DSI Ltd

Written on March 1, 2010

Design, Supply and Install Ltd (DSI Ltd) in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk required a website with an integrated content management system to allow them full control of their website content, as well as the search engine optimisation of the website, with a design and structure that promoted the many faceted aspects of their business in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering as well as their Fabrication capabilities.

Features within the site include a built in slide-show, on-line booking form, a Google location map and breadcrumbs for easier navigation.

Off line Marketing ideas

Written on December 3, 2009

A lot of us work hard to promote our online business but one thing we might forget is that we can get a lot of traffic by promoting offline as well. Following is a list of ideas you can use to promote your online business, offline.

1. Brochures – Brochures are a great marketing tool because you can provide a lot of information about you and your business. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce and other businesses to see if you can put out your brochures.

2. Newspaper Ads – Run classified ads in some local or not so local newspapers. Remember these points when writing your ads:

• You must get the reader’s attention.
• Once you get their attention, you must keep them interested.
• Turn their interest in desire for your products.
• Give them a call to action!

3. Radio Ads – Check with popular radio stations to see what they charge for a short ad and make the ad pop as much as possible.

4. Promotional Items – Have your URL printed on caps, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. and give them to as many people as you can to wear. This can be very effective in getting your business known.

5. Postcards – Postcards are very cost effective and versatile. You can announce new items, offer special deals, promote a special business event or announce your website and what types of products/services you offer.

6. Offline Networking – Join your local Chamber of Commerce. Get involved in business clubs and groups and talk about your business whenever possible.

7. Car Signs – These are great products because they allow you to advertise your business wherever you go – family outings, running errands, visiting family, etc!

8. Business Cards – Design your business card wisely. They are no longer just for listing your name and address! Have your business card double as a coupon or gift certificate. Hand them out whenever the opportunity becomes available.

9. Flyers – Distributing flyers is a very affordable way to market your online business. Be sure to specify what service/product you offer and use incentives to get people to ACT NOW. You can also encourage people to pass the word if your products/services can help anyone they know. Parades and other public events are great opportunities for handing out your flyers.

10. TV Ads – TV ads are a bit more expensive but if you have the budget it would definitely be worth looking into.

11. Coupons – Print out coupons and hand them out wherever and whenever you can. Offer special deals, sales discounts, etc. This can lead to many sales and a larger customer base.

12. Freebies and Samples – People love getting things for free. Offer small items as free samples. You have seen grocery stores do this many times. Give a free sample of a good product and you will get more sales!

13. Letterheads – Have your business name and URL on everything that gets mailed out of your office/home. You never know who will be reading it and if they might take an interest in your products/services/opportunity.

14. Catalogs – If possible, have catalogs made and distribute them as much as possible. Use direct mail as well, if you can. Offer x amount of dollars off their first order or a free gift with first order.

15. The Yellow Pages – Get listed in the Yellow Pages so more people can find out who you are and what you offer!

16. Billboards/Signs – We all notice billboards and signs and they can be very effective in increasing your business.

17. Job Fairs – If you offer a good business opportunity, make it known by participating in job fairs and career days.

18. Print Magazines – Purchase advertising or try submitting articles to various print magazines. Getting an article published can do a lot for your online business.

19. Greeting Cards – Send personal greeting cards or even thank you notes to all your customers as well as people who expressed an interest in what you offer. This is guaranteed to make a lasting impression!

20. Gift Certificates – Print out gift certificates and distribute them as much as possible. Put them in mailings both personal and business. Work with other businesses to distribute each other’s certificates (complementary not competing businesses).

21. Community Involvement – Getting involved in your community events and activities can be one of the most effective ways to get your business noticed. Volunteer for school activities, work for charities, attend social functions, etc.

Template Website: The Pros and Cons

Written on October 22, 2009

While NECSES Webdesign does not build template websites we do want to give consumers all the facts about template sites so they can make an educated decision about what type of website best suits them. Below is a list of the pros and cons of template websites.

Pros of Template Websites

Template websites are a less expensive method of making websites. Template websites are a lot easier and take less time to create than custom websites which is what the site cost should reflect. While template websites should be cheaper than custom websites, that is not always the case. Many website design companies say they build custom websites but in reality they build template websites and charge clients for a custom website.

