Business in Bath Catching Up with Mobile Technology

Here at Bath Business Web Ltd we are always keeping an eye on current trends and future developments on the Internet. We have recognised for a while that mobile technology has been pushing ahead at a rate which surpasses the best of human innovations

It’s hard to believe that it was only 2010 when we started buying tablets. Now we can easily do on tablets that we had been doing on laptops. Just as laptops were getting smaller and less bulky to carry around, the tablet comes along and makes those laptops seem rather prehistoric and cumbersome in a very short period of time.
 
By the end of this financial year it is expected that the sale of tablets in this country will outstrip that of the conventional desktop computer. Our trusty friend the mobile phone (less a phone now and more an interactive work and play station of immense variety) will also go forth and eventually outstrip sales of both these altogether. Last year well over 30 million phones were sold in the UK. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to work out that is a huge number of potential customers surfing the Internet, looking for websites and information on these smart devices which they carry with them 24 hours a day.

 

Sales of tablets will eclipse that of PC’s and smartphones will outsell them all

 
Global sales of the personal computer (or desktop) has fallen for the fifth quarter in a row, making it the longest duration of decline in history. By 2017 it is predicted that PC’s will be only 5% of the smart connected device market. With tablets and smartphones growing to 16.5% and 70.1% respectfully.

This decline has been brought home to the everyday consumer in news bulletins, which tell us of the struggles of the big names in computer technology from the past. The household name of  Dell having to reinvent itself due to falling sales of PC’s. The once giant of business technology IBM selling off its PC business interests. As well as other such companies such as Lenovo and Hewlett Packard seeing sales of their conventional products at an all time low.
 
The research boys and girls at IDC (International Data Corporation to you and me) have come up with some interesting findings of the world’s markets in sales of PC’s and tablets.
 
What we know is that the mobile revolution is gaining momentum, rapidly. IDC predicts that the shipment of tablets will easily top those of desktop computers and laptops in the final quarter of this year. Overall PC shipments are still expected to surpass tablet shipments for the whole of 2013.  It expects that the competition between PC’s and tablets for overall sales will be done and dusted by the end of 2015 with tablets outstripping shipments of PC’s on an annual basis from thereon in.
 


Estimated Shipments for 2013

IDC predicts the forecasts sales for 2013 of desktops will be 134.4 million, laptops 180.9 million and tablets 227.3 million.

That represents a market share of 8.6% for desktops, 11.6% for laptops and 14.6% for tablets.

Not bad for a technological wonder which no one was using four years ago.

 

A worldwide increase in shipments of tablets and smartphones markets are showing early signs of saturation. This will bring down the price of the various devices, which will change things still further



Predicted Shipments for 2017

The growing popularity of tablets and smartphones has thrown the PC industry into its longest downturn on record.

The smart device industry is in a constant state of change and development.

Wise business owners need to keep up to maximise their own marketing and online advertising on the Web.  



The pace of the industry is rapidly changing. The smartphone market has seen touch screen and voice command mobiles coming in to their own. Which may explain why the 'once upon a time everybody wants one’ Blackberry, is diminishing the hold on the market it once had a year or two ago. Even the iPhone, as good as it may be, has plenty of competition with other similar smartphones snapping at its heels, which are often just as smart and often a fair bit cheaper.
 
So here’s a wee bit of advice from Bath Business Web Ltd to all you businessmen and businesswomen in Bath and the South West. If you have a website, web presence or you are advertising your business on the internet, then get good sound advice as to whether people will see it as it should be seen. Website Designers and Social Media Marketing in Bath
 
The change of consumer technology has meant that the visibility of a website (or many other marketing mediums on the Web) can be drastically be impeded by using a platform which was created to show off your website pages on a desktop PC (on a big screen).

There are many hundreds, if not thousands of pages on the Internet which are just not that efficient, easily browsed or even visible on either a tablet or smartphone. As a business person you will need to catch up and make changes to your Internet marketing. Because if you haven’t, then it is almost guaranteed your competitors have. Then they will have the edge over you and any potential customers looking at your Internet advertising will go to them. Why? Because you didn't keep up or take notice of the tide of change in technology.

Don't be PC. Be Smart!

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd - Website Designers and Social Media Marketing in Bath

Bath Business on the Web

The Internet is awash with colour and graphics. When it comes to Bath Businesses on the Web, they too show off their colours and design in exceptional detail. 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd 

There is an array of websites which will draw one in to a world of business and commerce. Websites which offer insight into the world of their owners and information on products and services. It is truly amazing how many different ways there are for a business can sell itself on the Internet.
 
