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Behind the scenes with our website developer

Behind the scenes with our website developer

Website development is the inner workings of how buttons, forms, menus and page layouts are displayed to the user. Get any of these wrong, and the website just doesn’t work properly.

Working hand in hand with website design, a well-developed website is easier to manage and cheaper in the long run as the structure and the way it is coded makes it less likely to cause problems down the line.

Adrian is a website developer here at Gravity and there is not a lot he doesn’t know about how to develop a website from scratch. From ideas and sketches, working closely with our designers, Adrian moves static ideas into interactive websites. He is a whizz at coding and all websites behave the way they do because of the strength of the code they are written with.

We have all been there when we visit a website, click on an image or a button and it takes us somewhere random – or worse of all it takes us nowhere. That’s all about coding.

We took a little time with Adrian to chat to him about his day-to-day role of coding and developing complex solutions that on the surface look sleek and simple.

Tell us about a typical day here at Gravity

One of the first things I do each day is check my list. Once I have my head in development I like to be focussed, so lists really help me manage my time. There isn’t a typical day, just like there isn’t a typical client. Every client has different deadlines, and every website has slightly different characteristics, and working with so many different brands anything can pop up at any moment. Having a functional website is imperative, so sometimes we must be reactive to things like software updates or a clients change that they need fairly quickly.

To be honest I thrive on the variety, and I like the fact that each day is different. The main thing for me is to ensure that the clients receive a fast response and that their website works as it should all the time.

How did you get into website development?

I have always enjoyed developing code to make things online behave in a certain way, and have in the past created some games, I am self-taught and have learnt lots from Andy here at Gravity. I went to University and studied graphic design with a focused module on website development and this is where my love for coding grew into a career. I enjoy problem solving and I am conversant with both front-end and back-end development using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery etc…

What would you say is your strongest skill?

I am really good at prioritising and managing multiple projects at one time. I have yet to miss a deadline and sometimes these deadlines can be tight, but I thrive on getting things done on time, without compromising my other work.

What is the best thing about your job as a website developer?

Staying in control and keeping up to date with the ever-changing world of development language and software. I enjoy the fast-paced environment and the challenges that web development brings and the future looks bright.

What do you think websites will look like, and how will they behave in 10 years time?

That’s actually quite a difficult question, with the ongoing advancements in AI there will be some really exciting changes on the horizon. I also think that websites will become easier to develop – over the last 5 years it’s been incredible to see how things have changed, so 10 years is a long time at this pace.

In 10 years time, you probably won’t even need to read this, but it will be fun to look back on.

Quick fire questions:

IOS or Android? Android

Dogs or Cats? Dogs

Favourite food? Steak

City or countryside?  City

WordPress or Shopify? WordPress

Beer or Wine? Beer please

Form or online chat? Online Chat

Digital Marketing Blog

Bowler Motors Further Cement Iconic Off-Road Racing Status

Bowler Motors Further Cement Iconic Off-Road Racing Status

As Derbyshire-based off-road performance specialists, Bowler Motors, reaches another milestone in its history, we highlight how Gravity Digital has supported this innovative company through its recent history.

Bowler’s parent company JLR recently announced that applications are now open for next season’s Defender Rally Series – the iconic off-road motorsport championship that brings together experienced and novice race drivers for a series of unforgettable cross-country rallying tests. https://media.landrover.com/en-gb/news/2023/09/defender-rally-series-gets-gear-2024-uk-and-european-championship-season-launch

With seven varied rounds across the UK from March 2024, the third Defender Rally Series offers competitors the opportunity to test and develop their skills on a mixture of surfaces, ranging from gravel tracks to exhilarating hill rallies. In addition to the UK Rally Series, participants also have the option to join specific international events throughout the year, a concept proven as part of the 2023 season.

Defender Rally Series vehicles are based on the latest 90 production model, which provides rugged durability and unstoppable off-road capability. Bowler then adds body strengthening – including the addition of an FIA-approved roll cage – and safety features, while removing unrequired interior trim and replacing the glass side windows with lightweight polycarbonate. Enhancements to the lighting, suspension and cooling then equip Defender for the demands of competition.

