Thursday 31 July 2008

Baby market update

Baby Nursery Market Overview

I always look forward to my copy of Nursery Today to arrive through the post, and the August 08 edition was no exception. A quick flick through and I always seem to end up at the excellent Nursery Retail Tracking Service section. It comments, an interesting month with no signs of a downturn in the Nursery market in spite of the rest of the retail sector suffering. As of May 08 the market was up 14% in value and +19% in volume compared to the same time last year.

Parents appear to still be spending to ensure their little ones have the necessary equipment to be safe and sound and as a result, the following areas are up:

Wheeled goods
Car seats
Travel cots
Safety devices
Seats
Electrics
Bathroom

However, suffering this month were:

Carriers

As the summer holidays are upon us, the travel cots help drive up the market as people decide to get away for a few days, something I am thinking about as I write this !

4little1s.com is an online baby gifts and Izziwotnot Nursery Furniture retailer found at http://www.4little1s.com

Tuesday 29 July 2008

Baby sling guide

Quick Baby carrying guide

Pouches / baby slings

A pouch is generally a circle or material tube, folded and worn across the body from shoulder to hip rather like a sash. Your baby is laid down or sat up in the pouch that is created at the seam.
You need to make sure that the pouch is the correct size for you, to be comfortable and to safely hold baby. I have used these many times and are ideal when you are out and about, stopping and starting on visits, like in the car. I had one that was a front version but there are also back and hip versions. Breast feeding was fairly easy with one of these.

Ring-slings
A ring-sling is a length of fabric with two rings at one end and the other end loops up through the rings to form a pouch with a tail. Baby lies or sits in the pouch bit, and the tail is used to adjust the pouch to the correct height and tightness around the baby.
Adjustable carrier, it will fit different sized people. Great for multi-stop trips, and breastfeeding in. Weight is spread across one shoulder and back.

Wrap slings
A wraparound is a length of fabric that you tie around yourself and baby- finished with a double knot. A long wrap is very versatile and you can carry baby on the front, back or hip with it, and will fit all sizes of people. A short wrap can be used for hip and back and some smaller people may be able to use it for front carries too. One or two shoulder carrier spreading the weight across shoulders, back/front and hips, depending on which way you tie it. It is possible to breastfeed in a wrap with practise.
We stock……The Liberty Fleece Pouch baby sling is made from luxury anti-pil fleece. It stretches one way around your shoulder and baby's bottom providing unique support for your baby's head and neck, and your back. These baby slings are ideal from birth to toddler years (35lbs). The baby slings are easy to use and there are no belts buckles or clips to get caught on. Simply slide the baby sling over your shoulder, like a sash, and slip baby in or out in seconds. These pouch baby slings are machine washable at 60 degrees and should be dired naturally. The baby sling fit is important, for correct size measure around your chest, literally under your armpits.Ideal baby gifts.... looking for a baby gift ? look no further

We stock…..carriers that are a one size fits all sling. It is the ultimate in baby sling comfort with padding in the shoulder and down the rails, which are independently adjustable. The baby sling rings are nickel plated steel and tested to 422Kgs. The baby slings are crafted in the UK by experienced seamstresses from the finest 100% cotton. The slings fanned shoulder distributes your baby's weight in the sling, and there is a handy pocket in the tail. This baby sling is the perfect baby carrier for newborn babies through to toddlers (35lbs). The sling makes breast feeding simple, convenient and discreet in the carrier. As you know, babies are messy and therefore these baby slings are washable at 60 degrees and come with written and photographic instructions. Baby slings are very practical and an ideal baby gift.... looking for baby gifts, look no further.

We stock…..The Liberty baby sling is a padded ring sling, a one size fits all sling and would make a very practical baby gift. The baby sling rails are independently adjustable and the rings are nickel plated steel, tested to 422Kgs. The baby sling's fanned shoulder distributes your baby's weight in the baby sling evenly across your shoulder and back. The Liberty unpadded baby sling is perfect for newborns through to toddler (35lbs). The baby slings are machine washable at 60 degrees and come with written and photographic instructions. Baby slings are very practical and very cosy for your little ones as a baby gift. Looking for baby gifts ? Look no further...

Visit 4little1s.com to see our range of baby carriers and baby slings

Mum baby gift

Bath melt (pink cupcake)


Small pink gift box with bath melt inside
Decorative 'With love' emblem on lid of gift box lid
Remove lid to reveal a single cupcake bath melt
Approximate dimensions: 6 x 6 x 4cm
Lie back in soft silky water, relax and enjoy the gift!
This range of gifts gives you something special that we love at 4little1s.com. Each gift has been hand-made or hand-finished using traditional methods and natural materials from skilled artists from all around the world. These gifts are lovingly made and no two are exactly the same as a result.

