We'll be competing for 'Agency of the Year for B2C Marketing', as well as 'B2C Marketing Campaign/Strategy of the Year'. The nominations provide welcome recognition for the hard work completed by the digital marketing team over the past 12 months.

With the awards' ceremony now on the horizon, we're hoping to follow up on the award we picked up in 2016 at the same event for 'Retail Campaign/Strategy of the Year'. This was awarded for the marketing work we implemented for Decorative Aggregates, one of our long-standing clients.

Testament to the Marketing Team

Following the nominations from The Drum Network, Evoluted's Managing Director Ash Young offered the following comments:

"We're delighted to be up for these awards, especially with The Drum being such a recognised organisation within the world of marketing.

"The nominations are testament to our marketing team's continued efforts. Their desire to get the best possible results for clients is what's made this possible."

Exciting Christmas Lead-Up

It's now set to be an exciting lead-up to Christmas, with three awards' ceremonies on the near horizon. Keep an eye out across our social media profiles for updates from the events:

28th November - The Drum Network Awards at Marriot Grosvenor Square in London

30th November - The Chamber Business Awards at The Brewery in London (competing for the national 'Small Business of the Year' award, having won the regional award)

27th December - Sheffield Business Awards at Ponds Forge in Sheffield (nominated for 'Business Person of the Year' and 'Marketing and Communications')

As a business, we're up for the Marketing and Communications award, whilst our MD Ash Young has received recognition in the Business Person of the Year category:

"I'm humbled to be up for Business Person of the Year' at this year's Sheffield Business Awards. The Evoluted journey to date has been fantastic and it's been great to help so many companies in the local region, as well as nationally," said Ash.

"I'm also delighted to see the efforts of our marketing team recognised. They continue to deliver superb work for our clients, applying their experience to deliver the best results they possibly can."

Third Time's The Charm?

It will be our third year in a row at the Sheffield Business Awards, having been up for Small Business of the Year in 2016 and 'Best Use of Technology to Improve Business Performance' in 2015.

This year's awards' ceremony will take place on Thursday 7th December. The night is always a great event, with a three-course meal, celebrity host and sparkling drinks' reception on the agenda once more for the 2017 event.

We're now hoping this is the year we finally walk away with a win.

Awards' Season In Full Flow

Both nominations at the Sheffield Business Awards are welcome reward for another great 12 months at Evoluted HQ.

Having recently been named Small Business of the Year for the Region at the 2017 Chamber Business Awards, we're now looking forward to the national Chamber Awards, which will take place in London on 30th November.

We were also at the Northern eCommerce Awards in Manchester on 11th October, which took place at Manchester Cathedral. Although we didn't win on the night, it was great to be amongst the finalists for 'eCommerce Agency of the Year - Small'.

The fully-supportive resources that imoves offer help organisations to reduce preparation and planning time, whilst ensuring that kids are encouraged to be active.

imoves provide subscribing customers with access to the resources through an integrated platform.

Keen to grow their business, the imoves team approached Evoluted with a desire to completely redevelop their digital presence.

After initial discussions, it was decided that we would proceed with the development of a new sales website and a redesign of the company branding. Importantly, we would also make extensive usability changes to the platform previously provided to imoves customers.

What Was the Brief?

Through discussion with the client, we outlined several clear goals to achieve through the new website and platform improvements:

• Encourage engagement with the site/platform through user-friendly design
• Engage new customers with appealing branding changes
• Design with a focus on mobile and tablet users (retaining desktop suitability)
• Help the client gain more control over content
• Improve platform functionality to ultimately deliver a better user experience

What Did We Do?

Branding Changes

We updated the client's branding, upgrading the imovesdance name simply to imoves. This was done whilst losing the harsh pink colour and moving to the use of a softer colour scheme.

New Sales Website

The brand new sales website we built for imoves features the new company branding, whilst we also included a new CMS. This has proven invaluable, as the previous website/platform was 'hardcoded' - preventing the fast and simple editing of content.

The site includes detailed explanation of activities and lessons, with much of the new content tying into the client's desire to improve the information being provided to prospective imoves customers.

The new sales website makes it easy for prospective customers to book a free trial with imoves to see if the service would be suitable for them.

Improved Platform Functionality

For the imoves customer platform, we developed an entirely new layout to improve usability and highlight key features, which were previously hidden. We also reskinned the platform in line with the new branding.

Importantly, during the testing phase for the platform changes, we met with teachers to conduct user research. We were keen to ensure the prototypes were 'right' for them.

The new layout has been designed with a simple side menu and a clearly-visible 'help' section. The client also filmed new videos to help explain how the platform works to users. The first time a user logs in, they are met with the guiding content straight away. This takes stress way for teachers, who are often very time poor. This became clearer and clearer as we spoke to prospective users during the testing phase.

There is a dashboard which comprises of a series of panels, including a 'Find Lessons' option. This makes it easy for users to search through the hundreds of available lessons. These can now be filtered by age range, subject and discipline.

Users taking the free trial are provided with 5 credits, which can be used on any lesson they wish. Once a lesson has been clicked, a credit is removed and the content can be accessed.

What Were the Results?

The client was delighted with the results that we were ultimately able to achieve through the work we implemented for them. This was relative both for the sales site, as well as the usability changes we made to the platform.

They are now confident of reaching new customers through their improved digital presence, whilst they are pleased to be able to deliver a more functional, usable and appealing platform to their existing clients.

The award is testament to the great work the Evoluted team continues to implement for our clients. To be recognised for this work against so many great companies in the region is something we're really proud of.

Our MD Ash Young offered the following thoughts upon receiving the award:

"Being awarded with this title by a recognised organisation as reputable as the Chamber is fantastic. We've continued to make great progress over the past 12 months and we're excited so see the growth continue moving forward."

What Did We Do to Win the Award?

The key criteria against which the Chamber decided the business to be named as winners of the award were:

• Differentiation from competitors
• Potential for growth
• Innovation within work implemented for clients
• Commitment to staff
• Strong managerial and financial performance

We were able to meet these factors for a variety of reasons. Key to these were the websites and marketing campaigns we continue to build and deliver for clients respectively.

