Shabby Chocolat – the website

Introducing a new website for Hebden Bridge rococo themed chocolate emporium > Shabbychocolat.co.uk  Visit the website to find out more about the chocolate – this is about the site!

A relatively new venture selling local artisan-made, French and Belgian chocolates both through the shop, and by mail order –  Madame Chocolat already uses Facebook, Pinterest and twitter to build the brand and the ambiance.  The aim of the website is to tie all this together and display a basic catalogue for online customers, without committing too much time and money until she can see how the business takes off.  To keep it simple we built the site on WordPress.com using the appropriately named ‘Chateau’ responsive template.  We added the domain name and linked it to a free Google apps account to add email addresses.  We looked at adding order forms and Paypal links, but for the moment decided to keep it really simple, and take orders over the phone or by email.  The catalogue  pages are WordPress galleries, making it easy to swap out the photos as new chocolates are added to the range.  The shopping cart can wait until Madame Chocolat goes global!

Like chocolate and live near Hebden Bridge? > then keep an eye on Shabby Chocolat, as they’ve got a few exciting plans for the summer!

Homage to Dropbox

Reading this useful update on cloud storage services on the Guardian website this week reminded me just how *convenient* Dropbox is. Just having that little folder on the desktop of all the computers I use regularly – as well as floating around on the internet – makes it really easy to find files whatever machine I happen to be using.  Just drag the file you’ve been working on into that folder, and it updates  all your dropboxes instantly.  It’s easier than the uploading/downloading fandango with Google Docs or my own webspace, and it’s easier than searching through a pocket full of usb flash drives because I’ve forgotten which one I put it on.  I (theoretically) like the fact you only get 2GB because it stops me hoarding.  I like the fact it’s so easy to link a file and send it to somebody.  I like the hand drawn illustrations.  I just like it!

Pinterest can be a useful tool – how people are using it

Pinterest has suddenly started growing (must be the rain).  For a while, I’ve used other people’s boards as a resource for my graphic design course, particularly this one > Kathy Kavan Graphic Finds.  Chatting to one of my clients yesterday about how she uses it, reminded me what a useful tool it can be, particularly if you’re a small business that makes and sells things.  Shop window, scene setter, catalogue, mood boards for individual clients, project management tool – this is how Denise uses her boards > Country Cousins Lifestyle.  And for organisations there’s potential too, see this article by Nell Edgington who works for Social Velocity > Why I love Pinterest and non-profits should too.  So maybe you can do something with it, particularly if you have a lot of posters and leaflets to display, and work with other organisations that do too?

New website for Paul Cowham

Paul has just set up his own accountancy business and this is his new website: Paul Cowham Accountancy. Previously a director with Slade & Cooper, he specialises in charity and social enterprise accounting, and works both from home and the Green Fish Resource Centre in Manchester City Centre.  Get in touch with Paul via his website here. It is a straightforward WordPress  website, which can easily grow and develop along with his business.

Your Garden Needs Me!

Website redesigned, landscaped, planted and repotted…
Your Garden Needs Me is a gardening and garden maintenance service based in Todmorden. Richard already made good use of the free services, with a (messy) free web page, Facebook page, Twitter persona > @nakedjardinier, and a blog. What was needed was a practical, cheap and cheerful way to pull it all together, with a recognisable visual style, so that it can all be found through the website. Based on the green and yellow design of his leaflet, the new website is squishy, so it resizes nicely between phones and wide screens, and uses lots of colourful photos – most snapped with an iphone – to describe the gardening possibilities and show Richard at work. If you’re into gardening, or just like reading about it, then follow Richard’s blog for Ken Yate’s monthly diary of things to do in the garden (now in month 2!) And if you need any gardening or landscaping work done and live in the area, then phone Richard on 07876557234  Your Garden Needs Me!