£500 Grants on Offer to 100 SMEs in Need of Online Presence

As many as two million sole traders and small companies have missed out on £1.5bn of Cyber Weekend online sales* in the past week according to the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills. As a result, www.nettl.com are offering £50,000 of web development grants to 100 SMEs to help them get online. The £500 grants on offer are design to give smaller businesses the leg up they might need to start selling online.

www.nettl.com, the new high street design studio, is supporting small businesses with a free one-hour consultation for up to 100 local small businesses in Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin and London and a £500 grant off a Nettl:Commerce online web shop before 23rd December 2014.

Many of the UK’s small and medium sized companies have so far missed out on the cyber spending in December due to their lack of online presence, and according to the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills more than half of customers (55%) say they find it hard to support local businesses when they simply can’t find them online.

“Our clients tell us they know they need to sell online, but find it difficult knowing where to start. They hear about how expensive web development is and worry that they are going to get ripped off. It’s our mission to remove the black magic and mystery of ecommerce and help small businesses to just start selling online,” said Peter Gunning, CTO of Nettl.

“To show our support for SMEs, we’re offering any local business who signs up for a no-obligation consultation a £500 grant towards the cost of their web shop.”

“We’re so confident that our web shops will make a difference that we’ll even offer clients the option to pay their website over 12 months, so that with just a few orders, they can cover their costs.

“Championing small businesses is at the heart of Nettl’s ethos.”

If you are a small business in Manchester, Birmingham, London or Dublin, visit www.nettl.com to find your local studio and reference the £500 grants on offer.

small business missing online sales

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales saw a record £1.5bn in sales.

*Black Friday online sales calculated at £810m, Cyber Monday online sales £720m according to Department of Business, Innovation & Skills

Small business missed out on £1.5bn of online sales

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Last weekend saw an entire four day weekend of phenomenal sales in the UK. However many small businesses were not prepared for the online spending spree generated by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in figures released by the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills. 

2m small businesses missing out with online sales

The details outline that as many as 2m sole traders and small companies have missed out on the £1,530m of Cyber Weekend online sales.

Some of the biggest names in UK business saw unbelievable traffic and sales on their sites throughout the whole weekend. Online sales on Cyber Monday were an astonishing £720m, but that was trumped by £810m of online sales during Black Friday.

John Lewis noted that traffic on their site was up by 307% during a 6 hour period on Friday, and they were not alone. Many big name sites crashed due to the sheer number of customers trying to grab a bargain.

Take a look at some of the other highlights in the below graphic that we have commissioned.

small business missing online sales

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales saw a record £1.5bn in sales.

 

“More than half of consumers (55%) say they find it hard to support small local businesses that don’t have a website or are unable to take payments online”

Department Of Business, Innovation and Skills

Is your business missing online sales because your site isn’t up to scratch? It might be too late for you to benefit from Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2014, but with the growing trend in online sales, and the increase in mobile friendly shopping, preparing your website should be high on your agenda.

We can help ensure you’re ready for Cyber Monday next year (and all the Mondays in between). We make beautiful websites and web shops that work well on mobiles.  Talk to us, book your no obligation, free consultation today.

The RA, break wind embarrassing website fail

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Break wind follow through

Embarrassing website fail

Maybe your website isn’t as embarrassing as The RA, but how easy is it to navigate on your mobile? Do you need to pinch and zoom and pan and scale? If you do, then so do your visitors. And that’s awkward. It could be losing you business.

Take a look at your site now on your phone. Now look at your competitor’s. Is your site easy to navigate? Is theirs?

We crossed a tipping point last month. According to research from Capgemini, 52% of visits are now from mobiles or tablets. If your site isn’t built with mobile in mind, you risk turning away customers. With a Nettl :one site, get a website that works on mobile, tablet and desktop in one.

Nettl is now open in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin. We build elegant websites and webshops. Want to add online bookings or reservations? Or want to sell online? We can help. Pop-in or call us to book a free consultation and we’ll show you how to get started.

Final Free Font Friday (for now): Nettl Sans

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Today, is a sad day, because we’ve reached the final font in our Free Font Friday giveaway!

But, it’s also a good day, because we’ve saved the best free font for last! Nettl Sans is the Crown Jewels of our font collection. We loved it so much, we decided it should have a catchy name that everyone will remember!

Use Nettl Sans however you’d like, it’s completely free of charge and can be used for your in-house stuff as well as for clients commercial work.

Free download Nettl Sans

Give it a download and try, you know you want to! We’ve attached this brand new free font in OpenType (OTF) format for use on your Mac or PC as well as it also includes webfonts in TTF, SVG, EOT and WOFF formats, suitable for use on your website. We’re a little emotional our new font is ready to be released into the wild, but you can help make it easier for us by sharing this with your friends, family and countrymen on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus or whatever. Nettl Sans is yours to use however you like. So feel free to pop it on a poster, lay it out on a leaflet, drop it on a door hanger or erm… wow with it on a website for yourself or a client. It’s free… forever.

Free Font Friday - Nettl Sans

Free Font Friday – Nettl Sans

We like to do this sort of thing for our friends, we’re nice like that. We also usually get the first round in the pub or offer to sing the first song at karaoke. So go on, use the free font Nettl Sans, and when you do, think of us.

This is the last free font for now, but we’ll be back with other free goodies soon!

Free download Nettl Sans

Nettl Sans is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution v3.0 Licence which allows you to use it for any purpose, even commercially.

