Member News

Credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia is reminding people that the first of three very disruptive national rail strikes is this Saturday, 5 November. RMT strikes will severely impact Greater Anglia’s services on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November. Greater Anglia is advising people to avoid using its trains on strike days – and to check before they travel and expect busy trains on the morning after each strike. The company is advising football fans and people going to shows and events in London on strike days to make alternative travel arrangements. A very limited service will run between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Colchester, Southend Victoria, Cambridge and on the Stansted Express between London and Stansted Airport, only between the hours from 07.30 until 18.30 when all trains must have finished their journeys – and with no trains on any other routes. First services on the day after each strike will also be disrupted – they will start later than usual, from 07.15, and are expected to be very busy, especially in the morning rush hour. Trains not running due to the strike will not be replaced with buses. Timetables for Saturday’s strike are now available on Greater Anglia’s website and app. First trains to Liverpool Street on 5, 7 and 9 November will depart Southend Victoria at 07.30, Norwich at 08.30, Colchester (stopping service) 07.30, and Cambridge 08.20. The first Stansted Express services are from Stansted Airport at 07.42 and from Liverpool Street at 08.10. Last trains back from Liverpool Street on 5, 7 and 9 November will depart for Southend Victoria at 17.30, Colchester 17.00 (stopper) 17.25 (calling at Stratford, Chelmsford and Colchester only), and Cambridge 16.25. The last Stansted Express services are from Stansted Airport at 17.12 and from Liverpool Street at 17.40. First trains to Liverpool Street on 6 November will depart Southend Victoria at 07.18, Norwich at 07.30, Colchester 07.27 and Cambridge 07.31. The first Stansted Express services on 6 November will leave Stansted Airport at 07.42 and Liverpool Street at 07.40. First trains to Liverpool Street on 8 and 10 November will depart Southend Victoria at 07.18, Norwich at 07.15, Colchester 07.17 and Cambridge 07.20. The first Stansted Express services on 8 and 10 November will leave Stansted Airport at 07.40 and Liverpool Street at 07.26. First trains on the morning after each strike could be further disrupted as Network Rail’s leaf busting rail head treatment trains will not be able to carry out their usual night-time runs on strike days to treat rails made slippery due to autumn conditions, so rails may need to be treated in the morning which may further push back the time of some first trains. Greater Anglia’s RMT members including conductors, station staff, train cleaners, catering and revenue protection teams, are due to strike on Saturday 5 and Wednesday 9 November. Network Rail RMT members including maintenance teams and signallers are striking on all three days. London Underground and Overground RMT staff are also on strike on Thursday 10 November. Greater Anglia is advising football fans travelling to see matches in the first round of the FA cup on Saturday 5 November and the third round of the EFL cup on Wednesday 9 November to make alternative arrangements as kick-off for many matches is after trains will have finished running. The company is also advising people travelling to London for plays, shows and other events, including the Kaiser Chiefs on Saturday 5 November and Kendrick Lamar on Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November, all at the o2 Arena, to make alternative travel arrangements as last trains back from London will be no later than 5.30pm Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We’re very sorry that once again people’s travel plans are disrupted by strikes. “Unfortunately, we’re only able to run a very limited service on strike days so our advice must be to avoid using our trains on those days impacted by the industrial action. “We know it affects so many passengers from those trying to get to work, school or college to football fans wanting to cheer on their teams in the first round of the FA Cup, as well as people wanting to enjoy an evening out in London. “The rail industry will continue to talk to unions to try to resolve the strikes so we can get back to enjoying travelling by train as normal.” Full information about the strike will be constantly updated at greateranglia.co.uk/strikes. Passengers who have booked tickets to travel on strike days can get a free refund from the retailer where they bought the ticket, change the date of travel or use the ticket to travel on the day before they were due to travel or up to and including Friday 11 November. Other train companies affected by strike action on 5, 7 and 9 November are Avanti West Coast, c2c, Chiltern Railway, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway, Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway, Merseyrail, Northern Trains, Southeastern Trains, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

Jamie has worked with 160 multi-national companies as a corporate coach and trainer and has lived in Shanghai for 15 years. He chats to James and Mark about the profound impact Chinese culture and traditions has had on his thinking and how he delivers his work to his clients, specifically around the ideas of pragmatism, practicality and philosophy, and what he has learnt about high context communication.

