The Bureau
UK > South East > East Grinstead
Specialist Web designers for insurance and financial companies
Promotional and quote and buy transactional Websites for insurance and financial companies. Website marketing, optimisation and Web hosting facilities.
Clients and Projects
Industry Sectors:
Financial & Legal
Tends to work with:
Private Companies, Corporations / Public Companies
General location of clients: UK
Latest Project
The Clear Group
Commercial Insurance services with specialist expertise in selected sectors including Property, Professions, Business Risks and Private Clients based in Surrey.
What We Have Achieved
Latest Review
1 July 2011
Stacy Blute at R G Ford Insurance Brokers Limited
Our website was designed by 'The Bureau' in 2008. It was a very seamless process, Alastair took on board our design requests and incorporated them into the finished product. Alastair has been extremely...
read more
Interview
WWDC:
Describe your company in 5 words.
The Bureau:
”Designers of insurance Websites”
WWDC:
Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
The Bureau:
”Ten years in this business is a very long time but I envisage it will be looking after the same target audience delivering features and functions that are a little ahead of their time for the audience.”
WWDC:
How was your company name chosen?
The Bureau:
”By Alastair Murray wanting a name that was a little unusual but could be associated with marketing and Website design”
What We Do?
- Content and Copy
- Hosting
- Online Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Development
- Branding
- Design
Technologies Used:
(X)HTML, msSQL, PHP, XML, , JavaScript, CSS, Flash, Java, mySQL, PERL/CGI,
CMS Used:
Open Source
We provide different types from simple text only editors to text, images and hyper and PDF document links. Each client will have their own password protect editor URL tailored to one or a selection of their Website pages.
Company Overview
Languages Spoken:
English
No. of Employees: 1-5
Established: 1999
Joined WWDC: 20 July 2009
The Clear Group
- Content and Copy
- Hosting
- Online Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Development
Commercial Insurance services with specialist expertise in selected sectors including Property, Professions, Business Risks and Private Clients based in Surrey.
Languages: N/A
Project type: Content Managed
Organisation category: Private Company
Industry: Financial & Legal
Content managed (CMS): Yes
CMS Description: Bespoke for editing page content, images and links
Online Payment System: Web based payments using Sage Pay systems
Number of people who worked on this project: 1
Technologies used: (X)HTML, CSS, Flash, Java, JavaScript, mySQL, PERL/CGI, PHP, XML
Completion date: October 2010 (on-going)
R A Insurance Brokers Limited
- Branding
- Content and Copy
- Design
- Hosting
- Online Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Development
Based in Croydon Surrey offering a range of competitive commercial insurance products for busineses in the Motor trade industry, property owners, construction, hotels and guest houses, manufacturing and wholesale, care homes, fleets and pharmaceutical companies
Languages: English
Project type: Content Managed
Organisation category: Private Company
Industry: Financial & Legal
Content managed (CMS): Yes
CMS Description: N/A
Online Payment System: N/A
Number of people who worked on this project: 2
Technologies used: Flash, (X)HTML, Java, JavaScript, mySQL, PHP, XML
Completion date: September 2010 (on-going)
Lorica Insurance Brokers
- Content and Copy
- Hosting
- Online Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Development
As a company with a national presence Lorica Insurance Brokers can arrange business insurance for companies of all sizes in the UK and Internationally. The company also insures high value homes and possession for their high net worth private clients
Languages: English
Project type: Content Managed
Organisation category: Private Company
Industry: Financial & Legal
Content managed (CMS): No
CMS Description: Not Yet
Online Payment System: Not Yet
Number of people who worked on this project: 2
Technologies used: (X)HTML, msSQL, PHP, XML, None
Completion date: June 2010 (on-going)
Realty Insurances Ltd
- Hosting
- Online Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Development
General insurance brokerage based in Central London providing high quality insurance serviecs to private and business clients with particualr attention paid to property insurance
Languages: English
Project type: Content Managed
Organisation category: Corporation / Public Company
Industry: Financial & Legal
Content managed (CMS): Yes
