NetSecrets Blog : Web Design and SEO

New Website for The Instant Water Company

The Instant Water Company is based near Shrub Hill Station in Worcester and supplies water dispensers, vending supplies and heavyweight after-sales services to clients in Worcestershire and surrounding counties.

They pride themselves on the highest level of service so will not take on a job more than one hour's drive from their base, although they will often be able to recommend other distributors further afield.

We've known Andy Maynard and his family for many years through our association with BNI and know them to be top people who can be relied on completely. Now they have a new website it's even easier to read about their products and services and take up their offer of a 14 day free trial.

The site also explains the health benefits of drinking more water and the cost advantages of a water dispenser over using a kettle.

To find out more call Andy Maynard on 0845 463 6798 or fax 01905 617288 or email info@theinstantwatercompany.com.

Major Update to FastSMS Website

I know it's been a bit quiet here for a few weeks but that is down to a massive effort going onto improving our FASTSMS website and associated marketing campaigns as part of our initiative to grow our business despite the recession.

FASTSMS offers a wide range of internet based SMS text messaging services based on a network of servers in London Docklands that plumbs directly into the UK mobile network. That's what sends and receives the messages anyway.

At the user end there is a web-based sender (think Hotmail); a desktop based sender (think Outlook) and a few other options such as Email2SMS and a Developer API. The API (Applications Programme Interface) enables software to be linked into FASTSMS seamlessly for sending and receiving text messages.

The challenge has been to make the site work for both novices to SMS, who want to learn before committing to buy, and for SMS-savvy people who just want to see the basics and place an order. We've tried to create a natural progression for visitors that lets them branch out in different directions according to their needs. So the first page gives basic info and has easy access to the ordering page but also leads to a more detailed listing of features and benefits for those that want it, then a detailed explanation of pricing and finally screen shots of our interface.

The main sections are:

• Solutions
• Packages
• About Us
• Open An Account

Solutions, for example, is then broken down to make it easy to select between the various options such as:

• Web SMS
• Outlook Integrated SMS
• Email to SMS
• Premium SMS
• and more...

And each solution is then broken down into an overview, a price list, a features list, a screenshot gallery and an ordering page.

Sure hope it work! Will keep you posted.

Seltek Warehouse - Major New Online Store

We are delighted to launch Seltek Warehouse, a major new online store offering over 1700 UK manufactured products to companies in the manufacturing and distribution sectors. All products include images, full specifications and price details to make it easy for visitors to find what they want at an affordable price.

The products on offer include:

• Mobile Steps
• Trucks & Trolleys
• Workbenches
• Hazardous Storage Cabinets
• Platform Trucks

• ... and much more

Orders can be placed online or over the phone. Payment can be made by cheque, bank transfer or credit/debit card. Most items are on rapid delivery and help and advice obtained by calling 01386 793274 or emailing info@seltekwarehouse.co.uk.

Online Store for First4Safes

First4Safes represent most leading manufacturers of safes, fireproof filing cabinets, key storage and gun safes. Their new website makes it easy to buy their wide range online although you can always contact them for help and advice in choosing the best solution to meet your needs.

They have wall safes, underfloor safes and free standing safes for use in home or office; gun cabinets for clubs and societies as well as domestic enthusiasts. Fireproof safes and filing cabinets protect not just paper documents but also CD's and other computer media.

To contact First4Safes call for free on 08006 121160 or email info@first4safes.co.uk.

Labels'N'Things Launch New Online Store

Labels'N'Things are the experts in all aspects of plant labelling and offer a vast range of plant labels in different shapes, sizes, materials and qualities. As well as the labels they provide marker pens and labelling machines for adding the information to the labels and back all this up with free advice by phone.

Their new online store offers a wide range of gardening supplies as well as labels with all products well illustrated so you can see what you are getting before purchasing. They also offer items that are great as gifts for the keen gardener or nurseryman. Products include:

• Plant Labels
• Plant Supports
• Orchid Accessories

• Plant Ties

Labels'N'Things are always ready to advise on the best options and you can reach them on 01527 557990 between 9.00 and 5.30 Monday to Saturday and 11.00 to 4.00 on Sundays. You can also email info@labelsnthings.co.uk if that's your preference.

Ace Essentials - Office Supplies In Droitwich

Ace Essentials is a supplier of a range of office supplies, workwear, school uniforms, promotional items and more. Situated on the High Street in the Worcestershire town of Droitwich they provide great personal service.

Their High Street store is great to pop into if you want to buy on the spot, take a look at what's available or get advice from Eve and her team. Equally their new website is a good place to start to see what they offer in general terms and to understand the different ways you can do business with them.

The new Ace Essentials website is now live and features four main product areas:

• Stationery & Office Supplies
• Corporate Workwear including Custom Embroidery
• Schoolwear, School Uniforms & Other School Items
• Promotional Items

If you need anything and you are in or around Droitwich call in to see them at 57 High Street. Failing that call them on 01905 772652 or email info@ace-essentials.co.uk.