The announcement marks another milestone in Bowler’s history and Gravity Digital have worked with the company for the past nine years to maximise their digital footprint including website design, hosting and maintenance, Google Ads management, SEO and email marketing.

Bowler Motors marketing manager Laura Parry explained: “Gravity have been a great and trusted partner to Bowler. They understand our business and take the time to clearly understand our objectives for each task, which leads to great work being delivered and at high speed. The team go further by using their expertise to make suggestions on other ways we could approach a task, and the end result has always been successful. They continually impress us and we feel that we have a partner who is very much working with us to get what we need to be done, and at a high standard to be proud of.”

Gravity Digital director Sharon Stevens-Cash continued: “Bowler are an incredible Derbyshire success story and we are proud to have been part of their growth over the past nine years.

“Bowler continue to be an icon in the off-road motor racing industry and we greatly value them as a client.”

Founded in 1985 by Drew Bowler and still based in Belper, Bowler Motors has a rich history in engineering off-road competition vehicles – achieving international acclaim for its dedication to producing successful high-performance models.

Specialising in rally raid events, Bowler has participated in iconic competitions such as the Dakar Rally, British Cross Country Championship and French Baja, showcasing its exceptional Tomcat, Wildcat, and Nemesis models – all derived from the legendary Defender 90 and 110.

Bowler Motors goes beyond simply manufacturing vehicles – it provides clients with exclusive competition racing events. These events serve as a platform for participants to develop the essential driving skills and technical knowledge required to excel in international rally raid events. With Bowler’s guidance, enthusiasts can experience the thrill of off-road racing while honing their all-terrain driving skills.

Every customised rally car produced by Bowler is meticulously tailored to meet the unique requirements and desires of its clients, including bespoke engineering solutions. From enhanced performance to elevating driving dynamics, Bowler is dedicated to delivering exceptional off-road driving experiences.

Bowler Motors has fostered a close partnership with Land Rover since its inception, culminating in a formal brand partnership in 2012. This collaboration marked the beginning of the popular Defender Challenge Rally Series, which took place between 2014 to 2016. This joint effort showcased Bowler’s expertise and cemented its position as a leader in off-road competition.

In December 2019 Bowler Motors joined JLR, becoming a subsidiary of the company. The union provided Bowler with enhanced resources and opportunities for innovation, reinforcing its commitment to delivering unstoppable state-of-the-art off-road vehicles. Its products have navigated uncharted territory, incorporating Land Rover DNA to deliver customary capability and composure.

With a rich racing heritage and an exciting future, Bowler continues to captivate enthusiasts and thrill-seekers with its exceptionally tough competition vehicles. Its immersive off-road experiences are uniquely facilitated by the latest generation Defender, which provides extremely tough and highly capable foundations.

For more information about this iconic company, visit https://www.bowlermotors.com/

Digital Marketing Blog

Design, Die or AI

Design, Die or AI

No amount of artificial intelligence can be effective without a human at some point taking the business objectives and marketing messages and turning them into something that resonates with the audience it is intended for. But AI is for another day.

Here at Gravity our lead designer Alex gets involved with designing collateral from websites and e-newsletters to print and exhibition stands, but what is the value of great design when there are ready made tools available such as Canva and other image generators. We took a few moments to chat to her about how design can influence decision making.

What is Graphic Design?

In its simplest terms, design is the art of combining image and text for print and digital media, it’s more than just making things look nice. The clients brief informs what the objectives of the design are, such as to attract audiences, to encourage people to make a purchase or to communicate a key message.

Creating a good design is accomplished in a few steps and carefully thought out with a clear objective. The first thing we do is understand who the intended audience is for the finished design and what you want the recipient to do with the information presented to them?

We then refer to the brand guidelines, if available, and use the colours, font, and tone of voice. The next step is to identify the best format to use and be conscious of what channel this will be used on – website, social media, e-newsletters, leaflet, brochures and many more.

Good design makes things look professional, as well as ensuring that the context delivers effective communication, conveying info, visual identity, target marker and way more. Can you believe all this is involved in just one design concept? Design work really is hard!

Why is good design so important?

As humans we process images and visuals much faster than text, in fact 60,000 times faster! Capturing and holding attention is essential and something that catches our eye can make us stop and listen long enough for us to take on the message it is conveying.

