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  YouTuber, TV presenter and podcaster Robbie Knox. Credit: Robbie Knox Spot filming liaison consultant Adrian Booth as an extra on films and TV programmes made on Greater Anglia network. Credit: Adrian Booth A train driver manager describes how he had to turn away when he thought he was going to hit a man chasing his dog down a railway track, despite putting on the emergency brakes, in a new episode of Greater Anglia’s Life on Rails podcast. The powerful account of what it’s like for train drivers when people trespass on rail tracks is given by Glen Harwood, a driver trainer manager at Greater Anglia. “I put my brake into emergency and I’m sliding towards him. And that’s all I can do. I actually turned sideways. I was convinced I was going to hit him. And the train came to a stand and I didn’t hear a thud” said Glen. “I was all over the place. My heart was pounding,” he added. Life on Rails is a magazine-style podcast which casts a light on what goes on behind the scenes at Greater Anglia – and includes a “travel surgery” with a special guest, who in this episode is YouTuber, TV presenter and podcaster Robbie Knox. Robbie, co-host on popular comedy podcast Jaackmaate’s Happy Hour, reveals how a pandemic video about putting out the bins led to setting up a “virtual brewery” resulting in partnerships with breweries across the country. Listen to the Life On Rails podcast to find out where presenters Juliette Maxam and Lucy Wright, from the company’s PR team, send him on the Greater Anglia network. Other features in this episode include an interview with film liaison consultant Adrian Booth, who reveals why he sometimes is an extra on the many films and TV programmes shot on the Greater Anglia network. One of the company’s area customer service managers Paula Wilson talks about what it’s like to manage the busy Southend Victoria line and Shenfield stations, while regular Greater Anglia fares guru Ken Strong explains how to save money this summer and Juliette and Lucy talk about lost property. Juliette Maxam, Greater Anglia senior media and PR manager, said: “It’s another episode packed full of interviews with very interesting people – perfect listening for when you’re on a train journey. “You can find the podcast on any of the usual podcast platforms, please subscribe and leave us a review.” Anyone who wants to suggest further features to include in the next episode, can Tweet @greaterangliapr. The podcast is available on all podcast platforms and at greateranglia.co.uk/podcast.

Branding is a word that gets tossed around a lot in marketing, but not everyone understands what it means.

For example, you might think branding is just a logo or a name. But it’s much more than that.

In this article we’ll explain what website branding is, why it matters, and how to apply it to your own website.

Why?

It all boils down to the way brands are perceived by consumers: Mercedes-Benz is seen as luxurious, high-quality car brand while Škoda is seen as cheap and lower quality even though it sells good cars at low prices. That’s the power of branding.

Your brand is your company’s personality

It includes your logo, colours, tone of voice, typography, and the overall look and feel of your communications. It’s also about who you are and what you stand for. All these things will contribute to how people perceive your business and what they can expect.

A website’s brand encompasses the way it looks, feels, and acts.

How important is branding to your website?

Your brand is the most important thing about your business. It’s what sets you apart from the competition; it’s what makes people want to do business with you. If your brand isn’t strong, or if it isn’t what you think it is, then everything else you do is a waste of time and money.

Recent studies show that consumers are willing to pay significantly more for products from brands they consider to be premium compared to ones from lesser-known brands. The study also found that the higher price was associated with more value placed on quality and performance, in addition to the perception of prestige or exclusivity.

Branding can provide perceived value that leads to increased sales over time – even if your prices are higher than your competitors’.

Your website is often the first impression people have of your brand, and it’s critical that your site accurately represents who you are. If it doesn’t, you risk looking unprofessional or out-of-touch—and that can damage your credibility.

Branding and website design

It’s all about consistency: your logo, fonts, colours, typography, messaging, and tone of voice all need to be unified across all your communications. Which of course includes your website.

If you have existing branding, your website designer or agency will consider how the branding strategy fits into the website design, tying everything together seamlessly. Done properly, your business website should be instantly recognisable and your brand will shine through.

If you don’t have branding, then we’ve some tips below. Even better, employ a good branding agency to help you.

