Best Served Cold

Web design and development

We pride ourselves on producing high quality websites that fully conform to the highest web standards. Our sites are accessible and search engine friendly, making sure that all our sites have the best possible chance of succeeding where so many others fail.

What’s New?

It’s been a while since we updated this site so here’s the latest news from Best Served Cold. We’ve both been working on various new and existing projects: CK Clinical and CK Science have had a small makeover, Pressitt has been growing and we’re making continuous updates and changes to improve the service.

We’ve been completing and working on a few smaller sites as well, with Rooney Electrical improving and Dioni getting some updates.

At the moment we’re both working on external sites for larger organisations and will hopefully be able to talk about those projects soon. Let us know if you need any design work or a WordPress site built or edited… we can help with social media, marketing, SEO, Accessibility – everything you need!

Pressitt now has customisable Newsrooms

After a lot of development we have just launched the latest update to Pressitt: customisable newsrooms. This update allows users to create their own branded newsroom to hold their releases and link to their social networks around the web. We’re very pleased with the new system and hope that it will bring Pressitt to the forefront of Social Media News Releases.

We’re already working with Eurosport on their jump into social media and hope that a lot more big names will start to see what Pressitt can do for them. Some of the companies that have already used Pressitt for their releases are: Google, Groupon, Lovefilm, Nokia, AVG, Intel and British Airways.

View the SMNR here

Find out more about Pressitt.com

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK0jT25-h4s[/youtube]

Pressitt allows you to create your own Social Media News Release (SMNR) – also known as a Social Media Press Release (SMPR) or Social Media Release (SMR) and publish it to an online community of journalists, the blogosphere and the general public.

Many journalists use the Internet as their primary source of research when compiling a story. Pressitt SMNRs are designed primarily with journalists and bloggers in mind. A Pressitt SMNR encapsulates all the information, multimedia and images needed to prepare a story, and offers contact details for more information.

Through Pressitt you can create news that is truly ‘social’, as well as enhance your SMNR with images and video clips. You can also add relevant links, upload PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, or whatever you need to get your message across.

Once published, Pressitt allows your news to be bookmarked, commented on, and shared.

Welcome to 2011

2010 was very busy for us – with the redesign and updates of Pressitt, the success of our “101 Best” sites and continuing to build relationships with new clients and customers. We certainly needed a break for Christmas!

But, now we’re back and raring to go. We have lots of new ideas for improvements to the “101 Best” sites and we’ve started growing the group already with 101 Best Board Games (please submit your favourite game) – there’s lots more to come this year! One of our surprise hits was the 101 Best HTML5 Sites showcase that we set up last summer, it’s become one of the top showcases for the new web standard HTML5. We’re hoping for another year of growth in 2011.

We’re also putting the finishing touches to a few updates for Pressitt, lots more about that coming soon.

Our client list is always growing and hopefully we have a few more names for our portfolio arriving in the next couple of months. Our latest site, for Willow Primary School in Slough, is now live and the team at the school are adding content all the time. Towards the end of last year we also had the opportunity to work on a redesign and update of the Party Times blog – part of the well known Party Pieces website.

Please let us know if you need any web design or development work on your site – we specialise in WordPress sites and have created fully bespoke themes for clients.

Apps Jobs – Application Developer Jobs

At Best Served Cold we’ve been working on a lot of our own projects for a while – the “101 best” sites are always growing and our latest venture has come about because of that: We realised that with the introduction of all these app stores for the iPhone, Blackberry and Android there’s suddenly a massive need for mobile and social application developers and so we built Apps Jobs.

From the site:

Do you need a developer to build an application for you? Apps Jobs is part of the 101 group of websites which get over 1 million page views a month and 300,000 visitors! With that kind of interest, you’ll know that your advert is getting to the right people.

One of the first places that developers are going to go to when they’ve finished their current iPhone/iPad, Android, BlackBerry or twitter application is somewhere they can showcase it, and then on to find a new job, all on the same page!

