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Benefits of Outsourcing to a Design Agency

chat@thenewfat.co.uk (The New Fat Studio) — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:00:09 GMT

Is it time to hire a full-time designer?
Why outsourcing might be the better option. 

By Suze Moore, Creative Director – The New Fat

Many businesses reach a point where the volume of marketing projects justifies considering the hire of a full-time designer. But is that truly the best move? In this article I explore the advantages of outsourcing to a design agency instead.

Why outsource your marketing and design?

Drawing on over 22 years of experience running a business, I believe it's the people who make everything work—and finding the right people is never easy. This is particularly true when a business needs to bring in individuals or teams with expertise that falls outside its own core competencies.

For business leaders looking to hire a designer or marketer, the challenges are many: How does one assess the required skills and experience? How can their capabilities be tested? Should you go for a good all-rounder or a specialist? Is it realistic to expect that one person will meet all these needs within your budget? Should the candidate be proficient in both print and digital? These are all important considerations, and without a background in marketing or design, it can be difficult to make confident, effective decisions.

Outsourcing to a design team like TNF (The New Fat) offers a valuable solution. It provides businesses with expert advice, deep experience, and high-level service—enabling internal teams to stay focused on core responsibilities while their marketing strategy progresses smoothly, with minimal effort and stress.

15 Reasons Why Outsourcing to a Design and Marketing Agency Like TNF Is a Smart Business Move.

1) No recruitment fees

There are no finder’s fees or salary commissions, and businesses avoid spending time sifting through CVs and conducting interviews. A capable agency will listen to client needs, help clarify objectives, and create an actionable plan.

2) Decades of experience

TNF (The New Fat), based in Nottingham, brings more than 50 years of collective industry experience to the table—spanning brand development, sales collateral, packaging, websites, digital graphics, and more.

3) Pay as you go - flexibility

Sales and marketing teams often need ad hoc support at specific times. Booking these tasks with a design studio ensures deadlines are met and costs are kept to a minimum—only paying for what’s needed.

4) Fixed fee annual contracts

Purchasing a bank of hours for the year can lead to cost savings—typically around 15% off the standard hourly rate. Additional benefits often include waived rush fees, dedicated project management, weekly time reports, and budget planning across 12 months.

5) Fast and efficient delivery

Once a team becomes familiar with a brand, turnaround becomes quick and efficient. Experienced designers are adept at asking the right questions, offering new perspectives, solving problems, and producing high-quality creative assets.

6) Consistent weekday availability

Outsourcing means no disruptions due to holidays or sick leave. Agencies provide access to multiple professionals who are always available for meetings or project updates.

7) Access to specialists

Working with a design agency offers access to a broader network of proven specialists—from product photography to LinkedIn advertising and software development. This ensures every project is matched with the right expertise.

8) Get on with it - being proactive

Design agencies are motivated to keep projects moving. They manage schedules, provide updates, and chase deliverables—helping clients action their strategies without unnecessary delays.

9) Lower overheads

In addition to avoiding recruitment costs, outsourced teams don’t require salaries, PAYE, NI, pensions, training, holiday pay, or equipment. You don’t need to take us on training courses or away days either (although that would be lovely :-))

10) Latest tech

Agencies cover all software licenses for modern design tools and font management, as well as project management platforms to track time, budgets, and deliverables with precision.

11) Industry knowledge and innovation

Agency designers continually develop their skills, stay updated on current trends, and collaborate with colleagues to generate creative, effective solutions.

12) Make things easy

Having a consistent team builds long-term trust and efficiency. Agency staff work closely with clients to understand their brands ethos and guidelines, becoming a natural extension of their internal teams.

13) Continuity despite staff changes

Agencies train their entire team on client brands, ensuring visual consistency over time. Staff turnover is handled internally, with no disruption to the client.

14) Your artwork files stored securely

At TNF, all project files are stored securely in the cloud with daily backups. An organised workflow system ensures easy access to data, and files can be stored on client-specific drives if requested.

15) Keeping marketing on track

Ultimately, marketing is about guiding the audience through the sales funnel—sharing valuable product and service information, building brand awareness, and supporting sales teams with the right materials. Whether collaborating with internal departments or leading the strategy themselves, agencies like TNF help businesses stay consistent and effective.

TNF (The New Fat) have specific experience in offering outsourced design for engineering, science and manufacturing businesses.

Although useful for any market sector, our design agency specialises in giving day to day design support for clients in the engineering, science and manufacturing sector. Working closely with internal marketing teams and sales teams.

Get in touch to find out how outsourced design and marketing can help your business.

6 Tips to Help Your Exhibition Booth Stand Out

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 16:12:18 GMT

Everybody wants to make their best impression when it comes to exhibition stands, and when you’re up against all kinds of big names at industry events it's only to your benefit to learn how to plan an exhibition stand that will impress attendees.

Fear not, whether your exhibition booth stands out from the crowd or not, it can simply come down to how well thought out your stand is. In this blog we will outline 6 top tips to help you best plan and implement your exhibition stand.

1. Your exhibition stand should have clear idea of what you want to achieve and who your audience is

Whether you are launching a new product, attempting to find new clients, trying to spread the word or sell, sell, sell. Having a clear idea of what you want to achieve at the exhibition and what your overall message is going to be will make all the difference.

Conveying your company’s values clearly will put you in a much better position when it comes to sales or leads. If you know your target audience you can focus on a concept that will communicate the most effective message and attract the right kind of potentially lucrative prospects.

Keep your goals and audience in mind throughout the process and not only will you end up with a great looking stand but one that does the talking.

2. Make the most of the exhibition space you have

Before you start planning your exhibition stand, read your exhibitor pack carefully, confirming dimensions and any features of your allocated space. Your design and build team should aim to utilise the space fully ensuring visitors flow through the stand without being restricted.

Minimise physical obstructions at points of entry and position meeting areas towards the back.

3. Your booth should consider different materials and lighting

Lighting can make the biggest difference on an exhibition stand. It can set the mood, create atmosphere and show products off at their best. Don’t just make do with standard venue lighting, add extra lighting, you could even mix it up with colours.

Experimenting with materials and textures like high gloss surfaces, wood, glass and metal effects can help attract visitors and to emphasise your image. A combination of lighting, materials and colour can help to create an ambience that will make you stand out from the competition.

4. Make your exhibition booth taller

As well as making the most of your floor space you should take advantage of the vertical space. Although some events will have limitations on the height of stands it is worth checking the rules for yours.

Larger venues with high ceilings will allow suspended banners and high signage, which will maximise your stands visibility and attract people to your stand from far-flung corners of the exhibition hall.

Note: There is normally an extra cost for rigging needed and you may need to do an additional risk assessment.

5. Keep text short and sweet on your printed graphics

Long sentences won’t provide any impact and will mostly likely be left unread. Make the text memorable and stick to key statements. A catchy tagline is a great way to grab attention and it gives visitors something to remember you by after the event.

Stick to nice, easy to read fonts and position your text in the top half of your exhibition panels so that visitors, staff or furniture on the stand do not block it.

6. Your exhibition stand should include strong imagery

This is probably the most important of all. Your stand graphics will make the biggest impact and if you get it right, strong imagery will say more about your business than any amount of text. When it comes to impressions, the bigger the better too, but make sure the images you use are high resolution.

Pixelated images will have the opposite effect and impact the overall feel. You can commission lifestyle photography if your company is product based or use suitable stock imagery.

