Our success at this event is not where we finish, but how much we manage to raise for what is a very worthwhile cause. Any donations would therefore be very gratefully received.

You can donate online at our Justgiving page, or by contacting one of the team here at Yard Associates.

Thanks again for your support.

As yet we are undecided as to whether this approach will prove to be successful or not. There are two main arguments in our eyes: firstly, how many users use Twitter as a search tool for terms that are typically bid on in Google? Therefore, how successful can these companies possibly be, and furthermore what is the advantage over having users search for your brand and follow your account directly? On the other hand, if you have a genuine interest in the world of coffee, then why would you look any further than the information provided by coffee superbrand Starbucks, especially if their Tweets are right up there at the top of the list? Either way, you have to ask how long it will be before Twitter decide to push ‘relevant’ content from their chosen advertisers directly into your Twitter home screen.

What is clear in all this is that these companies will need to ensure that the ROI for this advertising is thoroughly tracked, mainly through tagging links from their tweets to their main websites. The real argument will be won at this stage, with these advertisers deciding very quickly whether their Twitter investments are really worth the price they are paying….

As for Twitter themselves, I’m sure they’ll be closely monitoring their user volumes and related tweets with interest.

Yard Associates have been working with the SiteTagger tool for well over a year now and look forward to being able to introduce this technology to some of our clients in the near future.

The SiteTagger product has been a God-send for us at Yard Associates, simplifying the process for getting complex web analytics, marketing and other Javascript tags live into websites at a fraction of the usual cost.

If you would like to implement SiteTagger to simplify your website tagging, why not contact us at Yard Associates and we can facilitate a demonstration, as well as provide implementation and configuration support for your company.

Following the launch of the Google Buzz service, a number of privacy concerns have been raised about the way the service has been rolled out by Google. Notably, Buzz is ‘forced’ upon you as a Gmail user, and the solution was able to utilise your address book full of contacts to generate lists of Buzz users, lists which were available to other Buzz users and followers. So how have Google allowed themselves to get caught up in a row that should surely have been avoided, following the historic string of privacy concerns of Facebook users regarding their personal information use?

It appears that the answer is in the rushed attempt to turn a popular email service into a social network capable of competing with the likes of Facebook and Twitter. As an industry controlling data from millions of web users, the social network industry was too big for Google to miss out on; however, you can’t help but think that the opportunity may have been missed in this case. Unless…

What is currently true of Google is that the company now commands an impressive set of products which focus around search and communication. Therefore, it is easy to imagine a future iteration of Buzz, which, building on its current form, improves on its integration of Blogger, Calendar, Docs, Picasa, Google Mail, Google Maps, Google Search…and so on to provide a solution that can not only compete with Facebook, but surpasses it in its functionality and availability, and, more importantly, usability. The super user experience, if you will, all held online by Google. Now there’s a strategy for you!

For more information regarding Yahoo! analytics, or for assistance in choosing the right analytics tool for you, contact us now on 02920 004562 or email us.

Google have dubbed the social network ‘Buzz’, which I’m sure will attract all the cool kids, but with their Android mobile OS the service comes ready to suit mobile users from the word go. Along with this they have linked in Google maps to show location data for where people are when they post to the site from mobile devices.

Who knows, maybe they’ll add street view to this too so the world can keep track of you even easier.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Press Release) – Feb 03, 2010 –

Dyno.com have selected SiteTagger to aid the deployment of an updated and detailed tagging strategy for their online business. Yard Associates have been chosen to support the implementation and realise the tagging infrastructure in their analytics tools. Technical Director at Yard Associates, Paul Newbury, said: “Yard Associates are delighted to be able to continue to build the relationship with Dyno by supplying the expertise for such an innovative and emerging piece of technology.”

Released on to the market in 2008, the SiteTagger web tagging solution has been implemented into a number of blue chip clients in the UK. The SiteTagger solution has one objective, to enable organisations to configure, manage and deploy javascript tags onto their website in a quick and effective manner without having to go through the normal IT test and release process.

The company was founded by Paul Newbury,Stephan Briggs and Dan Jermyn who operate Yard Associates, a leading web analytics consultancy started in 2006.

Dyno.com is the market leader in plumbing, drainage, glazing as well as providing security for residential and business properties with over 100 franchisee businesses.

Dyno.com are the latest client to use Yard Associates consultancy to bring about real and measurable results for their online business. Yard Associates client list also includes Bank Of England, British Gas, HSBC, BUPA, Sainsbury’s Finance, Orange, NEC Group, Lloyds TSB, NHS,TFL and the British Council.

The iPad is sure to build on this further by providing an improved interface for companies to use to provide information to users that was previously unreadable on the smaller screen. Now, banking applications will be possible that utilise the interface size, and allow customers to benefit from multi-touch drag and drop for simple bill paying, money transfers and other account management tasks that were not quite as simple to perform on the iPhone but can be performed with ease by any user able to point a finger and drag it to the right place.

But the online servicing in this is only a part of the functionality that should be possible if banks truly embrace this technology, assuming of course that the market share becomes significant enough to warrant the investment in these systems. Imagine, for example, if banks manage to truly understand the data available to them from the account interactions they have access to. Then the applications will be further able to provide a more rounded and personal service, whilst at the same time improving the ease of access to the information provided.

The only downside to the iPad use in these cases is the lack of camera, removing the possibility of augmented reality applications on the larger screen. Should this change in the future, then expect to be able to show the camera to a home insurance brochure, only for the iPad to quickly display a quote for you based on the information already held.

Of course, all of this is dependant on the right people truly understanding the technology available, and using the customer data to good effect, all of which we appear to be quickly moving toward.

Yard Associates have fresh and insightful opinions on the issues and technologies affecting our industry. If you require a comment on a topical issue relating to our industry for your publication, radio or tv programme then please contact our Technical Director at Yard Associates, Paul Newbury on 029 2000 4565 or email Paul@yardassociates.co.uk for more information.

Yard Associates have implemented and consulted on analytics solutions for some of the country’s largest companies, and have relationships and experience with all of the largest analytics vendors. This exciting role will see an enthusiastic individual join our experienced team of analysts in providing analytical and insightful support to our existing and new client base.

If you have experience of working with the leading analytics tools then get in touch with us to find out more information. Please, no agencies.

Call us on 02920 004 562 for more information.