Business in Bath Catching Up with Mobile Technology

Here at Bath Business Web Ltd we are always keeping an eye on current trends and future developments on the Internet. We have recognised for a while that mobile technology has been pushing ahead at a rate which surpasses the best of human innovations

It’s hard to believe that it was only 2010 when we started buying tablets. Now we can easily do on tablets that we had been doing on laptops. Just as laptops were getting smaller and less bulky to carry around, the tablet comes along and makes those laptops seem rather prehistoric and cumbersome in a very short period of time.
 
By the end of this financial year it is expected that the sale of tablets in this country will outstrip that of the conventional desktop computer. Our trusty friend the mobile phone (less a phone now and more an interactive work and play station of immense variety) will also go forth and eventually outstrip sales of both these altogether. Last year well over 30 million phones were sold in the UK. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to work out that is a huge number of potential customers surfing the Internet, looking for websites and information on these smart devices which they carry with them 24 hours a day.

 

Sales of tablets will eclipse that of PC’s and smartphones will outsell them all

 
Global sales of the personal computer (or desktop) has fallen for the fifth quarter in a row, making it the longest duration of decline in history. By 2017 it is predicted that PC’s will be only 5% of the smart connected device market. With tablets and smartphones growing to 16.5% and 70.1% respectfully.

This decline has been brought home to the everyday consumer in news bulletins, which tell us of the struggles of the big names in computer technology from the past. The household name of  Dell having to reinvent itself due to falling sales of PC’s. The once giant of business technology IBM selling off its PC business interests. As well as other such companies such as Lenovo and Hewlett Packard seeing sales of their conventional products at an all time low.
 
The research boys and girls at IDC (International Data Corporation to you and me) have come up with some interesting findings of the world’s markets in sales of PC’s and tablets.
 
What we know is that the mobile revolution is gaining momentum, rapidly. IDC predicts that the shipment of tablets will easily top those of desktop computers and laptops in the final quarter of this year. Overall PC shipments are still expected to surpass tablet shipments for the whole of 2013.  It expects that the competition between PC’s and tablets for overall sales will be done and dusted by the end of 2015 with tablets outstripping shipments of PC’s on an annual basis from thereon in.
 


Estimated Shipments for 2013

IDC predicts the forecasts sales for 2013 of desktops will be 134.4 million, laptops 180.9 million and tablets 227.3 million.

That represents a market share of 8.6% for desktops, 11.6% for laptops and 14.6% for tablets.

Not bad for a technological wonder which no one was using four years ago.

 

A worldwide increase in shipments of tablets and smartphones markets are showing early signs of saturation. This will bring down the price of the various devices, which will change things still further



Predicted Shipments for 2017

The growing popularity of tablets and smartphones has thrown the PC industry into its longest downturn on record.

The smart device industry is in a constant state of change and development.

Wise business owners need to keep up to maximise their own marketing and online advertising on the Web.  



The pace of the industry is rapidly changing. The smartphone market has seen touch screen and voice command mobiles coming in to their own. Which may explain why the 'once upon a time everybody wants one’ Blackberry, is diminishing the hold on the market it once had a year or two ago. Even the iPhone, as good as it may be, has plenty of competition with other similar smartphones snapping at its heels, which are often just as smart and often a fair bit cheaper.
 
So here’s a wee bit of advice from Bath Business Web Ltd to all you businessmen and businesswomen in Bath and the South West. If you have a website, web presence or you are advertising your business on the internet, then get good sound advice as to whether people will see it as it should be seen. Website Designers and Social Media Marketing in Bath
 
The change of consumer technology has meant that the visibility of a website (or many other marketing mediums on the Web) can be drastically be impeded by using a platform which was created to show off your website pages on a desktop PC (on a big screen).

There are many hundreds, if not thousands of pages on the Internet which are just not that efficient, easily browsed or even visible on either a tablet or smartphone. As a business person you will need to catch up and make changes to your Internet marketing. Because if you haven’t, then it is almost guaranteed your competitors have. Then they will have the edge over you and any potential customers looking at your Internet advertising will go to them. Why? Because you didn't keep up or take notice of the tide of change in technology.

