It is impossible to exaggerate the value of expert site design. Visitors to websites today make an impression about them in under a second, and 38% of them will quit if they don’t find the page visually appealing. If you try to build your website on your own, it can turn up poorly and fail to hold your audience’s transitory attention. For this reason, hiring a web design expert has become crucial for business owners. Let’s look at the benefits of employing a web design company as a top priority.
A professional web design firm can construct a website that is especially suited to your company and its particular needs because they have years of experience in the field. While there’s a chance that your marketing staff has some web development experience, it’s doubtful that they have the same level of experience and industry knowledge as a dedicated web design specialist. A well-designed website is an essential marketing tool that supports your sales and marketing objectives throughout time.
A web design company is knowledgeable about how to build a website that not only complies with design standards but also performs exceptionally well in SEO. Your website can gain more customers and outperform rivals on different search engines, including Google, by improving search engine rankings. A web design agency can help you achieve your goals if you want to create leads from several nations or target various languages. For foreign companies looking to compete on a global basis, this is especially important.
According to research, 47% of visitors will abandon a page that takes longer than two seconds to load. Customers increasingly expect rapid results in the fast-paced digital environment. A skilled site designer is essential in this situation. Even if your website has many features and high-resolution photos, they can make sure it stays lightweight and quick. Amateur or inexperienced developers lack the knowledge necessary to successfully optimise loading speed.
Numerous web design firms offer continuous monthly maintenance and assistance, sparing you the trouble of managing website downtime and the potential loss of clients or sales. These services also maintain your website current with the newest design fads and SEO guidelines that search engines like Google are always implementing.
In conclusion, consulting a web design expert is essential to the achievement of your website. They are equipped with the knowledge and expertise required to develop a highly functional and aesthetically pleasing website that supports your company’s goals. Contact us right away if you’re looking for a web design company in the UK. We are excited to make your ideas a reality and support the growth of your company in the digital sphere.
Performance marketing agency Launch, based in Exeter and Bristol, won two accolades at the European Search Awards in Portugal last night (25 May).
The awards included Most Innovative PPC Campaign for Launch’s forward-thinking work with orangery designer and manufacturer, David Salisbury, and Best Small PPC Agency. The latter represents an especially significant achievement – not only for outdoing the stiff competition to take home the coveted prize, but doing so for a second consecutive year.
The event, held at the Pátio da Galé in Lisbon, represented a gathering of some of the biggest and brightest names in search marketing, with categories spanning sectors, campaigns and companies. To win on an international stage is no mean feat, but Launch stood out for its people-centric approach, which benefits both employees and clients alike.
The judges said of Launch: “We were impressed by Launch’s focus on the wellbeing of their team, which is a refreshing approach in this industry. Their commitment to creating a positive work culture, while also delivering great results for their clients, is truly impressive. Their results speak for themselves, and we are thrilled to see their hard work pay off.”
Jaye Cowle, Managing Director and Founder of Launch, said: “These award wins represent our team’s hard work and dedication to our clients. I’m so proud of each of them for the way they work, day in day out, to push the boundaries and find new and exciting ways to get our clients great results. Happy people do great work, and I hope to see more businesses making happiness a key metric of success.”
Widely considered the most effective marketing medium, videos bring life to the brands that were once dependent on static and print. And whilst it has been hugely popular for the best part of a century, it has only grown more prevalent in recent years with the widespread uptake in smartphone and social media usage. For marketers, educators, and storytellers alike, video helps to engage with audiences in a far more immersive and memorable way. It can be formatted and stylised to specific guidelines, and most importantly, can simplify complicated messages comprehensively.
Cut forward to 2023, and we simply can’t get enough of it. We’re averaging a lengthy 95 minutes a day on TikTok, using YouTube to answer 1 in every 4 search queries, and collectively uploading 82 years of video content to YouTube daily. So, if you’re not doing everything in your power to make video work for your brand, you’re missing out on a sizeable opportunity.
Video can be used to suit a wide range of different formats and styles, from short-form social media content to long-form documentaries, making it a highly versatile medium that can be tailored to specific brand objectives. But with video being so widely consumed, we’ve grown to become connoisseurs of the moving image. Consumers have no time for slow starts, are becoming easily distracted, and can sniff out branded content a mile off. This shift in behaviour directly factors into the way that leading brands now develop their video content and should also factor into how you develop your own.
We’ve delivered short and long form video for high calibre clients across a variety of global markets. If you’re looking to leverage great video content for your brand, drop us a line today and let’s talk. No strings.
