E-commerce on the rise

The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2006, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, was $26.3 billion, an increase of 4.6 percent (±1.7%) from the first quarter of 2006. Total retail sales for the second quarter of 2006 were estimated at $984.9 billion, an increase of 0.9 percent (±0.3%) from the first quarter of 2006. The second quarter 2006 e commerce estimate increased 23.0 percent (±5.4%) from the second quarter of 2005 while total retail sales increased 6.6 percent (±0.5%) in the same period. E-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2006 accounted for 2.7 percent of total sales. - US Census Bureau (read more)

As e-commerce sales rise, it becomes more apparent that retail businesses need to consider an online storefront to broaden reach and attract new customers. Why sit idly by as your competitors reap the benefits of selling their goods online, when an online store can increase the potential for sales and customer loyalty? Maintaining an online storefront is simple, economical, and allows for increased opportunity to advertise your business. CINIVA Systems can help you on the right track to launching the virtual end of your business with an attractive, user-friendly interface.

CINIVA Systems has designed e-commerce sites for several Virginia businesses, including The Bead Cottage, Ribbitt Toys, and RPM Custom Rods. We have also developed the online store for the Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center and Anne Gimenez Ministries. From books to beads, diet pills to safety equipment, if you have it we can help you sell it. Contact CINIVA today to learn more about opening your new online store.

Introducing Compuslim

Compuslim weight loss products are specially formulated to suit different bodies and lifestyles. If you need or wish to lose weight, improve eating habits, and gain more energy for work and play, Compuslim invites you to enroll in their free evaluation program to determine which product is best to aid in your transformation to a healthier, more active life.

When you visit the Compuslim website you will find more than just a sales pitch for diet pills. You will have at your disposal a growing library of information on weight management, inspirational tips to stay focused, nutritional information for favorite restaurants, and updated news on the diet and health industry. Whether you need a stimulating fat burner pill to boost your metabolism, a powerful appetite supressant to help curb unnecessary cravings, or a non-stimulating formula to maintain blood sugar levels as you diet, the Compuslim evaluation program may help you on the path to weight loss. All products are ephedra-free and formulated with all-natural ingredients.

CINIVA Systems specializes in web design and hosting for e-commerce websites. We invite you to contact us today for more information on how we can create an attractive online storefront for your products.

10 things you should be monitoring

Source: ProNet Advertising

Tracking your buzz is really something that is becoming more and more important over and will continue to increase in importance as time goes on. Everything is going social right now and messages fly around the web at a million miles by hour. In order to manage your reputation you need to track the right things, so here's a list of 10 things that you absolutely need to be monitoring.

1. Company name - Obviously your company name is one of the most important things that you need to monitor. Anytime your company or products are mentioned, you should know. Ex. Google

2. Company URL - It is also important to track your company URL for those times when someone links to your company but doesn't mention it by name. This happens a lot and is just another way to make sure you are covering all your bases. Ex. http://google.com

3. Public facing figures - Track the names of any key employees in your company that are public facing figures. What is said about these people also reflects on your company and usually when this people are talked about your company is tied in with that. Ex. Eric Schmidt, Sergey Brin, Larry Page.

4. Product names - Track any of your company's product or service names as well. What are people saying about your products and services? Ex. Gmail, Picasa, Dodgeball

5. Product URLs - For the same reasons that you need to specifically track your company's URL you should also be tracking your product URLs as well. Ex. http://gmail.com, http://picasa.com, http://dodgeball.com

6. The industry "hang outs" - This includes blogs, message boards, important players, consumer review sites, and anything else that's related to your industry. Many times the industry feedback, that you can discover from the conversations at these "hang outs" can really help you improve your product or service. It is also a way for you to interactive with your potential and existing customers. Ex. http://searchenginewatch.com, http://seroundtable.com, http://threadwatch.org

7. Employee activity/blogs - Things your employees do online can affect your brand image. If you have employees that blog, it is smart to at least know about their MySpace accounts, Flickr accounts and personal blogs. I am not saying that you should spy on your employees but you do need to monitor these things just in case. It is not considered spying if they already make this stuff public. It might be safe to let your employees know you watch these things. The more well known your employees are the more important this is, many times these employee bloggers turn into company ambassadors. I've heard stories before where employers know an employee is quitting before he or she tells them because they blogged about it or put it on MySpace. Ex. http://mattcutts.com/blog, http://bladam.com, http://crazybob.org

