On top of designing and developing websites for large corporations inLIFEDesign often does a few sideline websites for local businesses. Although when it comes to smaller or new businesses a lot have no target on the web and simply just want to ‘be online’

An online presence is important more now than ever with more and more taking to google over the yellow pages, and if local companies don’t catch up they are going to fall behind. Yet at the same time getting a website can be confusing and often too expensive when all some companies want is a place on google.

This is where the idea for ws7.co.uk was born. With an essence of ‘charity starts at home’ the scheme is only available for local business in and around the Burntwood area (ws7 postcode) allowing not only business but the community to start their own basic website for free, no charge, easy log in and edit area with submission to search engines and your own domain name eg. yourname.ws7.co.uk.

The website stores an online business directory as well as local news, events and more. Funded through advertising WS7.co.uk allows users to get a website up and running in seconds, as well as advanced options to ‘go pro’ and get more themes and web space.

The local paper loved the idea and did a quick telephone / email interview to run the story.. ‘Free Web-Wizardry from the master’

Visit : WS7.co.uk for more information on getting a free website if you live in the Burntwood area.

I studied at staffordshire university, where I did an honours degree in Computing Science and web design, but when it come to finding a years work placement as part of the course in web design all the jobs were in London. Having a 1 year old daughter at the time this wasnt feasable, and back then there were simply NO web design firms in the midlands in and around Lichfield, Rugely, Brownhills, Cannock or anywhere around the outskirts of Birmingham (besides small and basic bedroom designers). So instead got a job working for IBM in stoke on trent doing I.T support.

When leaving university it was then difficult to get a job in web design with the only in-house experience coming from I.T support, so I went on to work as I.T support and programmer at iSoft. Whilst here at home i continued to work on websites for friends and family until I finally managed to get my foot in the door as Junior web designer at Phones4u. The head designer quickly left and I soon took on the role as well as outsourcing work and microsites for their sponsors such as 50Cent, FIFA and Takethat when they relaunched. Here I also did a huge project in Search engine optimisation and was solely responsible for their rise up the search engine rankings, which has since dropped since I have left I may add.

This is when the Job as web designer at Staffordshire university came about, the website needed a overhaul and shakeup so what better to take on an ex graduate to do the job. I worked at Staffs uni full time for a year however was met with a lot of red tape from an I.T team who had been working there years, so the website would never be able to go in the direction it needed.

This is when by chance I spotted the web design job going at VIBE audio www.vibeaudio.co.uk not only were cars my first passion but also this was a chance to re-design a site from scratch with exciting new opportunities and forward thinking that the website needed. The VIBE site was entirely my own project, as well as sister sites such as www.edgecaraudio.com www.fliaudio.com www.midbass.com and then the continuous updating, analytics, search engine optimisation and online marketing.

I am David Whitehouse, founder, director and head designer. I studied at Staffordshire University in 2000, home of Europe’s largest computer room! Here I did an honours degree in Computing Science and web design, but when it come to finding a years work placement as part of the course in web design all the jobs were in London. Having a 1 year old daughter at the time this wasn’t feasible, and back then there were simply NO web design firms in the midlands in and around Lichfield, Rugely, Brownhills, Cannock or anywhere around the outskirts of Birmingham (besides small and basic bedroom designers). So instead got a job working for IBM in Stoke-On-Trent doing I.T support.

When leaving university it was then difficult to get a job in web design with the only in-house experience coming from I.T support, so I went on to work as I.T support and programmer at iSoft. Whilst here at home i continued to work on websites for friends and family until I finally managed to get my foot in the door as Junior web designer at Phones4u. The head designer quickly left and I soon took on the role as well as outsourcing work and micro-sites for their sponsors such as 50Cent, FIFA and TakeThat when they relaunched. Here I also did a huge project in Search engine optimisation and was solely responsible for their rise up the search engine rankings, which has since dropped since I have left I may add.

This is when the Job as web designer at Staffordshire university came about, the website needed a overhaul and shakeup so what better to take on an ex graduate to do the job. I worked at Staffs uni full time for a year however was met with a lot of red tape from an I.T team who had been working there years, so the website would never be able to go in the direction it needed.

This is when by chance I spotted the web design job going at VIBE audio www.vibeaudio.co.uk not only were cars my first passion but also this was a chance to re-design a site from scratch with exciting new opportunities and forward thinking that the website needed. The VIBE site was entirely my own project, as well as sister sites such as www.edgecaraudio.com www.fliaudio.com www.midbass.com and then the continuous updating, analytics, search engine optimisation and online marketing.

I have always created website on the side for people, and have always seen offers they have had from others creating seriously bad coding, old websites that wont work on all browsers, terrible looking designs and templates as well as the silly prices they have been quoted for these! The problem is any tom dick or harry could make a quick website from a tutorial or copying a downloaded template, the same as anyone could change the head gasket on your car via the same means.. and talking from experience ive had the head gasket changed by a mate on the cheap in the past, it ended up costing me twice as much. So you can see the analogy.

Yet while these cowboys are at work at the same time big design firms are charging a fortune as well as taking months. This is why I transformed my personal business in to inLIFE Design.. to find the happy medium! Quality work but not at daft prices, working alongside other friends and trusted pro designers and programmers to bring high quality to a much needed industry.

Now inLIFE has quickly expanded to home in on other business related and much needed media to produce an entire business ID with everything from business cards, fliers, brochures and menus to flash banners, micro sites, intranets, re-designs and more.

The web is a fast moving market, so when just over 12 months ago I saw augmented reality coming into play, I moved quickly.. began to teach myself this new medium and now inLIFE will be launching a new service coming soon set to shake up the industry again, merging print and web together in a way never before seen. Exciting stuff, watch this space.. literally