Don't be PC. Be Smart!

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd - Website Designers and Social Media Marketing in Bath

Bath Business on the Web

The Internet is awash with colour and graphics. When it comes to Bath Businesses on the Web, they too show off their colours and design in exceptional detail. 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd 

There is an array of websites which will draw one in to a world of business and commerce. Websites which offer insight into the world of their owners and information on products and services. It is truly amazing how many different ways there are for a business can sell itself on the Internet.
 
The whole concept of the Internet is about communication which is achieved in a variety of ways.

Pictures and images show off various aspects of the business, while the colours and tones draw us in. 




Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

The use of text and well written dialogue whether it is for builders, plumbers, shops or restaurants needs to be interesting to the reader. They need to capture and captivate the readers imagination to want to continue and find out more about the business and what it has to offer. 

 

Just like the overall layout or design, the text and the flow of information and interesting written communication is often the key as to whether or not the reader will go beyond the first page. Enticing a potential customer to the page with your contact details is a challenge in itself.

 



Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd 

Each and every Bath Business on the Web needs to make a good impression. After all you are advertising and marketing your business. You are showing off your brand, creating an image and more often than not, a first impression.

 

You will therefore want your advertising on the Internet to be bold and stand out from the crowd. The colours need to reflect your business and the font you use can sell or not sell your company name. You may want to use glossy pictures of your work, videos or state of the art video graphics with your own on-screen presenter.
 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

The very layout of your website will ensure the reader is drawn to those special offers or the encouraging prices you want to share. Well positioned links or buttons will tempt the viewer to go to places in the site which will lead them closer to wanting your product.

 

People will also come to expect certain styles or certain layouts from the various businesses, shops, professionals and tradespeople which advertise their business in this way.

As a Business in Bath you will want to make sure your website design meets the standard and professional expectations of your trade. If you want to maintain credibility and ensure any new customers have faith in your services, then that design could make or break you and your business.

 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

Whatever you do, get advice from a qualified and experienced website professional who can help you design a website which matches the business you own. 

They will also advise you on the content and information which will drive your website up the search engine rankings.

No point having an artistic design with informative content if no one gets to see it.

Every business needs to advertise. All successful businesses have a variety of well tested marketing strategies. A website is just part of that. 

In this day and age of the Internet being such an integral part of our lives, can you really ignore that fact that a majority of people have that Internet experience sitting in the palm of their hand.
 



Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

You deserve more for your business. Your business is your lifeblood to success.

You will want to do everything in your power to help it succeed.

A website is your opportunity to show off your business to the world. It is your platform to encourage and entice people to buy your services or your products.

A website is like having a newspaper advert, bill board, radio or TV ad, business portfolio and business card all in one.

Nowhere in the history of business has there ever been anything quite like it.


Ensure you advertise  and promote your business in the best light and that your website is professionally built and correctly coded for search engine optimisation.

Ensure it is compatible with mobiles, tablets and computers.

Ensure that people will find it and act on what they see.

Whatever you do, however you do it, always bear in mind the impression you are creating for your business.

So maybe it's time to act. Time to get on the Internet or pick up the phone and have a chat to the people in the know. 

Bingham
Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd

http://www.webdesigninbath.com

A Brief History of Business Websites on the Internet

The modern day Internet (or the "World Wide Web”) has transformed the way we live. To get this in perspective, I would like to take you on a short journey in time:

1989 - Computer scientist, Sir Tim Berners-Lee (who you may have seen on the opening ceremony of the London 20-12 Olympics), presented a paper containing a method by which scientists could share essential documents.

1990 - Early adopters of the World Wide Web were mainly university-based scientific departments.

1991- Saw the world’s first website. Hoorah!

I wonder if you recall when you first saw the Internet. Where were you?  What do you remember? How did you view it? Just a fad maybe, something that wouldn’t catch on? And just how long ago was that? In historic terms, it was just very recently. Yet so much has progressed in terms of the technology and how we use or interact with that technology.

1993 - The first publicly accessible, fairly basic, web browser named 'Mosaic'.

1994 - The first search engine 'Archie', again very basic compared with what we have today. Followed swiftly by more familiar web browsers such as Yahoo and Internet Explorer.

