Format Newsletter

Issue: #2
Tel: Cliffoney, Sligo 071 9131991
Skype: format.ie
Email: lisa@format.ie
www: format.ie
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Format Newsletter

Date: 18 Oct 2010

We are just weeks away now from moving the business to the new premises in Ballintrillick, Co Sligo, from where we will have space to train up to 6 delegates at any one time. Phone lines are active and patch panels and all wiring is complete.

The house and office build has taken over a year – we thank you for your patience and look forward to providing you with more services and, indeed, we will be expanding our team.

In this newsletter: Blog Offer & Recommendations - A must read SEO Guide, Social Media Tips, A Website for Christmas and Website Training - We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. Lisa & Jonathan Lomax.

Blog Offer & Recommendations - SEO Guide

Everyone wants to be number one in the search engine rankings – understandably, as this is the first listing that we get to and read (after the sponsored links). One clue that Google gives us as to how to improve your search engine ranking is by having a blog on your website. There are currently over 200,000,000 blogs on the internet. For the search engines, this helps to augment the prospect of incoming links from quality websites and adds those naturally occurring pages full of keywords. Interested in a no-nonsense guide to SEO? Read this SEO article for SEOMOZ...

Format.ie is currently offering any customer who currently has hosting with us, a blog to be added to your website for the price of €50.00.

Orders before 20 December 2010 please, or, alternatively, if you recommend a colleague who books a website with us within the next 6 months, we will implement a Blog for FREE.

Blog

Social Media Tips

Many of our clients are starting to use social media as a platform to help gain awareness of their service and products. Below are a few tips for anyone starting out in the world of social media:

Start slow - Learn how to use one social media website at a time. Look at what others are doing and see what works. Try to plan what it is you want to achieve. Keep it simple.
Keep a careful eye on what others are saying about you and your business online.
Ask for feedback and be responsive to those who show an interest.
Think before you type - What you say online cannot be undone and will be accessible in years to come. It is easy to be misunderstood.
Be human - Social media is meant to be fun. Try to make your business related posts interesting.

Visit SEOMOZ for some great guides on Social Media Tools

A Website for Christmas?

Holidays are fast approaching and if you want to reduce that Xmas panic for a present, why not consider a website? We received several calls last year asking for a website as a Christmas present.

If you would like to chat to us about this, please contact us asap, and before 30 November, to ensure Father Christmas finishes on time!!

A free informal chat with us will only take a few minutes and may help generate more sales or awareness.

Hosting Costs

I recently had a call from a lady asking how much we charge for amendments to her website as she had a fixed bill of €500 per year! Bearing in mind she might amend a couple of items a year, she was furious with herself when she heard our prices! Have you checked your bill lately? See below for our charges:

Full Website Hosting with emails per year: €45.00
Site Maintenance: €49.00 per hour
Domain Name Registration: .com - €15.00 ; .ie - €30.00

New Websites

Format.ie is proud to launch the following selection of new websites onto the market:

	http://www.langs.ie Langs Bar & Restaurant in Grange is in one of the most picturesque locations in Ireland with the majestic Benbulben mountain on one side & the rugged beauty of the Atlantic coast at Streedagh Beach on the other. The combination of quality home cooked food & friendly & welcoming atmosphere in relaxed surroundings continues to attract tourist & locals alike.
	http://www.salon2hairdressing.ie Salon 2, Sligo's top Award Winning Hair Salon is a smart, sassy, ultra modern space where an innovative team of artistic and dedicated hair cutting & colouring professionals create a unique hair experience tailored to your individual needs. From complimentary consultation to final look, Salon 2 has provided a relaxed, friendly atmosphere right in the centre of Sligo Town since 1987.
	http://www.shootmydog.ie Dublin Based Award Winning Photographer Brendan Burke specialises in Owner And Pet Portraiture, capturing that bond between you and your pet to be cherished forever – a great present for Christmas!
	http://www.anafaye.com Talented handbag designer, Ana Faye, in Sligo, has added a limited edition of Irish quality leather handbags to her collection with free next day delivery. All handbags can be purchased from her website and are a “must-have” for women for Xmas!
	http://www.studentcoupons.ie Student Coupon Discount Vouchers’ website offer discounts and savings for students across Ireland with new companies offering massive deductions each week.
	http://www.mcmspirits.com MCM is the fastest growing spirit distributor in Ireland. Their focus is to obtain key spirit brands and activate them in the Irish market whilst endeavouring to service the general beverage needs of their clients. They work closely with bars, retailers and distributors to create effective, bespoke brand support that drives consumer demand and increases sales.
	http://www.martingallagherfurniture.com Martin Gallagher is a furniture designer maker from Sligo and has worked for one of Ireland’s leading furniture design and manufacturing companies. Led by a team of highly skilled craftsmen, he perfected his making skills and design awareness - take a look at his amazing skill and designs.
	http://www.cartownclub.ie Cartown Night Club in Carrick-on-Shannon offers a fever-pitch vibrant venue, place to party and take to the floor!
	http://www.paulinecawley.com Pauline Cawley's beauty clinic was established in 1993 and offers a range of beauty treatments based in Castlebar, County Mayo.
	http://www.makeup-ireland.com Aine provides makeup services throughout Ireland. Aine has a studio at her home in Drumcliffe, Sligo and is also available to travel to clients’ homes to provide makeup services within the comfort of their own surroundings. Aine's specialities include weddings, high fashion, catwalk, photo shoots, hen & group parties, debs and grad and make up classes.
	http://www.walkingmatters.ie WalkingMatters engages with communities to deliver effective training and consultation programmes that get people walking and create public spaces that work. WalkingMatters works directly with communities and schools to audit their streets and public spaces and then designs alternatives to support walking and build sustainable communities. Their aim is to engage with, inform and empower all stakeholders to engage meaningfully in this process.
	http://www.gtechconstruction.ie Specialising in extensions, conversions, dry-lining (including airtight systems), refurbishment and one off housing, G-Tech Construction offers the complete package from design to turn key, including project management.

Website Training

Format.ie’s next website training classes will be held on Wednesday mornings in Ballyshannon . Please call us if you would like further information on website training classes.

For further information on any of the above sites, if you have questions about websites, or wish to get a quote for building a new site, please do not hesitate to contact Jonathan or Lisa Lomax on 071 9131991 or mobile 0863 255875. To un-subscribe from future newsletters click here...