Category: News

While some offices around the world are making a tentative return to office working and physical meetings, there are others who are adapting their working style to adhere to the supposed ‘new normal’ – working remotely. 

In this article, we consider some of the biggest things that businesses need to think about when it comes to working remotely – and whether this could genuinely become a long term solution for employees and businesses across the UK and beyond.

What working remotely means

Working remotely presents a flexible solution for those who want to integrate their work lives with their home lives, and cease travelling into the office everyday for work and for meetings. For many businesses, it means implementing a core set of hours where employees are expected to be online and active, then allowing them to manage their own time outside of those hours as they need to. 

One of the biggest trends throughout the pandemic and ever since has been a change in the way that meetings, events, and conferences are held in the business world, with technology and video conferencing solutions expanding exponentially to fill the gap in the market. As such, using the right technology and introducing a high level of communication has been the pinnacle for businesses adopting a working remotely structure – with many proving that this ‘new normal’ could indeed be good for business. 

But what are the benefits of working remotely and can it really be a good solution for both employees and employers? 

The Benefits of working remotely

Reduction in Expenses: One of the best benefits for business owners is the reduction in cost presented by remote working – cutting the cost of hosting meetings and events and enabling those expenses to be funnelled into the integration of cutting edge technology instead. When you start hosting meetings and events online, as well as allowing employees to work remotely, travel and office costs start to drop. That money can then be redirected into making sure you have the highest level of technology to support remote working.  

Flexible Working: One of the greatest benefits for employees, in particular, is the flexibility and freedom that working remotely presents – in terms of how, where, and even when they work. Provided employees can commit to the core hours presented by the business, the ability to complete their work according to a timeline that suits them is much easier and more realistic to work around in terms of work, home, and family. 

Save Time: How many times have you been to a meeting and thought “this could have been done as a quick call”? With remote working and video conferencing, lengthy meetings can now be cut much shorter with a strict schedule and the attendance of only those who need to be there. 

Greater Opportunities: Working remotely doesn’t have to mean working from your home just outside the city – it could mean working from somewhere genuinely remote and exotic. This presents employees with greater opportunities to expand their lifestyle and experience new cultures while still being able to work. 

Things businesses need to consider 

Working remotely offers a range of benefits, provided that businesses are able to harness the positives and find ways of overcoming the challenges. One of the biggest challenges attributing to remote working is the lack of physical interaction between colleagues, and the stunted communication which can see some colleagues and employees struggling to meet deadlines. The fact is, working in an office environment is good for creativity and so when you remove this, many workers will find that they lose that buffer of ideas and support that an office gives them. 

To overcome this, businesses attempting a remote working structure should be considering ways of implementing consistent communication and team-building into the everyday routine of their entire employee base. Some ideas include:

– Morning meetings and catch-ups for the whole business 

– Regular brainstorming sessions for smaller teams

– A dedicated chat platform that can be accessed anytime – for example, Slack.

– The use of visual technologies as well as emails and newsletters – for example sending out video updates from the Senior Leadership team of the business, so that employees feel included and part of a wider team that they can physically see

Another thing that businesses need to consider when adjusting to a remote working structure is the technology and the importance of getting the right technology in place to ensure those consistent and effective communications. Whether it’s a big event, conference, or just an everyday meeting, poor technology can be frustrating, unproductive and can waste everyone’s time. Investing in the right technology and undergoing regular testing will help to ensure that every call and meeting runs smoothly and on time. 

Other things to consider include:

– The work-life balance and how you can ensure that employees are switching off and moving away from work for regular breaks

– Supportive and safe workspaces that meet HSE regulations

– To-do lists and realistic goals to drive productivity

Could working remotely be the new normal?

Businesses and employees alike have grown used to the remote working concept over the past year and a half, and as such are finding new and innovative ways of factoring it into their long term business plan. Whether your business introduces a flexible working week, core office days or a 100% remote working plan, considering the above factors and building on the benefits is important in ensuring that you get the buy-in of your whole company. 

For support when it comes to your business technology and to find out how we could help you to create a digital system to support your internal team and your customer or client base, get in touch with our team today.

No, not your phone charger or hi-tech headphones. Plugins in the technical world refer to pieces of software code that enable a device or a specific app to do something that it couldn’t already do. Think of it as an upgrade that you install, which elevates the way you can use a specific application on your device.