Discover more industry insights and opinions at saintnicks.uk.com/insights
Personalization is the zenith of modern marketing, delivering us all better customer experiences, higher conversion rates and increased loyalty. Or is it?
It’s true that by leveraging data and technology, brands can create tailored experiences that make customers feel seen, heard and valued. However, as with any buzzword, there is a danger of overusing and misusing personalization, leading to consumer fatigue and even backlash.
This is why relevancy should be the primary focus of zero- and first-party data marketing, rather than generic personalization.
More than a name at the top of an email
Using personalization has been the most often pitched tactic at every customer relationship management (CRM) conference and pitch I’ve ever heard. But what do people mean by it? Is it personalized to repeat back to someone what they’ve already shared – even when no additional thought has been put into it? I’ve got loads of emails or letters addressed to ‘Mr.’ or saying things like ‘Hey R, don’t miss out on…’. My name is not even included, and, honestly, even if they had gotten it right, does a company I bought a hairbrush from two years ago need to be on a first-name basis with me?
To the average user, personalization has become synonymous with the ever-present third-party cookie, which feels like an invitation to follow me around the internet trying to sell me a sofa I idly glanced at on my lunch break. This blunt tool means people often respond negatively to the idea of personalized digital experiences. Being regularly encouraged to do something that one doesn’t want to do can be so jarring that it will stop people from letting a brand interact with them. This isn’t just part of my campaign to force a ‘reject all’ option on all cookie pop-ups. But seriously, stop making users untick 30 boxes.
Relevancy, on the other hand, is about ensuring a marketing message or experience is useful, valuable and meaningful to the consumer. It’s looking deeper into who customers really are – not just assessing a one-dimensional scrape of their data.
Relevancy is what is useful to the individual
Working in a world of data-led marketing is a privilege. People have given us their trust, but we have to earn the right to keep that trust and keep using that data.
Relevancy builds trust, loyalty and advocacy. When a brand shows that it understands the consumer’s context, intent and value proposition, it can create a positive emotional connection that goes beyond transactional relationships.
A great example to illustrate what I’m talking about here is film trailers. Film trailers shown in theaters sometimes only go as far as to suggest films in the same genre as the ones being shown in the theater at present. But maybe a film would interest a given consumer because of a specific actor – or maybe the consumer likes comedy more than big explosions. But trailers aren’t necessarily tailored to these nuances and preferences. A truly relevant film trailer would tell consumers why they should go see the movie, tell them what time it‘s on at the local theater and then give them an offer to use on the days they might regularly go.
My much wiser friend helped me understand this principle a few years ago by talking about the purchasing cycle of something like skin cream. A personalized journey would entail reacting to someone’s purchase by telling them all about what they’d bought, making recommendations based on what other people who bought that cream bought next and hitting them with friendly nudges to repurchase. It would probably be somewhat successful. But it’s not actually interested in who that customer is or why they bought the product. What if they were trying it for the first time? What if they bought it as a gift? That journey wouldn’t maximize or entice some of those consumers; in fact, it might put them off.
Even the consumers for whom such a campaign was mostly spot-on aren’t getting any sense of real relevance; people are much savvier now. They understand that a digital transaction of any kind has implications beyond the purchase. One of my favorite tweets of the last few years saw a user poking fun at Amazon for re-targeting them for something they surely don‘t need more of – like an air conditioning unit.
What does this mean in real terms? It means looking at more of the inputs a customer provides through their behavior. What are they browsing? What does their purchase history look like beyond the last action they took? When are they likely to purchase (either in a day or as a frequency)?
But – and here’s an option that‘s too often overlooked – a brand can ask its customers specific questions. And – get this – they will probably tell you. People love being excited about the things they like. And they want more of them. And they like being seen as experts.
It’d be lazy not to (if the right tech is on hand)
Advances in marketing technology mean it’s easier than ever before to apply these extra dimensions to a brand‘s communication approach. Tools like Braze make it easy to use data-driven, multi-channel insights to create messages that are relevant and timely, leading to higher levels of engagement and better customer experiences. With the ability to track customer behavior in real-time, across web, app, email and more, businesses can quickly identify trends and patterns that can be used to create personalized messaging.
Providing personalized experiences to customers has become essential for building brand loyalty and driving growth. However, many businesses struggle to deliver relevancy in their CRM efforts, which can lead to disengaged customers and lost revenue. Ultimately, customers won’t feel like their privacy is invaded if a brand is providing real value – and that happens through relevancy.
