This month, we have mostly been

… used as outsourced web developers

We act as web designers and developers for a goodly number of established design and advertising agencies, both in Chichester, and beyond.

This month, they have been keeping us busy with a broad variety of work, including developing websites for medical device manufacturers, aerospace companies, and air ambulance providers to name but a few projects we’ve been involved with this March.

We love working in this way as it keeps things fresh for us, and allows the development of excellent business relationships with other design houses.

If you are a design or advertising agency, and want to provide web design services to your clients, but don’t have the time or inclination to get your hands dirty with the likes of XHTML, CSS, server-side scripting and the like, why not speak to us? We’d love to hear from you!

Or, you might be a web development specialist looking for stunning, accessible front-end and interface design, or a “skin” to wrap around your latest and greatest web application - again, we can help!

… designing HTML emails

We were recently commissioned by premier UK Direct Debit solutions provider Harlands Group to create a series of email marketing templates for their regular newsletters, as well as “tactical” designs to promote special offers and events.

Every HTML email template we create undergoes a rigorous testing process to ensure that it is compatible with the most popular client applications out there - and we’ll always provide a web-based version to ensure that everyone can view the message as intended.

If you are looking to keep in touch with your client base, or develop new business - why not consider what email marketing can do for you? It offers numerous benefits, including providing a cost-effective method of mass communication, and the ability to track and measure results of campaigns in a totally superior manner to traditional leaflet drops and their ilk.

We’d be delighted to talk to you about how we can help your business take advantage of this technology.

… designing logos

This month, we have been working on developing logos for some of our friends abroad; this time, it’s been for one of northern Spain’s frontrunner music venues.

As you can see, we don’t just “do” Webby stuff, and can gladly assist in the production of corporate identity, and other graphic design projects.

And finally …

It’s definitely been another busy month here at 247 Creative - and we’re now also fully paid-up members of the UK Federation of Small Businesses and we look forward to taking an active role within the organisation.

We love we7!

Every once in a while, a website comes along that we have to simply take our hats off to, and give it the respect it fully deserves. In this case, we’ve been blown away by we7.com - which could mark the beginnings of a revolution in the online distribution of music.

The premise of the site is simple; to offer users access to safe, legal music downloads, and ensure that the creators of that music receive the royalties they are rightfully entitled to.

Where the site veers away from its spiritual companions (Apple’s iTunes and Napster spring to mind immediately), is in the adoption of an entirely fresh business model - if users want to download as many tracks as they want for free… yes, that’s right… for no monetary outlay - they can! So how is this generosity possible? And how can it possibly operate within the limits of the various international copyright laws?

The answer is so simple, that we rather wish we had come up with it first - but we didn’t… so fair play to we7!

To cut to the chase, users can download an unlimited amount of high-quality DRM free tracks (192 Kbps MP3s to those who are interested in such things, that will play on any device that supports this most common of formats). Here’s the rub; tracks are preceded by up to 30 seconds of advertising, which allows the artists involved to receive payment for their creativity. Users can also download ad-free tracks if they prefer, at rates which compare to Apple’s DRM-free offering - known as iTunes Plus - 99p per song in the UK for example… and again, the artists will get a cut of the spend.

Things get more interesting still with a timed countdown, which at present, will “unlock” the tracks that users have downloaded after 28 days, and remove the ads - they can then be downloaded again sans advertising in exchange for credits. What’s more is that we7 are currently offering users 20 credits free every 28 days from their sign-up date, so those downloading a small number of tracks won’t be paying anything at all! It is also possible to purchase credits on the site, and the advantage of so doing is that they cost a lot less if you were patient enough to wait a while after the initial download.

We think it’s an absolutely brilliant idea that deserves to do well - to our mind, this could be the solution that many have been looking for in terms of web-based music downloads; artists and users alike.

Presently, there is an enormous, and steadily-growing collection of material up for grabs, from artists that you’ve never heard of though to household names. The site was set up with the backing of former Genesis frontman, tech-evangelist and all-round good egg Peter Gabriel, and other than being conceptually bold, features some lovely functionality. Oh, and it doesn’t look too shabby either!

