Business

Elevating Hove’s Digital Presence: Your Trusted Hove Web Design Company

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Your Trusted Hove Web Design Company

Hove, with its vibrant community, diverse businesses, and stunning coastal views, is a place where innovation and creativity thrive. In such a dynamic environment, having a strong online presence is essential for businesses to stand out. That’s where we come in – your trusted Hove web design company, committed to crafting exceptional digital experiences.

At Moocow we understand the unique blend of tradition and modernity that characterizes Hove. We’ve made it our mission to help local businesses, whether they’re established institutions or up-and-coming startups, harness the power of the digital world. Here’s why you should choose us as your partner in elevating your online presence:

Local Expertise:

We’re not just any web design company; we’re your neighbors in Hove. We know the local market, understand your audience, and have insights into what works best in this community. Our designs are tailored to resonate with the people of Hove.

Custom Solutions:

We believe that every business has a story to tell. Our web design solutions are not one-size-fits-all. We take the time to understand your unique goals, brand identity, and target audience. Then, we create bespoke websites that reflect your business’s essence.

User-Centered Design:

User experience is at the heart of what we do. We build websites that not only look great but are also intuitive and easy to navigate. Our user-centered approach ensures that visitors have a seamless journey through your site, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates.

Mobile-First Approach:

In an era where mobile devices dominate, having a mobile-responsive website is non-negotiable. We prioritize mobile design to ensure your website looks and functions flawlessly on smartphones and tablets, enhancing user engagement and search engine rankings.

Cutting-Edge Technology:

Our team of skilled designers and developers stays up-to-date with the latest web design trends and technologies. We leverage the power of modern tools and frameworks to create visually stunning and technically robust websites.

SEO Optimization:

A beautiful website is only effective if people can find it. We implement SEO best practices to improve your website’s visibility on search engines, driving organic traffic and increasing your online reach.

E-Commerce Excellence:

For businesses looking to sell products or services online, we offer e-commerce solutions that are secure, user-friendly, and tailored to your specific needs. Our goal is to help you succeed in the competitive online marketplace.

Ongoing Support:

Our commitment doesn’t end with the launch of your website. We provide ongoing maintenance and support to ensure your site remains secure, up-to-date, and optimized for peak performance.

We take immense pride in being a part of Hove’s thriving business community. Whether you’re a restaurant along the seafront, an art gallery in the heart of town, or an innovative tech startup, we have the expertise and passion to help you make your mark in the digital world.

Your online journey begins with a conversation. Let’s sit down (or have a virtual chat) and discuss how we can transform your digital presence into something truly extraordinary. Together, we’ll make waves in Hove and beyond.

Ready to take the first step? Contact us today!

Selecting the right web agency

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Finding a great web agency can be a daunting task, but it’s crucial if you want to create a website that is effective, visually appealing, and user-friendly. Here are some reasons why we believe we’re the right web agency for your needs:

  1. Looking for experience? One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a web agency is their experience. Moocow was established in 2006 and have been in business for a while, we have a track record of success. We have great examples of our work of their work and brilliant customer reviews so you can get a sense of the quality of our services.
  2. Consider our expertise: Different web agencies specialize in different areas of web design and development. Some focus on e-commerce sites, while others specialize in mobile app development or social media marketing. Our agency has expertise in all those specific area and can help with all your needs.
  3. Check their portfolio: Take a look at our portfolio. This will give you an idea of the quality of their work and design style. We have experience working on a wide range of projects.
  4. Look for a collaborative approach: Moocow work closely with you to understand your goals and objectives for your website. Our agency takes a collaborative approach and values your input throughout the design process.
  5. Our communication skills: We price ourself on Clear and frequent communication, this is key to the success of any web design project. We’re responsive to your emails and phone calls and that communicates clearly and effectively.
  6. Consider their pricing: Of course, price is an important factor when choosing a web agency. As an agency we offers transparent pricing and that is willing to work within your budget.

We can help you create a website that will effectively represent your brand and meet your business goals.

