by Westcountry-Admin | Feb 6, 2018 | Web Design
Building your own website might seem like a cheap and cheerful way to promote your business, but unfortunately, the reality of the finished product often fails to live up to expectations.
First impressions
When a customer visits your website for the first time, accessibility is key. A poorly formatted website can take a sale from your company and make it business for your competitors. It can make it look like your business is trying to cut costs wherever they can, at the expense of the customer. This can leave visitors to your site feeling alienated and may prompt them to take their business elsewhere.
Time is money
The idea of getting your site up and running in under a day might sound appealing, but creating an original, quality website takes time and a lot of hard work, especially when you factor in proper design, mobile compatibility and SEO optimisation. Self-build websites are inefficient and can take a lot of time out of your already busy day to achieve results that are ultimately sub-par.
Experience is key
Realistically, creating a self-build website might be a fun challenge or hobby to undertake, but when it comes to your business, hiring a professional is the only way to ensure you’re providing your customers with the quality, accessible site they deserve. An experienced site designer knows that your website is your key marketing tool and will ensure that your site is generating enough traffic and business.
Why sacrifice your time and hard work building a second-rate website when for as little as £249 you could have a professional site with original content tailored to your needs? At Westcountry Media, we understand the importance of creating affordable, professional websites for our customers. To find out more, contact us today.
by Westcountry-Admin | Aug 21, 2017 | Marketing, Web Design
Now, more than ever, your website serves as an integral marketing tool for your company. With an ever-increasing reliance on and availability of digital devices, it is easy to find a company’s website and vet them for yourself. However, the great thing about websites is they also link in well to more traditional marketing websites. So if you are considering whether your website is up to scratch, or considering getting your first one, here are some points to highlight the importance of getting a great website.
Online marketing
Whenever people need a product or service, the first point of call has become a quick search on Google. Perhaps they are looking for a new toothbrush, a car to rent, or even a restaurant in their local area. Google is the fastest way to find a relevant response to their query, as well as compare prices and reviews, and ultimately make a purchase.
This has become an amazing tool for every kind of business as, for free, your customers can find you online and decide to buy from you. Though it isn’t exactly that simple and the whole art of SEO revolves around helping your business rank higher for certain key terms. Either way, with some effort and perseverance, your website can be on the front page of Google for searches relating to what you sell, which opens up amazing opportunities to find new customers.
In turn, a great website is essential as, if people were to find your site, then they need to be impressed by your image and to know they can trust you. The quality of your website will immediately serve as their first impression of you, so you need to make sure it’s a good one. You will also be able to include testimonials and indicators of what makes you secure and trustworthy, such as recognised accreditation’s and secure payment logos etc.
Offline marketing
As already mentioned, your website is not just relevant for people finding you online, but also for finding you via more traditional methods such as:
– Getting a flyer through the door
– Receiving a recommendation from a friend
– Seeing you listed in a newspaper ad
– Spotting you on the side of a bus or billboard
– Noticing that you sponsor an event
Regardless of which one of these methods they use to find you, it’s likely that they will check out your website before calling or emailing. They will want fast access to answers such as how much do you cost? Where are you located? Have people bought from you before? What makes you different?
A great website is integral to helping your potential customers get immediate and practical answers to these questions and starting the process of building a relationship between yourselves and them.
It should be clear that, regardless of how you choose to advertise, be it via more traditional methods or via new avenues such as Google AdWords or Facebook Advertising, your website needs to be great in order to make you stand out from the crowd. Westcountry Media are helping businesses small and large to develop their online identity via fantastic websites.
To find out more on how we can help your business, get in contact today.
by Westcountry-Admin | May 17, 2017 | Marketing, Web Design
This week saw dozens of NHS Trusts experiencing computer problems, after their un-patched PCs were infected with the Wannacry virus. Known as Ransomware, Wannacry encrypts all the data on a computer’s hard drive, and asks the user to pay around £230 in bitcoins (a digital currency). The attacks have been widely covered by the news, and didn’t just affect the NHS – thousands of computers worldwide were effected at the same time.
How did the computers get infected?
Although some people blamed phishing emails (emails that include a link to an external site, clicking it downloads the virus), it now appears that the virus was actually spread through un-patched computers. Wannacry targets a vulnerability in the Windows operating system. Microsoft created a patch for it back in March, but unless the latest updates have been installed on a computer they will still be open to attack. The NHS Trusts involved have been criticised for not installing the patch, despite advice from NHS Digital.
Is it just big organisations that get hit?
No. The virus isn’t just targeting big companies, if it gets into your network, whether you’re a small company or an individual, then it will spread to any un-patched computers.
Am I vulnerable to ransomware?
If you’re running Windows 10, then you are not vulnerable to this current version of ransomware. If you run Windows XP, Windows Server 3 or Windows 8, then you will be vulnerable if you haven’t installed the latest security patches. Although formerly Microsoft did not offer updates for older versions of Windows, to help stop the spread of this virus they have made security patches available for previous versions which are available for download from Microsoft’s website.
Virus and Ransomware attacks can cause havoc to any business. If you’re concerned about the security of your computer or network then you should seek the advice of an IT professional.
This whole issue has also highlighted the importance of keeping all software up to date which of course includes your business website. If you don’t currently have a maintenance package in place on your website, get in touch with us today to discuss the options.
by Westcountry-Admin | Mar 29, 2017 | Marketing, Web Design
Having been in the industry for quite a few years, people ask us a lot of questions – some simple, some complex, and often they need detailed answers that are less than black and white.