90% of information that gets transmitted to the brain is visual in nature, so this is why good design is so important.

Why is good design important for business?

Design is a form of communication between your business and your audience. Brand consistency is key, but that is probably for another day! Websites, e-newsletters, brochures and all other materials that are designed represent your business – and first impressions matter.

If you’re in business, you’re in the business of graphic design. All businesses want to be credible, consistent and competitive. This is where design, aligned with the right marketing channels can demonstrate that your business has a story worth telling.

You get one shot at impressing a potential customer. If your website looks rubbish or doesn’t tell a story, the visitor will quickly shut the window and look elsewhere.

The modern business world is hyper-competitive with information and opportunities whizzing by everywhere we look, therefore, good quality design is a must-have tool for your marketing toolbox to make way through the noise.

Why is design often undervalued?

Design can often be perceived as just throwing together some text and pictures, but it is so much more. Good design starts with a thought process. When a business has a great offer, design can bring those products, services and events to life.

The value is added when the creative mind sets to work on unfurling the messages and then creating a visual that will stop people in their tracks, just for a second, to read those messages. 

One misconception is that logos need to communicate something about their business, but contrary to this, many long-standing brands primary purpose is for identification with a clear message and brand values behind them, and these are the ones that stand the test of time. Take Apple, Nike and FedEx as examples that we are all familiar, they are clever and strong by the way they have been designed but also the way they are applied.

Another misconception is that designs can be whipped up quickly, it’s just a home page, or a quick poster design. Designers are bursting with natural creative ability but getting it right takes a little more time than half an hour in front of a screen. Design time is often misunderstood and an idea is hard to charge for. Who knows when it will click into place but this time spent getting it right is infinitely more valuable. Time spent in research and creative direction is time well spent.

Other thoughts of a creative mind

Yes, we can quickly come up with logo ideas but only if we understand the business, audience, fit and future goals which helps place creative direction in place first. It is important that the client is part of the process – we can then visually translate the vision of what the client wants to achieve.

A lot of what we do creates a subconscious and associative reaction in the viewer. Emotional connection to a piece of work is more important than the viewer understanding the ‘why’ behind the design.

AI vs Human

Creativity cannot be hardwired. AI design tools are trained with man-made datasheets, but emotions make a difference. AI wouldn’t understand the feeling we get from an image which is what leads us creatives to the right final creative message. But this is for another day…

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More Than Digital Marketing Support For MTLL

More Than Digital Marketing Support For MTLL

National franchise, More Than Loft Ladders, which specialises in loft storage solutions, continues to go from strength to strength and Gravity Digital has supported the company throughout its expansion journey.

The Gravity team started working with entrepreneur Liam Hobbs when he was building his own More Than Loft Ladders franchise covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire to develop his social media presence. The proposition has grown over the past eight years to also include website development, marketing support, SEO and PPC campaigns.

With a string of awards under his belt, Liam’s success in running his own franchise operation convinced him that he wanted to support others to do the same and, in late 2022, Liam bought the More Than Loft Ladders national franchise.

Again, the Gravity team have been right alongside him – developing the national franchise website and providing digital marketing support and training for the various franchise operators across the UK.

The franchisees include Liam’s wife Kelly who continues to run and expand the local operations including opening a High Street office and showroom in Long Eaton.

MTLL & ‘Big Build for Children in Need’

To celebrate the first anniversary of taking over the national franchise, Kelly, Liam and the local team have also been involved in the annual ‘Big Build for Children in Need’. They, along with hundreds of other trades people from across the region, provided nine days of voluntary labour at Treetops Hospice in Risley. 

The project was closely followed by the BBC cameras and is due to be aired as part of the annual fundraising campaign this November.

Liam explained: “Gravity Digital have worked with us since the early days of our operation and has been an integral part of our company’s expansion in the local area.

“Having learnt a great deal about running and growing a business, I was delighted when the opportunity presented itself to buy the national franchise.

“With Kelly taking over the local operations, I have now been able to focus my efforts on supporting the current and future More Than Loft Ladders franchise owners across the UK to achieve their goals.

“With the support of a range of business partners, including Gravity Digital, we have developed enhanced support packages ranging from accounting to marketing that are available to franchise holders.

