Thinking Of Getting A Re-Design?

How do you know that your website need to redesign? Are there telltale signs? Do people feel physically sick when they look at my website? They might do. The year is now 2013, gone are the days of the plain looking website, today's companies want to stand out with fantastic looking designs and responsive designs for a mobile audience. So how do you know that you need a redesign?

They are tell tale signs, but there are so many different ones I couldn't possibly list them all here. As there are lots of ways to design a site now, there were lots of ways designer site years ago. If your website is over five years old the odds are that it does, there are still old websites that looks good but to yours is most likely not one of them. You may have your own personal bias as it is your website so why not to get some professional advice from a sensible place?

I've seen lots of websites over the years and a redesign will definitely improve your image and company image so why not contact a web company and get it all going.

Original Designs For Your Garden

Making your garden look good is something that everybody wants. If your looking at making your garden look like some kind of luxurious utopia then you're probably going to be looking at getting some custom work done. So what kind of things can you have done to make your garden look like no other?

Gardens are a funny thing, people can have all kinds of crazy water features and lighting. But what are truly new and original things that can be done with your garden? Well, the thing is you'll be hard-pressed to find an idea that somebody doesn't already have. The trick is to take what everybody has and customise it and personalise it. We live in an Ikea world, it's not uncommon now to walk into a friends house or a relatives and think you yourself, "hey, I've got that wardrobe" or "hmm, I bought that lamp from Dunelm too!". The best way to avoid this kind of thing is to buy from a company that can make bespoke products to your specification. For example let me introduce you to Bespoke Gates.

I used bespoke gates and garage doors to have my garage door built to a certain spec. They managed to complete the job with perfection and I could not be happier. The site has a good design too, I managed to navigate my way around the site and easily order what I was looking for. They allow you to either choose from their range, or go for a bespoke gate or door. They will even re-create something in the same style if need be, very good.

If you're all about improving your property, you can also look at getting the lawn maintained with Lawnmaster.

My garage is the most unique looking on my road and I hope to follow suite with the rest of my garden!

Create A Website For Your Business

Creating a website for your business can make a huge difference to your publicity. If you are a brick and mortar shop then you can increase earnings if you start selling online. Obviously you will have to create an internet presence, you cant just get a website made for you, put it online and then expect everyone to flock over to your site and make you rich. You will need to either have SEO for your website, or use advertising such as Google adwords or banner ads. This will also take quite some time.

I came across a website today, which I think might help those of you less experienced internet users out there get your websites online with little to no hassle. This company can design and develop your website to a high standard and at a reasonable price.

Spartan Website Design, Formerly Spartan Digital is a company that has been running for several years, they have gained trust through their sturdy website designs and efficient website development. They currently host a wide range of websites each designed and developed by their experienced staff.

As you can see they have an effective and sleek website design, with all the relevant information in easy to reach places. This is the kind of work you can expect from Spartan.

The company was started in Devon by an ex-salesman who had had previous experience in the website industry, his view is that the process from design to development could be a lot easier. He put his ideas into effect and and Spartan Website Design was born.

So if you're looking to get a website up and running for your business in 2013, why not have a look at Spartan Website Design. You could have a new website in no time.

Websites For Great Gift Ideas

Gifts can be a difficult subject, everyone is different and some people are harder to buy for than others. As we've just recently had Christmas I bet you are sick of hearing about gifts, but you probably have birthdays coming up to buy for too! So I thought I'd list a few sites that are great for quirky gifts. 

Firebox

Firebox is great for buying all manners of things, they are a great website for buying gifts for the younger generation with all of their gadgets and other goodies. They have been around for some time but have increase in popularity dramatically within the past couple of years. The website is well designed and they stock a lot of interesting and refreshing gifts. Their gifts range from books and clothes to some great electronics. If you have a young relative  then this will be the ideal place to buy for them.

Willow Patterns

This website is a great place to find some shabby chic gifts. A a very good place to buy for the older generation or for anyone who likes interesting items in their home. If you have a friend of someone who is moving out, some of the items on this website could be ideal. They have a great website design, a nice rustic design which really suits the type of goods that they sell.

So for some interesting gifts, take a look.

HomeBird

Home-bird is another interesting website that sells unique items. They have been around since 2011 and have been quite overwhelmed with how well their brand is doing. They specialise in French, vintage and shabby chic clothing and have a wide range of goods mainly orientated around the home. As with the previous website this could be great for anyone moving out or decorating their house.

