read all about it!

Cravenplan Computers has featured regularly in the local press as we are a high-profile company with many local connections. We have always focused on good relations with local businesses and have made many friends (both personally and professionally) through our free seminars. For some years Chris Stanbury also contributed regular articles to The Salisbury Journal.

To find out more, read these articles.

Shop Watch - November 2009

FOR many businesses, an online presence can be the difference between make and break, especially during a recession when fewer people are inclined to hit the high street, perhaps for fear of spending too much.
Proof that demand for web services is buoyant comes from Cravenplan Computers Ltd, of Swallowcliffe, whose managing director Chris Stanbury says that 2009 has so far been an "exceptional year".
It has exceeded all his expectations, he says, and adds: "Not only are we celebrating our 25th birthday this year, but several of our web clients have now been with us for 10 years. These include Bush Farm Bison Centre at West Knoyle, Jacqueline Flexney-Briscoe, a Shaftesbury and Harley Street-based physiotherapist, and Tav Engineering, based in Christchurch."
Chris Stanbury decided early in the year, in conjunction with his team, to set an ambitious target of gaining 25% more new search engine optimisation (SEO) clients this year. So far they have achieved almost a 30% increase and the pace is still increasing.
He says: "We decided to set our sights high this year as a challenge during the recession and through emplying various marketing tactics we have achieved a great deal."
This means that Cravenplan has 100 clients currently on its books, the latest of which is Virginia Hayward, the hamper company, of Stour Row.
As a result of this increase in work, the company has recruited one new full-time member of staff to the SEO team, Lara Ball, who started earlier this month, and is looking to recruit another experienced SEO specialist soon.
Chris founded Cravenplan in London in 1984, providing programming services to businesses, and later sold computer hardware and software.
Over the years the company has evolved and changed with the times and in 1997 he moved the entire operation to Swallowcliffe, near the Wiltshire-Dorset border, along with all the staff.
These days the company designs bespoke websites, but the main core of its business is the search engine optimisation. This is a relatively new field within the computer industry and focuses on improving the position of websites within the search engines.
Employing the correct tactics and strategies for a website can virtually guarantee higher visitor numbers and therefore sales.
Sean Dominey is the head of SEO services at Cravenplan.
Call him on 01747 858000 to find out more or go to the interestingly named website www.befoundordie.com.

 

Cravenplan beats the Recession - October 2009

2009 has been an exceptional year so far for Cravenplan Computers Limited. The local firm based in Swallowcliffe has exceeded all Managing Director Chris Stanbury’s expectations ‘Not only are we celebrating our 25th birthday this year, but several of our web clients have now been with us for 10 years including Bush Farm Bison Centre at West Knoyle, Jacqueline Flexney-Briscoe, a Shaftesbury and Harley Street based Physiotherapist and Tav Engineering, based in Christchurch.’

Mr Stanbury decided early on in the year, in conjunction with his team, to set an ambitious target of gaining 25% more new Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) clients this year and so far they have achieved almost a 30% increase and don’t intend to stop there. Mr Stanbury said ‘We decided to set our sights high this year as a challenge during the recession and through employing various marketing tactics we have achieved a great deal.’ This has also meant that the company also has 100 clients currently on its books.

As a result of this increase in work, Cravenplan Computers have already recruited 1 new full time member of staff to the Search Engine Optimisation team, Lara Ball, who started with them in October 2009, and they are looking to recruit another experienced Search Engine specialist in the near future to further complement the team that they already have.

Cravenplan Computers was founded in 1984 by Chris Stanbury in London providing programming services to businesses and later sold computer hardware and software. Over the years the company has evolved and changed with the times and in 1997 he moved the entire operation to Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire along with all the staff. These days the company designs bespoke web sites, but the main core of its business is the Search Engine Optimisation carried out by its team of dedicated specialists.

Search Engine Optimisation is a relatively new field within the computer industry and focuses on improving the position of web sites within the search engines. Our statistics show that sites that have SEO have over 14X the number of visitors than sites that do not. Did you know that more than 95% of people searching on the web do not go further than the first page of rankings? and that the difference between the number 1 and number 2 position can mean a difference of over 50% more visitors? By employing the correct tactics and strategies for your site you are virtually guaranteeing higher visitor numbers and therefore sales through your web site.

For more information about SEO please call Sean Dominey, Head of SEO Services at Cravenplan on 01747 858000 or visit our website www.befoundordie.com

 

Cravenplan thrives in the Recession - September 2009

Whilst many companies are suffering at the moment due to the recession Cravenplan Computers, based in Swallowcliffe, are bucking the trend. Setting themselves a challenge they decided early on in the year to increase their turnover by 25% before the end of December.

They consulted several local marketing companies for their expertise in April and their latest client, Virginia Hayward, based in Stour Row, has taken them over that 25% target - and we are only in September. In preparation for their marketing efforts they reviewed their client history and discovered that their average client has been with them an impressive 4 years. Not bad going as Search Engine Optimisation has only been around for about 10 years.