For the most part, plugins are there to make life easier, remove annoying obstacles, and make even the most mundane of activities run seamlessly and smoothly. In this article, we will be sharing all you need to know about Plugins, from the how’s to the what’s – and those all-important WHY’s.

How do Plugins work?

Plugins are there to make everything better – whether that’s the way something works, the options presented to you as a user, or the way you experience certain things. Sometimes those things are essential, for example being able to switch webpages or open certain documents on your device; while sometimes they are more for experience than necessity, for example being able to add and view animation as part of a content stream.

These plugins can be designed by anyone, allowing third-party developers to build on and improve existing applications.

Crucially, most plugins for web browsers are available through dedicated websites, which help to ensure that what you are downloading is not harmful or has some kind of virus in disguise. Knowing where to get your plugins from is as important as choosing the right ones.

What kinds of Plugins might small businesses need?

For a small business, plugins are what enable scalable and flexible growth. Imagine that you build a standard site designed to communicate your brand or services and encourage engagement through direct contact. Now imagine that further down the line you start to advertise and sell online through your website. Rather than starting from scratch and building from the ground up, plugins allow you to expand what you already have and implement new functions into the site that is already drawing in visitors.

Let’s look at WordPress as a commonly used example.

When it comes to building a business website, you will find that plugins are rife on sites like WordPress which allow you to bring your business to life easily and through a series of templates. The standard WordPress templates are pretty straightforward, but when you start to get into the available Plugins you can optimise and enhance the user experience on your site ten-fold.

A few good examples include Akismet which removes spam comments from your posts, Jetpack which automates and supports SEO, and Yoast SEO which supports SEO and content optimisation. WordPress also supports plugins that enable you to add contact forms, shopping carts, and so much more to your website – not only enhancing the way it is used but broadening the scope of your site’s usage.

And it’s not just WordPress where plugins become useful. Adobe Acrobat is another prime example of a plugin that most of us don’t even know is a plugin – because we use it so often. Without Adobe Acrobat you wouldn’t be able to conduct simple tasks such as open a PDF. Another example refers to all those printing plugins which allow you to connect a device to a printer remotely and send documents over to be printed. Without this plugin, that connection wouldn’t exist, and we’d still be emailing documents over to a computer with a printer.

What are the benefits of Plugins?

It really depends on what the Plugin you have selected is designed to do – though most plugins are largely designed to improve the user experience and make sure that everything runs smoothly and safely, whatever industry or interest you are searching for.

Most of the essential plugins can be accessed for free, however, there are optimised versions of various plugins which come at a premium. Again, here we return to WordPress which is such a broad example of how plugins can be accessed and used by all industries and businesses – with the WordPress site operating its own page dedicated to free plugins which are designed to enhance the way a WordPress site is built, accessed, and used.

In terms of the benefits of plugins, this is where it all comes back to usability and experience – both from the perspective of the end-user and the website developer.

Plugins save time. They hold all the coding and programming needed to implement useful tools and functions on your website quickly and easily, meaning that you can do anything from add a shopping cart to link a social media account without much work at all.

They are also intrinsically linked to experience, with a range of options available to improve every aspect of a website or customer journey – and deliver crucial information to the business owner or website builder along the way through enhanced analytics.

Of course, with every benefit comes a challenge – and in the case of plugins, the main challenge is around not overloading your website with so many plugins that it becomes either too complex to use, or to vulnerable to hackers. To ensure that your website is as safe as possible, always download your plugins from reputable sources and seek the support of a web developer where necessary.

For more advice and guidance on how to use plugins – and how to identify those which will genuinely elevate and improve your online offering and experience – get in touch with our team.

Whether you are already using Instagram as a marketing tool or not, there are a number of different ways of using the platform as a business to inspire and generate leads. In this article, we will be sharing some of our top tips for enhancing your Instagram – both in terms of marketing and building a personable and welcoming brand for followers to engage with.

Why Instagram?

Instagram is just one of a series of social media platforms that businesses of all sizes and across all industries are using to connect and engage with customers and followers. In comparison with the other platforms out there, Instagram is very focussed on visuals and using imagery to portray your products, services, or brand – making it one of the best platforms for delivering shareable and high impact content.

