Franschhoek wine has been one of the important cornerstones on the South African wine industry for many years. The question is how will the economic pressures we are all feeling at the hand of the recession going to affect this important export industry.

Those in the know postulate the following:

1.    Most wine producers will become price takers. Sharp increases in the cost of labels, bottles and foil closures are foreseen and this will drive the price of the average bottle of wine relentlessly skywards. This at a time where most producers are battling to keep the prices of their merchandise within the budget of the average cash-strapped consumer.

2.    Wine producers will have to reevaluate their customer relations. Value can be added to a product in more ways than one. Instead of improving brand image or slashing prices, producers should focus on client relations, response time and clarity or communication.

3.    Wine producers will have to embrace the Web. There is currently over two billion consumers logged into the internet and South African wine producers can no longer afford to ignore this fact. Not having an online presence is tantamount to professional suicide in most industries and the wine industry is certainly no exception. Whether this is done by blogging, link-building or a fully-fledged optimisation campaign will be up to the slice of the income pie the producer can viably dedicate to marketing.

4.    Wine producers will have to comply with international Warning Label laws. Gone are the days when the producers had sole discretion when it came to their labels. Government regulators are putting their sizable feet down and it seems that the dreaded consumer warning label will soon become a South African reality.

Will all of this in mind, the only thing that is certain is that we are in for a few drastic changes. On a positive note consumers can expect 2009 to be the year that wine producers show that they truly care. In an economic recession the brand that is the most involved with its buyers is the one to survive. So next time you enjoy a glass of premium Franschhoek wine, bear in mind the turbulent waters which constitute its origin.

Smyths Toys

Just in time for the festive season, a toy shop the likes of which you have never seen or imagined opens its doors, with unbelievable bargains, discounts and toys, toys, toys! Smyths Toys is the number one toy store in Ireland and has begun to conquer most of Europe as well. With 26 stores and counting, you can always be assured that there is a Smyths toy store in your area. Visit us, or browse through our ingenious website, where toys are divided into age groups, easily assisting you in your gift selection.

For your little one there is a wide variety of baby toys which are guaranteed to make any child smile. Our baby cots and prams are of the highest quality, since only the best will do for your baby. The Fisher-Price Think Pink Bouncer, with calming vibrations, a toy bar plus other fantastic features ensures that your child is safe and calm. And keep them safe at night with the Manhattan Cot Bed which is constructed from durable pine with warm features accentuating the natural wooden finish.

For kids on the move, growing taller every day, Smyths recommends the Vtech Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera, with 16MB internal memory and a robust design rugged enough to withstand any active child. Fun features such as a built-in picture editor and a quick-and-easy USB image display ensures that anyone can become a happy snapper in no time at all. Let their imagination and creativity run free with the Little Einstein’s Pat Pat Rocket, which provides stimulation in the form of classical music and simple, yet highly interactive, playtime mechanisms. Learning toys have never been so much fun!

Young boys can experience the hottest game of the season, the Bakugan Battle Pack. This cool combination of cards, action figures and board games is the latest craze and a sure-fire way to deliver hours of entertainment. Let them relive the greatest battles in a galaxy far, far away. The 9cm Clone War figures are highly detailed and come straight from the film of the same name. Collect Anakin, Yoda, Obi-wan, Clone troopers and more in the quest to save the universe from total destruction. Only the best of children toys will do.

Young adults of 16 and above will love what Smyths has in store for them. Snatch up the latest consoles, such as the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii or the Playstation 3. Each one has the hottest games and comes with a massive catalogue of the latest titles, such as Gears of War 2 for the 360 or Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. For those who love music, the Apple iPod is the must have MP3 player of 2008. The new iPod Nano is ultra-slim and loaded with groovy features such as the Genius playlist and the shake to shuffle music selection.

Smyths has all the toys, gadgets and baby toys you will ever need! So visit us today and see how we can bring happiness into your life.

So you’ve started a new online business, but your not getting the exposure you were hoping for.  Internet Marketing is the way to go.

