Business Flip!Flip Business Flip

There’s no secret in the SEO world that many of us suspect that the reason why Google has been pushing Google+ so aggressively.

It isn’t just to build its own successful social network, but also to gain access to data on what content and websites are being shared socially as this could be a great addition to their search algorithm.

You have to have been living below a rock the last year to have missed out on studies which have suggested volume of shares on Facebook and Twitter having a correlation with high rankings.

There might not be causation there yet, but that certainly seems the direction we’re heading in, with social signals becoming a ranking factor.

Here are five reasons why Google+ is already finding this data more useful than the Twitter Firehose… 

Without its own source of this data, Google would have to use data from other providers. It can

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Travel group Holidaybreak’s suitor has been confirmed as India-headquartered Cox & Kings.

Holidaybreak has indicated that it is in discussions with Cox and Kings which could lead to an offer of 432.1p per share, valuing the business at just over £300m.

Holidaybreak announced yesterday that it was in discussions with a third party which may or may not lead to an offer.

The news sent shares in Holidaybreak, which has its headquarters at Hartford Manor, near Northwich, Cheshire, racing ahead.

Today, the shares were trading at 412p.

Cox & Kings is the longest-established travel company in the world, tracing its roots back to 1758. It is a premium brand which operates in 20 countries.

Observers said Holidaybreak’s high flying education travel business, which includes the brands PGL, NST and Berlin-based Meininger, offers huge appeal. Holidaybreak, led by chief executive Martin Davies, has vowed to focus on its burgeoning education division for growth and has hired advisers to find buyers for several of its other businesses.

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Perhaps ignorance is bliss, but it’s certainly not in the recipe for commercial success. To eliminate the things that cause their customers to struggle online, organisations must first gain insight into the experience they provide.

They must identify the site issues that are most impactful to their bottom lines and remedy them quickly to minimise the number of customers affected by the problems.

This means developing a multichannel discipline so that customers transitioning from mobile to fixed web to contact centre all have the same rich, seamless experience that will keep them coming back for more.

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

Customer retention is a greater challenge online. A customer might stop by the same flower shop on his or her way home each night because it’s convenient, but what’s to keep them from switching from one online flower vendor to another?

By offering superior customer experience, there is a clear opportunity for companies across industries to get a leg up on the competition. Recen

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Printing.com today issued a warning on first-half profits as trading softens in the UK and Ireland and the firm invests in new products.

The company, which is based in Trafford Park and supplies flyers, leaflets, brochures, business cards and other items to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses through a network of stores, also said margins have been hit in recent weeks because of promotional activity.

Addressing shareholders at the firm’s annual meeting, George Hardie said trading in Holland, France and Belgium was in line with expectations.

Shares fell two per cent to 36.5p after the update.

Mr Hardie said Printing.com’s online business has gained momentum in the UK and has now been launched in France. The firm has also introduced a product enabling businesses to perform graphic design online through templates.

Mr Hardie said, while first-half earnings are likely to be hit, the new channels are expected to mean profits in the second-half will be in line with forecasts.

Hold up your thumb and forefinger about 2-1/2 inches apart. It takes about 1/100th of a second for Olympians to run that distance in the 100-meter race. But thats the difference between winning and losing.

In the women’s 100-meter dash at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, for example, the gold medal was won by an American who crossed the line only 2-1/2 inches in front of her closest opponent. Fifth place went to a Jamaican who finished a mere 6/100th of a second behind her. And yet that little bit of difference made all the difference in the world.

The same goes for attitude. When you compare age, gender, upbringing, education, IQ, and just about any other factor you can think of, research says that positive attitude is the little bit of difference that makes all the difference in success in both your personal and professional lives. In fact, the research makes it clear that attitude is more important than any other element when it comes to ensuring success.

So how do you build a positive attitude that ensures your success?

Just follow this “4-Day Attitude Diet”, focusing on a different skill each day.

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Budget airline easyJet today said its profits were set to beat expectations after its new strategy, which includes appealing to more business passengers, started to bear fruit.

The airline said it has now sold 75 per cent of its seats for the key summer season and expects full-year pre-tax profits of between £200 million and £230 million. Analysts had been expecting an average of £179 million.

Revenues in the three months to the end of June increased 23 per cent to £935 million after it increased its number of flights and ancillary revenues, which include charges to check-in bags, rose 17 per cent per seat to £11.65.

The airline said the number of passengers flying on business increased 20 per cent in the quarter.

It follows the launch of its new flexible fare targeted at business travellers that gives passengers the option of changing their flight up to two hours before the scheduled departure time as it looks to diversify its offer away from the budget end of the tourist market.