So how can you avoid paying too much for a template website? Get a quote from a custom website design company and compare it to the price of a template website company. Since template websites require a lot less work than custom websites, the price of a template website should be significantly lower than that of a custom website. If the custom website is close or lower in price than a template website than just go for the custom website.

Template websites are usually simple designs that take less time to build than custom websites. Template websites are less complex and have less functionality than custom websites thus taking less time to build and get running. Companies that are looking to get an online presence up immediately may decide to go with a template website.

It seems as though there are many more website design companies that offer template websites than custom websites. That being said, it could be easier for a business to find a template website company than a custom website company. More availability could make it that much quicker to find a website design company to build a template website than a custom website.

Cons of Template Websites

While template websites usually offer simple and clean designs, they can be very limiting. With a template you get what you see. Template websites are very limited in the changes that can be made to the design and functionalities that can be added. For many companies paying less money for a website is not worth the limitations offered by template websites. Companies should not build websites around a template but websites should be built around a company. Custom websites properly reflect who a company is and what they do, while template websites most of the time do not properly reflect this.

The simplicity of template websites does not let companies stand apart from others. Custom websites stand out from template sites because many template websites look similar and don’t offer much distinction. While template websites are very similar and plain, you can design custom websites any way you want allowing businesses to have a more professional unique appearance.

Most template websites are not search engine optimized. If a website is not search engine optimized it is likely to not be found in search results. What good is a website if it cannot be found? One of the reasons NECSES Webdesign builds custom websites is so that they are search engine optimized. If you want a website to show up higher in search engines then a template website is not the way to go.

Many smaller companies may be fine with having a limited amount of website functionality but larger companies especially require more functionality than template websites offer. Template websites are premade so they are not built to suit any particular company. Larger companies should choose a custom website design company to work with rather than a template company so that the website will be built around all of their needs.

Template websites are quick and easy to build because they work from a pre-made design and structure. Premade designs work for some companies, but they limit what can be done to the site. As a business grows their website should grow with them. Template websites cannot be built scalable so as a business grows and changes their website will not work for them.

With all of the cons associated with template websites, why would any company use a template site? Template websites may save companies money initially, but will cost more money and cause problems in the long run. Custom websites are the perfect solution for nearly every business. Contact NECSES Webdesign to discuss how a custom search engine optimized website can help your business.

British Marine Federation East Anglia

Written on October 9, 2009

The British Marine Federation’s Eastern Regional Membership base wanted a website creating that  highlights the work that they carry out for their Members, while also giving their current Membership a platform to promote their products, services and their company.

The site includes a content management system as standard and allows the addition of new Members and also includes a Membership database that can be broken down into the many categories of the organisation.

We also implemented a Noticeboard allowing Members to advertise their products and services to a wider audience as well as a News section that enables Members to be updated of the latest developments within the organisation.

NECSES Webdesign also designed a logo for the site in keeping with the design of the parent organisation.

Blue Sky Reflections

Written on October 9, 2009

Blue Sky Reflections wanted a website creating that  with a fresh, clean design that gave viewers a feeling that ‘anything is possible’. The site includes a content management system as standard and allows the addition of new pages and news articles, through the blog feature..

NECSES Webdesign also designed a logo for the website and the company as a whole, with business stationary also being produced by NECSES Webdesign.

Photogenes

Written on October 9, 2009

photogenes wanted a web design that reflected the work that they carry out. To this end our website design mimic the colours of photographs that would be in need of restoration.

The site includes a content management system, and includes e-commerce leading to a Paypal online payment facility. Two slideshows show visitors to the site before and after photographs outlining the services that photogenes offer to their customers.

As with all of NECSES Webdesign’s websites, the CMS facility allows the business owners to update their website themselves, quickly and efficiently.

The Internet – It’s what your customers expect

Written on August 26, 2009

It always surprises me when speaking to some business owners when they say ‘Oh, we don’t need a website. We get our clients from recommendations.’  or ‘We don’t need any new business. We have more than we can cope with.’

Both of these statements are valid. Word of mouth advertising is still one of the best forms of advertising that there is, whilst not over-stretching your resources is sensible.

However, there are four key points about having a website that negates both these arguments.

