Our WebLite package is perfect for the small business or sole trader. It gets your business on the internet very quickly without the need for design discussions with web companies.

Most small businesses simply want a good looking website that is their online brochure. A website that shows what services they offer with photos and contact information. WebLite does all this and much more … including integration with Google to help get your website found on Search Engines.

No website means lost trade. Customers will ask “Can I see your website for more information?” Imagine having to say “Sorry I don’t have one”.

For only £99+vat you create a powerful first impression with an answer like “YES it’s Cats at Batcombe co.uk” a WebLite website published last week.

WebLite lets you easily create your website for your business.

Check out our 2 minute video of a night club in Turkey demonstrating “The Power of WebLite”

Click here to view the embedded video.

WebLite … the perfect website for the new or small business

Those involved within the entertainment and software industries, such as film, music and software producers, have attempted to combat such online piracy by suing random individuals found guilty of illegally sharing copyrighted content.

However, with this approach having seemingly failed in its attempt to deter others from downloading illegally, the United States government sought to introduce two bills, PIPA and SOPA, in an attempt to step up their battle against online piracy.

PIPA (Protect IP Act), a re-written version of a previously failed bill named ‘Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA)’, would have given U.S. corporations and government the power to bring legal action against any website they deemed as committing copyright infringement of U.S. media, whether the culprit was based in the U.S. or not.

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) was a bill introduced to the U.S. government in late 2011, again built from a failed bill, the ‘Pro-IP Act’. SOPA would essentially have been a ‘black list’ of websites deemed guilty of breaking copyright laws. Using SOPA, the US government would have been able to prevent web-based companies – including search engines, advertisers, and DNS providers – from associating with any of the websites on this black list.

Both bills were initially supported by an array of technological giants, including Apple, Intel, Dell and Microsoft. Over time, however, as it became apparent just how much power the U.S. government and corporations would inherit if the bills were passed, companies began to alter their allegiance.

For instance, had PIPA been accepted, the U.S. government and its corporations would have had the power to judge and refuse any new websites that could be deemed as a possible avenue for online piracy, as well as any existing sites.

Say someone decided to upload their own cover version of an existing song to a video sharing website such as YouTube. As that person does not own the copyright to the song, using the powers of PIPA the record label and the U.S. government would be able to force the website to remove the content. If the website did not comply, it would be placed in the SOPA blacklist.

For large sites like YouTube, it would be virtually impossible to constantly check all user content.

To put it simply, if PIPA had been in place when the internet first launched and started to grow, common sites such as Facebook and YouTube simply would not exist. The internet would not be as we have come to know it.

As companies began to realise the drawbacks of both PIPA and SOPA, many began to publicly oppose the bills. Famously, Wikipedia held a ‘blackout’ of its website on Weds 18th Jan 2012, to demonstrate how PIPA and SOPA might have affected the web.

On the same day, an estimated thirteen million people took part in an online protest, along with a further fifty thousand websites taking part in the blackout protest and an estimated three million email messages sent to the U.S. congress.

This, combined with the actions of millions more protesters across the world over the last few weeks, eventually led to a decline in support for the two bills.

Lamar Smith, the lead SOPA representative, has since killed the bill. Additionally, the PIPA vote, which had been scheduled for Tuesday 24th Jan 2012, has been postponed as the U.S. government tries to find a compromise.

One such alternative has already been raised, a new bill entitled ‘Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade’ (OPEN). Whether this is a worthy substitute remains to be seen, but the U.S. government now have a huge task in convincing the world to support it.

Even without SOPA and PIPA, the US government has still been able to shut down the common content-sharing website Megaupload, and arrest its owner. However, as the supporters of PIPA and SOPA have learned, the power of the web and its combined users should not be underestimated.

The cycle ride starts at the North Somerset coastal town of Watchet and finishes 54 miles south east in West Bay, near Bridport on the Dorset coast.

In 2011 the event attracted hundreds of cyclists keen to take on the challenge and raised over £33,000 for the charity.

Somerset Web Services were engaged by DSAA to develop an advanced online registration and payment system that is seamlessly integrated with the DSAA website which we have also developed.

The system is developed in PHP and SQL interfacing with a MySQL database on the (back end) server side with HTML, CSS and advanced javascript technology at the (browser) front end. The system is a sophisticated dynamic form including many features such as individuals, teams, team representatives, T-shirts, drinks bottles, gift aid, donations and online payment via WorldPay.

Social media integration has been added which allows race entrants to very easily publicise they are entering the event with friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. This delivers a powerful feature that helps the charity spread awareness of the event via easy to click buttons.