Start your exhibition stand design with The New Fat!

Although there is a lot to think about when planning an trade show booth it doesn’t have to be complicated. Think through the process. Who are you aiming to attract, what you are trying to say and what you want your stand to convey. Use impactful imagery, snappy text and make the most of the space you have.

The New Fat team can help you through every stage of the planning, design and build of your professional exhibition . To find out more about how we could help you, get in touch today.

What is Brand Identity? 4 Essential Tips for Crafting a Memorable Brand

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 13:18:12 GMT

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, brands strive to differentiate themselves and establish a strong connection with their target audience. One essential element that plays a significant role in this process is brand identity.

A brand’s visual identity encompasses various aspects – including logos, colours, typography and design elements that collectively represent its values, personality and offerings. In this insight, we will explore five key points about brands and visual identity and understand their importance in building a successful brand.

Recognition and Memorability

A well-crafted brand identity helps a brand stand out in a crowded marketplace. The logo , colours and other visual elements create a unique visual signature that captures attention and makes a lasting impression on consumers’ minds.

Think of iconic brands like Apple, Nike, or Coca-Cola—just a glimpse of their logos instantly triggers recognition and familiarity.

Building a memorable visual identity ensures that your brand remains top-of-mind, making it easier for customers to recall and choose your brand over competitors. When consumers perceive a brand as visually distinct and appealing, they are more likely to choose it over alternatives, giving the brand a competitive advantage.

Reflecting Brand Personality and Values

Visual identity serves as a visual representation of a brand’s personality, values and mission. Every element within the brand identity from colours to typography, should align with the brand’s intended image.

For example, a luxury brand may opt for elegant and sophisticated typography, while a youthful and energetic brand might use vibrant colours and playful design elements.

Consistency in visual identity across all touch points fosters a sense of trust and authenticity, enabling customers to connect with the brand on an emotional level. Let us help turn your visual identity into stunning brochures or reports that align with your brand guidelines!

Adaptability and Flexibility

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, brands must adapt their visual identity to various channels and platforms while maintaining brand consistency. A flexible visual identity system allows a brand to seamlessly translate its identity across different mediums, such as websites, social media, print materials , and packaging.

Adapting the brand identity to different formats and sizes ensures a cohesive brand experience across all customer touch points. This adaptability also enables brands to stay relevant and engage with their target audience effectively.

A strong visual identity is a powerful tool that can elevate a brand’s recognition, differentiation, and trustworthiness. By carefully crafting visual elements that reflect a brand’s personality and values, businesses can establish a unique identity and connect with consumers on a deeper level.

Consistency, memorability, and adaptability are crucial factors to consider when developing a visual identity that resonates with the target audience. Ultimately, brands that prioritise visual identity as an integral part of their overall strategy are better positioned to thrive in today’s competitive market and leave a lasting impression on their customers.

Things to consider when compiling your brand identity toolbox

Using a design agency to create your brand identity ensures you get all the elements you need to produce marketing material. Consistency is key and getting a brand guideline document put together is a great way of keeping control of the visual application of your identity.

Usually in the form of a PDF – but can be a web based guide – this is sent to any third party company who is applying your logo – as well as being used internally by design teams or external agencies to create any piece of communication work for your business.

Get to know your brand identity today!

Here at The New Fat, we can create and build distinctive and unique identities for your brand, along with resources and guidelines to help keep your brand consistent. We can help harness your new brand identity with everything from corporate stationery design to large format projects such as vehicle graphics or building signage. Get in touch to find out what we can do for you.

What Are Interactive Brochures And Does Your Business Need One?

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 13:18:11 GMT

In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive business landscape, it’s crucial for companies to effectively engage their target audience and make a lasting impression.

Traditional printed brochures have long been a staple in marketing campaigns, but with the rapid advancement of technology, interactive brochures have emerged as a powerful tool for businesses. In this insight, we will explore the concept of interactive brochures and delve into the significant impact they can have.

What is an interactive brochure?

An interactive brochure from the surface may retain similar qualities to traditional brochures but in a digital format that is enhanced with real-time interactive elements such as clickable links, embedded videos, maps, and other engaging components that an audience can interact with whilst browsing.

Many may consider an interactive brochure as a mini-website, and in some cases the interactive brochure can be specifically designed for mobiles. It offers the best of both worlds: the visual structure and appeal of print but with the functionality of digital media.

What is a digital brochure?

Simply put, a digital brochure is a digital version of a printed brochure. Your digital brochure can be shared, downloaded and saved all through digital means without the need to print or ship. Unlike interactive brochures, they’re static in use with a purpose of simply conveying clear information about a business, service offering or product.

Does my business need a digital or interactive brochure?

Brochures, whether they’re print or digital can provide a cost-effective solution if you’re interested in promoting your brand, an event, service or product. They can tell a story, engage new customers and even help reduce your carbon footprint.

Before taking the plunge, ask yourself:

Do you want a professional online presence?
Do you need a cost-effective marketing tool?
Do you need to reach more customers online?
Do you need a brochure that can be easily shared?
Do you want to save time and money?

If you answered yes to most, then a digital brochure may be invaluable to your business. Digital and interactive brochures can help extend your audience reach as they’re much more accessible when in a PDF or eBook format, and many businesses choose digital over print as their brochures can be easily updated overtime and re-used.

Considering your target audience, marketing budget and business goals will help you make a more informed decision.

As brochure designers in Nottingham , we’ve had the pleasure of working alongside a range of businesses from luxury wedding venues to universities and charities to global brands such as DEWALT. Start your brochure design journey with The New Fat.

What are the benefits of interactive brochures?

Engaging User Experience

Interactive brochures enable businesses to showcase their products, services, and brand ethos in a more compelling and interactive manner.

With multimedia elements and interactive features, businesses can engage their audience through visually appealing content, immersive storytelling, and interactive narratives.

By combining text, images and interactive elements, companies can create a deeper connection with their audience and communicate their brand values more effectively.

This approach creates a sense of interactivity and personalisation, allowing users to explore content at their own pace and tailor their experience according to their interests.

Cost-Effective and Eco-Friendly Solution

Printing and distributing traditional brochures can be costly, time-consuming, and environmentally unfriendly. Interactive brochures, on the other hand, offer a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative.

With digital distribution channels such as websites , emails, social media platforms, and mobile applications, businesses can reach a wider audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional printing.

Interactive brochures can be easily updated and distributed electronically, reducing printing costs and minimising the environmental impact associated with paper waste.

Increased Reach and Accessibility

The digital age has brought about a global marketplace, and businesses need to ensure their marketing materials reach a broader audience.

Interactive brochures can be easily shared across various online platforms, enabling businesses to reach potential customers worldwide. Moreover, interactive brochures can be optimised for mobile devices, making them accessible to users on smartphones and tablets, further expanding the reach of the marketing campaign.

Interactive brochures have revolutionised the way businesses communicate with their audience, offering a more engaging, immersive, and interactive experience.

From enhanced brand storytelling to cost-effective distribution, the impact of interactive brochures on businesses is undeniable.

By leveraging the power of multimedia, interactivity, and data insights, companies can strengthen their brand presence, capture audience attention, and drive customer engagement in today’s digital age.

Embracing interactive brochures as a marketing tool can provide businesses with a competitive edge, fostering meaningful connections and driving success in the evolving business landscape.