Website branding tips

You want your website to be a clear reflection of your business and its values. This is the best way to stand out from competitors and attract the right customers. But how do you achieve that? Here are some key tips to help:

1. Know who you are

First, analyse your audience. What do they want? What are their needs? What does your company have to offer them? Once you know the answer to these questions, you can make sure your brand reflects what’s valuable to them.

2. Define your message

What makes you unique? Why should people choose you over someone else? Figure out what differentiates you from competitors, then get that message across in every aspect of your brand’s visual identity—from logo design to colour palettes and typography. The clearer you define yourself, the easier it will be for people to understand what they get by choosing you.

3. Develop a tone of voice

Use words that fit your brand. For example, if you’re selling high-end products, then don’t use slang terms like “cool” or “awesome.” Instead, choose words that sound sophisticated and elegant like “comfortable” or “sleek.”

Don’t be afraid to show personality. This doesn’t mean that you should try too hard; just make sure that the personality of your business comes across in your content.

Examples of great website branding Apple

Apple’s website branding is a shining example of how to create a consistent experience across all product pages. Their famous “hero” images do a great job of showing off their products in action, while their clever overlays highlight key features, making the text stand out while keeping the design simple and clean.

Users are directed to brand-specific pages through the navigation bar at the top of the page, which allows them to delve deeper into what makes each product unique. And on each individual product page, users can easily find all relevant information at a glance. Overall, this is an excellent example of how to present a streamlined user experience while still showcasing your brand’s specific personality and style.

Airbnb

Airbnb is an excellent example of a strong brand identity. Their brand is well defined, consistent, and visually appealing. The logo is simple and memorable, while the colour scheme, use of white space and strong photography make it easy to navigate the site.

National Geographic

National Geographic has been around for over 100 years and their brand identity has been strong throughout that time. Their iconic yellow border was introduced in the 1920s and has been synonymous with their name since then. Their logo is consistently visible on every page of their site, and is referenced throughout the design to highlight titles, features, and links.

In summary

There you have it. These basic tips should help you get your website on-brand for a consistent and relevant customer experience. You don’t need to be a major multinational like our examples either, any business or organisation benefits from a strong brand.

Of course, the work doesn’t end here.

As with any part of your online strategy, branding is a fluid process that must evolve with your company and website. Just be sure to get these basics right—and make sure you’re designing with purpose.

Visit the Bigfork website to see more top website tips.

Greg is Head Coach of British Para Table Tennis and a performance coach. He believes that the best performers rely on their gut when it matters, whether that’s on a track, field or in business. But this only works if you know yourself! They discuss how you can learn to focus on yourself, and understand what makes you tick, and how knowing your strengths, triggers and blind spots will help you perform under pressure, and nurture positive personal relationships. Greg deep dives into the process of performing under pressure – a tactical approach, physical preparation, and how we can’t ignore how we operate under stress, as this can negate any technical ability. They also look at constraint based learning; how to adapt efficiently to cope with context; and how to harness positive and empowering relationships, particularly at work. Greg lets us in on what it really takes to ‘make it’ at Olympic-level sport, and what he has learnt from the inspiring journeys of the Paralympic athletes he has worked with. He also discusses his work in trying to dispel the stigma behind the Paralympics, and how we can all learn from what it really takes for coaches to train the top level. Listen here!

