Understanding Web Analytics: Using Data to Improve Your Website's Performance

Why are web analytics important?

Web analytics is essential for any business or organization with a website.

It involves collecting and analyzing data on your website's performance to gain insights into user behavior, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your website's performance. 

With the vast amount of data available, web analytics can seem overwhelming, but it can be a powerful tool for driving success with the right tools and approach. 

In this article, we'll explore the key concepts and best practices of web analytics to help you improve your website's performance and achieve your business objectives.

Importance of Website Performance 

A website is the digital face of your business or organization, and in today's digital age, it is often the first point of contact with potential customers or clients. As such, it's important that your website not only looks good but also performs well. 

Website performance refers to how well your website meets the needs of its users, and it is critical to the success of your business or organization. This article will discuss why website performance is important and how it can impact your bottom line.

User Experience

One of the most important reasons why website performance is important is because it directly impacts user experience. A website that is slow to load, difficult to navigate, or confusing to use can turn off potential customers or clients and lead to a high bounce rate. 

On the other hand, a fast, easy-to-navigate, and user-friendly website with latest features like WooCommerce request a quote can lead to a positive user experience and encourage visitors to stay on your website longer and engage more with your content.

Search Engine Optimization

Website performance is also key to search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google use a variety of factors to determine how to rank websites in search results, and website performance is one of them. 

Page speed, mobile responsiveness, and user engagement contribute to a website's SEO performance. A website that performs well in these areas is more likely to rank higher in search results, which can drive more traffic to your website and increase your visibility online.

Conversions

The aim of your site is to adapt visitors into potential customers. Performance of your website is directly proportional to conversion rate. 

A slow or poorly performing website can lead to a high bounce rate and fewer conversions, while a fast and user-friendly website can lead to a higher conversion rate. 

Optimizing your website's performance can create a better user experience and improve your chances of converting visitors into customers or clients.

Reputation

Your website is often the first point of contact with potential customers or clients, and it must reflect well on your business or organization. 

A poorly performing website can give the impression that your business could be more professional and trustworthy. In contrast, a fast and user-friendly website can enhance your reputation and build trust with your audience.

Cost Savings

Optimizing your website's performance can lead to cost savings in the long run. A slow or poorly performing website can increase bounce rates and fewer conversions, costing you money. 

Optimizing your website's performance can improve your conversion rate and reduce your bounce rate, leading to increased revenue and cost savings over time.

How to Use Data to Improve Website's Performance

Web analytics collects, analyzes, and interprets data from your website to understand its performance and user behavior. 

Using web analytics, you can gain insights into how visitors interact with your website, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your website's performance. 

Below we'll discuss some key concepts and best practices to help you improve your website's performance using web analytics.

1. Setting up Web Analytics

The first step in using web analytics is to set up a tracking system to collect data from your website. The most common tool for this is Google Analytics, which is free and easy to set up. 

Once you have set up your tracking code on your website, you can start collecting data on your visitor's behavior, including the pages they visit, the time they spend on your site, and the actions they take.

2. Defining Goals and Metrics

Before analyzing your data, you must define your website's goals and the key metrics you will use to measure success. Your goals should be achievable and aligned with your mission statement. 

For example, if you're an e-commerce website, your goals include increasing sales or improving your conversion rate.

The metrics you choose will depend on your goals and the insights you want to gain from your data. Some common metrics to track include pageviews, bounce rate, time on site, conversion rate, and average order value. 

By monitoring these metrics over time, you can identify trends and areas for improvement.

3. Analyzing Data

Once you have collected data on your website's performance, it's time to analyze it. There are many ways to approach data analysis, but some key best practices include the following:

• Segmentation

Analyzing data by segments can help you better understand how different groups of users interact with your website—for example, research data by demographics, device type, or referral source.

• Comparison

Comparing data over time or between different segments can help you identify trends and areas for improvement. For example, compare data from different periods or traffic sources.

• Visualization

Visualizing data in charts, graphs, and tables can help you quickly identify patterns and trends. Many web analytics tools offer built-in visualization options, or you can use external tools like Excel or Google Sheets.

