Tag Archives: For Argyll Awards

A wake-up call on internet use to start the working year

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Here are some hard business truths For Argyll had met before and had confirmed during the operation of the ForArgyll Awards.

  • The majority of Argyll’s websites across the spectrum do not refresh their content regularly. Some do not refresh it at all, leaving obviously outdated information still speaking for them.
  • Some websites do not publish an email contact and some hide it away far from easy discovery
  • The majority of website owners do not regularly check incoming emails – and that includes some very major cultural and visitor attractions whose businesses rely on public accessibility and response.
  • In some cases there is no evidence to indicate that incoming emails from site ‘Contact’ forms are checked at all.
  • A worrying number do not respond to emails, even where it is clearly urgent or to their advantage to do so. This is damaging in business terms as well as being highly discourteous.
  • Businesses, even major service operations, do not realise that holidays are for the individual not the business. It’s not difficult to set up an undemanding rota – but there must be someone checking and responding to incoming emails at least once a day – including weekends.
  • The vast majority of Argyll & Bute Councillors do not respond to emails. One is not even listed as having an email address.

In today’s world, communications are what makes the difference and the only instant, serious and future-proofed communications medium is the internet. It provides:

  • shop windows (websites)
  • sales (e-commerce, e-advertising, online orders, order tracking and invoicing)
  • promotion & information (websites, e-newsletters downloadable documents)
  • marketing (websites, online surveys, polls and ‘push’ promotions)
  • correspondence (email)
  • phone calls (VOIP & Skype) and
  • administration (notices of meetings, agendas, minutes, research and reports)
  • conferencing (ichat or equivalent via webcams onboard or independent of computers)

Not every operation needs all of these tools but no business, association or activity today can afford to be without the two big basics:

  • a good functional website that staff can quickly and easily update and add to themselves
  • a straightforward email contact from the website – which is checked very regularly with incoming email responded to promptly

For Argyll’s experience of online operations in Argyll before and during the 2008 Awards was split.

We acquired absolute respect and admiration for many businesses, associations, communities, events and activities that were clearly energetically on the ball. These are Argyll’s best hope today.

We were quite shocked to discover how profoundly casual was the performance of some of Argyll’s major players in the public arena, some of which receive significant public subsidy.

And we were disappointed by several small businesses whose survival into the medium term depends on their responsiveness to and management of their online presence.

These are areas for immediate improvement – in attitude as much as in resources.

One recession benefit for Argyll – looks like visitors will be joined by UK holidaying at home

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Hotel owners around Scotland are already reporting bookings for the early part of 2009 in excess of the position over the last few years. Factors thought to be contributing to this very welcome surge are:

  • The Scottish Government’s Year of Homecoming – which formally begins on 25th January
  • The relatively cheap pound, attracting more visitors at less cost to themselves
  • The recent drop in petrol prices – although, disgracefully, this may not hold

Scotland is also expected to draw more than its usual quota of UK visitors as the cheap pound hikes the cost of holidaying abroad. Added to this, Argyll’s MSP, Jim Mather who is also Minister for Tourism, is running a campaign to persuade Scots to holiday at home.

Argyll is so badly marketed that, even for Scots, it is something of a mystery place. Perhaps efforts now to highlight Argyll to its home market may develop the local economy in the difficult year to come.

The huge success of the ForArgyll Awards will be leveraged by us over the year to awaken people in Argyll, in Scotland and well beyond to the very wide spectrum of experiences and attractions to be found here. The Awards drew an even greater world-wide audience into contact with Argyll through this site, as people everywhere voted for their personal preferences among the finalists.

As interested visitors to ForArgyll.com check out the websites of the Winners – and we can see that they are doing that – the wider awareness of Argyll’s diversity, reources and identity is already growing and spreading.

31st December: what’s next in the ForArgyll Awards 2008

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We can’t say that the pace slackened on the last day – quite the reverse. We’ve peered at and checked thousands of votes since this contest began and our New Year’s resolution is to visit our opticians without delay.

In the run up to the tape – with the extra ‘leap second’ added in just before midnight – some leads have strengthened and some positions have changed. We have been endlessly fascinated by the kaleidoscope of preferences.

What has been unexpected is the way that the finalists together paint so full a picture of the great strengths of Argyll – its places, its heritage, its cultures, its activities, its wildlife, its huge spectrum of unique and playful events, its natural resources, its people and its communities with their resourcefulness, pride and loyalties.