On Track Norfolk and Future Radio have come up with a creative idea to support young people to develop soft skills with the aim of moving closer to employment, education or training. On Track participants will create one hour radio shows, which Future Radio will broadcast on 107.8fm & DAB across Norfolk, and worldwide on www.futureradio.co.uk. This activity provides opportunities for young people to get industry experience in radio, discuss ideas which are important to them and to become involved with their local community. The show is called On Track On Air, a show where Norfolk’s young people choose the tunes. Future Radio is Norwich’s Community Radio Station and part of the charity Future Projects. The radio station engages the community, builds skills and provides opportunities through great music, conversation and people. Future Radio offers opportunities in presenting, producing, journalism, editing, audio & image creation and administration. Future Radio works with organisations throughout Norfolk and Norwich to help them deliver services and to promote their product, service or event. On Track is a project which clears barriers to work for young people in Norfolk who have multiple and complex needs. The project helps to support young people aged 16-24 to get into education, training or employment. Young people who participate in the project receive extensive tailor-made coaching, mentoring and guidance to help them fulfil their career goals, as well as practical support to break down the barriers to achieving these goals, such as help with childcare, transport or equipment to start a college course or job. Since On Track started in 2014, the project has worked with 873 young people living in Norfolk who are not in education, training or employment. This project is funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund. Lea Denley, Participant Support Officer at On Track said “The On Track radio show will bring a number of benefits to the young people we work with, such as developing their confidence in group settings and giving them experience in the radio industry. We are thankful to be able to work with Future Radio who have supported and guided us at every step”. Christopher Remer, Business Development Manager at Future Radio said “We are delighted to be working with On Track and are very proud to be playing a part in helping young people start out in life. Our partnership with On Track and this project goes a long way towards helping us to fulfil Future Radio’s charitable objectives as Norwich’s community radio station.”

Hotel Chocolat, Unit 242, The North Terrace, Chantry Place, Shopping Centre, Norwich, NR2 1SQ We are delighted to announce the relocation of our Norwich Store. This latest relocation, which opens on Tuesday 19^th July is part of Hotel Chocolat’s mission to make people happy, bringing you chocolate that is more exciting, more beautiful and – more importantly – made according to our mantra: ‘More Cacao, Less Sugar’. The relocation forms part of our ever-growing portfolio, which has over 150 locations across the UK, Channel Islands, Japan, and the US. Our co-founders Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris built Hotel Chocolat on three unwavering pillars: authenticity, originality, and ethics. We are one of the few chocolate makers to grow our own cacao, on an eco-conscious cacao farm in the grounds of our Saint Lucian boutique hotel Rabot (yes, you can stay there too!) Here at Hotel Chocolat, we connect the world of sustainable cacao agriculture with the hedonism of top-quality chocolate. “This makes us unique in the UK and gives us an unrivalled understanding of what impacts the taste and experience of our chocolate, right from the growing tree through to our packaging, which we’re working to make 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2022. More than just bean-to-bar, we call it ‘roots-to-wrapper’.” — Angus Thirlwell, CEO and Co-founder The Chocolate We’re obsessed with cacao. We make all our chocolate in accordance with our mantra, ‘More Cacao, Less Sugar’ for a deeper taste and chocolate that satisfies with less. Our house white chocolate contains 36% cacao – more than you’ll find in many milk chocolates – while our house milks are 40% and 50% and our house dark is 70%. The Selector Wall of Chocolate “The old fashioned ‘glass cabinet’ method of offering chocolate always struck me as a power imbalance between the chocolatier and the customer. So, in the first Hotel Chocolat, I designed a customer-powered alternative. You could take as long as you want, choosing from a massive chocolate library that was easy to navigate and clearly labelled. We called it our Selector Wall of Chocolate and it was an immediate hit.”- Angus Thirlwell, Co-founder What is a Selector? It’s a set of six individual chocolates or a single, fluid chocolate slab wrapped in a utilitarian, simple way – so all the investment can go into the quality of the ingredients. We chose the Selector Wall of Chocolate as a contemporary response to the traditional glass counter. Here you can linger for as long as you like, unhurried and in complete control, inspecting each option up close, learning about the recipe, cacao content and provenance of ingredients, before making a decision that you feel not just content with, but genuinely excited about. A decision that’s bespoke to you – or to someone you love. Gifting Individually trimmed with a seasonal red ribbon or presented together in a chic hamper or sleek concierge bag, give your gifts in style. Chosen by you and assembled by hand, your gifted items will be presented in a chic gift bag or box. We also have sleeves tailored to your special occasion and ribbon-tied bags to take away. Going straight from Hotel Chocolat to special event is utterly effortless. Drinks & Ices Let the door fall shut on the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Breathe in the heady scent of hot chocolate. You’ve stepped into your sanctuary: the cacao-fuelled pitstop that is the Drinks & Ices location at your Hotel Chocolat. Set down your shopping bags and sink into your seat, hands wrapped around a restorative drink, your choice of brownie, biscuit, granola, or savoury snack on the tabletop in front of you. Your Norwich Hotel Chocolat will also serve our cacao-infused Ice Cream of the Gods, which is exclusive to select locations. Made with Jersey milk and cream infused with Theobroma cacao nibs – direct translation ‘cacao, food of the gods’ – it’s no wonder it tastes so heavenly! Other Innovations Part of our fascination with cacao is with its untapped potential. Not only do we use the bean in our bold and inventive chocolate recipes, but we also use the delicate shells that wrap each bean, the lychee-like pulp from cacao pods and the nibs themselves in drinks, ice cream and more. Instead of letting those precious shells go to waste like so many other chocolatiers, we looked closer and found that they’re brimming with malty notes. They’re what infuses our award-winning Salted Caramel Vodka and Cocoa Gin. We’ve also married alcohol with the finished article, melting our chocolate straight into vodka and cream so it could sing through our Chocolat Velvetised Cream. Inspired by not only cacao but all the glorious flora that flourish on our Saint Lucia estate, we’ve also created the eponymous Rabot Beauty, a beauty range like no other: lip balms, body butters, body mists and beyond which capture the essence of our organic, eco-conscious paradise. Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place, comments: “This news is set to delight our chocolate-loving customers who will be able to drop in for a tempting treat and drink while shopping or meeting friends. This expansion is fantastic news for the Centre and for Norwich, with Hotel Chocolat investing in the city. We’re sure the smell of incredible hot chocolate will tempt many people through the doors. This is just the latest, and not the last, in exciting news for the Centre.” Welcome Offers The first 10 customers through the door will be treated to a £20 voucher to spend in-store.