“I have also learnt how to deal personally with juggling business and family life and I am keen to support other franchise holders on a personal level to ensure their mental wellbeing.”

Liam continued: “As a franchise business, we have built our reputation over the years by offering the full service and, as the name suggests – we are more than a loft ladder company. 

“Although this is obviously an important feature, we also install hatches, part or full loft boarding insulation, lighting and smoke alarms to transform dark and forgotten lofts into usable space.

“Loft storage conversions are a growing market with homeowners keen to put wasted space at the top of their homes to good use either for storage or, for example, a hobby space.

“It also makes financial sense to insulate a loft rather than see money on heating bills literally fly through the roof.

“Furthermore, the volatile mortgage market also means that many people are more likely to expand the living space they have now at an affordable price rather than moving and taking on bigger payments.

“I therefore continue to actively recruit hard working and ambitious tradespeople who are keen to take the plunge and start their own business supported by us.

“With a solid reputation and growing customer demand, I am confident that our growth plans will be achieved.”

For more information about More Than Loft Ladders, please visit morethanloftladders.co.uk

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Threads: A Shiny Start, But What’s Next?

Threads: A Shiny Start, But What’s Next?

In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, new platforms emerge like shooting stars, each promising to offer new and exciting ways to connect with people and brands worldwide.

Threads, a promising newcomer, burst onto the scene with a bang (and the weight of Meta behind it), and we were all alerted to the fact that it achieved an impressive 100 million sign-ups in its first 7 days. However, despite its initial buzz and a loyal following among some key brands, the question lingers: has Threads met an early decline, or has reality set in that the hype didn’t quite match reality?

There’s no doubt that Threads was a breath of fresh air in the social media universe. Gone were the usual chaotic timelines of endless scrolling, Threads offers a much more organised approach to sharing content with engagement at its core. With Threads, content becomes a breeze to digest through threaded discussions, creating a virtual conversation-like experience that lets us connect on a new level.

This unique approach to social media has got the Gravity team thirsty for more, here’s what we love about Threads:

  1. Streamline the Conversation – Threads simplifies chatting without feeling lost in the crowd. It’s a go-to for deep dives in content, lively debates and engaging Q&A sessions, especially from big brands.
  2. Collaboration Paradise – Brands and users thrive on Threads, using it for meaningful discussions and collaborations. Long-form content and genuine interactions? Sign us up!
  3. Escape the Noise – You can take charge of your experience by cherry-picking the threads you want to follow, putting an end to information overload.
  4. Community Wonders: Threads has amazing niche communities where people with shared interests can connect. It allows brands to discover dedicated fan bases in these spaces.

Big tech titans like Apple and Google embraced the platform to foster discussion about their latest innovations, and updates and engage with the tech world. In other industries, fashion forward brands Gucci and Adidas have found a home with Threads, allowing for in-depth conversations about trends, sustainability, and style tips. Despite the multitude of things to love, Threads has faced challenges, which in turn seems to have limited its user base from growing any further:

  1. A Bit Too Complex? – While the threaded style format is as neat as a pin, it can leave some users scratching their heads. If you’re used to the simplicity of mainstream platforms, it takes a little bit of time to get the hang of it.
  2. Nothing Instant Here – Threads excels in deep conversations, but it’s not your go-to for quick, casual chats. It just doesn’t scratch that instant gratification itch.
  3. Where is Everyone? –  Discovering new stuff is a bit tricky. Threads relies heavily on followers, making it a challenge for newbies and brands to get noticed on the big stage.
  4. Big Players in the Game – Threads has to face off with the big dogs of social media, who keep adding Threads-like features, making it harder to stand out from the crowd.

The question on our lips is ‘Will Threads meet an early end?’ We hope not! Some users and brands continue to find value in it, especially niche communities. We’re sure that Threads will remain a haven for meaningful conversations, away from the noise of the mainstream platforms. Threads is an exciting newbie, which has caught our attention with its unique approach to online interactions. While it might not be the social media superstar we thought it’d be, it’s found a comfy spot in many hearts.

