Member News

Let’s take a quick look at cyber security leadership…Here’s an interesting question to ponder for a few minutes.  How much value do you place on 3 hours of your time as a business or organisational leader? Maybe you thought along the lines of “that’s nearly half a day, I can get lots done in that time”, or “3 hours, 3 meetings, 3 things dealt with”. Now ponder this, you’ve just been told that your business has been hit by a ransomware attack and you’re the person the team are looking to for quick decision making on how you’re going to respond.  Your critical systems are at risk of being taken offline and your highly sensitive customer data is under threat, this could damage your business for a long time.  Would investing three hours of your time in building your cyber security knowledge be worthwhile if it meant you could mitigate some of these risks? It’s an unavoidable reality that 100% security from cyber-attacks targeting your business systems and information is impossible, so sending yourself or your leadership team to be trained in cyber and information security may seem like a luxury use of valuable time.  However, this training, as opposed to that you would give the IT team or frontline staff, provides the information you need to be able to reduce risk. We focus on delivering actionable insights in our training which relate directly to elements that can be implemented in the business, ensuring that your cyber security strategy is specific to the risk profile of your business is key in it being effective. Effectively managing the process of developing a cyber security strategy enables leaders to embed security principles and ensure that threats are responded to appropriately.  A further benefit here is that a knowledgeable leadership function can also enable the business to recover quickly and identify learnings which will further strengthen the security position of the organisation. If you’re keen to mix with and learn from other leaders across a range of industries our cyber security training for business owners and leaders runs for three hours and could be instrumental in you building a more protected business.

A bereaved dad raised £2,000 after taking on an eye-watering 400-mile bike ride from Wales to Lowestoft. Ian Doe completed the gruelling ‘West to East’ challenge to raise funds for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), which cared for son Callum after he was diagnosed with an aggressive grade four brain tumour on Christmas Eve 2018. The 13-year-old had an operation to remove as much of it as safely possible, in addition to two rounds of radiotherapy. However, devastatingly, Callum died at The Nook, EACH’s hospice in Framingham Earl, in August 2020. Ian decided he wanted to give something back and so, as part of a group of nine from Dunx Cycles, in Lowestoft, embarked on an epic four-day journey from St Davids, in Wales, to Ness Point. “Physically, I found it OK,” said the 51-year-old, from Diss. “Ironically, the first day was probably the hardest, even though we did the fewest miles (85). “There were a lot of hills and it certainly got the legs pumping. I ran out of gears! “That said, what goes up must come down so the flip side was being able to freewheel and get some speed up on the descents. “Thankfully, we had a tailwind the whole way, which was a bonus, and passed through some lovely places, including going past Warwick Castle. “I really enjoyed it and although we were pleased to get home, I almost felt a bit flat at the end. I was sad it was over. “It was an incredible experience. I enjoyed chatting to the other cyclists and find it unbelievable to think how much ground we covered.” Ian and Co’s journey began in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, on 24^th May. After a hilly start, they cycled 104 miles on the second day, 103 on day three and 109 during the final stretch across East Anglia. Their overnight stops were in the Carmarthenshire town of Llandovery, Evesham, in Worcestershire, and St Neots, in Cambridgeshire, and they arrived in Lowestoft on 28^th May. “I’ve found it hard to get truly excited about things since Callum died,” added Ian. “I’m already thinking about what I can do next because I like having something to focus on. One of the other guys has floated the idea of cycling from Edinburgh to Lowestoft! “I’m pleased because I’ve always wanted to do something special for EACH. “I was very pleased to raise so much, especially given my initial target was £500. “I would have considered anything more a bonus, so to get four times that amount is amazing. “Hopefully it helps make a difference. It’s a way of saying thank you for the care and support we received, as a family.” Ian and wife Michelle continue to attend fortnightly bereavement counselling sessions at EACH. Michelle previously took on a special fundraising challenge of her own, raising £2,119 after jogging and walking a virtual 874 miles from Land’s End to John O’ Groats. To sponsor Ian, head here or visit www.justgiving.com/Ian-Doe To read more about Callum’s story, click here or go to each.org.uk/story/callums-story

Two pictures – one of Ian holding a picture of Callum and one of Ian at the finish point, in Lowestoft.