What’s the main difference between an Interactive brochure and Digital brochure?

The main difference between interactive brochures and digital brochures comes down to its functionality. Digital brochures are a static version of a printed brochure but can be viewed as a PDF document or as an eBook.

Interactive corporate brochures are more complex in their design and functionality and present various features that an audience can interact with, including clickable links, videos, animations, pop-ups and so on. Interactive brochures are typically viewed similarly to websites to allow for this level of functionality to work.

Digital brochures may cost less, and its main purpose is to be an informational piece of marketing material. Interactive brochures are much more immersive and naturally encourage active user engagement.

Although in functionality they’re quite different, both brochure types can offer positive sustainability factors if your business wants to help reduce its carbon footprint. Without the need to print or deliver brochures physically, your business is helping to combat unnecessary waste, and you may actually save money in the process.

Need a professional brochure design?

We can help you to create an easy to navigate interactive brochure, the perfect combination of functionality and efficiency. Explore our report brochure design service or Get in touch today to find a solution that works for you and your business.

The importance of SEO and why businesses should invest in it

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 13:18:10 GMT

Search engine optimisation, commonly known as SEO, is the practice of optimising your website to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO is essential for any business that wants to build a strong online presence and attract more traffic to their website. In this insight post, we’ll discuss five key points about the importance of SEO on your website.

Improved visibility and traffic

The primary goal of SEO is to improve the visibility of your website in search engine results pages. When your website ranks higher, it gets more visibility, which leads to increased traffic. SEO helps you to optimise your website’s content, structure, and keywords to improve its visibility in search engines. As a result, more people will find your website and visit it, increasing your chances of making conversions.

Increased credibility and authority

Another critical benefit of SEO is that it can help to establish your website as an authority in your industry. When your website ranks high in search engines, people tend to perceive it as a credible source of information. It builds trust among your audience and helps establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry. This, in turn, leads to increased traffic, better brand recognition, and ultimately, more sales.

Better user experience

SEO is not just about optimising for search engines. It’s also about optimising for users. By improving the user experience on your website, you’ll keep visitors engaged and on your site longer. SEO helps to ensure that your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and has quality content that is relevant and informative. All these factors combine to create a positive user experience that will keep visitors coming back.

Higher ROI

SEO is a cost-effective way to drive traffic to your website. Unlike paid advertising, where you pay for each click, SEO delivers organic traffic that can continue to grow over time. Once you’ve optimised your website for search engines, you’ll continue to receive traffic without ongoing costs. This makes SEO a high ROI strategy that can deliver significant results for your business.

Competitive advantage

Finally, SEO can give you a competitive advantage in your industry. If your website ranks higher than your competitors, you’re more likely to attract potential customers who are searching for products or services that you offer. By optimising your website for search engines, you’ll be able to outperform your competitors and attract more customers to your business.

In conclusion, SEO is a crucial component of any digital marketing strategy. It can help to improve your website’s visibility, credibility, user experience, ROI, and competitive advantage. By investing in SEO, you’ll be able to attract more traffic to your website, establish your brand as an authority in your industry, and ultimately drive more sales for your business.

If you would like to get your website found, The New Fat have SEO packages to suit you. Get in touch today.

Updating your Website – 5 key elements to consider

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 12:03:22 GMT

A well-designed website is one of the most effective ways to market your business online, and in an increasingly remote world, the power of the internet has never been more prevalent. An up to date website will give your business credibility and currency and there are several different reasons why you might be considering updating yours. Perhaps you feel that it could be more user-friendly, maybe you are rebranding, or have online security concerns forced you to reconsider the way that yours is set up? Whatever your reasons are for updating your website, we’ve rounded up some of the key things you’ll need to consider before getting started.

How user-friendly is your site?

When it comes to redoing your website, it pays to get into the psyche of those that will be visiting it frequently. What do they want, or perhaps need from your website? What changes can you implement to ensure that your website is easy to navigate? You might want to consider conducting surveys to find out what your customers or visitors want from your website. Could a new layout make it easier to use? Alternatively, consult with analytics to find out which pages are visited most. Could the pages with less traffic be optimised or improved, or do they need to become more visible on your homepage? Knowing your users and their needs means you can make meaningful changes to your website.

What kind of story does the appearance of your site tell?

A website that looks visually appealing is important and helps to convey a certain message to people that visit it. It also helps to convey that you’ve got your finger on the button when it comes to the latest trends and will help your website stay relevant. In terms of keeping it ‘off the moment’, you might want to consider digital illustrations, vibrant colours and geometric patterns, all of which are in right now. Photographs of key people in your organisation help to breathe life into your site, so consider finding a way to incorporate these into it too.

Is your site secure?

You should never compromise when it comes to security, and if you are updating, you’ll want to be sure that your website is secure and safe. Protecting your website and any email addresses affiliated with it can be achieved with up-to-date software, so be sure to check that your content management system aligns with modern technologies.

Is your website optimised effectively?

Anyone with a half-decent website knows the importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and because the rules are transforming all of the time, you need to stay in the know, particularly if you are planning on a website update. Did you know that when Google updates its algorithms, it can have a direct impact on your website? If you are going to make changes to the appearance or content of your website, see it as the perfect opportunity to update your SEO too.

How fast are users able to access information?

In an increasingly connected and fast-paced online environment, immediacy reigns supreme, which is why it’s important that your website boasts high speeds. A slow loading speed has been cited as one of the main reasons for a high bounce rate, so if you are updating, consider looking into ways that you can make your website work faster, which will in turn lead to reduced alienation of users and keep your engagement levels high. You might want to apply some more up-to-date technology to your site, as doing so will speeds things up while simultaneously improving your Google rankings. Alternatively investigate improving or removing some of the elements of your website slowing things down. This might include unoptimized images, heavy video files and too much flash content.

To find out more on how The New Fat could help you update your website get in touch today.

Time to Reflect: Creating Brand Guidelines

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 12:03:22 GMT

Every company has a public identity and keeping it focused and coherent is important when aiming for success. Fortunately, brand guidelines help a business to solidify their message and ensure that any marketing collateral tells a consistent story.

Guidelines are essentially rules that set the look, feel and overall style of a company’s brand. Whether it’s the colour scheme used throughout online and print materials, how a logo should sit or the format of blogs for example, effective guidelines help a business to achieve continuity. Showing audiences what they can expect from a brand. During the process of creating brand guidelines , there are a few key elements that need to be considered in order to be successful.

If you would like your business to have a more consistent appearance, then The New Fat can help. Here are our tips to ensure you tick all the boxes.

Create a skeleton, or outline, for your guidelines

Establishing a clear and distinct style for your brand can seem like an upward battle at the best of times. If you’re struggling to see the woods for the trees, creating an outline for your brand guidelines can help. Our advice, focus on essential elements specific to your business. Your essential elements should include: logo, brand story, colour palette, typography, tone of voice and imagery. After you’ve established these elements, you can also think about additional information that is completely unique to your brand. If you’re finding it difficult our team can help.

Make your brand’s voice heard

When establishing a business two of the most important questions you need to ask yourself are: what do you want to say? and how do you want to say it? There’s no denying that your brand voice matters. It is what consumers buy into and what prospective partners use to consider whether your ethos aligns with theirs. Highlighting tone of voice in your brand guidelines is fundamental and can be done in several ways. You might want to pick a handful of adjectives that really get to the heart of who you are as a business. You might describe yourselves as fun, professional, inclusive, straight-talking or even eccentric. Or consider including a ‘words we like and don’t like’ section to illustrate the voice you want to maintain. Every business has a unique way of speaking to their audience. Establish yours and leave The New Fat to get it across clearly.