You can have one of the best websites i your industry, but if you’re not visible in Google and other major Search Engines, you might as well not even be there!  Here are some good reasons to use a Professional Internet Marketing Company for your Search Engine Optimisation needs.

1. Increased Exposure

Search Engine Optimization and site promotion helps leverage the investment you have made in your website and like any other promotional activity makes a direct contribution to your bottom-line. Approximately two to three months after the optimization process is completed you will typically see an increase in website traffic and exposure for your website.

2. Search Engine Optimization Takes Time, Effort, & Dedication

It takes an extreme amount of time, effort, and dedication to successfully complete a search engine optimization campaign. Search engine optimization consultants and companies usually have dedicated time to work on your search engine optimization project, thus giving you a controlled and managed search engine optimization campaign. Large companies as well as many small companies can provide your search engine optimization campaign the SEO effort and architecture it needs. Attempting to dedicate your own time can sometimes be overwhelming and without strict self-discipline you can easily get sidetracked. Additionally, progress for your search engine optimization campaign can take time to see any results, this fact can lessen your motivation to complete your own do-it-yourself search engine optimization campaign.

3. Expertise

A good SEO consultant knows that there are up to 100 things that a search engine will factor in to determine how useful and important your website is, and thereby ranking it accordingly. You can rely upon your SEO consultant to be familiar with all aspects of these factors. SEO is not rocket science by any means, but careful planning, research and plugging those factors into a page can be a delicate process. If you are unsure about how your efforts will turn out, then you can feel comfortable knowing that your SEO expert knows what they are doing. Do you? SEO consultants can act quickly to the ever-changing world of optimization. They don’t rest on their laurels and expect that one avenue of advertising is going to improve your traffic rank. There is no secret formula to magically making your site appear at the top of the search engines. What there is, however, is strategic planning and research, along with tried and true methods of optimization.

4. More and More People Perform Website Searches.

People more than ever like to search for products and services online before they make a buying decision. If people cannot find your website anywhere on the internet, you’re missing out. Optimization is the best and most proven method to gaining increased website exposure.

5. SEO Services Do Not Have to be Very Expensive

Most full SEO campaigns are expensive, but relatively affordable compared to other advertising avenues, such as: print advertising, broadcast advertising, etc. Shop around for SEO Services which match your marketing budget and needs. Do not settle for the first bidder, compare the first bidders’ rate against other SEO companies and consultants rates. Contact various SEO consultants and SEO companies to receive a free custom quote. Negotiate the SEO rate and services until it fits your budget and needs. Get yourself a fair and honest deal that you are satisfied with.

6. Long Term Effect

Pay per click (PPC) advertising is extremely popular, as it is relatively flexible within the web site owner’s budget. But the minute you stop paying for those clicks is the minute that the traffic stops. PPC makes a great short term solution, or even a supplemental addition to regular traffic, but you can’t expect that this will suffice for the long term. This is why search engine optimization is so vital to the life of a website. Sure, you may be paying for that SEO consultant’s services now, but once their job is done, you can expect your traffic and conversion rates to continue long after your SEO consultant has gone on their way.

7. Give the Search Engines What They Want

Search engines use “spiders” to automatically scour your website. Actually they scour the html code that makes your website function. As part of the optimization process this html code typically is made easier for search engines to scour through and index. Better and easier indexing of your website helps achieve better website rankings. Better rankings equates to more targeted traffic and more targeted traffic equates to more leads and sales!

8. Professional & Experienced SEO Services Can Be the Difference Between You and Your Competitors

Most online businesses and services invest in professional and experienced SEO services. The top search results for popular keyword terms usually have professional and experienced SEO companies and consultants in their corner, leading their online marketing campaign. By having professional and experienced SEO’s working for you, your website will naturally outrank your competitors who use the do-it-yourself method of SEO services. It is always imperative to stay one step ahead of your competition and it’s more likely you will do so with the aid of professional and experienced SEO services.