1996 - It became obvious to most publicly traded companies that a Web presence was no longer an option. The increase of two-way communication over the Web led to the possibility of direct Web-based commerce (e-commerce).

1998 - Saw an increase in new web based companies, as well as the birth of what would become the most popular of all search engines - Google. 

2001 - The Web bubble burst. Many new start-ups went out of business. However, many also survived and went on to do very well. Some Companies which began as online retailers became highly profitable.

2002 - In the aftermath of the ‘dot com bubble’ these Companies success helped enhance the way we used the Internet with the likes of Google, EBay or Amazon.  This new era gave rise to social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. Networking sites for Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Business also appeared such as LinkedIn, Biznik, PROskore.

 
These sites meant business was now able to communicate with thousands, if not millions of people and this would open up the biggest market place the world has ever known.

As business owners we need to keep up with this rapidly changing medium of marketing, communication and trade interchange.

• E-mobile technology (mobiles & tablets) is developing rapidly
• People are becoming co-dependent on this technology
• The technology is more portable, practical and affordable
• Twitter & other social media websites are growing
• The pre-web (older) generation is keen to adopt this technology
• Popularity of videos, images or photos is increasing … rapidly
• So too websites such as You Tube, Flickr, Photobucket
• Websites use images, photos, film & video to enhance the virtual experience

The future of the Net is looking golden.

Technology already allows us to send voice commands to mobiles and computers. Soon we’ll be able to have conversations with them. A mobile phone already developed by Cambridge University, in which a virtual assistant, human looking in every way, interacts with the user. Bit like talking to a personal advisor or personal shopper, who in the future could be advertising your business or products.

There will always be a need for larger viewing platforms for work, design or play However, the use of mobiles is on the increase. We now use them for the things that were previously done on computers and laptops. This market is growing .... fast.
 
Social media on the increase (especially for business). Where we used to text, we now tweet. Consumers are talking to each other on mass. Through social media people now want to know how a Business or Company interacts with its community. They want to see the human side of businesses.

People are now associating reliable businesses with the Internet, with research indicating that businesses with a website have grown 46% faster than those without.

 

What is the real value of the Internet to your business?

It can generate and help develop new business opportunities, reduce your expenses and improve business operations.

If you compare other more traditional ways to market or advertise your business. The cost of a one page advert in a local magazine for example. For one edition, reaching 8-10 thousand people, £500 - £600. The average cost to build a 4 page website, there 24/7, for however many years you want it, reaching an audience of millions, £500 - £600. You do the maths.

Will having a website provide customer awareness of my products and services; offer ready information and support; expand my markets; increase my income?  Absolutely.

A website is an adverting and marketing tool for your business. Potential customers will either be looking for you by name; seen your website in an advert or on a vehicle; looking for the services you provide; or just happen to come across you, in their search for other sites.

Websites extend business hours 24-7, any updated information, offers or product promotion is seen immediately. It’s an excellent means of generating new sales & keeping present customers aware of new products or services. It’s a brochure and catalogue all in one. A good website links to social media sites, video sites, professional bodies or associations. And with Pay Pal and the like one can offer safe and secure online transactions. With unlimited space you can convey your message for unlimited time. Your market is increased. New ideas can be tested in real time with instant results.

There is good practical value in having a website:

Statistics on who visits your site helps determine where you spend your money.

There are various ways to achieve increased visibility on the Internet. The main method is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) as well as Local Maps Optimisation listings.

Your website advertises your business, products and services. The best brochure; the best billboard and the best commercial, seen by millions. Creating links to other sites such as local directories, Google maps and a strong position on search engines, makes your business stand out from the crowd.

Remember! If you want to ensure you spend you money wisely and get the right product offering the best results always go to a 'professional' Web Design Company. The most successful sites on the Internet are ........ the most visible ones.

Intelligent advertising and connecting with the wider public (through networking sites), will create an awareness and an approachability that people will want to explore. Analysing feedback from Google or potential customers, means you’re able to update and develop your business effectively, efficiently, economically and productively. Offering yourself opportunities for growth and financial reward … profit both in income and personal and professional satisfaction.

