Top 10 website musts for 2015

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Our very own Rob Finnie, regional director, looks at the top 10 website musts for 2015.

2014 was a shape shifter in digital marketing. If you’re in business in the UK – you can no longer afford to ignore online. In 2015, you may be taking your first steps to getting your business online or be ready to upgrade your site to take advantage of the seismic shift in online sales.

The top 10 things to consider when deciding what to prioritise in 2015:

1. Go Responsive

This is priority number one for any new web project. 2015 will see more visits to websites via mobile and tablet devices than via desktops as ‘m-commerce’ hits its stride. Your site needs to adapt, scale and reflow to suit the device it’s being viewed on – or you risk turning your clients and potential customers off.

 

2. Get it live

Don’t delay your launch while you deliberate over the content or the budget. Sure, it’s important for your site to say the right things, but you can refine and change what it says once it’s live. Getting some content in and getting it live so search engines can start trusting you, is a benefit.  If you don’t want to pay for it all at once, don’t. Most website developers will be happy to work to a ‘staged’ approach. Determine what is a ‘must have’ now and then plan what you think stage 2 or 3 might be.  Good websites are never finished. They are always growing and changing.

 

3. Check out the competition

Benchmarking yourself against your competition saves you time and cost. Check out how you measure up before building your own site. And don’t be blinded by beauty; a website which converts visitors to buyers has a perfect balance of content, function, navigation and good looks.

 

4. Plan your Customer journey – keep it simple

Keep prospects interested. Where do they want to go? What information do they need to take the next step? Plan their route through your website and lead them there. Only include relevant text, facts and imagery. Better still; watch a friend using your site. Ask them to find a specific product or information. You may be shocked at the results.

 

5. Include Calls-to-Action

If you’re creating a website to gather leads or interact with potential customers, make sure you’re clear on what you want your prospects to do. Calls to action help you monitor your conversion ratio. If you want them to contact you, show them how.

 

6. Get your site found online (SEO)

Content is king… and queen… and emperor too. Ensure your site has relevant text which includes your key words. There are many tools, to guide you through the ‘on-site’ requirements to help your site rank well. Do it yourself, or get your agency to do it for you. Keep content concise and write for humans, not machines.

 

7. Blog, and keep blogging

Not only does it make Google happy, but it’s also a way to connect with your audience, state your views and keep prospects up to date on your activities and services. Link in your social media – the more connected you are the, wider your reach.

 

8. Don’t assume instant traction

Your site is live; it looks great, the message is clear – but that doesn’t mean people are going to find it. The design, build and launch are just the beginning. Plan how you are going to market your new site both online and offline. Get the message out via direct mail and leaflets as well as SEO.

 

9. Ask for feedback

Canvas opinion of how your site works. Is the site portraying the right message, is it guiding prospects to take action with you? If it isn’t, change it. Test it. Monitor the analytics and make regular tweaks and changes to improve the customer experience.

 

10. Think ahead and maintain

Ensure your site is built on strong foundations so it can grow with your business. You don’t want to have to start again and pay again just to add that feature you like. Don’t sit back and think ‘job done’. The best websites evolve and are updated regularly. Plan your next steps.
www.nettl.com are offering £500,000 of web development grants to SMEs to help them get online in 2015. www.nettl.com is supporting small businesses with a free one-hour consultation for UK small businesses including a £500 grant for a Nettl :Commerce online web shop. Contact your local Nettl studio in Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin and London or for more details, see ww.nettl.com.

 

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Small business missed out on £1.5bn of online sales

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Last weekend saw an entire four day weekend of phenomenal sales in the UK. However many small businesses were not prepared for the online spending spree generated by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in figures released by the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills. 

2m small businesses missing out with online sales

The details outline that as many as 2m sole traders and small companies have missed out on the £1,530m of Cyber Weekend online sales.

Some of the biggest names in UK business saw unbelievable traffic and sales on their sites throughout the whole weekend. Online sales on Cyber Monday were an astonishing £720m, but that was trumped by £810m of online sales during Black Friday.

John Lewis noted that traffic on their site was up by 307% during a 6 hour period on Friday, and they were not alone. Many big name sites crashed due to the sheer number of customers trying to grab a bargain.

Take a look at some of the other highlights in the below graphic that we have commissioned.

small business missing online sales

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales saw a record £1.5bn in sales.

