http://www.robertbethell.co.ukThe latest news and updates from North West Web Developer Robert Bethell.en-ushttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/rss.xmlMon, 22 Dec 2008 15:13:08 +0000 I've recently completed significant extensions to a custom built CRM for Blackpool company Premier Fire Solutions Ltd. The CRM was initially deployed in June, and has helped Premier Fire Solutions to significantly reduce the amount of time spent organising and scheduling their operations. Its engineers (based across the country) can all access the system online from their own locations. The new additions create an even more powerful system, allowing the company to schedule its jobs years in advance within a matter of seconds. The system automatically avoids weekends and dates inappropriate for jobs because of company meetings, holidays and so on. Imagine how much quicker this is than slowly plodding your way through a number of calendars manually! To read more about the system and the new additions, view the client brief.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Premier-Fire-Solutions-CRM-Extendedhttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Premier-Fire-Solutions-CRM-ExtendedThu, 04 Dec 2008 15:33:05 +0000 Over the past month I've being working hard on an e-commerce website with comprehensive administration facilities for Chorley based PCR Systems. The website is based on their Blackberry Golf GPS application which allows golfers to instantly calculate their distance from the tee. If you're a golfer, and you have a Blackberry, be sure to check it out - there's a free trial so you have nothing to lose. Moving onto the technical aspects of the site - the site is designed to allow the whole process of downloading and purchasing a license for the application to be as automated as possible. PCR Systems don't actually have to do anything to make a transaction go through - the product delivery and income is all automatic: a great time saver! For more information about the technical implementation, visit the client brief.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/PinPoint-GPS-Mobile-Application-Website-Launcheshttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/PinPoint-GPS-Mobile-Application-Website-LaunchesThu, 04 Dec 2008 15:26:23 +0000 I'm delighted to announce a new client in the form of Blackpool based Business Speaker and entrepreneur Mark Mills. Mark has a formidable business acumen and serves as an advisor for many different companies across the country. We'll be working together to help bring Mark's large portfolio of websites up to scratch and to generate more business through them. Kicking off, we've redeveloped the website for Mark's shopping arcade in Lytham, Clifton Walk. Shops Lytham contains information and contact details for all the shops in the arcade. The site has been redesigned to increase its search engine optimization, optimize its loading times and ensure better accessibility for its visitors. Visit Shops Lytham to take a look. Over the next few months we'll be creating a new web presence for Mark's own site, it will be named Mark.tv and offer news, information and other material regarding Mark's business activities and speaking. We'll also be creating a basic e-commerce site selling Water Slides (with an aim at the Summer market, obviously!).http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Clifton-Walk-Website-for-Mark-Millshttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Clifton-Walk-Website-for-Mark-MillsTue, 11 Nov 2008 16:18:40 +0000 I'm delighted to announce that I have successfully bid against a number of other local companies for the development of the PinPointGPS website. PinPoint GPS, developed by PCR Systems, is a golf application for mobile phones that allows golfers to calculate the distance to the green. Work on the project has already begun, with the website due to launch at the end of the month.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/PinPoint-GPS-Blackberry-Golf-Applicationhttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/PinPoint-GPS-Blackberry-Golf-ApplicationFri, 07 Nov 2008 11:34:50 +0000 Later this month I'll be attending the PHP North West Conference 2008 which is being held at Manchester Central (formerly GMEX). I'm particularly looking forward to the presentations on the Zend Framework and HTML 5. If you're a developer interested in attending the conference, check out the PHPNW08 website which has a wealth of information.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/PHP-North-West-Conference-2008http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/PHP-North-West-Conference-2008Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:56:07 +0000 Earlier this month I created a news and featured harbour system for Harbour Guides. Along with an RSS feed this helps the site provide visitors with regularly updated content. I've made various upgrades to the Gun Dog Kit shopping system recently - offering the company powerful customisation options and allowing them to better deal with their expanding product line and international customer base.Gun Dog Kit is to be featured in a forthcoming airing of Trinny and Susannah on ITV. The show will be remodelling a number of women based on their dogs - so the producers will be using products from Gun Dog Kit for the lady who has a gun dog! It's great to see a client receiving exposure like this; the site is becoming extremely well known in its industry and its revenues continue to increase accordingly. I've created a number of basic sites for John Whiteside this month, they are designed to help catch specific search engine queries and ultimately promote his Granada Holiday Apartments. The two sites are Golf Granada Spain and Ski Sierra Nevada Spain. If you fancy a quick escape from the horrible British weather, be sure to take a look!I've added a new gallery page to the website of Lisa Jane Forrester, which shows off her fantastic new Silversmith Jewellery range. Various updates have taken place throughout the month at Last Minute Coach Holidays, which has just been featured in an industry publication and is continuing to establish itself before beginning a national advertising campaign.A number of new projects are due to start imminently which I will mention in the coming weeks - it promises to be a very busy run-up to Christmas!http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/October-Round-Uphttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/October-Round-UpWed, 08 Oct 2008 15:31:27 +0000 My main project over the last five months has now gone