Journal » Attitude Design

New Attitude Design website (v6)!

Attitude Design — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:50:43 +0000

The old one was going stale like that pot in the fridge you have been meaning to clear out for a while. The new one is fresh and tasty with a new revamped home page, journal/blog and portfolio layout. Ladies and gents welcome to the 6th version of the Attitude Design website!

The concept

What’s the concept behind the flowery paper and picture frames? We believe our team is like a family at Attitude Design and so our website and brand style reflects a large stately family home which we invite you to come into, sit down, have a chat and relax. Friendly, good quality service is what we are all about. We treat our clients like family friends and their work like pieces of art.

Get some attitude

If you want some of this quality service and design please don’t hesitate to arrange some time on our sofa to talk about your company and how we might be able to help you. Click here to contact us »

Attitude Design produce Actons Solicitors website

Attitude Design — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:53:04 +0000

We’ve recently designed a fresh brand and website for Actons Injury Solicitors. The brand image was to be friendly yet professional. The design was not to look “stuffy” or “traditional” but to appeal to a web savvy audience.

We worked with the Actons team to achieve this by firstly creating a new brand identity which used a mixture of a slick, professional font and a more loose hand written one. The two balanced each other out, giving the persona the brief required. We also chose two main brand colours – again one was quite bright (orange) and friendly whilst the other more reserved (dark mauve).

This brand identity led to the design of the web site which built upon the same principles – mixing a professional slick feel with friendly bubbly design elements. We ensured that key messages were clear and that there were plenty of calls to action which were strategically laid out to maximize the site’s effectiveness.

We also produced a very functional content management system for the site which empowers the Actons team to create flexible landing pages for the website. We used the open source platform Drupal which allows alot of flexibility in building the website’s functionality.

The website also contains an interactive Flash feature we nicknamed “Mr Actons” which can be seen on the injury claim information page. Users can select areas of a figure which displays useful information about what could be claimed for if that area was injured.

The site also integrates with social media platforms – automatically notifying them of any new blog posts which are entered by the Actons team into the website and thereby saving time. We ensured the branding is reflected across those social media sites.

This is what Actons had to say:

“We have been very impressed with Attitude Design from the outset. They, have always been extremely pro-active and exceeded our expectations with the, design process, their flexibility and their willingness to help at every, stage. The finished website was delivered on time and had more impressive, features than we could have ever imagined. We have received some fantastic, feedback since the site was launched and would not hesitate to recommend or, use them again. Thank you.” Victoria Morrell / Project Manager

So, another happy client and another site to add to the portfolio! Feel free to browse any of the other website projects we’ve completed in our website portfolio »

Attitude Launch iBenefits iPhone App

Attitude Design — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:07:00 +0000

Our very first iPhone App is now available for download through Apple iTunes. We developed the App for one of our existing clients Income Max, having already worked with them on their brand image, messaging and website design. iBenefits is ground breaking, being the UK’s first ever benefits and tax credits iPhone app.

The brief was simple. Create an easy to use iPhone App which gives information about the UK tax credits. iBenefits is an easy to use information hub, bringing the benefits and tax credits system to your fingertips in an instant.

Features:

Comprehensive list of benefits and tax credits available to people in Great Britain
Key entitlement information for each benefit and tax credit
Essential claiming contact details and websites
2010/2011 benefits and tax credits rates

iBenefits is available in the iTunes store for just 59p. Read more about the App here »

Lee Healey, Managing Director of Income Max said “Attitude have done a top job, I’m thrilled… We can’t believe the App! We love everything about it from the fantastic branding to the amazing functionality”

Summer Sparkles from Attitude

Attitude Design — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:55:07 +0000

It’s that time again when we give you a taster of some of our recent work. We have been privileged to work on some very cool projects these last few months and were quite impatient to show you all!

Netforte

IT support and consultancy firm Netforte required a fresh brand for their company. A professional and distinctive brand was developed including a ‘mark’ which can be used by itself. We also designed business cards and leaflets for Netforte.

MIA – Made in Asia

MIA – Made in Asia sells products created by local craftspeople in Asia. Having already designed several items for the company (including packaging and the logo) we were asked to design a professional stationery set, including letterhead, business card and envelope.

We were also very excited to be commissioned with the MIA e-commerce website. A clean and professional design was developed which incorporates a creative look to compliment the special products available. The website takes payment via PayPal and a delivery fee system is included which calculates the delivery fee based upon location and weight. Order confirmations are automatically emailed to the customer and to the MIA admin.

