Site Name: Concreteheads

Site Address: www.concreteheads.co.uk

The Project Stages

1. Web Planning – This was the client’s first web site and they didn’t have a detailed brief. Our first job was to find out what the clients wanted from their website and what they would need to make it a success. We set up a brief outlining each phase of development with an estimated cost and timeline.
2. Execution of the web brief – Delivery of each phase of the website build while continually keeping in contact with the client to update them on progress and ensure they were happy with each development.
3. Scripting maintenance – When we finished the web site, we offered the client a maintenance contract to keep their site functioning and secure in line with any scripting patches released for the open-source software used in their site.

Execution of the Project

Stage 1 – Web Planning

The client came to us with a mix of business ideas to integrate into one web site. They wanted to sell digital presentations. They wanted to gauge opinions in their field. They wanted to develop consultancy services. They wanted to be able to offer other multimedia training solutions over the coming months and years. The client also came to us with an existing logo that they wanted updated and a vague colour scheme in mind.

Our suggested solutions were:

a) To create an e-commerce site from which they could sell their digital presentations that could easily adapt to sell other forms of training packages if needed
b) To incorporate polling software on their site that would capture public opinion on whatever topic they choose
c) To create an ‘About Us’ page where they could build their credibility as leaders in their field
d) To create a ‘Home’ page with clear navigation to each section of the web site updatable to include a consultancy services section.
e) To run a keyword report before building the web site. To find out what words and phrases the client should use in their website to increase the number of visitors finding their site through organic search
f) We gave the client advice on running an internet business. The areas we covered were SEO, marketing, content updating, payment processing and web hosting. They decided to host their web site with us and still do so today.

Stage 2 - Execution of the web brief

Phase 1: Keyword research on their target market

As new Internet business owners they had not thought about building SEO into their web site. We did intensive keyword research for them and hard-wired the keywords they targeted into the DNA of the web site.

Phase 2: One design led home page with graphics and content. One heavily text biased about us page.

We started with updating their existing 2D logo by changing the colour and making it 3D. The client decided on the colour scheme. They chose a minimalist style for the home page and about us page when we agreed the page layouts. We built a simple custom interface to enable the client to edit and preview the words on these pages without needing to learn any programming skills.

Phase 3: A fully outfitted e-commerce catalogue adapted by us to carry paid content (Power point presentations), freebies and polls, including a manual and training if needed.

We decided to customize an OS Commerce application for the client. We designed the look and layout of the catalogue with the client’s colour scheme in mind and included their new logo. We adapted the shopping cart script to deliver free content once visitors logged in. This allows the client to gather e-mail addresses to extend their customer base in return for the free content they are giving away.

We integrated a Paypal instant payment notification script which improved the customer experience. It automatically sent an e-mail to the customer when they bought a product with download instructions. This made for a faster download of digital products. A further change to the OS Commerce application ensures the customer can also get their download instructions in their account area of concreteheads.co.uk when logged in.

We installed stand-alone polling software and customized the look to reflect the client’s colour scheme and logo. The client wanted to collate summary statistics from the polls. We integrated the poll software with the OS Commerce software. This ensured customers had the same log in details and URL for the polls as for the shopping cart. This prevented confusion and the loss of business that confusion causes. We created a secure area from which they could download poll results and create the summary poll statistics.

Stage 3 - Scripting maintenance as insurance against changes made to PHP & Mysql

The client needed some insurance against changes made to the PHP or MySql. This is the two pieces of open source software that enable the scripts on their web site to talk to their server. In simple terms MySql is a database held on the web server and PHP is a language that allows the programmer to tell the server what they want it to do. We offered them a full maintenance contract for a modest fee and that was another problem solved.