Visit this website: toysforall.co.uk

Brief

The Captain’s Cabin, a successful beach-front shop in the heart of South Wales’ Mumbles area, approached us to create an e-commerce website so they could start selling their range of toys and beach accessories online.

Design

The design of this site has a maritime feel, with nautical touches like an illustrated anchor and compass. The site is essentially quite basic in layout and design to accommodate the vast number of products that have been added to this website.

Development

This site was built on our e-commerce system Ballyhoo Commerce. Ballyhoo Commerce is a versatile e-commerce system that is intuitive and easy to use – an ideal system for businesses who are new to selling online but still want all the power and features of advanced e-commerce software.

Post-launch, as part of our ongoing support of The Captain’s Cabin, we have integrated social networking links into the site so customers can like the site on Facebook, follow The Captain’s Cabin on Twitter and share the site using Google +1.

For a no-obligation quote for your e-commerce project or to find out more about Ballyhoo and our easy-to-use e-commerce and content management systems, call us on 0121 286 9390 or email us at info@ballyhoo.ltd.uk.

Visit this website: discountfiresupplies.co.uk/blog

As part of the recent redevelopment of Discount Fire Supplies we created a new custom template for their WordPress blog.

Blogs are a fantastic addition to any website. While they are a good way to provide interest for your customers and create a community around your business, they also have many search engine optimisation benefits such as the regular introduction of fresh content and the inclusion of more keywords on your site.

We would recommend that anybody selling online includes a regular blog on their website.

Discount Fire Supplies have a very active blog and they usually post at least two items a week. They have been using WordPress ever since they decided to introduce a blog to the website. With such a large volume of posts WordPress has worked well for them and provided control and flexibility through a feature-rich control panel.

As part of the main website redevelopment the blog needed to be brought up to date to match the new website design too.

This new WordPress template matches the new DFS website design in appearance and also includes dynamic content such as the shopping basket summary and category navigation meaning customers can switch seamlessly between the main website and the blog.

Ballyhoo Commerce has a number of essential blog features that can give the average online shop owner the ability to have their own blog on their website. If, however, you are planning to be very proactive with your blog we would recommend using WordPress or a similar system to give you the features you need.

Some online sellers might be tempted to have a WordPress site for their main website and simply use an extension or plugin to give them e-commerce functionality. We would not recommend this however as if you are selling online you need a robust and secure platform for your shop.

Essentially having two sites with matching templates gives you the flexibility and control needed to manage a successful e-commerce venture.

If you would like to introduce a blog on your website and you’d like to discuss your options please get in touch on 0121 286 9390 or email us at info@ballyhoo.ltd.uk.

Visit this website: discountfiresupplies.co.uk

Discount Fire Supplies are one of the UK’s premier retailers of fire safety products and accessories. Their extensive catalogue includes fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and gas detectors.

DFS have been a client of Ballyhoo’s for many years now and are comfortably one of our most successful e-commerce websites. When the time came to re-design their website the owners wanted to continue using our e-commerce system, Ballyhoo Commerce, and asked us to build a new template for their website based on a design they had produced.

The new Discount Fire Supplies website design is clearly a step up from their old design yet it retains their branding and many items will be familiar to existing customers.

Notably, the new design takes the concept of colour-coding the many product categories on the website to a new level. This theme had been tentatively explored in the previous design but has now been fully utilised. Customers using the site will soon identify red with fire detection products and green with emergency lighting for example.

The home page is understandably the most important page on the website as this is where a potential customer will either decide to stay on the site or look elsewhere. An eye-catching slideshow on the homepage instantly attracts the customers attention and conveys a number of tempting messages – Same Day Dispatch, Free Support, Secure Online Ordering and Free Delivery – designed to instill confidence in their purchase.

Customers are also encouraged to join the Discount Fire Supplies community and visit the DFS blog, follow DFS on Twitter and take the opportunity to sign up for the free DFS newsletter.