SIFE Nottingham

The Nottingham SIFE team required the design of a report to display results and information about their recent work. The report had to display alot of information in a clear and easy to read format. Here we have shown the front and back cover of the report and the inner spread. We also designed a series of icons to represent different criteria and these are also shown below.

Impossible Bottle

A creative and ingenious company which inserts impossibly large items inside bottles. A brand and website design was required and we developed a professional yet eye catching design which conveys the ideas of mysteries and secrets. This website also has simple e-commerce functionality.

Sanco Technology

Sanco specialize in drying technology and required a creative and eye catching brand design for the company. A professional logo was developed making use of special effects to create a strong, memorable design.

iWeekend

Having previously designed the tourism site ‘Ireland Weekends‘, Attitude Design was approached to develop a re-design of the site. A fresh, creative design was developed which invites the user into the site with friendly ‘polaroid’ style photos and an interactive calendar.

Bible Learning Centre

Having already designed the logo and other promotional items for the Bible Learning Centre in Nottingham we were asked to design some business cards. A clean simple design was produced which is consistent with the Centre’s brand.

Better Languages

Translation company Better Languages approached us to design a business stationery set. A clean, professional design was adopted making use of a watermark to create consistency throughout the set.

Is your business in need of a fresh look? Contact us today for a free quote for all your brand, print and web design requirements.

Special Offer – Mobile Websites – save £200

Attitude Design — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:39:50 +0000

Put Your Website On A Handheld Device

Go on! Try it! How does it look? Does it become easy to use and navigate around? Is the information a mobile user needs, such as a telephone number, easy to find and use? If not why not take advantage of this amazing special promotion we are currently offering and get your website mobile! For only £400 +VAT we will develop a bespoke version of your website specifically for a mobile device! Hurry – offer will end June 30th!

Previously this service cost £600 so it’s a massive £200 saving…

Place your order now »

An Example

We recently worked with Better Languages to produce a cutdown version of their website for mobile devices. Try it on your mobile: http://www.betterlanguages.mobi – see what we mean? It fits the screen, the calls to action are relevant to mobile devices (e.g. call now will actually ring the number if the device allows this functionality), it’s clear and easy to read with all the contact details readily available. It was displayed recently at The Internet Conference as an example of cutting edge technology.

What did Better Languages think of our work?:

“As part of our ongoing development strategy we felt it was important to set up a .mobi version of our site, initially this is a single page including a news feed and contact details. We were, as usual, extremely pleased with Attitude’s work on this site, and are very happy with the result. We will be looking to add different language versions of the .mobi in the future, and are confident it will improve the user experience of our site.” Mike Hunter, CEO, betterlanguages.com Ltd.

This is what we are offering – but for your website and your brand!Be one of the first in your industry and lead the way in the mobile revolution that is sweeping the world!

There are also two more blog posts about the Better Languages mobile website here » and here » – just in case you are interested.

Why It Makes Sense

A Smartphone is a phone with advanced features such as email and internet. In 2009 the number of people in Britain using Smartphones came to almost 6.2 million and over one fifth of people in the UK with a mobile phone were using it to browse the web. With the choice, quality and availability of Smartphones increasing, this number is only going to get bigger.

In this busy world that we live in where people are always ‘on the go’ no modern business should be without a website which is in a mobile friendly format. Wherever members of your target audience are – whether it’s on the train or waiting for a bus, they should have access to your website in a tailored version to suit their handheld device.

Benefits

Better brand perception
Gets you ahead of your competition
Connects in an effective way with more of your audience
Is useful to your audience
Helps your SEO

How It Works

We put a script onto your website so that if someone visits it from a mobile device the site will appear in a format that is optimized for this. The design will generally be simpler than your main site (to reflect the small screen it is being viewed on) and will include your main message, what your services are, contact details and a contact form.

If someone is viewing the site from a mobile phone that isn’t a Smartphone then that isn’t a problem either – they will simply see the site as text only.

What We Can Offer You

Attitude Design currently has a great offer on its mobile friendly website designs and we’d love you to get in touch!

For £400+VAT we will deliver:

x1 initial “flat” (uncoded) design of a single page .mobi website for hand held devices based upon your current website design
The design will include:
- Header bar with your logo on it
- Main message and call to action
- A few paragraphs of text about your business
- Contact details with a link to Google maps
- A link back to your main website.
x1 set of amendments if neccessary
Coding in HTML and CSS and implementation
Add Google Analytics so you can measure your visitor levels

Place your order now »

Please note purchase of .mobi domain name and hosting might be additional. We will attempt to host the .mobi site on your current server but will be happy to discuss this with you.

