Blog
A collection of advice, insights, tutorials, news and other general musings centred around digital transformation.
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Google Analytics: Is it legal?
24 Nov 2022 Promise: not clickbait! It's hard to believe that this popular product could be considered illegal.
What to consider when you're thinking about your webforms
3 Nov 2022 Webforms are a great way to consolidate interest and turn your visitors into potential new customers. But we bet you hadn't considered the power, positive and negative, that a webform can have on your potential new customer's experience of your business.
6 reasons not to use a standalone microsite for your Christmas marketing campaign
27 Oct 2022 We've compiled a list of the six reasons businesses shouldn't entertain the thought of a microsite - and they're pretty compelling.
Platform.sh: affordable and ethical enterprise-grade hosting
21 Sep 2022 Your hosting headache - and how it's costing you business
3 reasons your choice of website host isn't just an IT issue
16 Aug 2022 Choosing the web infrastructure that supports your website is of paramount importance. And given that your choice of website host underpins the ability of your business to exist online, it's fair to say you need to make a well-informed decision about your hosting service.
Why documentation and processes could stop your website from failing at a critical moment
29 Jun 2022 Do you have documentation in place so that, when changes to your website are needed, there is a clear process to be followed whether by your in-house developers or your outsourced digital marketing partners?
Are you gambling with the security of your business?
7 Jun 2022 Ignoring security updates will seriously impact your business. It's time to take action.
Why poor web security will damage your business
27 Apr 2022 The consequences of poor web security can be catastrophic so it's essential you have a strategy.
Five reasons why you need ongoing website maintenance
10 Mar 2022 Ongoing security maintenance is essential to the longevity of your website or application.
How to make your website accessible for everyone
2 Feb 2022 Accessibility is perhaps the most important and most ignored aspect of web development. Let's change that.
How to make sure your homepage is clear and concise
4 Jan 2022 The next entry in our homepage series focuses on keeping it simple and effective.
Five things to avoid on your homepage
1 Dec 2021 Your homepage can be the most important page on your website. Make sure you avoid these mistakes.
Do you have a home page content strategy?
2 Nov 2021 How to make an effective home page.
Being compliant doesn't have to be a bore
24 Oct 2021 The importance of balancing the exciting parts of web design with standards and good compliance.
Top 5 cost influencing factors for your new website
23 Jul 2021 In this article we will consider five areas which will often drive the main development costs for a website build.
WordPress vs Drupal
12 Jul 2021 Explore the differences and pros/cons of both WordPress and Drupal.
The benefits of open-source website CMS software
16 Jun 2021 What exactly are the differences between open-source and closed proprietary software and why should I care?
Digital problem solving made easy
19 Nov 2020 If you manage many websites, you probably know how much effort is required to maintain them. Find out how to get your web portfolio back under control, boost their performance, and save costs in the long run.
Could mismatched web solutions scupper your business growth?
5 Aug 2020 If you're responsible for the IT or strategic marketing in a medium or large business, ask yourself 'How is your web portfolio looking?'
5 ways your addiction to spreadsheets increases risk in your business
13 Jul 2020 It's time to talk about the elephant in the room: your addiction to spreadsheets! Relying on spreadsheets is bad for business. Here's how to fix that problem.
The smarter way to manage many websites
17 Jun 2020 Do you crave the agility and speed of smaller market players? What effect would it have if you could work faster and smarter? Make this dream your new reality.
Real Life Digital relaunch as Pivale
1 Jun 2020 Real Life Digital unveil their exciting re-brand, with a more targeted focus on digital transformation, multisite infrastructure and custom software.
5 ways to stay operational during a health crisis
16 Mar 2020 These are unprecedented times with the arrival of COVID-19. What do you do if you've never had to work from home before?
Data sovereignty, the cloud and custom software
5 Aug 2019 Implementing cloud-based services within your business could you be exposing you to hidden risks all for the sake of a "convenient" solution?
What to think about when choosing your corporate rebranding partner
13 Jun 2019 A corporate rebrand can be risky or a big opportunity. Choosing a partner who understands the process is a key step in ensuring success for your web brand.