He reflects on his early years in China and how the language barriers made him feel vulnerable and inspired in equal measure. He shares lessons he learnt about the cultural differences in not just business, but also daily life, and how businesses should learn and embrace Chinese culture in order to successfully break into the Chinese market.

Jamie chats about his passion for helping people to learn the tools needed to help reframe thinking, and create and connect with stories within their business, and how we can better cultivate our relationships by focusing on a mindset of understanding, to aid in success. 

This is a must-listen for anyone thinking of dipping their toe in the Asian market, with some valuable insights from a prolific coach and author on working in the market. 

Image provided by Larking Gowen

View Mindset – HR November Newsletter here

SaxonAir CEO Alex Durand Photo credit: SaxonAir   Jet and helicopter operator SaxonAir, based at Norwich Airport, get ready to support the future of aviation through the launch of an ‘Electrical Propulsion Innovation Zone’ as local MP Chloe Smith visits the International Aviation Academy at Norwich during the Department for Transport’s launch of their new campaign to boost aviation recruitment, Generation Aviation. SaxonAir, alongside NUNCATS, NEBOair, and Swift Aircraft have joined forces to put together a showcase of Electric Aircraft at the academy, following the recent Summer School success which saw students given the opportunity to take part in the build of an electric aircraft, trying their hand at basic engineering. The group have also collectively formed the NetZero General Aviation Training Group (NGAT) and will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during Chloe Smith’s visit on 4th November 2022. NGAT will look at the specific training requirements that net zero aviation development requires, recognising the cross-over with STEM opportunities as well as general engineering training opportunities – in particular, electric automotive engineering, with other transport sectors represented locally. The formation of NGAT reinforces SaxonAir’s commitment to the future of electric aviation, following their recent work with NEBOair to champion an aircraft charging network and take electric aviation to the next level. SaxonAir CEO Alex Durand said: “Norwich’s International Aviation Academy has significant potential. A unique space with workshops and classrooms spaces, the academy hosts a fully certified Boeing 737 allowing an exclusive opportunity to apply aircraft engineering theory to live aircraft – which we believe was a world first.” “The Academy is incredibly relevant to STEM pathways and raising local aspirations. To demonstrate our commitment to propelling the future of aviation, we have taken a lease in the building and are already delivering Flight Attendant training alongside other courses, which alternative engineering pathways in development which may have relevance to beyond the aviation sector,” he continued. “And in light of the government launching their new campaign to boost aviation recruitment, we believe now is the time to accelerate efforts to upskill young people and offer them basic engineering skills which can be delivered for school, Further Education and Apprenticeship levels with specialism into aviation, automotive and similar coming later,” he concluded. Norse Group CEO Justin Galliford said, “We are proud to host this initiative and look forward to seeing the project come to fruition. The work that NGAT will undertake will see high-value job opportunities for local young people and tackle the issue of skill shortages in the aviation industry.”

Get on the road to net zero with free Clean Growth events 

A series of free events packed with ideas about how businesses can make savings and contribute to net zero takes places this month thanks to New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

Clean Growth for Business returns for a second series during November and will look at everything from how to finance green initiatives to accurately measuring your company’s carbon footprint.

The King’s Centre in Norwich will play host to a half-day, in-person event on 15 November which will feature speakers and finish with a networking lunch.

Speakers will explore the clean energy revolution, how to decarbonise agri-food and land management, challenges and solutions for the built environment, and the need to change the way we think about mobility.

Read more here Prestigious travel photography competition zooms in on future 

One of the world’s high-profile photo competitions, Travel Photographer of the Year based in Suffolk, had its eye on the future when it launched a membership website with insightful content and tailored advice.

Celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary this year is a major milestone as founder Chris Coe strengthened the business by creating this new resource ‘Eye for the Light’. It has stories for those who want to hone their travel photography skills, listen to engaging podcasts and connect with others.

With the support of £2,372 from New Anglia LEP’s Small Grant Scheme, Chris was able to realise this new venture which took perseverance and belief in the project.

Read more here Apply for a grant Innovative equine bedding developed by Norfolk company  

An animal bedding production company from Norfolk has developed special equine bedding out of wood fines with support from our Growth Through Innovation Fund.

