Digital Marketing Blog

We’re happy to announce we’ve partnered with One Tree Planted.

We’re happy to announce we’ve partnered with One Tree Planted.

At Gravity, we care deeply about the planet and creating a business that gives back to nature. That’s why we’re thrilled to share that we’re partnering with One Tree Planted and have made a commitment to plant a tree for every invoice we send out to our customers.

During 2022, we are aiming to plant over 500 new trees around the world, including in Western Jutland, as part of an international effort to grow the forest cover in Denmark to 25%, and Australia, to recover forests affected by recent bushfires and help restore native habitats vital for their amazing wildlife.

Planting trees is one of the best ways to combat the damaging effects of climate change. Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and provide habitat to over 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Trees also provide tremendous social impacts by providing jobs to over 1.6 billion people, empowering women in underdeveloped nations, and supporting communities devastated by environmental damage.

One Tree Planted – Tree planting project in the UK

England used to have glorious forest coverage, but changes in land use have caused extensive deforestation. In addition to being critical to protecting the climate, forests also build community.

This reforestation project will be a highly engaging, community-led initiative to create educational opportunities, volunteer planting events, and public spaces so that everyone, including the most marginalized communities, can enjoy England’s native flora and fauna. Find Out More

One Tree Planted is a charity on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to rebuild forests after fires and floods, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity. Many projects have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

To learn more visit onetreeplanted.org

Digital Marketing Blog

Don’t waste money on your website

Don’t waste money on your website

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

Another way of putting 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 for webspace is increasing.

Now, more than ever, we are operating within a ‘digital first’ world 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, resource or money and that’s often when problems begin. 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, 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;

  • 90% of people don’t trust websites that have mistakes or are slow to load.
  • 90% of people that 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 unattractive.
  • 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 for their place in rankings, so the right SEO-structure help 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.

Digital Marketing Blog

Excited to announce that we are Finalists in the Derby Telegraph Business Awards

Excited to announce that we are Finalists in the Derby Telegraph Business Awards

Here at Gravity Digital we are over the moon to announce we have been named as one of three finalists in the ‘Creative Industries Business of The Year 2018’ category.

The annual Derby Telegraph Business Awards celebrate success, recognise achievement and highlight the innovative people throughout Derbyshire.

The Creative Industries is arguably the biggest growing sector in the UK and we know we are surrounded by so many talented innovative businesses right here in Derbyshire. In fact, we have been lucky enough to work with many of them including filmmakers, photographers and graphic designers over the years and will continue to well into the future. As a small creative agency ourselves, we are always keen to promote and support the diversity of companies that operate in the creative sector, often meeting, mentoring and collaborating on projects.

Our very own Sharon Stevens-Cash, sums up how we feel: “We are lucky to have such a strong team at Gravity Digital and so many clients that are happy to endorse the work that we do.

“We believe that our commitment to evaluating and proving the results we achieve for our clients plays a large part in why we have been recognised and we are very grateful to all of our clients that have testified on our behalf – and of course to all of the judges at the Derby Telegraph Business Awards too!

“We’re really looking forward to finding out if we’ve secured the top spot at the Awards Ceremony in June – we’ll let you know.”

To find out more about the Derby Telegraph Business Awards log onto: http://derbytelegraphbusinessawards.co.uk/

 

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.

Digital Marketing Blog

10 Downing Street round table: Gravity request to rural businesses

10 Downing Street round table: Gravity request to rural businesses

At Gravity we are a small firm with two offices, one rural and one urban. The disparity between them on essential business services is really striking and so we are pleased to have been invited to share our experiences with the Government at a round table discussion at Number 10 Downing Street, planned for the 27 September 2018. But we know we are not alone in wanting to raise key issues that affect the operational performance of our rural business, so we would like to be your mouthpiece too.

Our Downing Street round table invite arrived because we are a member of the Rural Business Group, thanks to our success in 2017 when we were named Best Rural Creative or Media Business at the Amazon-sponsored and DEFRA-supported, Rural Business Awards.