The whole concept of the Internet is about communication which is achieved in a variety of ways.

Pictures and images show off various aspects of the business, while the colours and tones draw us in. 




Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

The use of text and well written dialogue whether it is for builders, plumbers, shops or restaurants needs to be interesting to the reader. They need to capture and captivate the readers imagination to want to continue and find out more about the business and what it has to offer. 

 

Just like the overall layout or design, the text and the flow of information and interesting written communication is often the key as to whether or not the reader will go beyond the first page. Enticing a potential customer to the page with your contact details is a challenge in itself.

 



Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd 

Each and every Bath Business on the Web needs to make a good impression. After all you are advertising and marketing your business. You are showing off your brand, creating an image and more often than not, a first impression.

 

You will therefore want your advertising on the Internet to be bold and stand out from the crowd. The colours need to reflect your business and the font you use can sell or not sell your company name. You may want to use glossy pictures of your work, videos or state of the art video graphics with your own on-screen presenter.
 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

The very layout of your website will ensure the reader is drawn to those special offers or the encouraging prices you want to share. Well positioned links or buttons will tempt the viewer to go to places in the site which will lead them closer to wanting your product.

 

People will also come to expect certain styles or certain layouts from the various businesses, shops, professionals and tradespeople which advertise their business in this way.

As a Business in Bath you will want to make sure your website design meets the standard and professional expectations of your trade. If you want to maintain credibility and ensure any new customers have faith in your services, then that design could make or break you and your business.

 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

Whatever you do, get advice from a qualified and experienced website professional who can help you design a website which matches the business you own. 

They will also advise you on the content and information which will drive your website up the search engine rankings.

No point having an artistic design with informative content if no one gets to see it.

Every business needs to advertise. All successful businesses have a variety of well tested marketing strategies. A website is just part of that. 

In this day and age of the Internet being such an integral part of our lives, can you really ignore that fact that a majority of people have that Internet experience sitting in the palm of their hand.
 



Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

You deserve more for your business. Your business is your lifeblood to success.

You will want to do everything in your power to help it succeed.

A website is your opportunity to show off your business to the world. It is your platform to encourage and entice people to buy your services or your products.

A website is like having a newspaper advert, bill board, radio or TV ad, business portfolio and business card all in one.

Nowhere in the history of business has there ever been anything quite like it.


Ensure you advertise  and promote your business in the best light and that your website is professionally built and correctly coded for search engine optimisation.

Ensure it is compatible with mobiles, tablets and computers.

Ensure that people will find it and act on what they see.

Whatever you do, however you do it, always bear in mind the impression you are creating for your business.

So maybe it's time to act. Time to get on the Internet or pick up the phone and have a chat to the people in the know. 

Bingham
Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd

http://www.webdesigninbath.com

Building Websites for Business Success in Bath

Bath Business Web Ltd is an Internet and Social Media Marketing Company specialising in the construction of websites and is committed to the success of all businesses in Bath and the South West.

Bath Business Web Ltd 7, Pierrepont Street Bath BA1 1LB

At Bath Business Web we run a number of successful online business directories covering Bath, Bristol, Warminster, Trowbridge, Chippenham, Frome and Calne.

The age of paper directories is coming to an end. The majority of people are now turning to the internet when looking for a tradesperson or service local to them. For nearly ten years Bath Business Web have built up a large online presence helping put people get in touch with a range of professionals to suit their needs.

Hundreds of companies across Bath and the surrounding areas have discovered the many advantages of being listed with Bath Business Web. Our Bath Business Web Directory alone receives an average of 5,000+ visits every month.

At Bath Business Web we not only run a range of online directories, we also offer a comprehensive website design and optimisation service. Having a website to represent your company has a number of advantages. Not only does it ensure that your information is available to potential customers 24 hours a day, it also allows you to advertise your business across the world's most successful resource for information, the internet.

As soon as you have a website up and running, you need to get it noticed. This is where our extensive knowledge and experience of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes in.

With our fully qualified website designers who are trained in SEO, we can provide you with a website that works for your business. Not only are the websites we create fully optimised, they are also W3C compliant, a major advantage when getting your website recognised by Google.

