This is my journey as an E-commerce Consultant
Web Mastering
Do you sometimes get the feeling you are not liked?
3 days
by Liz
in Web Mastering
But fortunately some people do like me for example Debbie from ASWAS who informed me of another attack to my blog!
Now I understand why I keep this blog to the bare bones so within an hour I can wipe the slate clean and start again.
Well I think I am back up to almost full capacity and it’s friday evening so can’t be beeswaxed to check everything!
However I am scanned and clean. The most important thing is not getting blacklisted and keeping out the ‘nits’.
Have a nice weekend kids!
Taking the biscuit…because the EU says so….
012 days
by Liz
in Web Mastering
Yeah, I now have the ‘least’ annoying cookie wotsit for my site. Feel free to tell me how much you hate it. But remember if you comment…the COOKIES WILL GET YOU!
Word…and privacy policy
Let me know if I have missed out any jammy dodgers and I am not down with ALL the biscuit types.
Do you FEAR your competitors…?
018 days
by Liz
in Web Mastering
If you do, WHY fear your competitors?
Fear makes you do silly things like trying legal action against competitor employees on a personal level, spreading malware and blacklisting emails all of which can be traced.
Fear even makes you childish and prank call competitors you can’t touch overseas (oh yes, this HAS been done)
Bad eBay sellers even buy products off their competitors to leave a positive feedback and really low DSR’s. eBay can see this, remove this and penalise sellers.
I don’t fear competitors in any respect. I try to think out of the box and be ahead of the game instead of trying to snap at the heels of other companies in my field. I wouldn’t have the time.
In business you need to be better than your competition and not fear them. It makes you stupid and vulnerable.
Adapt, learn and grow.
Have any of your competitors done weird and wacky things instead of just improving their business? Keep the names out but please tell.
On the blog design….it’s a project for this weekend. I liked the really plain look I had before so will strip out most of the design.
It will always haunt you on the web…”I only worked there and left like a lifetime ago!”
91 days
The dark side of the interweb always creates an ever lasting record of your e-footprint.
Sometimes you work for companies that actually would harm your career to have been associated with them in the past. Regardless that you left way before they went catatonic.
I control my work history exclusively through linkedin so my association is clear (as it is always part of your CV whether you like it or not) but clear dates are shown so clients know how far removed I am from said company. Fortunately, unless you are specifically searching for my name and said company will any results show 
*phew*
However, disgruntled clients always like to name and shame on the web, something I don’t allow on this blog or in comments unless it is glowing and positive. This is hard to control, you would be surprised.
The reason I am talking about this is I have been doing competitor research as we have a new eBay design service. It’s been a while since I have personally taken a look at what our competitors are doing, normally the MD keeps up on this.
One company gets bad reviews and in one particular piece on a prominent review site a disgruntled client specifically named an employee of the company in full. Normally you get ‘bob from ABC foods is the best/worst guy ever’ but a full name is not fun.
The review consisted of claims that $1300 was lost, the customer service was bad (even though this named person works in an administrative role) and a whole host of other complaints. You would think that said person was solely responsible for the bad experience and not due to the failings of the company as a whole.
When you google said person with said company you get the correct facebook page and cyber stalking begins 
These kind of websites mostly have a naming and shaming policy so hopefully if the company notices, they can request the removal of the name.
I also love how WRONG hypernet information can be. I keep getting spam mail about getting a pension as 192.com lists my age guide as over 50! The electoral role got it wrong the once and obviously our council sells on its constituents information to mailing lists etc including age data so we can get junk through the post.
I am err…still 21 right?
My Time in Ishinomaki-Shi – Entering the MAD house
94 days
On the Saturday I arrived too late to go out with the volunteers so I familiarised myself with the Its not just mud ‘bubble wrap chic’ house that I would be staying in for 5 days.
I had my first experience of an onsen (a temporary onsen which equated to a large paddling pool in a shed). It was free, spine tinglingly hot and well you had to get neekid in front of people! (same sex of course)
As it was the weekend there were lots of volunteers and remembering names was difficult, or in most cases just not done! A fantastic spread was put on my the INJM chefs as always. As a general rule a donation of 500y per night is appreciated in the INJM house to pay for food and heating. Also helping with the chores. I find it strange being not of domesticated blood, what to actually volunteer to do round the INJM house. However, washing up after dinner is a good staple, and you will be asked if further help is needed.
Sunday we traveled out to Ayukawa. The March 11 tsunami that slammed into Japan’s northeast coast took most of Ayukawa with it, destroying 80 percent of houses and leaving 400 of its 1,400 residents unaccounted for. Above where we where working on debris clearance there was a combini (like a co-op) with help in English and kanji still on the carpark. You just can’t imagine.
We worked with around 200 volunteers that day
Looking out towards the sea
This used to be homes.
and of course we all need to eat
The other team that went out from the house cleaned around a huge effigy of a can of whale meat that was displaced during the tsunami. It is being left in place as a reminder for the people of Ishinomaki.
I help the guys from Its not just mud maintain their website but they are also looking for sponsorship if any company wants to add to their corporate social responsibly, especially if you have a client base in Japan. They also help regenerate business in the area.
Get in touch!