4. Making Data-Driven Decisions

Web analytics aims to use data to make informed decisions about improving your website's performance. By analyzing your data and identifying areas for improvement, you can make changes to your website and measure the impact of those changes over time.

Some examples of data-driven decisions you might make include:

• Improving website content: If visitors spend a lot of time on a particular page, you can improve the content to make it more engaging.
• Optimizing navigation: If visitors frequently leave your website after visiting a certain page, you can optimize your navigation to make finding what they're looking for easier.
• A/B testing: A/B testing involves making two versions of a webpage and testing them against each other to see which performs better. By using data to inform your A/B testing, you can make more informed decisions about which changes to make to your website.

5. Continuous Improvement

Finally, it's important to remember that web analytics is ongoing. Your website is constantly evolving, and so are your visitors' behaviors. 

By continuously monitoring your data and making data-driven decisions, you can ensure that your website is always improving and meeting the needs of your visitors.

Takeaway

website performance is crucial for the success of any business or organization with a website. It directly impacts user experience, search engine optimization, conversions, reputation, and cost savings. 

Collecting and analyzing data through web analytics allows you to gain insights into your website's performance and make data-driven decisions to optimize it. 

Optimizing website performance can lead to a better user experience, improved search engine rankings, increased conversion rates, enhanced reputation, and cost savings. 

By prioritizing website performance, you can take your website to the next level and drive success for your business or organization.

Would you like to find out more?

If you would like to find out how we can help you, please give us a call on +44 1243 776399. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Run Your Own Website is created by Access by Design

Award-winning Web Design, Chichester

Why would a bookkeeper need a website?

An interesting question

A bookkeeper can benefit from having a website for several reasons., even though their profession may not seem directly related to online presence.

Here are some key advantages:

1. **Online Visibility:**

Having a website allows the bookkeeper to establish an online presence, making it easier for potential clients to find and contact them. In today's digital age, people often search online for services they need, including bookkeeping.

2. **Credibility and Professionalism:**

A well-designed website can enhance the bookkeeper's credibility and professionalism. It serves as a platform to showcase qualifications, experience, certifications, testimonials, and other relevant information that can build trust with potential clients.

3. **Showcasing Services:**

The website can be used to provide a clear description of the bookkeeper's services and expertise. It allows them to highlight their areas of specialization and outline how they can assist potential clients with their bookkeeping needs.

4. **Contact and Inquiries:**

A website provides a centralized and convenient way for potential clients to get in touch. They can use the website's contact form or find the bookkeeper's contact information easily, streamlining the process of inquiries and new client acquisitions.

5. **Educational Content:**

A bookkeeper's website can include a blog or resources section where they share informative articles, tips, and educational content related to bookkeeping, accounting, and financial management. This can position the bookkeeper as an expert in the field and attract visitors to the website.

6. **Differentiation from Competitors:**

A well-crafted website allows the bookkeepers to distinguish themselves from competitors by showcasing their unique selling points, industry insights, and the value they bring to their clients.

7. **Location and Accessibility:**

If the bookkeeper offers remote or online services, a website enables them to serve clients from various locations, not just limited to their physical vicinity.

8. **Client Retention and Support:**

The website can offer a secure client portal or resource area where existing clients can access important documents, financial statements, and receive ongoing support.

9. **Brand Building:**

A website can reinforce the bookkeeper's branding and message. A consistent and professional online presence can help create a strong brand identity.

10. **Networking and Partnerships:**

The website can be a platform to connect with other professionals, businesses, or organizations for potential partnerships or referral opportunities.

In conclusion, while bookkeeping may primarily involve financial record-keeping and management, having a website can be a valuable tool for marketing, client acquisition, and overall business growth in today's digital landscape. It allows the bookkeeper to establish a strong online presence, showcase their expertise, and connect with potential clients more effectively.

If you would like to find out how we can help you, please give us a call on +44 1243 776399. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Run Your Own Website is created by Access by Design

Award-winning Web Design, Chichester

 

The Top Benefits of Using Cloud Computing Platforms

Who Benefits the Most from Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is a buzzword entrepreneurs everyone uses frequently. Getting data in the cloud offers tons of benefits, particularly for remote work crews. Even though they know other brands are utilizing third-party cloud computing platforms, some small businesses don’t quite feel ready to adopt a cloud-based approach.

