For customers
2020 – we’ve seen the best of people in the worst of times
In 1992 the Queen defined one of the more challenging 12 months of her reign with a handy Latin phrase that summed it up perfectly - an annus horribilis (horrible year). She was referring to a string of divorces in the family, a fire at Windsor castle, and a litany of...
Come together
This week the very first Covid-19 vaccination was administered to a 9o year old in the UK. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was created in record time and offers a real sense of hope of being able to defeat a virus that has held the world to ransom for most of this year....
How good it is to be lost in a crowd again
It's certainly been the strangest year most of us have experienced and much of how we go about our lives has changed. The Covid-19 pandemic has dominated our thoughts and actions and there is every sign that we still have a way to go, before vaccination and opening up...
Overcoming a recession will take more than great leadership
While it was surely one of the strangest election campaigns in living memory, postponed by a month because of the the Covid-19 epidemic, New Zealanders voted on Saturday (and in huge numbers beforehand) and exercised one of the most abiding elements of our personal...
Reputation is far too important to abandon to those who twist it
I think about reputation a lot. Not only as a concept or an idea but as an actuality that governs the choices we make about individuals, brands, businesses and politics. It's important to remember that reputation is all about perception, as it is created from the...
Auckland has everything – except for imagination
I've lived in Auckland for 16 years. I moved here from the South Island, never thinking at the time that I would be here this long. I've lived out west, east, and north and I've travelled all over the wide expanse that now constitutes the 'Super City'. My kids have...
Covid-19 series 2 – yeah, nah
So, we are almost at the end of series 2 of Lockdown and the reviews aren't quite as positive as series 1. Where the first series created a sense of connection and togetherness against a formidable foe, resulting in a finale of real triumph and shared achievement,...
Tipping our hats to the no cowboys
There are some professions that get a rough deal - that are perceived by some in negative ways because of past experiences or through word of mouth. Tradespeople are one such sector and in my opinion the vast majority of them would have to be some of the most hard...
It’s space Jim, but not as we know it
I've been thinking about virtual space for a while - not only because it is the strange, necessary and contested space of digital marketing - but because of the disappointing manner in which some of the more gargantuan online entities have shifted and melded to become...
Consensus, consensus, consensus
Sometimes I find myself just going 'wow', when I think about how much the world has changed in the past six months and how it continues to alter and shift as we all negotiate our way through the social, cultural and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Each day...
We cannot go backwards
While we may always have known, and were told that Covid-19 may well come back after a 24 day spell of no cases, the past few weeks has brought us all back down to earth, with a crashing thump. More than that, the trust that many Kiwis have had in our institutions has...
We’ve had leadership – do we need politics?
New Zealand has done what most of the nations around the globe could only have dreamed of at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic - reduced active cases to zero for a stunning 19 days, with a fraction of the deaths, even though each and every one is a heartbreaking...
Colmar Brunton releases corporate reputation index results
Last month Comar Brunton, in conjunction with Wright Communications, released its annual index of New Zealand's most trusted companies. "Wright Communications’ managing director, Nikki Wright said Colmar Brunton’s polling during the COVID-19 lockdown showed many of...
In reviews 6 July ’23
Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead - to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing. The FIFA Women's World Cup Kicking off at Eden Park, Auckland on the 20th of this month, the tournament promises to...
Key questions for every business owner
NoCowboys has been in business long enough to know what works and what doesn't when it comes to marketing. We pioneered online reviews from the days when online feedback was in its infancy. Since then we have helped tens of thousands of New Zealand businesses grow and...
Negative reviews are part of an honest assessment of a business
Because I am in the online review business, I read as much as I can about reviews, how consumers read and use reviews, and how much reviews help businesses online. Personally, I find the whole thing fascinating and so many times when I'm reading about consumer...
You don’t need to bang your head against a wall
Apparently it was Einstein who coined this phrase - although that's up for debate - either way it's prescient when I think about business owners spending their marketing budgets and getting little in return. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and...
Paperless travel leaves some of us behind
For the past few weeks I've been travelling in Europe, accompanying my father, on what may well be his last trip. He's a few weeks shy of 80 and the advancing years have slowed him down, without diminishing the joy he experiences from new adventures and encountering...
We want to be heard!
So why leave a review? Recently I was re-reading an article from a few years ago focused on the reasons consumers leave reviews and one part of it perfectly expressed an element that is isn't given the attention that it deserves - that we leave feedback because we...
Don’t let misconceptions stop you from building your business with NoCowboys
Of all the questions we are asked by business owners new to NoCowboys, the most persistent concern reviews and competing with registered businesses who have been with us for years. Both queries are linked and the answer to both explains that while our platform is a...
Why your feedback counts
If you're reading this then it's likely that you have left feedback for a tradie or business on NoCowboys before. You may have done it because you were asked or you may have done it unsolicited because you were delighted with the work done, or perhaps unhappy. Either...
Marketing is all about attracting new customers – so choose wisely
Whenever I explain what marketing is, I simplify it to its most basic element: marketing is the bridge that closes the gap between a business and the customers they want to attract. Today, there are numerous options and marketing businesses that promise remarkable...
Be very careful when promised the earth by certain website and hosting outfits
We started NC Web a few years ago because we kept hearing similar tales from registered NoCowboys business owners about dissatisfactory and unsavoury experiences some of them had with website developers, SEO companies, and hosting platforms. We decided that we could...
Think like a customer and reap the benefits
I've been in this game long enough to have learned quite a few things from customers and business owners alike about what makes a business successful, or not. Apart from the obvious factors, such as having the correct business apparatus - equipment, staff, tax...