Fosters has been awarded Caring Together’s Carer Friendly Tick Award (Employers), in recognition of our work to identify and support carers within our workplace. The renewal of the award was decided by a panel of carers who assessed the submission on behalf of the charity which supports people caring for family members or friends. Caring Together is a leading charity supporting carers of all ages across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk. Fosters Solicitors has 140 employees across our branches in Norfolk and Suffolk. Heather Brown, Fosters’ head of staff care, said “For us, signing up to the Carer Friendly Tick Award as an employer was all about helping our current and future employees feel supported when balancing any personal caring responsibilities with their own career development. “We aim to provide a supportive environment through our specific carers policy and our wellbeing champions, and our work with Caring Together has given us access to training and resources which has helped raise our internal awareness about caring, especially when it comes to understanding that circumstances can change at any moment and many people don’t think of themselves as carers. “We are therefore delighted to have been awarded this accreditation again and to continue our relationship with Caring Together, and would like to thank them for all the work they do in supporting carers in our community.” The panel of carers who assessed the submission were impressed by the range of work being done to identify and support staff who are caring for a family member or friend. The company received the award for reasons including:

• They have a dedicated carers lead and wellbeing champions who listen to carers and signpost them to support.
• The company seeks the views of carers to improve their policies.
• They have a carers agreement which clearly sets out how they support carers, for example flexible working arrangements.
• They actively promote carers events and campaigns, such as Carers Week and Carers Rights Day.

Andy McGowan, head of engagement at Caring Together, said, “With three in five of us likely to be a carer at some stage in our lives we are seeing more and more employers in Norfolk recognising the importance of identifying and supporting carers within the workplace. “We are very pleased to see Fosters Solicitors having their work to identify and support carers recognised by the Carer Friendly Tick Award (Employers) again. We want to congratulate them on this and thank them for the work that they are doing which makes a real difference to carers. “We are pleased to see that the company understands the challenges carers face and the potential limitations their caring role may have on their day-to-day work and career prospects. The understanding and support of employers can make a huge difference to carers and the people they look after. “We hope that other communities, schools, colleges, universities and health organisations, will follow in this good work. They can develop their own ways to identify and support carers, and we are here to help them do this. As the number and awareness of carers grows this will be an ever more important part of making sure carers are given the recognition and help they deserve.” Read more about our Carer Friendly Tick Awards and how your organisation can support carers via Caring Together’s website.  

Greater Anglia will run an additional late train from Lowestoft to Ipswich on Saturday 18 June. The additional service will depart Lowestoft at 23.35 so people attending Lowestoft’s First Light Festival can travel home by rail. The last train to Norwich train departs at 23.47. First Light is a free, non-stop 24 hour long, multi-arts festival that celebrates the first light of midsummer’s weekend at Britain’s most easterly point. Events – which include music, dance, film, literature, art, science, talks, walks, sports, workshops, fire, food and drink – will begin on Lowestoft’s sandy South Beach at noon on Saturday 18 June and will run continuously until noon on Sunday 19 June. Festival-goers are encouraged to use public transport to keep congestion and pollution out of the town. There are regular services from London Liverpool Street to Lowestoft on Saturday, with a change at either Norwich or Ipswich. There are regular direct services to Lowestoft from Norwich and Ipswich and back all weekend. Festival-goers are advised to plan their journeys in advance by checking journey times at www.greateranglia.co.uk Aaron Taffera, Chair of the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership, said, “We are grateful to Greater Anglia for working with us to put on an additional train, ensuring that the festival is fully supported by public transport. This will really help to keep congestion and pollution out of the town and provide fast, easy access to people coming in from further afield.” Genevieve Christie, Festival Organiser, said “With large numbers of people expected to attend the festival, we would recommend that visitors take advantage of our excellent rail links. With regular trains from Norwich and Ipswich arriving at Lowestoft station in the heart of the town, it is a really easy way to get here. Meanwhile, fewer cars will reduce congestion and help ensure the event is as enjoyable as possible for festival-goers and residents alike.” “Where else can you walk from a station to a festival in less than 10 minutes? This is sustainable travel at its best.” Greater Anglia’s Commercial and Customer Service Director, Martin Moran, said, “With our great value fares, fast, frequent services, and the station’s close proximity to the beach and festival events, it couldn’t be easier to get there and back by train.” The event is free but some activities require tickets. For the full festival programme and to book visit www.firstlightlowestoft.com.

