And by the way where does the founder Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia come from? And how long will this stay there?

Many stores now offer shoppers the ability to buy online and then collect in store, big names such as Argos, Comet and John Lewis to name but a few. Think about it, who has the time to traipse from store to store comparing products and prices? In my opinion very few people, the perfect and most convenient answer, I think, has to be, to be able to research online at any time of day or night then order your goods and collect them from a local store at a time that suits you.

Talk about getting the best of both worlds…..

I recently purchased a laptop and wanted to ensure that I had the absolute best product for my money before handing over my hard earned. In St Helens we have one of those retail parks with exactly the same selection of stores, give or take, as every other UK town or city.

Being a bit of a punter I didn’t want to give some sales person the opportunity to persuade me to buy something either unsuitable or over budget, perhaps by throwing in some security software that I didn’t need. So I spent some time in the evenings and at lunch researching and reading customer reviews to find the best possible laptop that had a fast processor, decent size Ram and hard drive memory.

Once I had a good idea of what I could expect to get for my money I carried out a few searches to check out my local stores. I narrowed my preferences down to two laptops that fell within my minimum and maximum amount and had the performance and memory I was after. I went online at about half past ten on the Sunday evening and chose the system that had the best processor of the two as opposed to the slightly bigger hard drive. I purchased my laptop online at about eleven and then picked it up the following evening on my way home from work.

I have to say it was a refreshing and hassle free experience, and to spend that amount of money and be so confident that I had purchased the best possible product for the price was extremely satisfying.

The Big Boys Push Online??

With time seemingly at more of a premium these days, many people struggle to find the time to sift through shop after shop looking for the right products at the right price. Bargains are far more important to people in today’s economic climate and the internet has got to be by far the most convenient way to compare prices and review products.

John Lewis is currently looking to expand its share of the continually growing internet market available and is trialling a “click & collect” service at present. With plans to allow shoppers to collect their orders from any one of its sister company, Waitrose’s, 200 stores, John Lewis obviously see’s the internet as a great way to take the company forward.

Argos is another major brand that offers a similarly convenient service and just last week announced that their “Click & Reserve” service was up by a massive 50% on last year’s sales.

Shop Locally Online

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, it seems that only the bigger brands are offering this kind of service to its customers. Smaller retailers tend to stick to online purchasing with delivery or shop in store without the ability to purchase online and collect in store.

I see a great opportunity for local businesses to increase their market share by offering this type of convenient service. Locally targeted search engine marketing campaigns offer great value for money, whether using SEO services or pay per click to promote a business website.

Keyword search phrases that include locality are in many cases low competition, which means that top rankings can be achieved quickly. These keyword phrases also so offer much cheaper costs per click on search engine pay per click networks leading to greater and quicker returns on investment.

In my opinion small local businesses that have online stores should seriously consider offering customers the ability to pay online and collect in store. This would allow shoppers and shop owners the option of saving on delivery costs and delivery time. It also gives people a much better opportunity get a feel for a business and become regular customers.

20^th January 2009, 1700GMT in England, UK, and we have witnessed the fascinating inauguration of the 44^th president of the United States of America. Barack Obama, not just the first African American president, but a statesman with an attractive charisma, and unprecedented enthusiasm. He was welcomed with warm applause, in contrast to the exit of ex-president George Bush Junior, like a naughty school boy dismissed from the class room.  The homeland is in crisis, inside and outside its own borders, desperate to regain its momentum. Can this new president, be the first president to accept the role of the United States of America, within the world? Can he first bring his own people together, and then start to emulate this peace and balance around the world?

In 2004 Professor Nial Ferguson quoted that Americas foreign policy “Dictated democracy, empowered freedom, and enslaved emancipation”. He argued that that America was, and in my opinion still is a super power in denial. Today Barack Obama stood up in front of the world today, and spoke about the tough times ahead, the sacrifices that need to be made, and the moral duty of every citizen in the US.  Not just a duty to America but a duty to the world. In this new president can the world anticipate within America, a new era of selflessness, a new era where they accept their responsibility as a world power, and start to gain respect from the world.  A genuine respect though admiration and not fear.  Is it time for America to come to its senses, time to accept its role in the world, and time to improve their global image?

Barack Obama has a tough job ahead.  He has possibly four to eight years to make a lasting impression on the world. Many people will be asking themselves can one man make a difference. The answer to that is quite simple yes, in most instances it really is just one person that makes the difference.  With eighty percent of the United States behind him he has a margin for error, a toleration point, a fragment of time to make important and lasting decisions.  I imagine he will be dealing with more issues, and tougher decisions within the next three months than many presidents have had to endure in a whole term.  Abraham Lincoln had a magnetism with his citizens and now modern day America has its own attraction. A man they hope who will stand up and take responsibility, accountability and show great strength in leadership. Not to stand up and lay the entire burden on his shoulders but to lead the way with a freshness and sincerity.  He asks for honesty, hard work, determination, and in these requests we should shoulder some of the burden.

We wish Mr Barack Obama the best of luck in his new position as the head of State of the world’s most influential power. We will wait in earnest as he attempts to piece together the social differences, the failing economy, and prepare America and the world for the difficult time ahead.  We ask and hope you to stay true to your words because if you can create a harmony, a greater peace within our world, then not only will America be grateful but we will be grateful too.

Article original publish date: 20th January 2009