It’s hard to deny though that Threads isn’t having a hard time maintaining a user base, suffering a drop of about 80% in the volume of user traffic after the first month. Threads’ journey reminds us that not every new platform can dethrone the social media giants like X (cheerio to the friendly blue bird), Facebook and Instagram. But while Threads might not take the throne, it’s still the spot where some of us love to chat, collaborate and more. Meta is working on stabilising the platform and adding new features to retain users, but is it a little too late?

What we can say is that we’ve seen social platforms continue to ride the popularity wave through rough seas. Take X for example, despite branding changes and a lot of recent upheavals, there are still around 100 million daily users spending at least 25 minutes a day on the platform

So, what’s next for Threads? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – it’s quite the ride!

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A Day in The Life of an SEO Specialist

A Day in The Life of an SEO Specialist

One keyword at a time, SEO is a valuable and important part of keeping a website visible, relevant and healthy in the eyes of search engines. The demand for SEO is at an all-time high and this fast-paced, innovative, and ever-evolving sector shows no signs of ever slowing down.

Have you ever wondered what the day-to-day work includes for an SEO specialist? How they work their “magic” on the digital world? To shed some light we’ve decided to let you peek into a day in the life of Eliza here at Gravity who eats, sleeps and dreams of analytics, tools, graphs and keywords.

First Things First: What Is SEO?

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimisation” and it is the process of improving your site to increase its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business in search engines.

In a digital first world, SEO is a fundamental part of digital marketing and is the primary source for digital traffic for brands, supporting all other marketing efforts.

What Does a SEO Specialist Do?

Depending on the needs of our clients my role adapts and changes, but while not all SEO specialists do the exact same work, day in day out there are some general roles we play.

Keyword Research

Keywords are the pillar of SEO, it’s much more complex and technical that splashing popular keywords on a page and hoping to land on the first search page. For keywords to work their magic, we balance a lot of factors continually, like competitiveness and relevancy, making technical and on-page SEO changes to get the best outcomes.

Optimising the Site

A huge factor in the SEO jenga tower is managing and optimising high-quality content, clean HTML, fast load times, internal links, and solid metadata. Continually putting these factors through their paces helps to increase conversion rates.

Building Links

Link building is a fine art of building external and internal links to add value to readers and search engines, playing a crucial role in SEO success. In SEO we spend a lot of time identifying opportunities and monitoring existing links to create trustworthy link building strategies.

Analysing Data

A big part of my role in both SEO and PPC is analysing data, as we rely heavily on metrics to drive winning SEO campaigns forward. I’m a self-confessed data nerd, so there’s something about the way data trends and SEO work in unison that really drives my passion. We monitor a lot of channels including Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console, as well as performing competitor audits and tracking trends and ever-changing algorithms.

What is a Standard Day Like?

I will say that no two days are the same in the world of SEO but this is how my day tends to look…

6:30am: Wake up to my soothing alarm clock that is a small dog called Dudley, he usually ends up waking me up before my alarm so we get plenty of cuddles in! I get up and then we go out for a long walk before work, this just helps my brain to kickstart and dust off the cobwebs (autumn walks are the best!)

7:30-8am: Depending on whether I’m commuting or sitting down at my desk with a coffee (lots of it!), my start time changes, but I like to beat the morning rush and get an early start.

If I’m commuting, I like to listen to podcasts on my journey (I get about 40 mins of listening time!), my favourite ones at the minute are The Digital Marketing Podcast or The Diary of a CEO. Just helps to get my brain kickstarted for the day!

8am-12pm: After checking my to-do list, I get cracking with urgent tasks that have cropped up overnight or prep for any meetings. I then check on the organic performance for the past 24 hours and report it to other members of the team if there’s significant fluctuations.

I run site crawls and identify any new issues that need to be fixed. Depending on if we’ve just launched a new site this changes as they need a lot of TLC to start with. During this time I also look at trends data to guide SEO tasks.

I tend to favour morning meetings to guide the day so team and client meetings tend to crop up.

12pm: Lunchtime! We’re an office of feeders (unfortunately not good on the waistline!) so when we’re in the office we walk into town for a bite to eat and to walk Dudley of course, who seems to be the Gravity office dog!

12:30-4pm: For the rest of the day, it’s always so different. It will usually be a task related to a specific client that could take me all day or more!

4-5pm: Home time! Because I get to work early and we have flexible working, I like to leave earlier than later and get on with one of my many odd extracurriculars.