An Exciting Awards' Season So Far

Winning the 'Small Business of the Year' award comes in the wake of the nomination we received in September for 'eCommerce Agency of the Year - Small'. at the Northern eCommerce Awards.

The finals of that event are now nearly upon us. They'll take place on the 11th October at Manchester Cathedral. We're really looking forward to the evening, where 3 of the Evoluted team will be in attendance.

Slightly further ahead, we'll also now be attending the national awards' event for the 2017 Chamber Business Awards. This will take place at a Gala Awards Dinner event on Thursday 30th November at the Brewery, London.

We'll be in attendance at the event and we'll be posting on Twitter live on the night to let you know how we get on.

In order to retail their products, the company is heavily-reliant on its digital presence. It's imperative for them to succeed online and for several years, they've entrusted our team here at Evoluted with task of helping them to generate business through their websites.

Over the past few years, we've completed work for the client including the development of two new websites - Car Mats UK and Van Mats UK. We've also continued to manage ongoing pay-per-click campaigns across several avenues of the business.

Van Mats UK

Van Mats UK was the most recent website we built for Premier Products. We launched that site back in August 2017 and it has since proven to be a real success for the client.

This has been thanks to the integration of several features designed to improve engagement and encourage conversions. These included displaying prominent reviews, allowing for simple user customisation of orders and using appealing graphics and imagery.

Plenty More to Come

Having enjoyed excellent growth through investment in their marketing to date, Premier Products are keen not to rest on their laurels. Several more sites are already under development - including a re-design of their flagship site - and we're looking forward to helping the client to enjoy further growth.

As part of our ongoing work with Premier Products, we continue to enjoy a close relationship with their MD Mark Ryan. As part of Mark's participation in the collaborative testimonial video above, he offered the following thoughts:

"It wouldn't take anything for me to recommend Evoluted, they are great at what they do. These guys have just responded to what we want. For anybody valuing their online business, Evoluted are the company that can take you forward."

Our MD Ash Young was naturally pleased to receive the nomination:

"We always look forward to awards' season coming around and we're naturally pleased to be up for eCommerce Agency of the Year. This is testament to the work of the Evoluted team over the past year and our commitment to delivering outstanding websites and marketing campaigns for our clients."

The awards' ceremony will be held at Manchester Cathedral on 11th October and we're eagerly anticipating the event.

If we win, we'll be able to add the award to a number of other accolades we've received in the past 12 months or so. These came at the 2016 Regional Chamber Awards, The 2016 Drum Network Awards and the 2017 RAR Digital Awards.

Why Have We Been Nominated?

Over the past year, we've continued to provide outstanding digital services to a wide array of marketing and website clients. Amongst those we've worked with are Puck Stop, a leading provider of specialist inline and ice hockey equipment.

After we built a new website for them, they were keen to leave us a testimonial. You can see what they thought of our work in the video below:

Exciting Times at Evoluted

The announcement comes at what is an exciting time here at Evoluted, as we continue to expand. Earlier this year, we completed the takeover of local agency Reflow Studio.

Then, more recently, we hired 3 notable new members of staff - with two Project Managers (Gabriel Morrison and Rebeca Radford) and a Lead Front End Developer (Laura Kishimoto) adding to our numbers. All arrived from digital agencies based elsewhere in Sheffield.

We're taking on 2 new Project Managers, with Rebeca Radford and Gabriel Morrison joining from Quba and SEO Works respectively. Equally welcome is Laura Kishimoto, who joins us from Inviqa to take up the role of Lead Front End Developer.

Our Managing Director Ash Young is delighted to welcome the new arrivals on board:

"I'm really looking forward to working with Gabriel, Laura and Rebeca moving forward. I've no doubt they will prove fantastic additions to the Evoluted team. We're always on the lookout for exceptional talent in the region and this expansion of the team is another statement of our intent to grow moving forward."

The New Arrivals

Rebeca Radford joins the Evoluted team following 7 years with Quba. With more than 12 years under her belt working for agencies from Brighton, to Manchester and Sheffield, Rebeca will undoubtedly prove a great addition to the team:

"I joined Evoluted as I was looking for a digital company that has a passion for design and a broad range of clients. I'm looking forward to putting my previous experience to use in this new role."

Gabriel Morrison, who joins following a lengthy spell with SEO Works, has started as a Project Manager. He said:

"Having been hands-on on digital projects in a variety of industries and contexts, I'm looking forward to taking on a more strategic role - working with clients to create and deliver the solution they need."

Having spent 4 years working for Inviqa, Laura Kishimoto was keen to take on the next challenge:

"I'm joining Evoluted in the new position of Lead Front End Dev. In the coming months we'll be looking to define our front end best practices and grow the front end team. It's going to be an exciting challenge!"

Serving companies across the globe, Interhatch specialises in services for the poultry and avian species markets. They offer a range of established and innovative products for incubation, hatchery, bioscience and other professional applications.

Interhatch's old online offering actually consisted of a 'set' of 5 websites. Each of these had very limited amounts of information on them. Ultimately, they were hard to read and difficult for users to follow.

Following an initial meeting, the client was confident we could improve their digital presence. To get the new website right, we spent time understanding what the client wanted to achieve.

What Was the Brief?

Due to internal changes within the company - including a rebrand - we needed to adapt the brief over time to ensure that we met the client's requirements:

• A big part of Interhatch's business comes from exporting their products to the Middle East. This would need to form a feature of part of the new site design.
• The site wouldn't be e-commerce, but customers would still need to be encouraged to make contact with the company.
• The visuals of the new site needed to ensure that the Interhatch brand was sold in a more user-friendly way online.

What Did We Do?

Responsive Design and CMS

In addition to the site-specific features, we also integrated two key areas with the new site design. Firstly, it has been given a responsive build, to ensure that it meets the requirements of mobile users. In addition, the site also benefits from a brand new content management system. It will be far easier to manage and maintain moving forward as a result.

Informative Product Pages

With the new site, products are now divisible within detailed and structured categories. All of the product pages have appropriate imagery, whilst selected products also benefit from video content. This plays a big part in ensuring the new site is far easier to engage with than the previous offering.

