Why are you so much cheaper than most other design companies?
Simply because I don't have expensive office based overheads and I base the majority of websites that I build around a similar type of structure - which cuts down on the development time. I also don't design mega fancy (and unnecessary!) flash animations - just striking, clean and professionally designed websites! I aim my services at the small business and home user who simply wants good value and a friendly efficient service!
What info do you need to get started on my site? I can get started with basic info about your colour choices, logo, name, style of design etc. If you already have graphics and a logo then I can base the website around those.
I will then need to know how many pages you want. As an example if you have a product or service for sale, you may have a main page, a page for full information about the product, a list of frequently asked questions and a contact page. A personal website might have a main page, photo gallery page, a blog, contact page etc.
If you don't have any specific details or you aren't entirely sure of the wording you want, then I can help you to plan the site. I will need as much information as you can possibly supply! The more info you can provide, the easier the site will be to plan and design.
What if I only want 2 or 3 pages? Do I still have to pay your standard fee?
Yes. The largest part of the time spent on a website goes into the planning and designing. The development time of the basic structure takes just as long on 2-3 pages as it does for 5 pages or more. The standard fee is £150 for up to 5 pages. If you want more than 5 pages then this can be added for £20 per additional page.
Does your fee include a shopping cart?
If you need a shopping cart on your website then I can set this up for you via www.mals-e.com as part of my fee. This is a free shopping cart that is used on this website so you can see how it functions. If you already have the ability to take credit cards, then the cart will capture those details on a secure server for you to process manually. The shopping cart also enables you accept payments via PayPal, and other methods such as cheques and postal orders.
How long does it take?
How long is a piece of string? Hehehe to a certain extent it depends on you!
If you design my website, is there anything else to pay to get it online?
Yes and no! If you want your own domain (www.mydomain.com etc) you will need to pay to register the domain name and pay a web hosting service to host your site. There are many companies that will register your domain name for you and a google search will bring them up. You can still get your website online without paying for hosting by using a subdomain. This will give you a website URL of something similar to www.yourdomainhere.freehost.com etc. Whichever method you use, it will not affect the site design. I can give you help with setting up your domain and hosting if you are struggling!
What happens if I want to add to /change my site at a later date?
Once I've built your website and uploaded it to the web, it becomes your site. I will keep you informed of progress throughout the process and you'll be able to see a version of your site online as it is being worked on. Once you are happy with it, I hand the control back to you. As part of my fee I'll provide you with some simple guidelines on how to modify certain aspects of the website so you will be able to make changes you need yourself. Of course if you would like me to make updates and changes for you I can do this for an hourly fee.
What next?!?!
It really depends on what you want from your site. I will submit it to all of the search engines but that will offer no guarantees on being listed in the search pages. If your site is a personal site you can simply email friends and relatives with your URL. If you are a club, you can give the web address to members so they can keep up to date with what's happening. It's also a good idea to add the address to any business cards, stationary, advertisements, posters, newsletters or flyers that you produce.
