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When it comes to websites, do images matter?

Studies show that people remember 80% of what they see and only 20% of what they read. In fact, there’s research that suggests that 65% of people are visual learners!On the Internet, images are used for all kinds of reasons: to enhance websites, to illustrate stories, to present products or services, as stand-alone meaning-rich tools, and, on social media.So when it comes to websites, images DO matter because their role is to capture the attention of the visitor. They can convey complex messag...

20 Mile Walk for Willow Burn Hospice

On Saturday 31 August I participated in the Steel Town 20 walk to raise much needed funds for Willow Burn Hospice and in memory of Gemma Justice.Gemma and her husband Steven were members of our local business network ( DBN Do Business Network) for a time and continuously supported our business meetings with their warm hospitality when DBN hosted their networking mornings at the Derwent Walk Pub in Ebchester.After learning about Gemma's passing I thought it would be a nice idea to fundraise in Ge...

Customer Spotlight: Congratulations to Industrial Workwear who are celebrating their 25th Anniversary.

Industrial Workwear Limited proudly announces their 25th year anniversary, marking a quarter of a century of commitment to quality and innovation in the workwear industry.Formed as a family company in 1999, Industrial Workwear Limited based in Consett, Co Durham, has been dedicated to providing top quality workwear, uniform and PPE solutions, serving as a trusted partner for countless companies across the UK and beyond.Looking ahead, Industrial Workwear remains steadfast in its commitment t...

New Website Launch for Unite Club

I've been working with Katie Toner from Unite Club on various projects over the past year so I was thrilled when she asked me to create her website.Katie is an autistic/ADHD advocate and owner of Unite Club. Her passion is creating inclusive spaces and supporting communities to embrace and understand neurodivergence.Since the launch of Unite Club she's already created a growing comunity on social media offering families, and individuals the opportunity to GROW, UNITE and CONNECT to create a more...

The Willow Burn Hospice Diamonds and Pearls Ball

I had the pleasure of attending the Willow Burn Hospice Diamonds and Pearls Ball at Beamish Hall Hotel on Friday.Willow Burn Hospice is my local hospice and the team their help people at a time when they need help and support the most. The hospice helps people to achieve a good death, to live well with an illness and to support family and friends to have a more positive future. Not only that, Willow Burn is a community hub where people come together to give love and support to each oth...

Consett Area Neighbourhood Forum

Congratulations to Consett Area Neighbourhood Forum on the launch of their new website! I've been working closely with Christine Thomas and the CANF committee to create a brand new website for the newly formed forum. This has been a really exciting project as Consett is my home town and the aim of the forum is to empower the Consett Community and ensure they have a greater input in the development of the town.Take a look at their new website here: https://www.canf.org.uk/...

Anderson and Pither Construction

Congratulations Brian and Gary at Anderson and Pither Construction Ltd on the launch of their new website.Brian and Gary are well known builders in the Consett area and have built a sound reputation for their quality workmanship and reliability. They came to me wanting a one page website to showcase their work. After seeing how many images they had I persuaded them to add a blog slider to showcase their projects and to make it easier for their customers to search for examples. Aesthetically this...

Website Refresh for Halo Beauty Haven

I've had the pleasure of working with Angela from Halo Beauty Haven since early 2020.In the last 4 years Angela has seen significant changes in her business including Covid, change of premises and recently a full rebrand! Late last year I started a website refresh to ensure that it represented her new brand colours and her new salon in North Shields. The main changes were logo update, her colour theme changed from turquoise to luxurious dark greens and golds. Leafy background images were a...

Fundraising for Willow Burn Hospice in memory of Gemma Justice

On Saturday 2nd September I walked 20 miles in memory of Gemma Justice and to raise money for Willow Burn Hospice.For those who don’t know Gemma she was a client of mine and a member of Do Business Network until she received her cancer diagnosis. Sadly she passed away in June at the age of 42 leaving her family and friends utterly  heartbroken. Willow Burn Hospice had been a great support to Gemma and her family over the years so I thought it was fitting to try and raise some money for Wi...

New Website Build for North East Interior Designer Lyndsey Wardman

We are thrilled to announce that launch of a new website design for popular North East interior designer Lyndsey Wardman.Lyndsey approached us with a very particular website design vision that would highlight all the great projects she's been working on since she started her business in Durham.Since starting her business Lyndsey has accumulated a huge social media following with currently almost 35k followers on Instagram!Lyndsey holds a diploma from the National Design Academy and she is p...

A Big Year for Filter Quip

We've been working with Steve Tunney from Filter Quip for almost two years now and it's lovely to see his business grow from strength to strength.Steve approached us in August 2021 looking for a website build, logo design and the creation of e-brochures. Since the launch of his website we've helped Steve with business card design, Christmas cards, social media support and most recently corporate mugs! Filter Quip have just recently been appointed as the official representative for Amafilter...

NBSL GRANT FUNDING DEADLINE EXTENSION

Great news!You still have time to apply for a grant from the North East Business Support Fund! If you’re an SME in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear or County Durham, apply here by 14 February 2023: https://nebsf.co.uk/...