Bed-Down specialises in the production of British premium animal bedding from locally-sourced wheat straw and softwood flakes for horses in all equestrian disciplines, retail outlets and wholesalers. During the bedding production, it creates a by-product from the wood and straw fines using a pellet machine which converts the fines into 6mm pellets. These pellets are highly absorbent and sold to the poultry market as litter. Ultimately, the pellet breaks down and it turns back to waste fines.

Making great use of the production process, the team decided to develop pelleted, absorbent, dustless animal bedding suitable for the equine market. The next step was to create additives as an option to hold the particles together while retaining the high absorbency and building a prototype to test the technique and theory. For this part of the project, it secured a £22,000 Growth Through Innovation Fund grant.

Read more here Apply for a grant How investing in digital skills will help grow your business 

Every business that wants to grow needs a website of some sort. Every business needs to know how to use digital marketing to reach customers. And every business can benefit from having employees with the skills needed to operate successfully online.

That’s why New Anglia LEP has appointed Netmatters in Wymondham to run digital Skills Bootcamps for micro businesses and SMEs in Suffolk and Norfolk. Skills Bootcamps are part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping everyone gains skills for life. They are heavily subsidised, so SMEs only pay 10% of the cost – and they are free to learners.

Netmatters is offering Skills Bootcamps in web development, software engineering and digital marketing. These remote learning courses are normally full-time, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and run for 16 weeks. However, there is some flexibility for reduced hours for micro and small businesses that can’t afford to lose employees for that amount of time.

Read more here

Free Road to Net Zero consultancy support available in Suffolk

Are you working on decarbonisation plans for your business? If so, there is a programme of free support available through which you have the opportunity to work with a consultancy on your net zero projects.

The Road to Net Zero Business Support Programme is an initiative designed to pro-actively pivot business support and grants on a net zero future, building business advice expertise, and developing a portfolio of tested interventions which can be rolled out further in future. This is a pilot project, funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund from HM Government.

There is still support available in Suffolk, although funds have been fully allocated in Norfolk. So get in touch and see if you are eligible.

Find out more here

New opportunities to join the New Anglia LEP team 

New Anglia LEP currently has opportunities to join its team, with applicants being sought for two roles.

We have a vacancy for an Innovation & Sectors Coordinator on a 12-month temporary contract providing maternity cover. The post-holder will work closely with sector groups, support the delivery of our Industry Councils (Clean Energy, ICT/Digital and Agri-Food) and play a key role in our Connected Innovation programme, steering the agenda and delivery plan for the Innovation Board.

Separately, we are looking for two Enterprise Coordinators to help improve careers education programmes by recruiting secondary schools and colleges across Norfolk and Suffolk into the New Anglia Careers Hub.

Find out more and apply here

Photo: Attleborough renewable heating firm Finn Geotherm receiving the National Energy Efficiency Award for its installation at Paragon House. Left – right; comedian Hugh Dennis, Paul Taylor – UK sales manager for Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions, David Alston – technical director at Finn Geotherm, Leanne Gill – operations manager at Finn Geotherm, Guy Ransom – commercial director at Finn Geotherm, and Nick Davies of Switchee who sponsored the award. Image: National Energy Efficiency Awards Copyright: National Energy Efficiency Awards – Finn Geotherm recognised for first installation of its kind in Europe – Attleborough-based renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm, has won a national award for a landmark air source heat pump project, which is the first of its kind in Europe. The company has been awarded Renewable Energy Project of the Year at the recent National Energy Efficiency Awards for an air source heat pump project undertaken at Paragon House in London. The installation saw Finn Geotherm installing the first Panasonic 210kW air source heat pumps in Europe to provide heating and hot water for the 14-storey teaching block owned by the University of West London (UWL). Finn Geotherm designed and installed the heating system, which replaced an existing gas boiler and is expected to save around 1,058,000kWh of energy per year. Paragon House is one of three decarbonisation projects Finn Geotherm has completed for UWL. Across the three projects, an annual saving of more than 500 tonnes of CO² is expected to be made. David Alston, technical director at Finn Geotherm, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this national award. This was a highly significant project, which saw us installing the first of these colossal 210kW Panasonic air source units anywhere in Europe. The project demonstrates the vast opportunity for air source in commercial applications, particularly in areas where ground source heat pumps aren’t an option due to space limitations in city centre locations. I am immensely proud of the expertise of the team at Finn Geotherm who worked so hard to deliver this landmark installation, which is helping UWL to make huge reductions in its carbon emissions.” For more information on ground and air source heat pumps and details on Finn Geotherm, visit www.finn-geotherm.co.uk.   Photo 2: Finn Geotherm has installed the first Panasonic large scale heat pumps in Europe at Paragon House, University of West London. The heat pumps were installed on the roof of the 14-story teaching block. Image: Finn Geotherm Copyright: Finn Geotherm

