Online retail is growing 6 times faster than high street sales and is predicted to exceed £37 billion by 2014. Customers are increasingly using the internet to research and compare goods and services in all markets, from daily groceries to luxury design.

Jane Hilliard

So for Colchester-based company Specialist Floors, getting the website right was critical to long term growth and success.

Digital design agency, Ultimate Website Design, was brought in to create a new site that would do justice to the company’s impressive product range and prestigious brands. Managing Director at Specialist Floors, Jane Hilliard, describes how the website design and development process worked:

“It was so easy. Quite literally, Kevin Sinfield from Ultimate Website Design came in to gather all the information for the content and graphics, and then a week later returned to run through the finished demo site with us.”

One reason why the process ran so smoothly was the technology on which it’s based. Ultimate Website Design uses the WordPress platform to develop websites – an exceptional programming software which ensures that websites are compatible with all browsers, smart devices and e-commerce. The content management system is also easy to update, even for a complete novice. However as Jane admits “I mostly give Kevin a quick call and he takes care of the updates for us”.

The development time was particularly impressive when you consider that Ultimate Website Design also created a bespoke corporate video for the home page. With YouTube now the second most popular search engine, and 90% of information predicted to be available in video format by the end of next year, it’s a great way to differentiate a business and build an instant relationship with the customer.

However, a website is only effective if people see it, so achieving a good position on Google was a priority for Specialist Floors. Rather than fork out on an expensive and unpredictable pay per click campaign, Jane opted for a fully optimised SEO friendly website, which has already boosted the company’s position in the natural listings and raised their online profile.

Jane is thrilled with the results: “A lot of people have commented on the new site, remarking how nice it looks, and we’ve seen our online traffic and showroom footfall rise as a direct result.”

She adds, “Since meeting Kevin, we’ve recommended Ultimate Website Design several times – the whole process was easy and the new website is fantastic!”

To view the new website, visit www.specialistfloors.co.uk

For more information on how the website was created, and for a quick quote on a new site, Get in touch.

“We use WordPress for our Website Designs”

Show casing their services and staff was one of the priorities along with a news section to communicate with both old and new clients all the latest news from Asher Prior Bates along with helpful legal advice.

“We use WordPress for our Website Designs”

The website is setup so the staff are able to easily add content to the site. This is becoming more important with all modern website design where the clients want to be more involved with communicating with their customers.

Why not take a look at the website to see for yourself.

If you are looking for a new website get in touch to discuss your requirements.

If video isn’t yet part of your marketing strategy, here are 3 reasons why it should be:



1) Capture your audience


Consider your own web browsing behaviour. Given the choice of reading a long page of text or simply clicking ‘play’ to watch a short video, which would you choose? Video can relay much more information in a short space of time, plus it gives a brand scope to create a personal relationship with customers.
Of course it’s not a live web feed, but the experience is much more interactive and engaging than plain text. People are less likely to skim over content, and statistics show they’re much more likely to respond to your advert or ideas, and then share the video with others. If a picture speaks a thousand words, a video is far more valuable.

2) Get a head start


You can spend thousands on pay per click and directory listings to make sure your company’s website appears in the search engine’s natural listings. How much and how long it takes you to secure a good position will in large part depend on how much competition there is for your relevant keywords, but how much competition is there for video? YouTube will do wonders for your search engine ranking, plus it’s not just a numbers game – scoring loads of hits is great only if visitors are responding to your site.
Take a look at your competitors’ sites – if they’re not using video yet, then you have a rare opportunity to achieve an online advantage by standing out from the crowd while at the same time boosting your SEO.

3) The young ones


Last year 25% of young people aged 11-14 purchased clothes online, 23% bought video games, 21% DVDs, 20% CDs and 18% music downloads. Video is the format of choice for the majority of young surfers, and multimedia has become an integral part of daily life for us all with the advent of services such as iPlayer and 4OD. Website design is evolving to suit demand, and video will soon become a core ingredient of every site. Video is here to stay and the sooner you take advantage of it, the more effective your website will be.