live after the client received their ABTA Bond (a very lengthy process for anyone thinking of starting a travel company!). The name of the website is Lastminute Coach Holidays and it acts as a reseller for all British coach touring companies. The site includes numerous advanced features such as heavy SMS integration, distance calculations and more - all allowing users to find local, suitable holidays as easily as possible. On the technical front, the work included significant PHP/MySQL coding, a custom Javascript and AJAX framework, Search Engine Optimisation and command line Linux administration. For more information about the client's brief and how I helped realise it, please view the client page. If you want to jump straight to the website, head to www.lastminutecoachholidays.com. The site will be filling up with holiday data over the coming weeks which will help make all the location based features really useful. I really enjoyed this project and the challenge of combining so many different features and technologies (i.e. allowing the client to text all members within 10 miles of a certain area). I will be working closely with Lastminute Coach Holidays in the future to help continue to develop and promote the website.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Introducing-Lastminute-Coach-Holidayshttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Introducing-Lastminute-Coach-HolidaysWed, 08 Oct 2008 13:50:54 +0000 As of October 3rd 2008 I am now trading as a limited company - Devto Limited, Company Number 6673666. I will be charging VAT from the 1st of November 2008.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Change-of-Trading-Statushttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Change-of-Trading-StatusWed, 24 Sep 2008 15:06:37 +0000 Over the past days I've reviewed the impact of recent search engine optimization work on some of my client's websites - and the results have been very pleasing.Granada Dream Homes has gone from Page 10 on Google for the query "Granada Holiday Apartments" to 7th on Page 1. Harbour Guides is now receiving 87% of all its traffic through search engines - it's in the top two pages on Google for numerous different phrases, including "European Marinas" (2nd), "UK Marinas" (8th), "UK Harbours" (6th), Navigation Charts (14th), Pilot Notes (17th). These results are very strong especially when one considers some of the terms span multiple industries. After some optimization work on Gun Dog Kit at the end of the July, traffic and sales have increased significantly. Sales are up by approximately 35% and the site is now receiving orders from across Europe.Search engine optimization really is extremely effective at increasing traffic, enquiries and sales - for a small investment you can receive a substantial return.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Search-Engine-Successhttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Search-Engine-SuccessThu, 28 Aug 2008 20:19:22 +0000 Congratulations to my client Lisa Jane Forrester, Liverpool based Silversmith, who is to be featured in a number of upcoming publications including Lancashire Life. I've updated her website with photos of her latest work and details of her latest exhibitions. Over at Harbour Guides I've being carrying out various SEO work, along with the addition of detailed navigational charts. I've implemented these using a flash based zoom viewer, allowing users to zoom in and scroll across what otherwise be extremely cumbersome and large images (see an example on Salcombe Harbour). I would like to welcome a new client on-board in the form of Lytham based John Whiteside, who operates a number of well established businesses in the area. John is looking to expand his business interests in Spain and we'll be working together to create a number of basic sites to help draw in potential customers for his Granada Holiday Apartments. I've carried out some alterations to the Ad-Options website. Finally, my main project over the last few months is due to go live next week, at which point I will update further. I'm very pleased with how the project has turned out and confident that it boasts all the features necessary to help it become a real success.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Client-Newshttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Client-NewsSat, 09 Aug 2008 18:10:03 +0000 Earlier this week I created another Javascript/AJAX script, this time in the form of an auto-suggest search box. As the user types in their desired destination, a drop-down menu appears below with suggestions matching their query. The more specific their query becomes, the more accurate the matches. Users can click on the suggested destinations in order to fill in the field. There are still a few more bullet-proofing tweaks to be done yet, but it seems to work very well. I enjoyed creating this.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/AJAX-Auto-Suggest-Search-Boxhttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/AJAX-Auto-Suggest-Search-BoxWed, 06 Aug 2008 20:46:40 +0000 I've spent a lot of time developing my Javascript and AJAX skills over the last month or so, a few recent scripts I've created include:AJAX PHP/MySQL ChatroomFor a personal site (Sugden Barbell) I've created a chat room which offers many IRC style features, such as private messaging and "Who's Online". It's already had over 5,000 messages passed across it and upto 10 people chatting away at the same time with no problems. I plan to integrate some sound features in the near future, and then look at how I can integrate it into business applications.Incidentally, this website includes a custom forum I created from scratch, which now has over 79,000 posts in 2,000+ threads and continues to get busier all the time. It has proved very useful as a testing board for much of my programming.Static Google Maps API Mash-UpFor the main project I've been working on recently, I've created a very handy mash up which allows the user to view thumbnail map previews of different locations rapidly - then giving them the option to load a full-fledged map if they want more detail. It's very effective in that it cuts down load times significantly which is important given the content-rich nature of the pages it's being served on.Personal FrameworkI've been creating my own Javascript framework which allows me to deploy Javascript much quicker and more powerfully. I have no plans to rival any of the established frameworks of course, but think it's an enjoyable and excellent way to better my skills in this area.I will be providing some client news and sending out my monthly newsletter over the next few days.