August 6, 2015
We are half way through 2015 and Google algorithms, content strategy and mobilisation are still the buzz words in marketing. But what trends will remain? What will be the most popular? What is the next big thing? In this article The Island wants to give you an overview of what conversations are happening in the world of marketing and what the on-line world is saying the top 10 trends will be in the coming years for marketing. 1. Mobile is going to be front and centre (more than it already is) Evolution in technology and what consumers use mobile tech for makes this one of the major influencers of the trends to come. Mobile tech allows brands to create a more personal relationship with its consumers, wherever they are, and whatever they are doing. 2. Transparency will be key to brand-customer relationships. Right now, customers are looking for more engagement from their favourite brands. Genuine brands, who are straightforward with what they deliver to consumers, will see positive effects of their behaviour. It’s all about a good chat, not a good sell. 3. The demand for quality content will not slow down. Content, especially visual content, will be head of the pack when coming to the online marketing world. The customer is definitely being lead by their eye and, in a way, it feels like a more traditional print attitude to advertising. Grab them with the visual. Additionally, the rate at which a brand can create quality content will have a big impact on their success. 4. Customer produced content will be even more important. The strength of user generated content will surpass that of brand created content as brands start to give marketing power to their customers. From on-line reviews, to social media posts and blogs, brands will need […]
July 30, 2015
The Island are looking for graduate developer to work with us on our exciting projects and websites. Get in touch if you are interested...
July 28, 2015
On-line search engines have been buckling down on calibrating their algorithms to give high quality results based on location. Google is the best at doing this, thanks to an update that rolled out almost a year ago. It is important to know that local search can change your SERP presence but even more so it is important to know how to act on local SEO in the most effective manner […]
July 23, 2015
Welcome to part 2 of our responsive design series, if you missed the first post, be sure to check it out here. In this second post we will talk about some of the benefits responsive design has to offer. 1. Flexible web design No matter what device the user experience will be the same. It helps your business be recognized and to be honest people enjoy a good user experience, there is nothing worse than waiting for ever to load a page or complete a login. Happy customers definitely mean happy business. 2. Cost effective website Compare the cost of ‘owning’ one site or owning two…maths aside, you can easily save money and time as you will be able to concentrate on functions, content and updates for a single website that will work seamlessly across devices. 3. Search engine optimization Google itself recommends a responsive web design and the importance of SEO in today’s market means that everything must be on point. If you use the one website for your business you will be able to concentrate properly and create effective SEO. Also all your results will be in the one place. 4. Improved conversion rates A well designed website that is optimized and consistent will for sure have a positive impact on the conversion rate of your site. People will be familiar with functionality and layout, therefore providing them with a better user experience that translates to engagement. 5. Future viability of your website Responsive sites are made to adapt to different systems and characteristics, meaning it is pretty sure that once designed, and designed properly, it shouldn’t require too much work when newer devices hit the market. This point links back to cost effectiveness. [contact-form-7 id=”400″ title=”The contact form”]
July 21, 2015
As a small business or start-up the first step is to get on-line exposure. Your main goal will be to get more individuals talking and purchasing your products. It doesn’t matter how big your business is. Here is a list of reasons why you should focus your efforts on building your business through SEO. 1. More than 100 billion searches are made every month. This means that every day an average of 3.3 billion searches are performed every day. This is a huge amount of activity. Indeed, even the most modest percent would mean a huge amount of new guests to your little business’ site.With this number of people on-line, why would you not want to be a part of it? 2. SEO Traffic and Sign-ups are free. When you undergo an ad campaign on social media you are linked to your budget. When that runs out so does your exposure. Luckily, organic traffic driven by search results is completely free. Sure, you need to pay an SEO agency or professional to work on the optimization of your website and someone to take care of your content, but these are considerably less costly than a continuous ad campaign. All the content can stay on your website for a long time, but always remember Google loves fresh content, so keep updating to stay relevant. 3. You can become an authority via Hyper-targeted content. One of the most ideal approaches to demonstrate your skills is to be perceived as a power in your field. If everybody on the web knows you have the best content in your industry, then they’ll send individuals to you. 4. You can increase customer engagement and relationship building. Are you of the opinion that content is only for web search tools? You should reconsider. The reason that organizations put […]
June 24, 2015
The Urban Innovation Centre was created to help businesses, academics and city leaders to discuss the regeneration of cities to make them future ready. We have just returned from a presentation there hosted by Nicole Crockett, CEO of The Building Exploratory, and Karen Elmes, Lifelong Learning Manager, who actively encourage people to participate in change at both local and regional levels.
June 23, 2015
The new Partick Thistle mascot is causing some controversy throughout sport and social media. Kingsly, designed by Turner Prize nominated artist David Shrigly, was created to launch the relationship between the club and US investment firm Kingsford Capital. It has to be said that it is unusual for a mascot as it in a line up of other mascots it is probably the last one you would want to cuddle. However, it has achieved massive PR for the club and is line with their motto for next season, “Not so cuddly anymore”. I remember when The Island re-designed Digger, the mascot for London Irish, and how careful we had to be to ensure kids could still associate with him and carry on their idolisation. The new real-life Digger was leaner, and much less dog eared, than the previous one. We unveiled him on the first game of the season at the new Digger’s Pound – a kids’ play area in one of the main concourses. Most kids were pleased to see him, but others thought he had changed a lot. But we were ready. We explained to all the doubters that it was Digger, but he had been in pre-season training with the team and was no much fitter and leaner. That seemed to work. Plus, we had a new cartoon version and a club that the kids could join to feel even more a part of the London Irish family. The bond kids have with the mascot is not to be knocked. They really do love them – as do the parents who like to get their photo taken with them just as much. Partick Thistle sound like they have a few more surprises up their sleeve to continue this new brand message which they hope to really push […]
April 14, 2015
The Island are looking for digital design and developer interns to work with us to continue building the better web for our clients and users. We are offering extremely beneficial work experience across some great projects so please get in touch if this sounds interesting to you.
January 16, 2015
At The Island we work with our clients to setup and implement strategies, designs and processes that make the most of vital digital channels to increase awareness, leads and sales opportunities. Click to find out more