We’re thrilled to share the exciting news that MAD-HR has once again been shortlisted as an award finalist for delivering Customer Excellence. Our team are delighted to have been chosen as one of the final businesses in this year’s EDP Norfolk Business Awards, both for the category of Customer Excellence and for the category of Small Business. To receive news of our shortlisting, so soon after scooping the Customer Excellence accolade in the Suffolk Business Awards, is a huge honour for us all. We’re truly humbled by, and grateful for, the enormous support we’ve received across the Norfolk business community. Continuing to ‘Make a Difference’ to our client base in the county has been a clear priority over the last 12 months and we have been pleased to witness our skilled and enthusiastic team growing steadily throughout this time. We look forward to letting you know the results of the awards, following a ceremony on 24th November. Take a look at the Business Awards Supplement published in yesterday’s EDP. Thank you all once again for your continued support.

A children’s hospice has launched its new Virtual Gifts webpage – giving the public an opportunity to buy meaningful presents that keep on giving this Christmas. The initiative is now live on the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) website and features five options – Gift of Comfort, Gift of Play, Gift of Compassion, Gift of Memories and Gift of Creativity. They range from £15 to £40 and allow people to buy and personalise a gift, while directly helping children, young people and families being cared for and supported by EACH. “We’re very proud of our Virtual Gifts,” said EACH Director of Fundraising Kevin Clements. “It’s a simple way to donate, while at the same time treating someone special to a meaningful present that keeps on giving. “We all have family and friends who are difficult to buy for but this is a new way to get something special, while making a significant difference to our charity. “Every purchase will help support children and young people with life-threatening conditions, and their families, across East Anglia.” Gift of Comfort (£15) could pay for an hour with a care assistant, Gift of Play (£15) could put a smile on a child’s face as they discover inclusive and accessible play for their abilities and Gift of Creativity (£24) could pay for an hour of music or art therapy. Gift of Memories (£35) could pay for a memory-making kit full of activities for the whole family while Gift of Compassion (£40) could pay for two hours of bereavement support with a specialist EACH counsellor. A card acknowledging the gift can be sent to the recipient and there is an opportunity to add a personalised message. To find out more, click here or head to each.org.uk/virtual-gifts In addition to its Virtual Gifts webpage, EACH is again politely requesting that people consider giving a monetary donation, rather than buying a physical gift, this Christmas. Kind-hearted members of the public often donate toys and books for children at the hospices. However, many are unsuitable because of the children’s varied physical and cognitive abilities. Monetary donations can be put towards running activities and support groups, providing short breaks at one of the hospices or extra support in the family home. It could also help fund a visit by a specialist nurse or pay for family members to spend time with a counsellor or therapist. “Christmas is approaching and, as ever, we hope to make this festive season extra special for the children, young people and families receiving our care and support,” added Kevin. “We know the public are always keen to help us and appreciate the generosity continually shown to EACH. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without it. “This year, as before, we’re politely requesting monetary donations, rather than physical gifts. “Monetary donations help in so many ways, including being used to run activities and support groups for families, giving them the chance to create memories and have fun. “The money could also fund short breaks at our hospices, allowing parents and carers to rest and recharge their batteries, or a visit by one of our specialist nurses, to help a child who is experiencing difficult symptoms. “This ‘gift of care’ really does make the world of difference to the lives of the families we support and we thank you once again for your support, kindness and understanding this Christmas.” EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. It has three hospices – The Nook, in Framingham Earl, near Norwich, The Treehouse, in Ipswich, and at Milton, near Cambridge. Image credits – EACH

Hi and welcome to our weekly newsletter, which aims to share our knowledge at Bigfork in creating successful websites. If you haven’t already subscribed to the Web Insights newsletter then please click the ‘Join the Conversation’ button at the end.