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd

Making a Good Impression in Business

Shop owner, architect, web designer, hypnotherapist, plumber  or one of hundreds of businesses throughout Bath & the South West - you need to promote the right impression for your business.
 
The impression you set for your business, your offices, vehicle, how you advertise, talk or how you dress, really does matter.

Where does that impression start?

Your attitude to business is the starting point. Setting the right first impression is where it starts. Keeping that positive, professional impression of you and your business has to be maintained.

What you need to consider.

It doesn't actually matter what kind of business you own. It doesn't matter if your business is working at home, from a computer, digging a garden, selling from a retail outlet, driving a lorry or deliveries in a van. Whatever your trade, setting the right impression matters.

It matters because others will judge you, whether you like it or not. People will judge you and your business on how you present yourself. How you present yourself over the phone or face to face. Potential customers will notice if your van is clean or dirty, if the work clothes you wear are smart, how tidy and organised your shop is or the cleanliness of your office.

People notice these things and will make very swift judgements as to whether they think your business fits with their expectations of your trade or industry.

Now for those Eddie Stobart fans out there, of which there seem to be many. This iconic business started delivering fertilizer and the like, way back in the 1940’s. They still deliver smelly loads and an array of consumables and retail products today. Their founder decided way back then, that there was a need to make the right impression.

So what makes Stobart stand out from other haulage contractors?

Well Stobart are very successful at keeping to the agreed time for their deliveries and doing so with due care and attention for the products they carry. Their drivers are courteous and polite and trained to a high standard. Their lorries stand out from the crowd and are recognised instantly. Their vehicles are well maintained and kept clean inside and out. The pride the staff have for the business shows itself in bucket loads, or should I say lorry loads.

Where to make an impression?

Well it all starts with you. How you present yourself, whether face to face or over the phone is the start. You also need to be thinking positively about your customers. After all, without them you have no business.

So it’s vitally important that you think well of customers, want to do the best job you can for them and give them the right impression of you and your business.

Consider what you would expect from someone in your trade, if they were there to offer you a service. How you would want to be treated? How would you expect them to speak to you? How will they present in what they wear, or what vehicle they use? 

The right impression makes you credible

Use the same thinking to decide how to organise and maintain your offices, shop or vehicle. If your office is messy and in disarray, the customer may well think that applies to the way you do business.

If you arrive in a tatty old van with a poorly sign-written business name, then they may wonder if they have Del Boys dodgy dealership, rather than a reputable business person.

Consider the job at hand. Have you estimated it at the right price or given a realistic time frame to get the job done?

Are you considering that this customer will tell people about you when you have done a good job? Because whether they do or don’t, if you get it wrong they definitely will tell people about it. Bad news travels a lot quicker and louder than good news.

Do you want customers to be pleased with your efforts and for you to be proud of your achievements? Because if you do and you can make it happen, then that impression will stick and each and every time you impress a customer with all these things you will surely see the positive results. 
 
Always have in mind the impression you want to share in all you do.

Ensure your business advertises the right impression. Make sure your website is up to date. Make sure it promotes your business in the best light and it is professionally built and correctly coded for search engine optimisation. Ensure it is compatible with mobiles, tablets and computers.  If you advertise in magazines, on billboards or posters have your adverts are professional and send the right message. Whatever you do, however you do it, always bear in mind the impression your business is making to the world around you.

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd
 

Website Content: Colour

Colour Matters for your Business

Colour plays a very important role  in the world we live in today. Colour can change actions and affect thinking. It can sooth or irritate your eyes, suppress your appetite or raise your blood pressure.
Colour is irreplaceable - therefore, colours used for a product, website, business card or logo can cause powerful reactions. To a potential customer, your marketing materials are the first impression of your business or product. Giant corporate businesses will spend huge amounts of money on colour market research and have discovered that people make a subconscious decision about a product or environment within minutes of viewing, largely based on colour alone.