At the round table, we are going to raise three core issues that we think are key to building sustainable rural business communities – and we want you, our rural business colleagues, to let us know if there are issues affecting your business that are currently not on our list to raise, or if you have some solutions to these challenges that you’d like us to propose on your behalf.

We want to make the most of having Downing Street’s ear – in the form of by Niamh Mulholland, Business Relations Manager – so either let us know what is having a negative impact on your rural business, or what solutions you have for any of the issues affecting the countryside business community and we will raise them on your behalf, if you’d like us to.

We have already asked our rurally-based clients for their feedback and we would like to provide as many perspectives as possible. We can’t get you into the meeting, but we want to give every rural business the opportunity to be represented, if you’d like to share your concerns with us?

What we will be raising at 10 Downing Street:

Connectivity: We know this is such an obvious problem that we shouldn’t have to outline it, but its impact on our Bakewell office, and therefore our overall business, is significant. As many of you will know, the 2016 Ofcom broadband survey showed that internet speeds in rural areas were substantially slower than those in towns and cities, with most rural locations having speeds of 10MB or under, and that’s just not good enough for our business community – the 1/2m+ rural businesses that suffer as a consequence. Our Bakewell office has just had an ‘upgrade’ but it’s nowhere near as fast as our Derby site. Of course, the Government will counter with its pledges in the Broadband Delivery UK scheme, or perhaps the Local Full Fibre Networks programme, which has a pot of £95m that local authorities can bid for to support the rollout of full fibre connectivity across the UK. However, in reality, none of these initiatives are all encompassing or give enough focus to the rural marketplace, and they are certainly not either consistent or quick enough.

Transport links: Urban firms complain about potholes on their route to work, train delays and limited cycle lanes but, in contrast, our bus services continue to get cut, finding a rural train station is rare and the condition of our rural roads seem to be a worryingly low priority. This means staff struggle to reach us, having an impact on the skilled people that we can find to staff our businesses, cycling to work is a risky journey, HGV deliveries are often tricky with weight restrictions and poorly maintained roads and customers that choose to visit us will enjoy the scenery but not the poor signage.

Crime: A 2017 NFU Mutual Report noted that rural crime in 2016 cost Britain £39.2million and we are all well aware of the ongoing rise in rural crime with thousands of rural businesses being affected across the UK. The well organised gangs that now operate to specifically target rural businesses are commonplace and we want to see more action taken to both prevent crime and catch the perpetrators. As a service firm, some may believe we have less to lose than some, however, we are not immune. Some colleagues, a professional services SME in Staffordshire, were devastated by a break-in last year when every one of their computers was stolen, losing files that represented months and months of hard work; and I know that our clients in the countryside with livestock or machinery, live with the constant dread that today will be the morning they wake up and their livelihood will be on the line.

 

We have our own ideas about how we would like to see each of these issues addressed and if any rural business reading this would like us to raise any additional issues, or additional perspectives on these issues, on their behalf, please get in touch. We realise that there are only so many businesses that can fit round the table, however, we’d like to give all rural businesses the opportunity to metaphorically share our seat.

The round table will focus on the challenges that we are currently facing as rural businesses and explore thoughts and ideas about how we can address these challenges in order to have a real, sustainable impact on our rural communities – enabling us all to not only survive but to thrive. As I’ve mentioned, we were invited by the Rural Business Group and the Co-Founder of the Rural Business Awards and the Rural Business Group, Anna Price, says:

“Our view is that successful rural communities are underpinned by successful rural enterprise in all its forms. We are delighted to be able to share some of our success with other hard working rural businesses and give them the opportunity to be heard at the heart of Westminster. We look forward to a constructive and rewarding day.”

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.

Digital Marketing Blog

Gravity Digital Director joins Dragons’ Den legends James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne as Columnist

Gravity Digital Director and marketing specialist Sharon Stevens-Cash has been asked to join the impressive line-up of columnists for the UK’s largest SME business publication, Business Matters Magazine.

