Tag Archives: website

News

New distribution deal set to provide export boost for Goodfellow

A surge in demand for specialist metals and materials to support global R&D projects has seen Goodfellow hit a new export milestone.

The majority of the company’s current revenue is now sent overseas to 60 different countries and it is planning for a further 50% boost in the Iberian market after signing a new distribution agreement with MicroPlanet.

The deal will strengthen its presence in a key territory that is currently home to a significant amount of research and high value manufacturing that requires some of the 170,000 different metals and materials distributed from its Ermine Business Park facility.

Both firms share several synergies and values, including world class customer service, speed of response, quality products and the importance of investing in technical knowledge and support.

The agreement comes at an exciting time for Goodfellow, who has also just rebranded for the first time in over 45 years and launched a new client-centric website (www.goodfellow.com).

“Export has been at the core of our offering for decades and, as such, we invest heavily in ensuring we have a strong ‘local’ presence on the ground in key markets,” explained Simon Kenney, Chief Executive Officer of Goodfellow.

“This is achieved by great distributors like MicroPlanet in Iberia and through other agreements we have in place with Goodfellow GmbH, SARL and Corp in the USA. Understanding different markets and their customer requirements is critical to our expansion, with international sales increasing each year.”

He went on to add: “Our ongoing investment in stockholding, our expert team of technical scientists and bespoke processing services continue to be a valuable resource for R&D departments and scientific specialists looking to push the boundaries of innovation that achieve cutting-edge applications all over the world.

“These include new opportunities in fusion energy, battery technology, space exploration and a new cancer treatment.”

Goodfellow, which employs more than 100 people at its site in Huntindgon, has also pressed the button on new branding to reflect the modern-day image of the business.

Inspiration for the new design was taken from the baseline of the firm’s products at a nano, microscopic and macroscopic level, with the shapes corresponding to rods, tubes, balls and beads.

These spheres are collated together to form the brand icon that sits above the new Goodfellow strapline of ‘Advanced Materials, Innovation Delivered’.

This marketing milestone for the business comes at the same time as the new website launch, an extensive project that has taken nine-months to complete and has involved pretty much every member of the team.

The concept is to create an immersive site that showcases the ethos of the company, acts as a unique technical guide for R&D and scientific experts and, importantly, makes it easy for existing and new customers to navigate the 170,000 different products it can supply.

Claire Hartley, Chief Marketing Officer, continued: “Linking the website with a dynamic visual identity, which has the potential to bring other brands in underneath it, was extremely important for us as we look to grow further across the world and deliver a best-in-class user experience.

“It’s an integral part of the marketing mix and a new way for us to continuously improve the way we engage with our growing client base.”

She concluded: “There will be lots of new content, new project launches and improved frequency of customer communications to educate and add value. This will be in person, at events, webinars and through our new podcast series.”

News

Storyblok helps DW Drums play a modern beat with its digital presence

Storyblok, the content management system (CMS) category leader, today announced that DW Drums, a drum manufacturer endorsed by the world’s top drummers, is using its CMS to modernize their content operations.

DW Drums partnered with the digital agency Domaine to build an entirely new digital presence that includes a native e-commerce platform for the very first time.

Stacey Taylor, Digital Production Manager at DW Drums, said: “There’s always a story behind the music. Storyblok makes it easy for our entire team to create content and tell stories about our products and artists in an appealing way that our customers can connect with.”

Alanna Churchard, Director of Engineering at Domaine, added: “Using Storyblok for content management and Shopify for e-commerce is a powerful combination. We’ve only completed the first phase of DW Drums’ digital transformation, so there’s much more to come. Storyblok is so easy to use that part of our vision is to have the artists use it to post visual and written content on their own.”

Storyblok, DW Drums, and Domaine are all attending Shoptalk in Las Vegas between March 17-20, 2024. Stop by Storyblok’s booth (#500) to learn more about DW Drums’ digital transformation.

News

Web design agency moves to new HQ and takes fresh direction in 25th year

A WEB design agency celebrating 25 years in business has expanded after opening new offices.

