We are delighted to be working with new brand Ohmies, a company dedicated to helping individuals smoke less through cheaper alternatives. It is estimated that smoking in the UK costs the NHS around £2.5 billion per year and it is a very costly habit for individuals, costing the average person around £3,700 per year to maintain the addiction.
With the rate of smokers not slowing down, we are pleased to working with Ohmies, a new website offering a number of smoking alternatives at affordable prices, helping people get off smoking altogether and helping them save money effectively.
Launching a new eCommerce site
The owners of the site needed a simple eCommerce platform to list all their products, images and payment checkout facilities. Using Shopify, it creates a professional platform for shop owners to design the site, list products and monitor any orders and payments. The site is well adapted to desktop, mobile and tablet and offers a simple navigation so customers can scroll through smoking alternatives effectively.
Using SEO for an eCommerce site
As SEO is our speciality, we took a very methodical approach to help Ohmies optimise their website and boost their rankings on Google for a number of keywords such as ‘smoking alternatives’ and ‘ways to stop smoking.’
To target these keywords, we put together a specialist landing page and added relevant content relating to that key term. This creates relevancy in Google’s eyes and creates a page that they can index effectively.
We ensured that of the hundreds of products featured, every image had specific alt-text so Google could read the image and meta-titles and meta descriptions so each page can be categorised and found by Google.
Acquiring links from other websites is not easy in this highly competitive industry. As a result, we are putting together a number of useful guides about smoking, filled with statistics so that other companies and resources may find it interesting and want to link to it. We then intend to use outreach to ask other websites, resources and guides to link back to the site – helping the site build up its domain and this will strengthen the site’s SEO and its rankings.
How does your business stand out against its competition? In life we can be certain of death and taxes, in business we can also be certain of competition (some businesses do also get away with the whole tax thing). I am sure that there are businesses out there with competitors offering the same service, the same expertise and sometimes even the exact same product. Potential customers also don’t have to go that far to find the competition as Google does such a good job of bringing them all together in search results. In order to stand out when people are comparing businesses, a business needs all of its marketing ducks in a row. It needs a strong and recognisable brand, it needs visibility online with great continuity between its website and social media. A business needs to give potential customers a great experience from beginning to end. On top of all of this, though, a business needs to know when (and how) to make an offer their potential customers can’t refuse. One really good tip is to only make an offer to people who are interested in what you do, and to make the offer specific. What I mean by this is only show your 10% off widgets offer to people who have been on the widget page of your website, only send the ‘buy one get one free’ offer to people who have downloaded your widget brochure, and so on. It might sound obvious but an offer is much more effective if it is made to an audience of interested people. PPC adverts, email marketing, online display retargeting, direct mail and even digital geo fencing are all ways a business can get its offer to these super responsive people. Using these delivery methods with a great offer is an excellent way of standing out from the crowd right at the point a potential customer is choosing who to buy from. It sounds simplistic but this approach does work. If you are interested in understanding the detail of how we do this check out our website, in particular the page titled ‘How do you stand out against your competition?’
Enquiries about ‘seagulls’, which usually relate to the large Herring Gull are certainly on the increase. You just need to read the press and every week you will find a story about these birds causing havoc somewhere on the coast or inland.
The main issues that come from business owners relate to mess, attacks on people and property damage. Typical problems will include bird droppings (guano). Guano is generally known to be a source of bacteria which can be transmitted to humans and ultimately lead to disease. Property issues include blocked gulley’s and drainage problems, however, we also have incidents of gulls pecking through skylights on roofs and attacks on people.
With bird control, you need to put in place a detailed disruption and dispersal programme. Its not a quick fix, it’s a method that over time will reduce the amount of birds or even make the location a bird free zone. The key to success is timing, education and physical deterrents.
In March, Herring Gulls start their nesting season, so it is important to get the plan in place before this time.
During the summer season, Herring Gulls are feeding and protecting their young and under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, you cannot disturb nests, eggs or the young which include trying to disperse the adults leaving the young behind. The gulls will seek out food by any means possible. If you feed the birds, leave unsecured rubbish bags out for collection and drop litter in the street, people will make it easy for the gulls and this will be the main reasons the area is experiencing problems, particularly in the spring and summer seasons. People need to take responsibility over educating others on litter and food.
