Whether you are looking for a simple few pages or a fully-functional e-commerce site, HeadChannel can find the best internet solution for you. But don't just take our word for it. We believe the best advertisement for our work is the work itself, so please take a look at our portfolio to see the work we have done for other clients and what they have to say about working with HeadChannel.
Design
A commanding web presence is an essential marketing tool in today's business and service environment. HeadChannel will create exciting, cutting-edge design in HTML and Flash that is perfectly suited to your brand identity and gives you that crucial edge over your competitors.
Our philosopy is that effective web design is more than just looking great. It is about clarity and ease-of-use too. We understand that visitors to the site must be able to navigate easily and find the information that they're looking for within the shortest amount of time, otherwise they will go elsewhere. Successful web design is a harmonious marriage between structure and aesthetics.
Flash
For that extra pizazz, why not add some Flash animation to your site? Whether it's a banner or a side-bar integrated into an HTML site, or a site built completely in Flash and connecting to a database, HeadChannel can cater to your needs. Our Flash movies are fully object-oriented Actionscript coded.
Development
Our design and development team will seamlessly integrate the public-facing web pages with databases and content management systems to provide continuously up-to-date dynamic content that you have total control over. We can either integrate your site with your pre-existing systems, or create a new system tailor-made for your exact needs (see the content management section below).
We support the following languages and constructs: HTML, Flash, Actionscript, Javascript, CSS, classic ASP, ASP.net, PHP, Perl, Python, SQL.
Databases and Content Management Systems
Content Management Systems (CMS) are essential if you want to keep your website completely up-to-date. They allow you to control what information appears on the website by entering the information as and when it changes. Whether you have just a few simple details that need changing, or a complete on-line shop where the stock levels and prices are continually changing, HeadChannel will create a CMS that is tailored to suit your exact needs. If you have database systems already in place, we will find creative solutions to connect them and the information they contain to your website.
Of course, a CMS doesn't just need to feed a website. It is an effective way of managing all the information that is involved in running your business. A carefully structured database can improve your information flow within the company, and by providing access to everyone through an intranet will drastically improve workflow efficiency.
Our CMS and database systems come with an easy-to-use browser-based user interface, meaning the database can be accessed securely from any computer in the office or from home and bypasses the need to install any additional software. Our systems also come with full on-site training plus a clear and comprehensive user guide, and full technical suppport by email or telephone.
At HeadChannel we pride ourselves on the ability to find ways of making your business run smoother through effective internal systems architecture. Contact us to see what we can do for you, or look at our portfolio to see case studies of solutions we have found for our clients.
e-commerce
More and more businesses are relying on the internet to make sales. HeadChannel can increase your profitability by making your products available online. We can create comprehensive product databases which interact with shopping baskets, our secure servers and integrated payment functionality to create a seamless online shopping experience. Please visit www.naughtyalabama.co.uk to view our most recent e-commerce site in action.
e-marketing
HeadChannel can manage online surveys and questionnaires, from the design of the questionnaires to the analysis of the results. This is a service we have been running for one of our biggest clients, JCDecaux, capturing the opinions and attitudes of air travellers to a wide range of survey topics. They have ranged from car purchase behaviour to attitudes towards advertising at airports.
Hosting
At HeadChannel we offer our clients secure and reliable hosting as part of a complete and cost-effective internet package. We can provide domain name registration, advanced email including spam/virus protection & Microsoft Exchange 2003 as well as hosting on Windows 2003 & Linux UK website hosting, with load balancing, ASP.NET, ASP, PHP, Perl, Python, MySQL & Microsoft SQL Server. Our servers are located at Fasthosts for added peace of mind.
Our support staff are on hand to help with any technical queries, or to deal with problems any time they arise.
Accessibility
A common misconception is that the current accessibility legislation is aimed solely at the disabled: this is not the case. Websites need to be designed and structured to ensure that all users can both understand and use the site.
The range of disabilities that present most problems to using the web
Visually impaired
Colour blind
Dyslexic
Unable to use a normal mouse
- About two million people in the UK self define as having a sight problem or seeing difficulty – (www.rnib.org.uk)
- Every day another 100 people start to lose their sight (this figure is based on the average number of people registered as blind or partially sighted every day).
- Approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women suffer from some sort of defective colour vision (www.iee.org/News/PressRel/z20jul2004.cfm)
- Somewhere between four and five percent of the population are dyslexic. It is estimated that there are about 375,000 school pupils in the UK with dyslexia and a total of some two million people who are severely affected. (www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk)
HeadChannel will ensure the pages comply with legislation with emphasis on the following;
- Intuitive navigation system
- Design for device independence
- Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content
- Non reliance on colour, animation or other effects
- Speech-compatible browser support
- Access-key navigation system
- Text size and contrast adjustment
Click here for accessibility options on this site.
Consistency across all marketing media is vital for good brand recognition and a strong identity. HeadChannel can carry a design ethic from your website to all printed materials, from a simple leaflet or business card to brochures, in-house magazines, display graphics, corporate identity. We can handle all your design, production and print handling requirements.