With around 30 regular columnists, including Dragons’ Den businessmen Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan, Sharon will write monthly columns about digital marketing, sharing her expertise and advice with up to 5000 unique visitors to the Magazine’s website each day and more than 80,000 subscribers to the Magazine’s Daily Update e-briefings.

Sharon comments: “When I was first approached to be a columnist for Business Matters Magazine, I was extremely honoured. The line-up of columnists is pretty awe inspiring and to know that the publication has made me one of only 30 columnists in the country is absolutely brilliant!”

Sharon’s photo and biography sits alongside the other regular writers in the Columnists section of the publication on its online portal here.

Business Matters Magazine online Editor Rebecca Jones said: “We approached Sharon because of her strong track record in digital marketing expertise and we are really pleased that she has accepted our offer and come aboard as one of our columnists. We think she will add real value to our readers and give them a practical insight to the complex world of digital marketing.”

Sharon continues: “I am really pleased to have an opportunity to share my insights with more than 100,000 small and medium-sized firms each month. My first article, covering how to improve your company’s digital marketing, is on the Magazine’s home page now and you can take a look at the full article here.”

Business Matters Magazine was first established in 1987 and has grown to be the largest business magazine dedicated to small and medium-sized business in the UK. The publication has over 120,000 SME subscribers to its physical publication, 80,000 subscribers to its Daily Update and between 1500 and 5000 unique visitors to its website each day.

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.

Digital Marketing Blog

Gravity Digital takes off with down to earth approach

Gravity Digital takes off with down to earth approach

Two successful entrepreneurs have formed a powerful new digital marketing company in Derby following the merger of two successful firms. Gravity Digital, based at The Mill, in Lodge Lane, aims to make a big impact both locally and around the country.

The firm has been created by the merger of two Derby-based firms – Essential Marketing Solutions and Out of the Blue, a specialist web design company. The combined weight of the two operations will position them to make a significant boost to their turnover, with clients already on the books from every region in England.

“We’re hugely excited at the potential for this new venture,” said director and successful marketer Sharon Stevens-Cash.

“We’re different to other marketing agencies in that we avoid jargon and quick fixes in favour of an honest, open and real world approach.

“We always keep our promises to our clients and make a genuine, measurable difference to their business.”

Meet the team behind Gravity Digital

The new team has a combined over 40 years’ experience in the marketing and online industries.

Sharon started a successful marketing agency, Derby-based Essential Marketing Solutions, founded in 2008, while Andy Smith was the web designer and founder behind Out of the Blue, formed in 2001.

Sharon is a well-known marketer with a strong reputation for helping companies streamline their marketing operations and is a popular choice when it comes to training companies in digital marketing techniques. She is also a digital marketing specialist with a keen eye for website analytics and a wealth of experience of managing complex websites, both in terms of content management and transactional sites. Andy, meanwhile, has spent the last 20 years as a web designer and developer, creating hundreds of websites, animations and applications.

“Website design is constantly evolving and the way we view websites has changed significantly over the last few years,” said Andy. “Good design is just the beginning. User experience, functionality and visibility of the site in search engines are key factors that can make or break a site.”

Sharon is confident Gravity will take off and build on the last ten years of success enjoyed by Essential Marketing Solutions.

“We hope to build upon our current client base through Gravity and also to streamline how we service our shared clients,” she said. “We count Marketing Derby, Willmott Dixon, Hansons Auctioneers, Heck Sausages, Derby Festé, Mr Fothergill’s and the Corden Group among our many clients and are looking forward to working for more businesses under the Gravity name.

“Although our clients often have very different aims, the benefits of digital marketing remains the same.”

The company will continue to operate from The Mill in Derby, offering digital marketing, which includes website design, search engine optimisation, social media management, marketing and email marketing strategies.

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. If you’d like a quote, please email us on [email protected] or give us a call on 01332 416555.