them together and provide virtually unlimited functionality: your blog. you have no other asset like it in scope and scalability.

Your blog acts not only as a publishing platform, but as a repository for your organization’s feedback and communication tools. While you can link to your various communication tools from your primary website you likely want to keep those pages as clean, and as sales focused as possible. Your blog, unlike your sales focused pages, is the perfect place for showcasing feedback and communication tools whether those tools exist outside, or within, your blog.

To understand further how your organization’s blog can become the primary portal for feedback let’s look at the following ways your blog can help you garner more feedback.

Polls can provide you with far more feedback than almost any other feedback mechanism. this is owed to the fact that people can’t seem to help but vote. It’s such a simple way to have one’s voice heard, and it’s difficult to shake the inquisitive impulse to vote just see how others have voted.

In most cases you shouldn’t require users to register in order to vote. making your users jump through any hoops will greatly decrease the number of submissions you receive. you shouldn’t have to worry about users voting more than once if you use a plugin that filters out multiple votes from the same IP.

There are a myriad of third party services with plugins for WordPress, Blogger, Joomla, and Drupal. make sure you’re protecting your user’s data by using a service that doesn’t send data to third parties. you should also be aware of the fact that there are plenty of free form tools that provide survey functionality. the downside to these free tools is limited analytics support. however, you can always enter the data into a spreadsheet yourself. whether you choose a free tool, or a paid service should depend on the number of responses you expect to receive.

Another tactic to take with polls is to add them within blog posts. Writing a blog post regarding some uses of your product? Provide a poll asking your readers what other uses they’ve found for your product. Writing another blog post about a new feature you’ve added? Insert a poll asking your customers what feature’s they would like to see added next. Most plugins allow you to create polls and insert them anywhere using shortcodes. It’s so easy to add polls that there’s n& #111; excuse not to. the results from these polls will provide you with constant feedback for as long as you make that poll available. I recently wrote a review and comparison of Disqus and LiveFyre, and I added the poll in the image to the left. it was no surprise to me that I received much more feedback via the poll than I did in through comments.

Surveys are similar to polls in many respects except that users typically don’t participate in polls due to their length. however, there are methods for increasing participation. the best method is to ask for participation via a pop-up. some organizations use email surveys, but there has been growth in the popularity of on-site, short, surveys.

When your page loads deliver a pop-up that asks your users if they would like to participate in a 3-5 question poll before they leave your blog. It’s important to keep it short and clear. a vague invitation to participate in a survey will confuse users and few will take advantage of the opportunity. Remember that this pop-up will likely display to all visitors, so ask appropriate questions for users you may know very little about. For example, ask whether they’ve used your products or services and what their impression is of your product. the image to the left represents a pop-up survey invitation provided by FluidSurveys. the same sort of functionality is provided by SurveyMonkey, NoviSystems and others.

For logged-in users of your blog you may want to consider a longer survey. Consider placing an invitation in your blog’s sidebar that loads only when users are logged in. you invitation should direct them directly to the survey, or activate an email containing the survey.

Adding live chat to your blog is fairly easy, but keeping up with it is more difficult. While studies show that live chat increases sales, and enhances support I’m surprised that more organizations don’t use this functionality. a common objection to providing live chat functionality is that an organization will have to provide coverage for live chat during business hours. Because of the costs involved some organizations outsource live chat to third parties in India or the Philippines. whether the benefits outweigh the costs will have to be determined by each orga nization individually. however, I firmly believe that more organizations should consider this option. Particularly since many live chat tools now offer a wide range of features that make using live chat much easier, and less costly. the slick looking image was provided by LiveChat inc., who is one provider of live chat tools.

Your organization should already have a feedback form on its website. I’m suggesting you add a feedback form to your blog as well. In fact, I highly suggest you add a feedback form on every page. Place it somewhere in your site’s template. There are plugins available for some blogging platforms that allow you to add feedback forms that slide out from the edges of the page. Here’s an example from one of my websites using a free plugin called Slick Contact Forms.

Make your forms ubiquitous, and simple.

Put Feedback Forms Into Your Posts. If you’re serious about feedback some feedback form plugins will allow you to place simple forms in the middle, or at the end of blog posts. Follow up an appeal for feedback with a form so that your users don’t have to go searching around to leave you feedback. Allowing for comments on your blog is an option, but depending on the sort of feedback you’re requesting comments may not be appropriate. In many cases an organization won’t allow comments. In these cases feedback forms provide an excellent alternative to comments.

Why doesn’t your blog receive more engagement? the answer maybe that you haven’t asked. Provoke engagement by asking questions. In the middle of your blog posts, in the middle of paragraphs, ask your readers for input. (Does this make sense, or am I off my rocker?) Ask for feedback on your products, or services. Ask questions you don’t know the answer to at the time. make sure to provide some mechanism for feedback following your question. If you allow comments people will & #097;nswer your questions there. asking questions invites communication and can result in some feedback that may prove very helpful for your organization. Failing to ask questions on your blog is no different from failing to ask questions anywhere else and results in limiting your organizations knowledge of its customers, clients, and partners. the included image shows how I’ve used the Twitter @Anywhere Plus in my WordPress blog to make it easy for users to follow and respond to my questions via twitter. I simply use @adamsaverian anywhere in my blog and my username provides a pretty looking pop-up.

