Why I've Been Quiet. And A Very Merry ....

I've posted chuff on here lately and there's been a reason. Like many other affiliates, at this time of year we all the feel the pressure to maximise our earnings during the "silly season" and that's what I've been doing. But not only that I've been working on a couple of brands with one of them focused on next Christmas.

I've made a nice wedge from affiliate "hot desking" i.e. jumping from one product to another during their peak selling periods. But now I'm focusing my efforts on building longer term, brand sites which Jason commented on earlier this year (can't find the post now).

I've also been finishing off some client work and have, during the year, whittled down my client base to focus more on my affiliate sites, whilst keeping some really interesting clients.

It's all great stuff and I'm looking towards 2010 which I hope will be a prosperous year for you all!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Photo: © Muffet

Quick Way To Find Forums For Links & Exposure

Google has a new way to search internet forums using their clever new search system with almost immediate results.

Check this search for .co.uk gifts forums.

p.s. I've delayed this post so I can exploit it first ;-)

An Open Letter To Gordon Ballantyne, Sales & Service Director T-Mobile (UK) Ltd

Gordon Ballantyne
Sales & Service Director
T-Mobile (UK) Ltd
Hatfield Business Park
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL10 9BW

Cancellation of Contract [withheld]

Dear Mr Ballantyne
Firstly I’d like to apologise for being rude to your customer services guy at around 19:45 on 7th December. My anger was dedicated at the systems you have in place.

Traditionally when I’ve cancelled a mobile phone contract in the past, my letter of cancellation would be sufficient. Not in this instance. Having worked in marketing for more years than I care to remember I knew that your letter in return asking me to call was just another opportunity to try and keep me as a customer. That’s fair enough. But if you do that, please give clear information regarding the number and options. Don’t let me go “around the houses” trying to get the relevant department. And then try and insure that your systems aren’t down. If they give people a realistic time frame when to call back. Twice today, when I should be working I’ve had to waste my time calling you. Companies such as BT or Virgin Media will call you back when their systems are down so they keep their customer happy. I was not given this option.

A second point you may like to bear in mind is that if you want me to call you to give you the opportunity to try and keep me as a customer do not make me waste 25 minutes of my time on hold to you.

A third point you may like to take on board is that when someone says “I’ve wasted too much of my time on hold to you, I do not want to be sold to” - take it as read that no amount of arguing or clever manipulation will work. I called up in the morning to cancel, I called up in the afternoon to cancel and keeping me on hold, when I’ve got plenty of better things to do in the evening whilst trying to cancel - I want to cancel.

In summary, if you get your procedures in place first, then you would have saved your employee from an ear bashing, and you may have regained me as a customer in the future. That now is an extremely unlikely occurrence.

T-Mobile, I’m sorry to leave you like this, but with an apology and a bit of tenderness we might have got back together again someday.

Kind regards,

Lee McCoy
p.s. Is my contract cancelled? Please provide written confirmation that it has been.

Google Altered SERPS For EVERYONE Now

Previously you only had altered search results if you were logged in, but now everyone will get it. I'd love to know at what level they'll be implementing this, i.e. what at what level will your results be changed, will it be only if ever search session incorporated a visit to a particular site, one in two, one in four ....

It's going to make life very interesting for SEOs as their rankings will push up client pages and you won't be able to do anything about it, apart from keep clearing out your cookies - or use SEOMoz's Rank Tracker.

Find out more at the official post: Official Google Blog: Personalized Search for everyone

Google Analytics illegal?

From the latest DPD Email via my wife:

Data protection officials in Germany are investigating whether Google's web traffic management system Google Analytics breaches data protection law. Around 13% of German websites use the free service to assist them in the creation of their sites and the management of advertising, according to one research agency. Concerns are centred on the use of the system without web users' consent. A spokesperson from Google has said that Google is completely confident of its compliance on the basis that it requires all websites to update their privacy policies so that the use of Analytics is fully disclosed. A determination is awaited. The German officials are considering imposing fines of up to €50,000 for sites' use of the service.