Free Font Friday: SciFly

We’re here people, the penultimate font of our Free Font Friday.

Next week is something really special that we can’t wait to give away, but we must! So as to not leave you disappointed, we’ve cooked up this snazzy little number. SciFly is great for a multitude of different uses.

Free download SciFly

By downloading the above link, you’re treating yourself to a new font in OpenType (OTF) format for use on your Mac or PC. It also includes webfonts in TTF, SVG, EOT and WOFF formats, suitable for use on your website. Before you say it, we know, we are too kind. Cloud Control is yours to use however you like. So feel free to pop it on a leaflet, online or for your clients new company. It’s free… forever. You lucky, lucky things. Take a look at what you’re treating yourself to.

 

sci

Don’t thank us, pay it forward! Nettl web studios

Free download SciFly

Cloud Control is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution v3.0 Licence which allows you to use it for any purpose, even commercially.

Mobile websites, kind of a big thing

According to figures released by IMRG and Capgemini, September this year was the point when more websites were visited on mobiles than using desktops.

The data shows 52% of all traffic to the retail sector came from Smartphones and tablets, meaning that its more important than ever to make sure your businesses website adapts for mobile use.

badminton-scuba

Wow, that’s an embarrassing website.

Is your website letting you down by not adapting for all types of viewing media? At Nettl, we make all our websites mobile or ‘responsive’ first, so you’ll never be left embarrassed by how your site views on a Smartphone or tablet.

We have studios in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin, so get in touch with your nearest studio to arrange a free 1 hour consultation on your site. So why not make sure your site is a mobile website and not an eyesore.

damsons_mobile_ready_site

Mobile ready websites!

James Lowes, Fanny the Penguin website fail

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Fanny the Penguin

Fanny the Penguin

Maybe your website isn’t as embarrassing as James Lowes, but how easy is it to navigate on your mobile? Do you need to pinch and zoom and pan and scale? If you do, then so do your visitors. And that’s awkward. It could be losing you business.

Take a look at your site now on your phone. Now look at your competitor’s. Is your site easy to navigate? Is theirs?

We crossed a tipping point last month. According to research from Capgemini, 52% of visits are now from mobiles or tablets. If your site isn’t built with mobile in mind, you risk turning away customers. With a Nettl :one site, get a website that works on mobile, tablet and desktop in one.

Nettl is now open in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin. We build elegant websites and webshops. Want to add online bookings or reservations? Or want to sell online? We can help. Pop-in or call us to book a free consultation and we’ll show you how to get started.

Free font friday: Cloud Control

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Wow, is it Friday already?

Well that can mean only one thing. We’re giving away another font for you to use on desktop and web, completely free of charge.

Free download Cloud Control

By downloading the above link, you’re treating yourself to a new font in OpenType (OTF) format for use on your Mac or PC. It also includes webfonts in TTF, SVG, EOT and WOFF formats, suitable for use on your website. Before you say it, we know, we are too kind.

Cloud Control is yours to use however you like. So feel free to pop it on a leaflet, online or for your clients new company. It’s free… forever.

You lucky, lucky things. Take a look at what you’re treating yourself to.

Cloud Control free print and web font

Cloud Control free print and web font

 

Don’t thank us, pay it forward!

Nettl web studios

Free download Cloud Control

 

Cloud Control is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution v3.0 Licence which allows you to use it for any purpose, even commercially.

Free font friday: I Shot the Serif

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Happy Hallowe’en!

There’s no trick here, just a massive treat to all our friends. We’ve commissioned a new font which is available for both desktop use and online as a web font.

Free download I Shot the Serif

The attached ZIP includes the font in OpenType (OTF) format for use on your Mac or PC. It also includes webfonts in TTF, SVG, EOT and WOFF formats, suitable for use on your website.

Use I Shot the Serif however you like. Use it on posters, on your blog, for your brand or even commercially for clients. It’s free forever.

Here’s a preview of the character set, which is particularly great for display purposes.

I shot the serif free web fonts

I shot the serif free web fonts

 

You’re welcome!

Nettl web studios

Free download I Shot the Serif

 

I Shot the Serif is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution v3.0 Licence which allows you to use it for any purpose, even commercially.

Witcham Bakery website fail

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Witcham Bakery Embarrassing Website Fail

Witcham Bakery Embarrassing Website Fail

Oh dear, Witcham Bakery. They just wanted to flog their finger buns and donuts and they’ve gone and made a ghoulish error.

Does your website let you down as badly as theirs? Probably not. But how does it look on your mobile phone? Take a look now. Does it all reflow and rearrange itself, so the text is nice and readable and the images fit the page? Or do you need to zoom in to read it, then pan left and right? If so, then that’s awkward for your visitors and you could be turning them off.

According to a survey last month by Capgemini, we’ve crossed a tipping point. Most visitors are now coming to websites on their mobile phone or tablet. If your website isn’t built with mobile in mind, you risk losing business. With a Nettl :one site, get a website that works on mobile, tablet and desktop in one. Until 28/11/14, save £300 on a Nettl :one site – they start at just £699 £999 or £69 a month (with a 12 month subscription). You’ll get a content management system built in, so you can make changes to text and images without needing to get us involved.

Nettl have web studios in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Dublin. We’d love to work on your next website or web shop. Maybe you want to add online bookings or reservations? Or maybe you would like to sell online and connect your website with your instore EPOS system? We can help. Pop-in or call us to book a free consultation and we’ll talk about the fastest ways to get going.

Happy Hallowe’en!