Monday 28 July 2008

SEO - An hour a day book

Search Engine Optimization – An hour a day

As you may or may not know, I run an online baby gifts website called 4little1s.com which can be found at http://www.4little1s.com/. As part of setting this online business up, I needed to understand more about how to get my site noticed by the major search engines. Having contacted a number of Search Engine Optimisation companies it became quite apparent that the costs for me upfront were not possible until I started to get some sales in and making some money.

Therefore I decided to visit that well known Brazilian river online book store and purchased a number of books on the matter. The latest book I have finished is called Search Engine Optimisation – an hour a day, and below I summarise my thoughts and notes.

I guess the ultimate proof is in the pudding for us, has been that after 3 months of reading up on SEO tips and advice, our website has gone from Page rank of 0 to a Page rank of 3. Not that Page rank is ‘be and end all’, I’m sure it does help…..

The two authors of the book offer a really interesting angle in that they offer the right and left brain view on the subject. Obviously experienced in the subject they outline the various stages of putting together a plan of action, putting it into place and then the constant tweaking to keep the campaign going. Interestingly out of all the books I have read so far on SEO, all broadly say the same things, which are:

- Submit it to the engines - Surprising some people don’t !
- Links – Acquire links, inc Directories
- Content – Updated and keep fresh
- Maintain – Housekeeping tasks, broken links, Tags etc
- PageRank – Get one and the higher the better
- PR – Write articles, Blogs etc
- Measure – Where were you last month vs this month
- PPC pay per click campaigns
- Consider paying for worthwhile directory listing
- Wait and wait – 3 – 6 months +

While all good and solid points to help you on your pathway to optimisation and getting seen by the world, this book offers something a little more ‘non technical’ and business oriented, almost like having your own Marketing and PR department at hand.

The book is broken down into 10 chapters of which I broadly detail below:

Clarify your Goal – Like all good business thinking, what it is you are trying to achieve?….how do you know if you have achieved it and how can you measure success / failure if you don’t know what you are trying to aim at. Failing to plan is planning to fail

Customise - As with all projects (SEO included) you need to customise what you are doing and fine tune to your exact expectations, The section talks about which market you are in and who are you aiming at
SEO truths – Brief overview of the various methods Search engines use, importance of keyword selection and the tricks NOT to do !

How search engines work – Discusses how the main players currently work (Google, MSN, AOL and ASK) as well as trend spotting

Teams – You will be surprised how much teamwork there is in the project. While you may not have the resources of many departments, this chapter makes a good point, you either have to wear many hats or outsource various elements.

Baselines and Keywords – Good section on the importance of keyword selection and research. Touches as earlier on the whole idea of having a baseline in which to measure your performance. Finally, as with all businesses, keep an eye out on the competition.

Month one – This now starts to get to the detail of how to do it and tags to optimise on the site.

Month two – Establishing the habit talks about the site structure (spiders view etc) and some good thoughts on R&D as well as Visibility and reporting

Month three – Again talks about visibility and quarterly reporting as well as the very important area of your content. Gives some good troubleshooting tips worth checking out.

Extra credits – If you buy this book and do nothing else, read this section. It gives all the key items you should do if nothing else. I like this book if for nothing else, this chapter.


Author and terms:

4little1s.com is an online
baby gifts website located at http://www.4little1s.com
This article can be copied as long as the links stay intact


Izziwotnot curtains

Izziwotnot Cherry Blossom Tab top curtains

Cherry Blossom brings summer fresh colours to the nursery. Dazzling flowers in shades of candy, strawberry, buttercup, jade and peach are tempered with pure white for a contemporary feel.
One pair of curtains
Dimensions: approx 132 x 163 cm
Delivery within 7-10 days, but usually less
Our range of nursery bedding is designed to last. They are manufactured to the highest quality standards, providing peace of mind for parents.
Baby gift and nursery furniture ideas from 4little1s.com

Moses basket from Izziwotnot

IZZIWOTNOT MOSES BASKETS

- Maize moses basket
- Cherry Blossom brings summer fresh colours to the nursery
- Dazzling flowers in shades of candy, strawberry, buttercup, jade
- and peach are tempered with pure white for a contemporary feel.
- Price includes maize moses basket and bedding
- Matching stand, can be ordered separately
- Delivery usually within 7-10 days
- Our range of nursery bedding is designed to last.