Not just another web developer!
24 Apr 2019 Have your cake and eat it! Find out how our approach gets you the quality and experience of working with a large agency without the overhead.
Why the lack of industry standards makes us mad!
22 Mar 2019 We all too often speak to potential clients who have been 'scarred' by their experience with other providers in our industry.
6 ways to manage the biggest cost factors of a website project
14 Feb 2019 Understandably it's a very common question. However, here's why there's no simple answer, and how you can influence the bottom line.
ROI Focused Websites Part 4: What you need to know before you engage a web company
22 Jan 2019 The fourth article in our Return on Investment (ROI) series is about asking the right questions, taking your time, and choosing the right team for your needs.
ROI Focused Websites Part 3: The Trouble with Web Developers - 5 Pain Points most clients need resolved
14 Jan 2019 The third article in our Return on Investment (ROI) series is about those who have invested significant time and money on projects but ended up dissatisfied.
ROI Focused Websites Part 2: 5 Top Tips To Pick a Winning Web Team
19 Nov 2018 The second article in our Return on Investment (ROI) series explores why it's crucial that you pick the right team.
ROI Focused Websites Part 1: 8 questions you should ask before engaging a web design agency
2 Oct 2018 The first article in our Return on Investment (ROI) series asks 8 important questions that will determine your success.
What is Pattern Lab and why should I care about it?
11 Sep 2018 Our front-end developer discusses why you and your business should be considering Pattern Lab for your next Drupal project.
10 lessons from using Drupal 8 + Pattern Lab + Emulsify
22 Aug 2018 The musings of our front end developer after the launch of our first Pattern Lab + Drupal 8 project via the Emulsify base theme.
Real Life Digital: the story so far
12 Mar 2018 Our story so far; how we got started and evolved to where we are now.
Discovery workshops: a solid foundation for any digital project
23 Jan 2018 Discovery workshops are paid-for deep-dives in to content strategy and architecture.
5 steps for security and disaster planning
22 Jan 2018 Do you need to protect your brand, prevent data leaks and avoid PR disasters?
Content strategy - an extended discussion
5 Jan 2018 Content strategy is one of our key offerings, and we wanted to discuss in more detail our thoughts on the matter.
BASE Bordon: a new space to create and innovate
22 Nov 2017 We are excited to announce that we are the first business to move in to the brand new BASE Bordon innovation centre.
We went to DrupalCon 2017 in Vienna
4 Oct 2017 This year's European Drupal conference took place in Vienna, Austria ahead of the news that there will be no DrupalCon Europe 2018.
15 stunning FREE open-source or creative commons stock photography websites
10 Jul 2017 As the internet matures we're realising the value of free content & tech so I went on a mission to find 15 free and creative commons stock photography websites.
Using Sass and CSS3 Flex as a grid system
3 Apr 2017 We used to be big fans of using singularity to create responsive grids on which to craft our web layouts but we've been converted to CSS3 flex and here's why!
We went to DrupalCamp London 2017
6 Mar 2017 DrupalCamp London celebrated its fifth birthday this year, and for the first time Real Life Digital were official sponsors of the CxO day.
Drupal and SEO: A fly-by tour
26 Jan 2017 Drupal is absolutely the best CMS platform when it comes to SEO, but our clients don't seem to be aware of this so we finally decided to break it down.
We went to DrupalCon 2016 in Dublin
3 Oct 2016 Once again this year we had the ultimate pleasure of being guests in another exciting European city as we attending the first ever Drupal conference in Dublin.
12 SEO top tips for better ranking with Drupal
1 Jun 2016 SEO. Search engine optimisation. Where to begin with the elusive task of search engine optimisation, around which an entire industry has formed?
16 Awesome CSS Libraries and Resources
23 May 2016 In his usual wacky style Darren presents his 16 favourite resources for writing better CSS, streamlining your workflow or just having some good old fun!
How we got a custom Drupal 8 theme up and running with Sass, Singularity, Breakpoint, LiveReload and Gulp
11 Apr 2016 Can Drupal, Sass, Singularity, Breakpoint, LiveReload and Gulp all play nicely together? It took us a while to crack it so we thought we'd share our findings.