8. Conversations - Are you tracking the comments from blog posts that are related to your company name, url, products, or any other buzz? These are great opportunities that allow you to participate in conversations about your company. Tools for tracking comments include Commentful, coComment, and co.mments. Ex. http://blog.outer-court.com/forum/62569.html, http://www.digg.com/software/Google_Talk_Adds_Voice_Mail_File_Sharing, http://www.flickr.com/photos/smash/36648272/

9. Brand image - What is the overall image of your brand. Do people think you're evil? Or do they love what you're doing. Ex. http://www.opinmind.com/search.jsp?q=google

10. Competitors - Track everything from 1-9 related to your competitors including; company name, URLs, products, key employees, etc. Everything. You need to be ready to move when any opportunity comes up. Ex. http://www.ysearchblog.com, http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/, http://www.opinmind.com/search.jsp?q=yahoo

Here is a list of a few of the websites / tools that can be used to track your buzz: Technorati, Sphere, Flickr, YouTube, MySpace, Google Blog Search, Rollyo, TechMeme, OpinMind, Alexa, and Commentful. Any time your company is referenced in any way it is best that you know about it. Track everything.

Converting RSS Feeds to Dynamic HTML

Here's an interesting article picked up from the EntireWeb newsletter on RSS. We have noticed many websites now offer RSS feed options as part of their content, and the trend is growing. As people gravitate toward usage of a one-stop shop front page like My Yahoo or My MSN, RSS feeds on a multitude of topics may be implemented so one can find all the latest news on one page. You can check up on your favorite sports teams, movie reviews and local events, travel discounts, and even sales from your favorite stores. A number of sites we develop utilize RSS for parlaying information to customers - it can be a handy tool for e-commerce. If you decide to contact CINIVA Systems about designing a site for your business, ask us about Real Simple Syndication and how it can work for you.

Converting RSS Feeds to Dynamic HTML

Many webmasters have realized the benefit of using RSS to dynamically update websites. This means that the website content automatically changes when the RSS feed is updated. This allows for webmasters to serve dynamic content or a mixture of static and dynamic content on their website.

Syndication

Often, publishers, interested in expanding their base, will allow other webmasters to republish the contents of an RSS feed. Content providers that allow for syndication, receive additional exposure, and the webmasters serving the content, will generally see web traffic increase as a result of the new content. RSS feeds can be syndicated or displayed using a variety of different methods. Depending on the web host, server configuration, and the intent of the publishers, a variety of different syndication tools exist.

In most cases, providers convert RSS feeds to HTML in order to display the feeds contents. The following are some of the more popular methods to convert RSS feeds as web based content.

Hosted Services

The easiest of solution is not server dependent, a third party host displays the contents of the feed. The downside to using a hosted service is that you are relying on a third party. If the third party's website has problems, your content will not be displayed. Additionally, webmasters often cannot customize the way the contents are displayed on hosted servers and there is no real search engine benefit to third party hosting.

Examples: FeedBurner.com - http://www.feedburner.com and RSS2HTML - http://www.rss2html.com.

Scripts

Using scripts to display RSS feeds on a website is probably the most effective solution. In addition, the webmaster using ASP or PHP scripts to convert their feeds, maintain the control of the "look and feel" of the content displayed. Webmasters also realize the benefit of hosting the feed on a domain that is within the webmasters control.

Using ASP or PHP will allow search engines to spider the actual contents of the RSS feed as if it is part of the actual HTML. Pay particular attention to solutions that cache the RSS feed. If your RSS feed is popular this will save significant bandwidth.

PHP

PHP is a popular scripting language that is often used to dynamically update web pages. PHP support is available on most web servers that run on a Unix Operating System.

Example: rss2html.php - http://www.feedforall.com/free-php-script.htm

ASP

ASP or active server pages is a scripting language similar to PHP but support is more often found on Windows web servers.