Lead generation websites for manufacturers.

If you want your website to be a lead generation superstar, use these proven techniques to get started.

What does a website lead look like?

Your website could be sending leads in a variety of different ways. For example:

• An email
• A telephone call
• An enquiry or quote request from a form
• Data capture from downloads or email newsletter signups
• A registration for your distributor portal

To increase leads, start by identifying all the different ways people can contact your company. Think about your typical customers and how they prefer to engage with you. Some people prefer to call, but don’t forget about people who will want to contact you out of hours.

How are you going to track your website leads?

It’s important to track how many leads your website is generating, and Google Analytics can help you do it.

If you want to track which channels are the most effective for generating leads, set up “conversions” in Google Analytics. A conversion is a type of lead, such as an email link click or enquiry form submission. You can then measure how many leads you are generating, and what the best lead generation channels are.

To calculate your conversion rate, you just work out the percentage of website visitors who convert into a lead. For example, if you have 10,000 website visitors and 150 turn into leads, your conversion rate is (150 ÷ 10,000) x 100 = 1.5%.

What’s a good website conversion rate?

It depends on the products or services you offer, how competitive your industry is, and other factors. In a study of landing pages by Unbounce, they found a 12% conversion rate is considered good. On the other hand, if your website conversion rate is below 1%, that’s not good and you have work to do.

How to spot your best lead generation pages

Before you begin improving your website’s lead generation abilities, look at Google Analytics to find out which pages are currently generating leads. Typical lead generation pages for manufacturers are product pages but check other important pages too, like the home or contact pages.

Also check which pages are your most popular landing pages. Landing pages are the first page someone visits on your site, either directly from typing in your website address, from search, or from a link on another website or social media. It’s normal for the most popular landing page to be your home page, but you might find that product / service pages and contact page are popular too.

These pages are the ones you need to be optimising for lead generation, so with this knowledge you can get started on improving your website.

Review your user experience

If your customers can’t find the content they want, they will leave your site.

Focus on what your visitors want

Make sure your products and services (or whatever your customers are looking for) are the main focus on your home page and menu.

Make your site easy to navigate

Add breadcrumb trails, internal links, and easy-to-use menus.

Break up your content

Use headings, bullets, images, and videos to make your content easier to follow.

Keep it simple

People don’t like to learn new things, so keep navigation and page layouts conventional and straightforward.

Write better copy 

Website copy is as important as design. Make sure your content focuses on the key benefits of your products and services in a language that your customers will understand.

Copy is so important we’ve written a whole article on the matter – how to write effective website copy. Some good tips are:

Write for your customers

Use language, style and tone that appeal to them.

Don’t overcomplicate things

Avoid use big words or industry jargon when simpler alternatives will do.

Write for “scanners”

Most website visitors are searching for information and are scanning pages quickly. Headings, bullet points and images make it easier to read a page this way.

Use your keywords

Your keywords are what people will be typing into search engines to find your products and services. Make sure you include keywords in page titles and body copy to make your website search engine friendly. But always remember to write for people, not search engines.

Focus on benefits

Your website copy should communicate the benefits of your products and services. What do your customers really buy from you? What problems does your product solve?

Design with your audience in mind

If your website is meant to convert people into leads, it’s best to design for your target audience. Focus on what’s most important – getting quality leads, and not what people in your company think you should do. Design essentials include:

High-quality images and video

Present your company, products, services, and team members in the best light.

Stay on brand

Your website be consistent with your branding – for example it should follow the look and feel of your company logo, colours, visual style, and tone of voice.

Convey the right image

Be sure to position your website correctly. If you offer a premium service, your website should reflect this.

Clear and consistent messages

Your messaging should run throughout your website and remind people who you are, what you do, and what the benefits of your products and services are.

Make a great first impression

First impressions are everything. If your site has bad images or looks unprofessional, visitors are unlikely to give you their contact information or buy anything from your website.

Effective calls to action (CTAs)

A call to action (often shortened to CTA) is an instruction you give your website visitors.

Every website should have calls to action to guide people. To create good CTAs, think about what you want your customers to do, and what they might want to do.

Remember that everyone is different; some people like to pick up the phone, others prefer to send an email.

