Student insurance specialist Endsleigh says its new eCommerce strategy has already seen bounce rates go down by as much as 36 per cent, alongside a 12.5 per cent uplift in web page visitors.

The firm's SERP rankings have also improved by up to six places for key motor, home and student products, while client log-on rates have gone up 8.5 per cent.

Ian Passmore, Endsleigh's managing director, notes that the website forms the centre-piece of his firm's customer interaction strategy, offering flexibility rather than the "one-dimensional" experience often provided by online outlets.

"The solution has been designed to allow us to display more relevant and targeted propositions – it can also be used by our underwriters to develop more competitive propositions and offers," he explains.

"Customers will not only benefit from a website which is streamlined and easier to navigate, but also from specifically tailored products and advice designed to suit each individual."

The whole insurance sector is aware of the dominant role the internet now plays, Passmore concludes, predicting the new website will lead to "even bigger" business growth.

Endsleigh decided to close its branch network and invest in its online offering after carrying out a "lengthy review" of how consumers wanted to buy insurance.

Broadcaster Film4 has overhauled its website to set it apart from review sites, with the emphasis on unique content that will make the portal stand out in what it calls "a crowded marketplace".

The new content-driven website is aimed at showcasing the successes of Film4's production arm, from cinema smash Slumdog Millionaire to new release The Lovely Bones. It also highlights the Film4 TV channel and will stream exclusive short films from up-and-coming directors.

Explaining the broadcaster's intention to exploit its unique position of having both a TV channel and a production unit, Film4.com editor Hillary Perkins affirmed: "This makes us stand out in a crowded marketplace. We have unique content that we can make use of."

"On the old site there was a lot of content but it was difficult to understand what we were about," she added to New Media Age, noting that the Film4 production arm's access to casts and crews on movie sets can offer "a real insight" into the industry.

One online marketing channel the broadcaster has chosen to promote the new site is that of social networks.

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Looking to 2010, webmasters will focus more on optimising their content to rank highly in Google's specific data categories, from Book Search to Patent Search. That's one prediction from web consultant Kabir Bedi, who claims "information overload" is becoming a key concern in the web search arena.

"A regular web search generally returns a series of links which users have to further refine in order to find what they are really looking for … the whole process becomes time-consuming," says India-based web designer Bedi. "That is why Google has always been looking to segregate new types of data."

Search is no longer about "simply matching queries with the keywords and delivering results accordingly", he continues, pointing out that Google's search process has grown more sophisticated and takes into account "all the synonyms, morphology elements etc" to deliver relevant content after queries are entered.

Webmasters are thus advised to "use lots of synonyms" in content, maintaining relevancy as a primary concern in content strategies. Bedi also predicts that real-time search will emerge as "a definitive force" in the coming months, noting that web users want the "scoop" on everything via the latest news and updates from portals like microblogging site Twitter.

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Website content may be king, but it should be complemented by other elements of web design which cater to consumers in the fast-moving online world.

That's according to a new white paper released by professional services provider KPMG, which claims ease of use should be another priority, alongside quality of content, for website designers.

In the report, entitled Emerging Business Models to Help Serve Tomorrow's Digital Tribes, the 21st-century phenomenon of the "digital tribe" is identified. It refers to how web users connect with each other based on common interests and beliefs, for example computer-game enthusiasts or fans of a band.

When targeted correctly with appropriate web content and services, such "tribes" can be transformed into powerful, loyal sources of traffic.

Tudor Aw, the report's author, suggests web designers enable the groups to interact with each other, in addition to giving them "compelling" content: "People are no longer constrained by physical boundaries. Instead they connect in a very personal and tailored way with hundreds of people with similar interests across the world."

Successful digital enterprises, Aw concludes, recognise that incorporating elements that consumers value in a website's design "is far more likely to give that enterprise longevity".

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Supermarket giant Asda has revealed that using multivariate testing enabled it to refine its web content and design based on "real customer behaviour" rather than guesswork.

According to the firm's online marketing manager, Chris Dalrymple, multiple page layouts were designed as part of the testing process. The pages were then tested with live visitors, with response measured in terms of bounce rate and click-throughs on individual offers and product areas.

He says the method was chosen as the most effective means of "scientifically measuring" the impact of particular homepage offers, content and layout on visitor response. The eventual "winner" decreased Asda's customer bounce rate by 19 per cent.

“By making small and subtle changes to our website we have already seen that this can have a huge impact on our customers’ ability to find what they’re looking for," he notes. “Our website is the most powerful shop window we have, so we can’t afford to take a hit and miss approach to the design and navigation of the site".

Asda's internet marketing team is now looking into introducing testing on a referral basis, offering customers different content depending on how they arrive at the site.

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Cloaking, or presenting website content differently to users than it appears to search engines like Google, is a typical grey hat search engine optimisation (SEO) technique – and the fine line between it and the white hat approach makes SEO as much of an art as it is a science.

That's according to New York web design expert Peter Crisafi, who emphasises that the practice of cloaking is often used maliciously, but it can actually be essential in some instances.

"There are many legitimate reasons to use cloaking techniques, particularly with websites that feature image-based content or where the majority of content is located in members-only areas," he notes.

In cases like this, he advocates a white hat approach, whereby web designers contact search engines directly to brief them of the situation and seek their approval. Search engines are always "on the lookout for dirty tricks", he explains, and they thoroughly police every optimised website.

Web designers are reminded that it can take months to correct the situation and get a website re-indexed if it is flagged by a search engine – even if the penalty occurred as the result of a genuine mistake.

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Even the most basic web design or website development package can make a "measurable difference" to the visibility and economic success of a business.

That is the conclusion of one web design expert, who says not having a website for a small firm is the equivalent of "economic suicide".

Peter Crisafi's observations follow the results of a survey showing that a considerable proportion of US-based small business owners still do not possess "any sort of valuable online presence".

"In this fast-paced technological world, people are increasingly relying on the internet to find out information about products and services available in their area," he points out.

"More and more, people are going online instead of to print media outlets such as newspapers and the Yellow Pages."

When strategies such as search engine optimisation or marketing through social network sites are implemented, he continues, an enterprise "will finally have the opportunity to flourish".

Crisafi believes the main barriers to creating an online presence are the perceived costs and a lack of understanding about the power of the web.

In reality, he concludes, web design, website development and internet marketing strategies need not be budget-breaking, while most high-quality websites "eventually pay for themselves".

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Don’t worry. I’m not about to discuss naming my new child. You know the conversation . . . “Which would suit him best . . . Vladimir, Justin, Tiberius, Kevin or Dave . . . blah blah blah. He’s about 12 inches tall, he’s pink, has a cheeky grin and farts a lot”.

But wait a minute, while we’re on the subject, it’s got to be Vladimir right?

Seriously now. I’m talking about website names. Domain names. URL’s.

I’m a big believer in ‘horses for courses’ on this subject. Case in point, Making You Richer. The idea of the product is . . . to make you richer. Genius don’t you think?

But it can be difficult naming a ‘make money online’ site and if you don’t believe me just go to your favourite domain seller, Godaddy, Low Cost Names etc and try to find a great name. They’re all gone! (more…)

When designing your site you probably didn’t give the psychology of colour much thought. You chose colours that you liked and that looked nice together.

That’s fine but different cultures see colours differently, for example in China red is seen as a sign of luck but in most other countries red is a sign for danger and sometimes even death!

It’s important that when you design your site you take into account cultural differences. In fact, even if you have a site that only attracts people from one culture – every colour has its own set of positive and negative connotations.

It’s important that the colours you choose match with the perceptions you want people to have about you and your company. (more…)