The sheer number of fire safety products on this website means that users need to be able to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. The new design makes use of a drop-down category menu allowing customers to browse the majority of product categories without leaving the page.

Clicking on a main product category, like Fire Alarms for example, directs the customer to a clear and defined page outlining the sub-categories. Each sub-category has an image thumbnail to make identification that bit quicker and these pages are a real pleasure to browse.

Product pages have been given a makeover too and are designed to be a clear as possible. Large product images, highlighted prices and pronounced add to basket buttons combine to make the page inviting and straightforward.

Product descriptions have been condensed into tabs too. When adding a product to the site Discount Fire Supplies have the ability to split the full description into as many tabs as required, including Summary, Specification and FAQs. This layout means that users don’t have to scroll down a huge page and allows them to quickly find the information they need.

At the foot of the website on every page users are reminded of the value Discount Fire Supplies bring to their purchase, whether through the assurance of secure online payments through SagePay or the promise of swift dispatch. Users can also find links to information about the company and their contact details are always on hand if they need assistance.

We’re really proud of this website and the team at Discount Fire Supplies are delighted with their new modern website. To accommodate a number of the design features we had to add develop Ballyhoo Commerce further and re-work existing parts of the system, something we are happy to do when we feel the requested changes will benefit the system as a whole.

In fact, this is one of the major advantages of using our e-commerce system, we are able to quickly and effectively build in new features and functionality to suit our customers and often we will do this free of charge or at a subsidised rate.

To talk to us about your e-commerce project or if you would like further information, please call 0121 286 9390 or email us at info@ballyhoo.ltd.uk.

Visit this website: safety-stair-nosing.co.uk

Contract Flooring Services successfully trades commercial flooring to businesses from their base in South Wales. They came to us to design and build a new e-commerce website so that they could start selling online.

Brief

We were recommended to the owner of the business by his son who happens to work for another e-commerce customer of ours. As such the owner knew all about our easy to use e-commerce system and our brief was to build a website for Contract Flooring Services on Ballyhoo Commerce. We would have to customise the system however to include a new price per metre feature as the majority of products for sale on the website would be customisable by length.

Design

The bold design of this website is based on an other website owned by the flooring company. Using the same dark background and accent colours ties in this site with the rest of the business’ online media.

Development

Before the site could be fully built we had to add the price per metre functionality to the system. This is a relatively simple addition that allows the website administrator to specify a price per metre as an alternative to price each when adding a product to the website. Users of the website are then able to type the length of the item they want to purchase to the mm or cm, depending on what was specified in the admin area, and the system will work out the price they should pay based on the price per metre specified.

Our ability to customise Ballyhoo Commerce in this way is one of the major benefits of having a Ballyhoo e-commerce website. Depending on your circumstances and requirements we can tailor the system to exactly meet your needs and if we think your new features will benefit the system, and in turn our other customers, we might even add it to Ballyhoo Commerce for free!

Content Management

A number of additional content pages were required on this website so Commercial Flooring made full use of the content management features in their e-commerce system. A new content list called Further Information was added to the left column of the site to accommodate this content. Administrators can add and edit pages using an editor very similar in features to a word processor, allowing them to add text, images, bulleted lists and tables.

If you would like to discuss your e-commerce website project or there’s a feature you think would make a great addition to the system, please get in touch by calling 0121 286 9390 or emailing us at info@ballyhoo.ltd.uk.

Visit this website: www.beros.com.br

Brief

Ballyhoo were recommended to Beros by one of our clients when they mentioned they were looking for someone to build their new multilingual e-commerce website.

Beros, based in Brazil, aim to be the premier retailer of fire alarm and safety systems in Brazil. They were already online but their existing website lacked the functionality they needed to take their business forward and start selling online. The new site would have to give them control over their website content, the ability to sell products online and be functional in both English and Brazilian Portuguese. Beros would also require copywriting and translation services.