Firstly, with word of mouth advertising a business has little control on the message that is given out or over who the message is given out to and, indeed, when it is given out. It could be a long time before word of mouth advertising starts to give any sort of return. With search engine optimisation of a web site, a good, clear message, and eye catching design a web site can do the ‘word of mouth’ advertsing to a much larger audience, delivering the message that you want to broadcast.

Secondly,  according to InternetRetailing.com 97% of the UK’s internet users shop online and with almost 16 million households with internet access according to National Statistics Online that is a lot of potential customers these businesses could be missing out on. Even if you don’t sell products online, people expect to be able to look up a company’s products and services online before making a decision to purchase.

Nowadays, people use a website address much the same as a phone number (and some would argue web addresses are much easier to remember) and so, if a business has their website on their vehicles or signs for instance, it provides a much more memorable reference for passing motorists or pedestrians.

Thirdly, having a website can reduce a business’s work load. A well thought out website will  have applications that reduce the amount of time spent on the telephone, for instance. Orders can be processed online and payment taken without any involvement from staff. When I pressed one business owner as to how they communicate with their clients, they answered that they send a monthly newsletter by post! This could be carried out with much less time and effort (and cost) using e-mailing software integrated in to a website.

Finally, having a website can enhance a business’s client experience. If a new piece of legislation is published for an accountant’s clients for instance, this can then be published online and a newsletter sent out to their clients to update them.

Now, these benefits of having a website may seem obvious to most people. If they do, please do some word of mouth advertising, and point the unconverted in our direction.

Breadcrumbs Spotted in Random Search Results

Written on August 24, 2009

Google appears to be testing breadcrumbs in some search results, at least in some areas. If you are unfamiliar with the term breadcrumbs, it refers to the hierarchical display commonly used in site navigation. For example: Home Page>Product Page>Product A Page.

This is a  feature that has been introduced by NECSES Webdesign for all of it’s web designs to aid navigation by users. Another example shows the breadcrumbs displayed in a different position within the search result:

Google’s use of breadcrumbs appears to only be a test, and a limited one at that. Google has talked repeatedly about sites having good site architecture in the past. This allows Google to more easily and quickly crawl sites.

Bing acknowledges this too. Rick DeJarnette of Bing Webmaster Center recently said, “You can have great content and a plethora of high quality inbound links from authority sites, but if your site’s structure is flawed or broken, then it will still not achieve the optimal page rank you desire from search engines.”

If Google does begin incorporating the breadcrumbs display, on a mainstream level, that will be all the more reason to clean your site architecture up, at least in the navigation area. Site architecture certainly goes beyond this, but it is a key part of usability anyway and one that we at NECSES Webdesign always take in to consideration when designing our clients web sites.

Is your website working for you or against you?

Written on July 24, 2009

Evaluating your current website in a recession can make you money

During an economic slowdown it’s essential that businesses maximise their sales and marketing potential as well as ensuring that expenditure is monitored closely.  Usually in a recession one of the first budgets to be cut is the marketing budget when, theoretically, that should be one of the budgets that is maintained or increased. The real question is, are your marketing tools effective?

In this digital age your website should be seen as the major advertising tool at your company’s disposal and ensuring your website works for your business is critical to the overall success and well being of the business. You should be asking yourself the following questions:

• Are customers finding our website? – If your website is not search engine optimised then potential customers may never find you. It’s no good thinking that because you have a website that you will come top of the search engine rankings – you have to make it easy for the search engines to find you and help you up the rankings
• Is our website putting people off buying our products or services? – It is important that your website’s information is up to date and it’s design is user-friendly.  If you have an outdated website, potential customers may be put off from doing business with you, as this is seen as a reflection of your company. A site that leads users down blind alleys can also be taking your customers away or leaving them frustrated. For these reasons, and others, it is best to keep your content fresh, check that your site is helping to sell your products and services and updated  at least every 2-3 years to ensure it stays modern looking
• Are we missing sales opportunities through our website? – An e-commerce site means that customers can buy your products 24/7 – not just during your opening hours – potentially increasing your sales with no extra drain on resources. Also, you could be missing out on advertising opportunities for companies you supply to, for instance. This could be a crucial revenue generator
• Am I spending excessive money on website maintenance? – In these tough times every penny counts. Having a built-in Content Management System on your website means you can update your site to reflect the current issues within your company – making it more relevant to your customers as well as being a cost saving
• Do we provide new services that aren’t detailed on our website? - It’s surprising how businesses change; new skills sets within the business, new business services and products provided, a change in focus of the company: all things that should be shown on your website. But not only for potential customers to read, for the search engines too, so your search engine optimisation needs to reflect these changes