We also have proven front page results for many businesses, throughout Bath, Bristol and the South West. You can watch a range of video testimonials left for us by companies happy to recommend Bath Business Web, by clicking here: Bath Business Web Ltd - Testimonials 

Or watch various business owners in Bath or the South West tell you about us in video testimonials here: Bath Business Web Ltd - Video Testimonials
 
You can also view a portfolio of some of the websites we have created on behalf of the businesses of Bath and the South West here: Bath Business Web Ltd - Website Portfolio
 
If  you’re not advertising or marketing your business on the internet then think again. All those hundreds, sorry I mean thousands of people with tablets or mobile phones, of which you are inevitably one, are looking on the Internet 24/7. They just reach into their pocket and get in touch with the world your business is not yet part of. A world that reaches more people than any advertising medium has ever done in the history of marketing, whether that is newspapers, radio or the telly, combined.
Business owners in Bath, Bristol or the South West, don't wait any longer, let us help you improve your company's web presence today.

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd

A Brief History of Business Websites on the Internet

The modern day Internet (or the "World Wide Web”) has transformed the way we live. To get this in perspective, I would like to take you on a short journey in time:

1989 - Computer scientist, Sir Tim Berners-Lee (who you may have seen on the opening ceremony of the London 20-12 Olympics), presented a paper containing a method by which scientists could share essential documents.

1990 - Early adopters of the World Wide Web were mainly university-based scientific departments.

1991- Saw the world’s first website. Hoorah!

I wonder if you recall when you first saw the Internet. Where were you?  What do you remember? How did you view it? Just a fad maybe, something that wouldn’t catch on? And just how long ago was that? In historic terms, it was just very recently. Yet so much has progressed in terms of the technology and how we use or interact with that technology.

1993 - The first publicly accessible, fairly basic, web browser named 'Mosaic'.

1994 - The first search engine 'Archie', again very basic compared with what we have today. Followed swiftly by more familiar web browsers such as Yahoo and Internet Explorer.

1996 - It became obvious to most publicly traded companies that a Web presence was no longer an option. The increase of two-way communication over the Web led to the possibility of direct Web-based commerce (e-commerce).

1998 - Saw an increase in new web based companies, as well as the birth of what would become the most popular of all search engines - Google. 

2001 - The Web bubble burst. Many new start-ups went out of business. However, many also survived and went on to do very well. Some Companies which began as online retailers became highly profitable.

2002 - In the aftermath of the ‘dot com bubble’ these Companies success helped enhance the way we used the Internet with the likes of Google, EBay or Amazon.  This new era gave rise to social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. Networking sites for Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Business also appeared such as LinkedIn, Biznik, PROskore.

 
These sites meant business was now able to communicate with thousands, if not millions of people and this would open up the biggest market place the world has ever known.

As business owners we need to keep up with this rapidly changing medium of marketing, communication and trade interchange.

• E-mobile technology (mobiles & tablets) is developing rapidly
• People are becoming co-dependent on this technology
• The technology is more portable, practical and affordable
• Twitter & other social media websites are growing
• The pre-web (older) generation is keen to adopt this technology
• Popularity of videos, images or photos is increasing … rapidly
• So too websites such as You Tube, Flickr, Photobucket
• Websites use images, photos, film & video to enhance the virtual experience

The future of the Net is looking golden.

Technology already allows us to send voice commands to mobiles and computers. Soon we’ll be able to have conversations with them. A mobile phone already developed by Cambridge University, in which a virtual assistant, human looking in every way, interacts with the user. Bit like talking to a personal advisor or personal shopper, who in the future could be advertising your business or products.

There will always be a need for larger viewing platforms for work, design or play However, the use of mobiles is on the increase. We now use them for the things that were previously done on computers and laptops. This market is growing .... fast.
 
Social media on the increase (especially for business). Where we used to text, we now tweet. Consumers are talking to each other on mass. Through social media people now want to know how a Business or Company interacts with its community. They want to see the human side of businesses.

People are now associating reliable businesses with the Internet, with research indicating that businesses with a website have grown 46% faster than those without.

 

What is the real value of the Internet to your business?

It can generate and help develop new business opportunities, reduce your expenses and improve business operations.

If you compare other more traditional ways to market or advertise your business. The cost of a one page advert in a local magazine for example. For one edition, reaching 8-10 thousand people, £500 - £600. The average cost to build a 4 page website, there 24/7, for however many years you want it, reaching an audience of millions, £500 - £600. You do the maths.

Will having a website provide customer awareness of my products and services; offer ready information and support; expand my markets; increase my income?  Absolutely.

A website is an adverting and marketing tool for your business. Potential customers will either be looking for you by name; seen your website in an advert or on a vehicle; looking for the services you provide; or just happen to come across you, in their search for other sites.