Based at Hanover House in St Asaph, Designweb grew its team last year having secured a raft of clients in multiple sectors across the UK and overseas.

Director Paul Lyons, from Rhyl, has also developed the company’s offering to focus solely on the development, hosting, and support of WordPress websites, in addition to existing digital marketing services, including SEO and consultancy.

Collaborating with businesses such as Be Social UK, Radar PR and Sales Geek North Wales – whose director Aaron Sussex worked closely with Paul on the innovative strategy and growth of Designweb in past months – has put the company in a strong position moving into the Spring.

The 46 year-old dad-of-three, married to Kate, is now looking to take the company to the next level.

“Approaching such a landmark anniversary gave us the impetus to reflect on our services and focus on how we can do even more for current and prospective clients,” said Paul.

“We have emerged from the pandemic with a clear vision and now concentrate on SME business websites using WordPress (and WooCommerce) given the expertise of our team and it is the most used application on the internet.”

He added: “Taking a step back with Aaron and the team has been a learning curve but incredibly useful and inspiring.

“Refreshing aspects of the business and the services we provide – including our hosting packages, search engine optimisation, and consultancy – has been a breath of fresh air and is already receiving a positive response as we welcome new customers and strengthen the connections we have in place with some of the leading organisations in Wales, the UK and beyond.”

With customer service at the core of its plans, Designweb has won business in many different arenas over the last 25 years – including education, manufacturing, childcare, engineering, and hospitality – and Paul says their dedication has never shown signs of wavering.

“If anything, we are more determined than ever to go the extra mile,” he added.

“This year has already seen us secure new clients, including a Danish marine and infrastructure company and a Merseyside-based wind turbine installation partner.

“Given the pressure on all organisations – notably in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and economic challenges – providing value for money and being at the forefront of advances in technology is crucial, as well as giving users the best online experience possible.

“Whether it’s branding, web design, ecommerce, digital marketing and complementary services, we can give clients a unique end-to-end experience thanks to our talented and experienced team and our renewed focus on providing a fast, secure and reliable platform for hosting our clients’ websites.”

For more information, visit the website www.designweb.co.uk or email mail@designweb.co.uk. Alternatively, call 01745 508588 and follow them on social media at @design_web.

E-Commerce, News, North of England

Trio of planet-friendly Dragon’s Den brands sign to Leeds Shopify Agency

Leeds-based web design and development agency, That Works, has recently signed up three former Dragon’s Den brands. 

The Shopify Plus agency is working with UpCircle, PÄRLA and HomeThings to grow their e-commerce offering and improve the digital customer experience through custom Shopify design and development. 

UpCircle previously appeared in the den in 2018, seeking investment for their eco-friendly beauty and cosmetics company. The circular brand transforms ingredients that would otherwise be discarded into natural, organic beauty products. 

Since attracting three offers in the den, UpCircle has grown significantly. The brand’s products are now sold in several UK and global high street stores and online retailers including Beauty Bay, FeelUnique, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Holland & Barrett.

PÄRLA featured on Dragon’s Den to pitch their revolutionary toothpaste tabs company. Toothpaste tubes can take 500-700 years to biodegrade and an estimated 1.5 billion go to landfills or end up in the ocean each year. PÄRLA’s mission is to eliminate single-use toothpaste tube waste with its sustainable solution and packaging that can be infinitely recycled.

Post-Dragon’s Den – the eco-friendly toothpaste tab brand has seen huge success, with its products now stocked in Sainsbury’s and Boots.

PÄRLA managing director, Adam Parker commented: “I was impressed by That Works’ extensive portfolio of work, no-nonsense approach and deep expertise in everything related to Shopify.”

HomeThings, a sustainable cleaning supplies company received a joint investment from Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones in 2021 to aid the brand’s growth. Their key product offering includes an effervescent cleaning tablet which dissolves in water to combat unnecessary plastic waste from cleaning product packaging.