Photo of Chloe Harrowven A dad whose baby daughter died after just six weeks is preparing for an epic fundraising walk along the North Norfolk Coastal Path. James Harrowven, from Norwich, is taking on the 83-mile trek from Hunstanton to Hopton to raise money for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). He will be joined by four friends and plans to camp along the way, hopefully completing the full length of the path in two days. James is supporting EACH as little Chloe, who had an extremely rare, genetic condition called Zellweger’s Syndrome, spent the final week of her life at The Nook, in Framingham Earl. She died on 13^th September 2021. The 32-year-old, who turns 33 on 17^th July, is embarking on his walk on 5^th August and will be joined by Nick Eagle, Sam Willis, Adam Willis and Jack Wenham. “It’s going to be a real challenge and the most I’ve walked so far is 20 miles,” said James. “Doing 83 in a couple of days is therefore going to be tough but I’m looking forward to it. It should be an experience! “Sam’s parents have walked the entire route, albeit over a much longer period of time, and that’s what gave us the idea. “We thought if we could do the whole thing in a couple of days it would be amazing. “I’ve been very pleased with the way the fundraising has gone so far, especially as my initial target was £1,000. “The amount continues going up and I’ve been truly blown away and humbled by people’s generosity. “We’re so grateful to everyone who has shown their support and donated for this incredible cause and now our target is £7,500 (£500 to fund a memory bench or tree for Chloe, to be located somewhere at The Nook, and £7,000 which is what it costs to run The Nook for a day). James says he wanted to give something back to EACH, as a way of saying thank you for the care Chloe received. He is also grateful for the support he and wife Michelle, 30, received at The Nook. “Chloe was born on 2^nd August and what happened in the next six weeks changed our lives forever,” said James. “She needed 100% ventilation and started having seizures. After a week on the neonatal intensive care ward, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Zellweger’s Syndrome. “The last diagnosed case in the hospital (Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital) was over ten years ago. “We quickly went from proud, excited new parents to new parents with a very ill, special needs child to then grieving the loss of our second child. “It was like nothing we could ever have imagined but we feel so fortunate that the final week of Chloe’s life was spent with the incredible team at EACH. “I admit I didn’t know much about the charity when we offered the chance to go to The Nook. “However, I can safely say that the support we received was amazing.” Zellweger’s Syndrome is a peroxisomal disorder involving the creation and function of peroxisomes, which are needed for the body to function properly. Peroxisomes are part of a cell impacting every system in the body, including breaking down fatty acids and producing lipids that are vital to the nervous system, digestion and the brain. James and Michelle were initially told their daughter could live for a year, although the majority do not make it past six months. “We didn’t know what the future held and were getting ready to go home from hospital,” said James. “Then we were given the option of stepdown care, at The Nook. “It was basically a way of bridging the gap between the hospital and home and felt like the right thing to do. “Alfie (who has just turned three) also got to meet his little sister during that time. “After a few days there we were preparing to go home when Chloe deteriorated. “Things went rapidly downhill but had that happened at home it would have been so much worse. “We were in the right place, in terms of help and support, and, in that respect, it was the best decision we made.” James says he and his wife will always be grateful to EACH. “We couldn’t have got through those last few days without having that support around us,” he said. “It was beyond anything we could ever have wished for. “Although Chloe didn’t make it home, we’re so happy she got to spend her final days with us both by her side and that’s why we’re so keen to raise funds and awareness for this incredible charity. “We want to do something to repay that help and kindness. “It took the weight off our shoulders and the care team were absolutely fantastic. “They couldn’t do enough for us. They gave us time and space, leaving us to come to terms with everything that was happening. “Equally, we knew they were right there if we needed them so we never felt alone. “They cooked us meals and looked after us, which meant the world and made such a difference. It was incredible and we want to show our thanks.” To sponsor James on his North Norfolk Coastal Path walk, head here.