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Javascript-and-AJAX-Workhttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Javascript-and-AJAX-WorkWed, 16 Jul 2008 18:15:45 +0000 Its been a hectic few weeks since a brief holiday to Sardinia. The main project that I've been working on since the beginning of June is very close to completion, and it's looking great. We've really gone to town with features like geo co-ordinates and SMS messaging to help pinpoint users and holidays accurately. I'll be providing a detailed brief in my portfolio as and when the site launches. In other news, my client Gun Dog Kit was recently featured in the Sporting Gun magazine (View the PDF Article). The site continues to enjoy great rankings for its various products across the search engines. I'll be doing some more search engine optimization work on the site over the next few days.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/News-Round-Uphttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/News-Round-UpWed, 16 Jul 2008 17:56:27 +0000 I've recently created a nice script for Harbour Guides that connects to the BBC Weather Data feeds and then serves the information straight into the various harbours that Harbour Guides provide information for. The feeds cover all their European and British harbours, allowing their visitors to easily see the forecast for the next three days. View it in action on Fleetwood Harbour. We've also carried out some more search engine optimization work and content structure changes over the past few weeks and the results continue to pay off. The site is currently 11th on Google for the term 'UK Marinas' (a big improvement from a few weeks back) and with a few more tweaks I'm very confident it will establish itself on the first page very soon.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Harbour-Guides-XML-Weather-Feedhttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Harbour-Guides-XML-Weather-FeedSun, 22 Jun 2008 16:27:02 +0000 I've added an RSS Feed to the site. Simply visit it and add it to be notified of my news updates from within the comfort of your own Feed Reader or internet browser.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Web-Development-News-RSS-Feedhttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Web-Development-News-RSS-FeedSun, 15 Jun 2008 19:13:45 +0000 For the past few months I have been sending my clients a monthly newsletter. I am now inviting all visitors to sign-up using the form at the top left hand side of all pages. The newsletter contains information on the latest developments in the web industry, as well as periodic special offers that I choose to run. I also offer free advice on how to improve your website yourself. For more information see the newsletter overview.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Newsletter-Signuphttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Newsletter-SignupSat, 31 May 2008 22:08:46 +0000 The majority of my work this month was dedicated to developing a web-based management system for Premier Fire Solutions Ltd. The system gives the company powerful control over the various areas of their operations. I'm extremely pleased with how the project turned out - if you would like more information and to view some example screenshots, please read the client brief. June promises to be a busy month; I have been chosen to develop an exciting new project for a hotel and coach tours owner. The project will involve advanced search filtering, SMS facilities and e-commerce integration (and that's just for starters!). More information will be forthcoming in the near future.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/May-Round-Uphttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/May-Round-UpTue, 29 Apr 2008 21:17:36 +0000 April has been a busy month, with work on several projects and the end of a long term contract.Harbour Guides is my newest featured client. We've made a lot of upgrades to the site this month - in the form of search engine optimization, layout and website standards compliancy.I've updated the website of Liverpool-based silversmith Lisa Jane Forrester. There are several new photographs of her work which is definitely worth checking out.In the coming weeks I will be providing e-commerce functionality for PortraitWorldUK. The company has been established by colleague Les Darlow, a talented artist and graphics designer.Finally, my long term contract with Lealta Benefits has come to an end after a year. During the last month I created the following systems for them:Microsoft Excel to Google Maps Script - Created for a subsidiary company, Travel TV, this system allows the user to upload a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet of their customer locations across the country - niftily converting all postcodes into co-ordinates and then instantly generating a country-scale map, complete with all fields from the spreadsheet.Distance from Postcode Calculator - For the Lealta Benefits website, this script allows the user to enter their postcode and then returns results of businesses close to their area complete with distances.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/April-Round-Uphttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/April-Round-UpThu, 24 Apr 2008 10:47:32 +0000 I have reached an agreement with Blackpool based Premier Fire Solutions to develop a web-based management system for their company. The system will allow their engineers, located across the country, to easily access customer and job information independently. The system will increase communication and service levels, helping to maximize profitability. Work on the project begins next month.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Premier-Fire-Solutions-Agreementhttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Premier-Fire-Solutions-AgreementFri, 21 Mar 2008 13:26:47 +0000 I'm delighted to announce the acquisition of Harbour Guides as my newest client. Harbour Guides provides detailed information on Harbours throughout the UK and is about to expand into Europe. We've recently worked together to transfer the site onto a new server, and are now in the process of converting the website code from ASP to PHP so we can begin to add more useful features. We will also be concentrating on search engine optimisation to help boost the site's rankings and attract more visitors.http://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Harbour-Guideshttp://www.robertbethell.co.uk/index.php/archive/Harbour-Guides