Instagram feeds work by displaying the images as the main body of each post, giving users the option to read the full caption below if they want to. What this means is that the image you present is always the main focus of every post.

So, how can we use this information to improve our Instagram feed?

Step One: Find out how to communicate your brand values in a visual way

Far too often we see brands out there filling the square image box with words. This might sound like a clever hack and a way to get around the need for a spotlight visual, but look at it this way – is a square filled with words really going to make your target audience stop scrolling and read?

We can tell you the answer to that one – no, it won’t.

Instagram presents an opportunity to explore your brand in a visual way, sharing product images, office and team photos, and sometimes even using stock images to add some creativity to your more formal posts. We recommend using your brand colours wherever you can, exploring the value of both photographic and more cartoon-y images, and assessing the different types of images you share to see which garner the most likes and responses.

Step Two: Use your Instagram to build a brand personality

This follows on from the last point but with more of a focus on the people behind your brand. So often, team members are relegated to the “Team” page on your website, with a single photo and a small description of what they do. Instagram is a great place to share behind the scenes images of the creation process for your products, short videos of office antics and team building exercises, and other things which will make consumers view your brand as one that they want to support.

Step Three: Blend formal marketing with fun posts

The best Instagram strategy employs a blended focus on marketing and sharing, including reviews and testimonials, product or service photos and marketing posts, behind the scenes shots and insight, and industry related content that provides the validity and reliability of your brand within your industry.

We recommend sharing 3 or 4 posts a week and building a strategy which shares a selection of different kind of posts regularly. By creating a kind of structure to your posting, you will find that followers come to expect your ‘Fun Friday’ or ‘Wisdom Wednesday’ posts and look out for them.

Step Four: Don’t just focus on your own content

If we could share one tip with every single business out there on Instagram, it would be to widen the net and become as attuned to responding and sharing other content as you are to posting your own content. If you haven’t already seen some of the big brand Twitter wars out there, it’s well worth a Google – showing how the social media teams behind some of the biggest brands on the market create and generate banter with each other, often leading to huge media attention and priceless marketing opportunity.

Responding to industry news, picking up on big news stories and sharing other relevant content is all key to showing your followers and customers that you are immersed in the industry and that you care about the things they care about. This also means responding to comments and direct messages you receive, creating a conversation with your followers rather than just posting and then standing back with no further action.

Step Five: Instagram for Business

If you’re a business and you’re on Instagram, you should be working through a business account. Not only does this give you the option of listing a website and call to action buttons on your profile, but it also gives you the benefit of analytics and insight into who your followers are and how they are engaging with your posts. Instagram business accounts can also be linked to payment details for paid advertising and ad boosts.

Our Top Tips to building a good Instagram profile bio

And finally, to your Instagram bio. This is that small section at the top of your profile page, where you are given limited characters to communicate what you do, who you are, and why followers should trust you.

A good Instagram bio is:

– Funny or witty

– Informative

– Visually interesting (emojis!)

– Clear and concise, with a strong call to action

We recommend having your brand name as your Instagram handle so that you don’t have to waste any characters on the basic brand. From there, your Instagram bio should share what you do – with a focus on how you can help your customers. Remember that your Instagram will be accessed by customers so every piece of content you share should be geared towards and written directly for them.

The Takeaway

Instagram is a valuable tool in any social media marketing strategy, providing businesses and brands with a place to express not only their products or services but also their brand personality and who they are in the eyes of their customers.

Trial and error is crucial in ascertaining the best approach to Instagram for your business, with the above points all important in building a successful profile.

And finally, if in doubt, use a specialist!

The password you choose is the key to a resource that is so valuable, it needs a unique code in order to get in. From email accounts to backend website servers, through to online shopping, training sites and even banking sites, every site which requires password access holds information that you wouldn’t want to spread around to everyone.

For the most part, there are two key reasons for installing passwords: either you want to protect yours, others or the businesses personal information, or you want to only give paying users access to a certain page or specific content.

As a small business, when it comes to creating your website and finetuning your online presence, there are various ways of reaching out to and communicating with your target audience, many of which will require password access both on the part of employees and users.

With that said, why is it so important, now more than ever, that we focus on protecting our passwords for the safety and security of the business?