Daredevil Ian Kenny conquered fears and pushed himself to the limit for a hat-trick of adrenaline-charged fundraisers. The Norwich dad climbed into the boxing ring, tackled a gruelling Tough Mudder obstacle course and faced a skydive to support East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). His unique treble challenge led to him raising more than £1,000 and he recently handed over a giant cheque at EACH’s Norwich hospice, The Nook. Ian said: “I definitely saved the worst until last, as I hate heights and was particularly worried about the skydive. “However, the feeling was like nothing I can describe and, overall, I feel very proud to have completed my hat-trick of challenges. “I’m very thankful to my family, friends and colleagues who donated and supported me along the way. “It’s a great feeling to raise funds for such a worthy cause as EACH. “All charities are amazing and deserve full support but this one strikes a particular chord with me, because of all the great work it does helping families and caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions.” Ian, 51, started by signing up for a charity boxing match and was trained by Jackson Williams at Tower Fitness Gym. The fight took place at Epic Studios, in Norwich, on 9th April. He pitted himself against friend and colleague Jason Barrett-Brown. “I took part in a charity boxing match for EACH back in March 2019,” said Ian. “After Covid, I wanted to get fit again and that’s when we hatched the idea of stepping into the ring together. “We’re of a similar height and build and both of us had won our only other previous fights, so it was really close. “I just edged it but there was very little in it and it felt different to my first fight. “On that occasion I was like a rabbit in headlights, but this time, although nervous, I enjoyed it more, soaked up the atmosphere and milked the crowd.” Ian’s Tough Mudder challenge followed a fortnight later, in Grantham, on 23^rd April. “I’d lost nearly a stone and a half training for my boxing match so thought, in terms of fitness and stamina, there was no better time for a challenge like that,” he said. “The 15k course was sapping and there were lots of obstacles along the way. It was good fun but my whole body was aching the following day.” Last up was the skydive, which took place in Beccles on 21^st May. Ian, a design manager for Lovell Homes, said: “I actually got the idea after reading about one on the EACH website. “My mum told me I must be mad because she knows I’ve got a fear of flying and hate heights. “It doesn’t stop me travelling and having holidays, but I’m certainly a nervous passenger. “However, I wanted to conquer my fears and now, having done it, I can safely say I’d do it again in a heartbeat. “I relished the challenge and it was amazing. The adrenaline rush was indescribable.” In a further show of support for EACH, Ian has also signed up to become a volunteer. He says he is happy to help with anything but hopes to lend a hand with things like ground maintenance and gardening at The Nook. Tim Jenkins, EACH community fundraiser for Norfolk, met Ian at The Nook. He said: “What an incredible achievement to complete not one, not two but three fundraising challenges for EACH. “Ian is the first to admit he has a fear of heights and flying so that makes his feat even more impressive and admirable. “Our sincere thanks go to him for his amazing efforts, which will go a long way towards helping us continue our vital work here in Norfolk and across East Anglia.”

