Journal / Case Studies

A few examples of the positive impact we offer


Profile: Ryobi & Makita Direct

Ryobi Direct and Makita Direct (part of CBS Power Tools Ltd) approached us with 2 out-dated ecommerce websites used to sell over 5,000 products to a UK audience. CBS Powertools is Peterborough's largest independent power tool and garden tool dealer.

Website aims and objectives

1. Improve the online presence of Ryobi Direct & Makita Direct by providing fresh new suitable for its main target audience. Each design needed to be tailored to the different product and audience yet must contain a universal theme.
2. Make the sites user-friendly by simplifying the product and main store navigation.
3. Make the store quicker and easier to manage using Actinic software.
4. Standardise fonts, product image sizes and page layouts.
5. Create an template for regular promotional campaigns to over 10,000 customers.

Outcome

Website Design & Layout
Simplicity was key. We used a very familiar layout with sharp contrasting colours to highlight important information. The brands Ryobi and Makita have strong reputations which didn't need promoting within the design. Instead we focused on quality of the retailer by providing a clean and professional style.
Large, easy to understand buttons were used throughout the sites. Every part of the stores conforms to a pre-defined layout allowing for easy maintenance and navigation. With over 5,000 products, we needed to allow for flexibility in the design in order for the contents to grow without making the site look overly busy and cluttered.

Website Navigation

Again, simplicity was key. We kept to a very familiar layout to aid user navigation. The main product menu was placed vertically down the left-hand side to allow for future expansion. Products are divided into sections depending on their use and can be selected via thumbnail images. A 'quick search' facility has also been included to aid those customers with a specific product in mind.

Email Campaigns

We designed and manage a regular email campaign for Ryobi-Direct to promote special offers to their client database of over 10,000 addresses. The email design fits perfectly with the website styling and allows recipients to link directly to the online product page to purchase goods.
Our online control panel allows Ryobi-Direct to view detailed campaign reports in order to determine how many and which recipients opened their email and clicked on links.





Profile: Iain Ward Contracting

Iain Ward Contracting is a Leicester based Landscaping and Building Contractor with over 20 years' professional experience. IWC is a small local firm with a strong reputation for quality yet affordable services.

Project aims and objectives

We were approached by Iain Ward Contracting who were looking for their first online presence to promote the business to a local audience. Our design team were given almost free range with regards to the and structure. The only elements requested included; , and a gallery of work.

Outcome

The site has essentially been split into 4 sections. The first three are the main services offered by IWC. These are all accessible by the pictorial menu/banner. The fourth section contains general pages about the company including; Testimonials, Contact and Gallery.
The Testimonials page comprises of an interactive Google Map showing approved customer comments and pin drops to the project locations. This allows potential customers to see areas IWC cover and view the quality of completed projects (i.e. driveways).
An animated gallery page contains images (before and after) of recently completed projects.





Profile: Leicester Business Women

The Leicester Business Women website is a free and exciting new programme to help women start their own business or develop their career. The site is a online portal aimed at connecting local business women and providing them with like-minded contacts, information and events. The Leicester Business Women is in partnership with Skills for Enterprise.

Project aims and objectives

The overall aim was to deliver a Facebook style online networking portal for local business women.
The design had to be feminine, professional and flexible to allow room for growth as the site became popular.
The site needed to include many elements including; online registration with user profiles, events calendar with booking system, private and public discussion groups, news feeds and many other features similar to Facebook.
The whole site needed to be completely manageable by the administration team.

Outcome

In short, we delivered exactly what was requested and more.

Design

We created a contemporary design aimed at the target audience. A decorative wallpaper background effect adds a sense of femininity without the use of any cliche and insulting effects, i.e. pinks or flowers.

Content Management

The site was constructed using the Open Source Language, Joomla. This is a powerful and flexible language allowing the complex functionality to be produced without expensive licence or ownership issues.
The sites administration team have full content control allowing access all areas via an easy-to-use control panel.