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22 years of PDC

22 years of PDC

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Improving engagement with your LinkedIn content

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A Practical Approach to ROI in Social Media

PDC | Digital

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06 Apr
2021

22 years of PDC

by Keely | in Industry | on 06 Apr 2021

Introduction

PDC is a digital agency that has been trading since 1999 & generates revenue by developing bespoke marketing websites & digital platforms. With more than 20 years of experience in the digital world, our passion drives us to build online experiences that have maximum impact and relevance, enabling customers to make real connections with their audience.

We are ‘technology-driven’ and ‘relationship oriented’. We love to build strong ongoing relationships with our customers and their companies.

 

Early days

PDC was founded on 7 April, 1999. In those early days we were focussed on providing web sites and web knowledge to local companies. Some of our early customers, like the Lingerie Company, are still with us 20 years later.

The stimulus of working with lots of interesting companies on a variety of industry sectors was really gratifying, spanning everything from balloon rides to bespoke floor coverings

Training and SEO

Early on, we provided training in Business Development for what is now Birmingham City University, and the Fachhochschule (technical university) Braunschweig Wolfenbüttel in Germany.

In those days Altavista and Yahoo! were the main search engines. Before Google, choice of keywords, good keyword placement and keyword meta-tags were all important. Google gradually grew in popularity and began to dominate the process of search engine optimisation by 2005.

Google introduced the concept of ‘Content is King’, and aimed to give the searching customer what they were looking for. This meant that Google connected the customer with the most valuable web site.

Facebook and other social media were becoming very popular by 2010 and formed part of a strong Internet marketing strategy. At this time, we were training companies in Internet Marketing and Social Media and this led to many fruitful relationships.

A battery of SEO measurement and optimisation tools became available. The MOZ SEO suite started in 2004, Google Analytics started in 2005, Hubspot in 2006 and SEMRush in 2008.

Creating attractive web sites and social media pages for customers, we have been using these tools to provide SEO and content development to small and large (national) companies ever since to achieve very high visitor numbers and remarkable conversion rates.

We have created valuable content around such diverse topics as:

  • Cyber security
  • IT in education
  • Damp proofing and rising damp
  • Hospital, library and business removals
  • Low carbon vehicles 

 

Web Portal Administration Suite

PDC designed a set of bespoke, specialised software products (web portal, members’ area, CRM, e-commerce, document repository, collaborative workspace, document review area, meeting organiser, SEO, etc.) to meet evolving client requirements.

This capability allows us to build long-term relationships with clients by providing a comprehensive suite of front-end and back-end digital solutions.

In 2000 we implemented a web portal and members area for the British Technical Council, now known as The BTC Testing Advisory Group, which serves the motor and petroleum industries. BTC is still a customer with us today.

In 2001 we provided a portal and members area for CEC, the Coordinating European Council, developing performance tests for fuels, lubricants and additives for the automotive and petroleum industries.  This portal serves many companies from Texas to Japan and all over Europe.

We have since developed members areas for many associations and research organisations. Most of our contacts at CEC and BTC are large companies, and we are very comfortable working in this environment.

The size and significance of our customers is important to the reputation of a growing company like PDC. A contact made at CEC led to a project for BP, one of the largest companies in the world. We had to create our design solutions in line with BP’s design guidelines.

 

Technical Network

Then, in 2008, we were asked to take on the CEC Test Monitoring System (TMS). This online system monitors several rig and engine database CEC tests. This makes it easy to capture and analyse real-time reference test data and is key to maintaining test quality.

Members can display, analyse and compare reference test results in graphic format across all key test parameters, making this a powerful tool for monitoring test quality against ISO 17025 and spotting data trends.

 

Research Network

The techniques and facilities that we had developed with CEC and others enabled us to make a bid for the SMMT Foresight Vehicle project. Foresight Vehicle at the time was the UK’s prime knowledge transfer network for the automotive industry, administered by PDC for SMMT

The Foresight Vehicle R&D programme aimed to promote technology and stimulate suppliers to develop market driven enabling technologies for future motor vehicles (cars, taxis, HGV’s, buses and light commercial vans).

PDC then became involved with the Centres of Excellence for Transport Telematics and Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies (Cenex). The latter is still highly productive in this field.

We assist Cenex in organising the UK’s largest Low Carbon Vehicle (LCV) event, providing an ideal platform for UK capabilities to showcase and engage with informers to discuss emerging technologies, industry issues and what the future holds.

PDC was involved with the relevant Knowledge Transfer Networks KTNs, and at one time we were moderating the Low Carbon KTN. Also, we have provided an online platform for many research and technology demonstration projects and also managed the funding and approval process.

 

Design

In the early years we established how to design attractive and effective web sites, getting the visitor to the sales proposition within two clicks, and making it easy for customer then to respond.

Selling commercial vehicles for Lex Group/ RAC was a significant exercise. For Finning CAT we were selling a variety of used heavy equipment like excavators, dozers and backhoes and wheel loaders in four languages, using database lookup tables

In addition to our own excellent design capabilities, we have provided a technical service to design houses, to realise their original designs and layouts as web pages. We have worked with several design houses in London, and as far as Australia. We’ve also worked in Japan and China on low carbon web sites, albeit without leaving Market Bosworth.

Our first printed documents were the Foresight Vehicle Technology Road Maps, from 2004 on. We expanded our design for print capability to include conference volumes for  Low Carbon Vehicles and Future Powertrains, among others. And, in due course, we have designed vehicle liveries and exhibition stands. 