What has also taken us by surprise is the depth and spread of commitment to Argyll worldwide. Votes in support of very many contestants, the work they do, the services they provide for Argyll and the events they run, have quite literally come from all corners of the world.

We want to record our thanks to everyone concerned – those who made so many hundreds of nominations to get the contest to its final shortlist; those who submitted so many thousands of votes for these finalists – and all of the contestants including those who didn’t make it to the final stage. It is what they do that distinguishes Argyll in the fullest sense. These awards are here to recognise that value.

Here’s the detail of what will happen next:

  • We will be posting on this site in the afternoon tomorrow, 1st January 2009, a video news announcement of the winners in each category.
  • After that we will add a text-based account with fuller details.
  • On 25th January, the start of Argyll’s Homecoming 2009, all winners will receive a Winner’s Button to display on their website. and an individual Certificate with a citation for their work.
  • For Argyll will be in touch with all Winners to arrange to prepare and publish multimedia profiles on them as part of a special Homecoming Argyll series which we will launch on 25th January. These profiles will be published at regular intervals until 30th November 2009.

When the heat of competition is over, we hope that everyone will bombard us with news and ideas – plans, events, concerns, achievements, suggestions – and requests for help and information. ForArgyll.com is a central place to keep in touch with Argyll, past and present – and we want to hear from those outside it as well as those here.

Anyone, anywhere, who has an interest in Argyll is, in their own way, of Argyll and part of a community for Argyll that this site recognises, supports and intends to grow.

Our very best wishes for 2009 – and stand by for some surprises we’ll be unveiling during the year.

And tonight there will be one extra second’s voting time in the ForArgyll Awards

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Tonight the clock’s will add a ‘leap second’ before midnight – just time to hit the ‘submit’ button on a very late vote in the ForArgyll Awards 2008.

This happens because today’s clocks are so accurate that the measure the Earth’s rotationt slightly longer or shorter than 24 hours.

The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) therefore sometimes adds a ‘leap second’ to the world’s timescale at the end of a year. This keeps international stability in timing and in sync with the Earth’s rhythms.

This year is one such occasion and across the world all the key timing services will be automatically adjusted before the bells signal 2009.

26th December: current voting patterns in ForArgyll Awards 2008

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‘Apace’ is the word for the voting rate in the ForArgyll Awards 2008. The most fiercely contested categories are: Continue reading →

NOTE: Check contestant details here before voting in Best Community Website, Best Blog, Best Tourism Website

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There has been some confusion between two rather similarly named Islay sites which For Argyll’s attempt to clarify in the Voting Forms has aggravated – because we got it the wrong way around too for a while.

We emailed early voters in these three affected categories to clarify their voting intentions before allocating their vote to the appropriate contestant.The voting forms are now in good order but to be sure you vote for the site you want to vote for – read the details below.

  • Islay Weblog is managed by Ron Steenvoorden and the Islay Weblog URL is blog.islay info
  • Islay Blog is managed by Armin Grewe
  • Islay Info is managed by Ron Steenvoorden. It is a tourist information site and the parent site of Islay Weblog.

Votes are flying in all the time and we hope to publish any interesting – general – facts later tonight (26th Dec) on what has happened so far.

Bute and Dunoon local newspaper websites go head-to-head in ForArgyll Awards 2008

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The Buteman and the Dunoon Observer are head-to-head in the final stage of the contest for the ForArgyll Award 2008 in Best Local Newspaper Website. Competition will obviously be hot and heavy in those parts of south Argyll and beyond – as both have strong traditional loyalties in their customer base.

ForArgyll Awards voting has been fast and furious already

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Online voting for the final contestants in the ForArgyll Awards 2008 began early today (25th Dec) and has continued with consistent energy throughout the day.

What is impressive is the broad interest of voters, with many casting a vote in several categories, clearly wanting to support a wide range of people and initiatives across Argyll and the Islands. This generosity of spirit says a lot about Argyll. Indeed, ForArgyll has learned a great deal about Argyll as this process has gone on and, when the Awards contest is over, will publish facts and analysis on this.

ForArgyll Awards 2008 – Voting Stage Finalists

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These are the finalists. Online voting will open here tomorrow (25th Dec) at 9.00am and close at midnight on 31st January. Winners will be announced here at 2.00pm on 1st January 2009. Continue reading →