Case Study; Toms Holidays

• This is an example of a website where a vast quantity of information needed to be presented in a manner that would be easy to navigate. Toms Holidays offer self catering beach accommodation in a spacious park containing both holiday chalets and holiday bungalows. The accommodation is varied in terms of sleeping capacity, layout, appearance and location with the tariffs reflecting these differences.
• The layout and style of the homepage reflects the twin requirements of artistic/design appeal with a large volume of information. The colours, choice of background and use of pictures show the best of the Cornish holiday experience; sun drenched beaches and azure seascapes. The colour tones of the page reflect the warmth of summer and the beach-front location. To cater for the information, a clearly labelled, easy to use navigation bar is placed at the top of the home page.
• Searching out information on your choice of holiday accommodation couldn’t be easier. The accommodation link leads to a map of the holiday park. Clicking on a given location brings up a side bar containing pictures of each individual self catering chalet and bungalow, both interior and exterior shots, as well as detailed information on the facilities each holiday home has to offer. The site literally offers holiday makers the opportunity to pick out their choice of holiday accommodation and name the chalet/bungalow on the booking form giving them total control of their holiday.
• Locating the tariffs and terms is equally straightforward; clicking the link at the top of the page brings up a table of dates and chalet sizes with the varying rates in an easy to read format.
• Like all high quality holiday websites, Toms Holidays don’t limit the scope of their site to their accommodation alone. Using a photo gallery, links and information pages prospective visitors can learn about the local area around Hayle and St Ives as well as a wide variety of attractions and activities (including information for those on surfing holidays in Cornwall) to allow visitors to plan ahead and get the most from their time in Cornwall.

• Toms Holidays is a well established company whose accommodation occupies a prime location among the beach front dunes at Riviere Towans near Hayle. The investment in the website, in terms of quality and attention to detail, reflects an ethos of providing the best self-catering holiday experience possible whether for holiday makers on the active surf scene or families wanting easy access to fantastic beaches and safe communal play areas to keep the younger family members happy. If you’re looking for self catering beach accommodation in Cornwall, Tom’s Holidays should be your first port of call

Case Study Hotel St Eia

• This family-run hotel has commissioned a website which exudes style and class. The format is straightforward for ease of navigation but the hotel owners have included a wealth of information on both their hotel and the immediate area.
• The stunning location of the hotel is clearly a major selling point and the site makes good use of images to show potential customers the attractive location in which the hotel is set. The site offers an additional informative section on the more general locality with plenty of ideas to attract guests with a range of interests as well as useful links to other websites.
• Equally important to any accommodation website, is the need to give guests a good idea of the interior of the hotel. Sections on both the facilities and accommodation provide images and details which are necessary for people thinking of booking accommodation.
• The emphasis is on customer service and on a subtle level the website reinforces this strongly. Clearly much thought has gone into the content and the ease with which information can be accessed. Touches like a brief history of the building itself and the origins of the name add interest to the hotel and make it more appealing to customers.
• Contacting the hotel is easy, with the full range of methods/options clearly signposted on the site.
• Hotel St. Eia is an eighteen bedroom proprietor-operated hotel situated in a commanding position overlooking St Ives harbour and Porthminster beach. Facilities include a 36 cover restaurant, roof garden, lounge and bar as well as a great springboard location to experience the best of Cornwall.

Porthminster View Guesthouse

• The website for this family-run guesthouse is packed with information for the convenience of guests. The appearance & layout of the site is fresh and easy to navigate. The guest house’s owners make full use of Porthminster View’s stunning location by providing several images of the building and views across St Ives bay.
• To assist potential guests, each room has a photograph and description, with many rooms having a 360 degree viewing facility. The owners list the features and facilities available with each room and try to ensure that all booking related questions are answered within the text of the site.
• In an extra personalised touch, visitors to the site can view the entire history of the property from 1876 to the present day, giving the guest house a historical context within the location. The site is well stocked with advice and holiday ideas and the popularity of Porthminster View with artists and photographers is well signposted.
• Navigation around the site couldn’t be easier & the website provides a template form for enquiries about bookings and room availability along with a direct email address and telephone contact details.
• Porthminster View is a 6 bedroom guest house which has been trading as such since the late 1930s. The present owners have run the business since 1998, continuing a long tradition of providing a warm welcome to guests, including families with children aged 11 and upwards, wanting to enjoy the sites, activities and stunning beaches of Cornwall.

Case study: Seachest Nautical bookshop

• The Sea Chest Nautical Bookshop website has a smart, yet appropriately nautical feel with “lifebelt” buttons being used for navigation around the site. The use of this motif makes the identification of links obvious and aids quick navigation around the site which is always an important consideration.
• This website is primarily to provide online retail capability for an existing well-established specialist shop (est. 1989). The online catalogue lists an impressive selection of charts, books on all things nautical and additional seafaring goods (such as electronic charts, software etc.). Navigating such a vast selection of stock could be problematic but a great deal of thought has gone into avoiding the common “navigational pitfalls” which can blight the online retail experience.
• Sea Chest initially divides the catalogue into eight distinct sub-sections which are selected at the click of the mouse. The catalogue is then sub-divided again, steering the customer precisely to a final list of products closest to their needs from which they can make a selection. Complete details, and images, of each book or product can be brought up without having to put it in the shopping cart allowing the purchaser to ensure that they have located what they are looking for.
• Although this is very much an online retail experience, visitors to the website are made aware that this is the online interface with a physical shop, staffed by helpful and knowledgeable assistants. Contact details are readily available and the site makes it quite clear that help is just a phone call (or Email) away if needed. Swift service is assured with the majority of orders being despatched on the same day.
• Sea Chest is an excellent example of a specialist business. The bookshop stocks a comprehensive array of admiralty sea charts, Imray charts and sea maps. In addition Sea Chest sells a selection of navigation plotting instruments including gps. Sea Chest’s staff are themselves experienced sailors and so able to offer sound advice on the purchase of equipment, software and charts.
• To access the seachest website click on the link in the title of this post.