Colour References

When deciding on colours for your brand or website, keep in mind the different reactions that people have to colours:

RED - danger, passion, energy, warmth, stop
PINK - love, femininity
ORANGE - stability, reassurance, warmth
GREEN - nature, energy, calming, go
BLUE - soothing, loyalty, protection
YELLOW - sunshine, energy, happiness
PURPLE - creativity, fertility, joy
BROWN - security, stability
WHITE - youth, cleanliness, pure
BLACK - drama, eccentricity, elegance

Colour & Websites

We've all had to deal with websites with unpleasant colour combinations. Although the colours used may be the owners favorite colours or colours from the business logo, they are either very hard on the eyes or make the text difficult to read.
Using too many colours, or the wrong combination of colours could turn off your potential buyers completely. On average, you should choose three colours (or shades of those colours) at the most. Match them with the rest of your brand, as using colours from your existing brand makes your website more recognisable and gives consistency.

Pick colours for your target market. Who is your target market? What do you want to say? How do you want to say it?
As the owner of your business, you should know your target market - demographics such as gender, age and location play an enormous part in business and marketing.
Ask friends, family and colleagues what colours they feel are suitable for your type of business, experiment and try to see patterns in your results.
If your target market is 40-50 year old females from Bath, ask them what colours they find attractive. It really is that important.

You want people to view your website. Remember, it's easy for your visitors to press the back button.

Professional Websites with Professional Results - Bath Web Design

Website Content: Testimonials

Anyone can say their business offers a great service or product. But potential clients want proof. They want to see endorsements from happy clients that have received a quality service. And the more quality endorsements you have, the better.
Testimonials from your best clients are a great addition to a website, along with photos of the work completed.

1) Who?
Note I said “best clients" above. Pick clients that are most like the people you want to work with in the future.
If possible, use people with "influence", such as other business owners, or individuals that have a recognisable name.
Choose clients whose testimonials will highlight the key aspects of your business and your key selling points - as always, know your target market and what they are looking for.

2) What?
What was it like before they used your services? - define the problem.
What was your business like to work with? - talk about specific work you did with them, how they feel about the work, how it was carried out, how you were different from other businesses.
What specific results were achieved? - The more specific, the better and proof of the value of your service.

3) How?
Based on your business size, you should have a list of between 10 and 50 previous or existing clients that you feel that you can contact. You can contact them via e-mail, phone or in-person - depending on your relationship with them. They can choose whether to have their full names, business names etc used. If they are not interested, thank them and say goodbye.
If you decide to meet in person then a video testimonial can be an interesting way of presenting it. But you must ask the client if they are comfortable with it, use the right equipment and be sure that it can be shared in the correct way.
The testimonial needs to be easy to read, short but sweet sentences. Summarise your clients words using direct quotes and capturing the essence of what was said. Share the finished testimonial with the client, ask if it reflects their experience and that they approve.

4) Where?
Put your testimonials where people will see them! Your website, printed promotional materials and signage are the best places. Review your testimonials and keep them appropriate and up to date.

Add pictures, format the text and spell check!

Lastly, thank your clients. A handwritten note stating where the testimonials are published and maybe a small gift is a good way to show your appreciation and hopefully ensure that they come back to you for more business.

Bath Business Web Ltd - Professional Web Design with Front Page Results - Take a look at OUR testimonials here http://www.bathbusinessweb.co.uk/Static/Testimonials

Website Success

Over the last 7 years, Bath Business Web has strived to achieve hundreds of successful websites with successful front page results. The search engines and algorithms of Google have become a mine field, particularly in the last 12 months with the arrival of Google Panda and Google Penguin changing the way that websites are being displayed within search results.

There are many people with different levels of knowledge regarding the Internet and websites and with the internet unlikely to disappear anytime soon, it is important to take the building of a website seriously and remember that first impressions count.

Over the years we have spoken to hundreds of large and small business owners who seem baffled as to why their website does not appear in the first two pages in Google. Unfortunately, there seems to be a high level of businesses who have not achieved the success on the Internet they thought they would.

