VideoProfessor sells computer training videos, mostly through late-night infomercials. Like most companies, it offers a money-back guarantee, but there seem to be endless problems with overcharges, upsells and unclear terms. Some customers got a little fed up and posted anonymous, negative comments on websites such as Infomercialscams.com. VideoProfessor did not take kindly to this, and […]
Tech
Posted inTech
Blogging Player of the Week: John Cherry
Hands up (okay, blogs up) anyone who can tell me in one sentence what Cherryflava is all about. I thought so. “Trends and innovation”. You mean like Sasol’s human resources strategy or the new Merc? “Seriously passionate about fresh thinking.” You mean, like new ways of using sex to sell groceries? Or how about, “a […]
Posted inBusiness, Tech
The problem with e-commerce and online payments in Africa
A lack of true online payment options is crippling African e-commerce, and South Africa is no exception. The inability to accept payments for products and services on equal footing with the rest of the world means that many viable business options are not available for merchants in Africa. The few options there are for African […]
Posted inTech
South African Facebook at 300 000
The Facebook phenomenon is still with us. The South African regional network on Facebook reached the 300 000 mark on September 25, and is still growing at close to 3 000 members a day. In Australia and Sweden the picture is even more intense: 12 000 new members a day in Australia (now at 556 000 in the regional […]
Posted inLifestyle, Tech
Spending online, safely
Personally I think online shopping is one of the more valuable additions the internet has made to my life. I don’t always like shopping malls, and I absolutely hate not finding a specific product I’m looking for, never mind finally tracking down that product only to arrive at a store with depleted stock levels. Thankfully […]
Posted inGeneral, Tech
Thought Leaders – When in Rome
We all have secrets. We all have some hidden tales that have been silently stacked away for years. But, today is the day of truth! The day the real facts about our Thought Leaders are revealed. Using the the latest forensic technology, modern investigation techniques and, of course … wait for it … Break.com. I […]
Posted inMedia, Tech
Cost-per-performance pricing models
Cygnus Business Media today announced that 67 of its trade publications are offering advertising based on pay-per-performance, fuelled by the popularity of this model online. A bold move for print! It wasn’t too long ago that Google announced its CPA (cost per action) model and much frenzy resonated globally by those in favour as well […]
Posted inBusiness, Media, Tech
Show me the money!
I’ve had quite an eventful trip to the United States (still here), attending both the Commission Junction University Conference and TechCrunch40 — two seriously great conferences. I met hundreds of people, saw dozens of companies and handed out and received countless business cards. It was great fun — there is coverage on my personal blog […]
Posted inTech
Calamity! SA and Egypt slip in Facebook race
Calamity struck South Africa in the Facebook regional race on Tuesday (September 18): Sweden came from way behind to push the southern-hemisphere upstarts from sixth to seventh place in the rankings of the biggest regional networks on Facebook. On Wednesday, the South African network stood at 286 000 users — a nice leap from the 250 000 […]
Posted inMedia, Tech
Online marketing in the mix
Upon pondering a topic for what would finally be my first and long overdue post on Thought Leader, I began wondering just why all the talk is around Facebook, YouTube, blogging and various other forms of social media. Has this discussion not been the core focus for months now? It is certainly the longest-running topic […]
Posted inTech
The paradox of technology
“Advancement” and “technology” are words typically mentioned in the same breath, and in most situations technology has made our everyday lives much easier — no more standing in queues in banks, no more taking cheques to people for payment and no more expensive phone bills to communicate internationally. People tend to forget, though — or […]