Keeping Up To Date

As new Smartphones enter the market it is also important to keep your mobile friendly site up to date so that people can view it from the newest models. We can offer ongoing maintenance to ensure that however new someone’s Smartphone is – they can still see your .mobi website.

Maintenance: from £30 + VAT per year

Other Services

We do of course offer more than just mobile websites – we provide great, functional design across both print and web.

If you need a brand makeover we can also offer logo design, stationery design, website design and much more - let us know. Special package prices are available – please ask for details.

We look forward to working with you!

The Internet Conference 2010

Attitude Design — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:32:05 +0000

The brand identity we designed for the prestigious conference

We have recently been involved in exhibiting and sponsoring The Internet Conference. Held in Nottingham at the East Midlands Conference Centre and hosted by Hallam Communications – our expectations were high!

The Event was held at The East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham

We knew it would be brilliant as soon as Susan Hallam walked down through the audience towards the stage to a Black Eyed Pea’s thumper. Giving us a brief welcome she introduced Charles Arthur, the Technology Editor from the Guardian. He talked about how to assess change on the internet and talked about many of the new technologies and trends happening right now. Amongst the bunch was HTML 5 and the importance of websites which work on mobile devices. Susan then took over in her usual charismatic style, with an introduction to the new features of Google. Tips about Google Snippets and Google Places featured heavily.

The rest of the day followed with high quality speakers, intermingled with coffee breaks and lunch.

Natasha Barnett teamed up with Susan in their “Web Inspector” session. They pulled up delegates websites and critiqued them – pointing out, and allowing the audience to point out, where websites could be improved. Some comments were harsh – but fair. One of our clients, Mike from Better Languages had his site put up. We held our breath – our reputations at stake!

Natasha Barnett, Head of Web Marketing at Capital One, shows our Better Languages website as an example of good web-design.

Phew – the gurus loved it! Commenting on the clear and easy navigation, the good SEO, clear messaging and simple calls to action. Later they also demoed the betterlanguages.mobi site. A site we had designed to ensure that it could easily be read on a hand held device. Again, positive comments – we must be doing something right!

Kelly Herrick of Abacus Lighting was excellent in her introduction to Twitter for business – as well as Richard Flewitt who gave a brilliant talk about the power of video. He mentioned that YouTube was the second largest search engine – a fact which raised a few eyebrows…

Later Dr Mike Baxter talked about users’ psychological processes when they come to purchase online. Brilliant, logical and in-depth – he really educated the audience.

Dr. Mike Baxter in full swing

There were of course many other speakers (see the program here) although we have only reported on the ones we were able to listen to. Speaking to other delegates they all reported that the event was worthwhile and that they had learnt lots of practical things which will help boost their online marketing.

Some of the materials we produced for the event...

It was an honour to be associated and involved in the event. We supplied the brand identity and many promotional materials for the event – including the website.

Paul Allen, our marketing strategist at our stand

The message of our stand "your brand is priceless"

We were also exhibiting at the event and met many brilliant people. It was great to be able to discuss our passion about what we do. If you were there and didn’t get a chance to speak with us – be sure to drop us a line or follow us on Twitter.

So – was it worth being involved in? Definitely. Would we go again? Absolutely! It was a positive educational time – let’s hope Hallam Communications host another one soon!

NewsFlash: The Internet Conference 14 May

Attitude Design — Fri, 07 May 2010 10:21:40 +0000

Just a reminder that The Internet Conference is only 1 week away!

Featuring hand picked leading internet marketing experts and hosted by Hallam Communications at the East Midlands Conference Centre, it’s going to be a an event to remember! The speakers and topics are:

Keynote Speaker: Charles Arthur: The Guardian’s Technology Editor
Susan Hallam: What’s New With Google
Dr Dave Chaffey: Improve your Business Perfomance with Google Analytics
Dr Mike Baxter: Improving your Ecommerce User Experience
Kelly Herrick: Finding Your Business Voice on Twitter
Richard Flewitt: Engage and Inspire with YouTube Videos
Ian Lockwood: Essentials of Search Engine Optimisation
Mark Shaw: Essentials of Digital Copywriting

So – book now for a boost in ideas to further your business. http://www.theinternetconference.co.uk/

When you are there pop by and see us at our exhibition stand. We’d be happy to chat to you about maximizing your brands potential and helping you to make a reality of some of the techniques and concepts you hear from the talks…

We look forward to seeing you.