Music maestro Barry Holden has admitted feeling “incredibly happy and proud” after raising just over £10,000 from the last of his hugely popular Norfolk festivals. The 77-year-old has raised thousands of pounds for charities including East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) by staging a series of Live Aid-style concerts in North Walsham. The first was in 1986, inspired by Sir Bob Geldof’s global fundraiser, and another took place in January 2005, in the aftermath of the devastating Boxing Day tsunami. Barry’s gigs have since taken place every year bar two, because of Covid, but it was the end of an era when the last one was held at North Walsham Community Centre on Saturday, 28^th May. It was in aid of EACH and Addenbrooke’s Teenagers Cancer Trust and both charities will receive £5,100. “I’ve got mixed feelings about it being the last one,” said the dad of two, who also has three grandchildren. “In one sense, it’s a relief and most definitely the right time to call it a day. “I’m not getting any younger and an awful lot of time and work goes into arranging these events. This one has really taken it out of me. “That said, I’m also very sad it’s over and have definitely enjoyed the ride. The memories will stay with me forever. “I’ve got an awful lot out of it over the years, meeting so many amazing people and celebrities like Eric Clapton and Sir Stirling Moss. “Then, of course, there’s the amazing amount of money we’ve raised – something that makes me incredibly happy and proud. “We’ve supported many very special charities and I know the donations have been well spent and appreciated.” Barry is proud to have supported EACH and, as a thank you for his efforts, he was invited to the opening of The Nook in 2019. In addition to his festivals, Barry started volunteering in the charity’s North Walsham shop last summer. Wife Chris has been volunteering there since 2018. “The money for EACH was always used to fund music therapy, most recently at The Nook,” he said. “I was invited along to one of the sessions and that was a very special feeling. “I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, from the bands and artists to everyone who bought tickets. “People have been generous, making the event extremely popular and raising a phenomenal amount of money.” Photo Credits: John Newstead

The franchising and corporate teams at Ashtons Legal have advised a US investor on their purchase of 32 Papa Johns’ stores in the UK. HB Pizza Ltd, the UK investment arm of one of the US’ largest Papa John’s franchisees, PJ Restaurants, has acquired 32 sites in the North of England. The multi-million pound purchase was partially funded by Santander Bank, with the remainder coming from HB Pizza’s US operations. Ashtons’ involvement in the transaction included negotiating the franchising arrangements, advising on the TUPE implications of more than 450 transferring employees and workers, settling new sub-leases for each site, advising the purchaser on two new banking facilities and security from Santander, and associated corporate and transactional advice. The purchase was carried out in phases and spanned 12 months from inception to completion. Damian Humphrey, Ashtons’ head of franchising led the transaction and was supported by David Sloman from the firm’s corporate and commercial side, Colin Makin in employment, Geoff Hazelwood advising on the banking and finance aspects and Ian Hylton on the commercial property side. Damian says: “We are delighted to have assisted HB Pizza on their entry and investment into the UK franchise market. Stuart (Hunt, CEO of PJ Restaurants) and his team were a fantastic to work with. As experienced multi-site franchise owners in the US they will bring considerable expertise and resources to the Papa John’s network in the UK, benefitting the brand and consumers. We wish them all the best and look forward to assisting with other deals in the pipeline”. He adds: “The scope and complexity of this project really showcases Ashtons’ strength in depth across the business client group, bringing together specialist lawyers working seamlessly together in different locations to provide a complete service to our clients. We would be delighted to speak to any other multi-site franchisees or purchasers about similar projects”. Stuart Hunt, CEO of PJ Restaurants commented: “This acquisition cements our foothold in the UK market and is a great springboard for further expansion within the Papa John’s network. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Ashtons Legal on these acquisitions. Damian and his team have been professional and responsive throughout the entire process, they have offered expert advice and steered us in the right direction as we navigate a new region for our business. Ashtons’ handling of these transactions was a great reflection of their franchising expertise and their strength in a number of other commercial legal specialties. We look forward to continuing our relationship as we execute on our expansion strategy”. Stephens & Bolton advised Papa Johns and Blake Morgan acted for Santander. Photo taken by Warren Page of PagePixj