We went to DrupalCamp London 2016
18 Mar 2016 Every year the Drupal community meet up at various conferences and more localised camps. This weekend we attended one of the largest camps in the country.
Websites as an Investment Part 4: What happens if I wait?
24 Feb 2016 The clock is ticking and time is money. It turns out that delaying your new website could actually be costing you money. We try and break down why that is.
Websites as an Investment Part 3: What will it cost?
17 Feb 2016 Some web agencies will charge you £1000 and others £10000 but why? What's the difference? We try and break down the true costs and value of building a website.
Websites as an Investment Part 2: 5 rules for selecting a web team
10 Feb 2016 When you start thinking about your new website, you'll need to select a team who will drive success. Here are some great tips on how to do that.
Websites as an Investment Part 1: What exactly do I need?
3 Feb 2016 When it comes to building a new website you'll need to think 'plan' before you think about 'budget'. What do you need to do to get ready to take the leap?
Responsive Design Part 4: Overcoming the drawbacks of responsive
25 Jan 2016 Are there any drawbacks of responsive design and if so what can we do to minimise the impact? We explore many of the concerns we've heard from clients.
Responsive Design Part 3: The seven deadly sins of responsive design
18 Jan 2016 Responsive design can be good, but sometimes it can go bad and even ugly. We explore the 7 deadly sins of responsive design. It's not going to be pretty!.
Responsive Design Part 2: Why do I need responsive website design?
11 Jan 2016 Responsive design isn't just a fad that will fade away. In fact it will make a tremendous difference to your online presence in ways you might not imagine.
Responsive Design Part 1: What is responsive website design?
4 Jan 2016 The first in our series on responsive web design and why you should care about it.
Cody Technology Park Free Coffee & Cake Event
14 Dec 2015 We moved on to Cody Technology Park back in August 2015 but still hadn't met a lot of other tenants so we decided to give away coffee and cake to meet people!
Why you need a Branding Document
4 Nov 2015 Your brand is the face of your business, and you need to be thinking and laying down rules about how your brand is communicated to your customers.
Kickstarting with Drupal 8 themes
21 Oct 2015 Drupal 8 has many new exciting features, but perhaps the most exciting of all is the new approach to themes. Our developer Alex gives us the lowdown.
We went to DrupalCon 2015 in Barcelona
2 Oct 2015 Once again we joined others in the Drupal community for the 2015 European Drupal convention which was held in the city of Barcelona in sunny Spain.
Drupal 8 is coming and we're getting ready!
16 Sep 2015 Drupal 8 is now due an official release so we sent one of our developers Alex on a mission to get stuck in with it and share his first impressions and findings.
From Print to Web: The journey of a 20th century Graphic Designer
3 Mar 2015 Six months ago our digital designer Darren was a stuck-in-a-rut print designer, utterly unaware of the opportunity that lurked just around the corner.
The new meaning behind 'design sign-off'
9 Jan 2015 We controversially suggest that design sign off is an archaic practice which has no place in modern web design and we think you'll agree after reading this.
Flat design is going gaga!
29 Oct 2014 Flat design. What is it? Where did it come from? Will it go away? What do I need to know? All is revealed in this end-to-end opinion piece.
We went to DrupalCon 2014 in Amsterdam
5 Oct 2014 This year the Drupal community met in Amsterdam to make progress on Drupal 8, develop as coders and creatives, and of course just hang out and have fun!
What happened to Real Life Design?
14 Sep 2014 After 7 happy years as Real Life Design we decided to re-brand ourselves as Real Life Digital. Apart from the name and the look, nothing else has changed.
Calling all Drupal fans near Guildford
14 Jun 2011 Are you a budding Drupal aficionado in or around the Guildford area? As we all know Drupal is all about community so let's start building one locally.
Drupal in a nutshell: our CMS and framework of choice
28 Feb 2011 What is Drupal? Why should you use Drupal? Is it really free? Why would it be free? Our quick overview of the benefits of Drupal will get you up to speed.
