So, you’ve decided you need a website. The only thing is you’re not really sure what you need, how much to budget for or how to get the best from your website. Perhaps you are looking to upgrade or revamp your current website, but you’re not really sure how to get the best returns from your investment.
The good news is you’ve come to the right place! Here at Phuse Media, we offer professional and bespoke website design that will suit the needs of your organisation and your target audience. In short, we give you all the services you need under one roof and the expertise that will ensure you get the best from your website.
Let’s take a look at the more important website considerations and why you can’t afford to ignore them.
This is possibly the most important question and one to get right before you part with any money. Do you really need a website. The answer, for most people looking to make an impression and a profit, is an unequivocal "yes”. A website is going to get your brand or message out to the people that need to see it, enhance your reputation, make you money (if you’re in it for the profits) and give you an online presence - essential in the 21st Century.
The most important thing is to choose a web design agency that understands your needs and goals, and who can establish exactly what you need your website to do, both now and in the future. What you’re looking for here is to get the best return on your investment - when you do you’ll find your website pays for itself in no time at all.
Do you already have branding? Perhaps this is something you also need assistance with. Either way, a good logo and quality branding will help you to stand head and shoulders above your competitors and make it easy for your target audience to find and recognise you. We offer a range of graphic design and branding packages for both online and print use and would be delighted to sit down with you to work through some branding ideas.
We’ve seen some shocking websites in our time. You know the ones - where you’re not really sure what you’re supposed to do when you get there, or which are so awful you leave immediately. First impressions are everything and it’s important to get the look, feel and navigation just right. We’ll work closely with you to find out what you like and what you don’t like so that we can ensure your website attracts and engages visitors the moment they arrive.
It’s true - the content on your website is one of the most important considerations. Not only is it important for telling your story, persuading and engaging. It’s also important for the search engines and helps Google (other search engines are available) to rank your site and include it in relevant site matches. Adding a blog to your website is a great way to communicate with your visitors and boost the content on your website, see our article 'The benefits of website blog' for more information and tips.
We build SEO (search engine optimisation) into your site right from the start. Why is that important? Well, without it your potential customers or visitors will not be able to find you. By optimising every page on your site, we get you listed higher in search engine results and make your site visible to people actively searching for your services.
Do you have a range of products you need to sell online? An eCommerce website is a fantastic way to showcase each products, ensure easy and efficient checkout and help you keep track of your stock levels and sales. We’ll include everything for you including a robust eCommerce platform that is easy for you to update yourself, shopping cart functionality and integration with third party online payment services such as PayPal and credit cards.
Images are almost always essential on a website. Whether they are used to make the website visually appealing or to describe a product, images need to be high quality and used effectively. We can handle everything from using your own images to designing or locating the right stock images for your website.
Before we can write a single line of code or publish a single word, you’ll need to choose a domain name. We can help you with registering your domain name and everything required with domain administration.
Your website needs to be available 24/7, easy to administer and backed up. This is where our hosting services come into play. We will host your entire website on our servers making it easily accessible around the clock for your visitors. Our hosting packages are affordable and our servers some of the most reliable and secure in the industry.
We work closely with our clients so that we understand the time constraints they are under to get their website completed. Because we offer a wide range of services under one roof it means we can deliver outstanding continuity and give you a solid launch date. We can also often make ad hoc changes on the fly as and when needed, and give you the training so that you can make these changes yourself if you wish.
Of course, our services don’t come for free, but we are always very honest and transparent with our pricing. We know you are looking to get the best return on your investment and this is our goal too. All projects are priced on an individual basis and we would be delighted to put together a cost effective quote for you today.
A website is the best way to get noticed online and to ensure you reach your target audience. Most consumers today expect the brands they deal with to have a website, and it’s a great way to build trust and attract and retain customers and followers. Get in touch with our web design team now to find out more about getting the most from our website design services.
See our guide on how to write a good web design brief
There was a time when Facebook was used as a personal social communication platform. Now, it is being used by businesses everywhere to build communities of brand advocates who do a lot of their marketing for them...and for free! When you build a community online and keep your followers happy and engaged, they will shout from the rooftops about their positive experiences with your business, share your posts, like your pages and posts and really help to boost your online reputation.
Click here to register with Facebook and create an account.
Have you ever visited a Facebook business page only to find the owner hasn’t updated the page in months, or even years? Is the business still in operation? Is anybody visiting the page? Do they care about their business or their customers? This is a common problem on Facebook and one that could be losing those businesses valuable customers. By posting engaging, relevant and preferably, sharable content, you can keep your business in front of your Facebook audience and have a good chance of reaching out to new followers too. Think about the posts your followers might like to see. Advice on how to do something, competitions, interesting news, discount codes and special offers are just some of the posts you might like to include on your Facebook page. Always think about sharability and whether your audience would be likely to share your posts with other people.
When setting up or updating your Facebook page, try to view it as an extension of your website, if you have one. Many people forget to complete their Facebook profile properly and leave out important information like the services or products they offer, where they are based or their website address. You can include many of these details in the ‘About’ section, and Facebook also allows you to create your own additional pages. There is even the facility to create a storefront where you can showcase your products and services. Take a look at some of the big brand Facebook pages for inspiration and to see how they attract more business to their pages.
Written content is great, but images and video will really bring that content to life. Whether you are linking to a post on your blog, asking for customer feedback, announcing a special offer or promoting a product, images and video will really grab the viewer’s attention. Research has shown that including images in a Facebook post can generate as many as 52% more likes than a post that consists of text. This is great news for your brand exposure as those likes will appear on every liker’s timeline. You might even want to consider hiring a video production or design team to create some branded images and video for you. This is an investment that could go on generating revenue for you for many years.
