Reflecting on the year, a SimpleClick review of 2022

By Naomi Worden 23rd December 2022
Review of 2022 - Graphic of person and calendar
As 2022 comes to an end, we take a moment to look back at a busy year for SimpleClick.

Our 2022 highlights

Full of new client projects as well as many pandemic-postponed projects for existing clients. There are far too many to include everything!

January

New year, new projects!

We started the year by kicking off a host of new Doddle and WordPress client projects.

It was the first monthly release of the year for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to launch new Doddle features and front end web changes.

February

New features were developed for Doddle Shop to support new client requirements.

We completed the integration with an internal booking system and payment processing for the My Cruises area of the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines website.

March

I completed my Entrepreneurs Forge mini MBA Programme at the University of Suffolk Business School, which focused on business growth. It was a great opportunity to work alongside other Suffolk businesses and make new connections as well as learn from an expert team of lecturers and guest speakers, all supported by a business growth coach.

Completed final go live checks on client websites before deployments next month.

April

As a long-term trusted partner of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines we were welcomed on board Balmoral for a 2-night test cruise as she prepared to recommence sailing following the pandemic. This was a great opportunity for the team to experience cruising as well as see some of our onboard systems in action.  

Mackenzie King, an independent finance and accountancy recruitment consultancy launched their new website, showcasing animation effects that can be achieved with Doddle CMS.

We launched an updated WordPress site for Security Everywhere.

The team took part in a Clarity 4D personality workshop to help us all understand individual profiles.

Members of our marketing team attended Brighton SEO online.

May

We’re not suggesting that your website needs to necessarily undergo a complete overhaul, but making small and regular changes in line with the latest trends can help to keep your site looking modern and effective at conversions.

We’d suggest that you ensure your contact details are clearly visible throughout the site, key information is placed above the fold and a quick contact form is provided. These are just a few simple ways to increase conversions through UX alone.

Not only should you be considering how your website looks on desktop, it is vital that it looks good on mobile too. With mobile use being at an all-time high, it’s imperative that you have a mobile-friendly website. We’d suggest that you take a look at your website on various handsets and browse each page to make sure you are encouraging customers to take the actions you want them to make.

June

Kerrymaid was onboarded as a client. It's great to be working with such a well-known brand in a sector that we have worked with before.

We were invited watch the live stream of the Design Business Association Design Effective Awards where the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines tactical web improvements project we implemented won a silver award.

July

Vint-tro car enthusiast website featuring a shop, blog and third party referral network went live. Vint-tro said "I must say Doddle is easily the best CMS I have ever used! Thank you!"

I was officially promoted to the role of Project Director. I was invited to discuss how I'm looking to pave the way for other aspiring women entering the tech world with a feature in the Suffolk Director magazine.

After a busy first half of the year, the team got together with their families for a summer barbeque. It was great opportunity for everyone to let their hair down, enjoy the sunshine and play garden games.

August

We implemented our new internal helpdesk system to allow greater flexibility in creating and monitoring projects.

An automated system for handling card transactions on board cruise ships was delivered.

This month also saw wedding bells with Director Rich and Marketing Manager Jules tying the knot.

September

Nick and Marie joined our developer team to help deliver client projects, including a website refresh project for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines by the end of the year.

Another team competition - this time it was a go karting night at Anglian Go Karting. Sam wasn't there to defend his title, however Matt was pleased to redeem himself from his poor performance axe throwing!

A Proof of Concept app for a new and exciting social media platform was delivered.

October

Brighton Centre located on Brighton Sea front

Jules and I attended two days of in-person talks at Brighton SEO. Having had our tickets rescheduled during the pandemic, it was great to be able to experience the event as it was intended. There was so much to learn and take in but you can read the key takeaways from the event to find out more.

After months of work, we sucessfully delivered a redesigned and rebuilt online consumer booking engine for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

We started work for a new client, Woop Hub. We are excited about launching their new website in January 2023.

November

This month SimpleClick turned 14 and we celebrated with a team lunch and some bubbles. Things have certainly changed over the last 14 years; the team has grown, we have an impressive portfolio of clients, we raise money for local charities through Do Good Networking and now have 2 office dogs!

Following a successful trial, we adopted a 9-day fortnight policy; a fantastic employee perk and wholeheartedly welcomed by the team!

Phase one of the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines website design refresh went live.

December

A long-term Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines integration project for their inhouse reservation system was delivered.

We completed the final live deployment of the year for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, to implement further design refresh updates.

The team went out for a non-traditional Thai Christmas meal and drinks in town to celebrate a successful and busy 2022.

A homepage redesign project was delivered for an agency client.

Developed an event management and payment system.

Other highlights include:

 

  • Networking events including Do Good, ITFC Suffolk Punch, Ipswich Suffolk Business Club, PUB, Ormiston, BITA and many more.
  • Regular new feature deployments for a number of clients.
  • On boarding new managed hosting clients.
  • Ongoing management and maintenance for WordPress clients including upgrades to WordPress, plugin updates, security and vulnerability patches with full end-to-end testing and deployment.
  • Analytics reporting and analysis.
  • Implementing Google Analytics 4 across client websites.
  • Technical SEO reporting, site audits and recommendations for various clients.
  • 7 successful Do Good events raising over £1,000 for local charities.