Beros Homepage – English

Design

Beros already had established branding and company colours so our graphic designer took these factors on board when creating a custom website design. At this stage we had already decided to build the website on Ballyhoo Commerce so the functions available in the e-commerce system were also taken into account.

The result is a clean and colourful website that’s engaging and easy to navigate.

Beros also required a technical diagram for their Technical information page, the finished design shows the products Beros are currently selling online in a circuit to give customers an idea of the kind of devices they could connect to a fire alarm system.

Beros Technical Diagram

Development

Ballyhoo Commerce already supported the majority of the features Beros were looking for, including multiple languages and content management, so we could build the website with only minor updates to the system.

One of the best things about having our own e-commerce system is that if there’s ever a feature a client wants that isn’t currently supported we can add it to the system. More often than not if it’s something we think will benefit other e-commerce clients we’ll build it into Ballyhoo Commerce at no extra cost.

So, the first stage of development was to create an installation of the latest version of Ballyhoo Commerce in a temporary online location. This would be the foundation for the website and allow us to build the site while the existing Beros website was still online. Beros were given access to this temporary location too so they could check our progress whenever they wanted.

Beros Homepage – Brazilian

We then created a custom template for the system based on the design Beros had approved.

Copywriting

Copywriting is a service we provide if required and can cover anything from company profiles to in-depth technical writing.

Initially, Beros needed product descriptions for the first set of products they were going to sell online. They also required a number of content pages to be written.

From our research and Beros’ instructions we knew that fire safety in Brazil is generally a subject that the population doesn’t know very much about. The product descriptions in particular would have to be presented in a very easy-to-understand way – especially considering that the reader probably wouldn’t even be familiar with a household smoke alarm.

When writing copy we also take into account search engine optimisation and ensure that the right phrases and keywords are included in the text. This was very important as part of giving Beros the best chances of ranking highly on search engines.

Taking a very technical subject and writing about it so the meaning still came across clearly but simply was a big task but all round everyone was very pleased with the results.

Beros Product Category Page

Translations

As part of producing the content for the website Ballyhoo also sourced Brazilian Portuguese translations of the copy we wrote for the English version of the website. We obtained quotes from several translation companies and liaised with the chosen translator to produce the final copy.

We then added the translations to the website for Beros, ensuring that formatting in the English version of the site was replicated and consistent throughout the entire website.

Custom Features

An extra feature we developed for the site was an online job form so users could submit their contact details, as well as their CV, to Beros for consideration.

This was a fairly easy feature to build into the website and makes a great addition. Users simply have to type their details into the respective fields and can also choose a file from their computer – for example a PDF or word document – and click Continue to submit them. Beros will then receive an email populated with the users details and, if they have uploaded a file, their CV as an email attachment.

Beros Online Job Form

Testimonial

Dear Ballyhoo,

Just a few lines to thank you for dealing with the challenge of developing our dual language site. I have to compliment Alison for her excellent work in copy writing and pitching what is ostensibly a technical site at a level that can be easily understood by a wide audience in order to enhance our sales figures.

As I mentioned in conversation previously, your company came via recommendation to me and Anthony, as project lead, proved to be a very personable individual; which to me is an essential characteristic when looking to do business on a long term basis.

You highlight on your website that Ballyhoo offer various after sales support and site development services and I look forward to discussing further opportunities to develop some of my ideas in order to get massive awareness of BEROS in the market place.

Thank you!

If you would like to sell online in multiple languages or to find out more about e-commerce web design, call us on 0121 286 9390 or email us at info@ballyhoo.ltd.uk.

Visit this website: tacticalwales.co.uk

Brief

Tactical Wales are based in Swansea and sell military surplus goods from their shop on Swansea High Street as well as on the internet. They wanted to improve sales and increase the level of control they had over their online shop by moving away from their current template based e-commerce system and having a brand new website developed.