Asking questions in your post is great, but it’s not nearly as effective as a question post. a question post is designed to encourage feedback by providing your readers with a specific question they must answer. every once in a while you should write a question post about your products, service, market, etc. Question posts are more effective at provoking feedback than asking questions in your posts since the entire post is an appeal for feedback. Providing a feedback mechanism within your post is a necessity when asking for direct and specific feedba ck in a question post. whatever feedback tools you prefer make sure to insert them directly into the post so as to make them immediately available and, again, increase the likelihood of responses.

Using a plugin like Twitter @Anywhere Plus (for WordPress) you can easily add Twitter forms anywhere on your WordPress blog, including in posts. this makes it dead simple for your users to send a Tweet from within your blog. you can follow up a question, or appeal for feedback with a Twitter form and thereby increase the likelihood that readers will respond with feedback. Twitter forms are a great alternative to comments, and the character limit forces users to write succinct comments or questions.

If you’re having trouble provoking feedback, or you require a larger sample size, then you may want to incentivize your community by hosting a feedback contest. If you promote your blog contest well you can get a lot of valuable feedback. Ask your customers to provide some sort of feedback in exchange for entry into a random drawing for a giveaway. you can ask your customers any number of questions for which your organization requires data, or you could ask them to send in a picture, or video, of them using your products. get creative and make your prize worth the time 7;nd effort it will take to enter the contest. If your organization doesn’t have experience hosting contests you can refer to a recent series of blog posts, and podcasts I published on the subject of blog contests. While there’s a lot to be said about hosting a blog contest the most important pieces of advice I could give you are to make your rules clear, track your entrant’s emails diligently, and ship your prize immediately following the contest.

Earlier I mentioned that many organizations will not allow comments for various reasons. Sometimes those reasons are good, and other times they’re not. every organization needs to ask itself whether its current decision regarding comments is helping or hurting them. One of the benefits of allowing comments is the valuable feedback that an organization can receive via comments. Comments, done right, can provide a safe, interactive, public space for conversations to take place. Open conversations in comments can often spark great ideas & #116;hat wouldn’t have been produced in a private conversations via email, or messaging. Comments bring together the simplicity of forms and the public nature of forums. While it would be irresponsible to suggest that all organizations should allow comments, it would be equally irresponsible not to remind you that comments do provide a unique, convenient mechanism for gathering important feedback from your community.

While these tools exist outside of your blog, and any of them may replace your blog as a primary feedback tool it’s important to remember that most of your customers, clients, and partners will find your email or social network profiles through your website or blog. As a result you should think of your blog as a portal for these important communication tools.

Email is a great way to receive feedback from your customers, clients, and partners. make sure that appropriate email addresses are made available on your website in locations where your users would expect them to be found. Support pages, feedback pages, contact pages, etc. make sure your email address is in the sidebar of your blog – at the top, and at the bottom, depending on your design. Add your email address to your blog posts wherever applicable. If your organization prefers email, the n follow up your appeals for feedback with a link to your email address. Don’t expect your users to search your site for you email address. no matter how easy you think it is to find your email address, it’s not.

Do not make the mistake of hiding your email addresses in a dark corner of your website. some organizations, it seems, purposefully make it difficult to leave feedback. Like burying your head in the sand, you’ll avoid the distractions often associated with email, but you will lose out on a host of information vital to the life of your business.

Social networks get all of the popular press these days. make connecting on social networks as easy as possible for your community. make it convenient for your blog’s readers to Like, or +1, your organization’s Facebook Pages, and Google+ Pages, and to follow your organization on twitter. In fact, I’ll go further than that. make it difficult for them not to. Don’t be rude, intrusive, and annoying, but put your social buttons everywhere. keep these options right in front of your users the entire time they’&# 114;e on your blog. the likelihood that users will be willing to search through your page just to Like, +1, or Follow your organization is not good. when it comes to Like’s, +1′s, and Follows, out of site is out of mind. (To the left is an example of the Social Media Widget plugin for WordPress in use on my Online Business Hour podcast website.)

Social networks make it easy to engage, but they’re not specifically designed for receiving feedback. While you will find that your customers, clients, and partners will leave feedback through social networks you may decide to corral feedback into locations better suited for such a purpose. however, don’t make the mistake of neglecting feedback you receive through social networks. this can be a catastrophic.

Many organizations will settle on two or three tools, or platforms, for gathering feedback on their blog. Generally speaking polls, surveys, and LiveChat are the most effective. Polls and surveys allow you to collect very specific data, and live chat allows you to connect directly with customers, leads, and partners in a unique and effective manor. at a minimum your business blog should implement these feedback tools, but don’t neglect these other useful methods for gathering feedback. you may find that your community prefers a feedback mechanism y&# 111;u wouldn’t expect. I suggest implementing and testing them all. In aggregate you will find the data you collect will increase your knowledge of the market, and the needs of your community.

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