Not all reviews are the same
We've written before about the importance of knowing which online reviews have more voracity than others and treating reviews on a business' own website with a good degree of suspicion. Again a New Zealand company is in the news for allegedly creating a false sense of...
Reviews are the essential piece of the puzzle
Over the past month I've been planing an overseas trip and whilst all of it has been done online, I have found myself occasionally drifting into the occasional desire to actually speak to a human being, like one would have done in the not too distant past. What I...
Want to refer a great business? We make that so simple
Since NoCowboys began in 2006 our focus has been providing the best information for Kiwis to make informed choices before commissioning a business or tradie and now you can share your favourite businesses with family, friends, acquaintances, or, well anybody really!...
Why do we leave feedback?
Each year a company in the US publishes the results of an annual survey examining online reviews and consumer behaviour. It's always a fascinating read and it continues to affirm how essential reviews are to consumers making online purchasing decisions. This year's...
We are not all leaders but not all of us know that
Following the deadly climate event unleashed upon Auckland and current mayor, Wayne Brown's much criticised leadership 'performance' I have been thinking about leadership, leaders, and the people who are incredibly good at leading and those who, well, aren't. In doing...
Tune out, turn off, drop out – how to remove online anger
There's been a lot of discussion about online abuse in the past week, since the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern resigned and it is a sobering reminder of what online is, what it could be, and what it shouldn't be. It's important to remember that online is a human...
What are NoCowboys points of difference?
We didn't invent online reviews but we did pioneer their use and acceptance here in New Zealand and our platform is not only respected but trusted. We keep improving our services to keep in step with online developments so that Kiwis can choose the best tradespeople...
What to look for in online reviews
Every now and again we will get enquiries from Kiwis using our site or seeing NoCowboys reviews online. I thought it would be useful to point out a few important factors about online reviews and ours, in particular, to make the process of reading them easier. How are...
A little less conversation, a little more action, please
Around this time of year there is the usual slew of summaries of the worst and the best of the preceding twelve months - movies, TV shows, albums, political events, sporting successes, personal glories or failures. They tend to segue seamlessly into the obligatory New...
A cautionary tale – read the reviews first!
If ever you needed to be reminded to read the reviews before taking on a business to do work for you, a recent story on www.stuff.co.nz puts it into full focus. Christchurch business, Saxon Appliances is closing its doors after many years in business and Stuff...
Growing your own food – win win!
I grew up in a New Zealand where practically every home had a garden that supplied a healthy and consistent crop of fruit and vegetables. Gardening was not a hobby but an accepted necessity and now as we find ourselves subject to the financial squeeze brought on by...
Processing criticism leads to productive outcomes, if handled properly
We've all experienced criticism, it's part and parcel of human interaction but it's worth noting that there are stages of processing that feedback and how it is a journey toward resolution and something more valuable - acceptance. A recent article by Esther Bintliff...
Stay safe when shopping online
Online shopping is not even the new normal - it's just the normal. The past few years of the Covid pandemic has further increased consumer online spending to the degree whereby consumer behaviour has radically shifted. That means it pays to heed a few tips and...
Plasterboard supply chaos easing
The plasterboard supply debacle that has hindered the building industry and caused needless delays is slowly dissipating, signalling good news for Kiwi builders and consumers. As reported by Nicholas Pointon in RNZ this week, "The plasterboard shortage has eased...
Things to do to spruce up your house this Spring
Sure, it's been snowing where it usually doesn't this time of the year but it's Spring - the time to pay some attention to your home, inside and out. With the weekends hopefully warning up, there will be time to take care of small and large jobs that'll have your...
Want the best painting results? Check the weather
Painting the exterior of your home is a necessary investment that protects and enhances your most valuable asset. Before you even consider commissioning a painting professional to get the project started, do a bit of due diligence and consider the best time of the...
Tough conditions require a little patience
Currently things are really, really tough for a lot of trades around the country and despite a building boom, significant factors and stressors have created a set of extremely difficult conditions. Business owners are under considerable strain and homeowners and...
Turn that downside upside down
Petrol prices, groceries, interest rates, and inflation are all on the rise, practically everywhere in the world, and in New Zealand we have the added frustration of a scarcity of essential building supplies to satisfy what is touted as a 'building boom'. All the...
NoCowboys’ points of difference
To have pioneered online reviews in New Zealand and to have kept in step with an ever changing digital landscape for over 16 years is no mean feat. That we continue to evolve and grow Kiwi businesses online as well as offering the best information to consumers, isn't...
When times are tough – reputation is essential
One need only glance at whichever news platform you prefer to know that we are currently in difficult times. Inflation and interest rates are rising, consumer prices for essentials are increasing and despite the government reducing fuel taxes, the cost of fuel keeps...
Thumbs up, thumbs down? No thanks
There's a few review platforms out there aiming to deliver the benefits of online reviews for businesses but failing as they do not actually focus on the key, as well as tangential benefits, of online consumer reviews. In essence they send out a message to customers...
Lack of real oversight when it come to reviews
I have a friend who runs a business - a financial advisor and accountant, whose services I use. She told me a story recently about a mysterious phone call she received a few months ago from someone she knew was an ex-employer who resented her leaving his business and...
Reviews, the far more powerful endorsement
In my last piece I wrote about branding and reviews and since then I've had the opportunity to talk with colleagues and think further on the subject and realised I had missed another feature of traditional branding that is trumped by authenticated online reviews -...
Reviews are the new brand, only more effective
Brand, the buzzword for advertising for so many decades, has changed substantially from what it once was since the advent and supremacy of online commerce. Years ago brand was the holy grail for businesses and by extension advertising companies. Brand was splashed...