By running Apps Jobs as part of the 101 sites we’re able to use the momentum of all the visitors we get to those sites to push the popularity of Apps Jobs. We currently receive over 500,000 pageviews every month across our 101 portfolio! So, if you’re trying to find a high quality mobile application developer for your new iPhone or Android app or if you’re a developer who can programme Blackberry or Facebook applications and you’re looking for a job, check out the site!

Mobile Application Developer Jobs

Post your Apps Job

Wanted: Web developer for Pressitt

Pressitt the Social Media News Release service is searching for a talented web developer to learn the Pressitt system and help develop the platform further.

If the first project goes well there is plenty more updates/concepts/user feedback to be integrated into the current platform.

The Role: freelance/short term

To develop and improve Pressitt.com on a freelance basis or short term contract, as and when required.

Working closely with our lead developer and front end coder, you’ll be responsible for coding various parts of the site, including bespoke and custom newsrooms from basic php functions within Code Igniter down to in-depth classes.

Built on Codeigniter, Pressitt is a fully featured site with combined client-side and server-side technologies allowing users to create rich and detailed news releases.

Required Skills

  • Object Orientated Programming
  • Model View Controller/Frameworks
  • Linux Systems Administration
  • Content Management Systems
  • Social Networking (Web)
  • Internet usability
  • Accessibility (Web)
  • Front end coding and javascript

Required Products

  • Codeigniter
  • PHP
  • MySQL
  • jQuery
  • XHTML/HTML
  • CSS
  • LAMP
  • WordPress (not essential)
  • Zend Eclipse (not essential)

So, if you can deliver on the above, live preferably near London/the South East, are hard working and able to work to strict schedules, please get in touch via email at andy@pressitt.com

We look forward to hearing from you.

Are you Linkedin?

When you think of social networks there’s one that often gets overlooked: Linkedin is a business network that allows users to set up profiles, add pictures, talk to each other, link to like minded and similar business people and then network with them. So is Linkedin a social network like Facebook or MySpace? Yes, sort of. The main difference is the demographics and the fact that looking at Linkedin at work may be considered good but playing with Facebook isn’t something you want your boss to see!

At a very simple level you can think of Linkedin as “six degrees of seperation” for business people.

With over 50m users worldwide Linkedin isn’t as big as Facebook yet but the demographics of its users makes for quite interesting reading:

Average Age: 41
Household Income: $109,703
Male: 64%
Household Income $100k+ 53.5%
Own Smartphone/PDA: 34%
College Grad/Post Grad: 80.1%
Business Decision Maker: 49%
EVP/SVP/VP: 6.5%
24% Have a Portfolio Value of $250k+
Job Titles:

  • C-Level Executives 7.8%
  • EVP/SVP 6.5%
  • Senior Management 16%
  • Middle Management 18%

50% Are Business Decision Makers in Their Companies

Why should you be on Linkedin?

There are a lot of companies and business executives on Linkedin, it’s a good way to keep your finger on the pulse of your industry and you can join groups to talk about your business interests and what might be affecting your current and future work plans.

If you’re a freelancer or contractor you can use Linkedin to promote your services. Spend a little time talking to people in your area of expertise they might want to hire you.

By using your profile and contacts wisely you can use Linkedin to find a new job and talk to prospective clients – wherever they are in the world. You can also find out about companies and talk to existing employees to check out what your next job might be like…

LinkedIn allows you to:

  • Get online recommendations for your professional abilities and your character
  • Get introductions to potential employers or colleagues in your field
  • Search available job postings placed on the LinkedIn website by members. While you can also search the web for jobs through LinkedIn, the big benefit is that many job posts are exclusive to LinkedIn: They aren’t advertised elsewhere. Those postings often have a requirement that you have one or more LinkedIn recommendations. Additionally, there is a chance that someone within your LinkedIn network already works there or knows someone who does, giving you a big foot in the door for an interview.
  • Join various groups that align with your interests and participate in discussions. Having a group in common with another LinkedIn user is one way you can invite others into your network. Each group discussion contains its own job listings.
  • Create an online resume that can work for you all the time. LinkedIn allows hiring companies and recruiters to search for professionals who might fit their criteria.

