Ed started his Walking the Amazon expedition on 2nd April 2008 and as of today, he’s been walking for 855 days. With the expedition nearing it’s end he realised that he’d soon need a new website if he was to continue to keep his followers up to date with his new adventures.

We’d been lucky enough to work with Ed through The Prince’s Rainforests Project for Schools so we were thrilled when he asked us to come up with a new website for him. In spite of his remote location, the design and build process was pleasantly straightforward and www.edstafford.org was launched yesterday, just in time for Ed’s return to the UK.

It’s not often you get the chance to read about a unique expedition as it happens, so Ed’s blog is highly recommended reading. And for a real taste of life in the rainforest, check out the video gallery at www.walkingtheamazon.com – truly fascinating stuff.

The Blackhope Enigma is about a young girl named Sunni Forrest, who sets out to find and rescue her stepbrother after he accidentally transports himself into a Renaissance painting. The author, Teresa Flavin, is also an artist and the striking book jacket was a web designer’s dream.

The site contains a video from Teresa Flavin, an audio extract from the book and some fantastic material to download including wallpapers, activity sheets, an extract and much more.

There’s also a competition to win a signed copy of the book or even a visit from the author herself!

Visit The Blackhope Enigma to find out more.

The site contains a wealth of information about steampunk, Worldshaker and it’s author Richard Harland, as well as reviews, news and some fantastic additional material including a downloadable extract, book trailer and audio clips.

More about the book

Worldshaker by Richard Harland is a steampunk fantasy adventure set on board the juggernaut Worldshaker, a mobile city as big as a mountain. Ruled by Queen Victoria the Second and commanded by Sir Mormus Porpentine, it moves on rollers over land and across sea. Set in an alternative future, the juggernauts of the great powers roam the face of the globe in a very different Age of Imperialism.

Col is the grandson and nominated heir of the Supreme Commander. He’ll become the most powerful person on the juggernaut when he’s completed his schooling and training. But one night, a girl Filthy from the engine rooms down Below tries to hide in his bedroom. The Filthies are dirty and ragged, never spoken about in polite society—but this one is on the loose and running free.  ‘Don’t let ‘em take me,’ she pleads.

Every rational thought in Col’s head tells him to call the officers and hand her over. Yet there’s something about her…

Visit www.worldshaker.co.uk

Espace has been working with The Prince’s Rainforests Project for over two years now, and an important part of that work was the launch of the new website and online campaign – www.rainforestsos.org. PR company Cake were brought on board to raise awareness of the project and launched a star-studded campaign in October 2009.

It’s estimated that nearly a quarter of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions come from tropical deforestation, so the work of The Prince’s Rainforests Project is incredibly important. Being rather green-minded ourselves, we’ve been extremely privileged to work on the project and Cake’s fantastic PR campaign allowed us to flex even more of our project management and consultancy muscles, so you can imagine how delighted we are that the RainforestSOS campaign has now won the Best use of online PR award at this year’s Revolution Awards!

Congratulations to all our friends at the Project and at Cake, a very well-deserved accolade.

However, if you’re a small business or start up company then the answer is ‘hell, yes’.

It’s estimated that only half of small businesses have a web presence and the reasons most often given are:

1. They consider their business too small to require a website
2. They think their business does well enough through word of mouth and regular advertising channels
3. They are not particularly good with computers and don’t believe they would know how to manage a website

All valid reasons. Until you do a little research that is, or even just think about it logically. Think about your friends, your children, your colleagues… what do they do when they’re looking for the answer to a question? These days the answer, more often than not, will be ‘they look it up on the internet’. And if you consider needing a product or service to be the same as having a question that needs an answer, the same applies.

From a personal point of view, if I need a tradesman or a taxi, a dress or a DVD, a printer or a phone number, I go to the internet. I can’t remember the last time I looked in the phonebook or at the cards in a newsagent’s window (if they even still have them). Yes, I still ask for recommendations from friends, but I will always, always follow that up with a quick search on Google.

There are several reasons why I and everyone else do this:

1. Speed. Web-searching phones and laptops are never far away and by typing in a few words we can get results that could take us days using the phonebook and word-of-mouth method. And let’s face it, by phoning a number in the book you could end up with ANYONE on the doorstep the next day. Which brings me to point 2…
2. Psychology. A clean and functional website speaks volumes to a potential customer, even before they’ve read the content. It says that your company is professional. It says that if you can afford a website, you must be doing well and if the business is doing well, customers must be happy with your work. It’s a quick and easy way to give potential clients the confidence to contact you.
3. Information. While a brochure can provide you with information that a name and number can’t, people don’t go out looking for your brochure. Your leaflet may have popped through the door 3 months ago, but they didn’t need you then so it went straight in the bin. When someone finds you on Google, they’ll click through to your site and read all about your services, your products, your prices and your people, and the beauty of it is, if the client changes their mind, that information will still be there 6 months from now, ready for when they change it back.

Makes sense doesn’t it? And look at what you’re up against. The first web-dependent generation are all grown-up, and the internet is how they find what they need. Can you afford not be where they’re looking?

Packed full of tips, reviews and articles about health, food, education, activities and entertainment, this site aims to provide parents of older children with advice and support – after all, you don’t get all the answers just because your children go to school!

And if you visit often, you’ll see new competitions as and when they’re added, giving you the chance to win some great prizes.

The site was designed and built by Espace Solutions.