Example: rss2html.asp - http://www.bytescout.com/how_to_display_rss_using_asp.html

Javascript

Javascript is easy to use, and many sites will produce the code that needs to be inserted into the HTML web page, making implementation very easy for webmasters. The downside to the majority of the javascript solutions is that the webpage calls the script each time, and the actual contents of the feed is not able to be spidered or indexed by search engines. So while javascript is easy to use, there is very little benefit to the webmaster. Search engines will not detect any new content or keywords contained in the contents of the feed, so their is little optimization benefit to displaying RSS feeds using javascript. Additionally, while it is unusual, occasionally website visitors will have the javascript turned off in their browser, if that is the case they will be unable to view the contents of the feed.

Example: FeedRoll Pro - http://www.feedrollpro.com

Advanced Scripts/Merging Scripts

Webmasters will often find value in merging multiple RSS feeds in to a single feed. This is particularly useful when attempting to aggregate news on a specific topic. The script allows you to produce an RSS feed by taking the latest items from multiple feeds.

Example: RSSmesh - http://www.feedforall.com/rssmesh.htm.

Filtering/Newsmastering

Due to the enormous and ever-increasing information flow we are all submitted to, the only way to improve our ability to access and use the information that is really important to us, must take place by scaling up one notch our ability to filter, aggregate, and access relevant content.

Example: Newsmaster kit - http://www.masternewmedia.org/reports/newsmasterstoolkit/

Prepublish Scripts

On occasion, webmasters will choose to build a large amount of content, and gradually release it over time. FutureRSS is a PHP script that when used properly will only display feed items that publish dates have passed.

FutureRSS - http://www.feedforall.com/future-rss.htm

A number of flexible solutions exists for webmasters to create, filter, and display content contained in an RSS feed. Using these simple solutions, webmasters can dynamically maintain webpages with unique content.

About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company.

Introducing The Buzz Factory

Does your business need a buzz? Why not employ the services of The Buzz Factory, Hampton Roads' premier public relations firm. Whether you seek to promote yourself or your products through local, regional or national channels, the good people at The Buzz Factory can get the word out with efficience and effectiveness.

The Buzz Factory is one of our newest developments, and in time you can revisit the site for informative articles on marketing and promotion, and learn how you can start your own "buzz" and get noticed.

Be sure, too, to contact CINIVA Systems today to learn how we can help get your business or organization noticed with attractive web design, search engine optimization and e-mail marketing.

Protection Against Credit Card Fraud and Loss for Ecommerce

With CINIVA Systems and Cardservice online payment solutions, there is no need to worry about fraud and other issues regarding reconiliation of payments. CINIVA and Cardservice are aligned with LinkPoint® e-commerce payment services, through which fraud-risk ratings are delivered regularly to merchants. Each transaction made through a CINIVA website is protected and monitored, so that fraud is immediately spotted and reported, with provisions in place to assure merchants of safe, efficient online payment traffic.

Learn more about our card service solutions, and contact us today for an estimate.

CINIVA Web Design, associated with the best

We at CINIVA Systems are proud of our portfolio, and of the clients for whom we design and host. That the people of Hampton Roads believe some of our clients are the best in the region comes as no surprise to us. Quality work and reputation allows us to create a professional, quality design for any business, non-profit organization, or group.

This year, we congratulate two of our clients for being chosen the Best of Hampton Roads in the annual readers' poll from the Virginian-Pilot. Ribbitt Toys took the Silver Award for Best Children's Specialty Shop in Norfolk, and Suffolk Insurance won the Bronze Award for the Best Place to Work in Suffolk. Sundays Tanning Resort won the Gold Award for Best Tanning Salon in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach - for the 14th straight year!

Contact CINIVA today to learn how you can enhance your business with professional design and custom programming, that you may join the Best of Hampton Roads on the Internet.

Introducing Final Kick Sports

Biking, running, and swimming enthusiasts need only look to Final Kick Sports for the one-stop shop for all activities competitive in Tidewater. Final Kick is one of the top sporting good stores specializing in triathlon equipment - ranked highly by Inside Tri Interactive! Today, we are proud to relaunch their online presence.

Final Kick's site is twofold: there is a section for the community. Find out the latest news on area triathlons, bike races, and training clinics. Join the online forum and find a workout partner, or find out how to join the Final Kick team.