9. Product Knowledge

If one search engine could deliver all the traffic alone to your site, then you wouldn’t need an SEO consultant. You wouldn’t need to invest time, money or energy in research either. But there are so many search engines out there, and one may be better than another to target traffic to your individual niche. You can rely on your SEO consultant to know where you can receive your qualified traffic.

10. Professional Search Engine Optimization Can Increase Your Search Ranking in a Shorter Time Period

Professional search engine optimization services can get your website ranked in a shorter time than trying to do it yourself. With the aid of professional and experienced search engine optimization your website can rank within the search engines within weeks, maybe even days. Finding the right professional with the skill level you need can be quite rewarding.

SEO Specialists

plastic surgery

When last did you see something beautiful? Yesterday, last night, this morning on the way to work? Was it the curve of a luxury vehicle, the silhouette of a passing woman or the way the light broke through a section of dark clouds? When you saw that fleeting glimpse of beauty did you stop to ask yourself why you found it appealing?

Sure, some things are nice to look at, but why? Some people may argue that cultural and societal norms shape the way we perceive the world around us, but when it comes right down to it, some things are innately aesthetically pleasing whether you are a 40 year old Canadian man or a 12 year old Vietnamese girl. For centuries scientists and artists have researched the mysterious phenomenon of beauty and in their studies repeatedly came across the curious quantity of Phi – a dimension that is found in the proportions of the human body, the curvature of certain plants and the lay-out of the solar system to name but a few.

The Fibonacci Sequence

The concept of Phi was derived from the Fibonacci sequence and is valued at approximately 1.618. Also known as the Golden Ratio of Devine Proportion, the most basic form Phi results when a line is divided in such a way that the ratio of the length of the entire line to the length of larger line segment is the same as the ratio of the length of the larger line segment to the length of the smaller line segment. The designs of structures like the Parthenon, the pyramids and the Notre Dame Cathedral have all been found to adhere to the principle of Phi, which explains why these buildings appear naturally graceful despite their massive dimensions.

Dr. Stephen Marquardt, a former plastic surgeon, postulates that beauty could be seen as an archaic survival mechanism that ensures the survival of the species by establishing recognition and attraction between human beings. According to this theory, the faces we find the most beautiful are quite simply the facades that are most readily recognisable as being human!

The Parthenon on Acropolis in Athens.

Dr Marquardt then went on to construct a ‘mask’ that, when digitally placed over a given set of facial features, is said to determine how closely these features adhere to the principle of Phi. The template comprises of decagons and pentagons and embodies Phi in all of its dimensions. Different templates exist for Caucasian, Asian and African features. (Jessica Simpson, George Clooney and Tom Cruise are among the celebrity faces that fit the mask well. )

Plastic surgeons are often confronted with patients that don’t have any specific complaints (i.e. my nose is skew, my eyes are droopy) but who merely seek to even out real/perceived ‘imbalances’ in their facial or bodily features. In this case surgeons could turn to the principle of Phi. Take for instance the perfect human smile – a great example of the occurrence of Phi in the human face. The front two incisor teeth form a golden rectangle, with a phi ratio in the height to the width. The ratio of the width of the first tooth to the second tooth from the centre is also phi. Similarly, women whose measurements are larger the norm can seem in balance as long as their breast-to-hip ration complies with Phi. For instance, both Marilyn Monroe and Kate Moss’ measurements comply with Phi and no-one can dispute the fact that these two beauties are like chalk and cheese – yet they are both regarded as particularly beautiful. Knowing this, plastic surgeons can endeavour to rectify imbalances with the help of this established set of ‘rules’.

Not all professionals accept this theory in its entirety although its relevance has never been directly disputed. Some may argue that beauty, as the age-old saying goes, lies in the eye of the beholder. Phi and all its pesky particulars seem to have no effect on the unusual allure of ‘quirky’ beauties like Maggie Gyllenhaal or Kirsten Dunst, for instance.

In a world getting more and more obsessed with physical perfection and plastic surgery by the day, it can be very easy to lose sight of the fact that a lack of flaws does not necessarily equate true beauty. I guess it’s up to each person to decide for themselves. The Phi thing is tremendously interesting though, isn’t it?

