If you were partying in the nineties then you might remember the band Pulp who had some big hits throughout this decade. Sheffield-based Jarvis Cocker, the lead singer, is a quirky fellow who once famously stage-crashed Michael Jackson’s performance at a music awards ceremony! What if Jarvis Cocker had spent less time singing and more time getting into the quickly emerging world wide web during the nineties. This is what Pulp would have advised, if they were web designers in Sheffield:

Common People, 1995

Remember that you want to reach as many people as possible with your scintillating content so make it clear, concise and to the point. What you write on your website or in your blog doesn’t have to be highbrow or overly technical. The best way to write is simply, telling a story about your company that connects quickly and effectively with your target audience. If it’s relevant and current, then you’re on the right track.

Mis-Shapes, 1995

Keep your font style and size uniform across your site. Placement of information on your website is crucial and affects the order in which your visitor will view things. You need to have a good natural flow, consistent alignment and a theme that remains the same throughout your pages so as not to confuse your visitor. Different fonts, text all over the place and an awkward layout will frustrate people and they will leave.

Bad Cover Version, 2001

Being original with your content is paramount as Google punishes websites that display duplicate content or evidence of plagiarism. Making sure your content is unique will avoid Google penalties and while it’s almost impossible to be completely unique, as long as the content has not been said in exactly the same way elsewhere and represents a fresh approach to a subject, then you won’t have a problem. A successful marketing campaign is boosted by good quality content so never be tempted to lift ideas or writing from any other source.

Don’t You Want Me Anymore, 1992

Suffering from a high bounce rate but not really sure why? If your website is showing signs of any of the following then it could explain why people are landing but not staying – slow load times, too much advertising, unrelated content, navigation that’s not obvious, inviting the wrong visitors or spelling and grammar errors. If your pages are ugly, have difficult to read colours and are full of too many images then you need to have an overhaul. For Web design in Sheffield, visit http://www.dearnevalleywebdesign.co.uk/

Something Changed, 1995

That horrible, gut-sinking feeling when you realise that something’s not right. Your website may be in need of deep cleaning if find you’ve been hacked, compromised or infected with malware. Signs that all may not be rosy include: your site disappearing, the red screen of death, constant crashing or slow-loading, your site shows a different website, Viagra offers all over your site or your emails are sent to spam. A website disappearing could also be the result of a Google penalty or just your web developer working on something, so always check with them first!

How can shops compete with the internet and encourage customers?

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Despite the rise of internet shopping, in store purchases are still the most popular way for people to buy. One reason for this is that people like to touch items and try things on. Some things just need to be experienced before making the leap to part with hard earned cash.

Internet shopping is becoming ever more popular however, so how can in-store shopping be improved, to keep customers coming back?

Pushy sales people, poor fitting rooms and traipsing round shops looking for a bargain are all factors in driving people towards making their purchases online. These things need to be improved, if the high street is to hold on to its current popularity advantage over the web. Shops and outlets need to improve the overall shopping experience, so that physically going out and making a purchase is a pleasure not a chore. Solving sore points such as long queues, lack of stock and methods of payment will all contribute to keeping customers coming back.

Effective use of media

In store media, such as information displayed on screens or monitors can also play a huge part in guiding and informing the customer towards a purchase. This kind of targeted use of data, supplied by companies such as http://moodmedia.co.uk/in-store-media/ can help build customer loyalty, by ensuring that your customers are given information that is relevant and meaningful, which makes the shopping experience feel more personal.

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Poor customer service is another factor that can harm the enjoyment of shopping in store. There’s nothing more frustrating than asking for information on a product, only to be met with a blank stare or rudeness. Training staff so that they are able to provide the correct information and deal with customers in the most effective way is an essential part of building a successful business. According to Forbes, one secret to ensuring an amazing shopping experience is providing that ‘wow’ factor. Customers want employees that are willing to go the extra mile to make their customers feel special, ensuring that nothing is too much trouble.

It’s not easy to predict how shopping habits will change in the years to come, but building the best possible store experience will keep customers that are looking for that special touch coming back for more.

The days of keeping comprehensive paper records are long gone, with computers now holding our important information. This allows huge volumes of information to be retained without requiring acres of filing cabinets, but the downside is that digital information can easily become lost or corrupted.

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The Impact Of Interruptions to the Power Supply

According to The Register, British Airways is one of the latest organisations to experience the chaos that occurs when a power surge damages sensitive digital information. Passengers travelling with the airline in May of this year experienced frustrating delays brought about by an issue with the power supply, which caused a global failure to the airline’s IT systems.

For most of us, a power outage or disruption may not create so much havoc, but the ramifications of any interruptions to the electrical supply can affect any one of us, whether that event takes place in the home or at work. Loss of data can be anything from a minor inconvenience to a major event affecting thousands of people around the world.