CMS Description: Bespoke software for our clients
Online Payment System: Yes available using Sage Pay
Number of people who worked on this project: 2
Technologies used: (X)HTML, Java, JavaScript, mySQL, PHP
Completion date: December 2009 (on-going)
Crystal Insurance Brokers
Based in North London Crystal Insurance Brokers are well established commercial brokers offering a braod range of competitive insurance in mnay business sectors
Languages: English
Project type: Basic (Static)
Organisation category: Private Company
Industry: Financial & Legal
Content managed (CMS): No
CMS Description: N/A
Online Payment System: N/A
Number of people who worked on this project: 1
Technologies used: (X)HTML, JavaScript, PHP
Completion date: September 2009
Let Insurance Services
- Content and Copy
- Design
- Hosting
- Online Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Development
Let property insurer insuring buildings, contents, landlords and tenants in UK
Languages: English
Project type: E-commerce
Organisation category: Private Company
Industry: Financial & Legal
Content managed (CMS): No
CMS Description: N/A
Online Payment System: Yes- Sagepay
Number of people who worked on this project: 2
Technologies used: CSS, Flash, (X)HTML, Java, JavaScript, mySQL, PERL/CGI, PHP, , XML
Completion date: July 2008 (on-going)
Diveinsure
- Branding
- Hosting
- Online Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Development
Specialist insurer providing insurance for Padi approved scuba divers and scuba diving instructors and centres
Languages: English
Project type: E-commerce
Organisation category: Private Company
Industry: Financial & Legal
Content managed (CMS): No
CMS Description: N/A
Online Payment System: Yes - Sagepay
Number of people who worked on this project: 1
Technologies used: CSS, Flash, (X)HTML, Java, JavaScript, mySQL, PHP, , XML
Completion date: May 2007 (on-going)
Reviews
Our website was designed by 'The Bureau' in 2008. It was a very seamless process, Alastair took on board our design requests and incorporated them into the finished product. Alastair has been extremely helpful and is always on hand to update and amend our site either by phone or email. We are currently in the process of revamping the site with the help of Alastair to include on-line payment options, blogging and customer surveys. We have had a face to face meeting to discuss our requirements. Alastair is very knowledgeable and explains everything clearly so we understand what we are changing and the costs involved.
This is the second Website The Bureau have designed for us. The first was back in 2007/2008 and the latest was completed in late 2010. We chose The Bureau originally because they specialise in publishing Websites for insurance brokers like us and so understand our markets, and the strict regulatory requirements.
We were pleased the first time and so we have used them again to design a bigger and more interactive site which I think has been achieved. Our staff like the new site and our clients have all been very positive, saying that it offers more functionality and, although bigger, is easier to navigate.
The Bureau is an experienced Website designer so you get good feedback on your Website development plans as well as fast and friendly service. They always seem to be available to answer questions and have any corrections or minor changes done usually within hours.
We have added a Blog now and have plans for additional features which we will ask The Bureau to add for us in the coming months.
I have known Alastair Murray of The Bureau for around 15 years and always been mightily impressed by his knowledge in the area of insurance website build. Alastair has built and maintained websites for me for two businesses and I find his professionalism and advice first rate. The Bureau constantly advise and recommend on aspects of our site and its
The Bureau designed our quote and buy Website over 4 years ago since when it has grown and become a large complex transactional site on which our clients quote and buy specialist commercial liability insurance. Our site is not an "online shop" for simple trinkets with fixed prices to add to an online shopping basket, but a comprehensive insurance trading platform for insurance brokers to trade in specialist insurance.
The site does quotations, writes business, issues insurance policy documents, claims, monthly business reports, mid termn adjustments, insurance renewals and plenty more, requiring a high degree of skill and care to design and maintain. Although not cheap we feel we receive good value from The Bureau, who have always given us prompt and attentive service.