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Giving Clarity to Microsoft Clarity

Giving Clarity to Microsoft Clarity

Microsoft Clarity has been around since 2018 and heatmaps, tracking user behaviour and seeing dead clicks aren’t new, but it is definitely worth paying attention to. This software is a great, and fun, insight into the depth of customer behaviour.

With so many analytical tools available it is hard to listen to them all, but essentially they are all monitoring the same information – who is coming to your website, from where and for how long. One of the things that makes Microsoft Clarity so good to use is that it is visual and can be fun as you can watch screen recordings literally looking at how a user is interacting with that page (it’s a bit spooky too seeing the cursor moving around the page unaided). The great thing about this software is that you can get some really valuable behavioural analytics without pawing through pages of stats. But as with everything, it is how you interpret the findings and what you do with it.

At Gravity we love putting Microsoft Clarity to good use. When a client has a new campaign or product and we have designed their web page – we can see quickly and visually if people are viewing the images and information as we intended – are they finding the right links, are they spending enough time on the page to get the information from it?

There is no doubt that Microsoft Clarity is a powerful analytics tool and if you listen closely enough, you can make your website more engaging just by looking and learning.

So what are the key features of Microsoft Clarity?

Session Replay:

This is definitely the sexiest bit of this software where you can see screen recordings of individual user sessions on a page which is addictive to watch as it tracks the cursor around the webpage. By seeing how people use your site, where they click, and where they get stuck, you can reveal common pain points and areas for improvement.

Heatmaps:

These show visual highlights of user activity on your website and the mapping shows the most frequently clicked areas so you can see popular sections or links. Heatmaps can help you optimise your website’s layout and make data-driven decisions to enhance user engagement.

Behaviour Flow Analysis:

This is a useful, but not original, tool to be able to see a users journey – where they landed, what they did when they got there and where they exited. Looking closely at this data can help identify pages that may have a call to action that people just aren’t actioning and eventually can give a story to help you optimise the structure of your website and keep users engaged.

Click and Scroll Tracking:

Not messing around with fluffy marketing words Clarity refers to lost or ineffective clicks as ‘Rage Clicks’, Dead Clicks’, Excessive Scrolling’ and ‘Quick Backs’ which to be fair, are very descriptive and quite right. But what these give you is an impression of where people get lost, frustrated or just don’t find what they are looking for – the aim is to get them all down to 0%!

Our Thoughts

Microsoft Clarity is a free tool for a deeper understanding of a website – no matter what the size of the business or site. But a little knowledge of data can be distracting, as with any analysis of user behaviour there needs to be a wider understanding of why you want to take a deeper look and what you will do with that information when you have it. If it is just for interest then great, but if you want to use it to improve your website then you have to look at all the factors. User experience is key to engaging with visitors and if you have a well designed and developed website with quality and relevant information, then you have already succeeded.

From a privacy point of view it is also worth noting that although you are following someone’s cursor and what they do with a website, no user data is collected apart from country location, so it isn’t really spying, as it is, Microsoft take privacy very seriously.

Getting started does require a little bit of faffing around though – you have to embed some code onto your website to enable the software to connect and start collecting data. But once this is done, you’re all set and ready to roll.

Give it a go and enjoy!

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Don’t waste money on your website

Don’t waste money on your website

Websites are arguably the most important marketing tool that your organisation has to attract sales and enquiries.

The way we see it is that websites are your most loyal and knowledgeable employee, available 24/7 and should have the answers to just about everything. So, treating your website well and maintaining the information and software is essential – especially as competition is always out there to take your place online.

Marketing is a ‘digital first’ environment where much of our day-to-day business is online, if your website isn’t up to scratch it reflects on your brand.