All we can do at Bath Business Web is advise and take experiences from the hundreds of people we have come into contact with.
A website for your business is there to help and increase your profits by supplying you with new clients or even existing where they check out your portfolio. Once again, this will determine whether they feel. Here are some tips on Website Success:

1) Seek professional advice; companies that can display and demonstrate success with previous clients and have no problem in proving front page search results. Ask to be shown a Google Analytic report of website traffic and statistics.  Look at “bounce rates” of their previous websites and determine whether this is a high percentage, meaning that users are looking at the website and disappearing.
2) Be wary of using cheap build your own website templates, as websites aren’t just built for “pretty pictures”.  The cheap templates that you can use e.g. “build your own website” usually come with catches or clauses and don’t provide the standards you would want for your business.
3) Very seldom have clients been able to demonstrate success at having their website built on the cheap (where the phrase is often followed by “my brother, auntie, uncle, sister, mate down the pub did it for me”). Remember if you have a toothache, you don’t get your brother, auntie, uncle, sister, mate down the pub to put a filling in for you. This should also apply when you decide to have a website built for your business.
4) Please ignore the myth of throwing in key words and thinking that Google will recognise them and place your website on the front page. These theories were forgotten 10 years ago. There is a series of intelligent coding behind the scenes of a website which Google will identify when assessing the quality, content, navigation and the value of a website. Google now pays particular attention to spam.
5) Be aware of social media and how important a part it plays when bringing traffic to your site and often in search engine optimisation.
Use the experts at Bath Business Web, who are on the front page results for “seo bath” and “search engine optimisation bath” “website design bath” and “web design bath” from millions of results. This brings success for themselves and their clients.

Pay For Professionals. It works.

Website Content: Photos

Photos are a vital part to any website; drawing a potential customers eye and keeping them looking at your site, showing your work in an attractive way, and showing what you do as a business.

They can be photos of staff working hard, before and after shots, products available and any number of other subjects.

With nearly everyone owning a mobile phone with a camera, taking up to date photos either for a website or social media can be a quick and extremely easy way to advertise your work. However, many people think that photos taken on a mobile phone can look grainy and unprofessional, and while this can be true, there are tricks that can be used to make mobile phone photos look better than you would expect….

How to take better photos with your phone

1) Get Close

A lot of mobile phone cameras, particularly the iPhone, really prove their worth when you bring them close to your object. When you get close up, you can normally have more control of lighting and stability. If there is a window in the background, to avoid darkening the rest of the image, cut the window out, your phone should adjust the lighting composition.

2) Crop, Don’t Zoom

Most smartphone cameras offer a digital zoom option, but you are nearly always better off avoiding it completely. Your image will noticeably degrade the moment you try to “zoom”, mainly because the camera is guessing what the image looks like and it’s not very good at it!

However, if you crop the picture, you’re simply sampling the information that has been recorded, meaning that there is a higher resolution and quality to the picture.

3) There’s an App for that…

It’s surprising how a photo can be changed just by playing with contrast, brightness or by using a “filter” and there are hundreds on Apps on the market to do this. However, when using a filter, less is more. Don’t be tempted to go overboard or go for the very popular “ retro” look, it isn't suitable for a website, although to some extent it can be used with social media, depending on the photo.

Whatever App you pick, it’s worth spending a little time getting used it and learning the functions… It can make all the difference.

 

4) To Flash or not to Flash

Generally, flashes on phones can’t handle the job. They are LED lights that are too close to the camera, too bright and the duration of the flash is too long. This causes many issues with a photo, usually making it blurry, giving people “red-eyes” and it can wash the colour “temperature” of the photo out, making it look grainy and yellow. But, what do you do if it’s dark? Unfortunately, even with the newer smartphones, there is only so far you can push the technology in low-light. Try looking for other light sources, or taking it at a certain time of day when the sun is in a good place to light a room. This is generally first thing in the morning or mid-afternoon.

5) Watch Out for Lens Flare

A “lens flare” is when light from a bright light source, be it the sun or a lamp, flashes across the picture. It causes loss in detail, contrast and colour accuracy. To prevent this, try moving to having the light source behind you, this then lights the shot but stops a flare across the picture. You can also cup your hand around the lens on your phone to create a DIY lens hood, cutting the amount of flare down if the source is at the side of the frame.