Example website calls to action: 

• Call us for a quote
• Book a demo
• Request a call with one of our experts
• Download a technical datasheet
• View a product tour

When creating CTAs, use links and buttons that stand out in size, colour, and style. These should be prominent to attract attention and increase conversions.

Use Google Analytics to track the performance of each CTA so you know which ones are working and which ones aren’t.

Build your mailing list

It may take a few visits before some of your website visitors become customers. To stay in touch with them, you can capture their details so you can remind them of your products or services through email marketing or direct mail.

To encourage visitors to give you their data, offer them something in return. This could be access to data sheet downloads, “registered users only” content, or exclusive updates for people who receive your email newsletters.

You can also collect email addresses when people fill out a form on your website. Remember GDPR requires you to obtain consent for ongoing marketing. You can do this by adding an “I agree to…” tick box and an explanation of how you will use their data.

Establish your credibility

When a potential customer lands on your website, they will ask themselves “Why should I use this company?” . They will be looking for signs that you are a professional company who will deliver on service and solve any problems.

What things make a website credible? 

• A professional design
• Client list and customer testimonials
• Case studies to demonstrate expertise
• Trade associations and membership logos
• Guarantees and warranties
• Relevant policies such as terms and conditions and customer charters
• Address and telephone number of your business

Does your website work properly?

If your website is slow or breaks, your visitors will get frustrated and leave.

How much of your website’s traffic comes from mobile devices? Chances are, it’s quite high. Use Google Analytics to find this information and check your website on smartphones and tablets to assess the customer experience.

Your website should be “responsive”, meaning it will automatically adjust to look good on any device. Many people will research companies out of hours or on the move, or at other times when they don’t have access to a PC. So, it’s essential your website is great on a smartphone as well as a desktop computer.

Do you know if your site works in the most popular browsers? Your customers are using Edge, Chrome, and Firefox. Make sure you don’t lose sales because your website doesn’t work in a specific browser.

And is your website accessible? A good website is easy to use for everyone.

Display your telephone number clearly

At the top of every page, make sure your telephone number is visible. If you have more than one number, show a “contact us” call to action instead and link it to a page with your phone numbers.

Many people still prefer calling, even in a digital age. Not showing a telephone number can reduce people’s trust in your company.

Keep your forms short and simple

Forms are a great way to capture data, but only if they work. Keep your forms short and only ask for the information you need to follow up the lead. Remember, the goal is to get leads at this stage, not to ask for every possible piece of information.

Short forms, with fields in a single column, are shown to have the best conversion rates.

Make the most of video and animation

If you use videos and animations correctly, they can be effective lead generation tactics. Use videos to answer potential customers’ questions or to enhance your case studies. You can show how your products or services work with “explainer” animations. Keep in mind that people may get bored if your videos are too long.

Engage with your customers

Adding live chat to your website is a great way to engage with potential customers. Many people like using live chat while they’re browsing other sites or doing other things like scheduling a Zoom meeting or having a tea break. It’s not just a lead generation tool: it’s helpful for existing customers too, who want more info or support from you.

You can get live chat services for free. If you don’t have the resources to run a live chat, then chatbots and managed chat services are also available.

A trade or distributor portal can be an effective way to engage with your customers too. A good portal should provide information and interactive features to make the most of your relationship with them.

Find out more about what makes a great distributor portal.

Never stop testing

Lead generation is a never-ending task, so don’t be afraid to try new tactics.

Use Analytics and heat maps to see how people are using your website. Try different calls to action, design and copy variations, button colours and wording, and see if they make a difference. If you’re unsure, you can run A/B tests to directly measure variations to see what works.

Lastly, take a look at your competitors’ websites. Are they using any good lead generation tactics that you can learn from?

Need a new website? Then please get in touch.

Mark Ellaway, Bigfork

PS – You can find more great successful website insights on the Bigfork website.

When you think of another Teams or video call, do you groan inwardly (or outwardly)?

In spite of the fact that they are now a common part of our working lives, that doesn’t mean that they are any more exciting.

Introducing mesh avatars for Teams, Microsoft’s version of Metaverse avatars.

You’ll be able to create and customize your own avatar, including its appearance, accessories, and even reaction gestures.