Get specific about your logo

There really is no getting away from the importance of a logo . They convey character and competence and are often the first preconception of a brand. Logos provide instant recognition and therefore need clear instructions. This needs to include how your logo should be displayed; landscape, portrait, with or without a strapline. Also set clear size restrictions, minimum use and safe space. Display clear rules on how colours should be used and if and when your logo should sit on coloured, textured or photographic backgrounds. We also provide examples of how your logo really shouldn’t be displayed, for example, stretched out of recognition! The aim here is to have your logo consistently and clearly displayed. As well as showing how it should be look, as a rule of thumb most design agencies also set out logo don’ts. Don’t stretch, squash or don’t change colours for example.

Aim to create a living, breathing document

Remember that your brand guidelines shouldn’t be rigid, but instead consider the fact that all brands are likely to evolve. View your brand guidelines as a foundation that your business can be added to over time. You’ll probably want to look back over your brand guidelines periodically and consider whether you need to add to or amend them, something The New Fat can also help with. There are also some key milestones that would warrant reviewing and altering your brand guidelines including launching a new product or if you are keen to redesign your website.

Spread the word

A set of brand guidelines mean nothing if they are not distributed well across a company and used effectively by those able to make use of them. Circulate to relevant colleagues and ensure that you have considered conversations during staff meetings and briefings about how people can use them effectively. Remember to also make colleagues aware that they need to monitor the media (which might include print, radio, social media and email marketing) to ensure that your brand guidelines and being used correctly. Staff can refer to the guidelines to help ensure that any incorrect usage is flagged right away.

Need help creating usable, effective brand guidelines for your business? Get in touch today.

5 reasons to work with The New Fat

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 11:52:02 GMT

1. We’re reliable

We cherish this ability to take on any creative task – no matter how big or small, routine or unexpected. We hit our deadlines without compromising standards and always go above and beyond to ensure you, the client, get exactly what you want.

2. We’re honest

We won’t take on work we know isn’t right for us, and there are no hidden bills. We are fully transparent with our clients, always being upfront about costs and timescales.

3. We’re professional

We never compromise the quality of our work. We’re big enough to pass any design challenge with flying colours, but small enough to care about every single task.

This means we’re equally at home working with a single-handed business, global companies, government programmes or an in-house marketing team needing some specialist support.

4. We’re versatile

Our forte is operating in partnership alongside marketing teams or company owners as a responsive design department, whether project by project or on an ongoing basis. We care about all our clients, always ensuring that our work is of the same excellent standard.

Over the last two decades, we’ve taken on assignments and supported clients of every conceivable type, who have sought our design help to develop and communicate their brands effectively.

5. And most importantly… We’re nice!

People tell us we’re great to work with because we’re so friendly and approachable. Our team has been carefully assembled to bring together a rich mix of skills and experience, each bringing their own special abilities and knowhow so that together, we offer more. You’ll always find us helpful and easy to work with.

Get in touch today to find out more on how we could work together...

7 Factors to Consider When Designing Websites

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 11:47:12 GMT

Web design is not only creative, but includes much more…

From copywriting and typography to layout and graphics, coming together to create an interface that not only looks good but, one that communicates to its audience and delivers a good user experience. Here are our top thingsto consider when designing a website.

A successful website project is a big task. Everyone wants their project to be successful, but this doesn’t happen magically and needs a strong plan.

1. Consider your goals

First port of call when designing a website is before starting work on your web design is to have a clear understanding of your business goals, or your client’s goals. What are you trying to achieve with the new website or redesign? What is the main reason or purpose of the website? Speak to your client, your manager or ask yourself what they are

What is the function of your website? Are you selling products or services, creating entertainment or delivering information? Ask why you want the redesign: are you looking to grow the number of registrations, decrease the bounce rate or maybe increase user participation like downloads? The function will predetermine your website design and platform. Goals are equally important if you are considering redesign.

2. Identify your audience

Knowing your audience is fundamental in how your website will look, feel and function. There are several demographics to consider that will have some effect in the design of your website, e.g. age, gender and occupation. A gaming website for a younger audience requires a different design than that of an entrepreneur. Usability is extremely important for senior and less technical audiences where small details like font size and navigation should be considered.

3. Think about your brand image

Many website designers get excited about using the latest trends without considering the image they should be conveying. Glossy buttons, gradients and reflective floors may work for some websites, but they may not be right for your brand.

A few basic things to consider are colour and how you want visitors to feel when they land on the website and what emotions you want to evoke. Your design should bring to life the personality and character of your brand . Your website will have a feel that makes an impression on your visitors. Think about what that impression should be.

4. Make sure you have the right team in place

If your strategy and direction is clear and you have the right team on board for the project, then trust that they will deliver. Communication throughout the website design is important so check in regularly and give feedback, ask questions, but at the same time micromanaging them isn’t necessary if you have the trust. The team will take ownership in pride of the website too and will want it to be a success.

5. Don’t expect a lot for a little

Website budgets are like a seesaw where things like function, technicalities and design need to be carefully balanced along with the work effort to build a successful website. The application of a budget should be common sense, but all too commonly not. Best practice is to base the budget for the website design on the value you expect to create and budget accordingly.

6. Quality takes time

Give your team sufficient time in regards to budget and timeline of your website project so they are able to complete the job the way you want it. Rushing generally means important and small steps are skipped and the website may not be the best it can be. Rushing means things will be overlooked.

Might be of interest – The Website Design History Timeline

7. Measure

Once your website has been designed, created and deployed, it’s time to measure your success. This is very important because until you test how well your design performs, you won’t know how effective it is in fulfilling your goals e.g. if your aim is to increase the registration numbers to your service, keep tally and measure it and see if your changes are making the impact you wanted. If your goal is to increase subscribers to your blog, check your RSS stats. If it is better user participation take note of comments or forum posts, etc.

Might be of interest – Making the perfect landing page

Another way to measure the success of your new website is to ask people for their feedback. They will delight in telling you what they think and it’s a great way to check you are on the right path, however, be mindful of every suggestion made – they may not be practical or relevant. Look out for regular patterns and common issues – deal with those.

Measuring website analytics is a science unto itself and beyond the scope of this article, but the important thing is you have some method of measuring in place keeping you on track of your key objectives.

Successful website projects aren’t an accident and are a result of a strong process, clear direction, a great team and much grafting and hard work.

Contact our team!

To find out more about how we could help you, get in touch today. Browse our website for more information on our digital services, including web design .

Affordable effective marketing

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 11:34:02 GMT

Short title, right? You may well be reading this item along with the circa-35% of recipients who open e-mail based on the subject line. Also, there’s roughly a 54% chance you’re reading this on a mobile device too. If that’s the case, then bear in mind that an ideal subject line should be around just three words, based on the fact that an average mobile device can fit just 4 to 7 words across the screen. Phew!

So, email marketing: It’s effective and it’s affordable when compared to other forms of marketing. However, there are a number of important considerations to bear in mind if you want to succeed. In fact, you may well be asking yourself “How do I get e-mail marketing right?”

In our short guide to direct e-mail, we clarify the ambiguous and we present e-mail marketing as easy as 1, 2, 3 – 1: Design; 2: Copy; and 3: The Law.

