E-Commerce Roadshows

STF's popular series of Highlands and Islands e-commerce workshops, in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, industry suppliers Plan B, Tiscover, VisitScotland and VisitScotland.com, were a huge success this spring in Tarbert, Oban, Fort William, Elgin and Inverness, Portree and Stornoway, Wick and Lerwick.

The workshops offered delegates the opportunity to improve their busines and even those new to the web found out how to establish or improve their online presence, with easy steps to being found on the search engines and to winning and keeping business on the web.

The workshops featured straight talking and helpful hints about how to have a successful website without breaking the bank. Industry speakers demystified e-commerce, 'translate' the jargon and gave expert insight into new online consumer trends - helping businesses to make more money from the internet.

Expert Advice & One to One Sessions

Experts from organisations including HIE, VisitScotland and VisitScotland.com were available at the workshops which included one-to-one sessions which allowed delegates to spend 15 minutes with chosen speaker(s) to answer queries.

Delegates also heard from and met tourism business owners Rene Looper (who developed Cluny Bank Hotel in Forres into a four-star establishment) and Graeme Ambrose (who co-runs the acclaimed Evergreen B&B by Loch Ness). Rene and Graeme have both had great success at attracting online business. They shared their secrets - demonstrating how you don't have to spend a lot of time and money in order to have a dynamic website which customers can easily find and which will boost your bookings.

Feedback

Here's what tourism businesses who attended this year's workshops told us:

  • "I'm now much less timid about setting up a website and running it."
  • "I found this event super as a platform for a start-up business."
  • "The most useful aspects were the presentations based on the real experiences of Graeme and Rene - it's great that they share their knowledge with others.
  • "Great tips on the help which is available. I'm now going home to update our  (web) links and key words."
  • "Excellent advice! I'm a web novice but could understand it."
  • "I'm off to investigate website optimisation and online availability functions."