Customer Journey

The site has been designed to direct customers towards contacting the Interhatch team with specific requests. This linked into the way in which the menus were subsequently structured. It has helped products to be promoted in a much more effective way.

Multi-Lingual Exports Page

The exports page on the site is available in both English and Arabic. It changes from left to right, to right to left, to accommodate for the different languages. This works for the image placement and contact form too. The remainder of the site is in English.

It certainly wasn't a wasted trip.

We were delighted to be named as winners for 'On Budget - Under 40' - one of two categories which we'd been nominated within as finalists. The other was for 'Mobile'.

Creative Director Will, Frontend Developer JP and Developer Stewart were on-hand to collect the award.

What Is the RAR and How Are the Awards Judged?

The RAR (or Recommended Agency Register) sources key information from companies offering a wide range of marketing services. Uniquely, they also ask clients to rate their suppliers, so that they're able gauge overall customer satisfaction for each company registered with them.

Clients are asked to rate the company they've hired in two ways. Firstly, it is requested that they give them a score out of 100 for each service that they've bought from the agency. They are then also asked to rate the client out of 100 for 7 criteria:

• On Budget
• On Time
• Value for Money
• Strategic Thinking
• Effectiveness
• Creativity/Innovation
• Client Service

The ratings provided for both the services, as well as the 7 key areas, are used as the criteria against which the annual awards are judged.

In order to become qualified as recommended supplier, suppliers must have a minimum of three ratings per service.

Second Time Lucky

This was our second year as finalists at the RAR Digital Awards. We'd been nominated twice for the 2016 event too, for 'Client Service' and 'On Budget'. Whilst we didn't win then, it was great to be able to walk away with a trophy this year instead.

The win continues what has been a great couple of years for Evoluted. Other notable highlights have included the company's takeover of local agency Reflow Studio, as well as wins at the regional 2016 Chamber Awards and the 2016 Drum Network Awards.

It couldn't be done without the fantastic work of the team and we look forward to pushing ahead even further in the years to come.

By identifying a need for a better niche supplier in the industry, Puck Stop have cornered the market and earnt a superb reputation. Given that the majority of their staff either play - or used to play - hockey, it's natural that they understand exactly what their customers are looking for.

Having previously had difficulties delivering an online experience that matched the face-to-face service provided in the physical store, Puck Stop were keen to develop their digital presence accordingly. This would require them to obtain a new website - and they chose Evoluted to help.

What Was the Brief?

The primary aim with the new site was to deliver an online e-commerce store that would help Puck Stop to enjoy digital growth. Increasing sales and improving their marketing perception were vital factors to consider. To be successful, the site also needed to:

• Be designed with a logical menu structure
• Include a mechanism that would allow customers to create an account
• Focus on 3 key areas - player, goalie and inline
• Include a brand new Content Management System to allow easy management of orders and content
• Establish Puck Stop's position as a market leader through striking aesthetics

What Were the Results?

We've gone into more detail on the features we included within the new site further down the post. Firstly though, you can see why Puck Stop's team have been left delighted by the website we built for them. Check out this fantastic video testimonial and let them tell you what they thought of the work we've done:

What Did We Do?

To deliver the most effective e-commerce site possible, we've integrated a number of key features within the design of the new site. Now live, it's benefiting from:

3 Focus Areas

Integration With Cybertill

The Puck Stop website has been integrated with Cybertill, which allows all orders to show up from both the store and the website in one place. This makes stock control and general management of the company extremely effective.

Clear Product Information

Due to the nature of the products being sold, many of them have lots of options to select. These include standard specifications such as sizes and colours. Sometimes medium red items are in stock, but small blue ones are not.

Rather than this leading to confusion though, the site clearly displays any related information to the customer. If you're looking for a red product, using the filter system will alter the image shown to make it as relevant as possible.

Pre-Orders

Within their ranges, the client often has a rage of pre-order products to offer. In order for these to work within the scheme of the site, we create a ribbon that displays the information. We also changed the colour of the 'add to basket' button, to act as a further reminder that if you're buying the product up front, you won't get it until it's in stock.

Contemporary Imagery

Throughout the site, striking aesthetics have been used to enhance the appeal of the brand and engage customers within the industry

Customer Accounts

They are respected for their knowledge in areas including cloud hosting, workforce retention and data governance.

Working in partnership with leading names such as Birst and Oracle, they have designed, delivered - and continue to manage - some of the most complex analytics campaigns for large companies throughout Europe.

At Evoluted, we've been working with Peak Indicators now for several years, having built their previous website.

So when they got in touch about modernising their digital presence, it was natural that they felt comfortable using us.

What Was the Brief?

To ensure that Peak Indicators would feel the maximum benefit following the launch of their new website, it was vital for us to:

• Modernise the Peak brand
• Structure the site to make it sell the client's services as effectively as possible
• Display information to be as easily digestible as possible
• Focus on making the site really easy to navigate

In order to achieve these goals, it would be vital for the development, design and marketing teams to work in tandem. Ultimately, we wanted to deliver a site that provided awesome usability, striking aesthetics and most importantly, genuine results.

What Did We Do?

Homepage Blocks

So that the client could highlight important news and focus services, we implemented the design of a series of homepage 'blocks'. These appear in sequence and can be swapped out as required. The blocks are bold and clearly grab the attention of the user.

Page Breakdown

We totally re-factored the structure of the site to gather more information on each page. This was important, as we felt in some cases users were being put off clicking 'deeper' into the site to uncover information. Pulling the information together removed this problem.

Striking Graphics

The colour green is synonymous with the Peak Indicators brand and we were keen to integrate this within the design of the site as much as possible. From bold call-to-action buttons, to various banners throughout the site, this goal has been achieved.

Video Demos

As a leading voice within the world of analytics, Peak Indicators' voice is respected throughout the industry. One way in which they communicate their ideas is through the use of video demos. It was important that these were integrated within the site in an accessible way.

What Were the Results?

Peak Indicators have been left delighted by the new website we've built for them. Launched back in January 2017, it is helping them to connect with customers more effectively through digital.