New website for Jean Warren

247 Creative is delighted to announce the launch of a brand new website for talented stage, screen and television actress, Jean Warren.

The brief was simple - to design a website that would act as an online “business card”, and provide contact information, as well as a summary of productions that Jean had worked on in a career that has spanned over 30 years. Many of the film and television projects she has been involved in have since become widely regarded as classics; such as Boys from the Blackstuff, As Time Goes By, Only Fools and Horses and The Great Rock N’ Roll Swindle to name but a few.

The site has been built to current W3C standards for accessibility, and features fully valid XHTML and CSS coding - and a number of subtle design flourishes have been included for added visual effect, such as a rather natty scrollable display of film and television stills, inspired by Apple’s CoverFlow technique.

If you are an actor or actress looking to develop a presence online, why not talk to 247 Creative about your website design?

We wish Jean all the very best with her continued work.

Now we are one

Time flies when you’re having fun!

247 Creative came into being in December 2006, and has now reached its first birthday - and what a year it’s been…

Over the past 12 months we’ve worked with many different businesses and individuals; design agencies, estate agents, artists, photographers, marketing consultants, online entrepreneurs, sports therapists, freelance developers to name but a few - we thank all the relevant parties concerned for their continued support during this period, and look forward to taking things forward over the next 12 months!

In this time, we’ve been involved in the full spectrum of website design and development activities - W3C standards-compliant site design, content management systems, web hosting, domain name registration, professional photography, search engine optimisation, HTML email campaigns, database design, graphic design, and very much more… we’ve loved doing what we do for our clients, and can’t wait to take on our forthcoming projects!

In the seasonal spirit of giving, we’d like to offer a little something to those that recommend us to others - yes, that’s right… up until March 31st 2008, we’ll give a 5% commission (based on any charges we bill for the development of a website) to individuals that refer new business to us. Once we have received the final payment from the referred client, we’ll gladly transfer the commission funds - there are a few simple conditions for our referral scheme, and if you have any questions about these, please feel free to contact us!

If you are looking for website design in Chichester (or anywhere else for that matter!), why not speak to 247 Creative and see how we can be of assistance? We look forward to discussing your requirements with you. Finally, we wish all the readers of this Blog every success and happiness in 2008

New website for Aegis Estate Agents

247 Creative is delighted to announce that aegis-uk.com has gone live - this is a new website for Sunbury-based estate agent Aegis, and provides details about the company , and of course, full listings of the properties available for sale or rental.

The brief was to design a website that was extremely easy to use by visitors, and gave the company a powerful solution to manage numerous aspects of their business. To that end, we have built a content management system that features an AJAX-enabled administration area to control all the functionality and content on the site. Users can be kept up to date on the latest properties on offer through an RSS news feed, by subscribing to an HTML email newsletter, or by browsing the relevant listings.

The site also has a number of advanced components, such as PDF property information brochures which are generated on-the-fly, and a “property gallery” that can display a full-screen slideshow of homes, suitable for display on the company’s in-branch plasma screens.

The design has been based around the company’s existing branding, and is clean, bright and easily-navigable.

The site has been built with best practices for usability, accessibility and search engine optimisation in mind, and as such features fully W3C standards-compliant XHTML and CSS coding, and is based on a comprehensive bespoke management system which uses the PHP scripting language and a scalable MySQL database architecture.

We are hugely pleased with the system we have developed for Aegis estate agents, and wish the company every success with their new online presence.

If you are an estate agent or lettings agency, why not talk to 247 Creative to see how we can enable your business to take full advantage of the Web?

artist-afloat.com goes live!

247 Creative is delighted to announce that artist-afloat.com has gone live! The site was commissioned by Chichester-based artist Shirley Faure to promote her new book Afloat on the Dutch waterways, which chronicles her journey through the canals of Holland and Belgium on board a Linssen Sturdy 410 motor yacht.

The book is liberally illustrated with over 300 of Shirley’s superb sketches and watercolours - these are further punctuated with entertaining and enlightening observations and anecdotes about the rich history, architecture, wildlife, and of course, nautical pursuits in this most magical area of northern Europe.

