Everything else - Archive
A recent big success at B Websites has been the website revamp for fluentintuition – a local language training facility based in Woking.
fluentintuition is run by the amazingly focussed Nikki Oliver Pentucci who came to us after being recommended by the equally amazing Caroline Arthur for whom we created a website last year. fluentintuition provide a range of innovative language learning courses and experiences, such as book clubs, cookery classes as well as the more traditional training.
The branding was already in place so our brief was to reuse the company colours to create a new accessible and easy to use website with 50+ pages and on-line booking system.
The entire website had to be planned from the ground up. Part of the challenge was that we had just 3 weeks to plan, design and build the site since it needed to be ready for the September term and to top it all Nikki was to take a (well deserved) holiday half way through our development time.
In terms of the back end and user experience we included a massive list of features:
- 50 + pages all with their own custom banner
- Tweet this, send to friend, bookmark this
- Print button with print friendly version
- Facility to upload and store 100′s + PDF downloads
- E-commerce to allow visitors to book and pay for courses online
- Secure area for fluent training materials
- Newsletter sign up
- Easy to use navigation (so no drop downs!) which includes a breadcrumb (the “you are here” but at the bottom of the page)
- Integration with the existing fluent database
- Extensive cross browser testing (let me know if you spot anything…)
- Lots of work on SEO to retain the links and credibility obtained from the previous website
And to top it all fluent can manage every aspect of their website using our bespoke SMART CMS (which we’ve tailored specifically for this project) along with full technical support from us for the lifetime of their website.
We have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project. Designing websites that are easy to use and include such a lot of data is not always easy.
Everything else, Website Examples | 31.08.2010 12:01 | No Comments
So hands up – who has a content strategy? Who’s never even heard of one?
Content strategists would be horrified to learn about the ad-hoc approach that small businesses often take to their content.
You do not need to have a zillion online pages to benefit from a strategy. The typical small business with a small website and blog and using social media will benefit from regular content audits.
By understanding your content and where it lives you will be able to identify redundant or missing data. Inefficient content on the web can often do more harm than good. You’ll be able to identify a strategy in-line with your business goals and plan for improving your content over time.
So what does a content strategy look like?
There are a number of steps involved. You will need to ask yourself a number of questions. The key elements are:
- What content do I have?
- What does the content look like?
- How large is this content?
- Where is my content?
- What is it for?
- How do I measure my content’s effectiveness?
- What is the metadata for my content?
- How do I manage my content?
- When was the content last updated?
And the list can go on and on.
Documenting your content will be both productive and liberating. Once written down in black and white you should easily be able identify content that needs urgent attention and formulate a plan for refining the remaining content.
I’d suggest that content strategy is key – the website is ALL about the content. Have you heard the phrase “content is king”?
Everything else | 27.08.2010 11:10 | No Comments
We are a small team of friendly and talented designers, web developers and account managers. B Websites is committed to providing excellent part time and flexible job opportunities. Most members team have small children to look after and we encourage our team to strive for a fantastic work/life balance.
The Role: Graphic designer. 6 month contract to cover maternity leave. Possible extension.
The Benefits
- 10-15 hours per week initially
- Ideally 9:30-2:30 2-3 days per week
- Flexible hours
- 6 weeks paid holiday/prorata
- 6 weeks unpaid (if required)
- Opportunity to work occasionally from home
- Friendly small team
The Role
- Digital design for websites and newsletters
- Logo and brand design
- Print design
- Some training and knowledge sharing with junior designers on the team.
- Liaise directly with clients
- Managing inhouse marketing materials both digital and print
- Willingness to work on other area’s of the business
About you
- Web and/or print design experience
- At least 3 years experience (demonstratable experience more important than qualifications)
- Appreciation of website development
- Development skills (HTML/CSS) an advantage but not required
- Helpful and friendly
- Will have own laptop and software (to work from home)
- Would consider a freelancer
- Start date: asap
Please send your CV’s to our agent, Kate, at kate@back2workmum.co.uk
Everything else | 28.06.2010 10:05 | No Comments
Wow! What a fantastic day we had at yesterday’s Grow Your Business Exhibition, Guildford. This was our third year as exhibitors and our first as the official sponsors of the drinks reception during the afternoon.
We have always enjoyed Grow but, for us, this year was just a little bit special. Visitors seemed to have a real sense of purpose: know who they wanted to talk to and why. There were definitely a lot less visitors just out for a stroll on their lunch break (or worst still trying to sell me something I don’t want on my own stand!).
We’ve come back to the office with a huge wad of leads – at least twice as many as last year and potentially quite a lot of work.
My favorite thing was how twitter and my blog has opened so many doors. At least 20 fellow tweeters came to visit us and it was so nice to see the faces behind the tweets!
We can’t wait to go back next year!
Everything else | 13.05.2010 11:54 | No Comments
As you probably know B Websites started as a home based company about 7 years ago. Over the years we have grown and my family has grown also - I am expecting baby number 5 in September!
We have therefore taken the next step and from May we will be working from our new studio in Knaphill, Woking. Our contact numbers and emails will remain the same but our new postal address is as follows.
B Websites, UNIT 4E
Lansbury Estate
102 Lower Guildford Road
Knaphill
Surrey
GU21 2EP
We really hope that the new offices will allow us to be more accessible to our clients. The studio will be a central base for client meetings and the extra desk space will soon be filled with some additional staff.
Come and visit us!
If you would like to book a chat about your online business (with tea, coffee and biscuits of course!) and be one of the first to come and visit us, simply email me at zoe@bwebsites.co.uk with the message “I’d love to come and visit” and I will be in touch to book a date/time.
Everything else | 21.04.2010 21:01 | No Comments
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