Cloud-based services are on the rise. As more gadgets connect to the internet of things (IoT) and more companies store their data in the cloud, expect massive growth of about 21.3% in 2023.

Nearly any type of business benefits from cloud computing as it gives the company more flexibility and allows workers to access company data from their homes or any location. If a company leader wants to go on vacation during an important phase of a project, they can still jump online for a few minutes and check in on progress.

If employees want to work from home some days, they can jump onto the network and get the information they need, while uploading work they’ve done remotely. Clients can also see work in real time and benefit by guiding the process to suit their needs.

How can a brand best use cloud computing?

1. Speed Up Time to Market

Developers can explore different scenarios, team members review them and move on to the next idea in a matter of seconds. Cloud-based software services allow companies to test new ideas and applications to see what works best for the brand.

2. Share Ideas

A digital whiteboard allows everyone on the team to share ideas, make changes and brainstorm to come up with the best case scenario for any project. The biggest advantage of a digital whiteboard is the ability to save collaboration sessions in the cloud and access them immediately to implement the best ideas.

Digital whiteboards work well for participants who access the meeting in different ways, such as via a phone, desktop computer or in-person.

3. Improve Customer Experience (CX)

An excellent CX helps companies retain the customers they have. When everyone on the team can access data quickly and efficiently, customers notice the seamlessness of contacting anyone in the company.

Employees can pull up the information and see what prior discussions and problem-solving sessions the client had. The customer won’t have to repeat themselves when there’s a problem. Every prior conversation and attempted solution is at customer service’s fingertips.

4. Secure Data

Cybercriminals cost businesses around $5.2 trillion every few years. Adding layers of security is a smart move if you want to avoid a data breach or worse. Cloud computing service providers tend to have the latest security software.

Because they service 1,000s of customers, they can afford to hire around-the-cloud IT professionals to monitor servers and stop any attempted distributed denial of service attacks. They also have the staff to keep antivirus and other website software up to date.

5. Save Money

Because companies only pay for the services they need and can scale up at any time, cloud computing is often cheaper for companies. Businesses gain the benefits of cloud services and also save money. There’s no need to hire security or IT for the network.

Organizations also don’t have to battle data loss or breaches or spend precious time and resources on cleanup. Cloud computing solves a lot of costly issues so brands can focus on growth.

Is Cloud Computing Right for You?

Each company must decide if the move to cloud computing is best for their bottom line. The benefits far outway the drawbacks for nearly every industry. The ability to take a brand remote alone brings a business into the twenty first century. Try a cloud computing platform to see how it works for the team. Keep it or lose it, depending on how it functions for every department.

Eleanor is the editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the director at a marketing firm prior to becoming a freelance web designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and dog, Bear.

Run Your Own Website is part of Access by Design
Accessible, Affordable Small Business Websites
Award-winning Web Design, Chichester

How to Set Up an Online Fundraiser with Limited Resources

Your organization needs money to thrive, but you don’t have a lot of money to throw at fancy fundraising campaigns, $100 a plate dinners at a fancy venue or advertising. How can you set up an online fundraiser when you have limited resources?

Nearly every nonprofit that did something amazing for the world had to start on a shoestring. You’ve likely heard of crowdfunding options and you know people will stand behind your cause if you can just present the idea to them. How do you get from the unknown to letting people hear about your passion?

What Is the Best Way to Fundraise Online?

Even though the economy continues to stutter a bit, people are still giving as we move into 2023. The Blackbaud Institute Index for charitable giving trends found organizations across all sizes saw an increase in fundraising in 2022.

Finding funds isn’t the problem as people are quite generous. Getting your message out and collecting donations are the most challenging aspects of tapping into online giving. Here are some things to keep in mind as you start your low-budget fundraising efforts.