There is also an online store, where you can pick among the top brands in road bicycles, running apparel, shoes, and wetsuits. Keep an eye on closeouts and join the mailing list for sales information. You can even purchase bike shipping online and have your gear delivered to your next race.

Introducing CMI Technical Services

For comfort, dexterity, and maximum protection in the workplace, look no further than CMI's wide selection of safety equipment. CMI's extensive catalog of safety gear is designed to protect the body from many dangerous elements.

CMI is proud to serve the many dedicated emergency medical technicians, doctors and nurses who work long hours to preserve our life and health. When you browse their online catalog, you will find over 5000 items designed to enhance workplace safety. Ventilators for buildings, tool kits, harnesses and protective gear is here and ready for purchase.

CINIVA Systems specializes in designing and hosting online retail sites like CMI. If you are interested in seeing your business grow on the Internet, contact us today for more information.

Track specific Adwords keywords with new tool

Free New AdWords Alerts Service

A free alert service kicks off with two alerts related to Google AdWords and AdSense. You can get daily email alerts with the costs of the most expensive AdWords both by bid and by cost per day. Today is a new alert by keyword that emails you when new advertisers appear for a keyword you supply. Assuming you don't mind a flurry of email when tracking popular categories, this can be handy.

Source: Search Engine Watch Blog

Are you the new trend?

What is everybody searching for in Google, and how do you become part of the searched? Google is testing yet another handy tool for site owners called Google Trends. Enter a key phrase to find out from where the majority of searches on that phrase come, as well as the top links for that phrase according to date.

Introducing China / Brazil Consulting

In a world becoming ever smaller and more integrated through globalization, the need for international presence and understanding is becoming integral to a successful business plan. Success in the globalized market depends upon firms’ capacity to address and capitalize upon the unique challenges and opportunities that exist in today’s multi-cultural, multi-national world market.

With on-the-ground experience in both China and Brazil, advanced knowledge of the cultural and linguistic environments in both countries, and a superior education in both economics and the environment, China Brazil Consultants can help you meet the challenges of the international business market and capitalize on the vast opportunities emerging in South America and Asia.

CINIVA specializes in the design and hosting of websites for consultants and other business organizations. We offer quick turn-around, varying levels of maintenance according to your needs, online credit card processing capabilities, and dedicated customer support. Contact CINIVA Systems today to put your business on the Internet.

Now taking online donations...

...not for ourselves, of course, but for your organization. CINIVA Systems is more than a simple web design company. We offer unique, proven applications created by our team of techs to give your site functionality and profitability. If you are a retailer seeking to build an online store - our software allows customers to shop according to size, category and style, and leave reviews for products purchased.

Non-profits and religious organizations can benefits from our special online donation applications. Allow visitors to make credit card donations to your ministries and charities, and register for special events. Information may be collected for opt-in e-mail advertising for later use.

Contact CINIVA Systems today to learn more about how we can allow your current site to accept credit cards, or how we can build a new site to suit.

Re-Introducing Anne Gimenez Ministries

Anne Gimenez Ministries is an extension of Rock Church International, based in Virginia Beach. Pastor Anne Gimenez is a noted evangelical minister whose services are broadcast internationally. Pastor Gimenez present preaches to the largest congregation in the United States under a female pastor.

When you visit the site of Anne Gimenez Ministries, you will find information on the many services AGM provides worldwide to people in need of medical, financial and spiritual aid. Donations made be made online, and a special members-only section allows Platinum Donors to access Pastor Anne's private blog, create their own blog entries and communicate with other members in the private forum.

CINIVA Systems specializes in website design and functionality for non-profit organizations, charitable organizations and churches. If you are interested in learning more about how we can create a beautiful online presence for your church or ministry, contact us today.

Introducing Platinum Steel

Platinum Steel offers a wide range of steel building kits which they can build onsite for you anywhere in Virginia. Their team of in-house designers, architects, and construction developers are dedicated to customer satisfaction, and will create the perfect steel framed building for your project.

If you have a design layout in mind or wish to start from scratch with a unique, custom floor plan, Platinum Steel will accommodate you and your budget. When you visit Platinum Steel's website, you'll find a portfolio of available steel building kits, suitable for building churches, storefronts, office buildings, hangars and crane buildings. You can request an estimate online and learn more about the material used in making and shipping these kits.