Selling army surplus means that Tactical Wales has a high stock turnover and many items are one-off or in limited supply. As such, the new e-commerce system would have to be quick and easy to use.

Design

It was decided that the new site would be built on our e-commerce system Ballyhoo Commerce. This meant that a custom website design would have to be created to incorporate all the features that the system is capable of.

Our designer used striking military imagery and an earthy camouflage-based colour palette to appeal to Tactical Wales’ target audience. Function has taken precedence over fancy graphics in this design- much like the military and survival products on sale.

Development

As mentioned, we’ve built this e-commerce website on our own Ballyhoo Commerce system. We started development of the site in a temporary online location where we installed the latest version of Ballyhoo Commerce and then started to build Tactical Wales’ design. There are a number of benefits to building websites in temporary locations:

• Tactical Wales could visit the temporary site and see the site taking shape.
• They were also given access to the e-commerce administration area and could save valuable time by adding products and content to the site while we were building the front-end.
• There was virtually no downtime for the client’s online business – the existing site was still online and taking orders while we were developing the new site, right up until we had fully tested the new site and Tactical Wales gave us the go-ahead to upload the new site to replace the old one.

Tactical Wales decided to continue taking online payments through PayPal and because Ballyhoo Commerce fully supports a number of payment gateways, including others such as SagePay and WorldPay, we could simply integrate their existing account with the new site.

Among Ballyhoo Commerce’s array of great features is a fantastic zoom feature (shown above). By clicking on the main product image a larger high-quality version of the image will open so the product can be seen in all it’s clear and crisp glory, with the rest of the page is left in shadow so the product can take centre stage.

As a lot of the products on this website are second-hand or one-off it was important that Tactical Wales could allow their customers to see every detail of the product for sale.

Visit this website: fiestacampervans.co.uk

Brief

For this project we worked in conjunction with graphic design freelancer Benjy Stanton. Benjy came to us to build his design for Fiesta Campervans, a campervan hire company operating in Northern Spain.

The website was to incorporate a custom booking system, including payment gateway, and a content management system so the client could easily keep the site up-to-date and share their latest news.

Development

After giving some  input on the designs about how best to achieve what the client wanted we set to work building the website in a temporary online environment so both Benjy and the client could keep an eye on our progress.

We decided to use our recently released content management system, Ballyhoo Refresh, as the foundation for this website and built a custom booking system into the software to give the client all the functionality they needed. Ballyhoo Refresh allows on-page editing of pages which means there would be no administration area to learn how to use – hidden functions and options become visible once the client logs in to the website.

Content Management

At the moment Fiesta Campervans have two vans for hire but they can add a new campervan to the website with just a few clicks through an option on the Campervans page by simply entering the new van’s name, a description and images for the van’s gallery.

Hire costs are added through the Prices page where the client can specify the price per night for the first seven nights and a different price for each night thereafter, including alternative prices and date ranges for peak/off-peak seasons. Extras for hire such as GPS devices and awnings can also be added through this page.

The website also has a blog so that the client can keep everyone here in Britain up to date with the latest news from sunny Spain. Other pages on the site include FAQs and information about the region, all of which are fully editable, and the client has the option to add sub-pages and entirely new pages if needed.

Booking

Once a customer has browsed the site and chosen which van they would like to hire they are directed to an availability page with an interactive calendar. The calendar shows which dates are available to book as well as current bookings and any date ranges the client may have set as unavailable.

Based on the customer’s selection, either by clicking and dragging a date range on the calendar or selecting dates through the conventional datepickers on the right side of the page, the system will calculate the total cost of the booking (using the costs outlined on the Prices page) and give the option to ‘Book Now’. At this stage any added extras such as awnings can also be added to the booking.

Payment

Once the customer has added their details to the system they will be directed to their account page summarising their booking. To secure the booking they will be asked to make a minimum payment (a percentage of the total booking cost), although they can pay in full if they wish, and be directed to PayPal to complete the transaction.

