New Email authentication requirements 2024

New email requirements coming in 2024

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

In October last year, Google, Yahoo and Apple announced a joint effort to combat the deluge of unwanted emails & spam received by their users. Starting from February 2024, they will start enforcing strict authentication requirements on emails that pass …

What is Google Search Console

What is Google Search Console

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

This post is about Google Search Console, a powerful free too for SEO; We will cover Bing Webmaster Tools in a different post. Google Search Console is a vital tool for website owners and SEO professionals. It provides detailed insights …

ecommerce is taking over

Why the Debenhams-Boohoo deal is significant for eCommerce

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

A purely eCommerce business has just bought the UK’s oldest department store chain. Today, it was announced that online-only fashion retailer, Boohoo, has bought the struggling Debenhams chain for around £55million. The news is devastating in many ways, but it is also …

in case of fire, git commit

PHP Developer Job in Bedford

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

We’re looking for full-stack web developers to join our expanding Web Team. We are a full service digital agency, normally based in Bedford’s cultural quarter, but we are all currently working from our respective homes. Our mission is to make …

Scan PayPal QR Code

PayPal Contactless QR Codes

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

PayPal have launched an update that enables people to pay using contactless payments via PayPal QR Code. Customers can safely pay for products or services through the PayPal app on their Smartphones, touch-free, by scanning a QR code linked to …

ecommerce fills the gaps as Shops close during coronavirus lockdown

March 2020 sees highest ever move to eCommerce

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

eCommerce is helping to fill the gaps as physical shops close during coronavirus lockdown. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, online sales (as a proportion of all sales) reached a record high of 22.3% in March 2020. …

eco-search

Is Advertising on Ecosia Worth it?

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

We’re always on the lookout for new opportunities for our clients and big fans of ethical business practice so, when we became aware of Ecosia, a new-ish search platform that donates 80% of their ad profits to environmental charities, we took …

Ratings With Emojis *heart eyes*

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Instagram has created a new twist on the traditional star rating with the ability to use more than stars. Instagram’s Emoji Slider means your followers can rate what you ask them to. As a rule of thumb, usually the higher …

Countdown Clock To Every Event

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Getting your customers hyped up about something new and exciting to do with your business is hard and takes time. Instagram offers a little feature on their stories that makes that slightly easier. A countdown sticker was added to Instagram’s …

Instagram Stories: Tips and Tricks

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

The renowned platform is now the 3rd most popular social media site. Ranking in popularity, Instagram comes just below Facebook and YouTube, according to Dustin Stout, providing a potentially massive reach for your company. The vitality of Instagram is a result of …

Organise Your Stories With Highlights

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

The beauty of Instagram stories is that even once they disappear after their 24 hours is up, Highlights give you the ability to keep your stories up on your profile. This is done by choosing them from your archive and …

Question Time Quiz Sticker

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Instagram’s most recent add to the sticker collection is the quiz sticker. A new fun and relaxed way to interact with your followers that can also help them learn something. Educating your followers could create more trust between you and your customer. …

Put The Poll Into Practise

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

If you don’t know much about them already then read on to find out what Instagram polls are and how to use them for your business. One of the most powerful features that Instagram stories offer is the Instagram poll …

#HowToUseTheHashtag

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Hashtags are a great way to spread your posts beyond your following. Since Instagram first came around in 2010, hashtags have been in its blood. Found on the Instagram explore page is a search button where any Instagram user is …

Let Them Locate You

Narrative IndustriesSearch, Thoughts

Let your followers come and find you by using the Instagram location sticker to tell them where you are. There are many reasons you could want to use this, including to invite your followers to an event, or to show …

Q&A Queries

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

This Instagram feature is commonly used to give your followers the microphone and let them ask you some questions. Social Influencers do it regularly to keep the conversation going between them and their following. You are able to see who …

Photography for Wrangler

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Chris Smith, one of Narrative’s founders, was extremely chuffed when Wrangler, the long-established fashion brand, approached him asking to use some of his photography for their AW17 T-shirt designs. A professional buyer for Wrangler was seeking-out fresh new creative work and stumbled …

eCommerce at Creative Bedfordshire

Narrative IndustriesStrategy, Thoughts

We’ll be talking eCommerce for the small, creative business (with a focus on Shopify), at the Creative Bedfordshire event on 3rd Nov at the Gordon Arms on Castle Road, Bedford. To find out more about what we can do for your business, …

The Value of Experience

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Sometimes it can be tricky to explain why Narrative’s 20+ years of specialist digital experience and expertise can be so powerful when it comes to helping businesses perform better online. Then, today I heard this little anecdote that sums it up …

I love LAMP

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

At Narrative, we work with a lot of Open Source, often referred to as the Linux / Apache / MySQL / PHP (LAMP) stack so, of course, we love LAMP too.