The first thing to do is to make sure you don’t waste money on a website – whether it’s a new website or an existing one, some businesses don’t invest enough time, resources or money and that’s often when problems surface for all to see. Here are a few things you can do to give your website a health check;

  • Speed – speed is everything and a slow website is a big turn-off. Search engines rate a website on how fast it is, and this could determine where you appear in searches. Speed is determined by hosting, content, coding and general build.
  • Maintenance – just like an engine that does a lot of mileage, to keep it in the best condition a website needs regular maintenance. This means regular security and software updates, it’s far better to keep a website maintained than to try and repair any damage after it has happened.
  • Experience – when somebody lands on your website it reflects your brand and should immediately describe what your organisation offers. Put yourself in the place of the visitor and regularly review how the website looks, the images and the language you use – it takes less than 1 second to form an opinion about your company from a website, so first impressions count.
  • Responsive – many websites are viewed on mobile devices or tablets. The website should be designed to be responsive; this doesn’t mean just shrinking it down, ensure you present the right information for people on the move.
  • Analyse – make sure you have analytics installed so you can extract valuable information about how people use your website.

Google is the largest search engine and it studies every detail of how people interact online. Google tracks every click and you can gain informative insights to help influence your online presence. For example, understanding how people arrive at your website gives an impression of how to focus or re-focus, your marketing activity this includes social media, email marketing, SEO and digital adverts.

Overall, make sure your website is effective, don’t waste money on getting a cheap website or template, because it might just not make the grade, and then you may be faced with spending money on bringing up to scratch. Here are a few stats on why your website is so important;

  • 92% of people don’t trust websites that have mistakes or are slow to load.
  • 90% of people who phone, email or visit your business will have visited your website.
  • 60% say that they wouldn’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website.
  • 85% of customers look and compare online before making purchase decisions.
  • 40% will stop looking at a website if it is difficult to navigate quickly.
  • 50% of people expect a maximum load time of 2 seconds.

However, it’s no good having an attractive fast website if no one knows it’s there. People often turn first to search engines and social media channels to learn about products and services. This is where your customer’s journey starts. Websites have to earn their place in rankings, so the right SEO-structure helps you manipulate how your brand appears in search engines to create the best first impression. Also keeping your social media and wider marketing messages consistent and clear are just as important.

To generate sales or leads online, focus on making the website look and perform well centered around the customer experience, which, if done right, can attract the right visitors.

Try not to think about your website as a cost, instead think of it as an investment. You spend money to make money, so spend wisely.

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Why is digital marketing important to your business?

Why is digital marketing important to your business?

The answer to this question can be found just by looking around you. How many devices can you see? The chances are that you are reading this on a laptop or mobile and there are probably a few other devices that can connect to the internet within easy reach.

Think of how you consume information yourself and even how you share information with colleagues, friends and family. Being online and being connected has transformed the way we buy things, the way we find out about events and, it can even influence the way we vote.  Being readily online, at almost anytime, is one of the reasons digital marketing has transformed how businesses promote and market their products and services.

We believe digital marketing has four key advantages over the traditional way of marketing – measurability, affordability, speed and engagement.

Measurability

A website is arguably the single most important marketing tools and it is an insight into what people are interested and how they find your website and move around it. How many people have visited your site? Where are they coming from, natural search, through pay-per-click (PPC), social media or email campaigns? You can monitor the change in your figures over time, giving you real information about whether your marketing message is getting through to the right people.

Affordability

Digital marketing has opened up the arena of marketing to smaller and medium-sized firms the world over, putting them onto a level playing field with bigger corporates, through its affordability. For example, Facebook advertising through ad campaign tools such as ‘boost posts’ costs a fraction of the cost of printing leaflets and can be directed at a specific group of people.

At the same time, you get much greater reach with a wider audience that potentially spans the entire world, and less paper goes to landfill to boot. Similarly, online banner adverts on websites generally cost less than adverts placed in more traditional outlets like daily newspapers or magazines. With the data that is generated by these online advertising techniques you also get feedback on how efficient you ad spend was too.

Speed

You can also get your message out there quicker in the virtual world – a simple click of a mouse button is all that is needed.  When compared to the much longer process of getting printed materials produced and distributed, it means that companies can be much more agile with their messaging. Twitter posts or website updates take a few minutes compared to days for the development and printing of a flyer. An e-newsletter can be written and controlled when it gets sent out and you can monitor who has opened it, whereas an advert can take a week to place in a newspaper and you never quite know how many people have seen it.

Engagement

Digital marketing brings a dynamic edge to how you promote yourself in a fast-paced world.

One of the biggest reasons digital marketing has become so important is the engagement it brings – you can converse with your prospective and current customers, answer questions and resolve issues. You can also interact with a wider audience, meaning you can do more than just sell.

