Keep Britain Tidy Community Toolbox Launched

The Community Engagement Toolbox is an online resource commissioned by Keep Britain Tidy (EnCams) to provide a range of tools for Local Authorities, Community and Voluntary Groups and Registered Social Landlords to help engage and encourage people to improve their local environment. Keep Britain Tidy (EnCams) is an environmental charity that campaigns directly to the public and are best known for their Keep Britain Tidy campaign thats been running for over fifty years.

To provide the development of this website and bespoke content management system, KC3.net utilised its existing acms content management system as a starting point and customised this to meet the Clients requested requirements. The Community Toolbox includes a Resource and Document Library containing various documents, reports and guides for the target audiences. The Resources are organised alphabetically and also by target audience. The Resource Library also highlights the Top 10 Resources recently accessed.

The website is hosted in house at Keep Britain Tidy and KC3.net provided a custom installation of the website and content management system onto their servers in Wigan followed by testing of the system to make sure all was in proper working order.

The Bespoke Content Management System provided is a customised extension of our acms content management system and provides the following functionality:

KC3's Accessible Content Management System (acms) is the basis for future updates to the site. Since acms is a web-based content management system, there are no compatibility issues with existing internal systems. Content authors simply log in and can begin editing the content as they see fit. Most content management systems do not comply with accessibility standards but acms enables the site to continually meet these standards. The acms is also search engine friendly and supports meta content for search engines.

acms Benefits

- acms is web based: simply log in and begin editing your website.
- acms is easy to use - acms has a "WYSIWYG" editor so that "What You see is What you Get"
- acms is compliant with DDA Accessibility Guidelines: one of the first such CMS systems available.
- Supports upload of new images & documents & generation of new pages/sections
- Multi-Lingual Support
- Dynamic News and Calendars/events
- Dynamic Navigation and Auto Site Map
- Products/services database support and eCommerce enabled
- Configurable user roles
- Extranet/Intranet/Forums/Internal Messaging
- Drafts, Preview, Rollback
- acms is scalable and can integrate into your other systems

Wheels to Work WM Website Launched

Wheels to Work (W2W) is an innovative transport solutions scheme that aims to break the vicious circle of no job, no money, no vehicle by offering individuals their own transport for a short period or support for longer term solutions. This website covers six areas within the West Midlands and offers a variety of transport solutions including driving lessons, taxi tokens, moped schemes, and more. Users can visit their local area within the site (for example, Herefordshire) to see what is offered within the County.

The Wheels to Work West Midlands website includes separate areas for each of the six counties covered by the project. Each county page contains important contact information for that specific scheme. The website also contains a log in area for each county so that participants in the project can log in to view more detailed personal information that is not publically available. A Phase 2 for the project is anticipated will ultimately enable individual participants in the scheme to log in and see and update their own individual details (e.g. MOT, insurance and similar).

To make the management of the website easy for the leaders of each county scheme, KC3.net has provided its own acms content management system. acms is easy to use, even for those having low IT skills and is fully compliant with web standards and accessibility laws.

BBC Radio Debate - KC3.net Takes Part!

KC3.net's eMarketing Specialist, Charlotte Brookes, has taken part in a debate on BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester regarding the future of the billion pound Edgar Street Grid project (ESG). The views of key figures were put forward, including the youth perspective which was championed by Charlotte. Charlotte maintains the e-Marketing and Web 2.0 side of the ESG website including the Youth area. This invloves the maintainance of their social media tools, including Facebook and Wetpaint, setup for ESG by KC3.net, to better engage with, not only the youth of Herefordshire but anyone in the area who wants to have a say.

To hear the full debate visit the BBC - Hereford Worcester website.

ESG Herefordshire Ltd was established by Herefordshire Council and the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands (AWM), to lead the regeneration of 100 acres of land in the centre of Hereford. A small, but dedicated team of development experts, led by chief executive, Jonathan Bretherton, has been recruited to co-ordinate the grand 15 - 20 year redevelopment programme. A Board of non-executive directors, chaired by Clive Richards OBE DL, sets and oversees policy and direction.

The project creates clear and distinct, but interlinked zones - the Urban Village, where about 1000 new homes will be built, the Retail/Leisure Quarter, on the council owned 12.5 acre old livestock market, literally a few minutes walk from the city centre and the New Area, formerly the Civic Quarter, a vibrant mix of public buildings, private offices, shops and restaurants. There are also plans for an integrated transport hub, a site for further and higher education, plus a new police divisional headquarters.

Motiv Trailers' New Website Launched

Motiv Trailers required a simple and effective marketing website to promote their range of standard and bespoke trailers they manufacture for rowing boat transporting and other specialist and general pursuits.

Rowing Boat Trailers

Motiv Trailers manufacture a comprehensive range of rowing boat trailers with a range of accessories allowing you to customise your trailer.
Part of their Easy Tow series, trailers are lightweight and specifically designed for drivers who have passed their test after 1st January 1997 and have not taken a separate towing test. The trailer features adjustable rack positions for clearance over the towing vehicle. With a lighter chassis and body the trailer still keeps the quality of the models in our range and is a useful size for smaller clubs or as a second trailer.

General Trailers

Motiv Trailers specialise in bespoke trailer manufacturing whilst also offering a comprehensive standard range. From small, lightweight domestic trailers (perfect for camping) to box van trailers (ideal for market traders, moving furniture, etc.), car transporters and flatbeds, any trailer can be modified to suit your own needs.

Website Updating & Search Engine Optimization

It was most important that the new website could be easily updatable by staff and so the website was built using KC3.net's own acmsLite Content Management System.