Microsoft reports that after spending a lot of time in front of the camera, we tend to feel stressed and tired. These new avatars can be used to reduce stress by giving you a virtual representation of yourself.

Even better, you won’t have to spend a lot on a virtual reality headset. Microsoft Teams has an app store that includes an avatar app called Avatars.

The Metaverse – a virtual world that mimics the real world – is being developed by big tech companies for billions of dollars. Shops, workplaces, and even social spaces are among the things you’ll find there.

Imagine a virtual world like this – 20 years ago it was hard to imagine having a video call with someone on the other side of the globe on a regular basis.

It’s exciting to see how times change.

We’ll get a general release date soon for the new avatar feature, which is currently available only in the Teams preview build.

Are you going to encourage your team members to use personalised avatars in Teams? Would you like some help? Get in touch to day.

Image and video provided by Uptech

Above: An assistance dog on a station platform. Credit: RDG Greater Anglia has joined an industry wide scheme that is providing thousands of people with physical disabilities or mental health problems with a handy laminated card that will help them educate fellow passengers. The card explains why the assistance dog needs to sit under an unoccupied seat. By raising awareness, this simple card should also improve the overall experience of passengers who want to travel by train with their assistance dog. The cards can be particularly useful on services where it’s not possible to book a seat in advance – customers can simply place the card on the seat next to them to make other customers aware that the seat and the space under it should be kept free for their assistance dog. The card is available on the Greater Anglia website for customers to download and print at home, or they can contact National Rail Enquiries to request one to be posted out to them. The Rail Delivery Group has unveiled the guidelines following feedback to improve the journey for customers with assistance dogs. Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive Officer of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We’ve all seen guide dogs when they are out and about supporting their visually-impaired owners. It’s less well-known that many of our other four-legged friends have their own skills and character quirks that help people with a range of support needs. These include people with physical disabilities and those with autism, epilepsy or other complex health conditions. “Many of these conditions are not visible so we want to make life easier for the people whose daily lives they affect. Being able to place the card on the seat next to them – together with the other ID the dogs carry – should achieve that on their train journeys. It will also help fellow passengers adjust to the sight of assistance dogs doing their job while apparently relaxing under a spare seat.” The cards, which were tested with charity Assistance Dogs UK, can also act as a red flag for customers who are allergic to dogs or afraid of them. Vicky Worthington, Development Manager with Assistance Dogs UK, said: “More than 7000 people rely on a highly trained assistance dog from one of our member charities alone. They enjoy the greater independence that such dogs bring, including when traveling. “We’re delighted to support this scheme and very pleased to see that rail companies are making it easier for disabled people and people with medical conditions to travel while educating the public about how these wonderful animals change – and even save – lives.” Greater Anglia’s Accessibility & Inclusion Manager, James Bonehill, said, “We are really pleased to be involved in this new initiative because we want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to use our services. “Our new trains offer a significant improvement in terms of accessibility and we are striving to improve accessibility in all other parts of the customer journey too, including customer service, station access, journey planning, information provision and making improvements in line with customer feedback.” Above: The assistance dog card on a Greater Anglia train seat. Credit: Greater Anglia Above: The card. Credit: RDG

We’re thrilled to share the exciting news that MAD-HR has once again been shortlisted as an award finalist for delivering Customer Excellence. Our team are delighted to have been chosen as one of the final businesses in this year’s EDP Norfolk Business Awards, both for the category of Customer Excellence and for the category of Small Business. To receive news of our shortlisting, so soon after scooping the Customer Excellence accolade in the Suffolk Business Awards, is a huge honour for us all. We’re truly humbled by, and grateful for, the enormous support we’ve received across the Norfolk business community. Continuing to ‘Make a Difference’ to our client base in the county has been a clear priority over the last 12 months and we have been pleased to witness our skilled and enthusiastic team growing steadily throughout this time. We look forward to letting you know the results of the awards, following a ceremony on 24th November. Take a look at the Business Awards Supplement published in yesterday’s EDP. Thank you all once again for your continued support. Find out how our award-winning products and services can MAKE A DIFFERENCE to your business by speaking to our team. This text was originally written by MAD-HR Ltd. Copyright © 2022 MAD-HR Ltd. All rights reserved: https://www.mad-hr.co.uk/blog/great-news-about-the-norfolk-business-awards