Want to know what your followers really think about your business? Want to know what they had for breakfast this morning, or what car they drive? Polls are a great way to obtain feedback from your followers - feedback that could help you tailor your services to suit their needs or release offers they would be interested in receiving. Polls get people thinking and talking, and the best thing is that they only need to click a button in order to give their opinion - that’s convenient for them and a quick win for you. Facebook makes polls very easy to set up and they could be just the thing your business needs to meet your customers’ expectations.
Everybody loves a competition, especially if there is a prize to be won or the promise of their name up in lights if they win. Caption competitions on Facebook are very popular and for good reason. These really get people talking and interacting and they could work wonders for your brand.
Here are some other ways you can interact with your followers:
You can also read our article on how to promote your business through Twitter.
Phuse offer a wide range of Web Design services, contact us on 01702 482011 or email us for more information.
We have just completed a bespoke new website design project for TicketPlan.
TicketPlan provide insurance cover to ticketing agents, venues and locations across the UK and are based in Leigh on Sea in Essex.
This bespoke development involved creating a bespoke content managed claim system manager that allows TicketPlan to receive and process all claims through the online admin interface.
Phuse have been working with us recently on a new project. They took time to establish exactly what was needed and designed and implemented an excellent solution well within the rather demanding timescales that had been set.
They were professional, efficient and a pleasure to deal with. We would have no hesitation in recommending their services.
Graham Berg ACII, Managing Director TicketPlan Ltd
Phuse have recently completed a rebrand of Trust Links a wellbeing and mental health charity based in Southend.
Through therapeutic gardening, Trust Links aim to nurture the wellbeing of their members, improve mental health and provide access to new skills in horticulture leading to job opportunities and build strong community links.
Phuse were asked to produce a new logo and brand for Trust Links. The chosen logo uses a stylised leaf graphic and warm vibrant, earthy colours to give an uplifting positive feel to the brand.
The logo was developed on to business cards and leaflets as well as a variety of merchandise including; pens, mugs, heats and jackets.
Phuse also designed and developed the Trust Links website, which can be seen below. The site is content managed and is fully responsive for all mobile devices. You can view the website here www.trustlinks.org
Twitter is a great way to promote your business and it's amazing how effective a tweet can be for exposing your brand and attracting more followers. You might only have 140 characters to work with, but this shouldn't limit your creativity or marketing ideas. Here are some ways you can really make Twitter work for you in 2015 and beyond.
Click here to register with Twitter and create an account.
When you tweet regularly, you show that your business is active and healthy. A stagnant Twitter account is one that will go unnoticed and which won't do your online reputation any favours. The thing to remember about Twitter is that it is fast moving and you only have a short time frame in which to engage with your target audience before they are distracted by the next tweet in their feed.
Here are some interesting figures: The average lifespan of a blog post is 2-3 years, the average lifespan of a Facebook post is 3 hours and the average lifespan for a tweet is around 2 hours, but it's probably closer to a few minutes depending on how many people your followers are following.
With this in mind, keep tweets to the point, relevant and keep them regularly updated. Link back to your website, link back to other relevant sites that you think your audience may be interested in or simply post photos and videos. Twitter is also a great place to announce special offers as these can usually be showcased in 140 characters or less.
You can often reuse the same tweet as not all your followers will see it the first time. Using a service like Hootsuite is a great way to schedule your posts for the coming week and it can also be used to manage all your social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn.
Your Twitter account might be the first contact people have with your business, so make that first impression count. Keep your Twitter bio updated with your company details, your contact information, relevant information about your brand, products and services, and any other information you feel might be relevant. You can also update your profile description with interesting info about your business and really give your company some personality and identity. Another great way to add personality and make your account stand out is to brand your Twitter account as much as possible. Use your branding colours, logos and taglines where possible to make it clear to followers and potential followers who you are.
Can't think of anything to tweet today? Like what you see on another Twitter feed? Retweet it! If it's relevant to your brand, products or services, retweeting an engaging comment or photo is a great way to keep your Twitter feed fresh and also to build relationships and kudos with other like minded people within your industry. You should also aim to encourage others to retweet your content. This is a great way of extending your reach beyond your own Twitter community and attracting more business. If anybody retweets your posts, and especially potential customers or existing customers, make a point to thank them personally. By posting your own tweets and retweeting good quality tweets from others, you will start to become an expert in your industry and one that is more likely to attract more attention from potential leads.
Hashtags are a great way to decipher what is hot right now, and also what is not. There are many websites that can show you which hashtags are the most popular and which might be relevant to your brand. By posting relevant posts to hashtags, you can reach out to those who are interested in that particular trend right now, or who might be more receptive to hearing from you. Just keep in mind that hashtag popularity can change like the wind and that it is a good idea to keep checking hashtag trending websites for the latest news. If you can't find any relevant hashtags, why not start your own? Every hashtag starts somewhere, and you might just create the next big trend!
Okay, so you only have 140 characters to play with. Sometimes, this can be a challenge. Why not use video or images instead or in combination with text? This type of media is a great way to add colour and interest to your Twitter feed and could work wonders where exposure is concerned. A funny pic of the day, a caption competition or an instructional video are all great ways to get noticed, and encourage those all important retweets. Research has also shown that photos and video could encourage three to four more clicks on your Twitter account than a text-based tweet.
You can also read our article on how to promote your business through Facebook.
Phuse offer a wide range of Web Design services, contact us on 01702 482011 or email us for more information.
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