Let’s go…

Effective affordable marketing

1. Marketing Design

Your e-shot needs to be visually appealing, but it also needs to actually work i.e. display consistently across all web-based email platforms, from Outlook to Gmail. It needs to be as striking on a Mac as it is on a PC and just as effective on an Android smartphone as it is on an iPhone or iPad.

Bearing the above in mind and that mobile e-mail is increasingly important, images and design need to be responsive (i.e. resize and reformat accordingly). Outlook and Mac Mail programs feature preview windows, smartphones are small, and Outlook and Gmail have narrow display panels. Therefore, a starting point for e-mail design should be within a 600 pixel-wide space.

A lot of experienced e-marketers use something known as the “pyramid” when designing their emails. In essence, this is a framework for structuring overall design, starting with the header, imagery, buttons and so forth. Following this hierarchy of messaging ensures that the key elements of the e-mail attract and draw-in the reader, ultimately instilling a desire to click-through to the website.

With the various platforms and recipient device-types, the most important stage of your design is the testing stage! Test your e-mails thoroughly. Do this by sending test e-mails to all platforms and to all devices. You’d be surprised how differently the various platforms all read style information, or as mentioned, simply strip it out and ignore it. Make the necessary changes and then, test again!

2. Marketing Copy

We’ve touched on the subject line, so if you will, consider the sheer volume of non-relevant e-mails that we all receive on a day-to-day basis. Bearing in mind the character and space limitations, our titles need to be succinct and they need to connect effectively with target groups in order to leverage opens. In other words, they need to stand-out from the crowd! So that said, consider that, before we buy anything, many marketers believe that the buyer has recognised a ‘problem’ and that they are searching for products and services as a solution to that problem. If we can communicate an understanding of these problems and suggest that we can provide the key to the solution within these short e-mail titles, then we’re half-way there. However, a word of caution: You must avoid what are referred to as ‘spammy’ words in your title and indeed, in your body text to a (slightly) lesser extent.

Something worth exploring is using symbols in your titles. A recent Experian report showed an increase in open rates compared to plain text titles. But please, send those test emails prior to broadcast to ensure consistent reproduction across all platforms.

If your titles, headings and copy contain ‘spammy’ words, especially ‘monetary’, ‘sales’ and ‘offers’ related terms, the chances are that e-mail servers and platforms that subscribe to blacklists will identify your message as spam and block you at best. At worst, they’ll blacklist you. If you end up on a blacklist, something easily achieved, it’s time-consuming and often a confusing process to delist, and until you have done so successfully, your day-to-day business e-mails may well be blocked, thus compromising your business operations.

Of course, like all marketing communications, your e-mail copy needs to be in the register, tone and language of your target group. Keep email copy minimal and to the point, and ask yourself “Is my copy relevant and is it useful?”. If you can answer this with an honest ‘Yes, of course it is”, then try and write your e-mail in excerpts rather than full posts. After all, the primary objective of your e-mail is surely to push people towards your website to find more information, to hopefully buy something, or to click the ‘contact us’ button.

If your messaging is less formal, how about utilising emojis? A picture speaks a thousand words, they say. However, consider that Google’s emojis are slightly different from say Android’s emojis and may well look a little different when they arrive in the inbox. But then, you’ll be testing your e-mails of course.

A hugely attractive feature of e-mail marketing is how we can personalise our messages. We can include the recipient’s name in the salutation, the body text and even the title by using simple short-codes that link to your data (pulling in first and surnames when required). With personalised emails being 26% more likely to be opened, this is undoubtedly a technique not be be ignored. But, overuse personalisation and it might well work against you and repel readers. Once they’ve opted-out of your emails, you can’t legally e-mail them again!

We all know that e-mails are rather ‘viral’ by nature, meaning that recipients can easily share the content by forwarding them to friends and colleagues who they feel might also find the content of use and interest. We can easily add social media ‘like’ and ‘share’ buttons to our messages, forward-to-a-friend hyperlinks, as well as subscribe buttons for those who may have come across the message indirectly, or were forwarded the e-mail.

3. The Law

Sounds like the stuffy part, right? Wrong! Well, right, but ‘Ahhh GDPR is here!’ – E-mail marketing works very well as a ‘relationship marketing’ tool; It’s ideal for keeping in touch with existing clients and contacts. It’s cheap to produce with no postage costs and advert placement costs. Conversely though, it’s not ideal as a first-point-of-contact medium and unless you bear in mind a few established guidelines and legalities, you may well land yourself in hot water at worst and with annoyed customers at best.

Firstly, your e-mail must state your company name, its legal status and registered address, usually in the footer. It must feature an opt-out feature and you cannot by law send e-mails to contacts again unless they specifically double opt-(back)in to your list. Double opt-in means that targets click to join your list, are sent a confirmation e-mail and are required to respond to this to confirm legitimacy.

With the European-wide GDPR data protection laws coming into force this May, organisations face fines for sending to lists and individuals who have not expressly given their permission to be sent information. This has been consumer law for some time now, but GDPR is going to make it very enforceable and very real!

… and finally the last affordable marketing

With 92% of online adults utilising e-mail and 61% of these using it on an average day, we hope you don’t need any more convincing that, when executed correctly, e-mail marketing is highly advantageous.

E-mail is a superb way of communicating regularly with your customers and target groups and unlike other forms of marketing, you can track e-mail marketing through the broadcast software, as well as through your own website analytics. Stay on the right side of data protection law, e-mail servers and e-mail blacklists and you could well see a significant return on a comparatively minimal investment in no time.

So, follow our ‘easy as 1, 2, 3’ steps and as we’ve mentioned, TEST your email! Once you’ve sent it, you’ve sent it. Test it on all e-mail platforms, on all desktop and mobile devices. Ask your colleagues and favourite clients to read it. Test it on your grandma. Test it on your pets. Just…

OK, to learn more about sending effective e-mails for business, get in touch.

The Benefits of Professional Copywriting

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:42:12 GMT

New marketing material? Yes, it certainly should look good, but don’t forget compelling content too. That’s where a professional copywriter can play a vital role.

Why use a professional copywriter?

Some people have a natural talent with words. They know which ones to use when, and they always seem to be able to strike the right note.

Unless you have someone with this ability in your team, it’s worth considering the advantages of professional copywriting support.

Quality

Just as good writing can really help your business, bad writing can be damaging. Sloppy language, poor grammar and typos are noticed and create a very poor impression.

Using a good copywriter removes these risks. They’ll also be able to take what you tell them and craft it in a way which takes it to the next level – producing strong content which others want to read. Copywriting services make you look more professional, and can make anything sound exciting!

Flexibility

Even when you’re clear what you want to convey, it will need to be tailored. You may be able to say what you want in 400 words, but what about 200 words, or in a tweet?

You also have to adapt content to suit different audiences – customers, investors, staff, regulators etc. Modifying copy in this way to get the tone and language right without losing sense and consistency is a particular copywriting skill.

Capacity

Outsourcing copywriting creates more time for you. It means that important writing tasks aren’t left undone, simply because you haven’t got around to them. Like re-writing those web pages that are out of date and looking a bit tired.

A fresh eye

It is possible to be too close to a subject. When you’re working in a business every day, it can be all too easy to overlook how special it is – to be unable to see the wood for the trees.