Do you view a problem as an obstacle or an opportunity? How you answer this question can define and set you apart as a leader, in life and business. Inspired by Ryan Holiday’s book The Obstacle is the Way, James and Mark dive into how fear can equal disaster in business, and how our state of mind can be reprogrammed to find the positives. There will always be problems, but how we handle them can make us stronger. We can relearn how to handle tough situations, increase motivation (which is not the same as discipline!) and avoid catastrophe. Some things are immovable and unchangeable, therefore out of our control. James and Mark take us through their personal experiences of dealing with barriers, and the steps we can all take to achieve a healthy state of mind, which is good for business, and good for relationships. For show notes, how to get in touch with the podcast team and to listen to the podcast, click below. Listen here!

Louise was introduced to Product Design when a student at Norwich High, taking both a GCSE and A Level in the subject. She then went on to study Product Design at undergraduate and masters level at the University of Leeds. Having moved into the corporate world after graduating, working in marketing and project management including for a Norfolk-based telecommunications company, Louise trained as a Teacher at Exeter. Her subsequent positions have seen her teach Product Design, most recently as Head of Design & Technology at Wymondham High Academy. Louise said: “Taking up this position at Norwich High feels like coming home to me. As an old girl, everything has quickly come back to me about life as part of this special community; from the extra curricular clubs to assemblies and prizegiving. “I’m so thankful that I was introduced to my subject during my time at Norwich High. As well as making a double seater swing chair for my GCSE coursework – which is still in pride of place in my parent’s conservatory, I received the Arkwright National Engineering Scholarship at Year 11. This opened so many doors, and reinforced my interest in pursuing a career within engineering, architecture and design. For my A Level Product Design project I went on to make a desk based on the internal structure of aeroplane wings. Product Design is a subject like no other, bringing together the scientific technical principles of materials and processes alongside the creative design and practical world of manufacture. “Good design should sit effortlessly in everyday products and what I love about Product Design is the opportunity to change people’s lives for the better. Being able to design and then physically make products is not only creative and highly challenging but also fun.” Mrs Louise Ryan, Head of Product Design at Norwich High School for Girls A special atmosphere “Coming back to Norwich High seventeen years after I left after Sixth Form, it has been incredible how much the special atmosphere of the school has still had an impact on me. There are Teachers here who taught me, so I am adjusting to them now being my colleagues! The school is very familiar but in so many nice ways, and it is great to see how much has changed physically and to get to know new colleagues including my fantastic team in the Product Design department. Uncompromising “The Norwich High environment, in my experience, has always been a place where girls can achieve anything they want to. All my school friends have moved into their careers with the same mindset and have not compromised in their career aspirations and life decisions. It was instilled in all of us from the beginning – you don’t have to compromise and why would you. Having subsequently taught in other educational settings and worked in the corporate world, I realise how special Norwich High is and what we all gained from the mindset and tools we learnt during our time at school. Unfortunately, Product Design and Engineering remains a male dominated subject and more male students take up the subject than girls in school and university. Individual attention “There are no reasons why boys and girls can’t both enjoy the subject – although in my experience, boys and girls do approach the design process in a different way in general. A lot of the time, girls are more creative, take their time, and are more considered in their design approach which can be a real benefit. Within the small class sizes at Norwich High, we can offer individual attention – particularly for practicals, and we can really take projects forward to a very high standard of finished product. Girls can be themselves “Overall and across the entirety of school life, the great thing about teaching in an all girls school is the lack of comparison. Students can completely and utterly be themselves; there isn’t the pressure to be a certain way. Students can join in with sports, be musical, be academic – everyone supports each other and that’s a great place to be. Innovation “I am really excited to be in the role and to take the department forward. We have plans to focus on innovation – using new equipment including introducing more graphics into the design process and  finished products to move beyond traditional manufacturing techniques and allow even more  creativity. We have an element of freedom and I am passionate about instilling a love of Product Design in students by taking their learning in new directions.” Alison Sefton, Head of Norwich High School for Girls commented: “It has been fantastic to welcome Louise to the team. She is a brilliant teacher with broad and relevant experience and very exciting ideas for her department. Product Design is a very popular subject amongst our students at GCSE and at A-level where the most important factor is an individual student’s interests and ideas. I am consistently blown away by the incredible products which students of all ages make. That Louise is an alumna is extra special and will help inspire the students even further.”

