Archive for the ‘Web Design’ Category

A new version of Google Analytics has just been released and is being activated on Google accounts across the world. And what a step forward it is. The standand reports have all been tidied up and improved visually, making it easier to explore your data and drill down into more detail.

The exciting bit is geared around the new features, which are a real step forward.

The old version of Google Analytics was always behind the times, you were looking at old data, albeit only hours old. This is enough to be frustrating when you are looking at traffic spikes from todays exciting press release for example.

Real Time Reporting overcomes this problem by showing you activity Right Now!

There are some other great improvements in key areas such as multi channel reporting, where you can see all of the channels that a visitor interacted with, not just one source.

Mobile reporting has been significantly enhanced with some great new visual reporting so show you how mobile visitors are interacting with your site.

Finally and perhaps the greatest addition is the Flow Visualisation tool. So much better than the old utility. Here you can clearly see how visitors are interacting with your website pages and navigating in and out.

We can really see how this will make a significant improvement to website reporting. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

If you are wondering what kind of price tag is attached to this software, you’ll be please to know that it’s free. We can install and configure it for you, irrespective of your web technology for a fixed fee of £175 + VAT.

Drupalcon London 2011 took place this week down in Croydon, South London. Looks like Drupal really is becoming the Content Management System of choice for a wide variety of small business, educational establishments and government bodies alike.

If you want to see how Drupal can work for you then just get in touch.

Masters Allen has developed an online aftersales tool for Volkswagen UK, giving customers complete confidence in servicing and aftersales care through the use of video.

This innovative trial began life in 2010 and is being supported by a small number of Volkswagen UK retailers. The pilot allows aftersales customers to view any additional servicing or repairs required to their vehicle through a standard web browser.

In a nutshell, a dedicated Volkswagen UK Service Technician records video footage of the work required via a head-cam. The video is then uploaded to the secure website portal allowing the customer to log-in and see the flagged-up issues first hand. The customer can then follow up by approving the repairs, or ask for feedback using the system.

The pilot has been designed to provide an extra level of service to aftersales customers. With additional functionality allowing feedback, technician’s profile, flagging severity and payment checkout. This process aims to streamline the Volkswagen UK aftersales process, whilst adding an additional level of trust and confidence.

Aidan Rooney, Production Director at Masters Allen says: ‘This was a real technical challenge that required some serious planning and prototyping. However, we are very pleased with how the pilot has progressed over the last few months. It has been really well received by the client, and feedback from their customers has been extremely positive too. Despite the turn-around for delivery being a bit tight, we successfully managed to deliver a stable end product. We look forward to extending the pilot and developing it further with Volkswagen UK.’

Technically, Masters Allen created the bespoke code based on a Drupal platform with a user friendly interface built in line with the Volkswagen UK brand guidelines. The transcoding of the video involves the conversion of MP4 to FLV allowing faster streaming and less load time on the server.

Masters Allen have thoroughly enjoyed working with the team at Volkswagen UK and look forward to the project being rolled out to further Volkswagen UK retailers throughout 2011.

Whilst the launch of Drupal 7 earlier this year was eagerly anticipated, the initial roll out was somewhat slow going. It’s taken some time to get our hands on the core modules which have been updated for this latest version. Now that the majority have hit the Drupal Module pages, we can finally get to know Drupal 7 more intimately.

As experienced Drupal Developers in the Midlands, Masters Allen have begun to focus on developing a number of recent sites using this latest version. We have found that development times has been reduced with additional functionality allowing more flexibility for us and our clients. Good work Drupal.

We are looking forward to the annual ‘Drupalcon’ conference in August, this year based in Croydon. Maybe we’ll see you there.

