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professional web site design profitable e-commerce intelligent business systems |
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November 2006 NewsletterHi
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Rural Youth Network are a national charity that work with central and local government and voluntary and community organisations to make a difference on the issues that affect young people and those that work with them in rural areas. Their old web site was in need of a complete design overhaul, so Studio 2's design team set to work to produce a fresh new look for the site that fits with the organisation's ethos and aims. The site incorporates a password-protected members' area with the ability for users to register online. The members' pages include a considerable amount of additional information and resources including a forum and newsletter archive, as they want to encourage people (both young people and those who work with them) to sign up as members of the organisation, not just visit the site once. This project was carried out for Rural Youth under the ProHelp scheme. ProHelp is a national network of over 1000 professional firms, including Studio 2 Online, who give their time and expertise for free to local community groups and voluntary organisations who could not otherwise afford it. |
"We have really enjoyed working with Studio 2 and have been impressed with how they have understood the needs of an organisation that is not only a niche charity but a membership organisation too - not a straightforward task! Feedback from our users tells us that the site is youthful and professional in appearance. We are looking forward to using the online conference booking system, saving us adminstrative time and improving the service we offer to our members. The online Forum will enable our members working in rural areas around the country to share their experience and good practice." |
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Studio 2 Client Forum 
Studio 2 would like to thank all those that attended our first Client Forum on November 21st and for making it such a great success.
The aim of the forum was to inform and educate our clients on how to get more from their website, and how to make it work harder for them in the future... and we are pleased to announce that it worked!!
"A great help in un-cluttering the worldwide web and what it has to offer."
Stuart Cook, POS Direct
"Useful; I now have a greater understanding of what can be achieved through our website."
Pete Sampson, Thorpe Kilworth
The day was filled with seminars, games, discussion groups, quizzes, fun and laughter. It was an excellent opportunity for Studio 2 to receive honest and constructive feedback from the people that are most important to us, YOU!
It was also an opportunity for those that attended to meet the rest of the team and network with other clients. It also gave an insight into how and why we do the things we do and to understand how some of the services Studio 2 provide have been relevant and successful to others. In turn, the feedback we received will help us to grow and improve.
"A very worthwhile day, a great insight into Studio 2 and how they work!"
Matt Bakewell, Catering Partnership
So a very big thank you to you all. And finally... congratulations to the Jargon Busters for achieving the highest score on our Christmas e-card game: Santa's Sleigh Jump Extreme (we were playing in teams throughout the day). Your prizes are winging their way to you! Click on the link to see if you can beat their score: www.s2o.co.uk/xmas
Studio 2 are planning a second forum midway through the New Year for all to come along to and share in the feedback, learning and fun! Watch this space.
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Google Analytics 
It's true to say that us girls like a bargain! Well, the other day I was surfing around the internet when I came across a freebie from the Big G – Google Analytics. Bargains are good. Free is great. And when it’s website related, even better! So I decided to find out more... Basically, this free service analyses your website traffic and lets you see how your visitors found you and how they interact with your website. On the surface it sounds just like any other website tracking programme but look a little closer and you'll find a very sophisticated tool with a highly comprehensive suite of features that will appeal to company directors, website owners, webmasters, and advertising & marketing assistants alike. You can compare traffic, ROI, key conversion metrics and trends using a host of available reports inlcuding:
Google says of its analytics service, "You'll be able to focus your marketing resources on campaigns and initiatives that deliver ROI, and improve your site to convert more visitors." So, it seems that you really can get something for nothing. Find out more about Google Analytics and how it can benefit your business - take the tour and tell them Sasha sent you! |
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Pick & Pack Express are a Leicester based company providing contract warehousing, collation & assembly, and forklift truck training. Their old website was looking tired and dated and didn't create enough of an impact, so they approached Studio 2 for us to redesign the site for them. The new design conveys the professional, B2B image of the company. |
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Technology Focus: Blogs For the benefit of those of you who couldn’t make it to our client forum and didn’t hear Matt Broadley talking about Blogs, we thought we’d explain a little bit about them.
A blog (short for 'Web log') is an online tool that allows you to communicate with your web audience by quickly and easily posting articles or news stories to your web site. Your posts are displayed and automatically archived in date order. Individual posts can also be labelled according to topic or area of interest, and users can search your blog for specific words, phrases or topics.
As well as allowing you to communicate with your site visitors, blogs allow your visitors to communicate with you and your other readers by adding their own comments to your posts. These can be moderated or unmoderated as required.
That’s all very well, but why would you want a blog on your site?
Having regularly updated content on your web site is an advantage in that it encourages people to keep coming back time and again rather than simply visiting the site once and not returning. This is particularly true if you can find a topic to write about that will prove genuinely interesting or useful to others.
On top of this, search engines look favourably on sites that have regularly updated content. Static sites tend to struggle in the search engines compared to active ones.
You may feel unsure about divulging your hard-earned knowledge to all and sundry, but if you know what you’re talking about, you will soon gain valuable credibility, which all helps to increase your brand awareness and draw in new customers.
There are a number of blogging solutions available, and we at Studio 2 would be happy to help you work out a solution that best suits you. Give us a call on 0116 242 5811.
Industry News "The high street groans as shoppers go online"
Online retailing continues to grow while high street spending is falling, with many high street retailers now also trading online.
Read full article at startups.co.uk...
"Designing a more accessible web"
What does web accessibility mean to you? Probably not a lot. But to some it is the key to actually being able to use the internet.
Read full article at bbc.co.uk...
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This month sees a number of high profile clients coming on board: Kookaburra
Studio 2 are importing Kookaburra’s existing suite of websites into our E-Commerce system as they feel it is much more search engine friendly than their existing setup. We will also be working to improve and update the design of their sites. Prima Solutions
Papillon Bleu
"We chose Studio 2 because we felt that not only could they design an ecommerce site but that we could as novices draw upon their experience in order to avoid some of the pitfalls. We noted that transparency and open communication between Studio 2 and their clients was stressed as standard practice and we felt that we would be looked after. We also liked the designs and testimonials that you had online and felt that the company had both experience and youth. |
| Studio 2 Online Ltd Cathedral Chambers 2 Peacock Lane Leicester LE1 5PX Tel: 0116 2425811 Fax: 0870 837 0087 Web: www.s2o.co.uk |
Christmas e-cards 
E-Commerce Club 
Case Study: Rural Youth Network 
Sasha's Web Advice 
New Clients 
Kookaburra is one of the world’s leading brands in cricket equipment. Its cricket balls are used in 85% of Test cricket matches around the world, and sponsored players include the likes of Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Justin Langer and Brett Lee.
Prima Solutions are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of software to the clothing and footwear industry. They have come to Studio 2 to have a new website designed and developed, including Search Engine promotion setup.
Papillon Bleu sell women’s designer clothing and accessories. We are looking at a new design for their website with the possibility of expanding into ecommerce.