"What a great impact my website is still having on my business"

I commissioned Melanie to do a new website for me about 3 and a half years ago.  It was long overdue.  I couldn't have been happier with the result - a professional, friendly site with lots of good information throughout.  It is so easy to navigate and has a great blend of text and photographs/relevant videos.  Melanie just had the knack of getting that balance absolutely right.  The benefits have been ongoing.  During the last 6 months I have taken 3 or 4 'col...

Happy 6th Business Birthday to Elm Marketing Solutions!

Wow - where have 6 years gone? Every year I look back on the previous 12 months to appreciate 'little wins' so that I'm reminded how far I've come since setting up in 2016. In year 5 I celebrated the launch of my 50th website and in doing so I was awarded a Gold Partner status with Rocketspark which is the amazing platform I build my websites on - this year I now have 63 websites in my portfolio and hope to hit 68 by the end of 2022! I now also run the amazing Do Business Network with the ...

Bespoke Mailchimp Training

It’s been a busy Monday morning delivering bespoke Mailchimp training to Denise from Signature Window Shutters We covered uploading contacts to her audience via a csv file then campaign email template design and functionality. Everything she needs to start her first email campaign.If you'd like to find out more about Mailchimp training or have any other digital training requirements, please CONTACT US to find out more about this service....

Introducing The Announcement Bar

Have you ever wanted to add a banner above your header to draw attention to key messages to your website visitors? Well, now you can. We are excited to announce the launch of the Announcement Bar! The Announcement Bar will allow you to engage your website visitors by communicating key information shown on every page of your site. This means you can be seen by your audience, drive action with a clear call to action and link, is versatile across an array of industries and is optimised for mobile! ...

Kickstart Scheme Update

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Employers of all sizes can apply for funding until 17 December 2021 which covers: 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 monthsassociated employer National Insurance contributionsminimum automatic enrolment pension contributions...

Funding Update from the North East Business Support Fund

The North East Business Support Fund is one of the most popular grant funding programmes in the North East and is managed and delivered by NBSL. The Fund can offer Grants for Business Improvement Projects that use external expertise in the following areas; County Durham - Up to 40% funding for projects costing between £2,500 and £8,000 - https://nebsf.co.uk/grant-funding/ Tyne & Wear - Up to 35% funding for projects costing between £3,000 and £8,000 - https://nebsf.co.uk/grant-funding/ North...

Taking the frustration out of networking.

I often get told by business owners that they feel uncomfortable networking as they don't feel comfortable selling. In my experience networking isn't really about selling, it's about getting to know other members in your network, understanding their product or service and building trust so that you can start referring to them. At DoBusinessNetwork (DBN) we are always looking for new ways to build relationships with other members. I love attending the smaller NetWalk meetings or a ...

We are Gold!!

Something exciting happened last week!We launched our 50th website and was awarded Rocketspark Gold Partner status AND we are the 1st Gold Partner in the UK - go us!Thank you to all our lovely clients, friends and family for all your support over the last 4 years.Here's to the next 50 and becoming a Platinum Partner!!...

New website offers click and collect service for local coffee shop

Since the UK went into national lockdown in March 2020 many business owners have had to adapt and change to continue to trade. Like many food and drink businesses, Isabella's Coffee Shop in Shotley Bridge was forced to close their doors due to the first wave of Covid-19 leaving them fearful of their livlihood.  However, during this time of uncertainty they took the opportunity to look at their online presence and decided to approach Elm Marketing Solutions to help them create a new website....

Great News for Four Seasons Campervans Ltd!

Since starting their business in July 2020, Four Seasons Campervans have sold 3 camper conversions and completed many bespoke projects on privately owned vans. Four Seasons Campervans is based on the Hobson Industrial Estate nr Burnopfield and is run by husband and wife team Colin and Dawn Wilkinson. It's lovely to share some positive news about a new North East business. You can find out more about Four Seasons Campervans via their website - designed by Elm Marketing Solutions ht...

Master Your Mailchimp Training Course

Date: Wednesday 16th September Time: 10am to 12pm (Zoom) Newsletters and email marketing are a great way to keep in touch with and engage with customers. We’ve tried a few different email software products and found that Mailchimp works great for small businesses. It’s free, GDPR compliant, has some great templates and gives useful stats and data – what’s not to like? At this masterclass Melanie Cant from Elm Marketing Solutions and Gary Scott from Do Business Network will take you throu...

Apheya Animal Nutrition launches new automated online training course!

From March 2020 many business owners had to rethink their business strategy and adapt new ways of trading due to Covid-19. Apheya Animal Nutrition offers specialist support services to farmers, feed and food businesses which typically meant traveling the UK and the rest of the world to support their customers. At the end of March the UK went into full lockdown and as travelling was prohibited Apheya was forced to put their services on hold. Elm Marketing Solutions designed Apheya's website in 20...

Dream Big

Since lockdown began I have been working with many of my existing clients to help them diversify their business. Some are offering new services, some are selling online, others are finding ways to virtually deliver training courses via their website - it's amazing how we find ways to overcome obstacles that are placed before us! In April I wrote a post on Facebook about the challenges that lay ahead and the need to focus on what we can control rather than what we can't. I quote, "appreciate the ...