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Power Supply Problems

The government has warned that our power supplies will run out within the next ten years or so, creating widespread chaos throughout the UK as electricity power stations are forced to implement brownouts, or sudden drops in power, as demand exceeds supply. The country has already experienced numerous blackouts, or power cuts, when the electricity supply fails for a period of time. Any sudden drop, failure or surge in power can affect computer data, so this is a problem which needs to be addressed.

Ideally, everybody with a home computer, and every business with computer workstations, should invest in a UPS, otherwise known as an Uninterruptible Power Supply or Uninterruptible Power Source. You can see some examples of the hardware at the website of Eaton UPS systems – http://www.cppsales.com/Eaton_UPS_Systems___Accessories-catid17.

From small units that sit discreetly on a desktop to larger models which are capable of supporting an entire data centre, these UPS systems work quietly in the background, charging up their on-board batteries. Within milliseconds of an interruption to the power supply, the unit kicks in automatically, providing sufficient power for the user to save their work and shut down their equipment.

Unlike generators, the UPS goes to work instantly, saving your data from corruption and also saving you time and money.

Good design within businesses is essential.

Here are the top 5 reasons why design is so important to your business. If you follow these tips, positive results are almost guaranteed.

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1. Design Sells

Are you more motivated by figures and numbers? Well, design would be extremely beneficial to your business too. A study in 2005 by The Design Council analysed 63 portfolios of FTSE 100 traded companies and their success over the term of a decade. Companies which emphasised and worked hard on their design were more successful and had an increased number of sales than those which didn’t.

2. Strong web design builds customer trust

Almost all businesses now have an online presence, and most people’s first encounters with businesses are now on the internet. E-commerce generates $2.7 trillion worldwide, a 26% growth increase from last year, and the forecasts say that number will rise year on year –  http://www.pymnts.com/news/payment-methods/2017/online-purchases-rule-the-uk-commerce-arena/.

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Many businesses choose to solely operate online, making websites vitally important in successful businesses. How can you generate a good impression to compete with other businesses? The answer is good design. Badly designed and run websites leave consumers confused and frustrated, with web pages ignored. Customers often mistrust badly run websites, good design can make all the difference.

3. Creating a memorable brand

Design is more than a simple external appearance of your product and business brand. Brand design is much more complex.

What makes a business memorable? Great products and good customer service make a difference, but what creates a lasting impression? Good design goes beyond the surface level and has an enduring influence. For a web development company in London enquire at organisations such as https://www.redsnapper.net/web-development-services-london.

4. Keep content user-friendly

Good design can make complex information more accessible. Content and technology are increasingly powerful and complex; good design can permeate through data displays and interfaces to advertise your physical product much more easily and efficiently.

5. Create a good impression

Good design leaves a lasting and pleasant impression. All competitor companies are vying for interested customers and a market edge. If you ultimately offer the same product at the same price with the same service, what will give you that edge? Good design.

Design is a valuable business decision, enabling you to stand apart from your competitors.

The internet is a revolutionary haven, a place where people can search, post and share all types of information. It’s an invaluable tool that most would be lost without. A small minority of people use the internet differently by attempting to damage the reputations of individuals or huge companies. Here’s what you can do to protect your brand from an internet troll.

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What Is a Troll?

An internet troll is someone who deliberately makes offensive comments or posts targeting specific brands with the aim of causing damage to their reputation. By using social media, forums and blogs, they strive to upset and anger those they target and provoke a response. Any posts on these platforms have the ability to reach a large audience, and so brands are becoming increasingly desperate to stop the trolls in their tracks.

Why Do They Do It?

There are several reasons why someone would want to damage your reputation. Think of the people you deal with day-to-day in your business and imagine that any one of them was upset with a particular issue. Customers, clients or even a disgruntled employee, past or present, may feel the need to hurt your company, so it’s important to be cautious if you feel this may happen.

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What Can Be Done?

Although your first instinct may be to reply, this will just encourage the troll to continue, and so the first rule is don’t reply. If you come across a webpage which includes damaging comments, you should report it to the search engine involved. Any defamatory posts on social media should be reported to the site management and invalid reviews to the review site on which it was posted.

You must be vigilant when it comes to your brand. If you feel you don’t have time to give it due care and attention, you could look at hiring an employee or designating the task of protecting the brand in the public forum to a third party. Companies offering PPC management services, such as http://www.elevateuk.com/ppc-management/, may also be able to help if you need assistance in managing any campaigns you are running.

Whatever the reason, if someone wants to damage your brand, they will find a way to do it. Be vigilant and report any defamatory comments as soon as they become known.

