Following an involved pitch process pallet distribution heavyweight, Palletline, have commissioned HeadRed as their new technology partner.

Hands were shaken on the prestigious contract earlier this year and work will begin immediately on transforming Palletline’s online presence and realising the vast potential the web can offer their business.

The unique nature of the Palletline member network provides the company with significant synergistic benefits and added value for their customers. The new website for Palletline, scheduled to be delivered in Q1 2009, will make full use of these benefits and will be seen as the benchmark against which all other pallet networks measure themselves.

In addition we will be providing ongoing support, consultancy and online marketing for Palletline in the form of email newsletters, search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click advertising (PPC).

If Palletline wish to be seen as the market leader in the pallet distribution industry it is imperative that they be seen to use the most up-to-date technologies. HeadRed will work alongside Palletline to recommend, implement and measure the introduction of such technologies across their website, internal systems and social networks.

Palletline General Manager, Nikki Dawson, was excited about the coming together and optimistic that the relationship will bring about a significant improvement in the company’s online business:

“HeadRed is the true technology partner we have been looking for. They have already successfully integrated into the Palletline team and are making a significant contribution to our ongoing web strategy.

Working with HeadRed will enable us to create an industry leading website which will add deliver tangible benefits within a short space of time.”

If I had to cite one thing in the online industry that sparks the most debate then it would have to be SEO. In a recent article from e-consultancy they highlight three of the most common SEO debates currently raging over a water-cooler near you.

1. SEO vs. PPC
Clients often ask “which is better – SEO or PPC?” – A question that has created countless arguments and opinions. Fortunately, most industry experts have now realised that both have their pros and cons but a combination of both is best for long-term visibility.

Black Hat vs. White Hat
Surprising though it may be, despite a large portion of evidence against it some people still leap to the defence of unethical SEO. How these people can argue against hundreds of PhDs employed by the leading search engines is beyond me.

Fortunately though there has been a rise in the number of high-profile companies dropping out of search results for unethical optimisation tactics. The resultant impact of these cases means fewer and fewer clients are turning to Black Hat SEO for instant results and are keen to pursue healthier, long-term White Hat optimization.

3. SEO Has No Future vs. Oh Yes it Does
As redundant debates go this has to be the pick of the lot. Anybody who suggests SEO has no future in the modern, online marketplace is completely blinkered to the benefits it can offer. Strangely enough, the people who insist it has no future always seem to be the people who define SEO as the unfair manipulation of search engines.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. SEO is not manipulation; it is honing, toning and refining a website.

These people do not fully understand the industry and the huge amount of work that goes into decent white hat optimisation. Fortunately, this debate will die off as the world in general gains a greater understanding of exactly what search optimisation means. Black hat may have no future but decent SEO is a massively important aspect of online marketing.

(Source: E-Consultancy 30th Sep 2008)

Whilst the ghostly spectre of the credit crunch has us all reaching for the Tesco value baked beans it seems to be having little or no effect on the level of online advertising spend.

Statistics taken from the IPA’s Bellwether Report show that online ad spend continued to grow above average in the last quarter, accounting for 6% of overall marketing spend – the highest proportion it has ever recorded.

So, as we slip ever closer to a recession it seems that online businesses are far more resilient than their bricks-and-mortar counterparts. In times like these more and more companies are looking online to keep their business afloat.

So don’t let the credit crunch eat into your margins; with a strong online presence your profits can still flourish. For an example of the potential available from PPC advertising see the Spaceslide case study.

Back in July we reported a new addition to the HeadRed family; SEO guru James Ray. His appointment brought a wealth of knowledge in the fields of online marketing and search engine placement.

Well, it seems it hasn’t taken long for him to weave his magic. He oversaw a comprehensive SEO audit of the Belt:Me site in August and the results speak for themselves:

• • “Custom Studded Belt” – 1st in Google*
• • “Design a Studded Belt” – 1st in Google*
• • “Personalised Studded Belt” – 1st in Google*

*as of October 1st.

James has also implemented a new optimised pay-per-click (PPC) campaign for Belt:Me and this, in combination with a much improved organic placement, has seen their online sales revenue increase considerably:

• • July – £15,721
• • Aug – £16,857
• • Sep – £20,595

So, if you’d like your company to see a similar level of success as BeltMe then please get in touch for an initial consultation. We’d be glad to help and are confident that you will see significant returns on your investment in a very short space of time.