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Priceless Cinema is a portal for all of MasterCard movie related offers and promotions. Our development team and in-house designers worked together to build the Website Development which we managed to go live in just 12 days. Search Engine Optimisation has been built into the site for the large amounts of traffic that you’d expect on such a high profile site. We are also working on an Email Marketing Campaign for Priceless Cinema.
We have recently launched The Crossroads Project new website.
We were approached by the Committee in January to plan a new and modern replacement to the old website. After meeting with the Committee we were able to develop a new website that promoted the Needs of the Charity. Our main aim was to build a site that was really simple for the volunteers to work with so that they can upload their latest news and images onto the site. (more…)
So, you’ve designed and built a visually attractive website, uploaded the client’s content and you’re about to turn it over to the client to maintain themselves. You’ve used the latest in CSS to create a fantastic look and feel for the site, and you intend to add this site to your portfolio as a showpiece. The client is thrilled with how the site looks, and can’t wait to start search engine marketing or pay-per-click campaigns to get the traffic coming in.
Hold on just one moment… how much does your client know about CSS – and how long is the site content going to retain the look and feel they’re so pleased with if they’re not confident with HTML?
It’s probably a word you haven’t heard since writing essays in school, when your instructors told you that any evidence of it could result in a failing grade. But copyright is something to be aware of when creating content for websites and social media campaigns – whether that be asking whether you are legally allowed to use a photograph, a page of text or an idea… or determining whether someone else is entitled to use content you or your clients have created.
If you have a website that was built a few years ago, you might be thinking about updating or replacing it. Browsers have changed, with the introduction of new options like Google Chrome – and the coding standards are slowly shifting towards the use of HTML 5 and CSS 3. These things can affect how an older website is shown to your users, and as markets change, it makes sense to review your site and see if it’s time to replace it. But why is it so difficult for site owners to justify rebuilding a website from the ground up?
What do you look for in a CMS? At WSI in Holmfirth we’ve tested a huge range over the years. Some of them impressed us, some of them were never spoken of again! We’ve used all of the systems available inside the WSI marketplace and a lot of popular open-source alternatives, but we’ve never found that perfect mix of features, flexibility and simplicity.
Help us to build your dream CMS! We’re working on our own system and we’d like to make it available for all of you to offer to your clients. What do you love or hate about existing systems? What’s the one feature that you’ve always wanted? Let us know and we’ll do our best to make it happen.<!–more–>
Using an off-the-shelf CMS has many advantages; they usually allow you to deploy a site quickly at low cost. Many of them also have an active development community, meaning you have access to custom “modules” and additional functionality. The trade-off is that all of this comes at the expense of flexibility and usability. You no longer have the same level of control over your site’s processes and appearance as you would with a bespoke build.
Our aim is to build a system which allows us to create a bespoke quality site, with the cost and delivery time of an off-the-shelf product.
Our in-house designers and developers created our first system from the ground up about 18 months ago. It was basic but was built on the principles of speed, security and simplicity for the user. These fundamentals have been paramount since then as we’ve built in features and slowly increased the systems capabilities.
When we make the system available to other ICs we’re hoping to have the following features available as standard:
We’ve spent a lot of time ensuring that the user interface for the back-office is as clean and easy to use as possible. Here’s a quick preview of the current build:
We’re going to continue getting our system ready and want it to be as useful for you as it has been for us. Tell us what you like or dislike the most about the systems you are using at the moment. Tell us what your dream feature would be. What’s the one thing that your last client asked for that you weren’t able to deliver?
We want to hear it all no matter how big or small the feature! Leave a comment below or email dan@wsi-ebizsolutions.biz directly.
Gone are the days when Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was the only viable browser program available for surfing the web. In 2001 Internet Explorer boasted a massive 96% market share; today, however, it’s more around 70% and falling.
Microsoft has been slowly losing the web browser war to newer, more user-friendly web-browser programs such as Firefox, Safari, the new Google Chrome and more. A few months ago, in an effort to improve its position, Microsoft launched the latest version of Internet Explorer.<!–more–>
The new, improved Internet Explorer 8
The introduction of tabbed browsing in Version 7 was a huge step forward from Internet Explorer 6, (although it was a long time after Firefox had tabbed browsing as standard). In Version 8 Microsoft seeks to build on this with some other useful features. These include:
Microsoft is calling Internet Explorer 8 its fastest browser, but in tests against its main competitors, Firefox and Chrome came out quicker.
What about the Competition?