So there are just a few websites that could be helpful in buying gifts for relatives or if you fancy a treat, even yourself!

Last Post Before Christmas!

Ah, well here it is, my last post before I stuff my face full of all of that Christmas food! Yes I know, I just can 't help myself when it comes to honey roast ham and all of the good stuff!

So we all know that is a trait of Christmas, all of that alcohol and food can really pile the pounds on, so what are you going to do about it? A new years resolution? We all know that never works! What you need to do is get yourself down to this website I have found! An all in one solution to the problem of getting chubby!

Yeotown is a yoga / fitness retreat in the lovely area of Devon. It is not actually a fat camp but a refreshing take on a healthy get away. here they will try and change your lifestyle and way of eating and as a by-product you will lose weight. The site is beautifully designed, with lots of photos of the wonderful Devon countryside, you will also be able to see a gallery of some of the activities they do kayak experience and hiking.

Yeotown do all kinds of different packages depending on what suits you're needs, they feature Yoga and detoxing to help you rid your body of toxins and stress. If you're interested in taking a look, just go onto their detox retreat homepage. 

Great Website To Learn How To Draw

I've always admired people who could draw, it's an amazing talent and it not all in the wrist. It's all about visualising things on a 2D plain, and then being able to draw the lines appropriately. Well, I say admired, more like jealous! Sketching and drawing has been something I've wanted to do for quite a long time but I'm just no good at it!

That's when I came across PortraitClub, this website gives some great tips to help you learn how to draw, I mean I've been having a read through and trying some of the techniques and I tell you now, I've improved already! I went onto the website with pencil in hand and just sat down for an hour or so practising I could already see my advancements, its definitely all about the way you look at things. They don't give out too much information because the real "meat" of the help is in the portrait course they offer but that's enough of that let me tell you about the website.

The website has a fairly simple design and features Youtube videos and vast amounts of text to teach you the different ways of learning. They also feature a Blog that has little tips and tricks and some fantastic sketches from all across the web. The project course section features their offer of a step by step course featuring 3 DVDs with 4 hours or tuition and a free 100 page book explaining the portrait by eye. All in all if you think you would be interested in learning to draw then this is the website for you.

Home Or Away This Christmas?

So Christmas is coming up, Are you one of those who stays at home or are you one that visits?

I know a lot of families meet up to have that magical time but can Christmas really have that same feeling through technology?

Technologies like skype and other videocall software, do you know anyone who this as a form of communication over Christmas? I usually have about 10 relatives down for Christmas and it's always a great time. But this year it's going to be a bit different. I'm having to travel over Christmas this year and I'm really not looking forward to it. So I have been looking into websites that might help me get in video contact with my family.

So far I have researched several websites that don't have the need for software downloads.

The top website that I came across was the almighty Google+ they seemed to have free conference calls with little hassle, along as you are signed up. Another alternative seemed to be TokBox, but I believe they have just changed to a APP style program.

So in the end i've settled for downloading the skype app, I believe it will be easier to get going once I settle and my Somerset accommodation.

Internet blogging/website solutions

After my last article I've noticed that Wordpress is becoming an amazingly easy tool for new website owners to create the content that they want. Started in 2003, Wordpress quickly grew to become one of the biggest blog/website tools on the internet. With all that success I thought I'd take a look at the alternatives available and see how popular they are.

HABARI
A safe and secure blogging platform, HABARI is designed with the needs of the internet community in mind. It is designed to be an open platform that is constantly being worked on. It has a sleek interface and it uses modern software development techniques in its fantastic design.

Concrete 5
Concrete 5 is a free content management system that is a great alternative to wordpress. It's open source so people can contribute and make the software better for everyone.
Similar to WordPress and Habari, concrete5 is able to be downloaded, and installed on your web host and is a great platform built from scratch. It's main clients are website editors, designers, and developers.
Concrete5 is designed to make owning a website easy. You can simply edit away till the end of the day!

Cushy CMS
CushyCMS is a very simplistic way to run a blog/website. It has been designed to be implemented with little trouble, and boasts about it's ease of use. CushyCMS is a fully hosted solution, so no option to host your website/blog on another domain. That's not a problem here though, its a fantastic piece of kit!

Tomato CMS
Just like the others, Tomato CMS is an open source, blogging and CMS solution designed to meet the requirements of the modern blogger. I think this is a great tool and if you have used the others, why not check this out?

Wordpress a platform to success.

