Phuse media 10 years in business
01702 482011
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By Matt Gates on 01/09/16 | Category - Web Design

We think Southend-on-Sea is a brilliant place to live and work. As a small business we offer our Web Design services to companies based in and around Southend as well as throughout Essex and beyond.

Website Design In Southend

We have put together a dedicated page to promote our services to companies and individuals in Southend, called Web Design Southend it lists all our great website design services including; Bespoke Web Design, Ecommerce Websites, SEO, Domain Hosting as well as Website & Email Hosting.

When it comes to marketing your business in Southend, a well planned and informative website speaks volumes. At Phuse Web Design we understand the key attributes that make up a successful website and we work closely with our clients to understand their needs and future business goals.

Once the website is live our role doesn’t stop there, we are always on hand to provide ongoing advice and support to our clients and help them grow their website and their business.

To find out more visit our Website Design Southend page or call us on 01702 482011

By Matt Gates on 30/08/16 | Category - Video Production

We have just completed a new website and promotional video for Vantage Pay.

Working closely with the client we planned and designed a promotional video to highlight and quickly communicate the services that Vantage can offer.

Vantage from Phuse Media on Vimeo.

Video is a great way quickly and efficiently communicate your services to your clients. Visit our video marketing services page to find out more about what we can offer your business.

 

By Matt Gates on 18/03/16 | Category - Web Design

Quality is at the heart of everything we do here at Phuse Media, which is why we take the web design brief phase of your project very seriously. Not only does a good brief help us to plan and deliver your project on time and to your exact specification, but it also ensures you get the best return on your investment in digital marketing.

One of the most common problems our customers face is that they don’t always know what they want, especially if they have never used web design services before. That’s where our expertise comes in and we are always on hand to offer advice and expertise.

It’s really important that this stage of the project is handled in the right way, and so we thought we’d put together some of the key criteria we discuss when devising a design brief with our clients. Of course, these guidelines isn’t set in stone and we offer a complete bespoke service tailored to your exact requirements.

How to write a good web design brief

Let’s talk money

Before we work through your brief with you, it’s good for us to get an idea of the budget you have in mind. We offer a number of fixed price packages, but we also offer bespoke web design services too. By discussing your needs and goals, we can help you to choose the best solution to suit your needs and your budget so that you get an outstanding website for a price you can afford. We’re always open and honest about our pricing and we think you will be delighted with the quote we give you.

It’s all about the user experience

Your website is often the first interaction your potential customers will have with your brand. When it’s so important to make a first impression you need to ensure your website gives your users the best experience. Very often, a client will build a website to suit their needs, but how often do they visit or use their own website? Hardly ever. Instead, try putting yourself in the shoes of your potential visitors and imagining what they expect to gain from your website.

Here are just some of the ways you can ensure a pleasant and worthwhile user experience:

  • Impressive visuals and clear branding
  • Easy and intuitive navigation
  • Engaging content
  • Quick and secure check out
  • Beautifully presented products and clear services
  • Direct and honest sales messages and call to action buttons
  • Clear ways to get in touch

These are just some of the ways you can enhance the user experience, and we can give you all the advice and support you need to ensure your website is a success. Take a look at our Web Design Portfolio to see what we can do for you.

Seen something you like?

If you’ve been blown away by somebody’s website or have a clear idea in mind, tell us! This is music to our ears and gives us a clear understanding of what you are hoping to achieve with your website. You can also take a look at our portfolio to see what we can do for you on a bespoke level, and we have a large selection of templates that we can also show you for inspiration.

Do it yourself or hand over the reins?

When it comes to updating content or functionality of your website, think about how you would like to arrange this. Would you like to update your website yourself, or hand the reins over to us? If you’d rather focus on your core business and let us handle your website updates we would be delighted to assist.

Time constraints

An important part of your brief relates to timings. Whether you need your existing website revamped or you have a new product that you need to promote, we will work closely with you to ensure timely delivery. We’ll always be clear on when milestones will be delivered and we’ll keep you informed every step of the way.

Getting it right first time

The main purpose of a good website design brief is that everybody knows where they stand. We get to understand your requirements, and you get peace of mind that we understand your requirements. Getting everything down on paper and signed off covers everybody’s corner and ensures your project is delivered on time, on budget and on specification.