Shop staff and volunteers were rewarded for their community spirit after being crowned joint-winners of a Jubilee competition. The contest was for the best dressed window in Sheringham and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) shared the prize with The Sitting Room tearoom and Sadlers Court. It was jointly organised by Sheringham Town Council and Sheringham Carnival Committee as part of the town’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which included a street party in High Street and Station Road and took place on Sunday afternoon. There were also prizes for the best dressed table and best dressed home. EACH sales assistant Paul Watson said: “It was great to get in the spirit and be a part of Sheringham’s celebrations. “We were very proud of our shop window and the staff and volunteers made it look truly stunning. “To be named as one of the joint-winners of the competition was fantastic and a fitting reward for their hard work.” The contest was judged by Sheringham Mayor Peter Ratcliffe, councillor Madeleine Ashcroft and Sheringham Carnival Committee member Sarah Peberday. EACH, which supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions, has 19 shops in Norfolk, as well as others scattered across Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk. It has three hospices, including The Nook, in Framingham Earl.

Two images – one of the shop window and one of volunteer Andrew Stewart.

With one in two people sadly developing some form of cancer in their lifetime, thousands of people receive a diagnosis daily, which will turn their world upside down. When you’re faced with a cancer diagnosis, time becomes crucial. How can people spend more time doing the things they love, whilst still getting the life-saving treatment they need? We care about the lives of cancer patients and have made it our mission to make a difference to the way their cancer treatment is delivered. Our mobile cancer care units help patients to fit treatment into their lives, not the other way round. Our fleet of mobile cancer care units travel into the heart of communities, and by working closely with the NHS Trusts throughout the country, we work together to help as many people as possible. Once partnered with a NHS Trust, Hope for Tomorrow fundraise to pay for the build and maintenance of a unit, whilst the NHS Trusts provide the staff, drivers and medication. It costs approximately £77,000 to run one unit for a year, helping on average 4,000 patients. Last year we delivered over 26,000 cancer care treatments to cancer patients across England, who needed our support. Our units park in large accessible and convenient spaces like supermarket or community centre car parks, closer to patients’ homes or workplaces. This means patients don’t have to travel lengthy distances to receive their treatment and can save money and time – time to do the things they want to do, leading a life outside of cancer. Patients receive the same exceptional care onboard a unit, just as they would in hospital but most importantly, it’s a more relaxing and homely environment. Because of the less clinical and stress-free atmosphere onboard a unit, patients have told us they are able to tolerate their treatments better. Hope for Tomorrow don’t receive any government funding for our units and instead we rely on the generosity of our local communities to support us. It costs £212 per day to keep one of our mobile cancer care units on the road, helping on average 20 patients per day. www.hopefortomorrow.org.uk

Researching your competitor’s websites is an important part of the website planning process (why else would we do it?). In this article we provide you with a framework and checklist on how to analyse your competitor’s websites.

Why you need to do a website analysis of your competitors

If your website is to be successful you need to know your competitor’s websites inside out. It’s an important part of the planning process before you start any design and build work on your website.

Identify gaps

An effective competitor website analysis can identify the holes in your competitors online offering. You can take advantage of these to design a market leading website.

Differentiate your website

Also, you don’t want a website that looks similar and says the same things as your competitors’ websites. You’ll be surprised how often this does happen (or maybe not!) but as your website is arguably your most important marketing tool, you want it to stand out from the competition for all the right reasons – be it the most appealing design, easiest to use, or something else.

