Objectives

Basrah Lounge is a modern shisha cafe in London, opening in 2009. This client approached Blue Canvas for a new website that would offer a creative design to market and promote the cafe, inspired by its Arabic roots.

The client was looking for a site that would tempt and attract new business, highlight the wide-ranging food and shisha menus and provide a quick point of contact for bookings and enquiries.

Finally, the site was to offer online booking for consumers and private functions.

What we did

Using our experience in creating unique and inspired designs, we opted for an unusual yet intriguing l tab-based layout, supported by a full-screen fading slideshow in the background.

Carefully styling the design elements and fonts, we endeavoured to create an “authentic Arabic” feel to the website, while simultaneously attracting potential customers with a range of professional photographs to highlight the warm and vibrant atmosphere.

Booking facilities and content management were integrated with an AJAX-powered form on the public side, for a smoother “Web 2.0” experience.

Results

Basrah Lounge was a new-build site and has enjoyed a steady increase in visitors and enquiries since launch.

Blue Canvas has created a foundation link strategy for Basrah Lounge, ensuring the site is listed in core directories and all major search engines.

Staff can update the website’s menus and special offers, as well as sending out email newsletters to visitors who have signed up online.

Google Maps embedded in the contacts page provides an easy visual reference to the location and the option to ask for directions by car or by foot.