 

“More than half of consumers (55%) say they find it hard to support small local businesses that don’t have a website or are unable to take payments online”

Department Of Business, Innovation and Skills

Is your business missing online sales because your site isn’t up to scratch? It might be too late for you to benefit from Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2014, but with the growing trend in online sales, and the increase in mobile friendly shopping, preparing your website should be high on your agenda.

We can help ensure you’re ready for Cyber Monday next year (and all the Mondays in between). We make beautiful websites and web shops that work well on mobiles.  Talk to us, book your no obligation, free consultation today.

The RA, break wind embarrassing website fail

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Break wind follow through

Embarrassing website fail

Maybe your website isn’t as embarrassing as The RA, but how easy is it to navigate on your mobile? Do you need to pinch and zoom and pan and scale? If you do, then so do your visitors. And that’s awkward. It could be losing you business.

Take a look at your site now on your phone. Now look at your competitor’s. Is your site easy to navigate? Is theirs?

We crossed a tipping point last month. According to research from Capgemini, 52% of visits are now from mobiles or tablets. If your site isn’t built with mobile in mind, you risk turning away customers. With a Nettl :one site, get a website that works on mobile, tablet and desktop in one.

Nettl is now open in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin. We build elegant websites and webshops. Want to add online bookings or reservations? Or want to sell online? We can help. Pop-in or call us to book a free consultation and we’ll show you how to get started.

Final Free Font Friday (for now): Nettl Sans

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Today, is a sad day, because we’ve reached the final font in our Free Font Friday giveaway!

But, it’s also a good day, because we’ve saved the best free font for last! Nettl Sans is the Crown Jewels of our font collection. We loved it so much, we decided it should have a catchy name that everyone will remember!

Use Nettl Sans however you’d like, it’s completely free of charge and can be used for your in-house stuff as well as for clients commercial work.

Free download Nettl Sans

Give it a download and try, you know you want to! We’ve attached this brand new free font in OpenType (OTF) format for use on your Mac or PC as well as it also includes webfonts in TTF, SVG, EOT and WOFF formats, suitable for use on your website. We’re a little emotional our new font is ready to be released into the wild, but you can help make it easier for us by sharing this with your friends, family and countrymen on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus or whatever. Nettl Sans is yours to use however you like. So feel free to pop it on a poster, lay it out on a leaflet, drop it on a door hanger or erm… wow with it on a website for yourself or a client. It’s free… forever.

Free Font Friday - Nettl Sans

Free Font Friday – Nettl Sans

We like to do this sort of thing for our friends, we’re nice like that. We also usually get the first round in the pub or offer to sing the first song at karaoke. So go on, use the free font Nettl Sans, and when you do, think of us.

This is the last free font for now, but we’ll be back with other free goodies soon!

Free download Nettl Sans

Nettl Sans is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution v3.0 Licence which allows you to use it for any purpose, even commercially.

James Lowes, Fanny the Penguin website fail

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Fanny the Penguin

Fanny the Penguin

Maybe your website isn’t as embarrassing as James Lowes, but how easy is it to navigate on your mobile? Do you need to pinch and zoom and pan and scale? If you do, then so do your visitors. And that’s awkward. It could be losing you business.

Take a look at your site now on your phone. Now look at your competitor’s. Is your site easy to navigate? Is theirs?

We crossed a tipping point last month. According to research from Capgemini, 52% of visits are now from mobiles or tablets. If your site isn’t built with mobile in mind, you risk turning away customers. With a Nettl :one site, get a website that works on mobile, tablet and desktop in one.

Nettl is now open in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin. We build elegant websites and webshops. Want to add online bookings or reservations? Or want to sell online? We can help. Pop-in or call us to book a free consultation and we’ll show you how to get started.

Free font friday: Cloud Control

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Wow, is it Friday already?

Well that can mean only one thing. We’re giving away another font for you to use on desktop and web, completely free of charge.

Free download Cloud Control

By downloading the above link, you’re treating yourself to a new font in OpenType (OTF) format for use on your Mac or PC. It also includes webfonts in TTF, SVG, EOT and WOFF formats, suitable for use on your website. Before you say it, we know, we are too kind.

Cloud Control is yours to use however you like. So feel free to pop it on a leaflet, online or for your clients new company. It’s free… forever.

You lucky, lucky things. Take a look at what you’re treating yourself to.

Cloud Control free print and web font

Cloud Control free print and web font

 

Don’t thank us, pay it forward!