Following the launch of the new site, Clare Buttery, Business Relationship Manager at Peak Indicators, offered these kind words:

"Evoluted feel like an extension of your own team, always on hand to help and offer advice on what the best course of action should be. It's been a fun, friendly and organic journey to developing our company site - the improvements are amazing."

Since the launch of the site, we've also been helping Peak Indicators to grow through digital marketing. The end of May marked 6 months spent on marketing activities including email, social and SEO. We look forward to continuing the great relationship with their team moving forward.

These are typically booked out by large groups looking for a base to stay in the area. The Holiday Village also regularly attracts bookings for weddings, which can be held on site in the stunning Darwin Hall.

Due to their previous site being in real need of an upgrade, Darwin Lake approached us with the proposition of improving their digital presence; in order for them to better market themselves online.

What Was the Brief?

We were keen for the website to use imagery of the picturesque Darwin Lake site, to sell the client's services to prospective customers. This formed a key focal point for the brief:

• Imagery: From the charming cottages to the magnificent lake, we knew we would need to showcase the best of the Holiday Village to website visitors through the new site.
• Helpful information: We needed to ensure all information was included on things like: activities in the local area, what guests need when they stay and what features each cottage includes. For this, we were commissioned to produce the copy alongside the build of the site.
• Group bookings: One of Darwin Lake's most attractive selling points is that people are able to book multiple cottages, or the whole Holiday Village. This is perfect for weddings, events and large breaks with family and friends. We wanted to raise awareness of this and funnel group bookings accordingly with the new site build.
• Promotion of key services: The client was particularly keen for us to design the site so that it showcased Darwin Lake to those looking to book weddings and corporate events.
• Booking integration: We needed to integrate an external booking platform chosen by the client, so that website users would be able to check accommodation availability.

What Did We Do?

Effective Imagery

Imagery was given notable prominence across the site, particularly on the homepage. Website users are immediately met by a striking image of the cottages overlooking the private lake. Elsewhere, professional photography has been used to highlight suitability for weddings, the cottages and the site itself. On the Holiday Village page, a helpful map has been included.

Encouragement of Group Bookings

The three primary homepage blocks direct users towards pages designed to promote Darwin Lake as a base for group bookings - weddings & events, group venue and family & friends. The copy and imagery used on each of these pages highlights the appeal of the location to groups, whilst the contact banner encourages people to engage with the team and get more information.

Focus on Cottages

The fantastic cottages at Darwin Lake are a clear highlight, as each delivers 4-star luxury to guests. Each cottage has been given its own page with unique information and striking imagery. Where possible, walkthrough videos have also been provided for each cottage to encourage user retention.

Persuasive Copy

For the copywriting on the Darwin Lake site, it was vital to mix an informative style with the measured selling of the actual Holiday Village and the services the client offers. To do this:

• Each cottage was rigorously broken down to include key details.
• Sections of copy were kept concise and to the point.
• Language was carefully chosen to encourage engagement and enhance brand appeal.

Useful Additional Information

We were keen to provide website visitors with any information they could possibly need on Darwin Lake, to help encourage qualified enquiries. This included the use of an FAQs section and clear information on how to find the client. We also included a bright and appealing map of the Holiday Village to help show scale and included features.

Reflow had been in business for 5 years and provided web and design services to clients in a wide variety of sectors - with a particular focus on the 'outdoor' market. Having been in negotiations for several months, we put pen to paper on the takeover last week.

Key Clients Joining Evoluted

As a result of the takeover, they'll be bringing key clients to Evoluted including The Mountain Boot Company and Syntax Consultancy.

As Evoluted's long-standing Managing Director, Ash Young was understandably pleased to announce the news:

"Myself and Gareth are delighted to have completed the takeover of Reflow Studio. We're really excited to work with their talented team and we look forward to further growing Evoluted as a company over the next 12 months.

"Pleased to Bring the Reflow Team On Board"

"We're really pleased to bring the Reflow team on board as part of the move, with 5 members joining the team. Henry, Jen, Byron, Adam and Andrew are all now operating from our offices in Sheffield city centre; growing our numbers by 25%," he said.

Henry Tyce, who was formerly a director with Reflow, was also keen to offer his thoughts:

"After 5 great years in business, Reflow Studio is happy to be joining Evoluted. This is a great opportunity for the team to take their work to the next level and complement Evoluted's already sterling reputation."

A Bright Future

The takeover adds to what has been an exciting few months for Evoluted. In 2016, we bought our offices near to Kelham Island, whilst we also enjoyed wins last year's Drum Network Awards and Chamber Business Awards.

Having now welcomed the Reflow team on board, we're eagerly anticipating the coming year and can't wait to see what the future holds!

How Did We Qualify?

To qualify as a Premier Partner agency, you need to meet a rigorous series of requirements laid out by Google:

• Exemplary Performance: Meeting Google's demanding performance requirements forms a key part of being elevated to Premier status. Superb growth and the generation of impressive revenue across any client accounts under management is key.
• Longevity: As well as meeting performance requirements, Google also look at the length of time that accounts have been managed for. Maintaining and growing a large base of clients is important.
• Advanced Adwords Knowledge: At least two employees working for the company in question need to have evidenced their knowledge of Adwords through Google's specialism exams.
• Healthy Spend: The amount being invested throughout any accounts under an agency's management is also important. One of Google's measures for healthy account performance is total spend.

Evoluted Specialisations

Shopping

To qualify, it was important for Evoluted to demonstrate expertise in both basic and advanced concepts related to Google Shopping. Google look for solid performance in terms of the creation and management of Shopping campaigns; as well as the optimisation of data feeds.

Mobile

For the Mobile specialism, Evoluted needed to show increased product performance and expertise related to basic and advanced mobile advertising concepts. Ad formats, bidding, targeting, campaign measurement and campaign optimisation all came under consideration.

Search

To qualify for the Search specialism, our team needed to demonstrate proficiency across client accounts related to search advertising. It was important for us to evidence best practices related to the creation, management and optimisation of Adwords search campaigns.