Using a professional copywriter provides an opportunity for someone to look at your business with a fresh eye. They start with zero knowledge and have to get to know you quickly. As a result, they ask of lots of obvious questions which can provide new insight for you.

The art of persuasion

Getting the balance right between explaining what you do, and the benefits of it, is a real skill. We Brits are not particularly comfortable promoting ourselves! As a result, some businesses fall into the trap of providing information without any “sell”.

Yes, you need to avoid waffle and get to the point. However, the strongest connections with audiences are emotional ones. Professional copywriters will use the right language to create rapport – answering that crucial question: “What’s in it for me?”

SEO

These days, a strong online presence is essential for any business. That’s why Search Engine Optimisation matters. You have to embed the right words and phrases in your content to help the likes of Google find you. This is bread and butter for full-time copywriters, and a major side-benefit for you.

Getting your story right

A brand is a complex thing. Yes, your company logo and visual identity is part of it, but ultimately it’s driven by what people think and feel when they hear your name.

This is why getting your story right is essential. Your core narrative makes it clear who you are, what you have to offer and why people should buy from you rather than someone else.

Your narrative doesn’t have to be that long, but it does take some thought. The support of a professional copywriter in this process can be invaluable. They will ensure that you say just enough and in the right way.

Once you’re sure your narrative is right, apply it with discipline across all your marketing – website, social media , promotional materials etc. This consistency gives a coherence to your brand – but only if your customer experience comes up to expectations! There’s nothing worse than making a claim which doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Writing tips

Although we’ve explained why using a professional copywriter can bring real benefits, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t do the basics yourself. So here are some tips to help you on your way:

Make your copy easy to read

Use a sensible font size, avoid dense text and long paragraphs. Keep your sentences short (no more than 25 words). If you’ve used an ‘and’ to connect clauses, try a full stop instead. If you’ve got a list, use bullet points. Sub headings are another way of breaking up the page.

Be conversational

Talk directly to your reader by using ‘you’ and ‘we’ – and remember you’re talking to an individual. Shorten your verbs where appropriate (you’re, we’ve, etc). Try reading what you’ve written out loud. If it doesn’t flow, it’s not right!

Be flexible

You may well have to change your copy to make it work in different formats.

Don’t try too hard

People want you to get to the point, so do it quickly and avoid over-flowery language. It’s not necessary.

Include calls to action

‘ Contact us today ’ , for example. Embedded links in digital copy are another useful way of keeping your reader active.

Review carefully

Weed out any grammatical and spelling errors. It’s often a good idea to ask a colleague to read what you’ve written, as they’re more likely to spot things you’ve missed.

If you think you need some professional writing help, look no further than The New Fat. In meeting your design and website needs, we also source the very best copywriting skills.

It always pays to work with people who are experts in their field. After all, you wouldn’t ask a florist to re-wire your house. Or would you…?

To find out more about how we could help you, get in touch today.

Create Branded Presentations with Google Slides

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:34:13 GMT

With many of us working remotely, it’s never been more important for businesses to ensure everyone’s presentations are on brand. For lots of our clients, using professionally designed templates in the Google Slides program, has been the answer. The free web-based software, allows you to create presentations quickly and easily, using tailor-made slides. Perfect for saving time and an effective way of safeguarding brand guidelines.

Ensures Brand Consistency

Keeping corporate branding consistent can be difficult at the best of times, particularly in presentations where people often try to embellish their slides and stand out, ultimately struggling to keep messages on point.

Although not as sophisticated as our usual design software – Google Slides can have custom designed templates tailored to your business, which can be enhanced with videos, drawings and animations while staying on brand. We can also take your existing PPT presentations and convert them into Google Slides, formatting them and adding imagery, while adapting them to your own branding.

Supports Co-editing

The presentations are saved online within Google Drive so you can easily share your slides with others. Being able to edit the document in real time provides an opportunity for everyone to work on the same document at the same time (however not on the same page of the presentation). You decide who gets permission to edit, view or simply add comments.

Automatically saved on the cloud as you type, means the slides can be accessed wherever you are. No special software or subscription is needed and they easily work across PC’s, Mac’s, mobiles and tablets. Best of all it’s free! You can use the Google Drive space to store and create master presentation documents up to 15GB without it costing you anything at all.

User Friendly

Whether creating client facing presentations or simple documents purely for internal use, it’s always important to stick to brand identity guidelines. Templated slides make this easy and are extremely versatile no matter how you intend to use them. Your presentation can be imported as PowerPoint, yet your final document can be exported in different file types such as jpg or pdf. When it comes to giving your presentation it couldn’t be easier as the slides support wireless presenting with Chromecast, AirPlay and Hangouts.

Time Saving

Predesigned templates not only protect your all-important brand messaging, they significantly save time when preparing documents. No one is left wondering which font style has been approved, where the company logo should be placed or where the latest version is saved. The laboursaving templates are ready to go, easily editable and stored in a central location.

Being able to easily access the slides online, also removes the need to send documents back and forward between colleagues. There’s no need to worry about attaching large files or delays in receiving emails. By simply allowing access online, it saves time and boosts productivity.

More Information

If you’d like help creating your own professional templates which are easy to use and ensure your branding always remains consistent, contact us today. We’d love to help you simplify your presentations and create efficient systems for you and your team.

Create Cohesion with a Branding Workshop

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:34:12 GMT

Is your business at a crossroads in terms of brand identity and focus? A brand workshop could be the answer.

So… what on earth IS a “Branding Workshop”?

It is your key decision makers, a handful of staff and an experienced creative professional running through some tailor-made exercises designed to help you get a better understanding of your businesses core beliefs, its purpose and personality. Creating this clarity and insight gives you confidence to move your brand forward.

A creative change from the norm

An inspiring experience for everyone taking part – move the workshop away from the usual office space, create a relaxed, positive environment with drinks and snacks and provide plenty of pens, post-it notes and flip charts. Start with an ice-breaker and encourage everybody to get involved. By injecting a little bit of fun and a change of routine you will spark creativity and clear ideas.

The aim

The aim of your workshop should be to find the following:

brand purpose
brand vision
brand mission
brand values
brand personality
target audience

Brand Focus

There’s a whole host of exercises that will help develop and refine your brand ethos. By the end of the session (which can vary in length) the creative professionals will have all the information they need to put together a useful brand positioning document. Coupled with brand guidelines you will have a one-stop-shop for all your all important brand visuals, colours, fonts, ethos, missions and tone of voice.

Quick Example Exercise: Establishing Brand Vision

10 years from today, your company is all over social media for doing or achieving something inspired or simply brilliant! Everyone writes 3 promotional twitter posts – summarising the achievement. The team discuss, suggest alternatives and evolve the best ones into a vision statement.

For example:
BBC – to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain.

Google – Organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

More Information

If you’d like to organise a brand workshop for your business chat to Suze Moore our creative director. Or have you done the vision / values stage and need help producing a brand identity and brand guidelines? We’re always full of good ideas – contact us today.

Effective Logo Design

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:22:12 GMT

We all know the importance of having a strong brand identity.

A great logo is memorable, it can convey your product and service values and can help you to stand out from your competition. However, having a cool logo designed simply isn’t enough. How do you know that it will communicate the right messages to the right people? How can you ensure that your logo positions you within your industry and doesn’t cause more confusion than clarity?

Effective branding and of course, logo design , has to be approached a little more scientifically than simply blasting out some contemporary logo designs. Effective branding and logo design starts with a better understanding of your target audience.