Nettl web studios

Free download Cloud Control

 

Cloud Control is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution v3.0 Licence which allows you to use it for any purpose, even commercially.

Free font friday: I Shot the Serif

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Happy Hallowe’en!

There’s no trick here, just a massive treat to all our friends. We’ve commissioned a new font which is available for both desktop use and online as a web font.

Free download I Shot the Serif

The attached ZIP includes the font in OpenType (OTF) format for use on your Mac or PC. It also includes webfonts in TTF, SVG, EOT and WOFF formats, suitable for use on your website.

Use I Shot the Serif however you like. Use it on posters, on your blog, for your brand or even commercially for clients. It’s free forever.

Here’s a preview of the character set, which is particularly great for display purposes.

I shot the serif free web fonts

I shot the serif free web fonts

 

You’re welcome!

Nettl web studios

Free download I Shot the Serif

 

I Shot the Serif is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution v3.0 Licence which allows you to use it for any purpose, even commercially.

Witcham Bakery website fail

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Witcham Bakery Embarrassing Website Fail

Witcham Bakery Embarrassing Website Fail

Oh dear, Witcham Bakery. They just wanted to flog their finger buns and donuts and they’ve gone and made a ghoulish error.

Does your website let you down as badly as theirs? Probably not. But how does it look on your mobile phone? Take a look now. Does it all reflow and rearrange itself, so the text is nice and readable and the images fit the page? Or do you need to zoom in to read it, then pan left and right? If so, then that’s awkward for your visitors and you could be turning them off.

According to a survey last month by Capgemini, we’ve crossed a tipping point. Most visitors are now coming to websites on their mobile phone or tablet. If your website isn’t built with mobile in mind, you risk losing business. With a Nettl :one site, get a website that works on mobile, tablet and desktop in one. Until 28/11/14, save £300 on a Nettl :one site – they start at just £699 £999 or £69 a month (with a 12 month subscription). You’ll get a content management system built in, so you can make changes to text and images without needing to get us involved.

Nettl have web studios in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin. We’d love to work on your next website or web shop. Maybe you want to add online bookings or reservations? Or maybe you would like to sell online and connect your website with your instore EPOS system? We can help. Pop-in or call us to book a free consultation and we’ll talk about the fastest ways to get going.

Happy Hallowe’en!

Snog Gran Videos, website fail

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Snog Gran Videos, embarrassing website fail from nettl.com

Snog Gran Videos, embarrassing website fail from nettl.com

Poor Snogans & Sons. They just wanted to sell grand pianos and organs, but their website is secretly embarrassing them on mobiles.

How does your website look on your mobile phone? Have a look now. Does the text and images scale to fit, or do you need to zoom in to read it, then pan left and right? If so, then that’s awkward for your visitors and you could be turning them off.

According to a survey last month by Capgemini, we’ve crossed a tipping point. Most visitors are now coming to websites on their mobile phone or tablet. If your website isn’t built with mobile in mind, you risk losing business. With a Nettl :one site, get a website that works on mobile, tablet and desktop in one. Until 28/11/14, save £300 on a Nettl :one site – they start at just £699 £999 or £69 a month (with a 12 month subscription). You’ll get a content management system built in, so you can make changes to text and images without needing to get us involved.

Nettl have web studios in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin. We’d love to talk about how we can work on your next website or web shop. Maybe you want to add online bookings or reservations? Or maybe you would like to sell online and connect your website with your EPOS system? We can help. Pop-in or call us to book a free consultation and we’ll talk about the fastest ways to get going.

Another dumb ass website fail

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Website fail

Dumbarton Mutual Asset Management website fail

Ok so maybe your website is not quite as embarrassing as Dumbarton Mutual, but how easy is it to navigate on a mobile? Do you need to pinch and zoom and pan and scale?

Most visitors to websites are now coming on mobile or tablet devices. That’s according to research by Capgemini.  If your website isn’t built with mobile in mind, you risk turning away customers. With a Nettl :one site, get a website that works on mobile, tablet and desktop in one. Until 28/11/14, save £300 on a Nettl :one site – they start at just £699 £999 or £69 a month (with a 12 month subscription).

Nettl is now open in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin. We build elegant websites and webshops. Want to add online bookings or reservations? Or want to sell online? We can help. Pop-in or call us to book a free consultation and we’ll show you how to get started.