Expert in your field? How do you go about positioning yourself as the go-to-guru? We’ve suggested 9 ways to get the ball rolling. Only 5 are correct. Can you pick the right ones?

Are you planning any outdoor events this summer? Get maximum exposure for your brand with low-cost outdoor displays. Our 52-page Outdoor Display Ideas Look Book has loads of ideas for this year’s summer season. Get your free copy now!

Nettl of Liverpool

On a regular basis here at Nettl of Liverpool, we’re still occasionally asked “what happened to Printing.com?” When you think about it, that’s kind of like asking “Where did Nettl of Liverpool come from?” Well, we’ll tell you!

nettl of Liverpool studio image

Our business originally started in Liverpool under the aforementioned name of Printing.com, which was back in 2005 and as a two-person operation. At that time, our business focused solely on printing and design, providing professional material with an emphasis on high quality and eye-catching imagery for businesses of all sizes and sectors.

Based on Dale Street, one of the busiest streets within Liverpool’s business district, Printing.com quickly became a success, and was one of the more recognisable offices that people would see travelling in and out of the city centre over the next few years. However, as the world of technology changed with the growing importance of the internet, we had to change too, and so our evolution entered a key stage in 2015.

That year, we changed our name to Nettl, incorporating the Printing.com title since print and design remained a key part of our business strategy. However, these services were joined by website design and web development, ensuring that we could cater to the many SMEs in and around the region who require a first-class functional website at an affordable price. This would also lend itself into similar web options such as ecommerce and online booking. This was a crucial time for us, as it allowed us to expand beyond our previous reach, as well as encountering new, exciting opportunities.

In February 2016, we added another service in the form of exhibition design, in particular fabric exhibition stands, which allows ambitious companies to make a bigger impact at networking events and business conferences. The increased range of services necessitated the growth of our team of experts, which now includes Peter (managing director), Thomas, Emma and Stephanie. We have now been around for twelve years, remaining at our prominent office on Dale Street, and it’s been a remarkable journey thus far.

So, for those who still ask us “What happened to Printing.com?”, the answer is: we evolved, and we became the larger, busier and more prominent Nettl. We still offer print and design, but we offer many other equally-vital services for businesses too. And whilst it’s been a great ride so far, we’re even more excited about what the future brings, as we look towards the next step in the evolution of Nettl!

As many as two million sole traders and small companies have missed out on £1.5bn of Cyber Weekend online sales* in the past week according to the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills. As a result, www.nettl.com are offering £50,000 of web development grants to 100 SMEs to help them get online. The £500 grants on offer are design to give smaller businesses the leg up they might need to start selling online.

www.nettl.com, the new high street design studio, is supporting small businesses with a free one-hour consultation for up to 100 local small businesses in Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin and London and a £500 grant off a Nettl:Commerce online web shop before 23rd December 2014.

Many of the UK’s small and medium sized companies have so far missed out on the cyber spending in December due to their lack of online presence, and according to the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills more than half of customers (55%) say they find it hard to support local businesses when they simply can’t find them online.

“Our clients tell us they know they need to sell online, but find it difficult knowing where to start. They hear about how expensive web development is and worry that they are going to get ripped off. It’s our mission to remove the black magic and mystery of ecommerce and help small businesses to just start selling online,” said Peter Gunning, CTO of Nettl.

“To show our support for SMEs, we’re offering any local business who signs up for a no-obligation consultation a £500 grant towards the cost of their web shop.”

“We’re so confident that our web shops will make a difference that we’ll even offer clients the option to pay their website over 12 months, so that with just a few orders, they can cover their costs.

“Championing small businesses is at the heart of Nettl’s ethos.”

If you are a small business in Manchester, Birmingham, London or Dublin, visit www.nettl.com to find your local studio and reference the £500 grants on offer.

small business missing online sales

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

*Black Friday online sales calculated at £810m, Cyber Monday online sales £720m according to Department of Business, Innovation & Skills

We’re here people, the penultimate font of our Free Font Friday.

Next week is something really special that we can’t wait to give away, but we must! So as to not leave you disappointed, we’ve cooked up this snazzy little number. SciFly is great for a multitude of different uses.

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.

 

sci

Don’t thank us, pay it forward! Nettl web studios

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

According to figures released by IMRG and Capgemini, September this year was the point when more websites were visited on mobiles than using desktops.

The data shows 52% of all traffic to the retail sector came from Smartphones and tablets, meaning that its more important than ever to make sure your businesses website adapts for mobile use.

badminton-scuba

Wow, that’s an embarrassing website.

Is your website letting you down by not adapting for all types of viewing media? At Nettl, we make all our websites mobile or ‘responsive’ first, so you’ll never be left embarrassed by how your site views on a Smartphone or tablet.

We have studios in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin, so get in touch with your nearest studio to arrange a free 1 hour consultation on your site. So why not make sure your site is a mobile website and not an eyesore.

damsons_mobile_ready_site

Mobile ready websites!

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.