Attitude Design – Sponsors of The Internet Conference

Attitude Design — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:46:29 +0000

Attitude Design are very pleased to be a design sponsor of The Internet Conference. This event – to be held on 14th May 2010 at the East Midlands Conference Centre – is a great opportunity to learn online marketing techniques from industry leaders and experts. Attitude Design were approached to design the website and brand for the Conference and we are very excited to be associated with this dynamic and informative event. All in all we will have supplied the following design materials for the event showing our multi-disciplined design expertise:

Brand identity
Website
Banner adverts
Programme
Signage

Pop down and see us!

If you are interested in internet marketing why not book onto the Conference..? While you’re there, we’d love you to come and see us at our exhibition stand to meet some of our team, see examples of our work and discuss any potential projects you may have. We will also be demonstrating .mobi websites i.e. a mini version of a main site which has been designed specifically so it can be viewed easily on a hand held device like an iPhone. We will have exclusive offers available on the day to make your visit worth while!

Look forward to seeing you there…

Latest Designs Springing Up from Attitude

Attitude Design — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:08:42 +0000

Spring is in the air and as usual the Attitude Design team has been busy working away at some fresh looking designs. Here, we share with you some of the recent designs that have sprouted from our studio.

IT Web Masters

IT Web Masters – a web development company – required a strong logo and website design which reflected professionalism and good quality. A simple but effective logo was produced together with an attractive design for the IT Web Masters website.

Sonneveld

Sonneveld are a manufacturer of bread improvers which are supplied to bakeries to enable them to produce better quality and more consistent products. They required a design for an exhibition stand, together with a series of 3 leaflets. An eye catching stand design was produced – and the concept of ‘Sonneveld: For Softness, For Accuracy, For Consistency,’ was also created. Designs for the series of leaflets were also produced to compliment the exhibit stand and the text and information was displayed in an approachable way.

MIA – Made in Asia

Having worked with MIA – Made in Asia on some illustration designs and packaging designs, we were approached again to create a series of icons to categorise products which will be sold on the MIA e-commerce website (a project Attitude Design is also working on currently – watch this space!) 5 sketchy black and white icons were produced in a style to compliment the Asian theme of MIA’s products.

Bible Learning Centre

Religious group The Christadelphians approached Attitude Design to brand a Bible Learning Centre which has recently opened in the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre in Nottingham. A logo was developed which depicts the ideas of Biblical learning, study and searching together with complimentary items for the Centre such as bookmarks and carrier bags. A mini website was also produced which provides further information about the Centre. Attitude Design was also asked to design artwork for the Centre itself – including the front sign and artwork for inside the Centre.

The Internet Conference

The Internet Conference is an informative event to be hosted in Nottingham by Hallam Communications. It will provide a series of presentations by various experts who will share their knowledge of online marketing and associated topics. A logo and website were required and Attitude Design developed a professional yet approachable brand for the event together with a fresh looking website design.

Bootless Bay Golf Club

Luxury golf club Bootless Bay, Papua New Guinea, required a logo design which conveyed the ideas of quality and exclusivity. A professional and attractive brand design was produced. The Executive Director of the golf club was extremely pleased with the outcome and had this to say: “We wanted a standout logo. Attitude Design delivered to perfection. On time, with minimum fuss, optimum communication and maximum results. All via email from the other side of the world.”

betterlanguages.com

Translation service provider betterlanguages.com required a .mobi version of their current website (which was also designed by Attitude Design). A smaller version of the site was created which is aimed at people viewing the site from a hand held device (such as an iPhone).

Clefbits

Clefbits is a company which creates music for video games. They wanted to move away from their old logo and needed a fresh, modern and professional brand design. A logo and business card design was produced which incorporates both elements of ‘music’ and ‘game’ in the design.

Does your business need a fresh look for Spring? Contact us today for a competitive quote on all your design requirements.

Give Direction to Your Business

Attitude Design — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:39:42 +0000

Clients often want to ‘come in’ and meet their designers – even if it’s just for an initial chat. They want to see our premises and get a feel for the type of company we are and we always enjoy having a coffee and meeting new people.

