Guy McLaren http://guymclaren.com Photography, Web design, Charity Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 What Happened to the Hux IT Consortium? http://guymclaren.com/what-happened-to-the-hux-it-consortium/ http://guymclaren.com/what-happened-to-the-hux-it-consortium/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:50:19 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1882 It is rumoured that the Hux IT Consortium no longer exists. I know the shops are no longer trading and I had a meeting with an ex employee that told me that they have folded. I am assuming that many of the Hux IT consortium’s clients  no longer have IT services and support due to the loss.

Imagimedia is available to resolve the issues you may face due to the Hux IT consortium failure.

The team at imagimedia is small yet knowledgable. Guy has been in the IT industry since 1988 and can help solve any legacy problems including with DOS based systems. No network is too big as Guy worked on networks for clients as big as the London Underground and WarnerLambert Pfizer in the UK.

Imagimedia is a registered vendor of many different PC brands including HP, Dell, Samsung, Proline, Sahara and more.

For more information Nelspruit IT Support

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/what-happened-to-the-hux-it-consortium/feed/ 0 Nelspruit Computer Repairs, Networks and IT support http://guymclaren.com/nelspruit-computer-repairs-networks-and-it-support/ http://guymclaren.com/nelspruit-computer-repairs-networks-and-it-support/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:37:37 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1879 Two of the biggest players in the Nelspruit IT industry have folded. Hux IT and Computer Corporation have closed their doors in Nelspruit. In effect this means that companies in Nelspruit, Barberton and White River have been left with no IT support.

Imagimedia is available to resolve all of your IT support issues from PC repairs and upgrades to software support. The team has extensive experience covering issues like Firewalls and Proxy servers, Computer Security and Virus protection, Cable Networks and wireless Networks.

Hardware problems down to component level on PC’s, laptops, printers and other peripherals.

Software upgrades, reinstalls and troubleshooting.

For more details visit Nelspruit Computer Services

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/nelspruit-computer-repairs-networks-and-it-support/feed/ 0 Never make an appointment to sell. http://guymclaren.com/never-make-an-appointment-to-sell/ http://guymclaren.com/never-make-an-appointment-to-sell/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:45:18 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1876 I just read something that horrified me. Johan Horak gave someone who asked about selling the above advice in reply to a question about selling techniques. The freemium sales technique he suggests is great from a website but in the actual real world?

Giving away free stuff is great when it’s not a huge cost to the business. Giving away free stuff cannot be of benefit if you are trying to sell. As a rule of thumb I think your potential clients are going to be overawed by your generosity and the fact that you seem to have no concept of the fact that time is money. Never make an appointment without a goal and a goal of giving free stuff hoping that someone will offer to buy something else is folly.

If you have a business and you call me telling me you want to give me free stuff, I am already on the defensive because I am waiting for the catch. Tell me in no uncertain terms why you want to see me. In the coffee news scenario, Tell me you want to see me to save me money on marketing, or you want to show me how I can find new clients with very little effort. Then ask for an appointment.

When you arrive for your appointment don’t give me a flier, Give me a presentation with facts, with reasons for me to make the purchase. Give me the tools to make a decision and help me decide by proving your way is good. If I say not right now leave me the flier so that I can think about it. On average if I haven’t bought at the appointment I am not going to chase you. That is your job follow up, follow up and follow up again.

Statistically most sales are closed on the 4th appointment as I recall. Give away free stuff and go broke or sell and be profitable.

Johans folly is here

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/never-make-an-appointment-to-sell/feed/ 0 When to rebrand and why we are doing it. http://guymclaren.com/when-to-rebrand-and-why-we-are-doing-it/ http://guymclaren.com/when-to-rebrand-and-why-we-are-doing-it/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:38:10 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1874 We are rebranding and changing name because we feel that the the name we are trading as at present does not give any indication of what we do. Lowveld Explorer does not say Web design or development does it? After a brainstorming session we chose the name imagImedia.imagI for imagination, Imedia for internet media. This allows me to be more creative with our own website design and also all of our stationery. Our logo is a dreamcatcher incorporating the web. Over the coming weeks we will be rebranding everything and making sure that our websites all display the imagImedia branding.