April was a very productive month here at Masters Allen, I think we were all ready for the bank holiday!! Take a look at some of the sites we launched:

We helped Red 21, one of our long term clients, relaunch their webstore using Magento ecommerce. The site offers an extensive catalogue of luxury gifts, each with their own detailed product page allowing customers to get a better feel for the quality and intricacy of the items available. The catalogue is filtered and organised into a user friendly navigation with a big opportunity to feature products and promotions on the home page. Take a look and have a browse…http://www.red21ltd.co.uk/

LRS Liquid Rubber is at the leading edge of flat roofing and floor membrane systems and we have recently helped them launch their new Drupal website. The site offers technical product information and application guidance giving customers confidence in the brand and product. A very neat feature is the ‘Project Calculator’ which allows the customer to work out how much of the product they need for their particular job. The site has very clear contact details and calls to action prompting the customer to follow up on what they have learnt and make a purchase. Take a look..http://www.liquidrubbersales.co.uk/

Mander Cruickshank Solicitors asked us to design and develop their new site which is also built in Drupal, the site uses large imagery and big headings to support the brand and communicate the range of services on offer. The site is very easy to update by the Mander Cruickshank team as are all sites developed by Masters Allen, we use ‘open source’ technology which is tried and tested and very successful. Take a look at the Mander Cruickshank site, built using Drupal 7…http://www.mandercruickshank.co.uk

Masters Allen have been very busy launching some new sites, take a look:

www.acpltd.co.uk
Advanced Communications Projects are specialists in radio communications. Their site is clean and clear and provides any prospective customer with a clear indication of what they do and the sectors they cover through a rotating image gallery and supporting text.

www.blyth-richmond.co.uk
Byth Richmond are a family run investment management company who have over 30 years experience. Their impressive track record is communicated online by impactful imagery and messaging. Supported by a targeted news feed and a clear call to action, this website is ready to take enquiries!

www.vanbits.com
Vanbits is an impressive ecommerce site selling roof racks and accessories. Packed with functionality this Magento based site includes a single screen accordion style catalogue browser. Customers can find everything they need to meet their specific vehicle specification in one area.

Leicestershire based creative design and marketing agency Masters Allen have designed and created the portfolio based website for Three Point Design.

Three Point Design are based in Leicester with clients scanning the length and breadth of the country. The team wanted to show their commitment to their work and also highlight the brand awareness for Three Point Design’s customers.

Specialising in point of sale retail design, Three Point Design approached Masters Allen wanting to update their website and show the growth the company has had as of late. Working with several large clients such as Olympus, Exonmobil and JCB.

The project launched in October driving new enquiries towards Three Point. Managing Director Adam Gillott said “I approached Masters Allen after being recommended by several contacts. Three Point Design are an expanding company with a national account base and needed a new website to showcase our large portfolio. It needed to be easy to navigate and portray a large, creative design company.

From our very first meeting I found Masters Allen professional and very easy to work with. They interpreted our brief perfectly and gave regular updates via email and phone. Masters Allen delivered an excellent website which we are very proud of, and I will most definitely be using their services again. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to others.”

With an already growing portfolio and extensive knowledge of the retail design industry, Three Point Design are set to make a lasting impression on point of sale design and manufacture within the Midlands.

Although it is a bit of an old one now, it’s always a useful reminder of where the clicks are going on that all important first page in Google.

Enjoy!

The recently launched iPad is already making an impact on the web design industry. With so many ways to view digital information, now designers need to be aware of the ever expanding list of gadgets. From iPhones and iPads to a multitude of other mobile devices, consumers are wanting to view information on the move.

For companies that we deal with on a daily basis, the key focus is for a website that not only looks amazing but also fits these gadgets. Following trends and being up to date with customer needs is one of the things we pride ourselves with at Masters Allen. With this in mind, we already optimise our sites at 950 pixels fitting either orientation of the iPad. With a creative team eager to design for both a landscape and portrait view, simplistic content and easy to navigate pages, we can offer the most aesthetically pleasing designs for your website. We also have a skilled development team that can work with you to provide an excellent finished product.

To see what your website looks like on an ipad, take a look at the iPad Peek tool, for any additional information please contact us.

A new web domain is on it’s way. The brand new .co domain name extension offers a new and varied range of possibilities. Whether you’re a company, committee of community, the .co will offer an alternative to .co.uk. But will it replace it? Probably not, .co.uk domains are the domain extension of choice for UK businesses. It may work well for individuals own name domains, or perhaps a brand name in a competitive space. They are also more expensive than .co.uk domains!

Either way, if you want to book yours then let us know and we can reserve it for you.