You can view Evoluted's Google Premier Partner Profile here

The brand has roots which stretch right back to 1737, when the company's founders first rented the water wheel and buildings at the Mills. Although steam power was introduced on site in 1797, the same water wheel there remains operational today.

Over the centuries, the company has forged an outstanding reputation within the industry, with their products sought after from far and wide. Despite this, the company's online presence was in major need of an overhaul.

What Was the Brief?

The client needed a complete update to their previous website. To ensure their digital image matched the quality of their products, we needed to produce a contemporary, effective e-commerce site for Wilsons & Co. There were a number of important areas to consider:

• User navigation: On the previous site, it wasn't always easy for customers to find what they needed. Useful information about the company was hidden away, whilst the menu structure also needed work.
• Logical purchase process: Improving the user flow through the website was another important issue that we identified. The menu structure in particular needed a complete re-think.
• Graphics and imagery: To encourage engagement with the site, we wanted to use bold and interesting imagery. It was important that this worked with the brand.
• Selling the company: Given the history and reputation of Wilsons & Co - and the outstanding variety of products they offer - we felt they were underselling themselves online. We were keen to ensure that this issue was rectified.
• Easy management:The client was keen to launch the new website, but they also wanted to be able to easily add additional products and categories further down the line. So that they could do this, they would require a simple-to-use CMS (Content Management System).

What Did We Do?

Menu/Filter Structure

Having identified a need to improve user flow throughout the site, we implemented a menu/filter structure that made it as simple as possible for users to navigate to the products they wish to buy. Wilsons & Co retail smoking products and accessories, as well as a wide selection of snuff, so we wanted to make these different areas of the business clearly divisible.

Imagery & Graphics

Within the product sections in particular, the site is very image-led. For items such as the lighters, this is handy for users keen to get a good idea of what the graphics look like on the products. On the individual product pages, we have used clear call-to-actions to encourage purchases.

Useful Information For Buyers

During the purchase process, buyers are presented with lots of clearly-displayed, useful information to help them make informed decisions. Snuffs include information on nicotine content, menthol content and moisture content; which is useful for new and seasoned users of the product alike.

Copywriting

There was very little information available on the previous Wilsons & Co site, with the product and category pages in need of particular work. This was harming the ranking potential of the site, as well as damaging the user experience. As part of the project, we produced the copy for the whole of the new site, in addition to providing content for future category launches.

CMS

So that the client would be able to launch new categories and products as required, we integrated our CMS within the site.

What Were the Results?

Wilsons & Co are now well set to generate more business online. Thanks to the content and structure of the new website, they are now able to communicate more effectively with their customers.

Van Mats UK's mats have been designed to cater for owners of a range of leading manufacturer vehicles. They were inspired to launch the company following the success of another similar business owned by the client - Car Mats UK.

At Evoluted, we've actually been working with Car Mats UK for many years. Given the success the client has enjoyed to-date with that company, they were keen to use us for their van mats venture too.

What Was The Brief?

To ensure that we built the client an e-commerce website that would help them to excel online, there were a series of key things we needed to consider:

• Usability: The site needed to be designed to encourage conversions wherever possible. In order to do this, it was vital that the site was designed to ensure that users could understand how to easily navigate around the site.
• Easily obtainable information: Providing users with the tools they need to make a purchase is an important part of the buyer process. The content on a website page plays a big part in this. For Van Mats UK, we were keen to display any important information in an easily-understandable format; so that users could search by product or manufacturer as appropriate.
• Visuals: To encourage engagement with the site, it needed to be full of bold, visually-appealing design elements. This would require us to use an appealing colour scheme and carefully-selected imagery.
• Admin: We needed to provide the client with a CMS (Content Management System) that would make it easy for them to add any required imagery and information.
• Previewing purchases: We were also keen to ensure that potential customers could use the site to customise and preview products ahead of making any purchases. We felt this would ultimately help the site to provide buyer satisfaction.

What Did We Do?

With this being an e-commerce site, we wanted to fulfil two primary goals - deliver a great user experience and encourage conversions wherever possible. The initial brief was designed around these ideas and we achieved our targets in the following ways:

Useful Imagery

The imagery used throughout the site has been included to enhance the user experience and help customers find the products they need. Imagery of the different van mat types and finishes feature corresponding photos to help users view exactly what products they are buying. There are also photos of the mats inside their corresponding vehicles.

Accessible Menu Structure

Prior to building the site for the client, we felt that elsewhere, the process of buying the right mat or seat cover was overly complicated. With this site, we wanted to remove any difficulty for potential buyers. We did this by making it simple for the user to browse by car manufacturer or products. Clear imagery and structure are used throughout the site's menus to guide the user around.

Appealing Extras

For van owners that want to put their own spin on their products, we integrated a series of features within the site that would allow them to add custom touches. These included embroidery and trims. Users are able to preview different colours for any trim alterations. They are also able to select from a wide range of different materials.

Clearly-Displayed Reviews

We felt that it would work well to integrate TrustPilot reviews within the Van Mats UK site. We also wanted to give these reviews prominent positioning. The excellent reviews being generated from the site are further helping to strengthen the client's market positioning.

Content Management System

The CMS that we've built for the client is highly bespoke. To help ensure that things like adding image combinations and previews doesn't become too taxing, we've built a system that works perfectly for the client. This was a key factor in them being able to populate the site quickly.

What Were the Results?

The site is already helping the client to enjoy success with their new business venture. For them, we've delivered an e-commerce site that is all about simplicity and results. In what can often be a complicated marketplace for buyers, the site we've built stands out for its quality.

As part of the client's marketing strategy, we have been running Google Adwords campaigns since the launch of Van Mats UK site. This is working really well for them. We expect this activity to help them enjoy superb growth moving forward.

A key selling point for the company is their commitment to providing contemporary, competitive services. In order to be able to do this across the board however, they needed to upgrade their online presence. To complete the job, they got in touch with our team.

What Was the Brief?