Are you bored of your garage door? They tend to be pretty standard looking things, there’s not much differentiation in the up and over door that most homes in the UK have. But in this age of upcycling and makeovers, more and more people are ‘pimping’ their garage doors and making them look really individual.

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Paint Effects

You can transform a metal door so that it appears to be made from wood. This is quite simply done. You start by cleaning the garage door off and then apply a glaze which dries to give the look of wood. It will take less than a day to complete this look, but if you want it to really last you should finish with a coat of clear varnish.

A wood effect looks really great in period properties, or those made from dark brick. Of course, there are different glazes available so you can pick and choose which type of faux wood you want to give the look of either something dark or bright pine.

A Faux Door

If you have an up and over door, but you’d prefer the look of a carriage style door which opens outward, you can achieve the effect with a makeover. The classic look of a carriage door is a central opening (paint in a black line) with handles either side – these can still be used to open the door as it is intended to be opened. If you have a panelled garage door, pick a few to paint black and give the illusion of windows at the top which are characteristic of this style of door.

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Fantasy Doors

If you want to break with reality entirely then you could opt for a photographic decal for your garage door. These are giant stickers that cover the entire garage door, and they can be a lot of fun. Choose something like a Rolls Royce or a fighter jet parked inside, or be quirky with giant’s feet, or horses looking over the stable door. This idea was recently featured in the Telegraph.

Before you start, make sure everything is in working order by calling in someone like London garage door repairs specialist, http://garagedoorsrus.co.uk/.

It’s easier than you think to stamp your individuality on your home, with a garage door makeover.

If you’ve never hired a skip before then there are a few things to know before doing so. Hiring a skip is a fantastic, cost-effective and easy way to have a good old clear-out and make your home feel fresher and more spacious! Did you know that skip companies are charged for each run to landfill that they do? That is why, skip companies like to encourage recycling and re-using as much as the rest of us. Before you throw items in the skip, think about whether they are in good enough condition for someone else to benefit from their use. Could you reuse for a different purpose or gift to a local charity shop instead?

There are some items that you most definitely can’t dispose of in a skip and these include items like medical waste, fridges, solvents, televisions, tyres, batteries (household or vehicle), bleach, asbestos and any type of oil. You also can’t dispose of compressed gas cylinders, computers, microwaves or plasterboard. For more information about skip hire, contact Swansea Skip Hire

It is possible to overfill a skip so make sure you get one that you feel confident will fulfil your waste disposal needs. Your skip must have a ‘level load’ or the hire company could refuse to remove it all and charge you more for it.

Some people try to put very odd items into skips. Skip collectors have found a complete caravan perched on top of a skip, letters from the Second World War, wedding dresses, expensive ceramic vases, ashes in urns and even a coffin! Thankfully it was empty. Some people’s idea of junk can definitely be another man’s treasure but maybe not the coffin!

Some individuals even take part in an activity known as ‘skip diving’ and are able to salvage hundreds of items ranging from clothing, furniture and laptops to packaged food, shoes and toys. Just about anything might turn up in a skip and often it’s in pretty good condition. While skip diving is legal, it can be frowned on and if you want to take something from a skip, it’s always polite to ask first. It’s not stealing as the person has relinquished ownership of the item but you could still fall foul of the law for trespassing.

It’s also important to remember that skips can be dangerous and are often filled with broken glass, nails and other possibly sharp pieces of metal so it’s not wise to enter one in case of injury and infection.

If you don’t have the access required for a skip lorry to place a skip right in front of your home then you will have to place it on the road. Before doing this, you will need to obtain a skip hire permit and if it’s being placed in a controlled parking area, you will also require a parking suspension. Be aware that both of these take a few days to arrange and will cost extra.

Closely monitoring your website traffic is important for a whole variety of different reasons, but it is especially important to know how well your digital strategy is working for increasing your reach, and how successful your website is at securing those all-important conversions.

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Alexa

One of the most well-known metrics for measuring website rankings, the Alexa algorithm measures traffic using data from users who have installed the Alexa toolbar within their browsers. Fewer than 1% of Internet users currently have the toolbar installed, but although it’s arguably not the most accurate it’ll still give you a good idea of how you and your competitors are currently performing.

Ahrefs.com

Every high-quality Reading web design company knows how imperative it is to monitor a range of different metrics, and this tool allows you to do just that, quickly and easily. One of the most comprehensive tracking tools, from here you can keep an eye on search engine rankings, backlinks, traffic levels from key search terms, and competitor comparisons. Providing you with a wealth of information, these key data metrics will show you exactly which parts of your digital strategy need tweaking to ensure your website is working efficiently for your business.