Most businesses will have a contact page – with address details, but have you got a map showing your location which is designed to be in keeping with your overall brand? Google maps is fairly good – however it is not easy to see at first glance where useful locations such as transport links are, and in addition Google maps are not consistent with your brand.

Attitude Design can create a street map – showing your location – with a zoom in of your office and highlighting key locations in the area such as bus stations and car parking. The map will be designed in line with your company brand – helping to increase consistency on your site.

A couple of our map design examples can be found below:

The death of Herbert in the corner

Attitude Design — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:57:43 +0000

Many will be sad to hear that our studio plant – tenderly known as “Herbert” – has sadly passed away. He will be dearly missed. Known to have been a bushy “Heteropanax” from Asia he now is little more than a twig in a pot.

The plant detectives think that the cause of his death is lack of water over the Christmas break and then maybe an over watering upon our return. The investigation is ongoing…

Job Vacancy

We are currently seeking a dedicated plant to sit in the corner. Applicants will need at least 2 days previous experience and look good. Wage: water (occasionally).

Work Published In Computer Arts

Happy New Year 2010!

Attitude Design — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:54:28 +0000

All of us here at Attitude Design wish you a very happy new year for 2010.

To start the new year with a bang – why not download our FREE desktop wallpaper. Select a size from the list below (right-click and “save to desktop”):

We’ll be hear to help you with any design challenges which may come your way throughout the year and are always happy to hear about any new projects which we can quote on. If you do have any projects you might like us to look at – be quick – it’s looking very busy already!

Happy Holidays!

Attitude Design — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:16:35 +0000

Seasons Greetings

The team at Attitude Design would like to wish all our clients, suppliers, and site readers a happy holiday and a super new year. We are now closed until Monday 4th January 2010 to spend time with our families, eat too much and have a well earned break!

A quick look back at 2009

As you may already know, one of the big events (for us) in 2009, was our new move to the Lace Market in the heart of Nottingham. The move went very well and we already feel at home in our new studio. Please update your records with our new details (found here). In particular our new telephone number: 0845 0700 820 (or for those who want the standard line it’s: 0115 933 8301).

Roll on 2010

If you do have any projects that you’d like to book in for the new year, please feel free to contact us – although hurry up as we are already looking quite busy in January!

Have a great holiday and a super new year!

With lots of creative sparkles and fun from,

The Attitude Design Team

Winter Wonders from Attitude

Attitude Design — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:14:27 +0000

Attitude Design has had a busy end to the year – with their creative flair sprinkled in generous helpings across a variety of projects. Here we take a look at designs worked on towards the end of 2009:

Vienna

Software testing company NMQA required a fresh brand for one of their products. The brand was to appeal to the corporate market but have a creative edge. A fresh and striking design was developed with an easy to recognize ‘mark’.

MIA – Made in Asia

MIA – Made in Asia approached us to develop packaging designs for a range of soap products. A natural looking illustration design style was produced which compliments the soaps.

Artsbowl

Artsbowl provides a wealth of information on all things creative – in particular it provides details of creative courses in a variety of locations. A brand image was required and also the design for their website. A clean, fresh and of course creative brand image was produced together with a consistent design for the site. Web development company Underdesign then coded the website using the design developed by Attitude Design.

Sife NTU

Attitude Design worked with Stamp Marketing to produce an A5 leaflet and design for a pop-up stand. The design had to appeal to students and be in keeping with the Sife brand. A fresh, modern design was produced which is both eye catching and dynamic in its appearance.

DABD

An email news template was required by DABD – a charity which supports and assists disabled people. A professional design was developed with clear sections for each article to make it approachable and friendly to the reader. The template is designed so that DABD can edit it for future eNews editions.

Better Languages

Translation company Better Languages required a fresh design for their website. The modern and professional design incorporated the use of well known buildings from across the world to reflect the global services provided by Better Languages.

NMQA

After commissioning Attitude Design on the logo design for product Vienna, NMQA approached us to refresh their own brand. This was to be strictly focused on the corporate sector, and to appeal to large companies. A text based logo was developed which denotes a professional, reliable company image.

Advance Education Ltd.

Education provider Advance required Attitude Design to work on a new website design. A clean, simple design was developed which will appeal to the education sector and gives a friendly, professional persona.

EMDA

Attitude Design worked with Nellie PR to produce the Winter edition of EMDA News. This issue contains the Annual Report and some fresh design styles were introduced to display information in an interesting and approachable way.