CINIVA Systems specializes in websites for Virginia-area businesses. We can design and maintain a website placecard for your business or implement an online shopping cart system, so you can sell your product online with credit card payments. Contact CINIVA today to learn more about what we can do to help your business grow.

Re-Introducing All Aboard Tours

All Aboard Tours and Travel offers a wide range of full service tours for groups of all ages that include deluxe motor coaches equipped with lavatories, VCRs and microphones for tour leaders. We arrange the hotel accommodations, meals, professional guides, and many varied and interesting sightseeing experiences. We customize the tours to your exact specifications with respect to both attractions and your economic requirements.

All Aboard Tours offers customized itineraries for pre-formed adult and student groups, including our exclusive "College Awareness" programs for secondary schools. Fixed date departure tours are available for individual foreign exchange students living in the United States. The photos above will link you to each program where you may view our diverse itineraries arranged by destination and theme.

This is a redesign of an established travel site. CINIVA Systems specializes in sites related to travel and tourism - as you can see from our portfolio, we have designed sites for Norfolk, Currituck County, and Stafford County tourism bureaus. We are always interested in design and marketing for travel organizations. If yours is in need of an online makeover, we invite you to contact us today for more information on how we can create a unique, dynamic presence for you on the web.

Introducing Vella Chiro

At Vella Chiropractic Center, attention is given to the spine, but the focus is the whole body. When people think of chiropractic medicine, it is assumed all attention is relegated only to the back. While physical manipulation of the spine and back muscles are heavily involved, chiropractic care is beneficial to the entire body.

The professional, licensed staff of Vella Chiropractic brings a combined 33 years of education and experience in chiropractic medicine to the Hampton Roads area. Browse their website for more information on our services and specialized training, and contact us today for a consultation. Let Vella Chiropractic Center help you on the road to wellness through good back and spine health.

Does your health organization or clinic have an online presence? Contact CINIVA today to learn more about how we can design and host an online counterpart to your business.

Introducing Meetings Worldwide

Meetings Worldwide is the official site International Destinations Inc. IDI serves as the US / North American bureau's preeminent resource for international meeting planners in contacting leading conference and meeting venues around the world. Meetings Worldwide offers information and assistance to impact decisions on site selection for events large and small.

When you visit Meetings Worldwide you'll find information on the five major cities where IDI can plan a successful conference or retreat for your corporation. Browse information on accommodations in Cancun, Auckland, Istanbul, Paris, and South Africa, and request and estimate for IDI's services.

CINIVA specializes in travel and tourism related sites, having many years of experience in various aspects of the industry. We have designed sites for tourism bureaus and travel agencies, and are willing to help bring your travel company to the Internet. Contact us today for more information.

Introducing Beauty Meets Beauty

Hampton Roads has a new, exciting way to meet singles with Beauty Meets Beauty. BMB is more than just an online database of pictures and profiles, it is a comprehensive, interactive dating website. Here you'll find informative articles on dating, relationship advice, and information on the most romantic spots in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and the rest of Tidewater.

What's more, when you register to join Beauty Meets Beauty (FREE through June), you become eligible to receive discounts for restaurants and retail gift shops, and discounted admission to the many BMB events planned for this year. Come try your luck at Speed Dating, Lock and Key parties, 52-Pick Up and other BMB-sponsored get togethers. Now is your chance to find your beauty.

Introducing Full Fathom 5

Based in Los Angeles, Full Fathom 5 is an entertainment company, producing documentaries and feature films, music videos and shorts. Recent project include the harrowing drug documentary Dying For Meth , which details graphically the consquences of drug addiction.

With this website, Full Fathom 5 seeks to educate others about the damage meth can do. Copies of Dying For Meth and Poor Man's Dope are available to schools and other organizations for educational purposes, and DVDs are also available to the general public, for anyone interested in these critically-acclaimed films.

CINIVA continues its dedication to drug abuse awareness through Drugs of Abuse Testing, an online commerce site selling drugs tests in singles and bulk - suitable for home and school use, and for employers concerned about drugs in the workplace.