Another decision we have taken is to widen our sphere of influence by offering a more complete service to our clients. With the failure of companies like Hux IT and Computer Corporation in Nelspruit, we feel that a more personalised service to the SMME market in terms of IT service provision, sales service and repairs of computer systems is indeed neccessary.

To see our new branding visit the website at http://imagimedia.co.za

In conclusion we now offer a full range of IT services including:
Web design and development
Database design and development
Search Engine optimisation
Computer repairs and upgrades
Computer Sales (Hardware and Software)
Networking (Cabled and wireless)

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/when-to-rebrand-and-why-we-are-doing-it/feed/ 0 Social media is a fail: 10 reasons why http://guymclaren.com/social-media-is-a-fail-10-reasons-why/ http://guymclaren.com/social-media-is-a-fail-10-reasons-why/#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 05:18:53 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1869 Social media is a fail, In this article we will analyse why social media should work but does not. We shall discuss how you can turn this around and make it work for you. Networking is about interaction. Being a passive bystander will lead to very little.

facebook has over 100 000 000 users, the majority of whom stand in the corner and watch. Back in the day when IRC was the think, we called people like this lurkers. They listen but say little. At parties I am guessing these are the wall flowers.

facebook is a great place for networking, chatting to old school friends and catching up with whats happening in your world. Marketers will tell you that facebook is a huge untapped resource of referral business. It could be but facts are that the passivity of the users will nullify any real results.

Networking  well would change that. Networking does not mean you should stand in the corner shouting out an advert over and over.  I see this with many marketers. I am active on stumble upon and I see traffic driven to my site because of my interaction with others.

Facebook sends me a fair amount of traffic because I interact with others.  You have noticed links like share, I like it and various others on blogs websites and on the social media sites. These are there so that you can help spread the word. If you like something you should be sharing it with your friends, followers and other hangers on.

The more you share, the more you interact, the more you become part of the community the more your networking will succeed.  I have noticed a disturbing trend for people to link all of their social media activities. For example they will post something on facebook and automatically send it to every other social media site.

It means that if I am your friend on facebook, twitter and friendfeed, everything is duplicated and triplicated. You ill get similar results as I get from Friend Feed. I have not yest seen any traffic from friend feed because even though I have been a member for a few years and my stuff regularly gets posted there, I am not a part of that community.

facebook, twitter, muti, Digg, Reddit and sites like this are about quality not quantity.  If you are standing in the corner shouting, you will be ignored. As someone pointed out, you will make far more friends by being interested in others, than showing an interest in only yourself.

In order to see results from your social media, start sharing today.

PS The 10 reasons in the title was a lie.

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/social-media-is-a-fail-10-reasons-why/feed/ 0 Mpumalanga Copiers: The incomplete web site. http://guymclaren.com/mpumalanga-copiers-the-incomplete-web-site/ http://guymclaren.com/mpumalanga-copiers-the-incomplete-web-site/#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:42:23 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1867 Some people fail to understand some basic information. I went out to see a possible client, I did a full presentation on the reasons for having a website, getting results from Google and they bought what I was offering. I started building the website , domain registered and all. I then sent them a photoshop proof.

I know it’s my own fault for starting the job before receipt of the deposit, but then again I had done a full presentation and was convinced the clients understood.  I was sure that the concept of Return on investment made sense to them. I was told that they didn’t like the site I was offering, I can live with that, Design changes are not impossible, but they gave me links to sites they liked. Every one of them flash.

I sent them an email and have phoned them a few times. I am not getting a response. I guess the Mpumalanga Copiers site will remain incomplete because the clients are not overly considerate and willing to accept that an order placed should be honored. An order placed should be discussed and problems resolved. Failing to return calls and not discussing the site does not mean we have not met our obligations.