The VW transporter has long been my favourite of the larger vehicles and vans. I've come across a website that I feel really shows off the craftsmanship of Transporter restoration. S-Line transporters is another website built from a wordpress template, the site doesn't look too bad and shows that wordpress is really a growing solution to website creation. The main aspect of this site that I find entertaining is the gallery section.

Browsing through the images you can really see how well this company can fix up transporters, from fantastic looking seat covers to complete conversions every image has something to gawk at.
Taken from their website:-
"S-Line Transporters are the leading supplier for VW T5 Transporters in the South West, and exclusive stockists for Autohaus VW. We have now managed to increase our stock levels to cope with the demand, we have a forecourt in Minehead with an accompanying shop full of our parts and accessories. We hold over 10 vans in stock at all times and each van is carefully selected ensuring that they are well looked after, low mileage and one previous owner or less"
So if your interested in larger vehicles, take a look. They have do have lots of vehicles on show!

Surfing In The UK

The sport of surfing now represents a multi-billion dollar industry, but its not just America and Australia that surfing has become popular. The UK has seen surfing popularity skyrocket this year. With places like Cornwall, Devon and Bournmouth busy even on cold days! A great time to open a surf shop I would say.
A lot of surfing establishments have now opened online shops such as Freakfish, and quite right too! there is a large market to be explored.

English weather is always a factor against getting into the sea, but with the right wetsuit you can still keep fairly warm whilst riding the waves. After seeing all the people in the sea on my last trip to Cornwall, I think I might take up the hobby myself. There is a lot of trial and error involved and I realise I'm not going to be able to just get onto a board and surf, but with help from websites like surfingtipsandtricks.co.uk I may just be able to survive!

Online Security Recruitment

My husband has been looking for a career change these past few months and has stumbled across a great resource. Cross-deck.co.uk has a wide range of security based positions over 11,000 to be exact. These range from Close protection jobs to security Training. If your after a bit of excitement in your career I would say that this site is definitely for you! Currently the website has a free signup membership until the end of September, so if your interested in browsing the security sector I would do it now before your time runs out. The website has a sleek design and allows you to apply for positions once you are a member. As the site says, further your career in the security industry and sign up today!

Website Spotlight: Themes For Automotive & Vehicle Companies

 I came across this yesterday when I was browsing some websites which belong to my local networking group. I haven't actually attended a networking group in a little over 6 months but its interesting to see what they are all doing and what the latest developments are.

In doing so, I found out one of the local vehicle workshops had changed their website, and had opted for a Wordpress template. Now being from a web-based background I am fairly familiar with what templates are available, and their typical application. This one was a little abnormal for me, but I thought it worked quite well - Autohaus VW Camper Conversions

Autohaus VW are a leading team of campervan converters who specialise in VW and luxury vehicles. Their range of VW T5 converted camper vans are considered some of the best in the UK, with many award and show winners being produced in Somerset by the Autohaus VW team!

If you are looking to get your campervan converted, or are looking for your own custom conversion for a camper then get in contact today or you could get in touch with My Transporter Van - A website dedicated to giving great advice about Vw Campers.. The range of conversion possibilities are endless, they can even supply the VW vehicle!
Autohaus VW also have a range of campervan accessories, equipment, electricals and other items for sale via their website. Along with this they have also developed their own pop-top roof system which is lightweight and strong. If you are looking for a quality campervan converters workshop then look no further than Autohaus VW.

Their workshop is located in Minehead, so just off the A39 coming through Somerset. They are a great business to work with, and are always up for a good laugh. The team are always interested in helping out too!

Article Writing, is it still done?

If you are a freelance writer then you will be familiar with the big drop in certain publishing websites such as ezinearticles and hubpages. For example, one notable publisher on ezine was getting a lot of impressions on his writing profile. Since the update (codename Panda) his profile has moved down rapidly in the search results, as has many other people who have seen similar problems with their traffic.

Obviously certain sites were hit more than others, like we know ezinearticles was penalised, but contrary to that, DemandMedia actually saw an increase in their search results. Overall, there were many losers in the update, but also many winners.

...because of the loss in traffic freelance writers were receiving, what are they doing now to earn an income online? It seems the trend has moved quite rapidly into niche sites and expert information exchange. Gone are the days of writing generic text on a subject and getting it high in the results with little to no work.

There are a few options which have now opened up to freelance writers -

- Writing for a niche blog - this is quite popular as many of these blogs already have an existing readership who are likely to share your post. If you are already writing about parenting, then tapping into a popular parenting blog can increase your following to no end.