1. Know Your Goal

Have you ever given to a GoFundMe with some measure of excitement because the person is within a few dollars of their initial goal? You cheer along with them and get a sense that your dollars make an impact. However, people are also known to suddenly shift their goal upward when they get close to hitting the initial one.

Suddenly, people wonder if the person or organization is just being greedy while people are giving. The truth may be that the individual realized how much is kept out in fees or forgot some of their crucial needs. However, the appearance of raising the limit damages the pitch a bit.

Spend time figuring out exactly how much you need to raise to hit your goal. Be specific about what the end result might be and how much it will take.

2. Pitch a Live Appeal

Live videos on social media have a way of attracting a ton of attention. It costs you nothing to go live on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram but can attract new followers, especially during peak hours. You might consider a paddle raffle, asking people to raise their paddles and agree to give and then be entered for some prize you've had donated by a local company.

3. Crank Up the Viral Aspect

Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the least expensive and most powerful ways to reach new donors. Reach out to your loyal supporters and ask them to share why they love your organization with others. If each donor told five other people and even one of them considered your cause, you’d raise more money with very little effort or cost.

You might host a small gathering to thank those who talk up your cause to others. Create posts they can share on their social media timelines. Give them an email they can send to family and friends. Make sharing as simple as possible as your time and budget allow.

4. Find a Unique Approach

People get asked for money constantly, especially during the holidays. Bell ringers stand in front of stores, organizations call on the phone and people go door to door asking for donations. If you want to grab the imagination of new donors, you have to stand out from the crowd.

Even though you didn’t start your nonprofit as a business, you have to realize that you must run it like one in some ways. Think about your competition for donor dollars and how you can offer something unique.

5. Protect Your Reputation

When you have multiple people working on your website, social media and spreading the word about your not-for-profit organization, it’s easy to send out mixed messages. It’s vital you keep an eye out for potential fraud and protect your reputation as a charity.

People aren’t likely to share their hard-earned dollars with you if they don’t feel they can trust you to be transparent and use the money how you say you will. Shut down any hint of impropriety by coming back with facts and proof.

6. Use Third-Party Platforms

You may not have the funds to set up an entire website or create new videos each week for social media. However, you can tap into the power of third-party crowdfunding sites, such as GoFundMe, Crowdfunder and Mightycause.

Which platform works best for you will depend on your target audience. Start by checking out some of the other fundraisers listed on each site and see how well it matches your own.

7. Share Stories

People want to know the money they give goes for a good cause. Share stories of past charity recipients or projects your organization completed. Storytelling is a powerful driver that can take your posts viral.

Spend time gathering photographs and details about who you helped and how.

Think Outside the Box

The best fundraisers are usually the ones you didn’t think of right off the bat. Talk to your regular donors and your staff about their thoughts on raising funds. Be open to doing something similar to what other organizations with similar causes follow. At the same time, you don’t want to copy anyone else, so give it your own twist.

With a little ingenuity and effort, you’ll create buzz about your fundraising campaigns. As your organization grows, you’ll have more resources to repeat successful online fundraisers.

Eleanor Hecks is the EIC of Designerly. She’s also a web design consultant with a focus on user experience and style guides. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and golden doodles, Bear and Lucy. Connect with her about marketing, design and/or tea on LinkedIn.

Run Your Own Website is part of Access by Design
Accessible, Affordable Small Business Websites
Award-winning Web Design, Chichester

 

Give your business the best possible start to 2023!

Ask yourself these questions

Are you frustrated with your current website?

Would you like to have a professional WordPress website instead?

Maybe you are a sole trader, a small charity or a start-up and you do not actually have a website yet but you feel that now is the time to do something about it.

We have good news for you

We have a very special offer for you, running throughout December.

We will create a website for you, using our best-selling, award-winning product, Run Your Own Website, for a very special price.

We will take care of you during the entire process, we are extremely professional and build everything to a very high standard.  

You will be going into 2023 knowing that you will have a clean, attractive website that will help your business or organisation just look great!

Getting into the details

This is what you will get:

5 pages

Unlimited Blog

5 Getty Images

12 month’s hosting

The total cost of this package is normally £1750*

During December only, this price is £997*

This offer is only valid for orders placed during December 2022. The website should be completed and launched within 20 working days of the order.

