A Shropshire-based HR consultancy has launched a new website which is already helping to generate more business in the ongoing recovery from Covid.
Kay Heald HR, based at Admaston, was supported through funding from Telford & Wrekin Council’s 1-2-1 Consultancy Programme via Marches Growth Hub, while the redesign and build of the website was carried out by Newport-based digital marketing specialists Ascendancy.
The project also marked an important milestone for Ascendancy’s Tom Mitchell, the son of company director Helen Culshaw, with the completion of his first full website as a web developer.
Kay Heald has been running her HR consultancy for more than 16 years and specialises in providing HR and employment support to micro and family businesses, as well as small UK subsidiaries, in and around Shropshire.
“My website has always been an important part of my marketing mix, providing information and resources to not only my clients but business contacts and potential clients,” she said. “I think of my website as my virtual ‘shop window’, so it is important for me to create a good first impression to my target audiences.
“Up until early 2020, face-to-face networking was integral to my marketing, but since the pandemic I have had to rely more heavily on my website to help with the generation and nurturing of new leads. My website was approaching seven years old and although it had worked well for me, there were a number of design features that were out-of-date and the design was looking tired and a bit old fashioned.
“Like many others, the pandemic had a negative effect on my business and therefore funding a new website was not something I felt I could either justify or afford, but thanks to the Growth and Recovery Programme I was able to apply for and receive 1-2-1 consultancy funding to redesign and update my WordPress website.
“I had an initial briefing with Jon and Tom from Ascendancy who listened to my ideas and discussed how the website could be refreshed and updated. I was really impressed with the way Jon interpreted my ideas and enhanced them to introduce complementary colour changes and design features to refresh my branding.
“Once Jon had helped redesign the look, Tom took on the build and the unenviable task of translating the new design to hundreds of pages of content and blogs.
“I have been really impressed with Ascendancy’s speed and efficiency and how seamlessly they launched the new website. I’m delighted with the new look and I’ve already received some lovely feedback. I feel confident the new website will not only help me generate new business but evolve with me over the coming years.”
Tom joined the Ascendancy team as a Junior Web Developer in 2021 after studying IT at college. His mother, Helen, said: “He already has great WordPress skills and is learning the trade through working on some of our simpler websites and dealing with support queries.
“The Growth and Recovery Programme is not only doing an excellent job in supporting businesses in the Telford area but is also providing opportunities for learners like Tom. Kay’s website build was a great project to be involved with and we are delighted that she is happy with the results.”
Erica Sherry, Business Engagement Officer at Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “The consultancy programme provided fully funded specialist support to Telford businesses, enabling them to grow and become more resilient. The programme was delivered by the Enterprise Telford Team at Telford & Wrekin Council.”
For more about Kay Heald HR, call 01952 246612, email kay@kayhealdhr.co.uk or visit https://www.kayhealdhr.co.uk/
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