AI generated image of distracting Cat

stop distracting people on your website

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Before we start take a look at that cute cat. While it may have got your initial attention, you’re not so interested in what we have to say now are you? In fact some of you may have already left …

How Cognitive Load Is Costing You Customers

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

No-one likes hassle. If it takes a lot of thought to work something out, then people are far less likely to do it. I don’t imagine thats a revelation to you, but somehow many businesses seem to forget about this when designing …

Google SEO Update Favours Blue Websites

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

SEO 01 April 2016 [ edit: Before reading this, you should probably check the date it was published on – 1st April… OK.. got it?] First it was keywords, then it was inbound links, SSL, social & mobile support and then Accelerated …

AI generated image of Futuristic Robot

We Live in Amazing Times

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

The other day, I noticed a fellow digital peer was having one of those #FirstWorldProblems moments on social media. “My Internet connection is slow.” he posted, before he added “I’m on a plane. A metal tube. At 34,000 ft… I deserve a kick …

Never trust anyone who is passionate about their work

Narrative IndustriesStrategy, Thoughts

[ edit – 02 June 2016 : I stumbled across Google says “Passionate People Don’t Use The P-Word… which summarises parts of Erick Schmidt’s book, How Google Works, suggesting that Google share many of the same concerns as I do about people who claim to …

The problem with cheap

Narrative IndustriesSearch, Thoughts

Despite having wheels and not actually hovering, the Hoverboard has become one of the most-wanted gadgets of 2015. The self-balancing boards that let the rider glide along while standing perfectly still, giving the impression of moving like a vampire,  have become an international …

we are 5

We Are Five

Narrative IndustriesSearch, Thoughts

On 1st October 2015, Narrative celebrated our fifth birthday and five years of helping businesses achieve more online. So much has changed in the five years since we set-up our digital agency in Bedford, including a name change (we used to be …

Getting your tone right

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

The video clip plays a selection of famous Horror & TV themes. The notes are unchanged but have been shifted to a Major Key instead, providing a very literal illustration of how a simple change of tone can transform how something comes …

Google Alphabet

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

A few days ago Google announced it was splitting off into a holding company, called Alphabet, and sub sections for search, advertising, R&D, etc. Everyone has an opinion about it but the day I am qualified to give Google business …

The OED gets more responsive

Narrative IndustriesNews, Strategy, Thoughts

People can be averse to change, even when that change is necessary & inevitable. The recent news that the Oxford English Dictionary is adding twitterati and meh have caused a bit of a fuss on the interweb because of this aversion to change, however …

Shopify for Charities

Shopify for Charities

Narrative IndustriesStrategy, Thoughts

The Technology Trust is offering charities a cut-price deal on Shopify, the cheap & powerful eCommerce platform, so we thought it was a good time to pass on some of what we’ve learned building successful eCommerce sites with Shopify. The Technology …

A Record Breaking Thank You

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Like most digital agencies, we occasionally provide our web consultancy services to small community projects, non-profits & third sector organisations for free. Doing pro bono work is, generally, reward enough in itself but agencies are made-up of people and that’s why …

Branding for Films

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Convergent Evolution occurs in nature when two species evolve along similar paths because it’s most practical solution to survival. One of many examples is the aye-aye lemur and the striped possum which both have one elongated finger used to get insects …

re-marketing hell - ai generated

Re-Marketing Hell

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

If you dare to visit a website and look for a product, e.g. a Slow Cooker or some car tyres, for next week or so afterwards you might notice that you’re being stalked by adverts for slow cookers and car …

The ubiquitous internet

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

The internet is disappearing and that’s mostly a good thing. When I first got my hands on a modem, back in 1995, and connected my computer to the Information Superhighway it was a fiddly and unreliable process. I used a …

Get Rik Mayall to Number 1

Narrative IndustriesSocial, Thoughts

Many of us of a certain age were deeply saddened by the passing of Rik Mayall. His appearances in such iconic shows as A Kick Up The Eighties, The Young Ones and Blackadder, to name a few, shaped our formative …

Eugene Goostman is Human

Narrative IndustriesNews, Thoughts

Eugene Goostman is a 13 year old boy… or, at least, that’s what a number of people in a test at the Royal Society in central London believed. In fact  Eugene Goostman is an artificial intelligence programme which managed to …

Is It Safe?