The importance of web design and how it can impact a business’s online presence in Brighton

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In today’s digital age, having a website for your business is no longer an option – it’s a necessity. However, it’s not enough to just have a website. Your website needs to be visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for search engines. This is where web design comes in. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of web design and how it can impact a business’s online presence in Brighton.

First impressions matter

When a potential customer visits your website, they form an opinion about your business within seconds. If your website is outdated, cluttered, or difficult to navigate, they’re likely to leave and go to a competitor’s website. On the other hand, a well-designed website can instantly capture a visitor’s attention and make a positive first impression. This can lead to increased engagement, longer website visits, and ultimately, more conversions.

User experience is key

User experience (UX) is a crucial factor in web design. Your website should be designed with the user in mind, making it easy for them to find what they’re looking for and take action. A well-designed website should have clear navigation, prominent calls-to-action, and easy-to-read content. It should also be optimized for mobile devices, as more and more people are accessing websites on their smartphones and tablets.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

In addition to providing a positive user experience, web design can also impact your search engine rankings. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). A well-designed website can improve your SEO by ensuring that your website is easy for search engines to crawl and index, as well as making sure that your website content is relevant and valuable to users.

Brand identity and perception

Your website is an extension of your brand. It should reflect your brand identity and communicate your message effectively. A well-designed website can help build brand recognition and create a positive perception of your business. On the other hand, a poorly designed website can damage your brand’s reputation and make your business appear unprofessional.

Local impact in Brighton

Brighton is a vibrant and competitive business hub, with many businesses vying for the attention of locals and tourists alike. A well-designed website can give your business a competitive edge and help you stand out from the crowd. It can also help you target specific local keywords and phrases to improve your local SEO and attract more local customers. Web design is an essential part of building a successful online presence for your business in Brighton. It can impact everything from first impressions to search engine rankings, brand perception, and local impact. If you want to stay ahead of the competition and attract more customers, investing in professional web design is a must.

Looking for a web developer in Brighton & Hove

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if you are looking for a web developer in Brighton and Hove, we can help. Our website aims to provide advice and information for new businesses in brighton and hove that are developing their marketing strategy. Our website development team is here to help with your Digital Marketing Strategy. Regardless of your business sector, we can help you improve your online presence.

If you’re unsure of how to approach your Digital Marketing Strategy, we are here to help. We can customise a plan based on your business needs and budget. Our aim is to help you make the best choices in digital marketing. From sending a weekly newsletter to a whole suite of in-depth content, we’re here to help.

Discover how our Digital Marketing services help locally based businesses in Brighton & Hove succeed online. Put your business in front of more customers by leveraging the power of digital marketing.

Please contact Us to find out more.

Video marketing & the art of visual storytelling

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Nowadays video is a vital part of any marketing strategy. And at Moocow, our aim is to always be ahead of the game when it comes to advertising, branding and how to successfully market your business. Below offers a quick insight into some of the techniques and styles of video top marketers are using.

 

360° video

360° video has most of us mind blown, with viewers being able to visually take a step into almost any landscape imaginable. Observers feel as though they are part of the experience and using video on your web page allows visitors to your site to be more interactive. When it comes to marketing, many of us find that the adverts which are most popular are those with a narrative that hit home. More and more businesses are using video as a device to create a visual storyboard that the customer can identify with. By the end of 2017, video based websites will reach as high as 80%. Google VR View is a Javascript API that allows you to upload 360° videos to your website, a handy tool if you’re wanting to give your website audience a cinematic experience of their own.

 

Cinemagraphs

Cinemagraphs work by combining Hi-Res images with a video that loops a selected part of the image, making it animated. This makes an already eye-popping image even more magical, allowing viewers to see photographs come to life before their very eyes. These short snippets of animation are becoming increasingly popular, with many social media sites adding tools to create your own online, an example being Instagram’s Boomerang which allows you to upload and create a short repeated video clip. Marketing trends for 2017 are set to become more and more visual, with businesses wanting to create backdrops to their sites that entice and excite their audiences. Working hand in hand with the use of parallaxes and animated backgrounds, using cinemagraphs with your website could be just the thing to get your new website off the ground.