6) Frame Your Picture

When taking your picture, think about positioning and balancing the shot. Make sure the camera is straight and level with the subject. Most phones and digital cameras have a “grid” option and this can be very helpful to ensure that you’re balancing everything needed into the shot and “framing” it at the same time. Focusing on points of interest and they’re placement in the photo is key. Take several pictures of the same subject but at different angles – it’s easier to find the best photo with lots of choice.

7) Steady Does It

The most common cause of a blurry picture is a photographer with shaky hands. Try stabilising your arms against something, leaning against a wall or placing the phone or camera on a solid surface.

8) Remove Clutter

Particularly when it comes to website photos, clutter is a crime! If you’re taking a shot of the bathroom you just fitted – move the tools and mess out of the way! If you’re taking a picture of a beautiful kitchen – get rid of dirty cups and plates in the sink! It makes a huge difference and means that a website designer can use the whole picture rather than having to crop the mess out of it.

(Photos taken by myself and our clients)

Web Design in Bath, email us and mention the blog!

Social media and the tradesperson

Builder, carpenter, electrician, plumber, gardener... whatever your trade, you are probably aware that the Internet has taken over the world of advertising and marketing in the last few years. Business cards, newspaper adverts and TV commercials all display their website address or email. The phrase "Like us on Facebook" or "Follow us on Twitter" has become common on the high street and in restaurants. 

But where do YOU fit in? How do you, as a tradesperson, make use of the Internet to attract new clients? How can you get social media to work for you?


Have faith in the medium
For many of us, the Internet is something we understand and use every day. We search for restaurant offers or movie times, we browse Facebook for pictures of kittens and we tweet about our day. But when it comes to promoting our business, we don't trust it. How many times have you heard these phrases:
- I had a Facebook page but it didn't work, I didn't get any Likes
- I used Twitter occasionally but I didn't have many followers so I stopped bothering
- I got a website but no one visited it and I didn't get any new work

These are things that Bath Business Web hear a lot from tradespeople. The key to all of them is the same. The website, Facebook pages and Twitter profiles are all tools to help you advertise and promote your business. They have to be used to be successful, and used in the right way.

Social media is SOCIAL
The biggest mistake people make with social media is misunderstanding its function. Social media is designed to let people socialise. Businesses can make use of this by interacting with other users, getting their brand known and trusted. They can showcase their work, their offers or promotions and put a personal face and voice to the brand name. Replying to contacts from people, sharing their interests as well as your own and building a relationship that lies between professional and personal are the keys to building a strong social media profile.

Sadly, many businesses ignore this function and instead expect a mere presence on Facebook or Twitter to earn them Likes and Followers. They fail to realise that you must earn your profile strength in this world, by producing great content and interacting with not only your existing fans but all of your potential ones as well. 

Paid advertising on platforms like Facebook and Twitter can produce excellent results, getting your company name specifically targeted at people in your area who want your services. This is why social media is powerful for business - all the information Facebook or Google + collects about you as you browse is used to point adverts at you that you'll love. But ultimately if your adverts direct potential clients to an empty Facebook page with no Likes, it's wasted money.

The bottom line
Think of social media as a 24hr business lunch, a way to talk to your clients no matter where you are. When you visit a client you would probably give them a pitch, discuss their expectations from the work and their needs. You'll make sure you are dressed appropriately, maybe in work clothes, maybe in uniform. You'll be honest and open with them, talk about the challenges of the job and probably tell them about yourself, your company and how you've dealt with jobs before.

Social media lets you have those conversations with many potential clients at once and without intruding on the rest of the day. Be accessible, be honest and be professional and you will find that social media is a tool your business will benefit from. 

See also:
Social media mistakes you don't want to make 
5 Small business secrets

Web design, when you need it - email us and mention "the blog"

The perfect online portfolio (and why you need one)

Whether you're a tradesman, a designer, an artist or a musician, your website is the most important tool you have to get recognition, awareness and, ultimately, new work. 

Stand out from the crowd

Don't believe me? Google your inspirational artist, your nearest business rival or your favourite restaurant. They'll certainly have a website, chances are it's been designed by professionals and carries their branding and products alongside their contact details. A designer may have a beautifully constructed gallery, a builder may opt for carefully worded project pages and images of their work. 