The article was first published on The Drum, 15 May 2023
Written by Rob Pellow, Executive Technical Director
Whether you’re an employer looking to attract and retain the best talent, or a job seeker looking to negotiate a competitive salary, you’re in the right place. The Digital Tonic salary guide offers the latest salary information for Marketing, Digital and eCommerce roles in the South West.
Get yours here. There’s no need to input your details in exchange for a copy – just hit the download button to get yours.
If you’re an employer, this guide will help you to make informed decisions about remuneration.
And if you’re a job seeker, you’ll be able to better understand the market value of your skills and experience. Plus, it’s pretty interesting to see how your salary stacks up compared to others in your field.
‘User experience’ is a term you may be familiar with. It’s a term that’s frequently used in the context of web design, and for many good reasons. A user’s first impression of your company can make or break their perception after they visit your website. The navigation of the website is another crucial component of the user experience. Learn more about the significance of navigation in web design and what to look for in a web design firm that prioritises strong navigation by reading on.
The term “navigation” describes how a user navigates a website. It has buttons, menus, and links that users may utilise to access the site’s various pages and functions. The navigation of a website functions essentially as a map for users.
As you will see in the reasons listed below, navigation should be given priority in web design.
The user experience is important when it comes to web design, as was already established. A professional web development company is aware that effective navigation enables people to quickly access the information they are looking for on a website. If a user can’t quickly and easily locate what they’re looking for on your website, they’ll probably leave and never come back. On the other hand, users are more likely to interact with the website and perhaps even make a purchase when they encounter smart, user-friendly navigation.
The practise of improving a website to appear higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) is known as search engine optimisation (SEO). It should always come first when selecting a UK web development company. Since search engines use it to crawl and index the site’s pages, effective navigation is essential for SEO. The navigation of a website might make it difficult for search engines to comprehend the site’s structure when it is disorganised or unclear. The ranking of the website may suffer as a result.
Accessibility should be taken into account while creating websites. When a website provides clear navigation, people with disabilities—like those who use screen readers to navigate the site—will find it easier to use. Always work with a web design company that is aware of how well-organised and labelled websites are simpler for screen readers to traverse.
The amount of visitors to your website that leave without interacting with it is referred to as the “bounce rate.” A high bounce rate frequently indicates that users are having problems accessing the website. Users can locate what they’re looking for more easily when the navigation is improved, which also boosts engagement and lowers the bounce rate.
The basic objective of a website is to turn visitors into paying clients. By making it simpler for visitors to carry out desired actions, such filling out a contact form or finishing the checkout process, effective navigation can play a significant role in this.
A successful website must have effective navigation since it affects a number of variables, including user experience, accessibility, and SEO. It’s crucial to pick a web design company that prioritises and sets a high value on effective navigation.
Why should I employ a web development company? Have you ever thought. Without an excellent website, your business simply cannot develop in the current digital era. It would be simple if all you required was a website, but what you actually need is a strong and effective online presence. However, many business owners are still ignorant of this fact today. Some people still give little thought to whether a website’s claims about its goals, its vision, and the services it provides are accurate. Fortunately, you are not one of them, and you have come to this page looking for information and solutions. You are probably wondering why working with a skilled web development company is the best way to achieve the desired outcome, which is an excellent website.
We are available to you to discuss the advantages of working with a web design and development company like WeAgile when creating a new website or redesigning an existing one.
Let’s start by responding to some often asked queries.
A web development business with expertise may build a website from the ground up. Professional programmers and web designers at WeAgile have a wealth of experience creating digital goods (such as websites, applications, e-commerce sites, and software) for a variety of sectors. In order to find the best solution for you, web designers and web developers work together. They construct frameworks and databases, come up with innovative concepts, and decide on a language for both front-end and back-end development. The task of a web designer is to create the user interface or user experience. The team at WeAgile is skilled in many areas, including testing, deploying, and maintaining digital products.
First off, WeAgile has a team of web developers, web designers, SEO experts, project managers, testers, and more. Since a single freelancer simply cannot have all of this knowledge, you will undoubtedly receive a product that is subpar. Not because they are not professionals, but simply because it is difficult for one person to be an authority in so many different fields.
Second, the WeAgile team will be able to continue offering you assistance and upkeep long after the website has launched. Many people are unaware that even after the website is launched, it will need to be updated frequently for a variety of reasons. For example, if your website is built in WordPress, there are frequent updates to the platform and plugins; if you want your website to rank well on Google, Google regularly updates its algorithm; etc. You need to stay on top of all of this, and more often than not, a freelancer won’t be able to support you long-term due to other commitments.
