Welcome to a round up of the latest websites we have launched in September 2013, a wide range from e-commerce, estate agency and bespoke website builds.
If you would like to know more about having a great looking website designed and developed for your business, please get in touch. Funding for up to 40% of the total costs of each web project is available for certain types of business – please ask for more details.
What we do here at the offices isn’t just website development, design etc. People often think that it’s just all “tekky” stuff, code and database work – but it is more than that. And how our customers and their users engage with our sites and software is more important than the bare bones of what it all does.
We all know why we have technology – to make life easier, to enable us to do more and be more efficient. But why do we select certain technology over other technology? Sure there’s the geeks who pore over the hard facts, look up the stats and research every angle – but they are in the minority. Most of us make our final buying decision on the following:
None of those questions involve RAM, CPU Speed or Power-to-Weight ratios, yet they are chief amongst factors for buying technology.
Think of the iPhone – it’s not the quickest, hasn’t the best camera, not the most feature-full nor advanced. And it certainly isn’t the cheapest nor gives the most valuable. But its success has been based on the fact that it is desirable, people love using one and it just works. All three things are because it has been well designed, built and coded – but at no point does the end user ever think “wow – that’s sliding button to unlock the phone is beautifully coded” – no, it just works.
This is where we come into the fold – when I visit a prospective customer I don’t tend to talk about pixels, fonts, colours and code. I talk about the emotion of the project. We have been brought in and it is taken as read we can code and design; or else why would we be here? What we have been asked to do is a solve a problem, cure an issue and (without sounding all Jeremy Kyle) fix an emotional problem or two.
Here’s some common statements:
Have a think about technology in your working life. How much emotion does it invoke? Do you find yourself liking, hating and wishing? Our approach is based just as much on solving those emotional issues that you and your clients have, as much as any technological challenges.
A happy customers tends to be a valuable customer.
I’m not usually alarmist – but here’s a question. Do you actually own your website? Could, if you wanted, you get a copy of your site, code, database, images etc. on a CD or via a server? If not how do you claim ownership of it – even though you can’t physically access it?
I’ve come across some ‘alternative’ ways of purchasing a website. They mainly revolve around paying a monthly fee, rather than an up-front cost and then any additional annual hosting charges. These methods sounds very good – you get a new website without the initial ‘hit’ of paying for one upfront. However I have yet to see one of these offers where you actually get a website – where you pay monthly and have the website on your servers, or on your computer or given to you to use.
These types of sites tend to be built into systems and software which are the property of your provider. Although they have your company details and branding, the actual code behind the sites are run by software you cannot get a copy of – doing so would breach their Intellectual Property. Therefore you don’t actually own the website, you are essentially leasing the website on a Pay-as-you-go basis.
Imagine if you bought a car, but couldn’t access the engine. Only one mechanic with a magic key could open the lid, work on the car, service it and change parts. Even if you just wanted to fill up the water, imagine if only he or she could do that for you? What happens if the mechanic isn’t available, goes out of business or loses the key?
So why should that matter? Well it doesn’t, until you want to improve and upgrade your site and move it away from your current provider. Bespoke websites are built from the ground up and are created so they can work on any standard hosting platform (of which there are only 2 main types – Linux and Windows). They can be put on a CD (code + database) and given to another company to be worked on, improved and extended. Also key is the database – if you have an ecommerce or dynamic website, the last thing you want is to have to re-input all your orders, customers or products. Any reputable development company can take another’s code and data and use that to create a new site or improve a current site.
If your website is just an extension of your advertising, and you are happy to consider paying monthly a way of leasing space on the web, that’s great. If you consider your website as an investment, as something you have invested time and money into, you should want to have the piece of mind that if you wanted to, you could at any time get a copy of the site and code and do what you wish with it. Do yourself a favour and double check.
By Colin Harris
(all our customers have full CPanel access to their sites, we have no transfer or termination charges and all design and development is 100% the properties of our clients)
Looking for a new website? Or want to replace your old, outdated site with a fresh, modern website? We’re feeling rather generous and have created the perfect package for you this summer.
For £600 (including VAT) we will provide you with a stunning website, hosted and maintained by ourselves at our secure hosting facilities. The full package includes:
Upgrades are available if you would like the site to do a little more, and funding is also applicable to certain types of businesses and website projects – ask us for more information.