At NECSES Webdesign we have solutions to all these questions, including content management systems that allow you to update the content of your website yourself, search engine optimisation services, web development services and unique web designs that reflect your company in the best possible light. So, give us a call at let us analyse your website and see where we can help make your business more profitable.

Creating ‘Sticky’ websites

Written on July 6, 2009

Tactics to draw people back to your website

One of the biggest measurements of a website’s success is the stickiness of its visitor base. Generally web masters would rather have 1,000 visitors who return regularly (they are “stuck to the site”) as opposed to 3,000 visitors who only visit once or twice. These days the web is massive, carving out a niche for your site and gaining a following within that niche is the key to success.

There are many reasons why you should try to make your website as sticky as possible. Visitors who return regularly are more likely to purchase some of your products or services. If you have a membership site, then retaining your member base is critical for growing your income and long term success. Also, a faithful following will encourage viral promotion of your site.

There are “three C’s” of stickiness to remember, and they are:

Content

Regardless of the site’s design, without good content, the visitor will not come back or stay at the site for more than a few minutes. “Content is King” is a cliché, but true. High quality content is far and away the most important factor in attracting people back to a Web site consistently, and keeping them there for more than a few minutes when they do visit. It is said, in fact, that content is what drives 75 percent of consumers to return to their favourite sites.

In addition to your site being content rich, try to also keep it fresh. At least part of your site will be regularly updated, preferably at least once a month. This is why web sites which resemble online brochures generally fail in the stickiness stakes. Delivering the same content in a blog, posted in instalments, can be much more effective. This will encourage users to come back regularly, as they check in to see what new content you’ve added lately. This is stickiness in a nutshell.

Community

When a site attracts enough visitors with similar interests it has the potential to develop into a “community.” That can be very powerful for the site owner. Providing message forums, chat rooms, podcasts, user profiles, blogs, etc. are all tools to allow your visitors to interact with both you and each other. This also makes your site VERY sticky if you are able to develop a thriving community.

Rather than visiting your site once a month people may begin to visit it multiple times a week. Having a thriving community can be viewed as developing a site which is constantly developing its own content. Rather than requiring you to spend hours developing content, you can instead monitor the postings on your site to ensure they retain the kind of atmosphere you want for your site. As time goes by you may also be able to appoint some of your more responsible members to monitoring positions to do this job for you as well.

Communication

Communication is equally important as content and community. Communication includes building and maintaining your list, reaching out to people on it and interacting with visitors to your site. Try to respond to any question, comments, or feedback you receive promptly. This builds relationships with your visitors and will keep them coming back.

One of the best ways to reach out to customers is to provide quality, free information. For example, if you run a site teaching presentation skills tips and tricks, after your visitors have seen your “foot in the door” content located on your “splash page,” provide them with a discount on the first lesson of your course in exchange for their name and email address. You benefit from this by having names to attach to the IP addresses of your visitors. This provides you with more information about who is being drawn into your site. It is also important you use a quality auto-responder for this step, as communication is a critical part of your site and must be handled professionally.

One last note on communication: Be sure to provide your name and contact information clearly throughout your site. It will frustrate and turn away visitors if they have a question or comment and cannot figure out how to reach you.

How can NECSES Webdesign help?

NECSES Webdesign provides solutions for our clients’ online needs. We help generate ‘sticky’ websites through the inclusion of Content Management Systems (CMS) with ALL our websites.

This allows businesses to keep their website fresh and up to date whenever they like and can include a host of features, including; Blogs, Photo Galleries, Testimonials, online Polls, Chat functions, etc, that allow businesses to develop close relationships with their customers, and potential customers. Our content rich, search engine friendly and flexible websites provide you with everything you need to build your business on-line and ensure you get full return on your investment.