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/mpumalanga-copiers-the-incomplete-web-site/feed/ 0 More than half of Small business websites not Search Engine Friendly http://guymclaren.com/more-than-half-of-small-business-websites-not-search-engine-friendly/ http://guymclaren.com/more-than-half-of-small-business-websites-not-search-engine-friendly/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:02:46 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1863 I found an article on the web related to British SMME websites that claimed  that only 47% of websites had any Search Engine optimisation features.  The study showed a shocking lack of care for the websites by Small businesses. 1000 websites were audited.

The study was done by Thompsons Local in the UK using the premise that  to compete in business today, whether at a local, national or international level, a fully functional website is a business imperative.  Now more than ever consumers are turning to search engines like Google and Bing for help in finding the best local suppliers.

Whilst the increasing use by consumers and B2B buyers of online directories and search engines to find suppliers brings tremendous opportunities for well prepared businesses of all sizes; the spectre of increased competition from other local, national or international competitors is a serious threat to companies that have not adequately invested in establishing their internet presence.

Thomson Local and Analytics SEO were keen to establish how well the UK’s businesses were prepared for this increasingly competitive world of online competition.

Now my immediate thoughts were they are being generous as I have recently been checking local websites for optimisation and I know that less than 25% of the sites I have checked had any SEO done on them. Some industries were more pro active than others, but some industries have no presence at all.

Nelspruit Lodge : Accommodation and conference center

It is my opinion that most businesses can be optimised for local results without too much trouble. We recently took over the running of Nelspruit Lodge from a competitor. Prior to our involvement a search for Nelspruit Lodge delivered no results at all for our client. We are pleased to announce that within days of us managing the website they are now at the number one position in Google for the Lodge name, at number three for Nelspruit Conference center.  They are also climbing the ranks for other search terms like Nelspruit Accommodation.

Lowveld Mobile Crane Hire

Another recent addition to our stable is White River based Lowveld Crane Hire. I am happy to report in two weeks we have taken a brand new site from not there to the front page of Google for a few search terms. At present Lowveld Mobile Crane Hire is out ranked by our own websites used to introduce their website to Google.  A search for Mpumalanga mobile crane hire puts them at the number one spot just where we would want to see them.

Neither of the web sites has had thousands of rands or hundreds of hours spent obtaining these results, so when I see statistics like 47% of web sites have no SEO done to them,  I am not surprised when people tell me they get no results. It’s obvious that if you don’t spend a little time and care on your website, you can not expect any results.

Guy McLaren has been designing and getting results from web sites since 1996. Clients like Laeveld Bou Handelaars and HI-Q Nelspruit are getting results using our methodology.

The full report can be found at http://www.analyticsseo.com/blog/state-uk-business-websites-2010.

“I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own — a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism.”
Albert Eninstein

“You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It is the price he has to pay for being intelligent but not, as yet, intelligent enough.”
Aldous Huxley

” I don’t have the evidence to prove that God doesn’t exist, but I so strongly suspect that he doesn’t that I don’t want to waste my time.”
Issac Asimov

“All thinking men are atheists.”
Ernest Hemingway

“The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us, and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.”
Charles Darwin

“Faith is the commitment of one’s consciousness to beliefs for which one has no sensory evidence or rational proof. A mystic is a man who treats his feelings as tools of cognition. Faith is the equation of feeling with knowledge. “
Ayn Rand

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/more-than-half-of-small-business-websites-not-search-engine-friendly/feed/ 1 Crane Manufacture in Mpumalanga http://guymclaren.com/crane-manufacture-in-mpumalanga/ http://guymclaren.com/crane-manufacture-in-mpumalanga/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:22:37 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1855 manufacturing crane components

Why import your crane when you can have a locally manufactured product that is as good as anything from Germany. Lowveld Cranes manufacture overhead cranes and hoists right here in Mpumalanga South Africa. I was in their workshop last week and was impressed to see the cranes they manufacture.