Comments and video content views

It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the number of comments and views each of your blog posts and videos is attracting. Not only will this ensure you’re able to reply to any questions your audience may have, but it will also give you a good idea of which forms of content are performing well and encouraging the most engagement. Experienced Reading web design teams understand how important it is to have an efficient and effective comment system in place, so make sure your audience can interact with your content easily.

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SEMRush.com

A favourite tool among marketers, SEO professionals and successful Reading web design teams, this tool breaks down a whole variety of information about your search rankings, including rankings, backlinks, paid advertising performance and competitor data. Using this information, you’ll be able to estimate how much traffic you’re getting and how well each keyword is performing.

SimilarWeb.com

Somewhat similar to Alexa but with increased accuracy, this platform breaks down everything from your daily unique visitors to the websites sending the most amount of traffic your way into easily digestible graphics.

Chinese beer brand Tsingtao is sponsoring ping-pong tournaments for businesses – no members of the public allowed. The excuse is team-building and networking, but the real reason is to drink beer and get to see the rough side of ping-pong.

Ping Pong Fight Club – Yes, Really!

Not for nothing are these evenings called “Ping Pong Fight Club”. There’s a “fighting arena” with eight tables, just like the movie. Well, sort of like the movie anyway. The fact is that the real outrageousness is what surrounds the games – pop-up bars, DJs, MCs, various kinds of zones, robot challenges, team colour face painting and a great bragging opportunity.

Ping Pong Fight Club is really popular with media and digital companies – even the dear old BBC. Spotify, Facebook, Deliveroo, Expedia and Ticketmaster have all taken part. But it isn’t just for big corporates, as the smallest start-up is just as welcome to join in. And for once the events aren’t just London based – Manchester is a popular venue and Liverpool, Leeds and Glasgow are all involved.

Four contestants from each company will battle it out in the regional heats, and then the winners will meet each other in the overall UK final.

Competitive but Inclusive

This looks like a great way forward for team building corporate events, such as those run by https://www.armourgeddon.co.uk/team-building-corporate-events.html, because it has a competitive element that’s inclusive. Even people who don’t like, or can’t do sport, can join in. And we know that diversity helps build great companies.

Of course, some businesses love competing, so you’ll often find business competitors battling it out in a fun and friendly environment. And the fact that staff get complimentary drinks and a range of other promotional goodies helps the evening go with a swing.

During the event, they hold an online raffle, which last year included opportunities for winning drones. The proceeds from the Manchester evening will go to victims of the Manchester bombing.

And the event isn’t dependent on the weather – extreme heat or torrential rain have ruined many a carefully planned team-building event before now.

But why stop at ping-pong? Why not extreme tiddlywinks or skittles? After all, beer and skittles have always gone together, even if Chinese beer is something new in the mix.

Here are the trends, colours and pieces to look out for in office furniture in 2017.

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Meeting Room Pods

While the classic meeting room set-up is still proving popular, small, ingenious spaces have exploded into the market. Showrooms are now full of meeting room pods, demonstrating how to break up open plan offices and even reduce excessive noise.

Soft meeting pods, reminiscent of the beach huts of Brighton, add a modern touch of cool to office spaces and are a practical alternative to permanent, expensive structures. These free-standing, diverse booth systems can be deconstructed and relocated within an hour, which is perfect for the constantly changing workspace we find ourselves in today.

Room Wall System

Instead of permanent walls, the room system offers a flexible alternative. They enable the creation of formal and informal workspaces for meeting, concentrating and collaborating. Visually attractive, this system also has excellent acoustic properties that can change noise levels.

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Feature Storage

With agile working and hot desking featuring heavily in the workplace, offices need more storage than ever. Office storage has moved from the traditional boring configurations to large shared units and secure storage spaces. Available in modern design and materials with wood and metallic finishes, new ranges can also be used as dividers for open office spaces. Furniture such as lockers and dual use items like storage contained in soft seating areas are featuring more in the workplace.

Built-in Power Sockets

With the use of technology in the workplace ever increasing and evolving, space needed to plug-in laptops and charge phones has become essential. One major advantage is the concealment of unsightly cables and removing tripping hazards. Lamps can even be integrated with in-built phone charger points.

Recent trends have also seen meeting tables converted into co-working spaces. For customising the workplace, consider bespoke commercial desks such as those found at http://simonkohnfurniture.co.uk/our-work/commercial/reception-areas-and-desks/.

Breakout Spaces

Rising office costs mean breakout areas can be the first space to be sacrificed. It is important for staff to have an area separate from their workspace for relaxation, lunch and informal meetings. Stepping away from the screen now and again is vital for wellbeing.

This area could even be multifunctional as a collaborative space for meetings and sharing ideas, with stackable chairs and flip tables. Multipurpose furniture is a great way to save space.