At the end of every nesting season (usually September until February) all nests and nesting material should be removed from buildings as they will return to breed. Gulls will typically return to site year after year as they are fairly territorial. If chicks also return to ‘their site’, any problems experienced now are only likely to increase in line with an increased volume of birds present, year on year.
This is the key time to implement bird control measures.
Bird exclusion netting
Professionally installed bird netting protects buildings without harming birds. The netting will act as a barrier preventing the birds from landing on the building roof. Our team design and install bespoke bird netting systems based on a site survey and when completed they typically don’t need much maintenance.
Bird repellent gel
Bird deterrent gels are non-toxic, they do not harm the birds and are much more discreet than netting. Birds are deterred from landing on a surface by the UV light reflected from the gel. We apply the gel to small dishes at close intervals and will remain effective for at least two years even in harsh climates.
Laser control
Enter the world of technology. Laser control is a very effective way of managing bird issues. An approaching laser beam appeals to the survival instinct of birds, causing them to fly away immediately. One laser system installed on a roof can cover up to 3,000 acres and reach 2,500 meters in the right conditions. The lasers are programmed to operate on various roofs and at set intervals during dawn and dusk. We have had major successes with this method at Sizewell Power Station. One laser has significantly reduced the number of gulls present at this facility.
Dispersal of Gulls using Distress Calls
Another method of dispersing birds is using a device which transmits digitally stored distress calls. The system we use has 9 different bird distress calls, including different gull species, starlings and pigeons. When sounded the birds will lift, circle around where the distress call is coming from, look for a predator below and start to feel that the area is unsafe as they cannot locate anything. These systems are available as a portable megaphone or can be hardwired on a timer. This is the same system as used at airports to keep birds away from runways reducing the risks of bird-strikes.
What is the law?
All wild birds, their nests, eggs and chicks are protected by law (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981). Even an empty unoccupied nest may not be removed within the breeding season.
However, in very particular circumstances property owners can have Herring Gull nests and eggs removed by a specialist contractor, under the terms of a Natural England General Licence. This may include:
It must be for reasons only of public health or public safety. (Nuisance, noise or mess are not legal reasons for removal).
Other legal methods of resolving the public safety issue have been tried and were unsuccessful or impractical.
Our advice is to start looking to plan a programme which will commence in September. We are happy to provide a free survey and quotation. Please get in touch by calling us on 0800 980 9767 or via our website.
nor(DEV):con 2019 Call For Speakers Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd February 2019 Kings Centre 63-75 King Street Norwich NR1 1PH nor(DEV):con, the Norfolk Developers Conference is back for 2019 and stronger than ever with new tracks and an updated format. nor(DEV):con is Norfolk and Norwich’s premier and most well attended conference for everyone involved in software development and business. Call for Speakers The call for speakers is open from now until Friday 28th of September 2018. To submit a proposal, please send an email to [email protected] with the following:
Session Title
Session abstract
Session topics:
Pre-conference workshop
Tech
Process
Workshop
Stephen Fry
Business
Lightning talk
Session length
45 min presentation
90 minute presentation
90 minute hands on workshop
Full day hands on workshop
5 minute Lightning talk
Technical level
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Business
Speaker(s) Bio
Availability for Thursday 21st (full day workshops only), Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd February.
