A guide for those taking the first steps towards a new website

We have created a Website Guide to help with making decisions about the look and content of your website and what you may need to consider.

Here, at The Sketch Collective Design Studio many of our customers have made the decision that a web presence is what their business needs. They have checked their local competitors’ sites and are looking to achieve the same and, more often than not, more! They are geared up and enthused to want a website this very minute! And that is great! Or is it? We say... slow down, take your time to understand the process and make the right choices - the outcome will be far more effective and much more beneficial to you and your business. The Sketch Collective Website Guide will help you do this.

We recognise that the website industry has lots of jargon and 'techy talk', and that can feel scary to most people, including the business owner who uses websites every day. Not only does the IT and web industry confuse and change on a daily basis, there are also many costs that are unforeseen at the initial outset, and if you are unaware of the jargon used, it can quickly lead to some surprising bills. We want to change this scary perception of the website world. Here, at The Sketch Collective, we can dispel that 'scary world' that some imagine. We have purposely put ourselves out there in the public eye with our large "fish bowl" window right on the high street! We are seen by every passer-by and all those who sit and wait in their cars at the traffic lights outside our window, it is our way of saying, to the small market town of Ledbury, (where we are located), that we are here to support and provide services that can help move businesses straight into the modern age, and for you to feel safe in the knowledge that we are on hand to provide advice and technical support whenever you may need it.

We work with many large local clients and provide a level of technical support that cannot always be achieved with in-house IT/marketing departments. Many of our clients have felt frustrated with their previous web service providers, either feeling that their issues or queries have been ignored or have not been resolved swiftly enough. We find that with our public presence, and having a 'face to face' customer experience, it is easier for our clients to pop in or phone up and resolve issues and put plans in place to avoid future web problems. These customers no longer spend time waiting for their phone calls to be answered and then be passed on between different departments, they have a convenient, reliable and friendly local service - a one stop shop for web design and all that goes with it. From web hosting, domain names, graphic design & promotional marketing, social media design and advice, newsletter HTML design & coding, and a brilliant photography service, give your website the wow factor!

Our Website Guide is useful for new customers as it takes you through a step by step process of things you will need to know when considering a website. It explains the jargon in 'plain English', making you aware of decisions you will need to make, and understand the processes involved in creating a website that works for you and the way you work - not an off the shelf web template site that leaves you wishing you had never entered into the website world.

This guide will help you consider your options and plan your website journey with us. Download The SketchCollective Website Guide here.

For more information on The Sketch Collective and all our services, please visit www.thesketchcollective.co.uk

5 Tips for SEO - Seize Every Opportunity

We have 5 Tips for you to 'Seize Every Opportunity' with your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
and starting the new year with these tips in mind may be the perfect steps to unleashing your websites full potential.

1.  Keep it Fresh - Updating your website with fresh original content is an important element in any website in order to make your site visible on search engines like Google, so keep posting new and fresh articles frequently.

2. Work Together - By integrating and using social media with your website it can be the key to making sure users regularly stay up to date with your business. Encourage 'shares', 'likes' and 'retweets' on your Facebook or Twitter accounts to remain visible to existing customers and to invite newcomers.

3. Wise Up - When writing articles choose your titles wisely, something that sums up your content accurately, use the title wording again within your first paragraph to show that your content is relevant, this will help Google pick out your 'Key Words'.

4. Use It - Google Analytics or any other reports on your websites performance is crucial in order for you to understand how to improve your website. Use these reports and develop your website with these reports in mind.

5. Make It Easy - Most users dislike websites with information overload and unable to find the information they are looking for on your site. Make it easy to navigate your site and give the user the right content as and when they need it. You should then be able to have a more accurate reading of the users process whilst visiting your website on your Web reports.

Just remember your website needs you, so give it some TLC this year.

If you need any further advice on improving your website contact The Sketch Collective.

New Stuff!

We have just updated our website portfolio, with all our most recent work.
Take a look and let us know what you think!

Movember at The Sketch Design Studio

Show us your Tache!

The Sketch Collective are joining thousands of other businesses and participants in raising money for the charity Movember.
Thom and Tom have been keeping their upper lip warm this month in a bid to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

 Each year Movember is responsible for men (Mo Bros) all over the world growing moustaches and spreading the word, ladies (Mo Sistas) can also help by supporting Mo Bros raise awareness as well as the vital funds.

 If you would like to make a donation to our Movember page then please do so by following this link http://mobro.co/thesketchcollective

Why not show us your tache by uploading a photo to our facebook page too?
 https://www.facebook.com/thesketchcollective

Sketch photographer Thom Williams recently took some photographs for The Crown Inn at Woolhope, here is a just a selection of images taken from the shoot...

All images copyright of The Sketch Collective

Finally, the Sketch Design Studio is up and running!

We have had a busy few months juggling work, decoration and opening a new studio and on top of that, charity work too! Hectic, but we are finally there.

We are currently settling in to our new premises which is on Ledbury High street, Herefordshire and it's looking very smart if we do say so ourselves! However, this could not have been achieved without the blood, sweat and tears from our family and friends… huge thank you to all of you!
Take a look at our photos to see what we have been getting up to…

As for the charity work, our web designer Tom Hancock and Photographer Thom Williams have achieved a great feat by completing the 'Three Peak Challenge' on the 18th/19th August. This involves climbing the highest mountain in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scafell Pike) and Wales (Snowdon) within 24hours…. and it certainly was not a walk in the park! The chosen charity is a foundation called The Knock On Effect - a local group raising money for a range of cancer charities started by a young girl called Rosie Kilburn during her own fight against cancer. Rosie's sadly lost her battle last year but the foundation continues to be run by her family and friends. This year would have been Rosie's 20th Birthday and their aim is to raise £20,000. The sketch boys, joined by Nick Beresford-Poole, Steve Kyle, Sophie Wilesmith, Ben Streames, Sam Meek and most importantly driver James Batley managed to complete the challenge in an incredible 22hours 55 minutes raising over £2000 for TKOE, a massive congratulations to them all!

The Sketch boys have just about recovered from achy limbs and are in the new studio along with Graphic Designer Hayley Beresford-Poole, so if you're passing pop in and have a look.

This one needs no words....