The importance of strong passwords

No matter what size your business is, or what industry you operate in, passwords are there to protect the information that you hold – from customer addresses for mail order products, to payment details, financial statements, backend website design resources and so much more. Every time you have to enter a password, you are gaining access to something which is otherwise locked.

And, just as you would give a second thought to whether or not you locked your front door when you left home in the morning, it is important to put a strong password in place which cannot be hacked or guessed.

All too often we see businesses who install password protection but put little focus on it, believing that they don’t have much worth protecting. These passwords can be as short and basic as the employee likes, with no need to update the password on a semi-regular basis. But this is where mistakes can happen, with hackers across the globe preying on these small businesses with no security; wreaking havoc on their internal operations, releasing customer data on a public scale, and even sending out fake communications which invite users and customers to enter more detail which the hacker can use to do even more damage.

Slate’s top tips for managing secure passwords

A secure password is, contrary to popular belief, NOT one which you find easy to remember. Choosing your favourite pet’s name, and then adding a number ‘1’ to the end of it, is unfortunately no longer enough in a world where technology is both a blessing and a curse. By following our tips to ensuring your password security is as strong as possible, not only will you be in a better position to protect the integrity of your business, but you will also be well placed to protect the identity and personal information of users and customers.

1. Let’s start with a tip for all users, regardless of status and/or level in the business. You must never enter a password and access private business files over an insecure WiFi connection, such as one in a public place or a café. Insecure WiFi means that hackers can very easily jump in and gain access to any information you enter, and so by logging in through one of these connections you are essentially giving them free access to your user resources.

2. As a business, insist on users and employees updating and changing their password every few weeks, in order to ramp up security and ensure that weak points are never found by hackers. Introducing a series of limitations will further enhance this, for example, a minimum character limit, requiring numbers and special characters as well as letters, and displaying a scale that indicates a password is strong, medium, or weak.

3. Don’t share passwords across different accounts, and never write them down to help you to remember them.

4. Limit employee and user access to only the areas that they need in order to perform their role to the best of their ability. If they don’t need access to certain areas, then block their ability to enter that part of the database. This relies on regular website maintenance which is a service we provide here at Slate to support the upkeep of your website security and can be beneficial in keeping user numbers as low as possible when dealing with sensitive information.

5. Prevent users from saving their own unique passwords on company-wide devices and computer systems. Storing passwords is something that modern technology has introduced as a way of making everyday life easier, however, this technology should be limited to personal devices and only those which a hacker or thief could not easily open by themselves.

6. Invest in the right level of backend website design, which will ensure you have all of these password protection systems in place. This includes regular monitoring of your customer data and system security, checking for hacking attempts and ensuring that employees are not trying to log in from remote locations without prior approval. Here at Slate, our services include design, maintenance, and hosting among other website offerings, which can help you to keep both your company and your customer information safe.

The simple fact is that while the development of technology and innovation is no doubt a good thing for many of our business operations and systems, it is also serving to make hackers jobs much easier – with professional hackers constantly finding new ways of breaking into business resources and using the information they find to do irreversible damage.

As a small business, you have a commitment to your clients and customers, and to your employees, to put in place various measures which will ensure a high level of protection and security – encouraging employees to follow regulations and ensure that they are not accessing areas of the business that they shouldn’t.

For more information on password protection or to chat with a member of our team about installing a high level of website security and maintenance, get in touch today.

There’s a lot of value that comes with remote working, from maintaining a healthy work-life balance, to saving costs on commuting, travel, and hiring venues for meetings and conferences. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, where working from home became the only option, moves were already being made across a variety of industries and sectors, with businesses heralding hybrid working and a flexible approach to home and office working for the benefit of employees’ morale and motivation.

With that said, as we move through the gradual easing of restrictions and office spaces start to reopen, what does the new normal look like – and could remote working be here to stay?

Which industries are best suited to remote working?

There are arguments for and against home working across virtually every industry, with remote meetings and conferences presenting benefits and their own challenges depending on the number of participants and their ability to cease talking over each other and overloading the microphone system. In the creative industry in particular, as cited by many of the clients we work with here at Slate, remote working presents an opportunity to free up your workspace and immerse yourself in environments that inspire and influence your work – giving individuals space and freedom to work where they want to, and in a structure which works for them.

Remote working is also proven to increase productivity, can reduce business costs and help you to reduce your carbon footprint, as well as enabling a business to extend their talent pool and take on new recruits who are not geographically close to their business but whose values and skills align perfectly with the company.