Further information will be required if you proposal is accepted. Conference Topics Pre-Conference Full Day Workshops We’re looking for three full day pre-conference hands on workshops. These should be on a software development or process theme and we’re looking for one beginner, one intermediate and one advanced workshop. Pre-conference workshops attract between 5 and 30 people. Tech Track We’re looking for 45 minute and 90 minute beginners, intermediate and advanced presentations primarily on coding, techniques and libraries. This year we’re particularly keen to include a few Blockchain sessions. Process Track Rather than just concentrating on Agile, this year we have a process track for any type of software development process. Yes, you can even propose a session on Waterfall if you’re feeling brave! Stephen Fry Track Software Development is more than just code and practices. It’s about people. And people are not logical entities that follow easily understood rules. We’re illogical, irrational, and tend to shy away from difficult subjects like mental illness, inequality, and bias. This track looks at the softer side of Software Development, at the people, how they interact, and how we can work with the whole gamut of humanity, because it’s not just Stephen Fry who has manic depression. Workshop Track We’re looking for 90 minute hands on workshops for up to 20 people. These can be on any of the topics above and delegates bring their own laptops. Business Track The business track is the track for everyone! We’re looking for business based sessions with a technical slant. Lightning Talks On the Friday evening during the wine reception, which will be in the main hall, we’ll also be opening the floor to lightning talks. A lightning talk is a 5 minute presentation and we encourage new speakers as well as experienced speakers to present. Speakers Package
Free entry to the Friday and Saturday sessions at the conference
Free entry to the Friday night speakers dinner
Travel and accommodation at the discretion of the conference organise
When was the last time you made a decision to buy something significant without doing some investigation first? When did you last buy a ‘big thing’ without looking at the options or comparing the price? Before the internet this ‘research’ was done on the high street or maybe over the phone with a copy of the Yellow Pages to guide you. While I bet few people are calling bookshops asking for Fly Fishing by J R Hartley, it is searched for more than 200 times a month online. Just like people looking for fictional fishing books the first place you probably do your ‘research’ now is Google. You go there to type in either the name of the business/product you’re looking for, or if you haven’t yet chosen, the type of thing that you want. You are not alone. These two methods of search are the most common; they are sometimes referred to as known search or generic search. For example, if you want shoes you might search for ‘Big Dave’s Shoe Shop’ or ‘Shoe shops near me’. You either know Big Dave and want his shoes or you don’t know Big Dave but still want shoes. Both of these searches are crucial to Big Dave because he just wants to sell shoes. This kind of activity means a business needs a website and that website needs to be optimised to show up on a search engine… Search Engine Optimisation. If you already spend money on newspaper ads, radio ads, outdoor advertising and aren’t seeing that convert into customers then the first thing to look at is what happens when someone hears your ad on the radio… I bet they Google you. If they do, what do they see? SEO isn’t optional anymore – especially if most of your marketing is done offline. If you want people who see your offline advertising to reach your business you need SEO. If this has piqued your interest, and you want to know more, go and have a read of how we get SEO to drive results for small business on our website.
“It was an invaluable and pretty unique experience”Here at Naked Element we’re big into supporting the future of tech, and that means young people. One work experience recruit was Chelsea, an ambitious school student who went on to be accepted at Oxford to study Computer Science. We couldn’t be more proud! Here she tells us a little about her journey and what inspired her to take up tech and join Naked Element for some real world experience.How did you start your work experience with Naked Element? One of my teachers at school was friends with Paul Grenyer (MD of Naked Element), and I was looking around for any work experience in the tech/computing/software industry. I had begun thinking about what I wanted to do in the future and had begun thinking of going into a technology based career. I was introduced to Paul and he asked me what I wanted out of the experience and offered me work experience. After completing a week, he offered to let me come and do another week of paid work! What skills did you bring to Naked Element do you think? Not sure I brought too many skills but I had some previous programming experience with python and a tiny bit in Java. I’d done my fair share of teamwork and group projects but this was definitely my first experience in a ‘work’ / ‘professional’ environment. What did your work experience entail? I was really surprised when I arrived on my first day and was given a real project to work on, and actual code to edit. It was a vastly different experience to other placements I had done and I loved the hands on experience. I got to work on a couple of projects including one that would manage your social media posts. What was really interesting for me was seeing the difference between the theory we learn in class and how it’s actually implemented in real life, such as client and server side processing. When I came in I thought I would