- Heavy optimisation - if you have built up a readership on an article site, it may be hard to let that go. Some writers have managed to make this work for them though. For example, this baby clothing article picked up quite a lot of traction from the authors readers, who are then encouraged to share it and blog about it. This social media promotion provides extra traffic, but also provides quality links which helps the article rank organically.

- Starting your own blog - if you are a enthusiastic writer about parenting, and already have a readership, then it can be quite easy to start your own parenting blog. Promoting it to your existing readership can be easy and that way you do not have a cold start. Admittedly you will be taking a couple of steps back...but in the end you are in control of everything so you are given a lot more flexibility

HR's Worst Nightmare - Back Pain

It may come as no surprise to some of you that back pain is a killer in the office environment. Okay not exactly a killer, but its a pretty big obstacle for those in HR. When I was reading an article on back pain and ergonomic seating it was interesting to know that nearly 80% of all office workers will suffer from back pain at some time during their career.

I was a bit shocked by this figure so I done a little research myself. I started looking around health care statistics and office absence statistics but they are all at least 3 years old. Then it struck me to start looking at different ergonomic chair manufacturer websites, they sell the remedy so they should know the problem! I actually contacted one back support manufacturer directly and they were nice enough to tell me about their latest statistics (from last year). It turns out that the 80% figure has decreased slightly over the last few years, but it is still well within the 70% range. Thats still around 3 in 4 people which will be affected.
So if you are in HR then you should think about buying your staff some ergonomic chairs, standing desks or even back massagers, you wouldn't want them going sick for extended periods of time!

Baby Shoes themed Website Design

We just found the wonderful Hippychick website while searching for some baby shoes for our youngest, and I was a bit surprised by the level of detail in the website design.
Hippychick are a fairly new company who have revolutionised baby shoes and baby products, with award winning products and business practices they are on the road to success.

We actually got turned onto their category while looking for Shoo Shoos soft baby slippers. Their chosen layout for the page is very simple and elegant, it also draws the eye to the images and the price...which are the most important factors for many parents. Go check it out!

iPhone Apps To Help With Shopping

Like you need help with shopping?

Shopping, an occasional or a weekly ritual, can be the activity your family spends a lot of time and money on. Most people make the biggest mistake of rushing to supermarkets or shops without any idea of what to buy. As a result, they end up spending lots of money. Having an effective shopping list is a must to avoid financial and time-related problems.
iPhones are great to be with while shopping on a busy day. Here are two great FREE iPhone applications that’ll definitely make your trip to the local businesses and retailers a lot easier.

Scandit

You can take a photo of a product’s barcode and this application will provide price comparisons and product reviews. It’s great to have in your iPhone for a more convenient way of shopping things with a tight budget.

Fastmall

Shopping malls are really big to contain all the necessary things that people might buy. It allows yourself do navigate the crowded place effectively as it downloads the shopping mall’s map. Locate the nearest shop for the things you want to buy with just a single shake or push of a button.

Has IKEA Changed Furniture Shopping?

IKEA has become one of the most notorious home furniture shops in the world, and this is obvious through the predominance of their furniture.

Targeting a common market, they offer home wares and furniture for nearly all applications. Because of this you will be hard pushed to find someone who has not purchased IKEA furniture some time in their life.

However IKEA furniture tends to lack any individualism to it, and this is commonly reported by the IKEA opposition. You will find that the majority of IKEA furniture has a distinct nordic style, and is built to a budget. Because of this you will find that the majority of the furniture is flat pack, and it has become synonymous that flat pack furniture is of low quality.

This has sparked a debate over flat pack furniture and hand made furniture, and which is the better bang for your buck?

It is typically argued that the extra spending is fully justified when comparing hand made furniture to flat pack furniture, however The Logical Directory have published an excellent article on flat pack vs hand made furniture.

Facebook In Decline?

It seems that the Facebook boom is now starting to see a decline in their growth-rate, with recent posted figures showing that the growth rate has dropped over the last 2 months.

Speculation has suggested that the user base would have hit 1 billion people by the end of the year (2011). However with current figures it is a lot more likely that the user base will only just hit the plus side of 800 million. With current standings the user following is just shy of 700 million, however the active user statistics has gone un-published.