 

GIFS

Many are divided on the opinion of GIFS as either highly entertaining or highly annoying. But which is it? Although having to scroll through meme after meme when on social media might seem like a bit of a chore, you can’t underestimate the high rate of followers and likes often associated with such trends. When used correctly GIFS and other animated photographic techniques can be the perfect way to give your website that wow factor. You can use your own images or video clips that are relevant to your products and business brand, if you’re wanting to steer clear of anything tacky. And there’s plenty of online sites that can easily assist you in making your own GIFS in as quick as 5 minutes, so it’s not a lot of time out of your day to create something that could potentially blow up on your social media sites.

 

How tech and design industries are providing support during COVID-19

Posted on | by moocow

Big names in tech, design councils, universities and others alike are all coming together currently to provide phenomenal support to those working within the design and technology industry.

Whether it’s advice, social interaction or resources to help work forces and teams train, learn or continue with their work, there’s plenty of help to be found. We’ve compiled a brief list of excellent support to you as business owner, freelancers or employees within design to keep you on track and feel supported.

Design Council

The Design Council have set up ways to staying connected virtually as designers, through Zoom meetings and other virtual online community support. It has stated that it is dedicated to providing additional help to all who work within design, and the importance of keeping businesses within the industry afloat. They are a hub of information for all within design and are providing additional information for freelancers on how to support themselves currently.

Arts Council England

As a feature of Arts Council England’s Digital Culture Network, any business or worker within the creative industry sector can contact the network’s Tech Champions for advice and help on enhancing their digital skills. It’s also planned that there will be continuing free resources and webinars available additionally too.

Zira

Zira has set up a free and easy to access tool called Bounce Back to help employees who are unable to continue their normal work due to COVID-19. The program chiefly shows users how to steer themselves around the issues of losing work load, being furloughed or work opportunities ending. It also doubles up as a community for users to keep in touch with former employers, and has a “job marketplace.”

Universities, Shaw Academy and Future Learn

Universities and other academic facilities are offering free courses, diplomas and training on a huge variety of subject areas. Many of these courses would originally come with quite a large price tag but have been deducted to offer support to others during the pandemic. Courses and training is available over a period of weeks online, and have many subjects relating to tech and design such as graphic design, social media and viral marketing, photoshop skills, business and management.

Survey Monkey

Survey Monkey has set up specialised survey templates for teams and work forces to use to supply support to those whose work schedules have changed, are working from home or are continuing as key workers. They can help to enable productivity, check on employee well-being or keep teams up to date on projects.

The Dots

The Dots have created a specialist ‘Ask The Community’ forum in support of the COVID-19 pandemic. It offers answers and support on questions relating to freelance work, working from home, sharing worries, tips and advice. There’s also areas to arrange opportunities for work and collaboration between others, allowing you to connect and network with new businesses or other creative workers.

 

Innovate UK Offers Share of £20 Million for New Projects or Tech Based Ideas Offering Support During COVID-19

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With COVID-19 affecting many businesses across the UK, there has been a major call out for designers and tech-experts to come together and put forward innovative new ideas to help offer support to general public services and protect our most vulnerable communities.

One such initiative has been set up by Innovate UK alongside the government, in which UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to help assist and supply design and project ideas for Innovate UK that can help benefit public services, health services, our economy and those most vulnerable during the pandemic.

Innovate UK have stated that:

“The aim of this competition is to support UK businesses to focus on emerging or increasing needs of society and industries during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your application must demonstrate both realistic and significant benefits for society (including communities, families and individuals) or an industry that has been severely impacted and/or permanently disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your proposal must focus on a clear need and the proposed innovation to address it. You must have the ability to deliver the project during the working restrictions of COVID-19 pandemic.

You can claim 100% of your project costs up to the maximum of £50,000. These will be paid in advance of the project start date.

We intend to monitor and review projects during implementation with a view to providing follow-on funding and support for those with the most potential for impact.”

Innovate UK and Gov UK have stated that they are keen to see answers and methods to assist in battling current or newly apparent societal or industry occurring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not exclusively:

  • community support services
  • couriers and delivery (rural and/or city based)
  • education and culture
  • entertainment (live entertainment, music, etc.)
  • financial services
  • food manufacture and processing
  • healthcare
  • hospitality
  • personal protection equipment
  • remote working
  • retail
  • social care
  • sport and recreation
  • transport
  • well-being

Competition closes: Friday 17 April 2020 12:00pm

For more information please visit the Gov link here.

