We were at the exclusive launch of £3m Vermilion Hall in Manchester
We were exclusively invited to the launch of the new £3m Vermilion Hall in Manchester. This is set to be Manchester's premier wedding and banqueting venue.
The owners are the Seamark PLC brothers and its Chief Executive Iqbal Ahmed MBE, one of the richest business men in the UK and recently named as the highest ranked Bangladeshi by the Sunday Times Rich list. He certainly kept his reputation as he open the Hall by cutting the red ribbon and telling his guests that the kitchen has been designed by the same people who did Buckingham Palace and he used the same people for the lighting and sound who did the Royal Albert Hall.
The venue is stunning and there are artefacts displayed which the business magnate Mr Iqbal has bought from his travels from all around the world.
Online vs Offline Marketing
The demand for digital media nowadays is ever rising, which sets the question - online or offline marketing?
Online/digital marketing and offline marketing are both effective methods of raising a brand and campaign awareness. Both can effectively take your company to the next level, but in order to make full use of these it is important to identify which is best for your business and how a professional service like dsgnuk, based in Oldham, Manchester, can help you with this.
Online Marketing
Known by many names often referred to as digital marketing, this strategy is the most modern form of advertising and getting your brand out there. It is a very accessible and often a free or very cheap way of advertising your brand, with the ability to target certain areas easily through clever tools and apps.
Here are some of the many Online Marketing strategies:
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) & Pay Per Click (PPC)
- Social Media Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Website
- Video Marketing
- Mobile Apps
All of these strategies ultimately have the same goal and objective, to work towards raising awareness of a brand/business, driving people to websites, and then making a conversion or sale.
Building a strong online presence helps you to be found by your target audience in the search results for major search engines, like Google, Bing etc. This means that people will find you more easily and therefore know about your brand quickly.
Offline Marketing
Here are some of the many Offline Marketing strategies you could utilise:
- Magazines / Brochures Press Adverts
- Corporate Stationery such as business cards, letterheads, and compliments slips
- Print - Leaflets, Flyers, Posters
- Direct Mail
- Signage
Combining the two
dsgnuk offers a full service marketing agency based in the heart of Oldham, Manchester providing both online and offline marketing to our happy clients. We have learnt that building a strong, well thought online and offline marketing strategy is single handed the most beneficial to any business' objectives whether it be to create brand awareness or to simply achieve more sales, we can tie the two strategies together to promote your brand on the biggest possible scale.
If you feel as though we can help you further and you want to take your business to the next level, then why not call dsgnuk, a professional, friendly online and offline marketing agency based in Oldham, Manchester on 0161 627 1857 or drop me an email on jake@dsgnuk.com and we can make the difference.
Picture source: seotowebdesign.com
Recent Google changes
Every year Google introduces many changes to their search algorithm. While most of them are minor, some of them are major changes which makes an impact on how search results are displayed to end users. To name, some of the major Google updates such as, Google Panda (released in 2011) stopped site with poor quality content from appearing on top results, Google Penguin (released in 2012), to catch spammers and those who buy links from various sources to improve SEO results and most importantly the Pigeon update (released in mid 2014) which promotes local listings, are some of the top changes that Google rolled out.
Today, I will discuss with you some of the most recent updates to search engine algorithm introduced by Google.
Google removed small site links from search listings (bug)
Small sitelinks often show up for high search volume queries, both branded and non-branded. You may not have noticed these — data suggests they are not commonly used by searchers. Recently, these site links stopped appearing in search results, which Google confirmed was a bug. The issue has reportedly been fixed as of early November.
Reduction in internal site links for branded searches
As of the most recent updates, Google will be showing less site links ( reduced from 6 to 4) for branded search results. This will increase CTR rates by as much as up to 300%.
Fake news to get priority over real content
Google's search algorithm has been significantly changed over the last year to increasingly reward search results based on how likely you are to click on them. As a result, fake news now often outranks accurate reports on websites with better and quality content. Which allegedly made an impact during recent US Election.
It is well known that Google includes user-behaviour based signals to evaluate its ranking mechanism. It has an obvious interest in whether users like its search results. Its ranking engineers look at live traffic frequently to experiment with different algorithms.
User Behaviour to have an impact
The unfortunate side effect is that user-behaviour signals also reward fake news. Previously, Google's ranking relied more heavily on how authoritative a page is, and how authoritative the incoming links to that page are. If a page at Cambridge University links to an article that is published by Oxford, Google would rank that information highly in its display of search results.
The Conclusion
Now, the ranking of a page can also be boosted by how often it's clicked makes an impact on search results in many ways. Such as, think about this: the hotter the subject, the better CTR (Click Through Rate) is! Now whether most of these information are real or fake, it keeps up with the latest trend sometimes ignoring other facts such as whether it is likely to be true or not.
