Generate UK – Digital Marketing Blog

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I’ve personally been involved with 3 fairly sizeable Sitekit projects in the last few months and I have to admit that the more I use it, the more I like it. I don’t always feel that Sitekit gets the recognition it deserves though. Strangely, you could not call Sitekit a cool product, it’s not web 2.0, it’s not built by a community, and it does not have a vibrant following….. Yet it does what it sets out to do, it is a really great content management system.

 I am now on a mission to make Sitekit the coolest CMS out there…. especially the latest version 9.

Ok, the title suggests 10 reasons why I like Sitekit, so here goes:

1. As a project manager, it’s nice to know that my back is covered when it comes to support. With the best will in the world, it is impossible to know everything about a piece of software. So it is reassuring that you’re only ever a step or two away from the chaps responsible for building and maintaining the software.

2. The audit trail functionality is very powerful. It is one of those features that appeals to larger organisations with extensive publishing processes. However, the ability to roll back to previous versions of content is a great feature for medium sized organisations too. Also, it’s always nice to know who made that fatal change!

3. We’ve built Sitekit websites with version 8 and version 9 and it is no surprise to know that version 9 is an improvement on version 8. What is surprising is how much of an improvement it is. The back end console and usability is a lot stronger and the time to make changes has been reduced. The objective was to go for a more Microsoft style backend that users are familiar with, which comes across really well.

4. Sitekit won’t mind me saying that their system is not for all customers. It has a price point that frankly can put smaller businesses off considering it as a tool, however larger customers with mature online strategies can do a lot with Sitekit. One area that helps to lower the total cost of ownership is the ability to manage multiple sites through Sitekit. With the right license you can manage your sites via one console, reducing your complexity and reliance on multiple systems. It also means you can train your staff on just one system.

5. The flexibility of Sitekit is very good, there are one or two quirks like the hosting and certain APIs, however in the main you can do pretty much what you need to do with the out of the box Sitekit license. I would advise you to check your requirements off with one of the Sitekit staff if you have a lot of bespoke work to do though. The other great thing about Sitekit is that you can create or migrate your existing Intranet onto the Sitekit platform and manage the pages through the system securely.

6. We were able to roll out a new website for an NHS customer within 8 weeks. This site involved nearly 200 pages, different templates for each area and unique imagery. The site was also set up for an Intranet.

7. So far, all of our customers with Sitekit have really liked it. Each customer is different and experience different reasons for considering an enterprise class content management system. Usually, the pain you’re experiencing with non-content managed website can be alleviated with Sitekit, we’d love to have a conversation with you about this.

8. Search engine optimisation is critical to the success of your website; Sitekit really helps you to set up your site in a way that is truly optimised for the search engines. Taking care of your unique page titles, search engine friendly URLs, keywords and meta. As well as integrating directly with your Google Analytics account.

9. One of the less sexy features is the file and image library. You would expect a file and image library in all content management systems, yet the way it is set up with Sitekit really makes sense once you understand the concept. The latest version extends the file and image library to an asset library, which is even easier to use.

10. The last and most important reason we use Sitekit is that is makes us look good. As a digital marketing agency, we’re keen to work with best of breed technology partners. This enables us to focus on our customer’s business objectives and really work closely with them to deliver a website aligned to their goals.

I’ve worked with many content management systems, from open source to big time expensive and most things in between. The criteria I use to gauge how good a system is, is how easy it is for the customer to manage their site and how flexible the site is once built. Sitekit does really well on both points, yes it has its quirks and you’ll need to do a bit of leg work to understand some of the Sitekit specific commands, but this is the same for any new piece of software.

If you’d like to learn more about Sitekit and how it might fit within your organisation, please do feel free to contact us. Depending on your business needs, there are some really compelling reasons for Sitekit both financially and technically. We’d be happy to discuss these with you in more detail.

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Senspa is an award winning Thai spa set in the    beautiful New Forest, surrounded by amazing scenery. Senspa is a place of inspiration and relaxation and offers the ideal location to escape for a luxury spa break.

Senspa was in need of a new website as its existing site not only failed to represent their brand and the experience Senspa offered, it also lacked the required functionality to move the business forward.

The design was out of date and hard to navigate so after producing a website project brief, Senspa proceeded to review suppliers and following a comprehensive tender process Generate UK was chosen.

Senspa’s business development plan was to increase website traffic, improve how they interacted with their online community whilst striving to increase online sales and business.  They were confident that once a person had experienced the luxurious hydrotherapy pool, soothing thermal rooms, revitalising sensory showers, indulgent treatments and exquisite Thai food they would certainly come back to embrace their unique experience again.

Part of the overall process was to seek a new platform that provided stability and an online marketing agency to deliver their online vision.  Generate UK was chosen due to their design, project management, online marketing expertise and experience in delivering successful online solutions within the leisure market.

Sitekit content management platform was chosen based on its ease of use, excellent publishing process and management tools. This would allow Senspa to market their website, embrace online technology and build a business upon a future proof and powerful web platform.   

On top of designing and integrating a new website Senspa also required a bespoke online booking system and package chooser which would allow the user to interact with the website, book packages spa breaks and day experiences whilst collaborating with their internal business processes.

Lina Lotto Senspa Director commented, Generate UK have exceeded what was originally asked of them, taking an idea on paper and developing it right through to a beautiful website which now represents all that Senspa is about. We are now working with Generate UK to help support and market the site moving forward. Our website traffic has already increased by 50% month on month since we launched in January.