Websites extend business hours 24-7, any updated information, offers or product promotion is seen immediately. It’s an excellent means of generating new sales & keeping present customers aware of new products or services. It’s a brochure and catalogue all in one. A good website links to social media sites, video sites, professional bodies or associations. And with Pay Pal and the like one can offer safe and secure online transactions. With unlimited space you can convey your message for unlimited time. Your market is increased. New ideas can be tested in real time with instant results.

There is good practical value in having a website:

Statistics on who visits your site helps determine where you spend your money.

There are various ways to achieve increased visibility on the Internet. The main method is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) as well as Local Maps Optimisation listings.

Your website advertises your business, products and services. The best brochure; the best billboard and the best commercial, seen by millions. Creating links to other sites such as local directories, Google maps and a strong position on search engines, makes your business stand out from the crowd.

Remember! If you want to ensure you spend you money wisely and get the right product offering the best results always go to a 'professional' Web Design Company. The most successful sites on the Internet are ........ the most visible ones.

Intelligent advertising and connecting with the wider public (through networking sites), will create an awareness and an approachability that people will want to explore. Analysing feedback from Google or potential customers, means you’re able to update and develop your business effectively, efficiently, economically and productively. Offering yourself opportunities for growth and financial reward … profit both in income and personal and professional satisfaction.

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd

Social media and the tradesperson

Builder, carpenter, electrician, plumber, gardener... whatever your trade, you are probably aware that the Internet has taken over the world of advertising and marketing in the last few years. Business cards, newspaper adverts and TV commercials all display their website address or email. The phrase "Like us on Facebook" or "Follow us on Twitter" has become common on the high street and in restaurants. 

But where do YOU fit in? How do you, as a tradesperson, make use of the Internet to attract new clients? How can you get social media to work for you?


Have faith in the medium
For many of us, the Internet is something we understand and use every day. We search for restaurant offers or movie times, we browse Facebook for pictures of kittens and we tweet about our day. But when it comes to promoting our business, we don't trust it. How many times have you heard these phrases:
- I had a Facebook page but it didn't work, I didn't get any Likes
- I used Twitter occasionally but I didn't have many followers so I stopped bothering
- I got a website but no one visited it and I didn't get any new work

These are things that Bath Business Web hear a lot from tradespeople. The key to all of them is the same. The website, Facebook pages and Twitter profiles are all tools to help you advertise and promote your business. They have to be used to be successful, and used in the right way.

Social media is SOCIAL
The biggest mistake people make with social media is misunderstanding its function. Social media is designed to let people socialise. Businesses can make use of this by interacting with other users, getting their brand known and trusted. They can showcase their work, their offers or promotions and put a personal face and voice to the brand name. Replying to contacts from people, sharing their interests as well as your own and building a relationship that lies between professional and personal are the keys to building a strong social media profile.

Sadly, many businesses ignore this function and instead expect a mere presence on Facebook or Twitter to earn them Likes and Followers. They fail to realise that you must earn your profile strength in this world, by producing great content and interacting with not only your existing fans but all of your potential ones as well. 

Paid advertising on platforms like Facebook and Twitter can produce excellent results, getting your company name specifically targeted at people in your area who want your services. This is why social media is powerful for business - all the information Facebook or Google + collects about you as you browse is used to point adverts at you that you'll love. But ultimately if your adverts direct potential clients to an empty Facebook page with no Likes, it's wasted money.

The bottom line
Think of social media as a 24hr business lunch, a way to talk to your clients no matter where you are. When you visit a client you would probably give them a pitch, discuss their expectations from the work and their needs. You'll make sure you are dressed appropriately, maybe in work clothes, maybe in uniform. You'll be honest and open with them, talk about the challenges of the job and probably tell them about yourself, your company and how you've dealt with jobs before.

Social media lets you have those conversations with many potential clients at once and without intruding on the rest of the day. Be accessible, be honest and be professional and you will find that social media is a tool your business will benefit from. 

See also:
Social media mistakes you don't want to make 
5 Small business secrets

Web design, when you need it - email us and mention "the blog"

The perfect online portfolio (and why you need one)

Whether you're a tradesman, a designer, an artist or a musician, your website is the most important tool you have to get recognition, awareness and, ultimately, new work. 

Stand out from the crowd

Don't believe me? Google your inspirational artist, your nearest business rival or your favourite restaurant. They'll certainly have a website, chances are it's been designed by professionals and carries their branding and products alongside their contact details. A designer may have a beautifully constructed gallery, a builder may opt for carefully worded project pages and images of their work. 