Photo of Lee Strudwick and son Paul Kind-hearted Les Strudwick celebrated his 90^th birthday in style – by delivering a very special present to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). Mr Strudwick, from Downham Market, invited family and friends to a delicious Sunday lunch after becoming an nonagenarian – on the condition they donated at least £15. After totting up contributions, he was thrilled to raise £780 for EACH, which supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. Mr Strudwick, pictured with son Paul, turned 90 in December but was forced to delay his celebrations because of the Covid pandemic. His birthday meal was eventually held at The King’s Head, in Great Bircham, on 12^th June. “I was 90 last December and my son, Paul, was insistent such an important milestone be properly recognised,” he said. “However, the pandemic forced the postponement of that until June 12th. “With Paul so very kindly funding the lunch, I decided to stipulate that all guests should agree to donate at least £15 to EACH. “Some 44 individuals were kind enough to do so, with donations coming in from those who could and those who could not come. “Consequently, money was paid in at intervals during that time, with the final payment of £585 being made on 20^th June and the grand total being £780. “On the day, 24 of us, family and friends, sat down to a fine lunch, followed by an extremely enjoyable afternoon. “My dear friend and colleague Jenny Wood assisted me in the bucket collection and I was very gratified by the overall result. Donations ranged from £15 to £100. Quite amazing! “The day had a further benefit for me. At 90, and having been living alone for many years, I had begun to feel there were things I no longer had the stamina to carry out. I was happily proved wrong and it has been quite wonderful to realise that. “I was attracted to EACH because my late wife, Joan, and I used to support children’s charities, among others. From 2004, she was being cared for in a nursing home. She died in 2009. I will always miss her and loved her dearly. We were together for almost 50 years. “I felt that by supporting EACH, Joan would approve, the charity would benefit and I would explore new horizons. It proved to be the case and I have made many new friends, which has been a huge support for me.” Mr Strudwick has been a prolific fundraiser for EACH since 2008, when he became aware the charity was opening one of its shops in Downham Market. “I ventured in and asked Cheryl Burns, the soon-to-be shop manager, if she required volunteers,” he said. “The shop opened in November of that year, with me as one of the first volunteers, and I’m still there, every Saturday morning. “In 2009, I began fundraising by placing collecting boxes in various businesses, from Great Bircham to Ely. “There are about 30 in all and, since then, I’ve collected more than £11,000, including the sums raised for my 80th and 90th birthdays.”

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the date for our upcoming Community Benefit Fund meeting in Dereham has changed – it will now be held on: Thursday 28th July, 6-8pm Please arrive around 10 minutes early for a prompt start at 6pm. Location: Toftwood Social Club, Dereham, NR19 1AH This new link will take you to an event poster with the revised date. If you have circulated the event poster shared earlier in the week, we’d be grateful for your assistance in helping to share this updated version. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone that may be interested. You can also find information about our other Community Benefit Fund workshops on the Vattenfall website. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this change of date. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Will Sealey.