The result: With their proven project methodology Generate UK used their online knowledge, design and development expertise to produce a website which not only represents the experience Senspa offers but developed a website that provides Senspa with a platform for future business growth.

Generate UK, a dynamic and commercial thinking digital marketing company based in Newbury, Berkshire offer professional web services and a number of other related online marketing services that would add value to any commercial and public sector organisation.

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Director Michael Robinson made his debut appearance on the 30^th of January, on the BBC1 programme ‘Click’. ‘Click’ is the BBC’s flagship technology programme covering all relevant topics allowing viewers to keep up to date with latest technology. Michael Robinson also known as the ‘Blogging Guru’ was asked for his professional input on a ‘click’ feature article called the ‘essential guide to blogging’. Michael was selected as one of just four experts to comment on this field. This has been an excellent opportunity for Generate UK to demonstrate their expert knowledge in all that is online marketing. We will be posting a blog in the next couple of weeks regarding a more in-depth analysis of blogging and the benefits it has. To view ‘BBC clicks’ full article in regards to the programme please follow this link.

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Thatcham Jewellers, near Newbury in Berkshire is an independent retail jewellers, set up by Penny Morgan in 1983. As a business Thatcham Jewellers has built a fantastic reputation locally and is the perfect place to locate that special gift or item of jewellery.   Since its formation Thatcham Jewellers has successfully built a reputation for quality and expertise.  This joined with the choice of stock, service and value for money is a powerful combination.
With the growth of the internet and the amount of potential business available Thatcham Jewellers felt that it was essential that they moved with the times and created a brand new website.

Thatcham Jewellers met Generate UK through a seminar attended by Penny and from the word go were able to give Penny the confidence that Generate UK could build her a fantastic and reputable new website.

Following a scoping meeting to understand Thatcham Jewellers website requirements it was clear that the business required an easy to operate content management system (CMS) so that Penny and her team could update products and create seasonal promotions as and when needed.   Generate CMS was chosen as the system of choice due to its ease of use and flexible platform that allows anyone with a non technical background to manage and develop their own website within in a secure working environment. This would provide Thatcham Jewellers with the control needed and ability to continually develop a professional website.

From a design perspective it was important that the new site represented the style of products on offer which were traditional, fashionable and contemporary. As well as the importance of design it was equally important to allow the user to navigate easily throughout the site, showcasing the products through eight identifiable categories and encourage enquiries. After a number of design concepts Generate UK used the favoured design and integrated it upon Generate CMS and worked with Thatcham Jewellers over the project period to optimise and format the content which they provided. 

Since the launch of the website Thatcham Jewellers have now opened the doors and business to a far greater audience, the World Wide Web and they have already experienced a significant increase in enquiries.
Penny Morgan, Owner of Thatcham Jewellers stated “I was seeking a reputable web company to work with on this new venture as the website represented a substantial investment for the business. It was essential that we invested into a web platform that allowed us to easily manage the site moving forward and allow us to quickly update and build upon the fantastic site we now have. Generate UK really did encapsulate our style and personality as a business and I look forward to working with them again.”  To visit the new website please click here.

If you would like to learn more about this project or to arrange a demo of the Generate UK Content Management System, please call us on 01635 550431.

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It’s a new year, a new decade and time for a new start. My name’s Ian Fergusson and I’ve recently joined the team here at Generate UK as a Marketing Executive. I am on a placement year whilst studying Marketing Advertising and communications at the University of Gloucestershire. I am a born and bred Essex boy, but moved to reading in 2009 to become a telemarketer.  I have previously worked as a Marketing Assistant for an International dental company and as a PR assistant for Chelmsford Borough Council.

I am extremely privileged to be joining Generate UK at this exciting time of growth. 2009 was such a successful period for the company I look forward to seeing what we can achieve in the New Year.  I knew I wanted a career in Marketing since I was 14 years old.  Whilst watching the series ‘Cold Feet’ Helen Baxendale became a career role model for me as her character played a Marketing executive for a publication agency. I have managed to pick up a plethora of skills on my marketing journey and I’m looking forward to learning a ton more at Generate.

The team here at Generate are proud of the success we have achieved throughout 2009 and are working hard to make sure 2010 exceeds its high expectations. Joe Baily summarises 2009 by saying:

“We’re extremely proud of where we are as a business. Our team have worked incredibly hard over the last 12 months, working to understand our customers as well as we possibly can. This approach has enabled us to deliver a profitable year and more importantly enabled us to work with brands such as Honda, NHS, National Trust and Senspa. We have also worked hard to forge relationships with local businesses as well, such as Pine and Oak, Donnington Grove, Q Associates, Chris Fidler, Momentum Windows and many more. It is important to us as a Newbury based business to work with Newbury based customers.”

What does 2010 have in store for Generate UK? First of all Generate UK were asked to take part in a technology programme due to air on the BBC. Keep a close eye on our blog and twitter for our aired date.  2010 will also see the launch of Generate UK’s new website which will reflect Generate UK’s focus on design, development and Internet Marketing capabilities. In March 2010, Generate UK will be back in Newbury for their popular marketing seminars. Further details of this event will be on their website shortly.

Happy New Year to all,
Kind regards,
The Generate UK team.

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