by Gemma McClay
13. February 2012 11:54
TheWeb Bureau, Belfast are currently hiring:
Business Development Executive
Full info here:
http://www.thewebbureau.com/who_we_are/careers.aspx
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by Lea Glover
31. January 2012 10:26
Over the past month, stats have been published revealing the success of ecommerce in 2011. The latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sale Index reveal a total of £68bn was spent online in 2011 which resulted in the Index increasing by 16%!
Christmas 2011 in particular proved to be a lucrative time for online retailers as a number of people chose to shop online from the comfort of their home. Boxing Day 2011 broke all online retail records with 96 million UK internet visits to retail websites according to online data experts Experian Hitwise and now holds the title for was the biggest online shopping day ever witnessed with over 13 million shopping hours accumulated in the UK.
Online retailers have also revealed impressive figures for Christmas 2011. Waitrose online sales were up 49% while the John Lewis website witnessed a 27.9% sales increase in the five week period to Christmas. And according to UK retailer Next, a strong performance online compensated for ‘slightly disappointing’ sales in store which declined by 2.7%. This begs the question, do people prefer to shop online rather than face crowded high street shops at Christmas time?
With a strong finish to year for online sales, this is a round-up of ecommerce in 2011:
- Boxing Day 2011 was the biggest ever day for online retail in the UK, according to Experian Hitwise
- Britons spent 13m hours online shopping on Boxing Day
- Gadgets were the most searched for products on Boxing Day principally Kindle and iPad2
- IMRG Capgemini reveal £7.9bn spent online during December: a record index score with 16.5% year-on-year growth
- £68bn spent online in 2011; 16% increase on previous year
- Growth despite a year-on-year slowdown in clothing sector – sales up 12% compared with 40.5% in December 2010
- Forecast for 2012: 13% growth and approximately £77bn in total e-retail sales
The internet continues to attain more and more users each passing year and online retail is growing faster than any other retail sector in the UK. With predictions of a further 13% growth in 2012 and a total e-retail sales estimated to be worth £77bn by the year end, expect this trend to continue.
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Tags: e-commerce northern ireland, ecommerce websites, affordable website design, ecommerce development, ecommerce web site design, ecommerce web developers, e commerce design, best ecommerce, best ecommerce sites, ecommerce seo, ecmmerce ireland, online ecommerce, bespoke ecommerce, ecommerce Belfast, online sales
by denise
10. January 2012 10:03
If your business could make a New Year’s resolution – what would it be?
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How about a new look for 2012?
If you can’t remember the last time the words ‘website’ and ‘update’ were mentioned in the same sentence in your office, chances are a website makeover is long overdue.
A new year's resolution to develop your online marketing with a new and user friendly web design or ecommerce website could make 2012 a successful year for your business!
But where do you start?
Paul Haslam, Creative Director at The Web Bureau in Belfast has simplified the process into the following 5 easy steps:
1. Say what you do
Websites must reflect the company accurately in order to attract the correct audiences. Your website is your ‘online face’ and the first place many prospective customers will visit to find out if you offer what they need. If it’s not on the site they probably they won’t stay. If products and services offered by the company do change regularly, it is important to communicate this on the site. Broadening the appeal of the company can only be a good thing.
2. The sales path
A journey through a website should be easy for users. Whether the end goal is a purchase or simply a sign up for a newsletter, you should make the process as straightforward as possible. Looking through your website analytics will allow you to see how many visitors to your website actually completed any of your set goals. Converting ‘visitors’ to customers should be the ultimate goal of the site; if it isn’t, you’re missing opportunities. User journeys should be regularly tracked. If the conversion rates are continually poor, you may need to reconsider the user journey.
3. Needle in a haystack
If users can’t easily find the page they need, they’ll leave the site. By keeping the layout simple and using clear, specific headings on pages and subpages, users will be able to see immediately where they want to go. Analytics will allow you to see how long people are staying on your site or how many pages they access before they leave your site. But it won’t tell you why they have left, so you may want to consider implementing a site survey as users exit the site.
4. Be the boss
Having the ability to manage the site yourself is a huge advantage. Content Management Systems allow you to easily update content without going through your web developer. Regularly updating product lists, stock quantities, promotional offers and news items may just set you apart from your competition!
5. All singing, all dancing
Perhaps you want the option of doing more on your site. Additional features such as blogs, quizzes and videos may not be supported by your current system but can easily be incorporated into a new system. This is also the type of content that will encourage users to return. If you do decide to set the ‘online facelift’ wheels in motion, it is important to keep in mind the key purpose of the site. By making a brief checklist of objectives and working closely with your web developer throughout the process you can ensure you get a website fit for 2012.
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