If you would like to find out more, give us a call on 01243 952087 or follow this link to email us. Give your business or organisation the best boost you could for 2023!

Here is the most important reason why you should take advantage of this offer!

There are many fine web designers who will build you a WordPress website using a free or low-cost template. You could also figure out how to do this yourself, of course.

The problem is that other WordPress templates contain coding and accessibility issues and your web designer will not be able to fix them.

This is why 96.1% of the websites active today fail basic accessibility checks.

Why is this important?

Disabled people make up 10% of the population and they have money to spend. If they cannot spend it with you because your website is not accessible to them, they will spend it with someone else who does have a website they can use.

By the way, Google is blind and Google likes websites they work for blind people!

This is why we are different, no-one else builds to the standards that we do.

Why not give us a call today on 01243 952087?

Run Your Own Website. Built by Access by Design.

Beautiful, accessible, web design, Chichester, West Sussex.

*Please note, all prices are subject to VAT

Why would you think about a new website right now?

The economy is very challenging and times are tough.

The economy is indeed very challenging and times really are tough, but that doesn't mean you should give up on your dreams. A new website can help you reach a wider audience, make more sales, and build a stronger brand. You don't have to go it alone - we can help you every step of the way. After all, to survive in business, you need people to come to you instead of your competitors and your website will usually be the first thing they will see.

Will you get what you pay for?

They are lots of great local web designers who will be able to create a nice-looking website for a reasonable fee. There are also some who will charge you an unreasonable fee! Unfortunately, there is not always a link between what you pay for a small business website and the quality of the final build itself. 

Many web designers will download a template that is either free or priced at around $59. This is the standard price you would pay for a WordPress website theme bought from ThemeForest. There is nothing wrong with this approach but one of the drawbacks is the lack of build quality. Even if you had the ability to change the code yourself and fix the errors, the license agreement would prevent you from doing this anyway.

Is there another way instead?

What if there was another way? What if there was a local agency that was a specialist in affordable web design and had been around for the last 16 years? What if that company took pride in the fact that they always used WordPress but that they had never bought a template from a 3rd party? 

Would you be interested to learn that this describes us at Access by Design? We are award-winning and our flagship product,  Run Your Own Website, is now in its 7th year! Our latest version includes fully integrated eCommerce for an affordable price and the build quality is second to none! In fact it meets the same high specification that all our bespoke websites do. It is also hosted in the UK on our dedicated platform.

We can look after everything for you!

We can take care of the entire process and after it has launched, hand it over to you to manage on a day-to-day basis. We have created 28 videos to help you along the way but we would also be very happy to look after your website for you instead. The choice is yours! 

We know times are difficult but many successful businesses started during similar times and have gone on to be extremely successful. 

Please have a look at our Live Sites and then why not call us on 01243 952087 for a chat? We would be delighted to help you.

Clive Loseby

Access by Design / Run Your Own Website

Accessible Websites, Beautifully Designed.
Outstanding Website Accessibility Audits
Award-winning web design, Chichester.

 

 

Your website is your shop window

24/7, 7 Days a week, you are on show!

Your website is the face of your business, and it needs to make a good impression. In this blog, we'll show you how to make sure your website is up to scratch and attracting customers.

A good website is important for any business, but it's especially important for small businesses. Small businesses don't have the marketing budgets of large businesses, so their website needs to work hard to attract and convert customers.

10 Top tips

Here are some tips for making sure your website is up to the task:

1. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.  (All our websites have been since 2011!)

2. Use attractive visuals (We have a licence with Getty Images)

3. Use strong calls to action (We can help you with this!)

4. Make sure your website is easy to navigate (All our websites a fully accessible for everyone)

5. Use quality content to attract and engage visitors (We have an amazing copywriter who can take care of it)

6. Make sure your website is well-designed (We have created over 300 websites!)

7. Use search engine optimization to make sure your website is visible in search results (All our websites are very Google-friendly!)