Be proud of your work
 
This online presence is a vital tool. Everyone is expected to have a website.  
A basic single page with a name and phone number on will do as a web presence, but the more professional your site, the more professional you seem. 

A high quality website with great content and an intelligent design speaks louder than words about the reputation of your brand.

So invest in your online presence - its the most important marketing tool you have!

For professional websites and top quality web support, contact us today and mention our blog!

See also:
Social media mistakes you don't want to make
Businesses, say hello to responsive web design

SEO basics - keyword stuffing is so over

Think back to the late 1990's. Do you remember those old hmtl web pages, carrying huge chunks of text stuffed with keywords? The content would have looked something like this:

"PLUMBING IN BATH Get yourself a PLUMBER in BATH for all your PLUMBING needs call 0800-local-plumber today!!!!"

This would be endlessly repeated until the bottom of the page, possibly interspersed with some grainy, poor resolution pictures.

Do you know why web pages don't look like this now?

One of the key reasons is because over the years new inventions have come along, such as CSS which was officially launched by w3w in 1996 and more recently, HTML5 which is due for release in 2014. As with any new invention, the powers that be reward people for using the new shiny toys. Microsoft and Apple led the charge and as the world wide web became more prominent, search engines like Yahoo! and Alta Vista took center stage.

They never left.

From an SEO perspective, Google is one of the major players of search, with the Yahoo!/Bing empire close behind. Search engines care about only one thing - bringing the most relevant websites to their customers attention when search terms are mashed in. The better they are at giving their customers helpful, sensible answers to their searches, the more likely that customer will use them again. This opens doors to advertising revenue and all manner of income streams.

For web designers, this was the beginning of an arms race that is ongoing today. Search engines come up with algorithms to asses websites, allowing them to identify and promote the comedy pictures and anecdotes that you are really looking for when you search 'Poodle haircut funny' instead of delivering up comedians that mention both haircuts and Poodles, for example. 

This is what we want...

Keywords are one of the signals they use to do this. By looking at the content of the page they can see the words Poodle, haircut and funny in the keywords. But they are not just interested in making sure its a page about that subject matter. They want to know that the website is of high quality, that the content is entertaining and that their searchers are going to appreciate this as a search result.

In short, the algorthim will assess the page by the same criteria as a human would - does it look good, is it informative, is it written in real english?

By slamming the content full of keywords in a sludge of badly written, repetitive and unhelpful content, you can guarantee that the search engine will take the same approach as a human would - bounce right off that page and onto another one. 

This practice of 'keyword stuffing' is so frowned upon by search engines that it has resulted in the runiation of websites all over, and has been abandoned by professional SEO's. 

See also
The battle of the browsers
Say hello to responsive web design

Weekly Update

It's been a busy week at Bath Business Web! Firstly, as part of our web design package, we give customers support and maintenance for their websites as well as doing the design and hosting work. 

That means our customers can come to us and discuss updates to their content, such as adding videos or testimonials, as part of their support contract. Our team make constant tweaks and changes in line with customers needs. When you have over 300 clients that means an ongoing stream of work for our web designers and information writer (aka me!).We love it though, keeping their websites fresh and performing well is the core of the business. 

Along side those small changes, every so often a customer needs a major overhaul on their website. They may be shifting their business focus in a new direction or re branding, whatever the reason we are more than happy to take on redesigns and rewriting. 

Finally, we are always pushing for new growth and that means new clients. Our custom built websites are focused entirely around the customers business and their expectations. The finished product is checked and approved by the customer before it goes "live". 

So I am pleased to share with you the revamps and new sites we have finalised this week.

Patrick from Just Carpentry popped in and discussed his existing websites from us for Bath, Marlborough and Trowbridge. A content overhaul was in order and we were pleased to have everything up to date for him by the end of the week.

Chris Pritchard Roofing has gone live and we will be monitoring it closely to make sure it is ranking well in the next few weeks. 

A&G Automation Ltd is a long standing client who's newest site is now live and ranking on the search engines.

Another typical week at Bath Business Web, with satisfied clients and up to date, contemporary web design at its best.

To find out how you can benefit from our website packages and customer support, get in touch by

 email, facebook or twitter!