Ready to get started? So are we! Get in touch with our friendly and helpful team now to tell us what you have in mind or to tap into our expertise for inspiration.

Related articles

 

Find out more on how to promote your website by reading our blog articles 'How to promote your business through Facebook' and 'The 12 website essentials you can’t do without'.

By Matt Gates on 17/03/16 | Category - Web Design

Not using a business blog yet? This might change your mind! 

It’s amazing how many customers we speak to who don’t yet have a blog on their website, or who think blogging is a waste of time. They soon come around once we show them the benefits of the regular written word!

Hey, we know you’re busy. You don’t have time to write a blog, right? There’s the phone to answer, admin to deal with, orders to get out and bookings to take care of. We get it, and that’s why we are here to bring you all the great benefits of a blog without you getting b(l)ogged down in the detail.

Let’s take a look at some of those benefits, and how a blog could be one of the most productive and profitable things you do for your business or organisation.

The benefits of a website blog

It’s a great way to connect

If you own a business, a blog is a great way to connect with your visitors and customers on a personal level. Forget cold calling, impersonal tweets or stuffy networking events. Blogging is down-to-earth, easily accessible and engaging and it’s a great way of keeping your followers in the loop. Whether you’ve just launched a new product or you want to shout about an award you’ve just won, your blog is the perfect platform. What’s more, you can share your blogs with a single click across all of your social media channels.

It keeps content fresh - great for your audience and the search engines

Stale content could be the death of your website, or at least from the perspective of attracting and engaging visitors. When you keep your website regularly updated with useful information, you show you are about your brand, your visitors and giving something away that is of use to them.

In addition to entertaining your visitors, regular content also feeds the search engines helping to boost your search engine rankings.

Blogging instead of spamming

Most people hate spam email. It interrupts their workflow, clogs up their mailboxes and is generally a pain to deal with. A blog post on the other hand is unobtrusive, ready to be read when there is time and will actually save YOU time and money in the long run. You only have to post your blog to one place and it can be easily shared across your social media channels. People are much more receptive to a message if they believe it was their idea to view it.

Give them the soft sell

Nobody wants to read a blatant sales pitch, but if you write your blog in a clever manner (we’re great at that by the way!), you can persuade your readers without them realising. For example, you might want to offer them free advice about something that you have to offer, or give them an interesting top 10 list of facts. Don’t forget to include a small and unassuming call to action button somewhere on your page to drum up business from your post.

It’s great advertising and often for free!

If you’re using social media and a blog together, you could save on your marketing costs significantly. Why? Well, when you write a great blog post and it’s worthy of being shared, your social media communities will be happy to do that for you - for free! Imagine having your blog and subsequently your website visited by more people than you ever imagined. This is a real possibility when you use a blog to your advantage.

Convinced? Let us take the reins

So, still thinking you don’t have time for all this, but that you’d like to give it a try? Get in touch. We can give you a cost effective quote for building a simple blog page and arranging regular blog posts that will engage and persuade your target audience.

You can also take a look at our Web Design Portfolio to see the kind of website that we could build for you.

By Matt Gates on 13/03/16 | Category - Web Design

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.

The 12 website essentials you can’t do without

Why do you need a website?

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.

It’s all about the branding

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.

Making it user friendly

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.

Content is king

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.

Search Engine Optimisation

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.

Need an E-commerce site?

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.

Every picture tells a story…

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.

Choosing the right domain name

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.

Website hosting

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.

Timescales

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.

Working to your budget

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.

Need a website? Let’s talk!

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

By Matt Gates on 11/03/16 | Category - Social Media Marketing

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.

Promote your business using facebook

The number one rule of promoting your business on Facebook - post regularly

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.

Optimise your Facebook profile and include as much information as possible

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.

Use images and videos to attract more attention

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.

Get valuable feedback by using a poll

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.

"Caption this” and other competitions

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:

  • Ask for solutions to a common problem. This might be a household problem or a technical problem. People love to share their knowledge and a question of this nature can really generate some lively debate - all good exposure for your brand!
  • Run a photo competition. Ask followers to post a photo relating to a particular theme. This could be a photo of their pimped up car, an image of their favourite recipe or their latest DIY project. Anything goes! Well, within the boundaries of Facebook rules, that is!
  • A simple prize draw - This is easy. Simply ask people to like or share your post for the chance to be in with winning a prize.

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.

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