Before we built their new site, Banner Plant were keen to communicate more effectively with their customers and generate more enquiries. To help them do this, the following areas required focus:

• Usability: In order to encourage engagement with the site, we needed to make it simple to navigate as possible. In line with this, it was vital that we made the new website responsive across all devices.
• Administration: The client needed to be able to edit the website on an ongoing basis. To do this, they would need an accessible CMS (content management system).
• Consistent, modern branding: To ensure that the design of their new website was consistent with their branding, Banner Plant required some custom graphic design work.
• Improved optimisation: Finally, the client also wanted the site to be built with one eye on future SEO.

What Did We Do?

Simple Navigation

We produced a clean, concise design for the new website that makes it easy for users to move around the site. Bold imagery and large navigation boxes were used to encourage transition throughout the various sections of the website.

Custom Graphic Design

The new Banner Plant website features a design scheme that works consistently with the company's branding. The aesthetics feel consistent throughout and are suited to the Banner Plant image.

Encouraging Orders

To encourage potential customers to place orders with Banner Plant, a bespoke basket quote request system has been integrated within the site. This enables website users to request a quote for a specific list of products. Product quantity can be easily specified.

Responsive Build

The responsive layout was key to the success of the new site. In a similar way to with the desktop version of the site, bold imagery and large navigation boxes were integral to the design in order to encourage engagement.

Content Management System

To help the client to simply maintain and update the site as required, we integrated a bespoke CMS. This is easy to navigate and makes it as simple as possible for the client to make any changes they need to.

What Were the Results?

Both the client and our team were pleased with the new website we delivered. Not only has it greatly improved Banner Plant's web presence, it has also helped them to present their products and services in a more user-friendly way.

Importantly, the mobile version of the website is just as simple to navigate as the desktop version. This means the client can communicate clearly with their customers no matter the device their website is being viewed from.

Our victory came in the 'Retail Campaign/Strategy of the Year' category, for the marketing campaigns we've been running for our client Decorative Aggregates.

To win, we had to beat off competition from some of the nation's most recognised retail brand names, including Tesco, Footlocker, IKEA and Argos.

"Testament to the Quality of Evoluted & Decorative Aggregates"

Naturally, Decorative Aggregates were delighted to hear the news. Leanne Parker said:

"We were absolutely delighted to hear the news from The Drum Network Awards. I can't impress enough how delighted we are with the work Evoluted have done for us. The results are testament to the quality of both Decorative Aggregates and Evoluted."

Equally pleased was Evoluted's Managing Director Ash Young, who credited the work of the Evoluted marketing team for the result:

"To receive an award from an organisation of The Drum's standing is fantastic news for Evoluted. I'm delighted for everyone involved and would like to credit the marketing team with all the great work they've done for Decorative Aggregates.

What Did We Do For Decorative Aggregates?

Back in 2015, we designed a new website for Decorative Aggregates. Following its launch, we immediately set to work on the creation of PPC and SEO campaigns, which we designed to raise the visibility of the site.

The work we did across both areas has since been a remarkable success. Taking the 6-month spell between September 2015 and February 2016, results generated by the work of our digital marketing team included:

• 148% increase in YOY revenue generated through PPC
• 88% increase in YOY revenue generated through SEO

For both the SEO and PPC campaigns, we looked to apply innovative strategy that would help Decorative Aggregates to become more profitable online.

Sheffield Business Awards Next Week

We're now looking forward to the Sheffield Business Awards next week, where we will be competing to win in the 'Small Business of the Year' category. Last year's event was a great night out for the team - and this year we're hoping to go one step further and emerge with an award.

The 2016 Sheffield Business Awards will take place on Thursday 1st December, with Ponds Forge once again being the venue of choice. Best of luck to all the companies up for awards on the night.

Make sure you check out our Twitter feed on the night, as we'll be tweeting live from the event.

To help ensure they engaged more successfully with their audience online, Sheffield Music Hub approached us regarding the design of a dedicated new website.

What Was the Brief?

The client previously had a series of pages on the Sheffield City Council website - but these were awkward for users to navigate. This led to a real desire to improve the UX delivered through the new site.

• Targeted User Groups: The new site needed to be designed with 3 different user groups in mind - parents, governing bodies, teachers and kids (alongside their parents). It was vital that the new site catered for these demographics.
• Clear Communication: Each section of the site would need to serve its ultimate purpose - clearly communicating the relevant information with the different user groups (investors, teachers etc.). The sectional division of the site needed to be thought out with every last detail in mind.
• Photos: The client asked us to integrate their photo collection within the new design. Previously, they hadn't been able to do this.
• Artwork & Colour: In line with the Sheffield Music Hub's branding, the site needed to be bright and colourful in design. The client was keen for us to integrate some of their own artwork as well.

What Did We Do?

In order for us to meet the goals laid out in the brief, we integrated many considered features within the new site. These make the whole navigation around the site far simpler:

Colour Selection

We have included a feature that allows the client to colour a section of the website from 6 carefully-selected options. These match with the client's traditional online colour scheme.

Events

To make information on concerts, workshops and auditions more accessible, individual events can now be filtered by date, venue and event type. Each event then features its own page, so that it can be easily promoted through social media. A location map and links to relevant pages can be added to each individual event.

Music Leaders

Within the schools section of the site, there is a space for Hub Music Leaders. Each leader has their own page with corresponding information - including a photo so that students and teachers can recognise individuals.

Sing & Play

This is a new section that helps users of the website to find a music group. They are able to filter by venue, instrument and group types (orchestra, rock band etc.). These pages may include links to the music leader's details and a map for the relevant location.

News

The news section was particularly important within the grander makeup of the site, as it will be used for showing investment partners what the company has been up to.

Partners

Sheffield Music Hub rely heavily on financing from their partners, so their logos are particularly prominent. There is also a partner's page.

What Were the Results?

The design of the site encourages engagement thanks to its visuals, ease-of-use and general readability. The client was delighted with the results.

They particularly liked how we were able to develop their online profile in ways that they hadn't previously been able to. For example, they had always wanted to have the online profiles of their music leaders available and now this has been done to great effect.

The owners of the company continue to work in partnership with a number of high-profile global employers, to help them market staff vacancies.

arbjobs essentially showcase opportunities surrounding the cultivation, management and study of trees - so it's safe to say the area within which they operate is fairly niche.

This means that they're able to compete with larger job listing sites such as indeed.