be completely out of my depth, but even though I didn’t understand Java to start with everyone at Naked Element was willing to take the time to explain to me how something worked and what it was doing. Even being given a task as simple as going through previous code and fixing mistakes or inefficient parts was a useful experience for me and has helped in me checking to make sure my A Level coursework is as efficient as possible! Were there any stand out moments during your time with the company? Definitely the best part about the work experience was the hands on nature of it. I definitely had never had work experience that was so hands on, it would often just be tours of the departments etc. But with Naked Element I actually got to look and work on code for live projects. What did you learn while at Naked Element? I learnt a lot on my work experience. I got a serious introduction to Java and experience with JavaScript and CSS as well as what a career in Software Development could entail. As well as the actual tech aspects of the experience. I learnt a lot about the business management side of things and it was interesting going to one of the talks and training sessions and learning how to better advertise the company. It was also brilliant being introduced to other tech companies around Norwich and seeing how they interact. What made you choose Oxford? I’ve always been pretty ambitious, and I wanted to apply for Oxford on the chance I got in. The opportunities a degree from Oxford would provide would be almost unmatched and I adore the city. I’d also enjoyed looking round on the open days and the taster lectures I had. I currently hold an offer to study Computer Science at Jesus College, I just need to get the grades now!! Do you think your time with Naked Element helped with your application? I definitely think it helped, it was an invaluable and pretty unique experience that helps make you stand out from the thousands of others who apply. I know a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to get work experience. Do you have any plans for your career future yet? I’m not sure about a career future. After my work experience I’m definitely looking at software development. I also like the idea of working in cyber security or even AI. I think Computer Science opens up a vast field of job prospects and I haven’t quite got around to choosing one just yet. Luckily I don’t have to. Do you have any advice for other young people interested in tech? Firstly go out and get experience. It’s not easy but there’s no harm in asking and you’re not going to find what you enjoy or what you’re good out without trying things out. I don’t think there is any harm in broadening your skills and any experience is good experience.
The future is within touching distance withh EE confirming that their 5G rollout could be available in late 2019. The general expectation is that 5G will be a reality for most of the UK by the mid 2020’s. What will this mean in reality? A 5G connection will allow you to download a full HD movie in 10 seconds, 4G would take 10 minutes. More significant is that this brings into reality driverless cars, drone delivery, a true Internet of Things with the ability to connect to all sorts of devices wherever you are. This will herald a new technology revolution with consequences we can only guess at
Most commecially run kitchens do not have the benefit of a bespoke suppresion system to protect the kitchen appliances, staff and ongoing business continuity. These notes are for the benefit of those in catering who run a commercial kitchen or for those management staff who are responsible for a business where a commercial kitchen is a key and fundamental part of the daily activites for the business
The dedicated system linked to the main house fire alarm will extinguish a canopy fire and orevent re-flash to minimise damage in the kitchen and reduce the risk to the staff working within
Canopy protection systems should be considered in all of the following environments as part of the overall fire safety program.
Hotels, Schools state and private, Care Homes, Pubs, larger Sports Centres , larger manufacturing plants with an in house catering provision for staff should all be assessed correctly to look at both the life safety and consequential loss issues for having canopy protection.
Whilst the building regulations are a little vague as to the use of a canopy packages and most risk assessors don’t request it as they defer to the BCO, the use of canopy protection must be given far more serious consideration for a variety of reasons. From a life safety position a canopy package for a commercial kitchen that carries as a typical layout x 2 chip fryers with 25L of fat, plus a 6 burner grill and griddle and salamander grill, an automated suppression system is far more appropriate than expecting staff to try and tackle a chip fire with a wet chemical extinguisher.
What do you do when the extinguisher is empty ? and what do you do if, after the extinguisher has been exhausted there is an issue of reflash.
From the position of the clients insurance provider, they will not want staff trying to put out anything more than a small bin fire due to the potential for an employers liability claim being made in the event that a member of staff tries to put out a fire and ends up with injuries.
Furthermore looking at things from the insurance providers position they will also look at the potential for a large and costly consequential loss claim for kitchen damage that prevents the kitchen being used for what might be several weeks following a relatively small fire.
For the client to consider the the potential costs of hiring in a portable kitchen, or trying to bring in food from an outside source will run into many thousands even for only a few weeks.