Link Building is the process of creating inbound links to one’s own website. This can be done by being listed in e-zines, newsletters, directories, search engines, etc.

Link Building is widely believed to be one of the most important aspects of Search Engine Optimisation and I have to agree.

Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, Building Links is not one of the easiest tasks, it takes time and effort to get a successful link building campaign off the ground and it takes even more time to see the results of your efforts

Getting links to your site is a must if you want to dominate the rankings in Google and other Search Engines. Google is undoubtedly the Super Power in the Search Engine Marketing world and Google is the Search Engine we all want to be ranked Top 10 on for those coveted market related keywords we are targeting.

One of the best ways to get those illusive top ten rankings is getting votes from other sites for your site. It’s actually quite simple if you think of links like votes, just like we would vote for a president. If my site gets lots of votes from other sites, it will be seen by Google as an authority in the specific market you’re targeting.

But getting any old link from any old site is just not good enough! The links that point to your site should be relevant, i.e. the site linking to you should have similar content or should be related to the information on your site. There are many different aspects to take into account when building links to your site like, the age of the site, to which other sites it’s linking and also who is linking to them etc.

All of these factors can make or break your link building efforts.

Yes, I know it’s hard and sometimes frustrating, but if you keep at it and you follow the basic link building guidelines, you will see the results.

Once upon a time there was a windy stretch of coastline at the very foot of the arid continent of Africa. Populated largely by a swift and secretive tribe called the Xhoisan, the coastline lay undiscovered until an adventurous explorer Bartolomeu Dias came along, planted a flag and pronounced it The Cape of Storms in 1487. Renamed the Cabo da Boa Esperança (the Cape of Good Hope) due to its pivotal position on the way to the riches of India, it was later established as a refreshment station for the Dutch East India Company’s ships on their way to the land of silk and spices.

A spunky Dutch lad named Jan van Riebeeck was entrusted with the responsibility of running the outpost and along came a flurry of Dutch immigrants who set out to conquer the wild landscape. Fast-forward through British Colonisation, the Great Trek, the Anglo-Boer war and Apartheid struggles and you find modern-day Cape Town – a prime tourism destination and cosmopolitan city in its own right.

Nestled at the foot of the much publicised Mountain (as locals refer to it, Table Mountain), Cape Town today represents a delightful smorgasbord of cultures that makes for a very colourful experience. [Interesting side note: Ever looked at the world map and saw the interesting inverse correlation between the western coastline of Africa and the eastern coastline of Southern America?? Researchers now claim they have conclusive evidence that these two continents were once joined. It seems they found Table Mountain’s little sister somewhere in the desert over there. Table Mountain largely consist of Cape sandstone, a type of rock found nowhere else on earth – except the South American desert it seems… Coincidence? I think not.]

Back to the matter at hand: Cape Town. The Mother City is an enchanting maze of a city that organically developed over a little more than three centuries. Other modern cities may be easier to navigate and be supplied of more effective infrastructures, but compared to Cape Town they appear cold and clinical. The winding streets of our city hide a myriad of charming nooks and crannies. Walk up Long Street and chances are you’ll hear up to seven different languages; look up at the buildings and you’ll stand amazed at the array of architectural styles that range from traditionally Victorian to Art Deco and Bauhaus. You never know what kooky family-run store may lay in wait around the next corner. Keen to get your own specialised jar of curry powder? No problem. Biting at the bit to join a township tour? We’ve got you covered.

That’s not to say that a visit to Cape Town is without any luxury elements. Those who appreciate the finer things in life can enjoy world-class shopping at the Waterfront or simply settle at a chic shorefront eatery on the Camps Bay shorefront and watch the well-heeled Saturday morning crowd stroll by. Accommodation choices range from snug B&B’s tucked away in shady suburbs to glittering high rise hotels boasting the finest views available on the continent.

Suffice it to say Cape Town has something for everyone. Why not swing by for your next vacation and explore our lovely city.