8. Promote your website on social media (You can also have all of your social media links on your website)

9. Use Google Analytics to track your website's performance (We set that up with every website we launch)

10. Regularly update your website (This is so important but we can do this for you!)

Following these tips will help you ensure that your website is working hard for your business.

This is why this is important

A website is a powerful marketing tool for any business. By creating a website, you are creating an online space for your business that can be visited by anyone, from anywhere in the world.

A website gives you the opportunity to showcase your products or services, share your company story, and build relationships with your customers.

Creating a website is just the first step – you also need to make sure your website is well-designed, easy to navigate, and full of quality content. You also need to promote your website and track its performance so that you can continually improve it.

We can help!

If all of this sounds like it is too scary to do yourself, why not let us take care of all of this for you?

Run Your Own Website is our flagship product and allows you to have a clean, attractive website built within as little as 30 days for a brilliant price. We can manage it for you or hand it over to you after it is launched, whatever you would like us to do. Why not give us a call on 01243 952087 for a chat? 

After all, sometimes you just want someone to take care of it for you, so you can crack on with running your own business!

Affordable web design, Chichester.

 

The Harbour Way have a brand new Run Your Own Website!

A long-standing and much-loved Country Club

The Harbour Way Country Club is a family-run gym and health club located between Itchenor and West Wittering, a few miles south of Chichester.  It boasts an impressive array of the latest in gym equipment, two heated swimming pools, fitness and wellbeing studios and a comprehensive range of classes to suit people of all abilities and all ages.

It is very well-known locally, as it has been around for over 50 years and the current owners have been undertaking a major refurbishment which is already looking extremely engaging. Their previous website, which was inherited, did not adequately do justice to the Club and the owners were looking for a new website that could be built quickly, whilst also accurately reflecting their aspirations.

The ideal solution for their needs

Run Your Own Website, our flagship and biggest selling product was an ideal solution. Since it was first launched 6 years ago, it has gone through a major upgrade and is now on Version 2. The range of options, from a simple brochure website to one with integrated e-commerce, ensure that it meets the needs of so many of our clients. We have been building high-quality websites that are fully accessible for everyone, regardless of their ability or disability, for over 15 years now and we strongly believe that Run Your Own Website encompasses the best of what we do for an affordable price.

The Harbour Way’s website is one that we believe reflects the best in contemporary website design, with a use of strong imagery, a wealth of information about all the classes on offer and an interactive timetable that allows visitors to see the full range of classes on offer or just the times/days of a particular class they may be interested in.

*** UPDATE ***

Soon after we launched the website, the Harbour Way has begun an extensive renovation of their facility and will be closed for some months. They have asked us to take the website offline and replace it with a holding page whilst the renovation is carried out.

Why not give us a call?

If you would like to talk to us about a website for your business that can be built in as little as 30 days, why not give us a call on 01243 776399? Run Your Own Website gives unparalleled bespoke build quality for an off the shelf price.

Access by Design and Run Your Own Website. Beautiful, Accessible, Web Design, Chichester.

 

 

Our first Run Your Own Website client has a fantastic upgrade!

An online shop with a difference!

Bob Froud has been making beautiful, bespoke pine furniture for a long time, 40 years in fact. When we met him, 6 years ago, he had a website that was a source of constant frustration to him. This was because he could not update the content himself and had to ask the web designer to do it for him every time.

Fantastic results with Version 1!

We had been developing Run Your Own Website for a few months. It was a lower-cost version of our bespoke websites that retain both the same outstanding, award-winning build quality but for a much lower price. Our fantastic copywriter, Sam, is a genius at writing Google-Friendly copy and rewrote Bob’s content. Within a few days of launching, his website was top of Google for the following keyphrases:

“pine furniture Chichester”

“pine furniture Hampshire”

“pine furniture West Sussex”

Bob always took photos of his work and he was thrilled that he was able to upload them himself and that is exactly what he did for the next 6 years.

How to incorporate bespoke design into an e-commerce store

Although every one of Bob’s pieces is a bespoke creation, they do fall within a set of standard products (bookcase, dresser, coffee table etc..) and he was very interested in the idea of an upgrade to Version 2 with an online ordering facility.