There is a clear life safety issue within a commercial kitchen environment for the use of automated suppression and that FRA’s do not make references to its application are really not giving the client the very best guidance.
Best practice and diligent design would have a canopy package included within whatever the L or P system was being installed with interface links for its connection to the main “house” system, not to do so is both weak in terms of the assessment and taking a to narrow view of the issues specific to the site in terms of both potential staff injury’s and a very large insurance claim in the event that the kitchen is written off before the brigade arrive and can deal with it.
Within the kitchen areas there are 2 other issues which will also need to be addressed 1. Enhanced escape lighting in what the assessment should deem a hazardous area 2. VAD units for the fire alarm under EN54 Part 23 with a validated DB test to assess the ambient noise
Cost effective and tax friendly funding is available to cover these types of projects (subject to the usual acceptance) so please feel free to contact me be you a contractor or end user to discuss in confidence where and how Veritas can help you
We don’t just create industry-changing software for big businesses, we can also pick up smaller jobs that need a quick result. Naked Element recently completed a minor job for Thyngs, a digital consumer engagement company based in Norwich. With our flexible team, experienced in development and design, we were able to turn the work around in a matter of hours. Niall, head of marketing at Thyngs, said “we needed some urgent, short-term support with some updates we needed to make to our website. We know Paul and the team, and he was responsive and eager to help.” Our designer/developer Shelley stepped in to get the job done. “Thyngs wanted some new pages added to their existing website, all in the same format, and they wanted their homepage amended slightly. Niall was lovely, easy to talk to and clear in what he wanted, which meant there were no snags or issues to worry about!” Even though it was only a few hours work, Naked Element still have a reputation for quality. “Everyone was very professional and proactive” said Niall, “I would absolutely recommend Naked Element to companies in need of similar support” Even the smallest job deserves dedication!
Norfolk-based creative office design company, Bluespace, have been working closely with Norwich City Football Club to transform their Player’s Lounge at the Colney Training Centre. When the company was approached by the football club, Bluespace were over the moon and snapped up the opportunity to work with the pride of Norwich and develop an area with the purpose of increasing team motivation and productivity. This is what the commercial interior design company in Norwich has to say about their experience:
The premises for Norwich City Football Club’s Player’s Lounge is a large conservatory. Our vision was to turn the space into a modern break out area where the team can rejuvenate after training. When planning this commercial interior design project, we had several ideas to achieve the homely, yet modern space they wanted to provide for the team. A soft colour palette to create a fresh look, warm lighting to increase the comfort levels and simple accessories to add a finishing touch, including; large televisions, mini fridges, and large drum light shades which draw the eye from the spacious conservatory roof.
By carefully selecting different pieces of luxury office furniture for the Player’s Lounge, we were able to incorporate a professional outlook for any team/business meetings that may be held here, as well as ensuring the room remained a communal and enjoyable area. With high-back gaming chairs, a staple corner sofa and a square picnic table; we’ve created a space where players can socialise and discuss match tactics, while letting off steam after an intense training session.
We already have plans to work with Norwich City Football Club again, as we start planning the design for the First Team’s restaurant and the administration offices at the training centre. We’re proud that Norwich City Football Club are happy with the work we have carried out for the training centre and look forward to continuing to build a professional relationship with them.
“It’s brilliant and Bluespace have done an extraordinary job. The lads now have a space to relax, and we’re really happy to have this opportunity. We want hard and professional work, but you have to keep in mind they are human beings. There is a lot of load and it’s important to have a familiar space where they can calm down that feels like home.” – Daniel Farke, Head Coach for Norwich City Football Club.
Tudor Lodge is pleased to be helped with the launch of Yu Life, a new innovative insurance tech company that aims to be the UK’s first ‘lifestyle insurance business.’ Companies are able to buy life insurance for their employees and promote their wellbeing by offering rewards through the Yu Life app. Employees will receive discounts and added benefits for keeping fit and completing a certain number of miles walked, helping employers demonstrate their care for their employees’ wellbeing.
