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How websites have evolved

From the days of the humble brochure site, websites have progressed enormously. The tremendous boom in Internet usage over the last 10 years means companies can no longer ignore the importance of good web design and usability.

From the days of the humble brochure site, websites have progressed enormously. The tremendous boom in Internet usage over the last 10 years means companies can no longer ignore the importance of good web design and usability.

In 2002, there were 11 million regular web users in the UK, but this figure has grown to 52.7 million Internet users today – almost five times as many. With more and more people accessing the Internet from mobile devices and the increasing popularity of social media sites, Internet usage in the UK is certain to continue on the upward trend.

In today’s digitally savvy and social environment, a company website must not only look good and be easy to navigate, it must engage its audience and most importantly, it must out do the competition.

Website progression – a case study

A great example of website progression and how far we’ve come in web design and development is our client David Bailey Furniture Systems – a leading manufacturer of fitted furniture for hospitals and schools.

From the initial website design 10 years ago, the site has been through two major stages of development taking it from a basic brochure site to a fully optimised and interactive website model (see main blog image) – and one we are very proud of. The latest phase of development saw website visits increase by 32% and web enquiries increase by 50%.

How did we achieve this? Read on to find out.

Attractive web design

Giving the site a fresh new look with colour coded sections and large product images has made the site much more visually appealing. In the last stage of development, we added rotating images on the homepage – keeping visitors entertained and encouraging them to spend longer on the site.

Calls to action

Although it might sound obvious, having clear calls to action is a necessity on any modern website. By making David Bailey’s telephone number and email address prominent on every page, and adding Twitter and Facebook icons linking to the client’s social media sites, visitors are given a variety of options for getting in touch.

Online data capture

David Bailey’s website offers endless data capture opportunities – a Call back form on every page, a Contact enquiry form and Brochure download forms for each of the client’s three brochures.

Virtual tours

If you’re selling products, your photos must do them justice. David Bailey’s website has a photo gallery where visitors can browse case studies with numerous product shots and even take a virtual tour to see the products in situ.

Optimised content

The latest phase of development included a complete overhaul of the website copy which was rewritten forsearch engine optimisation. Many pages of the site now have a top search engine placement for relevant keywords.

Online interaction

David Bailey’s website aims to engage visitors in a number of ways. There’s a CAD download section for architects to download technical drawings; a Colour your own furniture interactive tool where visitors can test different colours and finishes before they buy; and a Blog which includes social share icons so visitors can share interesting content and leave a comment.


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