What Was the Brief?

When assessing the UX delivered through their previous site, it was apparent to arbjobs that they needed to enhance their online profile.

They were in particular need of a responsive website, given that many of the people looking for jobs on their site were doing so via mobile devices.

To help make the changes to their online profile that they required, they approached our team here at Evoluted for a new site design.

Following discussion with the client, it quickly became clear that we could provide them with the answer they needed.

What Did We Do?

To ensure that we were successful with its build, there were a number of features that we needed to integrate within the design of the new arbjobs site:

Moderator panel: This needed to be included so that the client could check and approve job listings on an ongoing basis. They needed to be able to do this on their mobile phone.

Shared logins: In line with a series of upcoming sites that will be launched in the near future, we created a 'shared login' system to help assist with simple access.

Responsive: The site needed to be simple to use across all devices. This was established as a priority in the very early stages of the project, which was important as it influenced the subsequent build significantly.

A Job Well Done

Reflecting on a job well done, Ash Young, chief of Evoluted's operations, said:

"Whenever there's a complex website like this, it's essential that we maintain exceptional levels of communication - both with the client as well as internally. This helps to keep the project on-track and ensure that we're meeting the needs of the company that we're working with.

"Handily, we have all the software in place to ensure that every detail is covered. It was this that helped the arbjobs website move smoothly towards completion."

We've now been shortlisted for 'Small Business of the Year' at the 2016 Sheffield Business Awards. Coming in our 10th anniversary year, we couldn't be more delighted to receive the nod.

Following on from the nomination we received for 'Best Use of Technology to Improve Business Performance' at the 2015 awards, this is the second year running that will see us attending the awards ceremony with the hope of emerging as winners.

We're looking forward to another great evening, with the awards ceremony to be held on Thursday 1st December at Ponds Forge.

A Great Year for Evoluted

We're delighted with how the awards season has panned out so far. Prior to being shortlisted for the Sheffield Business Awards, we'd also been named as the regional winner for 'Best Use of Technology' in the 2016 Chamber Business Awards. We will now be going up for the national award in London.

So what's been the key to such a positive year?

The growth of our digital marketing department has certainly been a contributing factor. In the past 12 months, our marketing team has grown by 50%, which has meant that we've been able to cater for a substantial amount of new business.

This increase in capacity has led to us being able to provide a wider array of services to more companies. This means that from the creation of a website, to its subsequent marketing, we're able to keep the message of the company in question clear and concise.

Great Results for Clients

Above all else, this is continuing to help us to deliver better results for our clients - and what better measure of success is there than that? If our clients are happy, we're happy and we think that reflects throughout all the projects that we undertake.

Some of the UK companies that we continue to enjoy prosperous relationships with include JJ Leisure, Mentor Training, Twinwoods Adventure, MadridFly and Decorative Aggregates.

As ever, we also continue to work with a number of Sheffield-based businesses and organisations as well. Examples include Sheffield City Council and Galactic Fireworks; as well as Pryor Marking and Bag It Don't Bin It - with both of the latter companies enjoying their own successes at the Sheffield Business Awards in recent years.

If you like the sound of how we work and are looking to grow your company's online presence, get in touch with us today!

Remember to check back on our blog on the 2nd December to see how we fared on the night of the 2016 Sheffield Business Awards.

Since being established in 2006 by fresh-faced Sheffield University graduates Ash and Gareth, our company has grown to become a leading digital agency for the region.

We've assisted an expansive range of local, national and international businesses; with each and every project throwing up its own unique challenges.

We've absolutely loved our time to date and felt it was only right to celebrate it as such!

A Night of Celebration

As well as all of the current team, many of our clients also came to mark the occasion. We were also blessed with visits from a few familiar faces from years gone by, with ex-Evoluted members providing a welcome blast from the past.

It was great to bring so many people together, all of whom have all played their own part in getting Evoluted to where it is today.

A superb night was had by all; with cake, tasty food, retro games and even a free bar all on offer. Naturally, the latter went down particularly well.

Thanks to all who came down on the night for making it such a memorable celebration.

12 Highlights from the Past Ten Years

To mark our 10th anniversary, we thought we'd have a think back on some of the highlight moments from the past decade. You can read more about these below. Alternatively, check out our cool animation!

• 2006: Ash Young and Gareth Davies established Evoluted at Tapton Park Innovation Centre in Chesterfield. Little did they know the lofty heights the company would go on to reach.
• 2007: We launched the first of our many side projects - The Crossword Solver. The site now receives in excess of 1.4 million unique users each month.
• 2008: Our first two permanent staff members - Stu and Jimbo - were employed. Both remain with the company today, so they must have found something they like.
• 2009: The decision was taken to move the company to the Steel City. It only seemed fair that we should relocate near to the real ale pubs of Kelham Island. It's safe to say we've made good use of them since!
• 2010: The Evoluted team grows to nine-strong - representing a tidy 350% increase in numbers since the company was established.
• 2011: Some welcome expansion meant that it was time for us to take control of all three floors of our office building.
• 2012: After deciding the halls of Evoluted could do with a lick of paint, refurbishment work was subsequently completed on our 18th century abode.
• 2013: We were delighted to win the award for best website in the Wanderlust Readers' Travel Awards. The nod came for a site our team built for Bamboo Travel.
• 2014: Ash and Gareth reached an agreement on the sale of Evoluted's e-commerce spin-off business Car Mats UK.
• 2015: By 'Eck. We found ourselves nominated for Best Use of Technology at the Sheffield Business Awards.
• 2016: We were absolutely delighted to push through the purchase of our office building. We can now officially call them our home.
• 2016 (2): We're named winners of the Best Use of Technology within the Chamber Business Awards.

What Does the Future Hold?

So many people have played a part in Evoluted progressing to its current level. Employees - past and present - and of course our clients, all deserve immense credit.

But what does the future hold for the company?

Well, you can be sure we won't be taking things easier now. Instead, we're looking to push on to new heights.

We have our sights firmly set on the growth of our digital marketing team, whilst you can be sure we'll continue to design and develop our signature websites.

So here's to another 10 years. We can't wait to see where they take us.