You can seek opinions and carry out market research to better inform your decision making. You can also seek out collaborations or campaign for subcontractors or the professional opinions of your peers on project work too. By getting your audience to share pages you can increase your profile, and receive their endorsement in the process.

Engagement can be achieved via other avenues too such as competitions, blogs, PR, events and other marketing activities.

Using real time online marketing you can comment on issues and update or inform your customers immediately after significant events that may impact the sector you and your customers operate. You can also quickly match or better competitors’ offers with your own, keeping you at the sharp end of the marketplace.

Digital marketing is more than important to your business – it is indispensable.

Find out more…

We are a no-nonsense digital marketing agency based in Derby. To learn more about how we can help you get results from your marketing, then get in touch. Please email us on [email protected] or give us a call on 01332 416555.

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Digital Marketing Blog

Our visit to 10 Downing Street: Flying the flag for rural businesses

Our visit to 10 Downing Street: Flying the flag for rural businesses

Being invited to the former home of Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and William Gladstone, not to mention the current home of Larry the “Chief Mouser”, was a rather delightful surprise. Far better, the reason was an invite to attend a 10 Downing St Roundtable on Rural Business, a topic that, rather handily, we are passionate about.

Rural Business Roundtable: The purpose

Of course, having a rural office, a rural workforce and several acres of rural clients, certainly helps us to understand the rural economy so, when we got our invite from the Rural Business Group, inspired we suspect by our title of Best Rural Creative or Media Business 2016 at the UK-wide, CLA-sponsored Rural Business Awards, we were made up!

The purpose of the Roundtable was for 10 Downing Street to explore what a rural business was and to understand the challenges that we, and other rural businesses are facing. Thinking it a little selfish to limit this opportunity to just our issues, (and that of the other 11 firms attending), we canvassed our rural clients, asked our rural business colleagues and put a call out on social media so that we could raise wide-ranging rural concerns and put forward others’ ideas, alongside our own.

Understanding rural businesses

During the roundtable the debate was intense and unanimous around the challenges of connectivity, transport and crime, however, what we found the most interesting was that the perception of rural businesses seemed a little limited. For example, businesses that were based in the countryside but that didn’t make a traditionally rural product, or weren’t a diversified farm, didn’t seem to be considered a rural business by everyone. By this measure, in our client portfolio alone, the rural economy would have failed to claim hundreds of employees and several hundred million pounds of revenue, just because the businesses involved failed to conform to a traditional stereotype.

Rural business challenges

Yet, all these rurally-based businesses are facing the same operational challenges, investing in their local area and upskilling the rural workforce. In fact, many of these businesses that chose to locate their premises, offices, factories and workshops in our green and pleasant land, are often a significant employer in the local area.

Luckily, these businesses have been able to find space rurally. At Gravity though, we have really struggled. As a professional services business, we need office space to grow; and in rural towns, there isn’t any! Take Bakewell in Derbyshire as an example. For a whole range of reasons, irrelevant to this blog, we wanted to base our rural office in or around Bakewell. We’d love to have bought an office, even rented a large one, however, the available space is all dedicated to either retail, agriculture or co-working spaces for microbusinesses.

There is always the possibility of finding a barn or outbuilding somewhere that we could convert, but then we come full circle as, even if we did that, there’s then no broadband provision or telecommunications signal – both of which are vital for our digital marketing business!

Defining the rural economy

Happily, our quandary was recognised and the Founders of the Rural Business Group, two businesswomen, Anna Price and Jemma Clifford, have been tasked, by Downing Street, with developing a definition of what the rural economy is, the parameters of the businesses it contains and how rural business success can be measured – a big task for the entrepreneurs, but one that will be invaluable to the rural community.

So, we’d like to thank the Rural Business Group for the opportunity to share our thoughts with No.10 and for all the work the Founders are about to do on behalf of the rural economy, thank you, we are thrilled to have been a part of it.

 

Find out more…

We are a no-nonsense digital marketing agency based in Derby. To learn more about how we can help you get results from your marketing, then get in touch. Please email us on [email protected] or give us a call on 01332 416555.

Related Articles - Digital Marketing

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