Brochure Websites
The majority of websites on the internet are brochure websites. They present a company or organisation's products and services to the world over a series of themed pages. As with printed brochures these types of site can also have order forms, payment options, and contact details or information about special offers or company news.
Sunflowers. Make sure you have your place in the sun. This photo was taken by Jon Sloper at the Eden Project in 2007.
What's all the fuss about?
We've been making brochure sites for people and businesses since 1999 and have found that the businesses can get many benefits from these types of site:
- backing up your sales teams and advertising
the single greatest use of a website in our experience is for potential customers to check out suppliers before they buy, and so having a well thought-out, well designed site to support other advertising, sales and marketing is becoming increasingly vital as customers become more proactive and research more options before making a purchase - would you buy a new TV without Googling two or three TV websites first? - the same is true now for almost all businesses, products and services - making a big impression
businesses of all sizes can create a highly professional impression on the web, often 'punching above their weight' when compared to other, larger, competitors in the same market - showing off more of what you do
it's cheap and easy to add content to a website and so you can go into much more detail about products and services online, giving more testimonials, showing off more photography or video, and explaining more about what you do
Harvest Real Rewards. Get a better return on investment through building an effective website. These delicious veggies were harvested from Jon's garden in 2007.
- keeping up to date and staying flexible
a website can respond to changing markets and seasons faster than most forms of marketing and advertising, allowing you to post relevant seasonal information or allowing you to rebrand or reorientate your business to adapt to changing markets - keeping in touch with current clients
through the internet you can post news and offers from your company so that customers new and old feel that you are available, accessible and paying attention to them, and you have the opportunity to inspire them to come back to you for more - building new markets
in addition to staying in touch with current customers you also have a global market at your feet, the limits of a site are set by your ambition, if you want to sell to the Far East or to the Gulf from your offices in a small town in rural Scotland you can - getting good return on investment ROI
aside from the cheap cost of maintenance and flexibilty offered through websites the relative costs of setting up a new site are also modest in comparison to other forms of advertising, with a clear understanding of the purpose of the site as a marketing tool, it is possible to create highly effective web presence that will lead to more prospects and sales than most other forms of media
Bluebells and Wood Anemones. This beautiful Dorset hazel copse is filled with wood anemones, wild garlic and bluebells in the early spring. Jon took this photo in 2006.
We really enjoy making brochure websites and part of the joy is in getting to know our clients and their businesses. Understanding their ambitions and hopes is key to making a site that works. We can then engage in a conversation about how to achieve their aims, based on our experience and the options available when you're developing a website.
Part of our role is often helping to clarify the marketing agenda for the business, and occasionally that can lead to some really interesting new market opportunities for our clients that wouldn't be possible any other way. Our collaboration can also help clients to test out ideas in a manageable way through their site to see whether there is scope for building new markets for their work.
Networking and Sharing Expertise
Our clients also become part of our business network. In many cases we've encouraged and enabled business to business (B2B) connections between our clients. It's part of the development of this new 'Web 2.0' way of working that the web enables, allowing companies to make recommendations and draw on expertise in a simple and effective way through social and business networking. What we can't do alone, we may be able to do together.
If you're in need of a new brochure site, or would like to talk to us about your hopes for what a site could do for you, or if you're unsatisfied with your current site and want to look at potential new options and development, then do give us a ring on 01300 320076 or email jon@alacrify.co.uk and we can ring you back to talk through your ideas and the options available,
Alacrify Ltd. 01300 320076. jon@alacrify.co.uk
