SUGAR Web Services

At SUGAR we offer web services in two main areas, web design and online marketing.

WEB DESIGN

Design is such a broad term. To most people it means the "look and feel" of a website. How the page is laid out and whether the colours match the company logo. The truth of the matter is a great website starts with a well designed information structure.

At SUGAR we start the process of building a website with these kinds of questions. We try to get under the skin of your business and find the best way to represent your services and products online.

Site Planning

How do you explain what you do to a potential customer? Is it easy for a site visitor to find the product they are interested in? At SUGAR we start the process of building a website with these kinds of questions. We try to get under the skin of your business and find the best way to represent your services and products online.

This initial research will allow us to draw up a Site Plan that represents the site structure and main navigation. From this document we move onto the fun part - visuals!

Site Design

A visual is a flat graphic that looks like a completed page in the website. During the design stage of the project these visuals enable us to experiment with different layout ideas and designs. Once this work is completed we will have a "look and feel" that fits your business needs.

HTML Build

Once a design is settled on the hard work begins. At SUGAR all sites are built using the latest web technologies and layout techniques. Our sites are built to meet the latest W3C guidelines for accessibility. We employ the latest CSS layout techniques that help to separate styles from content.

Programming

Any programming work we carry out will be based on the LAMP Open Source platform with databases built in MySQL and code written in PHP.

Additional Services

At SUGAR we offer a number of additional services that support our main development.

• Copywriting - Writing copy for a website is probably one of the most time-consuming aspects of establishing a new site. At SUGAR we can offer the services of a professional copywriter that will both save you time and ensure your site delivers the right message.
• Video for the Web - Video is fast becoming a staple form of communication on the web. With the rise of services like YouTube it is easier then ever to include video is part of your site. At SUGAR we offer video services specifically for the web.
• Audio Podcasts - Podcasting is a new form of online broadcasting that allows anyone to create a show around a topic or a theme and distribute it to the world. Head over to www.thefranchiseshow.net to see one example of a podcast in action.

ONLINE MARKETING

Your new website is up and running... fantastic!
If you leave the site to its own devices the traffic and enquiries will trickle in over time. If you really want to give your website a head start you need to give it a bit of help.

We have developed a number of online marketing services that will help any site enjoy increased traffic, sales and enquiries. At SUGAR we use a mix of the services outlined below:

Keyword Research

Do you know what words your customer would use to find your products or services? At SUGAR we can help you target the right keywords on your site. A keyword "hit list" is the starting point for most of the services outlined below. (Our suggested keywords and key phrases are based on actual search volumes, rather than clever guesswork).

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

Optimising for search engine queries has become an important part of developing a successful website. To achieve reasonable rankings for your main keywords the site copy, meta tags and page structure needs to be setup correctly. (This service can be carried out one a completed site, but will be carried out as part of a new site build)

Link Building

Good quality incoming links are one of the most important factors in determining how a page is ranked in Google. At SUGAR we can advise you on how to establish quality links and often include on-going link building as part of an online marketing campaign.

PPC (Pay Per Click)

We run PPC campaigns on Google, Yahoo and MSN for a number of our clients. Although this can provide instant traffic, at SUGAR our long-term aim is to wean your site off an extensive PPC campaign. The fact is a search result brought up in the natural results is far more cost-effective. However, with the amount of competition for certain keywords and key phrases a PPC campaign can fill in the gaps left by underdeveloped SEO.

Online Press Releases

Building awareness of your services or products online does require a great deal of self-promotion. At SUGAR we work with clients to develop effective press releases and articles that help to spread the word and provide valuable links back into your site.