New FASTSMS Website Launched

After a lot of hard work we have set live this weekend a much improved new version of our FASTSMS website. Not only does it have a smart new look it also includes our latest product, SMSLook, which looks like MS-Outlook, works like MS-Outlook but handles text messages rather than emails. And finally the site is integrated with our new fully automated sign-up and ecommerce system.

For those who know NetSecrets best as a web design and web marketing company let me explain that we also have other strings to our bow and FASTSMS is the most developed of these. FASTSMS provides internet based text messaging services either through NetMessenger, our web-based SMS sender, SMSLook, our Outlook plugin for desktop SMS, or via an SMS API that enables developers to integrate SMS messaging capability into their own software products.

You can get a free trial of either or both versions and we also provide inbound SMS using Virtual Reply Numbers. These are standard 11-digit numbers, 07xxx xxxxxx, but connect to your NetMessenger or SMSLook account instead of your phone.

We've also put a great deal of research into how the site presents itself and gives visitors the information they need to make a decision whether to buy. This experience will help become ever more effective both for our own websites but also for those we build for customers.

Twitter - The Next Big Thing?

Twitter is best thought of as miniature personal blogging or a micro blog, as it is centred around the question “what are you doing” and only permits 140 characters per post – just enough to get one coherent thought or idea, or statement out to your ‘followers’. Now, followers are key to twitter being of any use to anyone, otherwise let’s face it you’re talking to yourself and wasting your time. So, when you create your twitter account encourage your colleagues to do the same and find out if any of your business contacts are also twittering away. You can even advise clients and customers to join up to twitter as a way to keep up to date with your products and services. From this point it can be used as an announcer to updates of blogs as well as little snippets of what you have been doing for your customers.

The aim here is to create a community around the brand and can even serve as a forum for advice, tips, tools and resources; the main focus being that if your tweets are of use then you will merit followers, with each follower being potential business.

At this point you may be thinking that it sounds like a lot of work for only a slight prospect of gain. However there are several ways in which you can automate your twitter account so that the upkeep is minimal. You have the option to tie your twitter account in as an RSS feed, but more importantly, you also have the facility to synchronise your blog with twitter; so when you post on your blog the title of the post will be automatically generated as a tweet on twitter with a link to your full post, reducing time spent.

There lies opportunity for you to give news updates, show special offers, new product launches, product ranges,  publicise events and even as a way for people to leave you testimonials.

UK's First Site Exclusively For Snowboarding Holidays

BoardYeti have just launched their new website, designed, built and promoted by NetSecrets, to give them the first site in the UK dedicated entirely to snowboarding holidays.

NetSecrets were involved in a Marketing Workshop in Bromyard just before Christmas and provided a prize at the event of a FREE website. This was won by local travel agents, Bromyard Travel Services, and enabled them to bring forward plans for an extra arm to their business, namely BoardYeti.

Theory is that it is difficult, especially in the current economic climate, to grow a business in a small town like Bromyard, solely with a conventional High Street,face-to-face operation. So whilst that can provide the bread and butter and continue an excellent local service, an advanced internet business, operating nationally, can bring extra revenue and give a boost to profits without the need for more outlets or moving to a bigger but less hospitable location.

Thieir research showed that there is currently no UK website focusing solely on snowboarding holidays - there are several providing snowboarding as an afterthought to skiing but what suits skiers often is little use to snowboarders.

Sounds like a winning proposition to me and we're confident we can get the visitors to the site so could be very exciting all round.

Facebook - Unleashing the Potential

Facebook is now the fastest growing social network ever and many consider it to be the most popular worldwide. Facebook is endowed with a naturally large user-base as it does not charge a membership fee. Instead, Facebook gains its revenue from advertisers – due to the high level of profiling done on its users, which to many of them comes across as innocent, Facebook is able to operate a level of direct and targeted marketing never before possible online. In addition to paid advertising solutions, there are also some free opportunities for the promotion of your business.

Chances are that your colleagues and business contacts are on Facebook already.  Invite them to become your friends and join your company network (if you have one - see below). Facebook is a much more friendly and interactive environment than social networks like LinkedIn and can be used to form closer bonds with your contacts.

Create a profile for your company - To create a foothold on Facebook, create a profile for your company and a company network. This will allow you to do the following things:

-          Invite your business colleagues, and customers to become your friends, creating a Facebook network around your business.

-          Make postings which will appear in your Facebook friends’ newsfeeds.  These can be about special offers and company news such as job postings.

-          List your items in the Facebook marketplace (see below)

Promote your Blog - If you have a company or personal blog, this can be imported into your Facebook notes.  Your posting will then appear in your newsfeed and that of your friends.

Facebook’s notes settings can be accessed from the applications menu in the LHS of your profile page.

List your items in the marketplace - Facebook has a marketplace where items can be listed for sale.  This is free and could be used promote items for sale on your website or eBay.  Products such as Ztail, make listing items on Facebook marketplace easy.