As such, when it comes to ascertaining the industries best suited to remote working, the list is endless – it all comes down to the way you manage and communicate with your team and the way you support them as required.

The Challenges that business owners need to manage and unpack

For businesses, one of the biggest challenges they faced moving into the new normal of remote working during the pandemic came in the monitoring and management of tasks, however, most businesses have found that employees who are motivated and well supported are more than capable of managing their own time and responsibilities. It all comes down to trusting employees and having faith in their ability to prioritise and get the job done.

The simple fact is that remote working isn’t without its challenges, whether they be in relation to resources, teamwork, or motivation. While many creatives find the freedom of remote working to be a benefit, there are others whose work can suffer with a removal from the physical presence of a team, with the lack of people preventing them from being able to bounce ideas off of colleague and peers. A lack of the necessary resources is another challenge that can put a pause on certain work, with many employees finding they don’t have the infrastructure at home to complete the role to the best of their ability.

As a small business owner or employer your job is to support your team in overcoming these challenges and change the way you work in order to embrace the rise in remote working. A great way of understanding the challenges faced by your team is to communicate regularly with employees across every level of the business, both through smaller team meetings and larger company meetings. These kinds of virtual meetings provide individuals with an opportunity to touch in with the wider company and understand ongoing goals and tasks, get to know members of extended teams, and see where they fit into the company on a larger scale. Another option is to hold remote work training, which will aid line managers in ensuring that their teams are performing well and will aid employees in everything from creating a safe and comfortable workspace, to knowing who to contact if they are struggling.

Other areas to focus on as we continue under the “new normal”

One area which has consistently been put under the spotlight over the last few years, is the importance of mental wellbeing – particularly in the workplace, with businesses across all industries and levels being tasked with reassessing their attitude to mental wellbeing and team management in the workplace. Remote working presents challenges with keeping on top of mental health, and that is why it is so important for every employee to have access to both a direct line manager and someone in HR, who they can talk to on a regular basis.

Other things businesses can do is schedule in weekly or fortnightly meetings which are more related to team building than work-oriented goals and check in with employees regularly to find out how they are feeling and whether there is anything the business can do to support them.

Remember that the new normal of everyday life doesn’t just stretch to work – it has also changed the way that most people live their lives in a series of other ways. Our social lives have changed, financial situations have shifted, and many have experienced the harsh reality of the virus itself either themselves or within their family or friends. As a business, you should be focussed on how you can make sure that remote working both supports your business success and your individual employees, taking the time to ensure that resources and supportive management reach into every corner of the business.

We work with creative businesses across a range of services, from design to development, social media and so much more. We would love to hear about the solutions that your business has put into place to help manage and optimise the new normal of remote working – get in touch with us via our social media to share your initiatives and ideas.

You’ve set up your business or company website, checked all the links to contact forms and social media profiles, and now you’re ready and raring to go! Because once your website is up and running, that’s it, right?

Wrong!

Far too often we are coming across clients and business owners who think that once their website is live, it simply needs a few new blogs and articles on occasion to keep the content fresh and relevant. And while these are super important updates to make in order to keep consumers engaged and coming back to your website for more, content is not the only area that needs regular attention. 

What is website maintenance?

Website maintenance is the act of going through your website on a regular basis to make sure that there are no user issues or errors being experienced along the customer or visitor journey. While some companies perform their own website maintenance checks, others bring in agencies like our team here at Slate, to perform full website checks and ensure that everything is operating correctly and seamlessly. 

So, what does website maintenance actually look like?

A full website check will take into account everything from your backend hosting through to the content, visuals and buttons seen by the end-user. It is designed around keeping your website operation healthy; testing and strengthening your Google and SEO ranking, and making the necessary changes that keep your website in the minds of both new and existing customers. 

Now, you may be wondering why it’s necessary to keep on top of this so often. After all, as long as you ensure your website is fully functional when it goes live, shouldn’t it remain just as consistent for as long as it exists in the online world?

Unfortunately, the answer to that is no, with regular upgrades made by website hosting organisations and website plugins which can instantly change the way they work on your website. A full website maintenance check will also go through all of your online forms and click-throughs to ensure that they are all presenting the same information and the same messaging – including every page on the site and every external link you include on your site. Because that’s another area over which you have no control – the operational experience of an external site. And this can prove fatal to your own SEO ranking if you don’t keep on top of it as a matter of priority!