Identify your competitors

Your competition may already be well known to you, if so, this is straightforward. However, don’t be complacent, you may find competitors you’re not aware of – try a quick search and see.

What keywords are your competitors using?

Most importantly you need to know who you are competing against online for vital keywords. For example, if you’ve identified the keyword “oversized cutlery” as one potential customers often search for, then the top-ranking companies on Google for this keyword will be your online competitors.

This sounds obvious but when customers are searching for things related to your business, these are the websites they’ll be viewing. If one of your major competitors does not appear high up in Google for an important keyword, it may be that they’re using other strategies to drive people to their website such as advertising, email, direct mail, telemarketing, or something else.

Regardless, if they’re not ranking highly then you don’t need to treat them as a competitor online.

Let’s start analysing

Our proven process tracks six areas of each competitor’s website that are vital to its success. These are all things we cover when planning a website, and can equally be applied to reviewing the competition.

Competitor website checklist

There are 6 areas we analyse.

1. Positioning
2. Content
3. Appeal
4. User Experience
5. Calls to Action
6. Search Performance

A scoring system for each area is recommended, for example you could use something like this:

1. Oh dear, why did they bother?
2. They’ve put some thought into it, not a lot though.
3. Middle of the road, does the job, Mr Average, the Westlife of websites.
4. Ok, they’ve done a good job here.
5. Wow, how are we going to top this?

Your scoring system can be whatever works for you, it can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.

Step 1 – Positioning

In marketing terms “positioning” means identifying who your target audience is and how you want to be seen by them. For example, some companies want to be seen as a high priced, premium brand (think Gucci) and some are aiming for the budget conscious consumer (Primark).

When we examine positioning on a competitor’s website we’re looking to see if it’s clearly and professionally branded and designed. When a visitor lands on a webpage they want to see it’s a company they can trust. Poor design, photography and branding automatically positions them in the lower end of the market, even if they’re not aiming for these customers. First impressions count.

What messages are being communicated? Many companies in the same market will claim to be the “market leaders”, but like Highlander, there can only be one. By examining these messages, you can ensure your own message is unique and appealing.

So, ask yourself two questions about their website:

1. Where are they positioning themselves? Top / middle / low market?
2. How well they do it? Use your scoring system to rate them.

The example below shows the Aston Martin website. We all know it’s a luxury product, but they use lots of premium positioning tactics such as use of colour, minimal design, amazing images and powerful messages.

Aston Martin use the classic design tactics for luxury product positioning.

Step 2 – Content

Content is what visitors want from your website. For a business it’s usually content relating to your products and services. If your website is an information tool, then information is your “product”.

Imagine yourself as a potential customer and score the competitors website content based on two things:

1. How relevant the competition’s content is to the visitor.
2. How good is the content?

For example, if the website is selling legal services, potential clients want to see what the practice offers and why they should use them. They do not need to be greeted by the history of the company or latest news about a charity event. Website visitors usually scan pages, so the content needs to focus on features and benefits, not lengthy pages of details.

Does the copy make sense and is it easy to digest at a glance? Poorly written copy is a big turnoff and has a negative effect on buyer confidence.

The example below is a College website which has many different target audiences and a huge amount of content. This website has relevant, easy to find content, that is laid out in a simple but effective way.

Score your competitors websites on their content quality.

Step 3 – Appeal

Website appeal only means one thing.

• Would your target audience find this website engaging?

Appeal scoring covers images, messages, special offers, copy style and the general tone of voice used by your website.

Define who your target audience is and what they find appealing. Do not be influenced by your, or your colleagues, own personal design preferences.

For example, if your website is selling home improvement products such as curtains and furniture to a target audience of females aged 40+ with a medium to high income, poor photography will not appeal. You need to have professional product images to impress, and it doesn’t end there, think stylish fonts, welcoming video, quality colours and aspirational copywriting.

Credibility is also part of the appeal process. An effective use of testimonials, trade “badges”, awards (actual awards that people have heard of) and endorsements all add to the WOW factor.