Thirdly, clients will obtain the best level of service possible because a web development agency sets a great value on both its reputation and its long-term goals. Because you won’t be able to leave a Google review or a Trustpilot review for an independent freelancer, work is frequently completed a little sloppier and, most likely, no one will ever find out if your website is not functioning as intended. It is not even an exaggeration to say that we work with the best freelancers in the world. They are each true experts in their respective fields, but when it comes to web design and development, it takes a team (designers, developers, project managers, SEO experts, testers) to produce a top-notch outcome.
Fourth, your website will be delivered quickly and efficiently, and it will be a well-rounded final product because many professionals will have had input in the end product, often coming up with innovative ideas that will greatly benefit your company’s digital presence. This assumes nothing completely unforeseeable happens (like a significant change in the scope of work). For instance, if a freelancer you are working with experiences a personal setback (such as illness or a vacation), your project will be completely abandoned.
Let’s add another “layer of safety” for choosing a web design agency over a freelancer if the list above hasn’t already persuaded you. An agency is always a legitimate firm with owners, directors, insurance, etc. They won’t suddenly vanish one day or stop returning calls while the project is still in process.
Yes, there are platforms like Squarespace or Wix where you can try your best to build a straightforward and appealing website. No matter how much you know about designing and constructing websites, you will never be able to match the experience of a web development business.
Working with a web development company like WeAgile has a lot of benefits. Here is a succinct list of them:
We hope we answered some of your questions and removed any doubts you might have had about choosing a web design and development agency. But if you still have any questions, please do reach out and we will get back to you in no time.
As a copywriter with over 20 years in the business, I got to thinking whether my writing has got better with age (of course it has!) and if so, how. Should companies looking to utilise a good copywriter for their business blogs or feature articles look at how many years’ experience their potential freelance support can bring to the table, or is it null and void?
I think it matters. That’s not to say that people just starting out also aren’t good at the job, but as with many industries (and wine and cheese) writing gets better with age. And here are a few reasons why.
Vocabulary tends to improve the older we get because we have met more people and read more books. Both of which are proven ways to extend your vocabulary.
Self-confidence also gets better with age, which helps in the work environment because you are secure enough to make suggestions, but also have the confidence to listen and take a brief, without feeling the need to prove how much you know.
Experience may be an obvious one to add to the list, but it’s important. The more customers you have worked with, the more situations you have been exposed to, and the more types of writing you have done, the more capable you will be handling incoming work. You may not have experience in a specific field, but perhaps you are well rehearsed in researching topics and knowing where to find the information you need, and how to transform these newfound facts into compelling copy.
Decision making is another trait that improves the older you get. In a study published by Psychological Science, it was found that the insight and life experience of adults led to the ability to make quick decisions. You may think this isn’t relevant for copywriting, but as any long serving copywriter will tell you, writing a piece of copy requires multiple decisions. What is the tone of the piece? Where can I find the best information for this article? How much detail should I include to make best use of this business blog?
Empathy might sound like another odd trait to include in a list about how copywriting improves with age, but employing a copywriter that can truly put themselves in your shoes to understand what you need from them, and more so, in the shoes of the prospects and clients you’re looking to reach with your copy, is invaluable.
Speed is something else a more experienced copywriter can bring to the table. Being able to write quickly, while still delivering on target content with very few if any mistakes, is a difficult skill to foster. It’s something that can only be developed over time as experience helps you produce copy quickly and effectively.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but from personal experience they offer a good overview as to why copywriting gets better with age. I remember when I started writing very basic press releases back in 2001, it would take me quite a long time to put pen to paper, and then I would be so nervous about getting it wrong, I would read and re-read the piece until I couldn’t see the letters on the page! Over time, I have learnt what works and what doesn’t when producing copy, I understand the importance of listening to what clients want and not assuming I know more about their business than they do. I have also learned how to hone the process of writing to ensure I deliver my best work, and I am more confident because of the experience I have obtained over the years.
So, if you’re looking for a copywriter for your business blogs or feature articles, and you want to be guided by someone with a bit more experience, let’s chat!
Visit www.blogwrite.co.uk for more information
We’re delighted to share that Unfold have taken on organising the Smart Cookies meetup group, started by the wonderful Nic & Nat Alpi, previously of Cookies HQ.
Smart Cookies is a quarterly meetup group of over 1,000 entrepreneurs, involved in the Bristol creative and digital industries, passionate about design, development and marketing.