Be proud of your work
 
This online presence is a vital tool. Everyone is expected to have a website.  
A basic single page with a name and phone number on will do as a web presence, but the more professional your site, the more professional you seem. 

A high quality website with great content and an intelligent design speaks louder than words about the reputation of your brand.

So invest in your online presence - its the most important marketing tool you have!

For professional websites and top quality web support, contact us today and mention our blog!

See also:
Social media mistakes you don't want to make
Businesses, say hello to responsive web design

SEO basics - keyword stuffing is so over

Think back to the late 1990's. Do you remember those old hmtl web pages, carrying huge chunks of text stuffed with keywords? The content would have looked something like this:

"PLUMBING IN BATH Get yourself a PLUMBER in BATH for all your PLUMBING needs call 0800-local-plumber today!!!!"

This would be endlessly repeated until the bottom of the page, possibly interspersed with some grainy, poor resolution pictures.

Do you know why web pages don't look like this now?

One of the key reasons is because over the years new inventions have come along, such as CSS which was officially launched by w3w in 1996 and more recently, HTML5 which is due for release in 2014. As with any new invention, the powers that be reward people for using the new shiny toys. Microsoft and Apple led the charge and as the world wide web became more prominent, search engines like Yahoo! and Alta Vista took center stage.

They never left.

From an SEO perspective, Google is one of the major players of search, with the Yahoo!/Bing empire close behind. Search engines care about only one thing - bringing the most relevant websites to their customers attention when search terms are mashed in. The better they are at giving their customers helpful, sensible answers to their searches, the more likely that customer will use them again. This opens doors to advertising revenue and all manner of income streams.

For web designers, this was the beginning of an arms race that is ongoing today. Search engines come up with algorithms to asses websites, allowing them to identify and promote the comedy pictures and anecdotes that you are really looking for when you search 'Poodle haircut funny' instead of delivering up comedians that mention both haircuts and Poodles, for example. 

This is what we want...

Keywords are one of the signals they use to do this. By looking at the content of the page they can see the words Poodle, haircut and funny in the keywords. But they are not just interested in making sure its a page about that subject matter. They want to know that the website is of high quality, that the content is entertaining and that their searchers are going to appreciate this as a search result.

In short, the algorthim will assess the page by the same criteria as a human would - does it look good, is it informative, is it written in real english?

By slamming the content full of keywords in a sludge of badly written, repetitive and unhelpful content, you can guarantee that the search engine will take the same approach as a human would - bounce right off that page and onto another one. 

This practice of 'keyword stuffing' is so frowned upon by search engines that it has resulted in the runiation of websites all over, and has been abandoned by professional SEO's. 

See also
The battle of the browsers
Say hello to responsive web design

Social media mistakes you don't want to make

Social media is everywhere. Any web page you visit will almost certainly encourage you to tweet, like or pin its content. Companies are creating brand new forms of advertising to cater for the social media networks. Engagement with social media is at an all time high and even countries that have banned certain sites like Facebook are showing massive growth.

source Wikimedia Commons

Businesses are rapidly finding out that social media can mean increased brand awareness, growth of their client base and relatively low cost yet effective marketing. Clever companies have used social media to launch viral videos, competitions and stunts, driving up their popularity. 

 

source Wikimedia Commons

 
There are however, some risks when you introduce social media to your business strategy. A single misstep or innocent blunder can render your brand a laughing stock. So before you dip a toe into social media as a business, read the tips below...

3) Check, check and check again
One of the most attractive parts of social media is the ease of use. Type a short, pithy comment about your business, possibly with a picture attached, click one button and voila! The latest piece of marketing gold has been launched into the twittersphere. The disadvantage of this, however, is that a few moments of not concentrating, a moment of bad judgement and you have launched something that will cripple your reputation and never, ever be lost, because once information is on the world wide web, it is never lost.

Enter American firm KitchenAid, who allowed an astonishingly bad taste joke about the president's deceased relative to find its way onto their twitter feed. A quick fire round of retweets later and the company was in hot water, with many public apologies and hurried denunciations made over the following days. The damage was done however, and despite the company deleting the tweet almost immediately, echos of it will be floating online as a cautionary tale long into the future.

 

source Wikimedia Commons

2) You hold your company's reputation in your hands
If you've been in marketing for more than five minutes, you'll know that reputation is everything for a brand. Without a rock solid reputation for honesty, good choices and quality, growing a business is nearly impossible. Throughout your marketing you will have been developing your company's image. Badly thought through social media campaigns can turn all that to ash in a surprisingly short amount of time.