If you haven’t used any of Internet Explorer’s competitors’ browsers, you may be denying yourself of a richer web-browsing experience. Here’s a round up of the top alternative browsers, together with some of their key features.
Firefox 3 – Mozilla’s Firefox web browser has the second-biggest market share after Explorer. The open- source browser’s main strength is the number of add-ons available to enhance your browsing experience. If you have ever thought of a nice function missing in your browser, you will probably find a Firefox add-on for it.
Opera 9 – The Opera browser doesn’t get as much publicity as some of its rivals, but it has been a reliable and innovative option for a long time. Some key features include an integrated email client and news reader, excellent file download tools, wide-screen monitor support and the ability to synchronise your favourites over the web. Coming soon, Opera Turbo is anticipated to take surfing speeds to a higher level.
Google Chrome – The Google browser has made huge inroads into the web-browsing arena. Chrome has a sleek, minimalist design, which maximises the viewing window. It’s early days for this browser, so we can expect more features to be added with updated versions. The lack of tools in comparison to its rivals is not all bad though, as the flip side means it opens and renders web pages quicker.
Safari – The Safari web browser is the default web browser on Apple Macs. Recently, Apple extended the browser’s reach by making a PC version available. As you would expect from Apple, the browser is fast, looks great, and adopts the now familiar iPod thumbnail image Cover Flow view.
Other browsers include Flock, Lunascape, Maxthon, Songbird and more, each sporting unique features and tools that appeal to surfers’ niche interests and business processes.
What it Means for Your Website
An increasing number of web-browser options is good for end-users (no one likes a monopoly), but be sure to check that your website presents correctly in each rendering engine.
There is absolutely no doubt how internet uptake continues to grow, with mainstream media using the web to play a more active role in engaging their audiences. In April Oprah did a Twitter feature, then opened her own Twitter account. The response: over 945,000 followers at the time of writing this article.
So, what does this mean for SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in a recession? One clear message is that consumers (and businesses) are becoming more comfortable and willing to find, form and maintain new relationships online. With this in mind, is your online strategy up to scratch?<!–more–>
Creating a Winning Web Strategy
The maxim ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail’ can be applied to your online business presence. Time spent preparing an online strategy for your business is time well spent, and essential for the long term success of your website.
Every website plan will look different. Each plan will be customised to complement various staff and customer requirements, as well as to fulfil marketing goals. Whatever your needs, here are some factors to consider when preparing your web strategy:
1. Short- and Long-Term Objectives
Instead of regarding your website as an online brochure, unlikely to change until the next round of updates to your marketing materials, consider it as an opportunity to increase sales and cut costs. Ask yourself: ‘What do I want my website to achieve in the next few years?’ As well as asking: ‘What you want your website to achieve now?’
The web can be used to accomplish many different things, such as to create leads, train staff, provide online customer support, magnify your marketing messages, complement your sales processes and cut down on travel expenses, to name a few.
2. Think Dialogue – Not Dormant
More UK internet users spent time on social networking websites in March than on e-commerce sites. While it’s too early to regard this as a trend, it does indicate the continued popularity of social media sites – and with it, the expectancy of participating in an online dialogue.
Include plans to make your website engaging by keeping it fresh and interactive. Modern media tools such as a blog (web log) provide an excellent way to publish new content instantly on your website. Keeping your website regularly updated gives your business a progressive feel and can help attract search traffic.
3. Web Marketing is a Must
No web strategy is complete without an online marketing plan. Marketing your business over the internet doesn’t need to cost the earth; in fact, real savings can be made over offline advertising. Worthwhile activities would include:
Identifying how and where to attract your target audience – you want pre-qualified website visitors, not just lots of website traffic.
Adopt techniques to bring new customers to your site – this may include search marketing (paidand organic), banner ads, video ads, viral marketing and more.
Consider using email newsletter marketing as a means of keeping in touch with and engaging existing (and new) clients on an ongoing basis.
Use social media websites to genuinely connect with people who need your product.
A well-prepared marketing plan will enable you to reduce costs and help you effectively measure what is working for you.
4. Track, Test, Tweak
The web provides excellent tools for tracking your site activity; letting you identify where it’s coming from, what the most popular pages are, and the most popular path through your website, which translates into more sales and bigger profits.
The process of analysing the effectiveness of your online activities completes a good marketing plan, giving you the ability to identify what really works for you, and then to adapt your plan accordingly.
5. Expect to Evolve
The internet is not a static medium, so your web strategy shouldn’t be either. Be prepared to implement changes so you can respond to online trends from your target audience.