They are manufactured to the highest quality standards, providing peace of mind for parents. Baby gifts from 4little1s.com

Saturday 26 July 2008

Wooden baby gifts

Wooden baby toys

4little1s.com - Traditional Wooden Toys

Choosing the right wooden toy for your child is not easy and there is a whole world out there of wooden toys for babies and toddlers. It is important to choose the right age group for the toy as well as ensuring its fun, brightly colored, educational and safe.

A simple wooden train or a push along duck / mouse or Fairy can bring hours of fun and they provide mental stimulation to the baby or toddler. Any toys that have sound or vibration also improve mental stimulation and attention as does the texture.Puzzles and wooden building blocks are the old favorites for the younger babies when it comes to wooden toys, but don't forget about sequencing toys and of course play buildings such as farms, castles, fire stations, police stations and dolls houses. The are all great fun and provide hours of entertainment.Whilst many parents are anxious that their children learn from their toys it is important to remember that children learn through play and having fun and whilst your children are young this is the most important aspect for their development and well being.

In summary, then look for wooden toys with consideration for :

Colour
ShapeTexture
Sound / Vibration
Sequencing (1,2,3 - A, B, C etc)

4little1s.com is an online Baby gifts and toys website for your little ones

Thursday 24 July 2008

Rainy day ideas from baby gifts site 4little1s.com

Baby gifts website advises on those rainy days and children

When you wake up in the morning and It’s raining outside, you just know the kids are going to get board and want to play outside. After an hour or so you start to get bored yourself with them telling you they are bored…and it goes on all day. Well from experience, here are a few ideas that hopefully might make that day go smoother and quicker, 4little1s.com top tips for rainy days. You will be surprised how even the simplest of things can be great fun for kids and just how imaginative they really can be.

Computer - There are some great kids websites out there, our kids favorite at the moment is Lego and CBBC. Even sites like Google Earth are great sites for fun and education at the same time. Having some online software protection such as parental locks is a good idea. Physically keeping an eye on what they are accessing, try to have the computer in the lounge / kitchen areas etc when you can keep an eye on them. Avoid leaving them with full Internet access on the Internet while on their own in the bedroom for hours on end.

Give toys a new life – We painted an odd dolls house (bright pink!) and it suddenly became a great new toy to play with. Bringing new life to old toys is great fun and converting them is very cost effective. Even clearing out an old toy cupboard, you are bound to find toys at the back that have not been played with for ages. Remember the brightly colored building blocks that were a baby gift ?
Old favorites – While probably not going to entertain for a very long time, don’t forget the old favorites, hide and seek, eye spy, coloring, treasure hunt with sweets / chocolate etc. These games can soak up half an hour and gets you involved as well

Cooking cookies – Making some cookies and of course eating them can be great fun. Especially when they are involved with the mixing, food coloring, recipe instructions and of course the hundreds and thousands sprinkles

Camping – Go camping on an expedition…..have a picnic in the lounge or other room. Some chairs, a blanket and you have a tent. A blanket on the floor and some sandwiches and there is your picnic. Obviously it’s not outside, but can be any room in the house.

Board games – Board games are great fun for everyone and can have many , get the board games out, Monopoly, Don’t wake dad, Wheel of Fortune, Guess who…...get them out, dust them off and throw the dice.
Card games – With a regular set of cards there are loads of games that you can play (look online for ideas on card games). You may even have some card games like Uno - all great fun.

Invite a friend over. Just because you can’t go outside to play doesn’t mean friends can’t come over to the house to play. Inviting friends over is one of the easiest ways to break a kid’s boredom. A friend brings exciting new prospects and makes even the most played video game exciting again.

….and finally, clear out all your baby gifts you have and old toys, many might have a new lease of life.

About the author:
This article was provided by 4little1s.com, who provides baby gifts, baby clothes, nursery furniture and baby bedding for your little ones. For more information about 4little1s.com visit:
http://www.4little1s.com

Our terms: The above articles may be reprinted provided content is not edited and links are kept live Sourcewww.4little1s.com

Wednesday 23 July 2008

Potty training

Baby gifts website talks about Potty fun !

Ok here it comes potty training ….be warned accidents WILL happen!