How often should you perform a website maintenance test? All of the above should be checked at least once a week. 

Other areas of maintenance that can be checked less regularly, ideally every month or every quarter, include:

– Website load speeds

– Website statistics and performance in comparison with previous months and weeks

– Website design and structure – is it still relevant and displaying correctly?

– Any graphics, images or videos used – do they need updating?

– SEO and meta titles and descriptions – are they performing?

– Calls to action, including seasonal messaging and specific marketing campaigns

All of these areas focus on a mix of user-facing content maintenance and backend maintenance, with every area working together to provide the kind of user experience that your consumers and customers will expect. 

Why is website maintenance so important?

It all comes down to those two words that we talk about so often and which we have already mentioned a number of times in this very article – user experience. For more information on user experience, and crucially on the difference between user experience and user interface, you can check out our blog on UX vs. UI – however for the purpose of this particular piece, we want to look more closely at user experience and how this is affected by regular website maintenance. 

Imagine for a moment that you are on a website and come across a 404 error page – or you try to complete an enquiry form but find that the submit button is stuck and not working. It doesn’t seem to fix itself instantly, so you decide to walk away and try again in a few hours. 

If a company is on top of their website maintenance, this is something that will be flagged and fixed quickly – or at least will allow the company to circulate a pop up message which warns users about the issue and shows that they are on top of fixing the problem. However, if a company does not engage in regular website maintenance, and this problem goes unflagged and unfixed, your once-patient consumers will very quickly tire of waiting and will go to another company. 

The long and short of it is this: you lose your customer. 

Is that really something you can afford to do, all for the sake of some regular maintenance checks?

Because it’s easy to manage!

Whether you decide to bring your website maintenance in house or bring it to an organisation that can provide you with a maintenance and testing service, website maintenance is much more straightforward and effective for those who keep on top of it – primarily because it’s much easier to make small fixes on a regular basis, than it is to fix a whole load of issues in one big hit. Not only that, but the latter option is also a great deal more expensive to manage!

So, the next time you’re wondering which services to invest in, and how to keep your website and business running smoothly, make sure you’re putting enough time and energy into ensuring your website is fully operational and updated – all year round. 

To discuss your company website or website maintenance checks, get in touch with us:

info@helloslate.co.uk

Remember a few months ago when our offices used to be littered with business cards, and our inboxes were packed full of useful details about suppliers, clients, and business contacts? The problem with this is that each touchpoint holds different information, and so the data you collect on certain individuals, clients or competitor companies become fragmented and fractured. Not to mention the lack of access to all this information since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Many of us still operate in this way – but there IS a better way. 

Having a database is like taking all of that crucial and useful information about all those different contacts and putting them all into one easy-to-manage place. Provided you get it right, it allows for super easy tracking of any user type or customer category and makes business operations simple to follow. 

Of course, the benefits come once you have a fully-functioning database up and running – so how do you get to that stage where the benefits outweigh the work required?

What does an effective and efficient database look like?

The best databases are those which are built AFTER answering the following question:

What are you hoping to gain by building a database, and how are you going to use it?

Once you know this, you can build something which is integrated with your website and which collects the kind of data that you will find useful in the long run – rather than capturing tons of data for the sake of it. (And if you don’t fancy building and integrating all that by yourself, you can always reach out to our team of data lovers for a little bit of support!)

In short, the best kind of database is one that is tailored to your business needs. 

As a creative company, for example, you might like to know what your core client looks like, and what kind of creative support they are looking for – i.e., with the rise of online experiences, are you finding that more and more enquiries are about eCommerce design and how to fuse online and offline experiences?

Here at Slate, one of OUR biggest focus points through our own database is on establishing location and company size, as we market ourselves as a local business agency and so tailor much of our marketing campaigns to the local business audience. 

Once you have answered that key question, the next steps are all around building a database that delivers the information you need to know. 

The steps you need to take to earn a 5-star database

One of the first things to do when you build your database is to ensure it integrates with your website or mailing list in the right way. 