Because of the large audience it was also very important that the site should be highly ranked by Google and the other search engines. To assist with this, Motiv Trailers used KC3.net's Search Engine Optimisation expertise as part of their overall eMarketing plan.

Milsys Launch eCommerce System

Milsys is a company dedicated to providing "Rapidly Deployable" and "Rapidly Re-deployable" high specification expeditionary equipment and shelters, back-up technical & maintenance support and training to their clients, both military and civilian throughout the world. MilSys (UK) Ltd has recently been named 'International Business of the Year 2008' by the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce for their new Celox range. This is now offered as the first product for sale online via Milsys' new online shop using Actinic eCommerce. Celox is a product used to treat injured people in disaster situations (like earthquake aftermaths) that controls arterial bleeding within 5 minutes.

Milsys specialise in the supply of DRASH Shelters - Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelters (DRASH) is a family of quick erect/strike tactical soft walled shelters with integrated support systems. DRASH is a modular shelter system that is man portable, rugged, reliable and user friendly. DRASH shelters can be erected in minutes to provide necessary shelter in a wide variety of emergency and military situations.

You Recruitment - Recruitment Company Discover the value of E-Marketing

YOU Recruitment is a specialist search and selection recruitment consultancy based in Worcestershire. The company was set-up in January 2008 by John West with the aim of putting real service back into recruitment. The company believes that properly sourced and screened candidates who meet the criteria of the clients are more productive and are likely to stay longer in their jobs, making the investment in recruitment fees both cost effective and worthwhile.

Like many new businesses John's main priorities were to get his company and brand known quickly. One method which John used to target potential clients was through the use of eMail Marketing. Various solutions were experimented with but failed due to inflexibility, cost and lack of direct control.

John quickly realised that there is a lot more to eMail Marketing then initially meets the eye. Which is a lesson many businesses learn when they first start using email as a marketing tool. The key factors in a successful eMail Marketing campaign include:

• Ensuring your company's brand is well presented on the eMail
• Ensuring that your potential clients receive your eMail safely
• Having the ability to see responses to your email and measure the success of each campaign
• Ensuring the eMail is legal
• Ensuring the data is up to date and correct

If an eMail campaign is implemented properly the results can be very effective, proving a quick and low cost way of marketing. Recent figures show that responses from eMail campaigns are higher than those for mail shots - probably because replying to emails is so straightforward. Recent studies show that 55% of companies say that their return on investment from eMail is three times or more compared with traditional mailshots.

After a number of tries with various eMail Marketing solutions YOU recruitment quickly realised the benefits of this form of communication but also realised that the right system needed to be used. YOU recruitment worked with KC3.net to implement OutBox. OutBox provides an online based system which enables companies to manage their eMail campaigns in-house and provides the following benefits and features:

• Easy to use web-based system for your eMail marketing campaigns (secure log in)
• Custom designed eMail templates
• Automatic Subscribe/Unsubscribe
• Simple import for your eMail marketing list data directly into OutBox from your existing databases
• Simple group management for your eMail marketing campaigns
• - Forward to a Friend feature
• eMail Marketing Campaign Statistics to fine tune your eMail Marketing
• OutBox eMail marketing server takes the strain - not your eMail server
• No software to install
• View your available credit online to control your eMail Marketing costs
• Flexible Plans - send as few or as many eMail Marketing campaigns as required

After the first campaign run by YOU Recruitment the results were encouraging with a notable increase in traffic through to the YOU Recruitment website, www.yourecruitment.com. Comments from business contacts were also favourable, notably on the professional appearance of the eMails received. John has commented: "eMarketing is an absolute must for a small business like YOU Recruitment wanting to make its presence known. Simple and cost effective solutions such as 'OutBox' win hands down on their ease of use, their immediacy and their cost-effectiveness. KC3.net have invented something which removes the mystery from eMarketing - they've got a real winner here."

If you would like to discuss how your business could benefit from effective eMail Marketing then please contact KC3.net on 01544 231768 or email: business@kc3.net.

Cider, Perry and Juice from Herefordshire sold online!

Real Drinks of England

Local shop keepers Marcus & Carol Williams owners of Canon Pyon Stores have set up and launched their new online Venture 'Real Drinks of England'. For the last ten years Carol & Marcus have been providing the people of North Herefordshire with some great local produce, through their award- winning village shop Canon Pyon Stores. Now they are making this wonderful produce available to UK households via the Internet.

Real Drinks of England offers people the opportunity to purchase the best real ale, cider, perry, wine, liqueur, fruit juice and cordial from the counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. The purpose of the website is to enable people from all over the UK to purchase the wonderful 'local drinks' of the Three Counties. Suppliers to the website include: Dunkerton's Cider, Spinning Dog Brewery, Ashgrove Orchards, Kingstone Brewery, PJ Apple Juice and many more.

KC3.net worked closely with Real Drinks of England to develop a professional website which provides easy to use facilities to enable web 'users' to purchase their produce quickly and securely. Claire Wozencroft of KC3.net says 'Real Drinks of England offers tourists and visitors to the Three Counties the opportunity to still enjoy a taste of the area once they have left. What Marcus & Carol are doing is bringing the best drinks in the area together on one website whilst supporting local suppliers'.

Carol and Marcus Williams have a strong background in farming; Marcus has worked in dairy farming for many years. For this reason they believe in supporting British agriculture and in particular local suppliers who produce delicious specialty regional food and drink. This top quality produce deserves to be made available to a wider audience which is why the website was developed. 'We have dealt with and enjoyed the drinks of our suppliers for all these years and can vouch for their produce unreservedly' comments Marcus.

If you would like to know about this exciting project please visit www.realdrinksofengland.co.uk