The site has been built with best practices for usability and accessibility in mind, and as such features fully W3C valid XHTML and CSS, and Flash-based galleries of Shirley’s artwork - we have also added a facility for visitors to buy copies of the book online, and checkout using the PayPal system.

We wish Shirley the very best of luck with the launch of her fine book, and every success with her continued artistic pursuits.

Our Button goes live!

When is a business directory not a business directory? When it’s Our Button…

247 Creative is delighted to announce that Our Button has gone live - the site, built for a local Chichester client provides users with a powerful suite of online marketing tools to promote their businesses to a wide audience.

Our Button will allow users to set up their own websites, courtesy of a powerful, yet extremely easy-to-use Content Management System; in other words, they will be able to log in to a private area on the site at any time of day and modify their information, set up news stories, or add images. For example, this facility could be used to promote a time-limited special offer or sale.

The system will also allow users to change the look and feel of their site in seconds, and as many times as they want, through a series of professionally-designed templates.

Users will also be able to download personalised business stationery, such as business cards or flyers, and receive free marketing advice from the team at Our Button.

We love the simplicity of the site, and are pretty confident that users will be able to create their own business website in a matter of minutes - and avoid paying considerable fees for hosting and domain registration…can’t be bad!

The site has been built with usability and accessibility in mind, and as such features fully W3C valid XHTML and CSS coding married with powerful PHP scripting and a robust MySQL database. Our Button also makes use of AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), JavaScript effects and RSS news feeds. We have hosted the site on one of our ultra-reliable UK-based Linux servers that combines unparalleled speed with raw power.

We wish the team at Our Button every success with this exciting venture!

247 Creative goes extreme

247 Creative has just completed a web design commission from Littlehampton web designers DR Solutions International to produce a layout for a new extreme sports clothing company. The brief was to create a clean, modern template for an e-Commerce website, and the response was to do just that!

It was always vitally important that the design took usability and accessibility into account, as well ease of conversion to a working XHTML and CSS layout by DR Solutions International’s coding team.We are delighted to offer our creative design services to DR Solutions International, and wish them all the best for the further development of this exciting project.

If you are a web developer looking for effective graphic design to be used on a site interface, why not get in touch with us to see how we can help you?

Our Button: Business websites in minutes

247 Creative has begun the development of ourbutton.com on behalf of a local Chichester client. The site will give users the chance to develop their online presence with the utmost of ease and set up business websites in minutes, courtesy of the system’s functionality. Users will be able to modify their information at any time, and their Our Button website will be one component of a suite of powerful marketing tools that will be offered.

The system will be ideal for businesses who don’t already have a website and are looking to get their company’s message onto the Web at large with minimal outlay and hassle. However, for those who already have an established site, Our Button will represent a useful adjunct to their overall marketing strategy through the additional exposure it will undoubtedly generate. It will go far beyond the scope of the traditional online business directory and provide its customers, no matter what industry sector they are active in, with invaluable methods of promoting their products and services to a potentially enormous audience.

The system will be powered by the combination of the PHP (HyperText Preprocessor) technology coupled with AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) to deliver a solid, responsive user experience.

Our Button will be launched in the UK in Q3 2007.

Sports Therapy Direct website goes live

247 Creative is delighted to announce the Sports Therapy Direct website has gone live.

Sports Therapy Direct offers treatments for acute, sub-acute and chronic injuries whether they occur at home, work or during sport and leisure. The company’s specialist team have over 16 years combined experience in practicing and teaching sports therapy, injury management and prevention and first aid, and undoubtedly bring a wealth of professionalism and expertise to treating sports injuries in Chichester.

Sports Therapy Direct can now be found at Westgate Leisure Centre, Chichester (West Sussex) and Bourne Community Leisure Centre, Southbourne (Hampshire).

The site has been constructed using industry-standard best practices, including fully W3C valid XHTML and CSS coding, and a powerful PHP and MySQL content management system, as well as Flash, AJAX and JavaScript effects.

We wish Sports Therapy Direct the very best of luck with their exciting new venture online!