We have a company profile on Linkedin: Best Served Cold on Linkedin

Facebook Fan Pages

Creating a fan page on Facebook sounds like a quick and easy way to generate traffic to your site and gain new customers for your business. With the explosion in social networking traffic over the last few years there’s a buzz around Facebook almost like the buzz surrounding the internet in 1999! But creating a successful fan page and making social media work for your business takes more than just throwing up a page and expecting new visitors to flood in.

I’m sure most people reading this will already have a profile page on Facebook – there are over 400 million users on Facebook now, it’s the largest social network in the world and one of the most used websites. Most users check their profiles at least once a week with a large number checking several times a day.

Most marketing people have a profile on Facebook and try to use that to promote their businesses and network with likeminded individuals around the world but to keep your private life a bit separate from work we’d usually suggest setting up a Fan Page for your company. It works just like a profile but allows you to provide a public page for your business without getting your personal profile mixed up.

From Facebook:

A Facebook Page is a public Profile that enables you to share your business and products with Facebook users.

When your fans interact with your Facebook Page, stories linking to your Page can go to their friends via News Feed. As these friends interact with your Page, News Feed keeps driving word-of-mouth to a wider circle of friends.

View our Best Served Cold Fan Page

Recently we’ve been involved with setting up a couple of Facebook fan pages with bespoke applications for high profile campaigns – please contact us for more information.

To get the most out of your fan page you need to remember that Facebook works best as a two-way conversation. As with all social networks the idea is that you can talk directly to your customers but they can also talk directly to you – don’t ignore them. Make sure you respond, join in and give your visitors a reason to recommend you to their friends. By giving something back you can increase your fan page visitor numbers and in turn increase your customer base.

If you’d like to know more about how Facebook and other social network sites can help improve your business please contact us. We’re always happy to talk through ideas and discuss potential benefits of social media with all types of business.

Apps jobs

Do you have a requirement for an app? Do you want your services to be available on an iPhone or Android phone? Or perhaps want something developed for the new iPad?

Apps Jobs is a brand new site where you can advertise your development needs for any type of mobile or web based application.

Advertise your app job here!

101 Best iPad Apps and more…

That’s right, we’ve been busy over the last week or so building another 101 site! This time we decided to follow the hype and set up 101 Best iPad Apps. There’s been so much discussion and media interest surrounding the release of the iPad that sometimes it’s hard to follow what it means and what it’s for… Is it really a defining moment in modern computing? Or is it just another gadget that makes a big splash but sinks fairly rapidly?

I was fairly cynical about the iPad when I first read about it last year and agreed with the dismissive comments:

“It’s just a big iPhone”

“Why do I need a computer without a keyboard?”

“The resolution isn’t good enough for media but it’s too much like a netbook for reading books”

But now it’s been launched and the reviews have started to come in from people who are actually using it and maybe I was wrong in my initial assesment. Yes, it is a big iPhone (sort of) and at the moment the resolution isn’t the greatest but remember the first iPod? A black and white screen and 4 hours battery life (if you were lucky). This first iteration of the iPad might just open the door to a new way of using the internet for everyone – a pick up and browse gadget that doesn’t need any computer knowledge or skill to find what you want.

According to a recent survey found that 59% of Americans use the internet while watching TV which is an increase of 35% in the last year. Products like the iPad make that even easier, there’s no logging on, finding somewhere to rest a laptop and using a fiddly keyboard on a netbook. It’s like using the internet on your smartphone, straight onto your wifi network, click through to your favourites and off you go – except you actually have a decent sized screen to read from.

