When we are briefed on a project, we consider a number of factors, including:
Once we've analysed all the relevant information, we create a design that meets all the above criteria. When we pitched to SouthWestern Art, an art dealer chain based in the South Western United States, we were up against local design agencies, but we won the pitch because our concept best reflected the nature of their business. Our objectives are to ensure visitors enjoy their experience, that they clearly understand what the site is about and can navigate quickly and easily, that they remain on the site for as long as is necessary to fullfil their (and the client's) objectives, and ideally revisit the site in the future.
Whether you like it or not, the Internet is a part of our everyday lives, and it's easy to see why: The audience is world-wide, setup and running costs are relatively low, and the ability to include online ordering, links to social media, stock control, email campaigns and so on, make it superior to traditional media in almost every respect.
These days it's almost a given that if you don't have a website, you should have, and if you do have a website, is it as effective as it could be? Perhaps your business has grown and you need a more comprehensive site to reflect this. Perhaps people aren't finding your site, or perhaps it could just do with a fresh new look. Either way, we can help you make the most of your web presence, including:
You may be an avid social media watcher, or even a blogger, or you may just think it's just not for you. But regardless of your perception of Social Media, it's an unavoidable part of life and doing business these days. If your business isn't on social media, you can be sure your competitors' businesses are. Your business should be on at least 2 of these:
There are of course many more, but these are the main platforms. It's a good business practice to link your website to these platforms, and vice-versa. This will help with search engine rankings, as well as increase your business' visibility. You don't necessarily need to "tweet" 5 times a day, but it is a good idea to have something new for your audience to see on a regular basis. We can help set up professional pages on these platforms and get you started with your presence on them.
The last decade has seen an incredible growth in online selling and ordering (e-commerce), and it's easy to see why. The advantages of selling online are enormous:
If you've never sold online before, "e-commerce" can seem rather daunting, but we can help make it simple. Whether you are a multi-million pound/dollar/euro etc. retail chain or a small home-based business only selling a handful of products, we can guide you through the entire process including integrating a one-stop payment solution or setting up a merchant account, address verification systems, security measures, creating a bespoke shopping cart system, creating stock level monitors and order fullfilment systems, or even just setting up a simple PayPal business account to sell a few products or services.
Once your webiste is looking its best, it's important to keep the content up-to-date and fresh. This is even more important if you have products or services that change regularly. Even if you don't, we can make recommendations on ways to keep your website from looking "neglected", as Google and all the major search engines start to ignore sites that haven't changed for a while.
There are several options for maintaining your site:
This will depend on the type of website you have. If it's a content management system (such as WordPress), you just need to learn a few simple tasks to make updates. Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) include WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors to allow quick changes to web pages. If it's a static website, and you're familiar with editing HTML, you can make and upload updates to your site yourself. Whichever type of site you have, once we've finishing the production, we will upload it to its designated server space and provide you with instructions on how to access the information and make the changes.
If you don't have the knowledge or time to do your own updates, we can do them for you. A number of our clients choose this option as it's easy to manage and cost-effective if the edits aren't very frequent or large. We can do it on an ad-hoc basis, or agree a monthly or annual retainer fee, depending on the size and complexity of the updates required.
These are database-driven systems that store data, product information, photos, customers' details etc. Some can also incorporate email newsletters, booking forms, search engine optimisation tools and so on. If your site requires regular and/or extensive updating, for example if you have an online catalogue, a CMS system makes most sense. We will design and produce the site based around the most appropriate CMS for your purposes, and you can make easy changes, additions and deletions via an admin area.
There are three ways people can find a website: by having a link to it, by being told about it, or using a search engine such as Google. The first 2 are great, but the first usually relies on investing money in a marketing campaign, and the second is very effective but takes a very long time to gain momentum. So having your site appear at or near the top of a search results list is paramount.
As part of our service, we will optimise your site to ensure the best possible placement in search engine results, as well as making sure your site is registered with all the main search engines and appropriate web-based business directories. We can also advise on, and implement, online marketing strategies, methods, and analysis tools.
We don't just make things look nice. We offer a full service, above and beyond just design. Here are some of the other services we provide:
"It's not what you say, but how you say it". Sometimes a professional touch can make all the difference. We have experience in writing advertising, technical, medical, and direct marketing copy, so even though you'll know your business better than us, we can help put your message across in a more effective way. We can also edit and proof-read what you write.
We offer a full marketing service, including target market analysis, online advertising options and strategies, and search engine optimisation. After all, being on the Internet without anyone knowing you're there is like winking at someone in the dark - you know what you're doing but nobody else does!
A picture can paint a thousand words. With very few exceptions, websites perform much better when they have photos or other images to support the content. A simple animated banner (e.g. a slideshow of featured products) can show visitors exactly what it is you do within seconds. However, a professional photoshoot can be prohibitively expensive, and using stock library images means you'll be using the same pictures that appear on countless other websites. If you are fairly local to us, we can do the photography for you, of products, people, buildings, you name it! Beyond that, we can create A.I. images of pretty much anything in any style. Each image will be 100% unique and completely specific to the content.
Since our early days of Rötring pens, Magic Markers, Letraset, typesetting, and pasting-up bromides with spray mount, we've been designing and producing items for print, from small mono block ads to multi-page full-colour magazine spreads, and single-sheet flyers to 100+ page catalogues. Of course nowadays we do it all on computer, but the principles are the same.
An easily identifiable logo and corporate identity is one of the most important aspects of your business. The biggest companies spend millions on them, but have you ever wondered why their logos are usually very simple? Look at Microsoft, Google, BT, etc. - simple, but instantly recognisable. We're not saying that all logos must be simple, but we do understand what works (and what doesn't). We can also design stationery, from letterheads and business cards to invoices and envelopes, and we can arrange printing and delivery if required.