What was your favourite toy as a kid? Did you enjoy creating castles from your Lego blocks, running around outside with a ball or simply whiling away hours amusing yourself with a spinning top? No matter what your preference used to be, chances are you still look back at these hours of simple play with fondness and a certain amount of longing.

Toys and play itself serve various purposes in the developmental phases of both human youngsters and animal offspring. It provides entertainment while at the same time improving cognitive ability and stimulating creativity. Play also aids in the fundamental development of essential physical and mental skills. Most young mammals will turn anything they find into a toy, including pinecones, rocks and food. It makes sense then that toys have a history as long and colourful as that of human civilization itself.

Toys and games have been recovered from various excavated sites of ancient civilizations and have been documented in some of our oldest preserved literature. An excavation of the Indus Valley yielded small carts, whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys – all dating back as far as 3000-1500 BC. The earliest toys were made from substances found in nature such as rocks, sticks and clay. Egyptian children played with dolls that boasted wigs and ambulatory limbs moulded from stone, pottery and wood. In ancient Greece and Rome dolls were shaped form wax or terracotta and yo-yo’s were popular. Greek children, especially females, were expected to sacrifice their childhood toys to the gods once they came of age. Of their wedding night young girls would offer their dolls at a temple at a rite of passage into the world of adults.

Technology evolved and, along with it, toys also changed. Ancient toys were often made by the parents and the family of the children who used them and sometimes by the children themselves. Today’s toys, however, are mass-produced and sold in stores.

Some contemporary toys were created by accidental innovation. Earl Warrick, for instance, was trying to come up with a replacement for synthetic rubber when he inadvertently invented Silly Putty during WWII. Later Peter Hodgson realised it had potential as a children’s toy and marketed it accordingly. Another type of play dough was originally meant to be wallpaper cleaner! The humble Slinky had its beginnings in a military lab. In 1943 Richard James was working with torsion springs when one came loose and fell to the floor. He was very intrigued by the delightful way it flopped around on the floor and proceeded to spend two years fine-tuning the design before selling it of to a large toy company in the USA.

Toys play many different roles in our society, but when it comes right down to it they are meant to facilitate having FUN. Next time you see a child thoroughly absorbed in play take a moment to appreciate the simple joys in life. Who knows, maybe you’ll feel like joining in for a while.

Internet marketing is fast becoming one of the most important advertising mediums around and to miss out on the benefits of search engine optimization could have dire consequences for your business. The simple truth is that a business that lacks an online presence in this day and age might as well be invisible.

Traditional media, like print, radio and television ads appeal to businesses that have a tangible presence in the market place and many business owners scoff at the idea of forking out a wad of cash for an internet marketing campaign that may or may not take up to three months to show any kind of effect.

The truth of the matter is that no business, no matter how big or how small, can afford not having an online presence. If this is the case, the enterprise is essentially dead in the water. Say for example QRS Cleaning Services has a website lacking optimisation for key phrases consumers would type in to get hold of their services (i.e ‘deep cleaning’).This means their target audience will be unable to find them online when researching the kind of service QRS provides. Being invisible to search engines will mean QRS will have no choice but to spend a lot of money doing outbound marketing, pouring their valuable marketing resources into ‘tried and tested’ direct mailing campaigns, print ads or television and radio advertisements.

Established as they are, these traditional advertising methods all have one thing in common – they are highly intrusive. This kind of ‘push’ marketing forces your message on your target market, without taking into account that they could be unwilling to receive it. These tactics are fast becoming irrelevant as consumers wise up to traditional advertising strategies.

Spending your money on making your website more search engine compliant, on the other hand, will enable you to communicate your message directly to consumers who are actively searching for the product/service your offer. So, instead of trying vainly to influence your target market’s way of reasoning you now simply have to align yourself with their existing way of thinking. As an added bonus you even get feedback! Using all manner of clever software you’ll be able to track users’ movements on you site, gleaning from this information with regard to the effectiveness of your site’s layout and design.