We want to continue the events in the same spirit and ethos as our predecessors, promoting collaboration between disciplines so we can devise better solutions for all aspects of the creative process.
Each meetup will feature either individual speakers or an expert panel, where discussion will centre around a set theme related to building and growing digital ventures.
Whether you’re a tech professional, an entrepreneur, freelancer or student, there will be something for you. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people, make connections and join a community of smart cookies.
Come along and be inspired or – if you’d like to share your own experiences – why not contact us about becoming a speaker?
BrisTechTonic had the unique opportunity to sponsor the Walk for Winston’s Wish Black Tie Ball in March 2023, an event put on by family members to benefit the wonderful Winston’s Wish organisation.
10 years ago Olivia and Harvey lost their mum, and Russell his wife – Caroline.
For the past ten years in March, Olivia, Harvey, and Russell have planned a yearly walk in support of the organisation called Walk for Winston’s Wish. The family wanted to bring the neighbourhood together to recognise and celebrate Winston’s Wish while also wanting to collect some money for them. Winston’s Wish gave the family vital assistance after their loss.
A UK-based organisation called Winston’s Wish helps kids who have lost a loved one or are going through a similar situation. The nonprofit organisation was established in 1992 to support grieving children, teenagers, and their families.
Winston’s Wish is aware of how traumatising and challenging it may be for kids to lose a loved one. To assist kids and their families in overcoming their sorrow and accepting their loss, they provide a variety of programmes and support.
Bereavement support is one of the main services provided by Winston’s Wish. The nonprofit organisation has a group of specialised practitioners that work with kids and teenagers to better understand and cope with their sorrow. Individual counselling, group therapy, and family support are a few examples of this.
Winston’s Wish also provides families with practical assistance, such as suggestions on how to talk to kids about death, details on legal and financial issues, and instructions on how to organise a funeral or memorial ceremony.
In addition to these services, Winston’s Wish also undertakes a number of projects and programmes to help encourage good mourning practises and increase awareness of the needs of grieving kids. These include research on the effects of loss on children and young people, community outreach initiatives, and training for professionals who work with children.
Winston’s Wish understands that every child’s experience with sorrow is different, and they cater their support to each child’s and family’s specific needs. The organisation has a kid-centred approach, which means they prioritise putting the needs and desires of the child at the centre of their assistance.
In general, Winston’s Wish is an essential resource for kids and families mourning a loved one. Through the charity’s services and support, families and children can find a way to get through the tough process of grieving and move on with their lives.
To commemorate their fundraising for Winston’s Wish’s tenth anniversary, Olivia, Harvey, and Russell hosted a Black Tie event. Attendees had a great time dancing, seeing entertainment, and raising money at the event, which was a major success.
Olivia and her companion undertook an amazing journey from Amsterdam to London while running 10 marathons in 10 days as a way to mark the event. Their efforts demonstrated that anything is possible with tenacity and endurance and helped generate awareness and money for Winston’s Wish. Some of what they did is visible on their Instagram feed.
The wonderful venue Moor Park Golf Club put on a visually stunning show for the evening, and BrisTechTonic was happy to sponsor the event.
Through Olivia’s efforts, this event raises nearly £15,000, bringing the campaign’s overall fundraising total to £45,000 over a ten-year period.
A memorable evening was had at the Black Tie Ball. Delicious canapés were provided throughout the evening, and a live band entertained guests with a mix of timeless songs and modern favourites.
Additionally, some of the event’s organisers and Winston’s Wish representatives gave speeches during which they discussed the impact of their organisation and the value of helping kids who are grieving.
However, it wasn’t all serious; there was also a lot of joy, laughter, and dancing. The occasion provided attendees with a chance to mingle, commemorate the fundraising efforts’ tenth anniversary, and express their support for Winston’s Wish.
The legacy Olivia left behind during her 10-day trip from Amsterdam to London was one of the evening’s highlights. Her extraordinary adventure promoted Winston’s Wish, raised money for it, and demonstrated that anything is possible if you work hard and persist. Her trek will live on in the form of inspiration and motivation for others to donate to this vital cause.
The celebration of community, generosity, and the importance of giving back was fantastic.
By using the following link, https://justgiving.com/fundraising/10in10for10walk you can make a direct donation to Winston’s Wish and assist them in continuing their vital work.
At BrisTechTonic, we value giving back to the community and assisting worthwhile causes. We are honoured to have participated in this unique event and anticipate providing Winston’s Wish with further support in the future.