"We were looking for more advice on using Google. We learnt how to use headers to get further up the Google chain, will be setting up a Google Plus webpage and starting a blog."
Thomas Long
Four small local businesses were given digital makeovers by web, social media and digital strategy experts today when Do It Digital – the not-for-profit campaign that aims to help small, independent businesses around the UK make the most of the advantages of being online – brought its nationwide digital roadshow to Manchester.
Julie Street and Tom Taylor of Loo-Fix, an Oldham-based toilet installation and repair business; Anne Daybell & Hazel Kirk from Essential Guide Magazine, which is hand delivered to 45,000 homes throughout Warrington; Fidel Peacock from Manchester-based vegan restaurant Peacock and Juno, and Thomas Long from Manchester-based scented candle manufacturer the Bottle Candle Company, all received one to one advice and guidance on board the Do It Digital bus from David Trott from Impact Business Advisors as well as representatives of website specialists MBJ and Manchester’s Business Growth Hub.
Julie Street, said:
“We want to redesign our online presence to integrate everything. We learnt today to use several pages on our site rather than trying to squash it all on one; how to use keywords effectively and to use Google analytical data to target future spending. The input we received was very useful.”
Anne Daybell commented:
“The morning was extremely helpful and we were given many pointers on how to improve our website. We are going to use Facebook more, especially to target customers now that we have been shown what to do. We will also be making use of analytical data to review and plan. We plan to start implementing what we have learnt straight away.”
Fidel Peacock said:
“We wanted help with social media and and how to make our website more professional. We are going to be making much greater use of Facebook to promote the business and will be engaging more heavily with other people's content in the hope that they will become more engaged with ours. The input was very helpful and we now have a clearer focus.”
Thomas Long explained:
“We were looking for more advice on using Google. We learnt how to use headers to get further up the Google chain, will be setting up a Google Plus webpage and starting a blog. We already had Instagram account but now we actually know how to use it and will be using Pinterest to spread the word.”
Do It Digital Director, Michelle Ovens says: “The Do It Digital campaign is not only about helping the digitally un-engaged take their first steps online but also helping those already online to expand their digital horizons. This could mean anything from a first, simple web presence to taking the first steps towards selling online.”
“Digital engagement is crucial for all aspects of business, from marketing and recruitment to banking and accounting, and is only likely to become more so. Digital engagement will become increasingly central to the development of competitive, profitable and growing businesses.”
