Creative Intersection MD on Sky News Business panel

Creative Intersection MD, Ian Exaudi, has taken part in a panel discussion on Sky News Business Channel's "Technology Behind Business" program on the topic of "Online Presence for Small and Medium Businesses".

Other Expert panel members included Tim Reed (MYOB) and Tony Palmer (C4).

The main point is that the majority of SMB's do not have a website .... but you do not need to be an "online business" to enjoy some of the benefits of having a website, and there are many ways to "dip your toe in the water".

Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCtz7Ey4c08&t=43s




Of course, if you would like any assistance with getting your first business website up and running (or improving an existing one), give us a shout on 1300 853 868 or visit our website (http://CreativeIntersection.com).

Update - Website Design for Medical Practices (AAPM) Presentation

Website Design and Content Management Systems Presentation - Update - The AAPM e-Health Professional Development Day, held at the Mercure Hotel, Melbourne was a great success with attendees learning all about many different aspects of e-Health for medical and allied health practices in Victoria - including website design.



Creative Intersection exhibited at this event, and presented on the topic of Website Design for Medical Practices.


We received some great feedback and were extremely encouraged that so many medical practices are increasing their understanding of the many benefits of well-designed, cost-effective, and owner-managed websites.

An Interesting Fact: Did you know that one of the biggest problems many medical practices have is attracting new staff, particularly doctors ? ... and the first thing a doctor usually does when considering applying for a position in a private practice is to check out their website to see if it presents itself as a professional business with a bright future.

That reason alone, we are told, is enough for many practices to get their website updated straight away.

If you are an AAPM member, feel free to contact us for details of the special rates we have negotiated with this organisation.

If you're not an AAPM member, give us a call anyway and we'll see what we can do to help you out.

Creative Intersection presenting at AAPM e-Health Professional Development Day

Through our partnership with the Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM), we have been invited to present at the e-Health Professional Development Day on 19th June, 2010 in Melbourne.

Creative Intersection's Managing Director, Ian Exaudi, will be presenting on the topic of "Website Design for your Healthcare Practice".

As with just about every industry, there are some golden rules that can help make a success of launching a website - including content management systems, general marketing efforts, Search Engine Optimisation, and just "good old" web design.

If you are a practice manager or an administration professional in the any of the medical fields, contact AAPM to sign up for the Professional Development day via the link above.

The Easy Way To Accept Credit Cards on Your Website

Accepting Credit Cards on your website can make life easier for your existing customers, and may even bring you more customers you didn't already have ...

One of the simplest ways of converting potential customers to ACTUAL customers can be to offer several methods of payment for your products and services.

For instance, some customers may prefer to pay by cash or cheque on receipt of an invoice whilst others (especially small businesses) may prefer to smooth out their cashflow by paying for your product or service with their corporate or personal credit card.

If your venture is based online or if you usually accept credit cards payments in your shop using an EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale) system (the Australian term for a card-swipe machine connected to your bank), then you may prefer establishing an Online Credit Card Merchant account with your bank in conjunction with a Payment Gateway (which is either provided by your bank or a third-party supplier). Costs can be quite reasonable even for small volume sales (usually $100-$500 per month PLUS a percentage and/or flag-fall charge per transaction).

If you are a more "traditional" business, like ourselves, who usually invoice for your services and just want to add an extra method of payment for those customers who are looking to smooth out their cashflow by paying for invoices with their credit card, you can opt for a simple solution that involves no monthly costs at all.

Paypal, for example, can be set up to accept a credit card payment without the need to set up a merchant facility with a bank. The only charges for you, as the merchant, is a per-transaction fee (around $0.30 AUD) and a small percentage of the overall transaction amount (1.1% to 2.4%, dependent on your monthly sales). Note that these charges may vary as they are set by Paypal.

Other options include accepting credit card details via email or stored in a database (from an online form the customer fills in), and then processing the payment using your credit card terminal in your shop. It should be noted, however that this method is fraught with danger and only the most foolhardy web developer will offer you such a solution (please note that we won't build such a system for you, even if you ask us nicely!).

Whichever way you choose to go with accepting credit card payments online, remember that there are some quite strict rules involved with transmitting and storing credit card details (see PCI DSS) - so choosing a professions, secure option is always preferable. Massive fines and bans may apply for transmitting and storing credit card details in ways that are not secure.

Of course, you can also add a shopping cart or other functionality to your payment system to create a full online sales opportunity. Click here for a little more information.

Can I Use Twitter in My Business ?

So, you have a business (and hopefully even a website for that business). You have heard about the social networking Wunderkind called "Twitter", and that it's reaching hundreds of millions of people every day - currently sending out more than 50 million tweets per day.

But, how can you use Twitter to help your business ?

As with most things, the meteoric rise and media coverage that Twitter has received in the last couple of years does not automatically mean that putting your message out via Twitter ("Tweeting" it) will make you a huge success. On the contrary, the immense number of messages rolling through Twitter - like the Internet itself in many ways - can mean that your message gets lost among the noise of all the other chatter.

One way, however, that Twitter can help a local business such as yours in a very real way is by helping you create stronger relationships with your potential and existing customers. You may not always be able to find new customers via Twitter and other social networking media (it's possible, just not "automatic") ... but consider this:

You run a retail clothing shop, let's call it "MyShop Rocks!", which attracts regular foot traffic and a loyal following of (probably younger) customers who would jump at the chance to grab a bargain. You can encourage those customers to "follow" you on Twitter on your "MyShop Rocks! Specials" feed (Feeds can look a little like this).

Every few days or weeks you can post specials to your Twitter feed. Your most loyal followers (customers) may get notified wherever they are (via their mobile, browser, or whichever device they use) that you have a special offer available THIS AFTERNOON ONLY.

The secret, as it is with most marketing, is to create a call-to-action that compels your customer to act immediately. Making your special available THIS AFTERNOON ONLY is a great way to do that.

The other secret, as you probably guessed from earlier, is that you can't rely on Twitter to bring customers to you. It can, but it's much more likely that you will have to bring your own loyal following along for the ride.

And, of course, one way to do that is to promote your website and Twitter feed in-store (and on your business cards, flyers, etc). You might also consider having your Twitter feed displayed prominently on your website to prompt users to "follow" you.

As an example, we have our own Twitter feed on our Creative Intersection homepage.

Creative Intersection provides consultancy and other services to help design and build your website and other online "bits" as well as branding (logos etc), marketing materials design, and even video production. ... and we would love the opportunity to work with you!