Web Design Case Study 1

Client: The George & Dragon Inn, Sandwich, Kent

Brothers Mark and Matthew Philpott took ownership of The George & Dragon Inn, in May 2008. First opened in 1446 and steeped in local history, The George & Dragon Inn offered the brothers a unique business venture and opportunity to return to the town in which they grew up.

Mark, a consummate chef who honed his culinary skills in establishments such as the Georgian Kitchen at Harrods, Leith's and Adam Street…and Matthew, manager of Windleshams' Brickmakers pub, combined their skills to create an unforgettable culinary experience at The George & Dragon.

The brothers needed to ensure branding, web site and literature showcased their food and service, and improved their customer's end to end experience by making it easier access and review their services.

Subsequently, they turned to Shedload Creative for business marketing services.

What We Provided...

Following our proposal Mark & Matt agreed and Shedload Creative implemented the following improvements to help the site move forward in technological terms and increase traffic without losing it's essence of look and feel - two aspects the client absolutely wanted to retain:



  • Optimised site coding to allow even quicker page loading speeds

  • Site compatibility with mobile devices such as iPad, iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones

  • Front page slideshow to centre stage the latest offers and events

  • Twitter & Facebook buttons to allow visitors to research & share experience

  • Google Maps to help customers with directions and details of local services

  • "Top Table" online booking facility for a more streamlined booking experience

  • Integration with Trip Advisor to provide objective visitor restaurant reviews

  • "AddThis" buttons on every page to simplify social media sharing.

  • Google Analytics to measure traffic and keyword trending

  • Enriched content and alternate tags to improve Search Engine Optimisation


These changes greatly improved the site visitor experience and accessibility - in the two months since we launched, the reported average site visits jumped by 50 per cent.

Understanding customer needs is key to Shedload Creative, we focus on creating solutions to help our customers realise business opportunities.

Check out The George & Dragon Inn web site and if you're ever in Sandwich please visit the inn for a truly great atmosphere and dining experience, the beer's not bad either.