I would be happy to recommend them.
4 years ago we were drowning in confusion. We were looking for someone to take over and
re-vamp our website, having had an extremely frustrating and negative experience with our original designers.
The Bureau was one of the few companies we found who specialise in designing sites for insurance and financial organisations. Alastair's extensive knowledge of both web design and of our industry is the key to guiding us gently in the right direction and creating sense and clarity in all aspects of our website. We now have a site which fits perfectly with our corporate identity and of which we are extremely proud. It allows us just the right amount of self-administration and we are secure in the knowledge that Alastair is only ever a phone call away for instant help and advice. They are a breath of fresh air in a jargon-filled world.
When we launched our new monthly magazine for the insurance industry we wanted a website to support it. We approached Alastair Murray and The Bureau because of their excellent reputation within the industry. We were not disappointed. The Bureau provided us with a clear, concise website that allows us to get our message across and were there with friendly help and support every step of the way.
We are a small but niche Insurance broker based in the city and have been using The Bureau since the establishment of our Company in 2004 during which time they have provided us with excellent support in the design of our website, website engineering, search engine optimisation and site submission. Their work has been a major factor in both our website and businesses success. I would confidently recommend The Bureau to anyone wanting prompt, efficient service and support from a Company that are true experts in their field.
No team members uploaded.
WWDC:
What's your name and position in the company?
The Bureau:
”Alastair Murray -Director”
WWDC:
Describe your company in 5 words.
The Bureau:
”Designers of insurance Websites”
WWDC:
What's your business philosophy?
The Bureau:
”Giving the customer what they want, on time, every time”
WWDC:
Describe your office environment.
The Bureau:
”Small and compact”
WWDC:
Describe how your team interact and work together.
The Bureau:
”Our team comprises a mixture of youngish programmers with their own particular skills each focussed on particular site types - promotional - corporate - transactional and so on. The current team has been together for over 7 years and understands the needs of our target audience.”
WWDC:
What makes you different from other web design companies?
The Bureau:
”We have been doing our specialist work for over 10 years and have a deep knowledge of our target audience. We can therefore ensure they end-up with an eye-catching Website that complies to their industry regulations.”
WWDC:
How do you get the majority of your business?
The Bureau:
”We do a lot of workshops and talks at marketing and industry groups from which we secure business. We write regular articles in the trade press which generate new enquiries. We do email marketing and direct mail and receive a growing number of referrals. ”
WWDC:
Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
The Bureau:
”Each is individually manged for which a Website Design Pack is written. Once approved our programmers begin their work. The new site is published to a development address for sign-off. ”
WWDC:
What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
The Bureau:
”Delivering a genuine supportive service at a reasonable cost. By being consistent and not talking techno-babble. Attending to issues quickly and thoroughly.”
WWDC:
How do you manage demanding clients?
The Bureau:
”We manage these in much the same way as anyone else - they just require a bit more time.”
WWDC:
If a client was trying to decide between a shortlist of web design companies, how would you recommend they go about selecting the right one for them?
The Bureau:
”The design company should know their client's industry to ensure that the site looks suitable and is compliant. They must look at other sites the design company has done for their kind of business. They should telephone or email a few clients of the design company to hear what they think.”
WWDC:
Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
The Bureau:
”Ten years in this business is a very long time but I envisage it will be looking after the same target audience delivering features and functions that are a little ahead of their time for the audience.”
WWDC:
Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
The Bureau:
”I see it becoming far more integrated with other digital media. Becoming more and more complex and expensive”
WWDC:
What computers do you have use in your offices, PCs or Macs?
The Bureau:
”PC”
WWDC:
How was your company name chosen?
The Bureau:
”By Alastair Murray wanting a name that was a little unusual but could be associated with marketing and Website design”
WWDC:
If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
The Bureau:
”To start small and gradually and regularly develop it rather than start big and then do nothing for a year or more.”
The Bureau, Artisan Websites Ltd, Superior Marketing