 

SIMPLE

PDC has been engaged with several Universities, most recently Imperial College, Birmingham, Leicester and Derby  Universities. PDC have been researching with the latter two to develop and create a Digital Platform, integrating multiple services into one single solution to become the market leader for small business and project development.

PDC will provide an affordable, superior alternative by automating and ‘modularising’ our bespoke front-end and back-end solutions. This will allow customers to choose and instantly activate digital solutions as required (e.g.: create a marketing website or activate additional services such as SEO, CRM or a document repository, etc.). The internal project name is ‘Project Simple’.

 

e-conferencing

In the lockdown, many of the conferences and exhibitions that PDC usually support could not go ahead onsite. PDC developed a solution for an online event, in a new novel format with themed sessions scheduled across multiple days. This was not just a webinar but a conference with chairperson, speakers and Q&A sessions. Members were invited to make a company capabilities pitch, followed by facilitated networking which helped members make valuable new business contacts.

 

After 22 years, PDC is still technology-driven and people-oriented. We continue to renew and develop our products, and to respond to market opportunities. We have relationships with customers in a spread of industry sectors. Many of our customers are friends, and many of our friends are customers.

 

 

 

Tagged analytics, bespoke, bespoke marketing, digital, e-commerce, marketing, SEO, social media, technology, web portal, websites
06 Jan
2021

New Year, New Trends – What are the Key Internet Marketing Trends for 2021?

by Keely | in Digital, Industry, Marketing, Social Media | on 06 Jan 2021

2020 was the year that businesses, small and large, all over the world were forced to change their ways on how they operate, with many products and services moving to online platforms and employees continuing to work remotely as a result of the global pandemic.

In addition to this, lockdowns and isolation periods have also caused a change in customer behaviour, meaning all the necessary changes to digital marketing will continue to change and evolve throughout this year.

So, what are these changes to internet marketing and what is it that we need to look out for in order to engage new customers as well as to keep hold of existing ones? We’ve outlined 5 areas below:

1. Social Media Marketing

The pandemic has resulted in people spending more time online than ever before, so in order to keep earning a profit, it’s crucial that you commit to your social media marketing resources.

As we keep coming in and out of lockdowns, physically going to a shop to browse or buy is getting more difficult, especially when non-essential shops have to close. Many people don’t want to leave the house at all or unless absolutely necessary, resulting in the increased use of online platforms instead. This is where having a strong social media presence is necessary to reach your target audience, as well as ensuring that your company brand and products/services are getting noticed and then shared around by users and potential buyers.

2. Interactive Content

To get a higher rate of engagement in your social posts and/or website, you will need to increase the interactivity of your content. This is a good way to get your audience’s attention and engage with them, as well as showing that your business is up to date.

A few good ways to do this is by live sessions, surveys, asking questions and holding polls & quizzes. Another idea is to offer giveaways and create competitions to get people talking and sharing. A few prizes won’t break the bank, especially when it’s a great opportunity to build up the number of followers and potential customers.

3. Ensure your Business Information and Local SEO is Correct

One of the most essential things for small businesses is to ensure your company details and local listings are up to date and established across all platforms and search engines.

‘Google My Business’ listing is quite useful in giving valuable information about your company. Say you own a café for example, if someone is walking around a town and searches for café’s nearby, you will display on the search if your information is up to date – and obviously you would want the right contact details to be visible if they were to contact with any questions.

With this in mind, ensure that your local listings have a specific area to make sure your business is picked up and found in the ‘near me’ search, as well as keeping finer details up to date such as opening hours – you don’t want to be closed when you state to be open.

 

4. An increase in Voice Searching

Now that many people are using voice assistants like Siri and Alexa etc, it means that it’s not just text searches that your content needs to be optimised to.

With this in mind, you need to ensure that your content is available in both voice and textual cases, meaning a change in the types of keywords you use in your content. For example, when people speak to Alexa, they mainly use words like “why” and “how” in order to receive the answer they are looking for, so if your tone is more conversation-like, you are much more likely to be shown in voice searches.

 

5. Using Messaging Apps for Marketing

Messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are now two of the main platforms that this generation uses to engage with friends and family. However, with the ever-changing times there’s now huge potential for business as well, with Facebook continuously developing new features in this area, there’s a great opportunity to engage with a huge audience of where there is now over a billion users on both the above platforms alone.

Although Messaging apps are a huge part of communication, you still can’t be without the trusty email marketing platforms, which is also going to be a big part of 2021 as these instant messaging platforms are where people are most active day to day. And on the topic of instant messaging, live chat options are very popular for any questions from an extensive audience, so incorporating something similar using one of the common platforms could be a good option for your business.

All in all, digital marketing has no fixed approach or eternal rule book to abide by as it’s ever changing with the world around us, so all we can do is focus on our goals and follow the current trends where appropriate.

SEO and interactive content that gives informative and beneficial information to your market is crucial for engagement and maintaining your existing audience.

Dedication to your social media marketing resources and creating your own individual content by your distinctive brand will help to make a difference to your online presence.

We hope that 2021 is a better year for all!

(Images: undraw.co)

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Did you find this 2021 marketing trends blog useful?
Did you find this 2021 marketing trends blog useful?
Did you find this 2021 marketing trends blog useful?
Tagged business, content, customer behaviour, digital, digital marketing, engagement, interactive content, local SEO, lockdown, marketing, marketing evolution, marketing tips, messaging apps, online presence, social content, social media, voice search, voice searches
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