Many would suggest this growth is only rivalled by alternative social media platform; Twitter. Since 2006 Twitter has seen many ups and downs in growth and has really seen an upsurge in 2011. Website Monitoring has actually produced an info-graphic to depict their growth over the last few years - Infographic

One of the contributing factors for the decline in growth of Facebook has been attributed to the rise of alternative social networking and blogging platforms. Many people are using these as a developed method of publishing their writing, keeping in contact with friends and distributing news. Recent trends and statistics release could indicate that the whole social networking and blogging may be in general decline. Some example stats are -
Rate It All - Traffic down 9% over last month
Tweako - Traffic up 9% over last month
Faves - Traffic down 28% over last month
Diigo - Traffic down 1% over last month
MyLinkVault - Traffic down 8% over last month
A1 Webmarks - Traffic down 2% over last month
Google Bookmarks - No stats available

Utilising a mixture of these sites many people are able to advance their online writing and networking to many other states and even nationwide. People are also exploiting these methods for business and other advertising matters. This has recently wained in popularity and is a lot more evident within Facebook advertising, and this obtrusive advertising has deterred many users from frequent or returning visits.

Tools To Make Your Blogging Easier

I have recently come across a great set of tools from leading blogger Chipp Thomas, and thought its worth everyone knowing about this.

Located on his site at http://www.chippthomas.com, the page lists some of Chipps popular blogging tools which is promised to be regularly updated.
Including a range of productivity increasing tools as well as inspirational tools, you are sure to find something to make your blogging experience a little bit easier.

I for one know that maintaining all your online properties can be a bit hectic. I have a friend who has around 8 blogs so I can only sympathise for her, but these suggestions will make it a little more smooth.

I for one am now following Chipp, he has some amazing posts already and he offers some great advice for us bloggers, so get over there and let him know your feedback!

Top Social Sites ALL Businesses Should Be On

If your business is not taking full advantage of the internet then you are really missing the next big marketplace.
With more and more people shopping online, shops have seen a decrease in retail store sales. If you did not believe this is happening, then even Mary Portas has been challenged by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to review the future of the High Street and attempt to bring back interest into brick and mortar stores. This should be evidence enough that your marketplace is changing, and you need to be pragmatic in your approach to marketing and sales.

Over the years online retail has become more and more popular, and the majority of businesses will have a website online, or at least be looking to launch their online presence. Harnessing this sales tool is vital for businesses in the 21st century, and we are going to give you some tips on how to help your website reach its full potential - getting sales!

Social Media

Social Media sites are normally large community based sites which are used for submitting and ranking different stories, products, pictures or articles. These are a great way to attract relevant traffic, but you have to get a little bit clever -

1. Digg - Digg is a popular social media much like Reddit, which bases its content on a system of user reviews, if your submission is liked then it will be published on the front page and will attract lots of traffic. Always start by submitting something useful to a specific category, and see where it takes you. I would not advise submitting your website home page, as this just seems like self-promotion. You want to post something that will contribute to the community and be informative or useful.

2. Del.icio.us - This is a simple platform where you can share your favourite content, and have it reviewed by other users of the site. Visitors can submit URLs and browse through articles and relevant information in all sorts of categories.

3. StumbleUpon - A very active platform that allows users to access useful, interesting and informative content that they would never normally see. Submit yours to a relevant category and as users come across it they can vote and promote your website for you!

4. Squidoo - More of a micro-blogging platform than a submit and see website, Squidoo allows you to create your own information based website which is then distributed around their network. This is an ideal way to share the secrets of your trade and let out some insider knowledge. A good example is the UK Shopping lens which is both informative and insightful.

Networking

Networking can be a great way to meet similar communities of people and get involved with upcoming events, recruitment, promotions and much more.

1. LinkedIn - This is the one website synonymous with professional networking on the web. Sign up and get your business listed along with your market, employees and relevant profiles. This will then allow other businesses to contact you in regards to reciprocal agreements or even business opportunities. You will also find LinkedIn is a great way to find qualified recruits for any job openings you may have.

2. Facebook - Yeah this might seem like a weird one for a lot of you, but Facebook is no longer just for kids. Many businesses are using this platform as a tool for advertising and marketing their products or services, and they are reporting great results. Because Facebook advertising is still fairly new, prices are still quite low so there is no reason why you should not test it out.


This should be enough to get you started at least. Remember try not to use these sites for shameless self-promotion, but try and contribute something useful to the community and you will get a lot more response and interest. The most common route taken to solve this is to write an in-depth article about your business or your market, and use that to submit. For example you may own a local clothing store, so you could write about changing fashion trends, new designer labels etc. This can then be tied in to your website and readers will gain interest and hopefully browse your site as a potential customer.