So it was for The Redner Group, who oversaw the launch of much loved shooter Duke Nukem's long awaited new release, 'Duke Nukem Forever'. The PR section posted a public statement on twitter that appeared to threaten to withhold new review copies of titles from outlets who gave the game a poor review. The backlash from fans, reviewers and the larger industry was deafening, leaving the company's reputation for fairness in tatters. 

1) You may loose more than you think
Social media mistakes can have wide reaching consequences. A slip up (or gross stupidity) may cost you money, time and possibly your job. Worst cases may even result in legal consequences. Again, this often comes as a result of impulsive posting behaviour, but in some cases what may appear a silly, harmless prank can lead to disaster when they hit the public forum.

Two employees at a New York branch of Domino's Pizza learned this the very hard way when they posted a video they filmed showing various misbehaviours at work on YouTube and the social media networks, quickly coming to the attention of their bosses. The evidence of their antics was slammed as 'disgusting', caused a major dent in Domino's reputation for hygiene and standards and swiftly led to the sacking of both the stars of the show. If that wasn't enough, both of them were brought up on legal charges for various health code violations. 

source Wikimedia Commons

So when you embrace social media for your business, embrace also the lessons to be learned from these and the countless other similar stories on the internet. Remember, with great social media power comes great responsibility...

See also:
5 Small business secrets...
The battle of the browsers...

website design and online directory listings

Google doodles McCay

‘Little Nemo’ by American cartoonist Winsor McCay was commemorated this week by Google in a very special version of one of their infamous headline images, or ‘doodles’ as they are known. It is the first time an interactive comic strip has been used as a doodle.

McCay’s work included comic strips and animations, with the artist credited as an inspiration to many industry giants including Walt Disney. The popular character of Little Nemo first appeared in the New York Herald and New York American newspapers in 1905. Originally called ‘Little Nemo in Slumberland’, the iconic images and adventures celebrated their 107^th birthday this week.

With Google’s largest ever ‘doodle’ being revealed this week, I take a look at my favourite doodles in the last 12 months and what they mean to me.

5) The 46th Anniversary of the first broadcast of Star Trek

This interactive logo is a feast for Trekkies like me, with classic sounds from the TV series and affectionate digs at some of the more nerdy in jokes, such as the poor redshirt's inevitable state. Raised to love early Star Trek by my Dad, despite it being on the third or fourth set of re-runs when I was born, I adore the hidden sections of this doodle and love the act of celebration from unrepentant fellow Trekkies at Google.

4) The Opening Ceremony 2012

 Whether you loved it or hated it, no one could ignore the Olympics in 2012. Dominating political speculation about the economy, TV coverage and newspaper column inches and getting a firm grip on retail products and marketing, the Olympics was everywhere. Google produced a massive 17 Olympic themed doodles, a truly Herculean effort (get it?)

3) Amelia Earhart's 115th Birthday

Amelia Earhart is a true symbol of courage and determination, as well as being a hugely strong female figure and an icon of millions. The first female pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean and proud holder of the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, her disappearance over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 is still remembered as a great loss to America and to the world. As a woman, I find her commitment to women's rights and her strength in the face of Victorian society's perception of women a true inspiration.

2) The Queen's Jubilee

Great Britain loves a party and it loves it's royalty. In 2012 we got to throw a massive party for our respected and adored monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Music, dancing, art and history blended together with street parties and memorabilia. Some called it stunning, others felt it was tacky, but everyone agreed, it was an incredible moment for Britain and her Queen. For me, it was a reminder that despite all the changes in the world and the speed of development, we could still embrace a symbol of tradition and continuity. Not literally embrace, obviously. Unless you fancy life in the Tower.

1) Charles Dickens 200th Birthday

When I was given the novel 'Hard Times' as one of my essay titles at A level English, I was delighted. I had read 'Great Expectations' many years before, but had been distracted by modern novels since. Growing up in the beautiful town of Bath, with its huge Georgian houses and its popularity for Victorian period film makers, I was more than happy to indulge in the works of what I, and many others consider the greatest authors of that age. Google joined the rest of the world in celebration of his 200th birthday with this stunningly detailed doodle.

and last but not least...

Although not an actual doodle, the Zerg Rush 'easter egg' was a joy to behold. As a lifetime Blizzard fan, it was wonderful to watch my screen being devoured in a hungry homage to Starcraft.