Having been up against some outstanding companies for the prize, the win represents an outstanding achievement for the whole of the Evoluted team. It is just reward for all the hard work they've put in.

We will now go up for the national award in our category, which will be decided during a prestigious awards ceremony on Thursday 24th November in London.

Why Did We Win the Award?

In order to emerge victorious in the Best Use of Technology category, we needed to evidence:

• How we use technology to benefit our clients
• How we use technology to improve communications within the company and with clients
• What software we use to produce work and why
• Examples of digital marketing campaigns and websites that have benefited from our use of software

Easy, right?

Well, thankfully, software is absolutely integral to success in the digital industry. So for us, it's just a natural part of our day-to-day operations.

We use technology for project management, client reporting, communications, website builds, digital marketing and much more - and we're always on the lookout for new tools that we feel could benefit ourselves and our clients.

By testing any new technology before we decide whether to use it for good, we're able to ensure that we introduce only the most innovative, useful software to our operations.

A Great Year for Evoluted

The Chamber award is the latest piece of positive news we've received in what's been a great year for the company.

Back in May, we found ourselves named as finalists within the 'Client Service' and 'On Budget' categories of the 2016 RAR (Recommended Agency Register) Digital Awards.

Then, in August, we placed in the top 3 of the 'Client 1-25 Staff' category of The Drum Independent Agencies Census.

Both The Drum and RAR successes came as a result of our clients providing positive ratings of our services. This has helped to provide us with further belief in our ongoing approach.

On top of all this, we also pushed through the purchase of our 18th century offices over the summer. So it's not been a bad spell for us!

Make sure you come back to our blog to find out how we get on in the national final of the Chamber Business Awards.

Bakewell-based Pinelog provide architecturally-crafted leisure buildings to residential and commercial clients. They primarily construct their units through the use of Scandinavian redwood and larch.

Amongst other things, they specialise in the design and manufacture of indoor swimming pools. Perfect for adding a luxurious touch to any property, these continue to bring new clients to Pinelog from throughout the UK.

At Evoluted, we've now been working with Pinelog for a number of years. As well as completing website work for various branches of their business, we've also been managing their PPC marketing through Google AdWords for a considerable spell of time.

What Did We Do?

To help improve Pinelog's ROI from PPC, we've made countless changes to their AdWords account over the past 12 months.

Initially, this work included some brand new keyword research, which we used to adjust the existing ads, in order to make them more effectively targeted. We also used the data to identify some new opportunities for the account to exploit.

Other major changes have included various tweaks to the account's settings, to make sure the ads are scheduled to appear exactly when potential customers are most likely to convert.

On an ongoing basis, we've also spent a significant amount of time restricting the search terms which can trigger the ads. This is helping to ensure that money isn't being wasted on irrelevant traffic.

What Were the Results?

Comparing the past 12 months with the previous year, the improvements have been marked - with the overall cost-per-conversion positively falling by 43%.

This effectively means that over the past year, Pinelog have paid close to half the amount in advertising costs for each lead they've generated through AdWords, in comparison to the previous year.

In addition, because of the work we've done, more people have been engaging with the ads created in the Pinelog AdWords account. This is evidenced by the click-through-rate statistics for the same period, which improved from 2.41% to 3.02%.

More than anything, this is down to us making the ads more engaging and ensuring that they're targeted more effectively.

Evoluted MD Ash Young was pleased to reflect upon another PPC account enjoying such healthy improvement:

"Through AdWords, we're always looking to improve the key account metrics. We want to be able to tell clients that their money has been spent more effectively, which is exactly what we've been able to do with Pinelog.

"Working within the arranged budget, lowering the cost of each conversion has meant that we've freed-up more money, to spend more effectively, on generating further leads for the client. This is a scenario which we always strive towards," he said.

How Can We Help You?

This account is just one of the many under our control that has benefited from the work of our marketing team. If you're seeking monthly management services, we're perfectly-placed to assist. Our ongoing work includes:

• The creation of new accounts
• Rectifying a downward trend in Adwords sales
• Preventing large amounts of your budget being wasted on irrelevant terms
• The creation of results-driven ad copy
• The ongoing use of analytical data to adjust settings that can make a big difference to your sales and how much you pay for them
• Identifying new opportunities for your account through search term analysis

For help with any of the above - and much more - get in touch with us today on 0114 272 9753.

Through transparency, the development of rapport, and, most importantly, through the delivery of superb results, we continue to further client trust by the bucket load.

Bearing this in mind, we were understandably delighted to hear of a recent nomination, which saw us named in the top 3 of The Drum Independent Agencies Census 2016.

The nod came more specifically within the 'Client 1-25 Staff' category, which directly focuses on rankings made by clients.

Our Managing Director, Ash Young, had the following to say:

"The Drum is a well-recognised body within the digital marketing world, so we're delighted to have their name against this Census.

"We're also incredibly thankful to our clients, without whom we would not have achieved this standing. We look forward to paying back their faith once again moving forward."

To help put this a bit more into context, The Drum is arguably Europe's biggest marketing website. Primarily providing marketers with a place to share and promote great ideas, their vision is to become the premier marketing platform worldwide.

Their Independent Agencies Census - which they put together in partnership with the Recommended Agency Register (RAR) - has been created to highlight the performance of leading independent agencies throughout the UK.

To place as highly as we have within the Census is testament to the approach we so firmly believe in here at Evoluted - and the fact that it's clients voting us to the upper echelons of such lists is extremely important to us.

We were also showcased recently in a similar way directly by the RAR. We were named as finalists in two categories for their 2016 Digital Awards, with one nomination coming within the 'Client Service' category.

Recognition from bodies like the RAR and The Drum is priceless to our ongoing development. Not only does it provide us with further confidence in our ongoing approach, it also highlights to potential new clients that our customers firmly believe in what we do.

The positive feedback comes at an exciting time for the company, as we continue to look to expand our operations. Since the start of the year, we've now taken on an additional 6 members of staff, which has seen our numbers swell to 20.

The new arrivals have come within both the digital marketing and web development branches of the business, evidencing the success of our approach throughout the company.