William Brightman, co-founder of UpCircle said: “Having seen the capabilities of That Works for other brands, we wanted to reach out and see if they could help us improve our website offering. The process has been seamless from start to finish and they have created some fantastic functionality that we are excited to deploy on-site.”

Jordan explained: “It’s amazing to be working on the Shopify stores for three purpose-driven companies who all had really positive experiences on Dragon’s Den. And it’s even better that they each have a unique overarching mission to reduce waste and have a positive impact on the planet and align with our own company values at That Works.

“We’re on a mission to grow exponentially throughout 2022 and work with more exciting companies both me and our team love to work with. Having recently started to receive interest from international companies, signing e-commerce brands up as far as the Middle East, it gives me great confidence we will deliver on our mission.” adds Jordan.

Founded in 2018 by young entrepreneur, Jordan Hill, aged 23, That Works has quickly gained traction in the UK for its expertise in User Experience (UX) design and development on the Shopify Plus platform. The growing agency already works with a number of e-commerce giants including other recently acquired brands such as Sofa Club and Razzl Dazzl Hair.

News, Transport

Coach Hire Comparison on course for record year as bookings soar

A coach hire price comparison website is on track for a record year as bookings surge amid the travel industry’s ongoing revival.

Coach Hire Comparison provided more than 26,000 quotes between January and March, with bookings totalling £1.4m.

More than 10,000 quotes were provided in March, the highest monthly total since the business was established in 2010 by husband-and-wife team James and Laura Stokes.

James said he expects bookings for the year as a whole to reach £5.5m – double the 2021 figure, which was itself a record as the travel industry bounced back following the easing of COVID restrictions.

Alongside the travel revival, improvements to Coach Hire Comparison’s offering have driven growth, including an enhanced Away from Base service that enables operators to utilise their vehicles during a stay at a destination.

Coach Hire Comparison, which is based in Shirland, Derbyshire, works with over 200 independent coach and minibus operators across England, Scotland and Wales. The figure has risen by over 25 per cent since the autumn. Operators pay a monthly fee to be listed on the website.

James said: “We anticipated that 2022 would be our busiest ever year, but I don’t think anyone in the industry would have predicted the first quarter would see as much demand as there has been. It certainly surpassed our expectations.”

Events such as horse racing’s Cheltenham Festival in March – the first time since 2020 that fans have been allowed to attend – helped drive Coach Hire Comparison’s stellar performance. Around 200 coaches were booked through the site, double the usual number for the four-day festival.

A resurgence in air travel has led to a sharp increase in airport transfers, while demand for school trips, corporate bookings and music festivals has continued to grow. James said bookings for stag and hen party trips have also soared.

“Many hen and stag groups have opted to stay in the UK rather than face the hassle of organising overseas trips. Also, given rising fuel costs, they have tended to travel together by minibus or coach to their destination, rather than separately in cars,” he said.

“Our enhanced Away from Base offering has also stimulated bookings, as it offers operators an excellent way to utilise vehicles which are in another part of the country for a few days awaiting a return journey. They are able to advertise the availability of their coaches and minibuses while they are there.

“For example, an operator is taking a party from the London area to Blackpool for this coming weekend and, due to high fuel prices, opted to have the driver and coach remain in the resort rather than return to base empty and then having to go and pick up the group three nights later.

“The company took advantage of Away from Base to advertise that the coach would be there, and secured a booking within 24 hours to take fans from the north west to Wembley and back for the FA Cup Semi-final between Liverpool and Manchester City this coming weekend.

“Away from Base has been really well received and has had a marked impact on booking levels.

“We are also seeing other initiatives bearing fruit and driving activity, including the rebrand we undertook during the first Covid lockdown in 2020 and ongoing investment to improve our processes and enhance the user experience. The work we have done during the pandemic with creative agency Fluid Ideas is really paying off.

“Our strong performance in the first three months of 2022, the development of our website and technical enhancements, as well as increasing number of operators using our service, gives us great confidence for the full year and beyond.”

Operators using the Coach Hire Comparison website are typically small, owner-driver businesses with up to five vehicles, ranging from eight-seater minibuses to double decker coaches.