Web design Case Study The Nook

• The home page of The Nook guesthouse’s website appears fresh and welcoming. Following recent refurbishment, The Nook has achieved 4 star AA Guesthouse rating and the website is a proud showcase for the contemporary facilities that this St Ives holiday residence has to offer.
• Allowing gusts to find the right accommodation has clearly been a priority. Potential guests can first select the type of room they require (family, double, twin or single). Then, by clicking on the room numbers that their choice brings up they can view each room and its facilities before making a choice confident that it will meet their needs.
• The Nook provides bed and breakfast accommodation with a lounge and TV/DVD facilities (most rooms also have TV & DVD) provided for the recreation of their guests. A section of the website is dedicated to providing a comprehensive list of local restaurants and cafes to assist holiday makers in the planning of their stay.
• St Ives offers an excellent base for holiday makers wanting to explore the best that Cornwall has to offer. For family holidays, St Ives offers stunning beaches and numerous local attractions and activities. The Nook provides family friendly accommodation from which to explore and the website contains some suggestions about starting points.
• You can link to The Nook Website by clicking on the picture link on the right hand margin of this page.

Case Study; Pixie Tours

• Visitors and holiday makers to any locality are at a distinct disadvantage when trying to experience the best that their chosen destination has to offer. A wealth of information exists, pointing them to various attractions and venues, but the real “jewels” in any location, be it the rugged lake district, welsh mountains, Scottish highlands or here in Cornwall are often the bits the guide books don’t mention. They’re the places the locals go to escape during the tourist season!
• That being the case, getting some local knowledge during your stay would seem like a good idea and that is precisely what Pixie Tours offers. A qualified local tour guide takes responsibility for organising walks, visits and outings which offer the most stunning views – and the most intriguing local myths, stories and history.
• The website points visitors towards a variety of guided tours options, dependant on their interests and the locality they are visiting. Key to the tour experience is the tour guide’s extensive knowledge of stories and local myth which prevails across much of the rugged Cornish landscape whether it be smugglers, pirates and wreckers or the hard-working miners who had such a lasting impact upon the Cornish landscape.
• Pixie Tours own a selection of luxury vehicles allowing them to assist disabled visitors to get the most from their holiday by going on a tour in their wheelchair or powered scooter at venues which are known to be both stunning and wheelchair friendly – the local knowledge factor at work again.
• The company’s website makes specific reference to it’s suitability for the cruise ship trade which is steadily growing at both Falmouth and Fowey with guided tours designed specifically to suit the timescale and start/finish points.
• The key function of this small but popular website is to provide enough information about the services and tours available to elicit enquiries from customers. The site performs this function well, with contact details easily available and an online enquiry form.
• For more information on this company and its unique local service, view their website at: www.pixietours.co.uk

Getting It Right - Business to Business Sales

Getting it right: A case study in business to business sales

• If you were to stumble across the World Art and Crafts website you would initially be forgiven for assuming you had found an online shop selling a truly stunning array of ethnic handicrafts from around the world. You’d be right, up to a point, but in fact this website (www.worldartandcrafts.com) is in fact a wholesale outfit which sells to trade customers only.
• For the most part, buying from a wholesaler is very much a pale shadow of the domestic shopping experience. Their premises lack many of the finer comforts we expect from our daily retail outlets (small things like carpet, natural light possibly even heating!). Not so this online wholesaler. The website cuts no corners, presentationally speaking, and indeed is one of the more visually striking sites we’ve been involved in at Connexions Web Solutions.
• The site follows many of the conventions of an e-commerce site but only trade users who are registered can actually place items into the “basket” and proceed to checkout in the usual manner. Products are clearly categorised down the right hand margin, with photographs of examples. Clicking on a category brings up a detailed list of products, illustrated with high quality photographs and product information. The buyer can be clear exactly what they are ordering and the products on offer are stunning and beguiling, representing the best in artistic style and craftsmanship from around the world.
• The World Art and Crafts website goes beyond merely supplying products, however. The company offers a variety of schemes aimed at getting new businesses off the ground with initial stock packages. These range from smaller scale working from home party plans or craft fair packages to a more impressive franchise, style package to support a newly opened shop. The information is clearly presented, free of small print and hidden catches, with photograph illustrations of examples of the stock on display. In all, an impressive example of straightforward, ethical business practice.
• This ethical approach is central to the company ethos with all stock offered being purchased according to Fair Trade standards so that the benefits of the company’s activities are felt by the artists and craftsmen who make the products as well as traders here in the UK. Overall, World Art and Crafts present a corporate image and standard of service more commonly associated with a small, highly focussed service provider whose survival depends on delivering above expectation at every time. We all know this type of business always delivers superb value.
• It’s refreshing to see the same standards applied to an online wholesaler and I image World Art and Crafts’ customers feel much the same way!
• Incidentally, though this is a “trade only” website it’s worth a browse regardless since you can explore the entire range of products without registering your details. Follow the link to
• www.worldartandcrafts.com