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

After Heartbleed comes news that eBay got hacked, once again prompting us to change our passwords to something more secure and wonder if there was anything embarrassing in our watchlists. According to Reuters report on the eBay hacking, all the passwords …

Spell-Check

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

I came across this little ditty which, apparently, was written in the early days of spell-checker. It’s a fun reminder of the continued need for humans to think about what they write and not rely on technology too much. Eye …

SEO Tips for Small Businesses

Narrative IndustriesMarketing, Search, Thoughts

Search Engine Optimisation is one of the fundamentals of any digital strategy but SEO specialists can be expensive so, as a web consultancy, we’re regularly asked what small business owners can do for themselves. We put together the following short …

The Digital Week

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

A quick round-up of stuff we liked on the interweb this week, including M&S, Glassholes, Being interesting, virtual changing rooms, and lots of data… but first: We’re giving a talk at Bedford College! It’s on 26th Feb, about the Connected …

The Digital Week

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

If you look at one thing this week WTF Is My Twitter Bio (NSFW) Crafting an interesting, relevant Twitter bio has never been easy. They can enviable, insightful or a source of cringeworthy hilarity (and not always intentionally), and this …

Creative Domains

Narrative IndustriesNews, Strategy, Thoughts

  Having a memorable domain name is one of the recommended requirements of a decent website but you might have noticed that almost every domain name you can think of has already been taken. The problem is that there was …

The Digital Week

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Here’s a quick round-up of what’s been keeping us interested in the Narrative (previously THBOOM!) studio, this week: The Shock of the New. Sometimes we can put too much emphasis something new and misinterpret its popularity amongst the digerati as a sign …

Come With Me If You Want To Live

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of people are talking about Google’s sale of Motorola to Lenovo but that’s not what’s interesting. The sell-off is really just Google having a clear-out and the word-on-the-street is that they were going to put …

The Digital Week

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

A quick round-up of what we liked on the web this week, ending 24th July. Conference Call If you’ve ever had to endure conference calls, this video that’s been doing the rounds this week  will bring a smile to your …

Free Font for Climate Groups

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

We consult for a number of cleantech businesses, providing digital strategy, branding & development and, while this particular idea doesn’t apply to us, we really loved the concept behind it. Matthew Anderson is a typographer at  350.org, a grassroots climate …

The Digital Week

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

A highly subjective selection of things we found, were sent and generally liked on the web this week, ending 17th January 2014. Nest Eggs This week’s big news has been Google’s purchase of Nest for 3.2 Billion USD. It’s not …

Android & Apple In Your Car

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

First came Microsoft with Windows Embedded Automotive… but it never really got started (see what I did there?). Then, last summer, Apple announced iOS in the Car and this week at CES, Google have  announced deals to bring their Android operating system to …

Hummingbird. Did you notice what Google did there?

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

What is Hummingbird? At the end of September Google announced that it had started using a new search algorithm, which it has named “Hummingbird”. Interestingly at the time Google made it public Hummingbird had already been running for about a …

Amazon eCommerce

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

Amazon have announced a new service to help small businesses take payments online. The catchily titled “Login and Pay with Amazon” is a new payment gateway that enables businesses to take payments from anyone with an Amazon account, and there’s …

Narrative Web Consultancy

The end of organic keyword data?

Narrative IndustriesMarketing, Thoughts

Well, you could certainly call this big news for SEO. Google is now redirecting ALL traffic to https. This means that all search terms will now be encrypted, even for users who are not signed in, which means that Google …

Shopify extends into POS

Narrative IndustriesStrategy, Thoughts

We’ve used several eCommerce solutions over the years but have been very impressed with newcomer Shopify. Shopify provides a low-cost entry point into eCommerce; for as little as £20 per month you can get a fully functional, very respectable, easy to use …

How Much Horse Is In Your Website?

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

You may have seen a little flurry of activity recently when some horse meat found it’s way into beef ready meals. This happened because manufacturers of ready-meals wanted to sell cheaper products which, in turn, led to squeezing the supply …

Congratulations Tom!

Narrative IndustriesNews, Thoughts

We’d like to congratulate Tom Rand (one of our clients) for being awarded the Outstanding Commitment to the Environment Award at this year’s Earth day Gala Dinner.

The Connected Customer is Here

Narrative IndustriesMarketing, Social, Strategy, Thoughts

The connected customer isn’t just about technologies or whether you have a mobile-friendly website, it’s about radical changes in consumer behaviour & expectations that impact on your business model.

Facebook Home

Narrative IndustriesSocial, Thoughts

We all wanted to see a Facebook Phone or Facebook OS because it’s big and exciting and we like the shiny things but what they’ve actually done is much, much cleverer and far more likely to cane your data plan.

Jon Burgerman's Facebook app

Importance of Design

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

When you need to think about accessibility, SEO, conversion optimisation, content hierarchy and a dozen other factors, is design too important to be left to designers?

HTML Banners

Narrative IndustriesThoughts

HTML5 set to replace Flash on banner adverts.