Research For Branding

In order to communicate well with your customers and clients, you will no doubt have segmented your market i.e. categorised your potential customers, placing them into groups with shared problems, demands, requirements and so forth. Add to this some psychographic information including attitudes, interests, opinions and lifestyles and you’ll end up with a far greater understanding of the imagery, colours, design styles and messaging that will be more likely to connect well with them.

Next up, add a little benchmarking to the equation. By identifying market leading brands that already communicate well to similar segments, you’ll be able to compare your ideas with those already proven to be successful.

From Research to Ideas to Design

After investing this time to delve a little deeper into your target audience and what appeals to them, a talented designer can then work his or her magic. Here at The New Fat, our accomplished designers provide a shortlist of initial ideas for your consideration. Afterwards, once we understand your preferred ideas, we can then produce a logo that will really help you to stand out from the crowd, communicating your values to the people you really want to do business with.

Moving on from your logo

Of course, logo design is just the tip of the iceberg. Pretty much anything that communicates any aspect of your business is effectively branding. Therefore, The New Fat can help you to develop brand guidelines and a brand bible i.e. how to use your logo, colours, fonts, words and so forth.

To find out more about how we could help you, get in touch today.

6 Key Considerations for Designing a Successful Corporate Brochure

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:22:11 GMT

It’s funny how things go in cycles. Remember what all the digital marketing gurus and social media experts were saying just a few short years ago? That the internet and online marketing were going to change everything.

Kindles and e-readers would replace books. Online news and information available 24/7 would mean that newspapers, magazines and even TV would become obsolete. Emails would do away with direct mail. And when you have websites, you can view and order from whenever you want, wherever you want, who needs printed marketing materials like boring old brochures?

Well guess what, none of those changes took place. People still read books, newspapers and magazines. TV is as popular as ever; direct marketing is thriving again, and corporate report brochures are making a comeback.

So, you might be thinking of commissioning a professional brochure design from your marketing agency. Before you write the brief, here are six essential questions you need to ask.

1. Why a brochure?

There’s nothing quite like a company brochure for creating an impression of prestige and luxury. It’s all about the smell of fresh ink on quality paper. It’s a powerful trigger which goes straight into the brain and gives the reader a feel-good sensation. When that feeling is associated with your brand identity it’s good news for your business.

Moreover, brochures work precisely because they are not digital. Online campaigns are fast, here today, gone tomorrow. They have to have an instant impact. If it doesn’t work, scrap it and try something else. Printed sales assets such as Brochures are the exact opposite.

They can be around for a long time, selling your company and its products and services over and over again. They can influence the buying decisions of your customers over a long period, as all the information they need to make a decision is right there in their hands. This also makes them very cost-effective marketing tools.

Talking of cost-effective. If you’ve gone to the trouble and expense of commissioning high quality photography for your business, are you just going to put the images on your website? Get your new photography into a beautifully printed, well-designed high-quality company brochure and your business will really stand out.

Finally, in a world of smartphones and social media, stand out, be different. Focus on being unique by making the most of high quality, design-led medium and set your business apart from the competition whilst using social media to highlight the highlights of your corporate brochure.

2. What’s the budget?

There’s no point in asking for a luxurious multi-page brochure with bespoke photography, embossed lettering, six colour print including specials onto heavyweight luxury paper if your budget simply doesn’t stretch to it.

Of course, if you have the money available, go for it. But a smaller budget doesn’t have to mean a smaller idea. It can actually help your agency be more, not less creative in their design, brochure layout, copywriting, choice of brochure format, photography or illustration style.

3. Who is your target audience?

B2B vs B2C Brochure Strategies

It’s vital that you know your target audience when you brief the agency. This will influence the whole look, feel and content of the finished piece.

Is it going to the general public or to targeted businesses?
Is it intended for existing customers, warm prospects or a cold audience?
What sort of people are they?
What do they like and dislike?
What is their age range, income level, social status?

You might not have all of this information, but the more you can find out about your prospective readers, the more your brochure will appeal to them and be read.

For example, a brochure you’re aiming at a largely female audience, say for baby products or services, will be radically different to a car brochure or a sales piece aimed at trade buyers of printed circuit boards.

4. What kind of brochure is it?

When a company decides that they need a brochure, they’ll ask their design or marketing agency to create one for them. But often they don’t know what kind of brochure they actually need.

Is it a sales tool?
Is it a shop window?
Is it designed to raise awareness of the brand?
Will it be mailed out with a letter or just used at trade shows and exhibitions as a giveaway?
Do you need a sustainable brochure , or traditional brochure?

As you can see, there are several different types of brochures:

Glossy company brochure

Glossy company brochures are a fantastic choice if you want to really show off your products and services with the printing quality. Glossy brochures often include large images and minimal copy and printed in high resolution full-colour on premium heavy-weight paper. If you want a brochure that goes beyond just looking great, but feels great too, a Glossy brochure is the path to take.

Perfect for: Trade shows, corporate events and reception areas.

In-depth corporate brochure

In-depth corporate brochures are detailed company information designed for your shareholders or investors. These are often used when creating annual reports or impact reports and are multi-layered brochures with various stages of information that’s usually translated into eye-catching infographics, charts and tables to communicate numbers and information effectively.

Perfect for: Investor meetings, acquisitions or partnerships.

Sales brochure

Sales brochures heavily weigh on persuasive copy and specifications for a range of your products. They will include details such as product specifications, pricing and testimonials. Due to their salesy nature, they’re perfect if you want to push a service or product and create engaging call to actions and striking visuals to help entice customers.

Perfect for: Product launches, property listings and service-based industries such as gyms and spas.

Point-of-Sale brochure

Point-of-Sale brochures are often seen on display in retail outlets, supermarkets, banks, building societies and so on and are designed to be easy to grab as you may use them often in areas where customers are queuing or waiting. POS brochures are fantastic to get the attention of customers quickly, with attention-grabbing headlines which may include limited-time offers.

Perfect for: Retail, supermarkets and banks, or hospitality businesses promoting seasonal menus.

Direct Mail brochure

Direct Mail brochures are sent out if requested by a customer or to a mailing list of your potential customers, usually with a covering letter and order form. These days, with digital printing technology, brochures can be cost-effectively personalised too, making them even more tailored and personal to each recipient.

Perfect for: Using alongside B2C campaigns such as insurance offers, or local business advertising.

Sales support brochure

Sales support brochures are usually created to help your salespeople when they’re doing their sales pitch. They may include FAQs, case studies or success stories and are often designed with easy-to-read tabbed sections to aid sales reps during meetings or presentations.

Perfect for: Sales teams and field reps, or when referring to complex products or services.

Want to learn more? Discover our full range of sales and marketing asset design services in Nottingham .

5. Who’s writing the copy?

A professional copywriter will be able to write copy that is a joy to read, flows seamlessly, is well organised and above all, is in line with the company’s brand values and tone of voice . With expertly written copy, the company will look more professional. The copy will sell the products or services much more strongly. And people will want to buy.

Compare that with supplying your own copy. It will certainly be cheaper. But investing in copywriting will be worth it, potentially increasing your return on investment tenfold.

6. What’s the deadline?

Most important of all. Find out at the start of the process when the finished brochure is required. Then work backwards, from print back to proofing and so on, including all of the stages you’ll need to go through.