What We Are Doing For Yu Life
The website Yu Life (https://www.yulife.com/) has launched in the UK this summer and the first priority is to help the company rank for its own brand name. With lots of PR generated, we have had to take a methodical approach to follow up each journalist and ensure that there is a link pointing to the site. This demonstrates to Google that the site is relevant and with good links from several sources, it shows that the site is worthy of ranking for its own name and indeed other relevant keywords.
In addition, we have aimed on bulking up the site with more content. Naturally, a site with 30 pages is going to perform better than a site with only 5 pages (generally speaking) and we have made sure that each page is optimised with the corrent meta-titles, descriptions, h tags and internal links to maximise SEO results.
Keyword Research and Content
With an overlap of life insurance, employee benefits and wellbeing, we have sat down with the Yu Life team to come up with a number of keywords that the website can target on Google. Specifically those that will help convert customers and employers to take out life insurance policies for their staff – not for the sake of just ranking on Google anyway.
Our keyword analysis has been achieved through a variety of tools including Keyword Research Tool and Keywords Everywhere and competitor analysis of other websites. Once we have determined the keywords to target, we then simply dedicate a landing page of around 500 pages specifically to target those phrases. One must be careful not to create too many landing pages or overlapping the keywords, but finding a very focused approached.
Whilst it is still early days, the build up of links and content is starting to take place and no doubt we will be able to add value to Yu Life’s SEO and through their quest to becoming a household name.
Based on current trends, brand experience is expected to surpass price point and product as the key differentiator of brands by 2020. Contemporary markets have moved away from simply wanting a product or service, they want an experience. Claiming to be the ‘best’ or the ‘cheapest’ no longer has the same allure as offering genuine and immersive customer experience, whatever your industry. Cue experiential marketing, also known as engagement marketing or events marketing, this strategy directly involves clients and consumers in the development of a brand, products and the marketing itself. This strategy hinges on building genuine relationships between business and client, through connection. Proponents of this strategy suggest that it is in the live, shareable and intimate interactions with a business that clients develop this relationship, and when used effectively, it is this relationship that will drive brand loyalty and return business.
Live events lend themselves perfectly to this aim, providing a platform to cultivate relationships, share experiences and begin to nurture a three dimensional dialogue with clients. However as with any relationship, quality should be sough above quantity, with give and take a crucial aspect of engaging meaningfully with clients. A traditional sales approach may see a salesperson approach a client, inserting themselves into their experience often creating an intrusive and disruptive atmosphere. Experiential marketing is the opposite of this, it is understanding the experience of the client in a ‘customer-centric’ approach, communicating in meaningful, relevant and of course interesting way. By doing so, not only is the traditional 1D ‘shark attack’ style sales approach left behind, but the 2D dialogue has the potential to develop into a shared 3D experience which is less transactional and more about the journey for both provider & client.
In recent years there have been a growing number of great applications of the experiential marketing approach. As part of the Molson Red Leaf Project an illuminated sustainable dance floor was used to create an alluring spectacle which linked participants to a wider theme of sustainability. With each step generating 24 watts of electricity, crowds were encouraged to twist, tango and tap across the floor whilst branded digital energy meters tracked the energy generated and celebrated the achievement of targets. Jones Soda invites regular customers to send in photos which they feature on personalised packaging, or if particularly jaw-dropping can even make their way onto a limited run of mainstream packing too. Japanese snack company Tohato launched two competing snack flavours in an award-winning advertising campaign in 2007, calling on customers to engage in an online multiplayer game to decide the winning flavour. Experiential marketing strategy can clearly be implemented across many mediums, with technological advances increasing how far offline and online tools can be leveraged.
Live events have long formed the perfect touch-stone to consolidate relationships, with IoT and immersion technology bridging real and digital worlds simultaneously so no member of your growing community is left out. Since the 90s we have advocated strategies that are now recognised as experiential marketing. From the ‘terawatt challenge’ at The Energy Event to an award-winning build incorporating an ‘IT Disaster Recovery’ off-road safari at BCI World conference, we take pride in developing meaningful, inventive and relevant experiences for our clients. If you would like more information on how we can help you or how to bring experiential marketing into your events, let’s get in touch.