Now, I don’t want to sound like an Apple fanboy but there’s a lot to be said for the concept – but there are potential problems. Will enough people actually want to read books on the iPad? Anything with a backlit screen makes it difficult to read for long periods of time – and you certainly won’t be able to see it properly in bright sunlight while sunbathing on holiday! Is it something that most people need regularly? Using a laptop isn’t reallt THAT tricky… and for any serious business user there will always be a need for something with a bit more flexibility and power.

Overall, it’s an interesting concept and I’d love to have a go but I think we’ll need to wait for version 2 to really see the potential and what we can do with it.

Check out 101 Best iPad Apps to see what’s available already!

Social Media and how to use it…

Social Media is an often used term and it covers a broad range of different websites – almost all new websites include some form of social media: in comments, embedded media or links to social tools. I like to think of Social Media as an umbrella term that as a basic rule covers three main types of website:

Social Media

Sites such as YouTube, SoundCloud and Flickr are all Social Media website. Literally speaking they are used to display Media in the context of a Social community. In this sense media is used with the traditional meaning of an act of communication – via film, art, photography, music etc.

Social Networking

Since the arrival of MySpace and Facebook the importance of social networking sites has increased dramatically over the last 3 or 4 years. These are now the most used and most active type of website in the world. The basic function of a Social Networking site is to allow users to chat, view and interact with each other via a simple interface.

Social Bookmarking

This is the most difficult type of social website to describe and understand. The idea behind Social Bookmarking sites is to easily store and distribute useful information and links to websites. Rather than storing favourite sites on your personal computer you are allowing anyone to view your links and rate the web pages based on the relevance to topic, how interesting they found it or some other criteria.

So that’s a brief overview of Social Media but how do you use it to your advantage when marketing a new website, prodcut or service? That’s where the work starts!

There are lots of blogs that will help with talking about social media and marketing and how to optimise your Facebook pages and Twitter tweets but one of the easiest to understand I’ve read recently is this:

16 Rules For Social Media Optimization Revisited

Here at Best Served Cold we can help you get started with Social Media and guide you on the best sites to register with, who your audience might be and how you can utilise the social internet to promote your brand or website.

Getting Started with Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is the process of promoting your site or business through social media channels and it is a powerful strategy that can get you links, attention and large amounts of traffic. Sometimes the work involved can be quite time intensive but it is always low cost.

The two main benefits of developing a good social media marketing strategy are:

  1. High numbers of new visitors
  2. Quality links from external websites

Both of these translate directly and indirectly to a higher search engine ranking and increased traffic to
your website:

  1. New visitors from social bookmarks or networking sites may find your site or article, read it, and then leave the site. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in the content. Online success is, at the most basic, a numbers game. The more visitors you can attract to your site, the more people will read your content and the more people will register with your site or bookmark you for future reference.
  2. A well written article, marketed across social networks will encourage other bloggers, journalists and network members to write about and link to your site. These links get picked up by search engines such as Google and this in turn increases the value / ranking of your site within search engine results.

If you already have a Social Media online marketing campaign in place we can still help you further by talking you through Social Media News Releases or SMNRs. We have helped to create Pressitt.com which is a frree service that allows you to publish online press releases across your favourite Social Networking and Social Media platforms. From Pressitt:

The Pressitt SMNR template offers all of the core information found in a traditional press release, but additionally takes advantage of linking, multimedia and Web 2.0 shareable features. It allows users to host downloadable hi-res images within their releases, along with PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs – YouTube videos can also be embedded. Each brand using the service is assigned its own RSS feed, and press contacts can be reached via LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, up-to-date bookmarking and sharing icons are presented including Posterous, Yammer and Sphinn.

Once created your SMNR can be published to the Pressitt platform and shared to social networks or via an email link to your contacts and colleages.

With a Pressitt newsroom you can collate all your Social Network links in one place giving your customers an easy way to find you and your products. More importantly it gives you a high profile online presence to talk about your brand directly to your customers. If you’d like to find out more about Pressitt and Social Media News Releases why not contact one of the Pressitt team?