If the schedule is tight and has no flexibility to allow for changes and snags, then give the agency a longer deadline. Remember, it takes time to create a visually impactful, sales and brand-building brochure, and a rushed piece of work could reflect badly on everyone involved.

Ready to create your company brochure?

A well-crafted company brochure doesn’t just need to look great; it needs to work alongside your marketing strategy to ensure it’s focusing on the right target audience and budget. As brochure designers in Nottingham we can help you create the perfect company brochure for your business. To find out more get in touch today .

Making the Perfect Landing Page

studio@thenewfat.co.uk (Jamie Gallagher) — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 15:12:18 GMT

Whatever business you’re in – having key product/service website pages highly ranked on Google is a game changer – both in terms of sales conversions and brand awareness.

These type of pages are commonly described as “landing pages”. Particularly useful for Pay Per Click Advertising and by using good SEO practices they will create great natural listing results in Google.

Unlike the home page, landing pages have a specific goal – the design and content is tailor made to attract a specific audience, who then purchase a specific product or trigger another sales action. These web pages provide exactly what the internet user has searched for. The content is focused on a few select key words and key phrases.

In this article we wanted to highlight some of the aspects you should consider when creating landing pages for your website. This is not an exact science as every target audience is different – so apply these general rules and it will give you a great starting point to work from.

Which keywords to choose for each page?

Knowing which key words and key phrases are best for each landing page requires research. You can use an SEO specialist or you can do the groundwork yourself – as some data is available for free. First make a list of what you think people would search for – include spelling errors. Then do some analysis using the Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Google Trends. I found this great blog which explains in more detail – https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-do-keyword-research-ht

Writing metadata for each page

Metadata is not something that web users can see on a webpage, but they can see them in search results. Search engines use metadata to decide when to show your content in search results depending on the search term input by the web user.

You should work through your website to ensure that all pages have a unique title tag and meta description. When working on an existing website you can prioritise this somewhat intimidating task by first working on pages with high search value and high traffic and pages with no metadata at all. When adding new pages, you should make it a habit to add unique metadata before publishing the page.

How much text should I write?

A really juicy landing page should include about 600 – 700 words minimum. Really focus on quality content – The text should be honest, relevant, keyword rich – but sensibly done.

Avoid duplicate content

Having multiple landing pages with potentially similar keywords means you maybe tempted to copy some paragraphs of text from one to the other. This will be flagged up and marked down by Google – so do take the time to rewrite all your page text – it is worth the effort.
P.s. Avoid borrowing content from other websites.

A mobile friendly user experience

As a web design team we now design mobile up – which basically means that we consider mobile view above all others. Ensuring best practice for all platforms.

Google will take into consideration how your site performs in mobile view. So designers will consider page loading speed, navigation, usability, content layout and social media sharing opportunity.

Websites which reflow content to suit different screen sizes are called “Responsive”.

Looking professional

Once a potential client has found your site – they need to know that the company they have found is not only professional but trustworthy, experienced, reputable and provides the place to purchase the item or find out more (especially if your business is service based).

So get professional designers (like us �� to help make the web page sing – both in terms of product placement, hierarchy of information and user interaction triggers. The use of effective imagery is important as well as button colours and placement.

Slow burn

It can take time to see the results of your labour where SEO is concerned, for some websites it can take six months, even two years to rank high in search results for a specific keyword or phrase. Some improvements in your website’s SEO however can have an immediate positive impact. The result depends on the website, the available improvements to make on it and of course your competition and what they are doing with their SEO.

There is also the Google factor, Google are an entity of their own and can release new rules and algorithms whenever they see fit. We would point out here that Google’s ethos is to provide the best user experience to users of their search engine, so there is every reason to try to work within Google rules to encourage relevant, convertible traffic to your website instead of users that don’t want to be there and you wouldn’t ever be able to convert.

The more websites and pages that your website is competing against, the longer it takes to get results.

There are usually some easy wins and quick fixes that you can work on to get results soon whilst you are also working on the long-term strategy. These will vary from one website to another and a good SEO company will suggest a full site and brand assessment to help you to plan your strategy.

Google analytics and algorithms – review and revise – learn

Website promotion is a constant learning experience which evolves and grows over time. The statistics Google Analytics provides will help you review and revise the content and design to get the best results.

To learn a bit more about Google Algorithms this blog quite useful – https://neilpatel.com/blog/the-ultimate-google-algorithm-cheat-sheet/

To find out more about how we could help you, get in touch today.

Professional Typography

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 15:12:18 GMT

Whether it’s serif, sans serif, script or display. Modern, traditional or somewhere in between, typography is key for great design and impact.

With thousands of fonts to pick from, what do you need to consider to get the most out of the typography you choose?

The basics

What is typography? Essentially it is the arrangement, style and appearance of letters and numbers known as type. Typography can set the theme or tone of a particular message and can help to enhance the overall layout and design. Using the correct size, colour, leading, tracking and hierarchy can make the difference between good design and bad.

All fonts communicate

Each font has a visual personality. Strong, dramatic, edgy, traditional, playful. Whatever it might be, choosing the right font is crucial. Pretty script fonts generally come across as soft and flowery, great for wedding invites. For a sheet metal fabricator, using a script font might not be achieving the highest impact. Big, bold fonts are maybe better suited. Decide on your main message and find a font that emphasises it.

Create a hierarchy

Hierarchy helps guide the viewers’ eye to the most important elements. It adds interest and creates focus. If the text is all the same, not only is it boring and uninspiring but also it’s easily ignored. Break up chunks of text into main titles, subtitles and body copy.

Size isn’t the only way of creating prominence. Find two fonts that pair up nicely and use one for titles and use the other for the bulk of the text. Pull out quotes and create features or add a splash of colour.

Legibility

Leading, kerning and tracking are great tools and separate the good from the bad in the typography world. For those who don’t know: Leading is the space between lines of text. Kerning is the space between individual characters and tracking deals with the spacing between whole groups of characters. If text is too close together it becomes difficult to read and unsightly. Good leading provides enough white space between lines without becoming disjointed. The same can be said for tracking. Too tight or spaced out and it’s impossible to read.

Kerning can be the difference between reading the right words and the wrong words. Although funny there have been some unfortunate mistakes when it comes to kerning. Google ‘bad kerning examples’ and you will see what we mean! Letters can begin to merge and words change meaning. A good example would be the ‘r’ and the ‘n’ of kerning, too close and it looks like ‘keming’.

Implementing all three correctly can create balance and enhance the viewers reading experience.

Size is often overlooked, but should be carefully considered. Too small and it becomes too hard to read. Too big and it’s overbearing and unnecessary. 10pt is a great starting point for brochure and flyer body copy. Don’t be afraid to go big and bold and make a statement with titles or key words. Using text as a design element can get some interesting results and make for eye-catching marketing material.

If using colour make sure there is good contrast. For example, yellow on white is not a great choice and can make text very hard to read. At the other end of the scale is too much contrast; a tint of dark grey can often sit better than pure black on white.

Implementing clean and clear text is vital if you are to get your message across. Think about your target audience and how easy it will be for them to read. Less is always more.

Web fonts

Something else to consider are the fonts you use on your website. Ensure all of your visitors get the same experience by using a web safe font. If the font you use isn’t installed on the visitors’ computer then it will be substituted with a common one. This can effect the style and layout of your site.

To find out more about how we could help you, get in touch today.

tnf

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Is it time to hire a full-time designer?
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