To find out more contact us or ring the office on 01665 714433. Examples of our work can be found on our Website Design Portfolio. Offer ends 31st August 2013.
Colin Harris Website Development have worked on over 300 projects since 2006 providing website design, development, e-commerce, hosting and support to businesses. They work with clients of all sizes both in the North East area and across the UK.
By Colin Harris
A revolutionary new website has been launched this month by two entrepreneurs from the North East. Street Review UK is set to transform the way in which tenants and owners make decisions on their next property – the “Trip Advisor” of the property market.
The website, www.streetreviewuk.com, allows users to quickly search and browse for any street in the UK. Once there they can see reviews of each street, allowing them to see how other people rate the street with a star rating. They can also view statistics about the street such as house prices and crime rates, and submit their own review.
David Hodgson, Co-founder of Street Review UK, says “The idea of this website came when I was myself looking to move to a new home in a new area, there was no information to let me know exactly what the street was like to live in, were the neighbours friendly? Were their many children in the street? How easy was parking? StreetReviewUK.com will hopefully solve this problem for all home movers in the 21st Century and revolutionise the way residents of the UK find their next property, we will soon be able to calculate, from reviews written on our website, which streets in the UK are ranked the highest, we will also provide details of ‘dream homes’ in your area as well as houses for sale or rent”
Colin Harris, founder of Colin Harris Website Development, stated “David and Stephen came to us with his unique idea and immediately we were interested in providing the technical solution for his website. We really enjoy working on exciting projects such as Street Review and found it an enjoyable challenge meeting their requirements and tight deadlines to launch a new site with such potential.”
The site is currently running a competition to win an iPad2 or iPad mini, all you have to do to enter the competition is write a review of any street you have lived in on their website – so why not pay a visit and leave a review of your site for a chance to win? For more information about the site, please visit http://www.streetreviewuk.com or contact Customer Support on [email protected].
By Colin Harris
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Over 80% of travelers use reviews when deciding where to stay/visit, therefore it essential to utilise review platforms such as TripAdvisor.
As well as the external TripAdvisor site you are able to share your reviews through your own media. By installing the TripAdvisor widget people can leave reviews through your own website or you can share reviews through your Facebook account.
Popularity ranking
A popularity ranking grades you compared to competitors within a close geographical location, as with any review system people are drawn to properties praised by others.
A company’s popularity ranking relies on three things: quality, quantity and the age of reviews. To improve your popularity ranking you must take all three factors into account.
TripAdvisor Management Centre
The TripAdvisor Management Centre is a free tool provided by TripAdvisor which gives users access to marketing tools that help you:
To access the TripAdvisor Management Centre you simply: search for the property, provide your registration name, your name, your company role, email and telephone number and then agree to the company terms and conditions.
TripAdvisor need to take verification of your role within the company to ensure there is no fraud or false association with businesses. The quickest and easiest way to do so is to enter your credit card details, no charges will come from your account it is simply a way to deter fraud. The other option is to verify your role through fax/email however this can take several weeks.
How to Market your Property on TripAdvisor for Free
How to manage guest reviews
70% of travelers say seeing manager’s feedback encourages them to use/visit a company, therefore it is important to leave feedback and engage with users, demonstrating that your relationship extends beyond their time with the company.
Through the Management Centre you can sign up to receive an email every time a review is left, this notification will allow you to monitor and respond to reviews in real-time.
How to respond to reviews:
Other services
TripAdvisor offers other services that users can opt to pay for, these include:
By Colin Harris
What is vlogging?
Vlogging, a video blog or video log, is very similar to a normal blog only instead of uploading text and images you upload videos. Vlogs come in a wide range of formats including a monologue, a short video or a presentation. In most cases blogs are released in a series where the blogger will put out one blog per week, or per month on a particular topic.
Vlogs utilise web syndication to allow for the distribution of video over the Internet using either the RSS or Atom syndication formats and playback on mobile devices and computers.
The most popular platform for vlogging is Youtube.
Why vlog?
With over 65% of Internet users viewing videos online, vlogging has become a hugely popular blogging method as well as a successful marketing tool.
There are numerous benefits to vlogging including:
Equipment needed for Vlogging
Unless you are a professional the equipment needed for vlogging is pretty standard. Obviously you will need a camera, a computer, a site to host your vlog and a good internet connection.