Potty training is inevitable and comes to us all. The main thing is to remember that each baby is unique and develops at different times than others. When your child is ready, that’s when to start…. not before and not after. Not that you can always plan it, but if it’s potty training time and its summer, this means they can learn outside with less ‘accidents’ inside.
The main point is to recognize when your child is ready and don’t listen to other parents as to when their child started, it’s not a competition. All children will be using the toilet by the time they are 5 years old. Every child is an individual and it is really important to remember that.
What are the signs when baby / toddler is ready to start?
Check for awareness of when baby realizes they have gone to the toilet (wee or poo) in their nappy. If your child has regular bowel movements then you can get them to sit on the potty at the right time and praise them if they manage to use it. We found giving them rewards particularly successful and definitely worth a try. Look on the web for companies that provide gifts and treats for children to encourage them. Reward charts or even toys (we used simple wooden toys) are great motivators.
In summary:

· Not a competition
· Start when baby / toddler is ready
· Rewards are key

4little1s.com is an online baby gifts website offering a wide range of gifts such as:

· UK Baby gifts
· Wooden toys
· Baby boxes
· New born baby gifts
· Nursery Furniture and bedding

http://www.4little1s.com
Searching for those Baby Gifts and finding it overwhelming?

Baby Gifts website 4little1s.com gives some tips on the matter….

Trying to find a truly unique baby gift for your friend, family member or work colleague to say "Congratulations and welcome to the new little one or maybe ones! " ? . Think about going a step further and personalizing baby gifts can be an excellent way to truly make that baby gift unique and special. Something you don’t always thing about buying are baby keepsake boxes, these wooden boxes allow you to keep those all important memories in a safe place. These boxes can range from small cute little boxes able to store their first curl or tooth, right through to larger boxes able to store their first pair of baby shoes, vests etc. Some boxes even have a set of boxes to keep each one separate.

Baby photo albums also make superb baby gifts to give to new families, again to store those all important baby photos. Don’t forget the mums and dads as well; a bottle of Champagne in a baby hamper always goes down well

Where to buy superb Baby Gifts ?

Searching for baby gifs can be daunting and is time consuming if you don't know where to look. Not only that, there is a vast array of online stores all advertising on Google, MSN, Yahoo etc. Walking along the high street looking for baby gifts again can be wearing on the feet and often can be confusing. Asking friends, colleagues, and family members where they shop for their baby gifts is always a good place to start, either online or offline (physical shop). If you are looking online through a search engine, narrow your search down to avoid confusion, look for specific phrases like ‘baby gifts UK or nursery furniture’. At 4little1s.com will provide you with a variety of baby gifts for you to browse through, as well as Nursery Furniture and baby bedding for that all important Nursery.

What Baby gift ?

Ok, so the baby is due soon or the person is leaving work soon to go on Maternity…and its down to you to find the baby gift....where do you start?

Each baby is unique, and care should be taken in selecting the right gift. The right baby gift makes the parents of the baby feel as though you really put care and thought into their newborn's gift. You'll feel great knowing that your new baby gift is truly enjoyed. Take a look around to find the perfect baby gift for that new little one but having a wide range of clothes, gifts, hampers, wooden toys, baby bunches (bunches of flowers with baby clothes in them) and other baby gifts, 4little1s.com is the best place to start.
Take your time and look through our Baby gift store website to find your perfect and cute baby gift.
You'll find a quality selection of the following baby gifts:
· UK Baby Gifts
· Baby Hampers
· Nursery Furniture
· Baby bedding
· Wooden baby toys
To see our wide range of great baby gifts make sure you visit us here!!
Email: sales@4little1s.com
Website: http://www.4little1s.com

Tuesday 22 July 2008

Wooden baby gift keepsake box


Wooden keepsake baby gift box


Great Value Baby Gift for little ones...

  • Wooden keepsake gift box
  • Pink writing on lid of gift box, 'with love' on the side
  • Approximate dimensions: 21 x 21 x10 cm
  • Ideal for a new born baby gifts, christenings & older children
Add one of these beautiful gift boxes to your basket now!This range of baby gifts gives you something special that we love at 4little1s.com. Each gift has been hand-made or hand-finished using traditional methods and natural materials from skilled artists from all around the world. These baby gifts are lovingly made and no two are exactly the same as a result.

Toolbox and Workbench




Fun construction toy with hammer, spanner, screwdriver that really works!

Only £16.50
  • One of our bestsellers
  • Very popular with children who like to investigate how things work!
  • UK designed
  • Handcrafted
  • Suitable from 36 months
  • Converts to a workbench when turned upside down.
  • Perfect for any budding builders!
Approximate dimensions 30 x 15 x 15cmThis baby gift range of children's wooden toys offers a bright, bold, colourful and cleverly designed approach to play for your little ones. They are created to stimulate your child's imagination while ensuring your little one has fun. This range of wooden toys are made under the guidance of the CE mark, meaning they have gone through safety testing and comply with BS5665 and EN71 1,2, and 3.The wooden toy range uses non toxic paint and natural fibre in the range, each wooden toy is handcrafted and as a result, no two are identical.