The customer will now be able to log in to the website at any stage to view their booking and make further payments if required.

Testimonial

“Just wanted to thank you for all your help and hard work in getting the site up and running and looking/working the way it does.”

Tony Hunt, owner of Fiesta Campervans.

Avery Berkel is a market leading manufacturer of in-store weighing and pre-packing solutions for food retailers worldwide.

They commissioned us to design and build a parts ordering system for their customers that would integrate with their existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. Orders currently placed with Avery Berkel are taken over the phone – with orders running to potentially hundreds of items they needed a robust system that would save them time and resources.

Design

The front-end was designed to mirror Avery Berkel’s main website to create a feeling of consistency for their customers. The main sections of the site were colour-coded for distinction.

System

Website

The website is essentially a lightweight interface that communicates with the ERP via a web service (also built by us) hosted within the Avery Berkel intranet. As such the system is very secure.

Real-time Data

This is a live system, meaning all of the data is taken in real-time from the ERP. At any time the product list, prices and stock quantities are an accurate representation of what is actually available from Avery Berkel.

Orders

Orders are submitted to Avery Berkel using EDI (electronic data interchange). This means that the site packages the orders in a format that can easily be fetched by the ERP.

Usability

As mentioned, orders received by Avery Berkel can run into hundreds of items. Customers placing an order through this system will benefit from a Shopping Basket Summary that moves with them as they scroll down the page – no need to keep checking how many items have been ordered and the sub-total, it’s all there in front of them any time they need to check.

Customers will also be able to download PDF versions of previous orders for their records.

Testimonial

“I was very impressed with the quality of the work done by Ballyhoo. Anthony worked closely with me to create a website that delivers what we need and nothing was too much trouble for him. He dealt with a myriad of changes and requests submitted post go live without a hint of frustration or loss of patience and delivered them in a timely manner. I look forward to working with him in the future as we extend our website to incorporate additional functionality.”

Linda Edwards, Avery Berkel.

MPM Wristbands print custom wristbands, lanyards, banners and leaflets for events. They needed an e-commerce website to take orders and sell their products online.

Built on Ballyhoo Commerce, our exclusive e-commerce system, the site has been designed to be subtle and clean to let the products take centre-stage.

We also installed Live Help Messenger on this site so that users with questions can speak to a member of the MPM team in real-time and sort out any queries they might have about things like the order process.

Orders placed through the website are processed securely through PayPal and customers will be directed back to the site as soon as the transaction is completed.

If you’d like to learn more about our e-commerce web design and get a no-obligation quote, fell free to call 0121 286 9390 or email us at info@ballyhoo.ltd.uk.

Visit this website: www.s3process.co.uk

S3 Process Ltd supply state-of-the-art process equipment, hygienic components and consumables and professional services to the healthcare, pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic and food processing industries. They required a new website to clearly show the three areas of their business – Process,  Asset and Direct. We’ve recently completed Phase One of this project.

S3 partner with some of their industry’s leading manufacturers. Customers browsing the website can learn more about S3′s partners by clicking on the images in the coverflow in the New Process Equipment area of the website. The same feature has been used in the Used Process Equipment section of the website to allow customers to quickly browse the range of used equipment available through S3 Process.

We built this site on our popular e-commerce system, Ballyhoo Commerce. Although S3 are not taking orders online at the moment, customers can browse S3′s extensive product catalogue and add the products they’re interested in to a basket – in the same way they would if this was a typical e-commerce shop. However, instead of proceeding to a payment gateway the customer can then submit their purchase enquiry to S3 to be dealt with manually.

We’ll be working with S3 on this website in further phases of development this year – look out for an update to this article in the near future.

If you’d like to know more about this website or you’d like to discuss your own e-commerce project, please give us a call on 0121 286 9390 or email us at info@ballyhoo.ltd.uk.