We have several live e-commerce Run Your Own Websites live now but, of course, they all link to payment gateways in the conventional way. Bob really liked the idea of customers being able to use the shop to place enquiries which he could then follow up to make sure he could get the exact requirements. It was certainly very helpful for him to have his customers' details stored in the website but he wanted to make it clear that the website was for enquiries, not orders.

We achieved this by changing all the buttons on the products from the conventional “Buy Now” to “Place Product Enquiry”, so that it was clear to Bob’s customers that any specific request could be accommodated. This way, Bob could have all the benefits of an e-commerce site (displaying each product to a greater extent and allowing customers to see the variations) whilst still providing his bespoke service.

The difference is clear!

The most noticeable change is the immediate visual impact this website has, compared to his Version 1 Run Your Own Website. The slideshow banner is much larger and the photos of his workshop look much more professional whilst still reflecting Bob’s individual craftsmanship.

All his photos have their backgrounds removed, so they look clean and professional. His products are grouped as they were on his Version 1 website, according to the room they may be used in (lounge, hallway, kitchen etc..) but you can freely browse all of Bob’s furniture by their type as well.

Most of the products have variations, such as their size or their finish, so that his customers are able to put together an order but it is clear to all of them that Bob is still able to fulfil their exact requirements.

We are absolutely delighted that Bob’s new website is now live and we hope it will bring him even more business! Please check it out for yourself by following this link: https://www.rfroudpinefurniture.co.uk/

Could this work for you?

If you like the idea of selling online but wonder whether it would be possible for you, perhaps because of the bespoke nature of your products, why not give us a call on 01243 952087 to see if this could work for you?

Run Your Own Website. Beautiful, Affordable, Accessible Web Design, Chichester, West Sussex.

 

               

Where should I store my videos?

Should I be storing videos directly on my website?

We would never recommend using your own website to host videos. Videos can be very large in size, especially if they have been shot in 4K, which smartphones can do these days. It does not make sense to use up a large portion of your server space with videos unless there is a very good reason, such as needing to have protected content that must be stored on a private secure server. Therefore, making use of one of the two main video hosting platforms currently on the Internet makes a lot of sense.

YouTube

There are two main video hosting platforms in use: YouTube (which is owned by Google) and Vimeo. YouTube is free and has unlimited storage, effective auto-transcription and very easy to manage. If your videos become popular you can also monetise your content by earning revenue after you have reached a certain number of subscribers to your content. The drawback is that YouTube is, understandably, saturated with advertising, as that is how Google earns that vast majority of its income. There is nothing wrong with this, Google gives a lot of things away for free, so you would expect to see a lot of sponsored adverts in return for all this free stuff.

Vimeo

Vimeo, on the other hand, is a subscriber-based platform that does not carry any advertising. There is a free version that allows you to test it out but if you want to use it for your business, you will have to pay for it, to make use of all the available features. It does also have captioning facilities as well, like YouTube but the option to transcribe videos automatically is only available to Enterprise members, although they state that this will be available to all subscribers in the future.

Pros and Cons

All video content on either platform can be shown on your website (the technical term is "embedding"), rather than you having to link to the platform. This has the huge advantage of keeping your visitor on your website all the time. YouTube may well show another video, or certainly at least "suggest" one when your video has finished and, you cannot easily control which video it may show next. Vimeo will not do this. However the exposure of your video to other viewers is also much more reduced.

If you want total control over every aspect of playback of your videos and what happens when they have finished played, we suggest you use Vimeo. Otherwise, we would recommend that you use YouTube because of the extras exposure your content may get and naturally Google will favour content on its own platform anyway.

Just do it!

One of the things you will notice on most video channels is that the quality of the videos improve over time, you would expect that, however it does underline the point that, sometimes, you just need to get on and start making them and uploading them. Making and editing your own videos can be very time-consuming but there are an almost unlimited amount of guides on how to do this available on the web, so just give it a go!

All Run Your Own Websites that are Option 3 or greater come with video embedding on each page or post as standard. If you would like find out more, why not call us on 01243 952087 today?

Run Your Own Website

Beautiful, accessible, web design, Chichester, West Sussex