Stamp Marketing

Attitude Design was approached by marketing company Stamp Marketing to design their logo. An image of a wax seal was incorporated into the modern design which gives the impression of professionalism and dependability.

Best Coder

Logo design for a freelance coder – the design needed to have a ‘technical’ appearance. A creative brand image was developed which reflects high quality service.

500

A Christmas themed email template was required by communications company 500. An attractive and appealing illustration was developed – using the 500 mascot ‘Agent 500′ (a concept also designed and developed by Attitude Design).

10 Design & Marketing Ideas for Your Business

Attitude Design — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:25:32 +0000

Stuck trying to think of new ideas for marketing your business over the next few months? Why not read through the ideas below and let us know if we can help you with any future projects. Feel free to add any you can think of via the comment field at the end…

1 // Produce a focused mini-website

Create a “mini site” for a special product or service your business is offering. This mini site should be focused – and where possible “fun”. Maybe use a flash animation or game to gather some interest and communicate in simple terms what the product is about. The benefits of a dedicated website for a specific product is that visitors get a target message. Be sure to link back to your main corporate website for users who wish to see more of your products. For examples of some mini-sites we have done see: iWeekend » Bonded Broadband »

2 // Produce an effective brochure

For many years businesses have been producing take away brochures for potential clients. Such a brochure should say all the right things about your business. It should look professional and be printed on good paper stock. It should be something your sales team is proud to leave behind and allow clients to flick through. It should be a “gift” to potential clients. You could also have it produced as a PDF for the web and allow visitors to your website to download it.

3 // Send out email newsletters

Add functionality to your website to allow users to add their email address to your mailing list. If this is set up to add the email addresses to a database you could also set up a admin area to enable you to send out emails to all the users who have signed up automatically. To take it a stage further get the emails to be designed specifically for your business in your brand style – this will ensure brand recognition. Be sure to allow users to unsubscribe if they do not want to receive further emails.

4 // Join in with Social Media

If your business is not connecting with people on Twitter or Facebook then they are missing out on a trick. Connecting on these platforms is useful because they are visited on a daily basis by users who might not visit your site at the same routine – thus you are getting more opportunities in reminding your client base about your business. If you have a blog why not set it up so that when you post a new article it automatically posts it on Twitter and Facebook – this will save your team time as they then won’t have to update each platform.

5 // Fresh logo design

A business needs to be recognizable. reconization Building a brand image is everything and allowing your clients and potential clients to recognize your business is essential for repeat and business. Acquiring a reputation is essential. Does your logo do this? Is it being used consistently? Does it need a refresh? A logo should be the emblem, the banner, that everything else sits behind. If you have products they also might benefit from having a logo design which sits underneath your main brand identity. This will bring them specific – this is especially useful if your products span different industries and target audiences as you can tailor the look and feel for each respectively.

6 // Bespoke christmas cards

With that time nearly upon us again it may be an idea to think about your company christmas cards. Why not commission a design agency to produce a Christmas card that says all the right things in an effective way. A bespoke Christmas card that stands out may ensure that customers see your business in anew light. How about taking your christmas card and making it more effective by running a promotion with it – something like: “To say thanks for working with us this year we offer 10% off of your next order”

7 // Consistent stationery design

Ensuring all of your stationery is consistent is good for recognition. For large businesses this can act as an extension of campaigns that are running and for small businesses it can acts as a campaign in its own right. Do your business cards and letter heads look like the come from the same company?

8 // Advertise effectively

Many small businesses don’t advertise because they don’t make the budget to do so. When they try it they only do it half heartedly and are not focused or targeted and when it doesn’t work they are normally put off by the whole idea. Try thinking about industries which use your services or products and advertise in their industry news magazines – or find out what your customers are reading and place adverts in those magazines. Ensure the advert is well designed with a clear message and call to action so that you can measure how well a campaign is doing.

9 // Let your vehicle signage work for you

Ensure your vehicle signage is effective. Your lorries and delivery vans should at least have your logo on them. You could look at making them effective adverts by adding well designed images and messages to them. A clear simple message that can be taken in in 3 seconds is ideal. Be sure to have an easy to remember call to action – a simple phone number or web address so that people who see them can write it down or memorize it quickly.

10 // Provide an incentive for people to refer you

Set up a referral marketing campaign. Offer a percentage of the first sale to anybody who recommends your business to someone. This inspires them to work as your agents without you having to do any further work! Advertise this within your brochures or on your website. Maybe even produce a leaflet for your sales team to give away on visits to potential clients.