The Apple iPad website is a great example of appeal. It has stunning images with lots of short but appealing messages. Notice how the page uses space to draw you in rather than filling it with content.

A great example of appealing design from Apple.

Step 4 – User Experience

This step can be summed up very simply by a single test:

• Is the website easy to use?

How easy is it to navigate around the website? Is the navigation system clear and concise? Is it obvious what you should click on (and what you can’t click on)? Humans are creatures of habit and do not respond well to unconventional website menus.

Is the most important content “above the fold”? While the fold is extremely vague in the context of websites, key messages and information should be near the top of the page.

Do customer journeys make sense? Define several standard tasks a visitor would want to do on this sort of website.

For example, if it’s an ecommerce website, how easy is it to find the product you want and buy it? How are the same journeys on a mobile device? You can measure various journeys such as simply finding contact details of the company to make an online enquiry.

 The website below is a good example of user experience with conventional navigation, easy to read copy and clear messages.

Analysing your competitors user experience will help you design your own website by identifying the best ways to help your customers find what they want.

Make sure your website is easy to use.

Step 5 – Calls To Action (CTA)

The objective of most websites is to generate sales, leads and enquiries. A “Call to Action” (CTA) is what we want people to do – rather than let visitors browse the website aimlessly we use CTAs to steer them in the right direction. So:

• Does the website have clear Calls to Action?

Effective calls to action are a combination of eye-catching design and clear copy. A good website should invite you to do at least one thing straight away, from calling a number to visiting a specific offer.

Websites like Sainsbury’s have great Calls to Action. Their home page below shows the home page with several clear CTA buttons, so the customer knows what to do and how to get there.

The Sainsbury’s website has clear and stand out CTA’s.

Step 6 – Search performance

In this last step we are analysing how your competitor’s website performs in search engines. This may not always be relevant but most commercial websites require a healthy ranking for priority key words. You are looking at natural (organic) listings, Google Ads and Google My Business listings for this step.

Below is an example search result for “Solicitors in Colchester” which shows all three types of listing.

Organic Search Listings

Google My Business Listings

If competitors are appearing in several places on the first search page, then score them highly. This is all about visibility on Google to the potential customer. Competitor’s performance in search engines is worth scoring to see what you are up against when thinking about your own Search marketing.

Competitor website analysis may seem time consuming but it is definitely worth doing. Keep it manageable by looking at 5-10 websites and concentrate on what is good and what is bad about these sites by using your scoring system.

Remember, by analysing your competition, you are discovering weaknesses to exploit and good practices you can take and improve upon.

You can find out more website tips and insights on our website.

Norwich High School for Girls are thrilled to be one of five Finalists in the Muddy Stiletto’s inaugural Best Schools Awards in the ‘Best Experiential Learning’ category for our Formula 24 (F24) programme. The Norwich High F24 team formed last year and have worked extremely hard to design and build their own electric race car in a dedicated space within the school grounds. They have since participated in the Greenpower racing series, which has taken them to top racing circuits throughout the UK and won the award for Best Newcomer at Lotus’ Hethel test track in 2021. The reason this project was started at the school was to help address the issue of underrepresentation of women within the motor racing industry, and to provide Norwich High students with the opportunity to learn how to apply the skills and knowledge they’ve learnt in the classroom into the real world. The F24 project was recently selected by the GDST as part of their Spotlight Series, which brings to life what it means to be a GDST Girl – happy and fearless, confident and prepared for the opportunities of the future. “We’ve been blown away by the quality of entries (over 400 of them!) across our 11 categories showcasing modern, well rounded, pastorally strong education and our expert panel have narrowed it down to five finalists per category.” Editor-in-Chief, Muddy Stilettos, Hero Brown.  Winners will be announced on Tuesday 14th June 2022. Find out more about the Best Schools Awards here.   The team Year 11 and 13 students Alicia Richards, Daisy Grantham, Eliza Williams-Mitchell, Maddy Harries, Megan Andrews, Rhianna Holloway, Zara Goodwin, Zara Hunter and Maddie Gibbs.