For those who take vlogging a little more seriously it is vital to have video editing software, some of the more popular include: Final Cut Pro, IMovie and Windows Movie Maker.
The vlogging process
By Colin Harris
MORPETH Town Council has launched a new website giving residents greater access to the latest council information whilst ensuring they still have the services they would like to use at their fingertips.
The site has been developed as part of Morpeth Town Council’s dedication to improve access to current news and information regarding the services, activities and events relating to the authority.
The website, designed and developed by ourselves features a revamped and improved homepage, a simplistic navigation system and search facility as well as the ability to download the latest council documents.
Colin Harris said: “We took the underlying structure of the old website and modernised it throughout, reflecting the informative and efficient ethos of the council.
“The site is a WordPress based content management system which allows the council staff to amend and update information on a real-time basis, ensuring the site is up-to-date with the latest council news.”
Councillor Ken Brown said: “The new website is an exciting development in our drive to grow our online presence and most importantly our efficiency. Due to the content management system the council staff have direct control over the uploading and modification of any online content allowing us to provide our users with the most relevant and current information.
“We were delighted to award Colin Harris Website Development the contract due to an excellent balance of cost-efficiency and high quality results, as well as an extensive proven track record.
“We will continue to develop the website, including the addition of an online voting function – allowing users to have their say on local issues. This is just the beginning of what we hope to be a long and fruitful relationship with Colin Harris Website Development.”
Colin Harris Website Development was also responsible for the design and formation of The Morpeth Neighbourhood Plan website, a project in which Morpeth Town Council takes the lead.
To take a peek at either website visit http://www.themorpethneighbourhoodplan.org.uk/ or http://www.morpeth-tc.gov.uk/
As featured in The Morpeth Herald
By Colin Harris
We understand that not everybody knows the technical jargon involved in building websites so we have put together a guide to help you understand website design and perhaps even some of our website content!
Blog – A website or webpage which is used to regularly update visitors of the author’s opinions, observations, news etc
CMS (Content Management System) – A system used to manage the content of a website via a web browser.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) – A style sheet language used to describe the presentation of a website, ultimately styling the site.
DNS (Domain Name System) – A popular analogy for a DNS is that it is the phone book of the Internet. A DNS is a system for naming computers and networks that are organised into a hierarchy of domains.
Domain Name – Domain names are alphanumeric strings separated by full stops, which act as a unique name for a web address, for example www.colinharris.net.
E-Commerce – Commerce conducted electronically e.g. online shopping.
HTML (Hypertext MarkUp Language) – A system for tagging text files to achieve font, colour, graphic, and hyperlink effects, in essence it is what styles the site.
IP Address – A unique set of numbers separated by full stops, which identify each computer attached to the Internet.
jQuery –A code/technique hybrid which allows interactive tasks to be performed within a web browser.
M-Commerce (Mobile commerce) – Commerce conducted through mobile devices such as mobile phones and PDA’s.
Mobile Optimised Site – Sites that have been converted into a mobile friendly platform.
MySQL (My Structured Query Language) – A database which is used to store and return information
Open Source –A software which for which the source code is freely available e.g. WordPress or Drupal.
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) – A widely used programming language used to build websites.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) – SEO refers to the tactics and strategies used to increase the number of visitors to a website by obtaining a high-ranking placement in search engines.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) – The address of a World Wide Web Page.
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) – A WYSIWYG editor or program is one which allows a user to see the content as it will appear as an end result, whilst still in the development stage.
We understand that the technical speak can be confusing: if you have any questions or queries about our services please do not hesitate to contact us.
By Colin Harris
Google Places is in essence a free online business listing. You may have heard the ever-popular phrase “just Google it” and with one out of five searches on Google being related to location, Google places is an effective and easy way to stay visible online.
How to create a Google Places page
Your Google Places page can be tailored to reflect your company’s services and expertise. Your listing can consist of an array of information including:
Why create a Google Places page
There are several major reasons to have a Google Places page, the major reasons are:
Analysing your page
Google Places comes with a dashboard which allows you to analyse your page and gives you access to important data, such as:
This will allow you to analyse what online platforms and interactions are driving consumers towards your page – allowing you to tailor future activity.
By Colin Harris