If you’re a business, design or tech expert that feels they have an original idea that can be accurately implemented over the next period, then be sure to check out the funding and application for this fantastic project. At a time which has been hard for many, it’s a great thing to be able to give back to others whilst supporting our work forces and teams in the design industry too!

 

5 Simple, Easy-to-Use Design Tools

Posted on | by moocow

Keep your business and work up to date, despite the Lockdown, with our top listed design tools to keep you busy working from home. Our team remains committed to providing you the best online advice, keeping you up to date on all the latest tech news, with recommendations for resources and tools that can be implemented working away from the office.

Calcolor

Calcolor is a handy, and easy to use tool that offers an insight into colour range, and exploring your colour palette. It’s great if you want to try out various colour schemes and styles for your brand, logo or website. It also teaches you more about colour HEX codes, that funny format that you’ll come across resembling numbers and a hashtag.

Snack This

Snack This is a nifty tool that allows you to create text GIFs quickly, which is great for putting together social media posts or drawing attention to a new product online. There are a range of styles, fonts and backgrounds to choose from and is a speedy way of getting colourful, animated text for an online post.

Motion

Motion is a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) editor that’s easy to grasp and can be handily downloaded onto either Mac or Windows. There’s plenty of pre-made icons that can be altered and adjusted to suit the aim of your project.

Pixlr

An online photo editor that’s free to use and doesn’t involve a download. You can use this site anytime you pop online for quick image editing and touch ups. It’s equipped with all your general editing tools, and has options for creating fonts, logos, borders and backgrounds. A brilliant and cost effective alternative that will get the job done quickly too. You can download any images you create in various formats or upload online too.

LogoMaker

Grants you access to a variety of backgrounds, stickers and shapes with professional photo editing features including colour, hue, curve, image resizing and 3D rotation. Allows you to create designs not just for logos, but for posters, newsletters and brochures or even social media ads.

Our Best Web Design Blogs & Free Tech Courses to Tide You Over

Posted on | by moocow

Companies across the UK are set to face dramatic changes in the way day-to-day business operates during the Coronavirus outbreak, our own team at Moocow included. During this time, we remain committed to providing you the best online advice, keeping you up to date on all the latest tech news, with recommendations for resources and tools that can be implemented from home.

First up, we’ve compiled a top ten list of what we believe are some of the best web design blogs on the internet, packed full of helpful tips, tutorials and freebies to get you going in all areas of design.

The Moz Blog

Founded originally by Rand Fishkin, The Moz Blog is one of the most popular blogs in the world of web design. The site offers leading advice on improving your website and design, up to date knowledge on the latest SEO advice, and insights into producing outstanding content using successful web marketing. The Moz team have also announced that during the COVID-19, their Moz academy will be free for all, offering access to over a dozen essential courses and training.

https://moz.com/blog/moz-academy-free

Design Bombs

An online magazine packed full with in-depth articles on coding, design and general web news. The site also offers design freebies, including icons and WordPress Plugins and Themes, helping you to get the most out of your website. Subscribe to their site and you’ll have access to a bunch of handy online tools.

Backlinko

Named by Forbes magazine as one of the best places for “next-level SEO training”and advice, the Backlinko blog offers you articles and tips on SEO and achieving higher rankings and traffic to your site. Formed by SEO expert Brian Dean, this blog is the go to place for SEO tips.

Vandelay Design

A blog dedicated to providing tips and tutorials for all your design needs. From coding and UX, to business marketing, blog design or photoshop skills, the site is filled with detailed insights on all design processes, offering extra tools, services and WordPress themes too.

WPKube

A blog dedicated to all your WordPress needs! WPKube is the best site for all your WordPress queries, the blog comes with how-to guides, tips and extras including WP themes, modifications and plugins as well as all the latest news keeping you up to date with what WordPress has to offer.