  Photo of Belinda Clarke, credit Agri-TechE Organisers have announced that the boss of Agri-TechE, Dr Belinda Clarke, winner of the prestigious Timothy Colman Prize in 2021, is to chair the Norfolk Farming Conference, taking place on Wednesday 30 November 2022, at Norfolk Showground. Dr Clarke takes over the role from Guy Smith, Deputy President NFU, who has been chairing the event for the last nine years. The conference, a key moment in Norfolk’s farming calendar, and attended by over 300 of Norfolk’s farmers and producers, is set to promote the topical themes of Trade – challenge and opportunities; farming carbon and the environment; and Water – flood mitigation and water resource use. Belinda Clarke says: “Guy Smith has played a major role in this vibrant conference for many years, so I am humbled by this invitation to take up the baton. There is a stimulating line-up of speakers for the conference and several farmer case-stories. After missing a year there will be lots to talk about and it is an excellent opportunity to meet up with old friends and open the doors to new faces.” Joining Dr Clarke will be a line-up of eminent speakers including Sir Dieter Helm, British economist and academic; Tom Bradshaw, Essex farmer and Deputy President NFU; Barney Kay, Agricultural Director at Pilgrim Foods; Andy Wood, CEO of the prestigious Suffolk brewer Adnams; and General The Lord Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff and Chairman Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance. A focus on local farming case studies will explore biodiversity, rewilding, organic, and soil health projects in Norfolk and Suffolk from Ken Hill, Holkham and Shimpling Park Farm. Mark Nicholas, Managing Director of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association added “We are thrilled to present an exciting line-up of eminent speakers at the Norfolk Farming Conference to discuss the challenging issues of our time. The opportunity to learn and debate and to share best practice will keep Norfolk farmers at the forefront of competitiveness. Belinda Clarke, as Chair, will provide new energy to set the conditions for check and challenge.” The conference is sponsored and organised by AF Group, Birketts, Brown & Co, Lovewell Blake, NatWest, Norfolk County Council and the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association. Tickets for the Norfolk Farming Conference, including lunch and refreshments, are £72 (inc VAT) per person and £40 (inc VAT) for students and can be purchased through the RNAA website. Photo of Lord Richard Dannatt.

A Greater Anglia train. Credit: Greater Anglia Train drivers’ union ASLEF has announced another strike date for its Greater Anglia members –Saturday 23 July. While talks will continue to try to resolve the strike, Greater Anglia is warning passengers of widespread disruption should the strike go ahead. This will be the third strike day by ASLEF’s Greater Anglia train drivers. During the last strike, on Saturday 2 July, the company could not run over 90 per cent of its services. Greater Anglia Managing Director Jamie Burles said: “We hope this dispute can be resolved and the strike action proposed for 23 July cancelled, but in the meantime we want to give our customers as much notice as possible that there will be disruption if the strike does go ahead. “We are making arrangements and drawing up timetables in case the action does take place, and we will keep our customers updated. “If there is a strike, our advice to customers will be to avoid travelling on our trains. With drivers on strike, we can only run minimal services and just on limited routes and between limited hours too for most of those routes. “We are aware that many customers will have plans to travel – it’s the first weekend of the school holidays and the weekend of the Latitude Festival. We’re genuinely sorry if this strike disrupts people’s plans.” On Saturday 2 July, there were no services between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street, nor on any branch lines or regional routes. There were severely reduced services between Norwich, Colchester, Southend Victoria and Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street, with far fewer trains than usual. Full information including timetables, how to refund or change tickets and first and last train times will be available on the Greater Anglia website as soon as it becomes available.

Your website is constantly being judged.

It’s being judged in different ways by different people from visitors, browsers, shoppers, customers, not to mention Google and other search engines and even your competitors.

The one common goal they all look for, whether they know it or not, is high quality, helpful, engaging and valuable website copy.

With users spending an average of 5.59 seconds looking at a website’s written copy, the fact that good copy is often neglected or treated as an afterthought can be your biggest mistake.

Why write good, if not great copy for your website?

Let’s back track here, good isn’t quite GOOD enough, and here’s why you need to be writing GREAT copy for website.

Ask yourself, would you prefer to trust an elaborate website with low quality copy, or a simple site packed with engaging and informative copy that answers your questions and ticks your boxes?

We’re not saying ditch great website design, we love a beautifully designed website, but without engaging high quality website copy, the design can be wasted. Great copy and great design are a winning formula when it comes to user experience and the success of your website.

Your website is the ‘worlds’ shop window to your business and should also be your top salesperson. Even the best salesperson can’t sell with just an image, it needs to be backed up with words and in the case of your website, authentic and genuine copy.

This example from Gousto demonstrate this, with a sleek and simple design backed up with copy answering potential customer’s questions. Add to this mix, a reason why you should try Gousto plus a great offer to get you started, and they’ve ticked a lot of boxes.

The benefits of good copy

Investing in great copy for your website has virtually endless benefits and quite literally affects every aspect of your online business. It can even inspire customers to visit your bricks and mortar store if you have one, in addition to increased ecommerce sales.