For a customer database, the likelihood is that you will want to know who is on your mailing list, who is opening your emails regularly, which of them are clicking through to email links, and how many of them are actually converting into making enquiries or purchasing from your website. All of these break down into different touchpoints on the core customer journey from nurture to purchase, and with the help of a database, you can gain vital insight into what those people look like and how long it takes for them to convert. 

For a business operations database, the internal workings are the same – just with slightly different information. For example, you may need to know what stock you have left, what has been recently ordered, when you last ordered something, and how many weeks or months go by before you need to reorder. 

Both of these examples highlight the fundamental usability of a good database in delivering you the information you need – when you need it. And it all comes down to integration and ensuring your database is fully paired up with the right information. 

And then we come to maintenance. A bit like hoovering the house and cleaning the bathroom, maintenance is something we know we need to do, but we are reluctant to channel time and energy into doing it – particularly if we feel that the information is for our eyes only and so doesn’t matter to the client. 

But this is where we are wrong. If you don’t maintain and clean-up your database on a regular basis, the information will fast become outdated and clients and suppliers will start to receive communications from you that no longer relate to them – or you will continue to monitor the stock levels of something you discontinued months ago. 

Database maintenance is another service you can easily outsource to an organisation focused on customer growth and retention, or you can dedicate time once a month to trawl through and cut out any irrelevant or dead leads. 

Nurture your database today for the benefit of your business tomorrow

Learn to use your database as a business lifeline, and pretty soon the benefits of building and maintaining it will become clear. So much so that one day soon, you won’t know how you lived without it.

For more on how to build and optimise your database for the best possible outcomes, whether it’s an operational database or a customer relationship database, get in touch with our team at info@helloslate.co.uk

With March 2021 marking the start of our national rollout from lockdown and all the business decisions that have come with it, companies around the country are finally starting to channel energy into mapping out a reopening plan.

Whether your business operates in the social sphere, the hospitality sector, the corporate world or the retail sector, it is more important than ever to now put time and energy into bringing customers back through the doors and finding ways of keeping both customers/clients and your team members safe.

As a web design and digital marketing agency, we have spent the past 12 months working with companies and organisations across every touchpoint of every industry. We have seen businesses turning to technology and the online world for the first time; we have created online transaction functions for countless companies; we have support and set up more social media and online user strategies than we can possibly track. But one area that businesses now need to focus on is the reopening of their physical presence – and that means working relationships, building up new partnerships, and finding new ways to reach customers and clients.

Why now is the time to keep it local

Throughout the pandemic, one of the biggest messages being shared across social media and beyond was the concept of shopping small and supporting local businesses as much as possible. From purchasing takeaways from local pubs to organising delivery of eggs and meat from the local farm shop, consumers have no doubt changed the way they shop during the pandemic and are likely to leave the pandemic with a commitment to continuing their support of local shops and village makers.

But where does that leave the corporate and business world? Aside from buying the office milk from the local village shop, what else can we do to keep small businesses running?

It all comes down to where you source your goods from. Here at Slate, one of our business aims has always been to keep our suppliers as local as possible. Not only does that mean we are supporting businesses in our locality, but it also allows us to build real working relationships with the people behind the supplies, and for us that is the essence of a successful and reputable business. A great example is our ongoing supplier relationship with Chandra Sharma at Tangent Office Resources, who deals with all our office needs and will be the first go-to when the team can finally start coming back to work from our Slate HQ.  Chandra and his team have supplied everything from everyday stationery requirements through to Printers and Marketing/Point of Sale items – all top quality, a great price and amazing personal service.

For us, it’s also about working with individuals who we can speak to directly (either in person or via a Zoom call) and who we trust with our company name. Whether we’re looking to bring in someone to perform a service for us, outsourcing the hiring of a new team member, or seeking somewhere to deliver a great team lunch, by keeping our contacts as local as possible we can support local business and always receive the level of service we expect, and which keeps us connected.

What can you do?

If you find yourself reading this blog, the chances are that you are in the market for some online support – whether it be with your digital marketing, your website build, or your overall online strategy.

Aside from continuing your work with Slate, your local online gurus, here are just a few ways in which you could consider supporting local businesses as you bolster your business online and reach customers in new ways.

1. Don’t use online stock images – instead, hire a local photographer, get out and about in your local area, and take your own website shots. Depending on your area of business, these could range from atmospheric setting shots to team photos. The important thing to note is that by keeping personal and local, you immediately give your business more of a personality and allow clients and customers to relate to you.