To increase their turnover this successfully they did not employ any magical tricks but improved on what they were doing already. To get a website high in the search engine rankings takes time and skill employing a range of different techniques to achieve the best possible results - especially as the search engines often change their parameters, so what may be successful one month might not work the following month. Did you know that more than 95% of people searching on the web do not go further than the first page of rankings? and that the difference between the number 1 and number 2 position can mean a difference of over 50% more visitors?

By employing Cravenplan and their team of dedicated Search Engine Optimisation experts, Virginia Hayward are ensuring that as their website improves its listing in the search engines they will see an increase of customers and therefore sales.

For more information about SEO please call Sean Dominey, Head of SEO Services at Cravenplan on 01747 858000 or visit our website www.befoundordie.com

 

Dragons den and web-writing workshop - cutting from October 30th 2008

NEXT Thursday there is the chance to attend a workshop and a seminar. Solicitors Bonallack & Bishop of Salisbury are hosting V-Den, a "Dragons' Den" workshop for fast-track business owners, and Cravenplan Computers of Swallowcliffe a free seminar, entitled Writing for the Web.

V-Den will be held at the Grasmere House Hotel in Harnham and the seminar at Cravenplan's Offices in Swallowcliffe. The V-Den workshop has been devised by the BowShot Vector Group, a group for aspiring entrepreneurs in Dorset and Hampshire.

Tim Bishop, Bonallack and Bishop senior partner, said: "BowShot Vector has been running successful V-Dens in Dorset for some time and I am really pleased to run a second event in Salisbury with them.

"The first V-Den we held in Wiltshire proved to be a very exciting event and those who attend should expect to be challenged, entertained and informed."

V-Den runs from 8.30am until 11.30am and anyone wishing to attend should e-mail caroline.skutt@bishopslaw.com

Writing for the Web begins at 1pm and offers tips on how to produce compelling content for a website. To book a place phone 01747 858005 or visit www.cravenplan.co.uk/seminar.htm

 

Two new staff for Cravenplan Computers

WEB design and search engine company Cravenplan Cromputers has appointed two new staff members in a job sharing role as administrators.

Kandi Eden, an art college graduate, is working part-time while talking a homeopathy course, and Sorrel Buchanan, who has run a music photography website business and worked in administration in a language school, have joined the Swallowcliffe company. Managing director Chris Stanbury said: "I have been looking for some time to find the right people to carry out all the many administrative jobs that an expanding company like ours needs and am delighted to welcome Kandi and Sorrel to Cravenplan."

 

Quiz boost for Hope and Homes for Children

It was a case of "hair today, gone tomorrow" when Chris Stanbury of Cravenplan Computers had his beard shaved off and his hari cut in aid of Salisbury-based charity Hope and Homes for Children at a quiz evening at Salisbury Arts Centre.

This was an amazing sacrifice for Chris, the new chairman of the charity's support group, who has never been without a beard since he was a boy. His sacrifice has already raised more than £6,000 in sponsorship.

Hope and Homes for Children specialises in tracing relatives for abandoned children in war torn countries, or if this is unsuccessful, finding family homes for these orphans. The charity aims to make the most of the donations and contributions it receives, not only directly but also by taking care to use local labour and committed local people, thus avoiding the corruption that can often be associated with work in deprived areas of the world - 87% of the money raised is sent to the countries they work in. Hope and Homes for Children was founded in 1994 by Mark and Caroline Cook. Mark, then the British UN Commander in Croatia, left his 30 year army career after making a promise to help 60 children living under bombardment in the cellar of their destroyed orphanage. The charity has now expanded to provide support to families and children right across Eastern Europe, into Africa and further afield.

Communities get the chance to make a mark on the world wide web

Voluntary groups, charities, individuals and small businesses can now create their own website free of charge, thanks to Wiltshire Community Web.

Kennet, North Wiltshire and West Wiltshire district councils have followed Salisbury District Council and signed up to Neighbourhood Web, a software tool that enables anyone to develop a website in less than one hour.

The launch of the Community Web in Wiltshire is part of the e-government scheme, a programme designed to encourage the public to use the web to communicate with, and access information from, their local authority.

Neighbourhood Web was designed by Cravenplan Computers of Swallowcliffe.

Managing director Chris Stanbury said: "I am confident the programme will be a huge success and will establish Wiltshire as an excellent example to other local authorities who are seeking to encourage greater use of on-line communications."

Sharon Leney, of Community First, the organisation that is managing the programme for Wiltshire, said: "We are very excited about the whole programme and are looking forward to having hundreds of sites developed within our community web over the coming months.

"The idea is simple - to allow local groups, individuals and small businesses the chance to build and maintain websites for free and provide a single place in which a range of community sites can link and be easily found."

The site can be found at www.wiltshirecommunityweb.org.uk.

South Wilts Business Expo 2006