“Now what does Guy know about crane manufacturing”, you ask?  Not a lot but I did drive a crane when I was a younger man. I spent 4 months driving an overhead crane in the railway yard in Elandsfontein before reporting for military service in the 80’s. I recognised some of the components when looking through the workshop.

crane manufacturer

“Why is Guy writing about crane manufacture”,  I see you pondering. Well that’s easy, I was asked to build a website for the South African crane manufacturing company based in White River, near Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. Before I can build any website I like to familiarise myself with the products and services of the company I am to be representing.

crane manufacturer winch assebly

You see when I work with a company, I become part of their team and in order for me to market something like crane manufacturing, I need to see the processes and understand what the objective of the web site is. I feel that an important part of my service is having a basic understanding of my clients offering, and my integrity dictates that I should totally trust the abilities and the service offered.

Hoist ready for delivery

So when I start writing about crane manufacturing I need to at least understand what is being offered, and I absolutely need to have faith in the capabilties of my client. In this case my client is the manufacturer of the Davy range of overhead cranes and hoists. They source their components locally so when you buy a Davy Crane you are developing our local economy, not enriching some future superpower.

crane and hoist parts

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/crane-manufacture-in-mpumalanga/feed/ 2 Wedding Venue, Bundu Lodge chapel Nelspruit http://guymclaren.com/wedding-venue-bundu-lodge-chapel-nelspruit/ http://guymclaren.com/wedding-venue-bundu-lodge-chapel-nelspruit/#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:35:16 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1839 Wedding Venue, Bundu Lodge Nelspruit

On Thursday I visited Bundu Lodge chapel in my effort to tell you about Nelspruit’s wedding  venues. The chapel at Bundu Lodge has awesome views over the valley and koppies near Nelspruit. As a wedding venue there is very little Bundu Lodge fail with.

Bundu Lodge offers a very cute chapel, overlooking a paddock with animals roaming the gardens. On my visit I saw an Ostrich, a few rabbits and a pony. It would be a pleasure to take wedding photos at Bundu as there are numerous opportunities in this wedding venues gardens alone.

Bundu Lodge not only offer the Chapel, but the rock chapel in the Private Game reserve looks really interesting as well.

Nelspruit wedding chapel

More wedding venue information

Nelspruit wedding venue: Bee Eaters
Nelspruit wedding venue: Nou’s Toeka
Nelspruit Wedding Venue: Bundu Lodge

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]]> http://guymclaren.com/wedding-venue-bundu-lodge-chapel-nelspruit/feed/ 0 Wedding Cerenony Venues in Nelspruit: Bee Eaters Farm http://guymclaren.com/wedding-venues-in-nelspruit-bee-eaters-farm/ http://guymclaren.com/wedding-venues-in-nelspruit-bee-eaters-farm/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:15:23 +0000 admin http://guymclaren.com/?p=1829 Bee Eaters wedding chapel

Bee Eaters farm is a wedding ceremony venue in Nelspruit with all the facilities. The wedding chapel is very cute and I imagine when furnished and decorated there will not be many that can be better. As a wedding photographer I am aware of few places that offer better opportunities for great wedding photos.

Wedding ceremony venues in Nelspruit are plentiful. Bee Eaters farm exceeds the expectation of  most photographers, We need good backdrops to make the wedding photos great. I checked out Bee Eaters and the opportunities are plentiful. Backdrops include the fountain, the wonderful views, There  is the Romeo wherefore art thou balcony, the rocky bridge, the boat and the pond.

Wedding ceremony venues in Nelspruit: Bee Eaters Farm

Bee Eaters Farm

All in all at Bee Eaters farm you would get the photographs to make the day special. Bee Eaters are well known for their catering, The reception facilities are great and accommodation is available as well. For more information, read all about Bee Eaters farm

More wedding venue information

Nelspruit wedding venue: Bee Eaters
Nelspruit wedding venue: Nou’s Toeka
Nelspruit Wedding Venue: Bundu Lodge

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