Articles: XT Design Studio

ARTICLES

Bringing you the latest business-focused design insights and inspiration each week.

Why Brands Are Vital to Business Success

17 Jun 2010

If you peek under the hood of most successful companies, you'll find a small business that grew a brand over time....

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Why Taking Care of Yourself is Good for Your Business

14 Jun 2010

Of all the lessons I've had to learn in my business (and trust me there have been many) this is probably one of the hardest for me, and one I have to make a point of remembering....

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Advertising online - social media’s opportunities

10 Jun 2010

The flourishing of social networking and other social media present advertisers with new challenges and immense opportunities....

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Four Basic Ways to Getting More Customers

06 Jun 2010

The good news and bad news about marketing is that price and results are not necessarily connected. You can pay the same price for poor results as you would for great results....

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How digital and direct marketing can work together

05 Jun 2010

If your business is a purely web based operation like an ecommerce or membership site, or your website has become the main touch point between you and your market, then its all too easy to slip into the mindset that all online marketing is new and innovat...

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IT vs. Management

03 Jun 2010

A man in a hot air balloon realised he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted: "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don’t know where I am."...

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13 Website Marketing Essentials

01 Jun 2010

A compilation of 13 silly and even stupid ways some companies are hindering adoption of their products and services. So if you are doing any of them, don't....

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Driving Sales Through Your Website

08 Apr 2010

Firms should be considering how to get maximum results for their websites. Every business should recognise and utilise every available resources that could aid your business in the long run....

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Encouraging repeat sales online

03 Apr 2010

Repeat sales are the lifeblood of many businesses, and techniques for keeping customers coming back are well established....

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93% of consumers to shop online at Xmas

11 Dec 2009

Business owners have been reminded about the importance of having a fully functioning website with a survey revealing that 93% of people plan to shop online for their Christmas gifts....

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10 million people (in the UK) are accessing the internet on mobiles

09 Dec 2009

Business owners have been advised that more than 10m Britons are using their phone to surf the internet....

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Online sales rise 16% in July 2009

25 Aug 2009

Online sales increased 16% in July despite the recession, according to figures released in the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index....

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6 Ways to Maximise Your Marketing in a Recession

22 Jul 2009

Has the economy got you paralysed? Don't know how to spend your marketing pounds. Here are 6 tips that can pay off big for you....

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The Future Of Web Design Is Content Management!

29 Jun 2009

Web development has greatly increased in popularity over the last 5 years. Many new design concepts, code standards, and technology advances have happened in a short amount of time....

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4 Tasks Your Internet Ad Absolutely Must Accomplish

18 Jun 2009

Too often, short ads fail to get the click-through. Why? Often it is because they fail at one or more of the four tasks that an ad must accomplish. Master these functions and your ads will do their work well. Leave out any essential element and you'll mi...

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Turning your website visitors into customers

12 Jun 2009

Getting people to visit your website is one thing; persuading them to part with their cash once they are there is a different challenge entirely....

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Have a Clear Vision and Goal for your Web Site

26 May 2009

If you don't know what you are trying to achieve with your web site design then you will probably achieve...nothing!...

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Get the most out of your website

17 May 2009

Your website should be viewed as ‘an employee' - it costs you to develop and run it, so you must ensure that your company is getting the most from it...

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60% of small firms in London looking to expand in recession

14 May 2009

Around 60% of small and medium-sized firms in London are concentrating on expanding their businesses during the recession...

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Consumer confidence in online shopping rises

12 May 2009

Over 50% of consumers believe that shopping online is as safe as in purchasing goods in a store...

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10 Top Search Engine Optimisation Tips

06 May 2009

Search Engine Optimisation(SEO) is the widely known issue and most discussed topic. Focus your attention on the engines that will bring you the most visitors first and work your way down....

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10 Keys To Creating A Profitable Online Business

30 Apr 2009

Starting an online business is not always as easy as it may sound. But, running an online business has many benefits over its offline counterpart....

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Optimising your website content

28 Apr 2009

Keywords are the cornerstone of search engine optimisation. They are those little words and phrases that people type into search engines to navigate their way through the Internet - and to your website....

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No Website = No Business

21 Apr 2009

Whether or not you agree, online purchases are the way of the future and if you don't have a web site and means to purchase from your business online, you could find yourself in a troubling position one day....

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Blogging for Business

12 Apr 2009

Blogging has become the must-do medium for small businesses wanting to promote offers, communicate with customers and establish a unique personality....

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The best way to respond to potential customer enquiries

08 Apr 2009

Response to customer enquiries is crucial to success. Get it right and punters are likely to keep coming back to you. Get it wrong and they will go elsewhere....

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Are you maximising your website effectiveness?

06 Apr 2009

Website effectiveness is a measure of how well a company is exploiting its website to deliver on its business goals: driving sales, building brand equity and providing the best possible user experience....

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Conversion Rates During Recession

25 Mar 2009

During difficult times, often budgets have to be cut. This goes without saying. So maybe you'll begin to look at reducing everything being spent on your latest website. But before you do that, here's a tip...

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Internet 'most important tool to help small firms survive recession'

24 Mar 2009

One in five small and medium-sized companies believe that the internet will be the most important tool in helping them beat the recession...

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How to increase your google ranking

19 Mar 2009

All businesses with an online presence need to ensure that they are as high up the rankings list as possible - something that can be achieved by following a number of steps...

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Over 6,000 small businesses signing up to Twitter every day

17 Mar 2009

An estimated 700,000 small businesses are using the social networking site Twitter with 6,000 more joining every day, according to a recent O2 survey....

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First Impressions Count

10 Mar 2009

Ensuring that your website is visually attractive, easy to use and contains relevant information is increasingly key to a successful business...

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Making Online Videos Work For You

04 Mar 2009

With the use of videos on websites expanding quickly now is the time to ensure your business has this means of advertising at its disposal....

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Small Companies Not Exploiting £20bn Industry

24 Feb 2009

Small firms need to ensure that their websites sell their products and services to avoid missing out on one of the most thriving industries in the UK...

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How to Select a Great Domain Name for Your Company

20 Feb 2009

Here's what to look for in a good domain name....

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Granularity Of Growth

09 Feb 2009

Where does growth come from, where a reasonable growth rate can mean significant additional revenues a year?...

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Starting an Online Business in a Down Economy

04 Feb 2009

As shoppers flock to their computers instead of driving to the mall, entrepreneurs with e-businesses can make a hefty sum....

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Entertainment mapping tool uses compass and GPS

23 Jan 2009

Lastminute.com's nru phone application is designed to give users of the Android-powered T-Mobile G1 a narrowly focused and compass aided view of things to do around them....

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Static vs Dynamic Websites

14 Jan 2009

What is the difference between a static and a dynamic (database driven) websites? Read this article where it is explained in more detail....

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4 Strategic Lessons to Avoid an Ill-Advised SEO Campaign

05 Jan 2009

I recently made a mistake. I took on a client without first having fully vetted them and their prospects for success. Several months later, with a more accurate picture of the situation, things are not looking so bright....

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Being contactable – an ecommerce requirement

03 Dec 2008

EU law demands that ecommerce websites provide adequate contact info for customers....

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