Taking your copy to the next level can:

• Attract new visitors
• Connect with existing customers
• Respond to users’ questions
• Get visitors to spend more time on your site
• Increase website and brand trust
• Generate online sales
• Improve conversion rates
• Raise brand awareness
• Collect consumer feedback
• Improve your SEO
• Gain better search engine rankings
• Establish your authority
• Cultivate customer relationships

If you have a beautifully designed website or not, with poor content, users won’t stay. Creating great copy for your website will portray your business in a positive light and let you stand out from your competitors.

How to write great copy for your website

How exactly do you write great copy? It’s certainly not all about quantity, but more about quality and understanding your customers and knowing what they want.

The recipe for good website copy should include:

A consistent tone of voice

This ensures all your communications are on-brand, it’s ‘how’ it sounds when you say it. You should also use your customers language, give it personality, appropriate for your customers to connect and engage with them.

Harrys demonstrate they understand their customers’ problems when it comes to shaving and speak through their copy with a clear, straightforward tone of voice, which is consistent throughout their website.

Writing for users’ intent

It’s essential when creating content to always keep the user in mind, throughout the entire customer journey. This starts with what keywords visitors will be searching for, to answering their questions and solving a problem. Getting the balance of using sufficient detail to educate users, while not boring them is fundamental.

Provide value to visitors

A customer can interact with your brand 20 times before they actually purchase anything. That can be through social media, website copy, marketing, reviews etc and each one leaves an impression.

Good copy should provide value to visitors, for example, people read blog posts to get information, help or answers. Using blog posts to address the pain areas or questions that your audience want to know is a great use of copy.

This example from Candymail shows how a blog post was written on the subject of a question that many customers were asking. Not only does the blog answer the question, but it also resulted in the No. 1 spot on Google for the search term “How hot are Flamin’ Hot Cheetos?”

Using keywords for SEO

While the above example, demonstrates how good copy works for users and search engines, take a look at how Air BNB appears in a Google search. Their copy has all bases covered, from local holidays, UK places to stay and how to become a host.

Researching keywords for your content is essential before you begin crafting website copy. Making your copy work for you is paramount for both search engines to drive traffic to your website and users when they arrive on it.

Make your website copy scannable

People don’t read your content word for word, even the great content. They scan the page to pick out important words and phrases or at best skim through articles. Copy that has long sentences and big paragraphs will put people off straight away.

Furthermore, content looks twice as long on mobile, which means how you write makes even more of difference to those reading it. Here’s some top tips for scannable and easily readable content: –

• Structure content using different sections
• Use short paragraphs
• Make important words or sentences stand out
• Create catchy headings (including keywords)
• Subheadings help keep readers engaged
• Bullet lists stand out well
• Use images/graphics/video to break up content

Ensure your content is easy to scan by structuring it properly to help readers find the important bits quickly.

What can you add to great copy to make it work even harder? Add call to actions

A call to action tells the reader what they can do or need to do next. Through carefully created and engaging call to actions you’ve got the opportunity to convince visitors that your products or services can help them.

To do this, you add relevant links to copy, pointing to other pages within your website which are useful, relevant and persuasive. You need to be clear but specific and you can always add a certain amount of urgency to help drive the user to take action.

A call to action can be in different formats including; –

• Text hyperlink
• Anchor text link
• A button

Typical examples are of course ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Add to Cart’, although a call to action can be longer and really has endless possibilities.

An added bonus is that good internal linking will help search engines to understand your website better.

When should I write my copy?

That’ll be RIGHT NOW!

When it comes down to what the purpose of your website is and encouraging visitors to take action, we know that web copy is just as important as design. To get the highest possible conversion rates a website needs a combination of the two.

Copywriting is more than just writing, it’s about ideas and problem solving for both potential and existing customers.

If you can write good copy for your website, the rewards are huge. Customers will line up to visit your site, spend more time there, engage more and ultimately spend more!

With great copy comes trust and authority, it can build relationships and get people talking, sharing, and buying.

What does your website copy really say about your business?

See more website insights on our website.