CSS Tricks

Created to offer advice for both amateur and professional designers and developers, this blog includes helpful hints and technique tips for using CSS, including code snippets and tutorials. As well as this, there’s a forum you can join to ask the coding community for extra help.

SitePoint

A great tech blog for anyone wanting to get hands on knowledge and experience with learning to code, using HTML5/CSS, JavaScript, or PHP. With courses and guides ranging from mobile app development to responsive design, it’s a great site with easy, learn-able advice and access to a wide community of coders.

Tuts Plus

The Envatotuts+ blog filled with courses and in-depth guides on coding, web design, photography, video, business, 3d graphics and game development. Includes access to lots of freebies, a forum you can access through the blog and really useful activities getting you equipped in all areas of design.

Hongkiat

A great design blog for designers and bloggers of all kinds, offering web design and photographic inspiration, useful tools and tips to get your knowledge up to date, including guides on using social media to market your business and getting jobs within the tech industry.

1st Web Designer

A leading UK blog focusing on UX design, typography, WordPress, JavaScript, and CSS. Great for seeing what’s trending in web design and getting you the low down on all the latest tools and design inspiration.

 

International Women’s Day and the Importance of Diversity in Tech

Posted on | by moocow

In honour of International Women’s Day, we wanted to highlight the importance of women working within technology, and the lack of diversity and inclusivity seen in many tech and design companies.

More than 2.1 million people in the UK are currently working in the tech industry, and despite such large figures, only 16% are women, according to a report from the Inclusive Tech Alliance. They stated that “over a million more female employees would need to be hired to reach gender parity.” Additionally, a mere 15% of the digital tech workforce in the UK are from BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) backgrounds, with senior/board member positions being at only 8.5% according to another recent report from search agency Inclusive Boards.

Many companies will have no female representation whatsoever, or representation from BAME or other diverse communities. It’s hugely important to create awareness and have greater opportunities created to make the tech industry a more equal and inclusive career path, and what better way to celebrate this than with International Women’s Day in mind. At Moocow, we’re proud to have a team of fantastic designers, developers, writers and technical staff from a diverse range of backgrounds, with representation from female tech experts, those from the LGBTQ+ community and those with disabilities. With an office at the heart of Brighton, we’re proud to have a workforce that’s inclusive and socially aware, as well as great in their field.

Secondarily, we wanted to offer some tips and advice to any women, young or old, looking to pursue a career path in the tech and web design industry…

Don’t be put off choosing scientific subjects to study!

No matter what tech job you’re dreaming of, don’t let anyone stop you from studying exactly what you want to do. Gender should not limit your choice of career path. If you studied in a different subject previously and are wanting to enter into a new choice of career, it’s never too late. And when certain education routes get a bit pricey, there are many different ways to gain qualifications, including ones that don’t come with a price tag. As well as bursaries, scholarships and Arts Council Funding, many companies will actually offer to train people for free. On top of this there are boot camps and hundreds of online training programs and resources that can help you transition into a tech role if you don’t have the qualifications needed for a specific job. And if you’re looking to learn code, there are thousands of sites that can help you, Codecademy, HackerRank & edX are to name a few.

Stand your ground when it comes to your career path

Confidence is key. Have a good perception of your own skills, the abilities you have and what you can achieve. If you don’t feel confident in your own abilities, it can be hard for others to feel the same. In interviews, prove you are the right person for the role, use active language that shows off your talents instead of being passive, state direct plans you have and show just how much you can benefit their company. Be bold and never feel intimidated, no matter how terrifying the interviewer may appear! (Although we hope they’re as nice as us)

Have a plan and find mentorship

Always take time to refine your skills, practice really does make perfect. Finding mentorship within a working role can also be really beneficial, so be sure to place yourself in an environment where you can be surrounded by professionals in your chosen field who are as passionate about your goals as you are. Most importantly, never give up on what it is you want to achieve. It can be hard seeing friends or colleagues achieving their goals faster than you or at different rates, but the job you’ve been waiting for could be just around the corner. Hard work always pays off, and whether it takes you 1 year, 5 years or even 10 years to reach the job you’ve always wanted, it’s always worth the wait.

#HappyIWD2020