But recently, we’ve had more and more people ask us the same question: “Should our website have an SSL certificate?” And the answer is fairly simple: yes, it should – and here’s why.
Trust
When people visit your site, let’s assume that you’re trying to convince them to buy something, or purchase a service. Recently, more and more browsers have started telling people when they’re surfing an insecure site – which, even if the person looking at your site has no idea what this means, they will likely be alarmed.
It’s the online equivalent of a rat popping its head out from behind the coffee machine at your favourite cafe, and it can be disastrous for your pitch.
Security for your customers
But what if that hypothetical visitor does know what an SSL certificate is? Well, the likelihood is they’ll be even more alarmed. An SSL certificate is a clear sign that you have your security taken care of, even if your site is completely secure. Unless you have the certificate to prove it, people will worry – rightfully – that you shouldn’t be trusted with any sensitive data.
Protect your company and your ratings
But it’s not just your customers that will be protected by an SSL certificate. Your reputation in on the line should you have a data breach, an SSL certificate at least reassures your customers that the best practice was used.
In addition, SSL certificates provide a welcome boost to your much-needed search engine optimisation (or SEO). Simply put, it’s Google’s job to show people the most relevant and helpful search results that it can find, and if your site has all the proper security documentation, Google’s algorithms will lend your site more authority and boost you up the rankings.
Speed
Furthermore, recent studies have shown that secured sites can load up a lot faster than unsecured sites, as your connectivity and browser rush to ensure that they’re not loading anything objectionable. With an SSL certificate, your customers will get an all-around more enjoyable experience on your site. For an example of website speed, check out http://www.httpvshttps.com/
Have more questions? Want to know more about how you can get an SSL certificate? Then get in touch!
by Westcountry-Admin | Feb 15, 2017 | Marketing, Web Design
After 7 successful years in web design and digital marketing, there’s still one question we get asked by first-time clients. In fact, we only heard it just last week from a prospective client who simply couldn’t get his head around one factor.
The question: “Why are we so cheap?”
It’s a fair question, especially when you look at the expensive website and digital marketing price lists other agencies offer you. You may be under the impression we’re undercutting the market or we aren’t as good as the rest. Well, we’re very happy to dispel those misconceptions and share with you our real secret.
Our secret is that we don’t have an office or sales team.
That’s right. Instead, all of our technical staff work from home and we don’t actually have any sales staff.
And the benefits of this are all returned to you.
After all, by not having an office-based team, we have cut out major overheads. That means we can keep our prices low, so when you pay for your next website or digital marketing plan, you’re paying for the service and the service only.
On top of that, we don’t need a sales team.
We don’t believe in the hard sell and we don’t think you should ever be pushed into buying our services. The services we offer have always spoken for themselves, and businesses trust us for a top-notch service.
Plus, who wants to deal with the middle man?
The individuals that work on your website or digital marketing activity are the same people that manage your account. We have no need for the sales representative/account managers/digital consultant (or any other name they go by); you communicate directly with person that knows what they are talking about.
The result of our set-up?
Both parties end up saving money. And we don’t just profit from that – you do as well in the form of our rates and service levels. That’s why we continue to maintain a healthy record of clients. After all, we aim to offer all of our clients an exceptional service at a fair and affordable price. That’s because we believe that is what you deserve.
Partner with Westcountry Media today – contact us for more information about our full range of services now.
by Westcountry-Admin | Oct 9, 2015 | Web Design
Choosing a platform and content management system to base your site from can be something of a daunting prospect, but your web designer should be able to point you towards a platform that will offer you the flexibility and functionality that you need.
There are a number of options out there, but the chances are you’ll have heard of WordPress, even if you haven’t used it yourself. Actually, you’re almost certainly to have used it, if not directly: the truth is that WordPress has quickly become the platform of choice for thinking designers such as those we have here at Westcountry Media. So how and why has it become to the go-to choice?
1. Free and open-source
There is no software to buy and no exclusivity. WordPress is designed on open-source, which is exactly what it sounds like – the code is freely available and not subject to copyright. This makes it very popular with developers, leading to a large client base and therefore further shared development – a rare example of that happy thing, a virtuous circle.
2. Massive market share
Taking on a site built with WordPress puts you in good company; Sony, CNN, BBC Top Gear and Pepsi are among the brands that have built their sites on this platform. The market share for WordPress in terms of content management systems is bobbing around the 60% mark. The opensource aspect, and the amount of shared documentation that is in the public sphere, makes WordPress a real community.
3. Design flexibility
While you want your site to look cohesive and coherent, and be fully fluent in the online shorthand that most web users take for granted these days, you also need to be distinctive. WordPress offers full freedom with design creativity and there are thousands of templates that can be modified and adapted for your exact needs.
4. Huge amount of plug-ins
There are, literally, hundreds of thousands of plug-ins for WordPress, and many of them are free. This means everything from your email campaigns to an online shop to SEO and analytics can all be fully integrated into your content management system, and seamlessly into your website too.
5. You aren’t tied to one particular developer
A good web designer should be able to understand your company’s needs and make your site work for you, but if you feel that you aren’t being understood then a WordPress site can easily be looked at by someone else. It’s simple and intuitive, meaning that you can take charge of content yourself, knowing that your web developer will be on hand to guide you if need be.
If your interested in discussing the advantages of using WordPress for your website development, feel free to get in touch today!
