What Are Microsites? And How Are They Used In Search Engine Optimisation?

Microsites are websites designed solely for search engine optimisation purposes. These websites usually rank will and are used as a spring board – promoting the parent website.

This is the first of a series of microsites that we will be creating a promoting over the next couple of months!

Please check it out here: Website Design Solihull – We think the only problem with it is that it looks nicer than our main site!

If you are one of our website design clients then checkout our portfolio section to see if your site is listed! If you want your site removed from our website design portfolio, then please contact one of the team using the usual avenues.

Our latest e-commerce project is for a handmade jewellery specialist; Louy Magroos. Louys.co.uk required a website that showcased their amazing handmade jewellery, and provided them with a means to sell it online. Along with e-commerce software they also required a blogging system for updating people and customers with Louy’s latest work, current inspirations and information on commissions.

“Louys.co.uk is a bespoke e-commerce website with blog, that’s fully integrated with Facebook. Visitors can buy jewellery online, along with commenting on what they like on the blog and share with their friends on Facebook”

We decided to use the Zen cart e-commerce engine for the actual shop, as Zen Cart is one of the most powerful e-commerce platforms and it best fit in with the clients design. We customised Zen Cart to support multiple images, and cross item selling. Website payments are supported by PayPal. For the blogging system we used the powerful WordPress CMS engine, added a bespoke jQuery image gallery, and integrated it with Facebook and other social networking sites, so users could leave comments regarding Louy’s work via their Facebook accounts. Louys.co.uk is search engine friendly, and every week their products are automatically uploaded to Google Products in order to generate more website traffic.

E-commerce website design screen shot:

Website design blog screen shot:

First Editions Ltd are the UK’s largest supplier of promotional sports bottles and as such, required a bespoke content management system that reflects their quality business image and their entire bespoke product library.

Using the Concrete5 CMS engine, the new First Editions Ltd website is completely editable via it’s end user admin interface that functions by highlighting editable blocks to add/edit and delete content. This removes the need for the traditional administrative interface you find on all other CMS systems.

“Using the concrete5 content management system, the First Editions website is completely editable by the client via a secure login. No website design coding required!”

First Editions Ltd required a powerful image gallery that displayed their entire sports bottle portfolio with a filter system.  The finished project incorporated the jQuery Fancybox plugin!

Website Features:

• Bespoke website design to XHTML transitional standards.
• Concrete5 end user admin – the website is completely editable the end user without the need for HTML knowledge.
• Flash bottle showcase gallery
• Bespoke image gallery with filters, and Fancybox.
• Contact forms
• Google map api
• Frequently asked questions section
• Search engine optimised

PlayQuest adventure play required a bespoke content management system built completely from the ground up to showcase there amazing playground equipment. The site is database driven, using the winning combination of PHP and MySQL, and completely editable by the client via a secure content management system.  Animations, ‘autocomplete’ forms and drop downs were adapted using jQuery, and the site is W3C valid as XHTML 1.0 Transitional!

“A tailor made content management system, the PlayQuest website boasts some impressive features; XHTML compliant code, latest news, google map integration, and complex search filters to name a few.”

The website also features a lot of dynamic content, advanced bespoke search filters, playground equipment comparisons and dynamic testimonials that change on every page. We are currently still working closely with PlayQuest for Search Engine Optimisation and Adwords Campaign building.

Website design homepage:

Website Design Products Page:

First4Clubs.com was a very new company, so along with the actual e-commerce engine, they also required logo design and branding.

Website Features:

• Secure server for website payments via SSL
• XHTML transitional code
• Bespoke e-commerce shop facility
• Back-end ‘Admin’ content management system for adding/editing products, processing sales.
• Contact form.
• Search engine optimised.

Website Design Homepage:

After having recently acquired a competitor, FT Transformers decided they needed a website to show off their larger product range. We decided that instead of having pictures of their transformers cluttering the site, they would instead give examples of where their product range is used. This is broken down into five sectors; Aviation, Controls, Industrial, Offshore and Rail. Showing pictures of where their transformers are used, instead of showing the actual transformer made the site look a lot prettier, and is more likely to keep the visitors attention.

All the pictures were sourced from royalty free image website.

“FT Transformers Ltd, a local company established in 1937, finally made the jump to the world wide web in 2010 with a tailor made website designed to their requirements.”

Website design features:

• Bespoke website design
• Search engine optimisation
• Royalty free images
• XHTML 1.0 Transitional Code
• Logo and icon design

GiftsandGiggles.co.uk is a gift shop located in Hastings, that specialises in Party gifts and Keel Toys. They required a completely bespoke e-commerce website designed and built using PHP and MySQL. Using a secure login and a content management system, the shop employees are able to login, process sales and add new products. The site also featured banners that were displayed during different times of the year. For example, during late January/early February, GiftsandGiggles.co.uk would display valentines gifts.

“Advertising banners displayed on the website are time coded, so different banners are displayed at different times of the year!”

Website features:

• Powerful e-commerce engine
• Secure login
• Secure payments processed by PayPal
• Site banners that are displayed at different times of the year.
• Invoice system
• Detailed search forms
• Logo design
• Branding design
• Visitor trend reports
• Search engine optimisation

Website Design