Looking for baby gifts ? look no further see our full baby toys and baby gifts range

Wednesday 16 July 2008

Hampers for your little ones

Baby hampers from 4little1s.com

Baby hampers are ideal baby gift presents for those new born babies when you are struggling to think of a baby gift for a friend. Quick easy and sent to the new born family in a matter of days, these baby gifts really are worth a look. Each one is put together by hand , with some ranges including something special for the mum to chill and relax...time out. If you are really looking to push the boat out with a baby hamper, look at the Champagne hamper, a hamper with baby gifts for the little one and a lovely bottle of Champagne to relax to. Have a browse at the range of baby hampers at our site, its quick easy and simply to order. If you are looking for a baby for a work congratulations present, please remember us and as always if you have any question about the baby hampers or in fact any other baby gift, please feel free to contact us on sales@4little1s.com

Baby hampers from 4little1s.com

Saturday 12 July 2008

Google Algorithm for PageRank

The Google PageRank algorithm

PR (A) = (1-d) +d (PR(t1)/C(t1) + … + PR(tn) /C (TN))

4little1s.com is a baby gift and nursery furniture website located at http://www.4little1s.com/ and has recently started up this year. In an effort to gain a better understanding of getting onto the first page of Google for marketing purposes, PageRank appears to be one of the keys to this process.

While appearing not to be a totally exclusive factor, having a good page rank appears to help your position within Google. I say ‘appears’ as the overall algorithm to a high position does change, so while one day the emphasises is on xyz, it may and probably does change, once people suddenly realise what they should be doing. DMOZ being a good example of this!

As a mathematician by trade, starting the business was excellent for my brain, but when we talk about Algorithms its heaven.

The equation above is actually quite easy to understand and I try to explain as simply as I can:

PR is the actual Page Rank you are looking to get
A = The Web page in question (use your home page as an example)
d = A suppressive dampening effect variable I suggest a value of 0.85 is not far from the mark
t1…tn = Pages linking to (A) In this case we used our homepage
C = Is the number of links on the page that are outbound to other sites you have linked to


4little1s.com is an online baby gifts, baby bedding and nursery furniture located at http://www.4little1s.com/

Thursday 10 July 2008

4little1s.com baby gifts Google book

Baby gift website review of Google book

As you may or may not know, in our quest to rise up the search engine rankings for our baby gift website, 4little1s.com, I have been reading a few books all about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Having just read the book ‘Get into bed with Google’ by Jon Smith, I thought I would write a quick review of the book as I thought it was an excellent read.

The book is broken down into 52 excellent points about getting listed into Google better. I found this particularly useful as it can be dipped into as and when you have some time.

Each point gives you the pointer as to go off and investigate further, usually with a nugget of information such as a website address or a specific keyword to find out more.

I’m not going to list the 52 brilliant ideas but rather write a few paragraphs about the whole book and a few checklist bullet items that should be followed up.

Be aware there is paid and unpaid (natural) listing. The issue with the paid listing is just that !.....you have to pay for it. Natural listing while does cost (in your own time) you don’t actually pay for each time someone clicks on your site advert. However, if you want instant results, check out Google Adwords

Links should be gathered and listed on your site, however consider the quality and nature of them as well as their current page rank. Having a single high rank in bound link is worth lots of low rank (and hard work) links.

Forget Hits, Page view, PPC and PPM, Unique visitors is the key metric to monitor. This is basically how many people ‘actually’ visited your website. While the other figures have their place, they don’t always give the true actual position.

Make sure you add your URL to the Google submit section and don’t forget there are other search engines out there such as MSN, AltaVista etc etc.

Consider a sitemap submission via XML to really ensure Google sees and crawls you fully.

Keywords are the key, consider research them (lots of keyword tools out there for your research)

Don’t try to trick Google, they really have seen it all before, ‘same coloured text as the background’ ? COME ON GUYS !!!! this was done years ago and Google knows this one. Other not so obvious ones like redirects or ghost domains might be done legitimately, but you may feel the wrath of Google and not get listed / removed. It’s really not worth it and Google know alls the gags. Its hard work that counts I’m afraid.

Finally, content really is king and having new content each time Google visits you will always stand you in good stead.

4little1s.com offers a wide range of baby gifts, baby bedding and nursery furniture and can be visited at http://www.4little1s.com

Monday 7 July 2008

Baby gift web site SEO progress

Been working on SEO the last few days, trying to get as much free listing as possible. Have bought a couple of books on Google listings and it is obvious that the rules keep changing as how best to get listed organically.

Well, will keep trying and optimise as much as we can, in the meantime if you would like to visit us directly, click on baby gifts