Qtr 1 review: six beautifully designed websites now live
Posted on 14th April 2021
It's been a busy few months since the start of 2021, with several websites being designed for local clients in York, Wetherby, Acomb, Bradford and Knaresborough. We couldn't include them all in just one post, but we've selected six that were very interesting, and in some cases quite challenging, to work on. Here they are below, in no particular order!
Story Craft Theatre (max website design package)
Story Craft Theatre is owned and managed by two professional actors who run storytelling and crafting sessions, along with themed parties, for children across York. The company recently decided to start providing these activities online to widen their target audience, but found that their old website wasn't up to the job. The main problem was that the website was hard to navigate, and was a bit disorganised in terms of structure and content. The site also performed poorly on mobile devices.
Here at it'seeze York, we were tasked with creating a fun, interactive website that would attract local mums, predominantly. But it was important that the new website design had a premium feel to it, to convey the unique value that Story Craft Theatre offers. We came up with a vibrant and exciting, yet classy design, with plenty of movement to grab attention. The owners were thrilled with the result.
"I can not recommend Garry enough. He listed to what we wanted and produced a website better than we could have imagined! We have now doubled our bookings and receive numerous compliments about our website."
Janet, Story Craft Theatre
The Decorating Centre (shop website design package)
The Decorating Centre is an independent supplier of paints and wallpapers, based in Wetherby. The shop was doing very well at its physical retail premises, but was only selling a very small selection of paints online. The old website wasn't performing as well as it should, so the client wanted to relaunch it, with a more comprehensive and slick online store that would promote its new flagship offering (Benjamin Moore paints) as well as some other leading paint brands.
This website presented quite a challenge for it'seeze because the Benjamin Moore paint range is available in some 3,500 individual paint colours, not to mention a whole host of variants. Our design team created a bespoke 'Colour Picker' tool and a clear customer journey sales funnel. This allows potential buyers to pick their perfect paint shade and then choose their finish depending on the area being painted.
Since the website's launch, it's already greatly exceeded the client's expectations in terms of sales generated.
"The new website has transformed our online sales business, surpassing our initial sales goals without any paid promotion. This was a significant investment for The Decorating Centre and it's certainly paying off even in these early days. We're confident that by the end of the year, our online sales will have grown tremendously. Thank you Garry!"
Hayley, Project Manager, The Decorating Centre
Acomb Working Men's Club and Institute (plus website design package)
With more than 1,000 members, Acomb Working Men's Club provides a fantastic community facility to the people of Acomb and York's surrounding areas. Around 200-300 regulars already support the club week after week. The club committee and secretary realised that in order to build on their success, they needed to attract the younger generation and open up the club to new areas.
As the club didn't have a website in place, it made sense to start by building a modern online presence. We developed a classy brochure website that 'speaks' to the younger generation through clean, contemporary colours and images that reflect the scope of the club's events, such as concerts and parties.
"Brilliant firm, very knowledgeable from start to finish. Excellent value and they don't push you into things you don't need or want."
Richard, Club Secretary, Acomb Working Men's Club
Tailormade Creative Design Ltd (max website design package)
Tailormade Creative Design is a leading, specialist, own brand greeting card publisher based in Bradford. The company provides greeting cards to major supermarket chains like Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, as well as The Works and some charities. Alongside greeting cards, this client produces gift bags, wrapping paper and gift-related stationery.
With no existing website in place, Tailormade Creative Design needed to develop a professional online presence to increase brand awareness and to generate interest from buyers across multi-site retailers and UK charities. The design brief was to create a website that felt both corporate and personal to reflect the target market and also the products themselves, which are creative and personal.
Our it'seeze team came up with a sophisticated and interesting design, with modern typography, a muted colour palette and strong images that avoided stereotypes (no flat, boring cards to be seen).
"Exceptional patience and understanding of our requirements. Very fast and responsive to all comments and website needs. Great work."
Craig, Tailormade Creative Design Ltd
Knaresborough Now LLP (max website design package)
Knaresborough Now and Wetherby Now are print and online publications that advertise local businesses in Knaresborough, Wetherby and surrounding villages. Although the client had a website in place, they felt it was too cluttered and complicated to adequately serve the needs of the local business community.
What the client wanted was a simpler, slicker, more interactive website that showcased their magazines effectively and that included clear call-to-actions to encourage local firms to advertise in their online business directory. We created an easy-to-navigate site, with clear buttons, scrolling banners and interactive flip-books to allow visitors to skim through the magazines online.
"Absolutely loving our new website! Much clearer and our customer feedback has been amazing. Can't thank you guys enough."
Rachel, Knaresborough Now LLP
Johnson Insurance Services (max website design package)
Johnson Insurance Services is a small, independent insurance broker based in York. The firm mainly specialises in insurance for the agriculture, construction and equine industries, plus private clients. The old website wasn't mobile-friendly and looked templated, rather than bespoke.
We were asked to develop a website that delivered a strong first impression, while positoning the business as being small, personable and professional. The new site uses several striking and inspiring images and conveys the personable aspect through a clever strapline and the About Us copy. The website is fully responsive and works perfectly across all devices and screen sizes.
"Highly recommended. Garry understood what I was looking for and Becca designed a super website. They were receptive to new ideas and made the process incredibly easy. Thank you it'seeze!"
Max, Johnson Insurance Services
Bring on quarter 2!
Nothing pleases us more than helping our local clients take their businesses to the next level. And that's exactly what a good website can do. It can generate more sales, strengthen brand awareness and increase customer engagement.
We'll post another update at the end of quarter two to showcase some more websites we're working on. Are you ready to ramp up your own online presence? We have website packages to suit all requirements and budgets. Get in touch with Garry, your local it'seeze consultant to discuss your needs.
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