SEO represents a long-term approach to marketing that embraces an ever evolving interactive medium. Furthermore, an online marketing strategy is much more cost effective for growing business than traditional advertising mediums could ever be. The cost of direct mailing adds up significantly over time and even just one television ad can completely consume a small business owner’s yearly marketing allowance. Optimise your site early enough in your business’ developmental phase and you could run a sound SEO campaign, business blog and PPC program for the same amount of money it would take to run a single medium-size print ad for 2 weeks a month.

Traditional advertising media will always have a firm foothold in the market place, but the point is to be open to alternatives. If your current marketing campaign doesn’t seem to be working, optimising your site could make a world of difference. If it is, a sound  strategy could ensure you get an ever bigger slice of the pie. Why not give it a go?

Why You should use the Professionals!

You hang up the key, transfer the dust from your hands to your jeans and sink down leisurely on the pile of mismatched luggage taking up the most of your new entrance hall. It is only then that you take a good look around. The thrill of at long last having your own place sort of clouded the issue up until now. Between coercing a mate into helping you move and scrimping to make the rent and deposit, chances are doing some online shopping for throw pillows and wall art was the very last thing on your mind. From where you’re sitting now, though, it seems that might have been a good idea.

This is the point where you need to take a deep breath and chill out. Redecorating may seem daunting but it doesn’t need to blow a hole in your already strained budget. Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start): take stock of what you have as opposed to what you lack. Now is not the time to be picky. Second-hand furnishings can be given a new lease of life with a simple coat of paint. Dilute ordinary white PVA (wall paint) with two parts water and use a rag to apply it to tired-looking pine furniture for a fresh ‘white wash’ look. Professional upholstery can get really expensive, so improvise. Shop around form some cheap and cheerful fabrics and invest in a staple gun – this way you can change the appearance of your furniture as often as you change your mood and with a minimum of fuss.

Window shopping online can be a great way of getting ideas for your place. If you’re too skint to afford expensive wall art single walls of bold colour can create interesting focal points in a room. If your landlord blanches at the idea of letting you run around with a paint brush you might want to try propping large colourful canvasses (easily constructed from wood and unbleached linen) against select walls. Keep in mind that when it comes to art, anything goes. Old postcards, pictures from calendars and even blown-up happy snaps can all be used to liven up your wall space. Group objects together on side-tables to create interesting nooks. Now is the time to dig up your favourite collectibles and show off your personality.

The type of outside area you have will determine what your landscaping options will be. If you’re not lucky enough to be on the ground floor a few bright potted plants will have to do the trick. Think about incorporating some herbs in your patio garden, this way you’ll have fresh produce on hand when you start experimenting with cooking. If you have a sizable garden area, on the other hand, the sky is the limit. Gardening equipment can be bought from various on-line stores or scavenged from family members. The same goes for cuttings and seedlings (solely for use by the patient gardener). Learn to love hand-me-down plants. People with established gardens often alter the lay-out of their floral follies and this is a great time to score some shrubbery. If you’re feeling flush and would like to buy a few pieces of your own, price comparison websites will give you a good idea of where you will be able to shop most cheaply and this will save you the hassle of dragging yourself from shop to shop on your precious Saturday mornings.

When it comes to fertilizer, going green will save you a wad of cash. Chemical formulas can be very expensive, whereas making your own is cheap and good for the environment. Worm composting is very hot right now. All you need is a container, bedding (such as shredded newspaper, straw, sawdust or aged manure), some worms (red wrigglers are best) and your kitchen waste. Worms can be bought from farms and various other establishments and are generally dirt cheap – excuse the pun. Grass cuttings, fruit and vegetable peelings, shredded cardboard, teabags and egg boxes all make excellent worm fodder. If you’re uncertain if something can be used as compost, have a look on the internet, online garden stores and forums which list advisable compost ingredients.

So, there you have it, instead of sinking into a bout of decorating despair see the dreary state of your new lodgings as a clean slate that gives you the opportunity to get creative. There is no better time to figure out your personal likes and dislikes. Pull on some old threads, invite around a few willing friends and have a go at decorating – you might just surprise yourself.