Have you already got a website? Why not request a free site audit from dsgnuk! Our specialist web team will prepare a site report for you. Email us your site at websites@dsgnuk.com
Web Design Manchester
Graphic design and web design are two fundamental aspects that any company in Manchester, looking to build a digital product needs to consider. They both help communicate visual elements. However, their relevance may vary depending on the characteristics of the project. That is, depending on what the specific goals are. An excellent designed website can give better access to customer of what they are looking for. Web graphics helps designers to enhance the website design by adding colors, visual appeals and helps in providing artistic professional touch to their creativity. At Dsgnuk in Manchester, our web design services we can provide our assistance to customers who want to achieve their long awaited website or just helping them with a few web design projects. If your interested in wanting graphic design or web design done take a look at the services we provide.
We create not only a simple website, but an identity. From branding a logo to business cards and finally creating web design that works for your business. Whether you are looking for a corporate website or a more complex e-commerce based shopping cart system, we can assure you that Dsgnuk is the leading specialist in web design services for Greater Manchester area.
Our clients vary from small to large companies and organization's. We have delivered web design services in Manchester and around the country for some of the biggest names. Ranging from TESCO to NHS! We have not only undertook print projects from big names but have worked closely with local small businesses and young people in work and starting a business. We have helped them to grow. Dsgnuk was selected as the finalist in Oldham Business Awards for web design services in Manchester and for supporting young people.
We work closely with our clients. A one on one consultation with our head of web design is the first thing you will do if you are building a website. If you are planning to design a logo or business card, you will have a one on one consultation with our head designer to get you started on your project.
If you are anywhere in Manchester, give us a call on 0161 627 1857 to get started or use our contact form
Millie's Dream
Millie was born with an extremely rare form of Spina Bifida, Hydroccephalus, Epilepsy, a rare genetic disorder CHI and Millie’s first 2 years were spent in the Royal Manchester children's hospital. During her time in hospital she contracted meningitis, septicima and many other life threatening illnesses and just 12 months ago Millie almost died from chronic lung disease. When Millie recovered from her operation, Her gran Vicky made a promise to take her Frozen-loving granddaughter to Disneyland. In order to achieve Millie's dream they need all the help they can get to achieve their £10,000 target that would cover for Millie's mother Emma Clarke, gran Vicky Shaw and a nurse to accompany them on their trip to Disneyland.
Up until 2014 Millie had never been able to go to the park, have a birthday party or enjoy the everyday things any little girl should. With your help we can and will raise enough money to take Millie to Disneyland, an adventure she will never forget.
Supermarket giant Tesco has got involved with the brave little Oldham battler who is desperate to jet off on her Disney dream. For the next two weeks Tesco stores across the Oldham and Greater Manchester region are embarking on a huge fundraising drive. Tesco store colleagues across the Oldham,Manchester region will be shaking collection buckets, hosting raffles and running colouring competitions until the end of November to generate enough money to send Millie, on the trip of a lifetime.
Local stores involved in Millie's fundraising include the Chadderton Superstore, Oldham Extra, Failsworth Extra, Greenfield Superstore and Express stores across Oldham along with stores in Greater Manchester.
dsgnuk, web design & print company based in Oldham, Manchester produced these leaflets & posters for the campaign:
Choosing Effective Web Hosting
We all know choosing the right web hosting sometimes gives us a headache. So many packages and so many web hosts! Well, there are few hosting features you should always look for. Today, we are going to look in to some important facts and features that you should consider before buying your web hosting.
Some of the things you should look for.
- What kind of website will you be building?
It is very important to know what kind of website you will be building as choosing right kind of web hosting package may save you on the cost. For instance, if you are going for a basic website which is static in nature, you do not really need one of those unlimited hosting accounts. - Check on domain costing.
As you will obviously be needing a domain name to which you will eventually attach your hosting to, look for a web hosting provider who also has low cost domain registration option. Although, there is a standard cost on average, some web hosting providers have special low cost domain registration offers. - Check on renewal fees.
While some web hosting providers will offer you attractive price for the first year, some might charge you twice as much for the following year as you are most likely to renew with your current host. Therefore, always check on the renewal prices and terms. - Which hosting platform? Windows or Linux?
Unless you need any specific Windows application or features to run on you hosting, you may go for Linux type hosting which is most popular. Most web servers in the world are based on Linux. Popular open source software and programming languages such as PHP & MySql are run on Linux hosting. - Check uptime, add ons and upgrade options
While most hosting providers have good uptime guarantee, some hosting providers may not be so well. You must ensure your website is hosted and live 24/7. You may also want to check on hosting add on features that you may need in future. What about the package upgrade options? What if you need more space or more bandwidth? Think ahead and check that it's not costly to upgrade!
Latest Networking Event
Oldham Business Awards Supporters Event -
On Wednesday 21st September we were at the Oldham Event Centre (OEC), Oldham's brand new state of the art facility,for our latest networking event, the Oldham Business Awards Supporters Event. This event was particularly good for me, being a life-long Oldham Athletic fan getting to finally see this state of the art venue I watched being built season after season in reality was a fantastic opportunity.
We was delighted to be invited to this exclusive event giving us a perfect chance to meet new businesses and catch up with old friends from the local Oldham area.
