• 18th Apr

    Optical Marketplace: Opticians Exchange

    Optical Marketplace, a place for opticians to sell surplus equipment and supplies to each other, asked us to make their website live up to its potential, by addressing problems such as a cluttered layout, functionality limitations, and a dated appearance.

    Working with OM, we identified the simplest way to organise and present the great volume of products on the site. We then incorporated our findings into a new design, giving the website a cleaner and more professional look.

    Screen shot of navigation taken from website

    We added two shop sections, effectively making the website three shops in one: Used Equipment (the original equipment exchange), Equipment & Supplies (brand new optical goods), and Frames & Accessories (wholesale goods, with restricted access).

    To let OM manage and monitor every aspect of the site, we developed a custom CMS that lets OM manage and monitor every aspect of their website, with features specific to each shop section. We also added an optional user registration system, that allows frequent customers to place orders without having to re-enter all of their details.

    Addressing the ‘behind-the-scenes’ issues, we added several new features that include multiple categories for a product, editable email notifications, form validation, and stock control. Before the new website went ‘live’, we placed it in a temporary location on the internet and tested it thoroughly with ‘real-life’ transactions and products.

    The result is an attractive, easy-to-use trading website with an integrated CMS that enables its owners to manage and monitor products, users and online transactions, and helps them do business more efficiently.

    Related Link

  • 18th Feb

    Beat Herder Ltd: Music Festival

    The Beat Herder music festival takes place every summer in Gisburn, Lancashire. They wanted a website that would provide a definitive source of festival information, help generate a buzz about the festival, and let people easily buy tickets online. Here’s how we did it...

    We developed a custom CMS that lets Beat Herder publish festival updates and add new artists to the lineup as the festival approaches, with stage and artist pages linking together. They can add photo galleries and YouTube videos to the site with ease, to bring the magic of previous festivals online.

    The design we produced floats above the lush Lancashire countryside, giving the site a fresh, summery feel, and emphasises important ‘where and when’ information. An integrated discussion forum provides a place for festival-goers to meet, see who’s going and chat about the weekend.

    Buying tickets is a straightforward process, with just one simple form to complete and another if you wish to pay online. Ticket orders are managed within the CMS, showing contact details, payments, and tickets dispatches alongside each other for each order.

    The result is an online representation of the festival, with line-ups and attractions, footage of previous festivals and a place for people to interact and discuss the festival. The website has a clean, fresh appearance, and lets people buy festival tickets quickly and easily.

    Related Link

  • 3rd Jan

    Regulatory information now legally required on company websites and emails

    Limited companies in the UK are now required to include certain regulatory information on their websites and in their email footers.

    This is an extension of the existing laws that oblige companies to include certain information on all business letters and order forms.

    From now on, company websites and email footers must display:

    • place of registration
    • registered number
    • registered office address

    This information doesn’t have to appear on every page of your website - just one reference to it on the ‘About’ page or similar will do.

    More details on the Companies House website:

    www.companieshouse.gov.uk/promotional/busStationery.shtml

  • 11th Nov

    Project Planner

    Use our Project Planner to sketch out your requirements and expectations for any web project, send it to us, and we'll come back to you with a quote for the work involved.

    Download Project Planner (.doc 80kb)

    The document asks about your objectives, audience and time-frame for the project. Please give a clear, concise answer to as many questions as you can.

    Once you’ve completed the Project Planner, save the document and send it to us as an email attachment or in the post.

    We’ll use your answers to prepare a proposal and quote for you, which you will be welcome to consider, with no-obligation to proceed.

    If your project is urgent, or if you’d prefer to talk to a real person, you're welcome to call us on +44 (0) 1904 651000.