The system demonstrates the advanced development skills we offer in Somerset Web Services including PHP, e-commerce, javascript, SQL and database management systems. We have a comprehensive development lab with a network of operating systems and development platforms including apache, Microsoft IIS, Windows, UNIX, MySQL, MS-SQL, ORACLE and are able to develop bespoke applications for organisations large and small.

If your business is considering a bespoke application developed around your precise needs, as opposed to a generic off-the-shelf solution, just give us a call on 01823 353760 to explore how we can help deliver your solution.

Somerset Web Services designed and developed a new website (www.creechstmichael.net) free of charge for Creech St Michael in 2006 as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility policy to help organisations and the local community.

The website is continually updated by us with regular news articles, photos, parish council minutes, agendas and new features we have developed such as a very popular Ask A Question section.

In 2007, the website was also awarded the best large village website in Somerset by the Community Council for Somerset.

Search Engines need to recognise web content to do their work properly and return the best set of ordered pages.

Search Engines have become more and more sophisticate since the mid 90’s when most people used search tools like AltaVista. Surprising as it may seem, Google has not been here for ever, it is a relative newcomer as it celebrated its 10^th birthday in September 2008.

There are more than 200 tweaks that websites can implement to ensure Search Engines easily recognise the content on all web pages. By performing these tweaks, and some take only minutes, it ensures a web page will appear higher in Search Engine results than competitor web pages. This is the process known as SEO.

Some people claim it is a process to trick Search Engines to artificially push one website up the results list, or rankings as they are technically known. In practice, the process is no different to any marketing exercise, like advertising a house for sale to ensure it is seen by as many people as possible.

SEO is a specialist exercise and requires a good understanding of the way Search Engines work. Many web companies charge thousands of pounds for performing these tweaks, in some cases for simple fixes that take less than an hour.

Somerset Web Services, based in Taunton, Somerset, are helping businesses across the entire UK with their unique SEO Health Check service. It is a bit like a car MOT where it identifies all the web elements that need attention. It also reassures the business about the elements that don’t need fixing. The business can then decide if they want to fix any problems, either by themselves or by any competent web company.

Nigel Finch, Managing Director of Somerset Web Services, stated “it is quite surprising, every single website we have examined has had fundamental SEO weaknesses that have been easily fixed”.

One business who recently used the Health Check was The Business Property Network which provides a directory of business property for rent or purchase in Somerset and Wiltshire.

Chris Langdon of BPN found the report very useful and commented, “Very impressed with the level of detail that the Health Check went into. It reassured us that our website was optimised well and also gave us some good recommendations to move up the rankings”.

For more information on the SEO Health Check contact Somerset Web Services on 01823 353760

The project to build Hinkley C is gathering pace as the formal application to build the Nuclear Power Station was submitted by EDF Energy on 24th November 2011.

A project of this size, estimated at over £10 billion requires significant investment in the infrastructure in Somerset.

West Somerset and Sedgemoor District Councils recognised the need for an online centralised database of commercial properties available in their respective areas.

Prior to the launch of this new system, there was no single centralised source of property information; there were only disparate lists from various property agents across Somerset and, typically, no online search facility.

The new website provides an up-to-date register of all properties from participating property agents. Advanced search options have been developed that allow filtering by many options including size and type of property, e.g. office, shops or warehousing.

Somerset inward investment company, Into Somerset, co-ordinated the requirements of the two District Councils and engaged software engineering company Somerset Web Services to design and build the system.

Data for the system is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Somerset Chamber of Commerce who can be contacted for more information.

The Hinkley Commercial Property system complements the Hinkley Supply Chain system also built by Taunton-based Somerset Web Services who can be contacted on 01823 353760.

The supply chain system is an important preparation phase for development of new nuclear power stations (the New Nuclear Build) in the UK to address an energy gap from 2020 onwards when many UK power stations are scheduled to close.

Somerset Web Services were awarded the contract by EDF Energy in 2011 to build the National Supply Chain system after successful development and delivery of the regional Supply Chain website for Hinkley Point C in Somerset.

The Hinkley Point C Supply Chain website, developed in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, was launched in January 2011 and now has over 800 local Somerset businesses registered for the supply chain.

Somerset Web Services started design and specification discussions with EDF Energy for the new national system in April 2011.

The system includes advanced moderation and workflow features that allow the procurement teams at EDF Energy and Tier 1 Contractors to easily search and identify suitable companies for engagement in all aspects of the construction process.

The new Supply Chain system allows local, national and international companies to register their interest in engagement for the new nuclear builds. The system also allows service-based support companies to register their ability to provide the wide range of support services required for multi-billion pound infrastructure projects of this magnitude.

The system was built from the ground up by Somerset Web Services and demonstrates their advanced software engineering capabilities of designing and developing corporate management systems.

For more information on bespoke software engineering contact Somerset Web Services on 01823 353760.

National Supply Chain