Visual Impact have been designing websites since the inception of the Internet, originally designing and deploying static HTML websites for local business in the South West of England though several projects have taken us further afield.

Prior to that, we were signwriters and were one of the first in the region to use computers, signwriting software and self adhesive vinyl cutting machines. Our first computer was an Olivetti 8086 IBM clone with an 8087 maths co-processor an a massive 40mb hard disk (large by 1986 standards)

With the arrival of the internet, we saw the potential growth and changed direction to concentrate on designing websites for local business, including a managed e-commerce solution for a local Surf Shop chain.

Times have changed, the internet has become a global phenomenon and technologies have changed dramatically which we have had to keep pace with and have had to make decisions as to which technologies we will specialize in as it is simply not possible to know everything.

After talking to many of our customers, it became clear that most wanted websites that are easy to navigate with clean layouts, load fast and can be maintained by themselves once in place.

Template driven Content Management Systems (CMS) emerged as the solution and this became the technology that we would specialize in.

A Content Management System (CMS) is database driven and although this sounds complicated, it need not concern you as all you need to know it how to use a word processing application to add or edit content which you would do through your web browser.

We use Open Source Content Management Systems which keeps development costs down considerably. The systems we use are very powerful and are comparable to far more expensive commercial solutions.