2. If you outsource a service, find out if someone in your local area can do that service for you. From writing to social media support, you would be amazed at how many people successfully manage these kinds of businesses from their own home – and if you keep it local, you can really build a strong working relationship with that person and ensure that they know your brand and your tone of voice as well as you do.

3. And finally, it doesn’t just have to be your office suppliers and services you keep local – whenever you do something as a team, keep that as local as possible too and really put what you can into supporting the reopening of your surrounding hospitality services. From drinks after work to team days out, hospitality needs your support now more than ever!

For more on how to bring your business to life online, get in touch with us at the click of a button! (And if you’re in the market for office supplies or POS material, we would of course highly recommend Tangent Office Resources!)

Are you, or have you ever been, familiar with the art of mood boarding?

Whether you used to make mood boards at school, operate an active Pinterest account, or use mood boards to help influence all of your creative decisions within your business, mood barding can be a really great way to define the creative “look” you are looking to emanate. Not only that, but it can also ensure that everything you’re putting out there to your audience sits in the same general camp when it comes to mood and tone. 

The imagery you put on your website is like a visual representation of your tone of voice – and it isn’t just limited to the pictures you choose to include within your copy. 

The imagery you use on your website includes:

– Your logo and webpage headers

– Your background colour and patterning

– The way your website uses icons 

It can even, in some instances, include the fonts you choose. 

In short, not only should the imagery on your website make up an integral part of the design process, but it should be closely and consistently linked back to the kind of tone and mood you are looking to convey. 

Let’s explore this in a little more detail. 

Defining the right imagery for your brand

Choosing the right imagery for your website means asking yourself a couple of key questions:

1. What is the point of the visual? (Is the visual designed to support conversion, is it built into a review or testimonial, or is it simply there as a space-filler? Only two of these options are good reasons to use any kind of visual…)

2.Does this image add value to the webpage? (For example, could a single image do the same job as a 200-word visual description? If the answer is yes, it’s valuable!)

3. Can you inject visual value to your website without actual images and photos? (For example, can your branding be highlighted and replicated further through the background design?)

Once you’ve answered these questions and understood exactly what the purpose behind your website imagery is, you’re ready to start sourcing and taking the pictures you need. And this is where your mood board comes in handy. 

How do you want your website imagery, particularly those photos and direct images, to look?

Consistency in your visual presentation is so important and can really mean the difference between a polished and effective website, and one which looks a little clumsy and amateur. Where possible, choose the same conditions and surroundings for all your images, make sure they focus in on the same colour palette, and take your time in selecting the pictures which really do your brand and your services justice! And if you’re not sure where to start when it comes to your mood board and ascertaining the ideal look for your website imagery, start with your business logo and branch out from there. You would be amazed at how many website designs are built almost entirely from one or two staple branding colours. 

TOP TIP: One of our top tips from within the creative industry is to hire a photographer and get as many of the images you need for your website as possible done in one hit. Not only will a professional photographer do justice to the subject, but by getting a big chunk of your images done at the same time, you will benefit from similar conditions, similar light settings, and similar staging – not to mention saving time and money on future shoots. 

A photographer can also help you to complete sets of team photos and bio photos for your website, delivering the kind of professional consistency that a business like yours deserves – and giving your target audience a face to match to your brand. 

If you decide not to invest in a photographer or choose to kickstart your website sooner rather than later by using some stock images, consider these tips and pointers from the team at Slate:

– If you use photo and realistic figures, pick individuals who resemble your target audience or who your target audience might sympathise with or relate to. 

– Pick images which evoke the kind of response you want to create in your audience. 

– Make sure all your images are high quality with a high resolution across all devices. 

– Less is more! Don’t go overboard. 

Integrating that imagery into your website

In this blog on the importance of UX and UI in web design, we look more closely at the different factors involved in a high-quality user experience – including the importance of a consistent look and feel across all your online touchpoints, balanced with the need for speedy loading and fast downloads. 

What this essentially means is that, once you know the kind of imagery you are looking for, make sure that the way those images are shared on your website is optimised for different devices. As part of our service package, we can work with your creative team to design and bring to life the perfect look which matches your brand, without impacting the usability of your website. 

For more information, get in touch at info@helloslate.co.uk