These events are always beneficial for us, and this continued as throughout the evening we was given helpful tips and advice. This support is key to us as we begin our new venture into social media and video marketing.
dsgnuk is looking forward to working with other web design and print media related agencies in Oldham.
Importance of responsive website
Whether you are thinking of getting a landing page or a corporate website, it is important to ensure that your website is mobile and tablet optimised. We are a specialist web design agency in Oldham, Manchester providing website design services for over 10 years.
Getting a website shouldn't be a hectic task anymore. We look at your requirements, understand the functionality you need on your website and then deliver a finished product that will ensure that your customers find the right stuff at the right place.
With a team of award winning graphic designers in Oldham, Manchester, we can assure you of a quality website that will be content managed, meaning you will have the ability to take control of your website. Edit the information yourself instead of running after someone to simply change the contact details on your website.
All our website comes with CMS (Content Management System) that will enable you to log in to the backend and add, edit, remove pages or information yourself. We can give you a short training on how to do this. Our friendly staff have helped many customers like you.
We create design that will look fresh and modern. Remember, the first impression is the only impression your customers will have. It is vital that your customers aren't getting lost searching for information that they need.
If you are looking for a top notch e-commerce website to sell products online, we can definitely help you with that. Our highly experienced programmers can create you a shopping cart systems that will let you sell your products and services online. From setting up the shopping cart system to payment integration with Paypal, we can do it all for you!
Some of websites we do but is not limited to:
- Brochure websites.
- Landing Pages.
- Corporate websites.
- E-commerce websites.
- Bespoke content management systems.
- CRM based websites and systems
We are also specialist in:
- WordPress websites including custom theme and plugin development
- Fix any website errors
- Back up and maintain your websites for a small monthly fee
For full contact details, please visit our contact page.
Cost effective printing in oldham
Finding the right printers could be daunting. We realise that. At dsgnuk, we see customers almost everyday who have been elsewhere looking for the right printers including online cheap printing service. While it may all seem quite cheap online, most of the customers wouldn’t understand the difference of paper thickness etc.
It’s not always about cheap printing, while you may find printers with cheap cost, be sure to check few things such as:
- Quality
Quality is one of the important bits to look out for. Make sure you find a printer who cares about the quality printing they provide. - Value for money
Will it be value for money? You need to look for better printing options for instance, printing higher quantity might actually cost you less! - Reliability
Look for a reliable printer. Someone preferably local to you who has been long established in the business. - Turn around time
While some printers will offer you attractive low cost prices, you will need to have a look at their turn around time. Sometimes, the most cheapest printing service will take longer to complete and you might end up missing a deadline for what it was supposed to be used.
We specialise in all types of printing service. From printing your business cards to leaflets, brochures, restaurant menus, takeaway menus and we can even provide your everyday printing service in Oldham, Manchester.
Some of our printing services include:
window graphics, invitation cards, a-boards, roll up banners
| menus | leaflets | flyers | posters |
| posters | letterheads | comp slips | business cards |
| order pads | banners | brochures | invoice pads |
| signs | window graphic | stickers | a-boards |
Finding a cost effective printing service in Oldham, Manchester
Social Media For Business
In this ever changing world social media continues to be ever present in everyday life, from businesses looking to potential leads to customers complaining about your services/products. Social Media has evolved massively in recent years especially in the last 5 years where sites such as Instagram hit 500 million users and Facebook has over 1.5 billion users and if Facebook was a country it would be the most populated in the world even more populated then China! As of January 2016 there was over 2.3 billion active users on social media sites.
Social network sites are used worldwide which is one of the main reason they are such a good marketing tool for every business. You are effectively getting your company out there without having to spend a fortune.
Here at dsgnuk, the use of social media is an everyday recurrence, with a talking point or not-worthy article always arising in order to engage with our followers, this is one of the main benefits of using social media as you can easily communicate with followers developing trust and relationships with customers old and new.
So what are the main benefits of using social media?
- More Opportunities to Convert - Every post you make on a social media platform gives you the chance for customers to convert. When you build a following, you’ll automatically have access to new customers, recent customers, and old customers, and you’ll be able to interact with all of them. Every blog post, image, video, or comment you share is a chance for someone to react/engage and every reaction could lead to a site visit, and eventually a conversion. The higher the engagement of your social posts, the more people are seeing and interacting with them.
- It's Live - One other main benefit is that social media is live, by this we mean that everything you post/tweet whatever it may be is done in real time and can easily be communicated with like if you have a customer service complaint or a problem with a product you can quickly access any brand’s social media site and request some help or advice. This makes it easy for businesses to deliver quick and beneficial customer care.
- Gain valuable customer insights - Social media generates a huge amount of data about your customers in real time. Every day there are roughly over 500 million Tweets, 4.5 billion Likes on Facebook, and 95 million photos and videos uploaded to Instagram. Behind these staggering stats is a wealth of information about your potential customers such as who they are, what they like, and how they feel about your brand.
- Find out what your competitors are doing - With social media you can gain key information about your competitors. This kind of knowledge will allow you to make to stay ahead of them in this fast paced environment.