Based in the Breda Area, Netherlands Berrie Pelser continues to be one of the leading authorities on social media and SEO -

1. How long have you been in business and what exactly do you do? 

I started Ber|Art Visual Design in 1998 so I am in the internet business for almost 15 years. We host and design WordPress, Typo3 and Magento websites in our own private secure Linux Cloud.

We optimize (SEO/Social Media) all our customer websites for Google and do our best to rank them as high as possible on Google.

We take care of the complete Social Media Strategy for our customers.

2. Have you always run your own business and would you class yourself as an entrepreneur?

NO, I have been working for a boss (Pharmaceutical Companies) from 1990-1998, I would not class myself as an entrepreneur

3. How do you see social media playing a part in your business in the future?

It is already a very big part of my business and it will be much bigger in the near future. Europe is still in the early face of social media companies do not know what to do with it yet. So I think in the next few years Social Media will be as normal as having your own website. All companies will have to make the step, they have no choice, social media will must be integrated into all businesses. SEO is 50% Social Media so Social Media will play the biggest roll in my business.

4. How do you see social media playing a positive part in the local community?

It already does, and this will be bigger and bigger and in 2013 this will be also a must, you cannot afford anymore to not be on the social media if you want to know what’s happening in your village. At this moment there are lots of apps that are very useful to your fellow citizens.  There are even apps that can safe lives (amber alert etc..) the roll of Social Media will also be big in this case!