home

some of our clients

design ideas

costs

s e o

starter pack

our design principals

FREE Webmaster tools

advertising

terms of business

Our Graphics Design team

contact

 

opencart skins

bizdirectory add-ons

WEB SITES – what are they?

Web sites need a combination of the following;

1. A Domain name
2. Content
3. A Host server
4. Marketing

GENERAL UNDERSTANDING

If you write an information book that you want the general public to have a look at – you will need to first of all write it! You will then need to give the book a title. Then you will need to take it to a library so that everybody can have easy access to it. You will then need to tell people where the book is and what it is about (in other words Market it).
Visitors will then go to the library, open your book, see what information that they need – and then leave the library.
The INTERNET is EXACTLY the same!

The web site Domain Name is the book´s title. The Content is what you have written about. The HOST SERVER is the Library.
And of course the marketing is letting people know that you have the web site available.

DOMAIN NAME

This has to be applied for – and of course if it already taken by some other organisation – then it is NOT available. But there are many extensions (these are the .com or .net or .eu or .es – etc etc etc – and there are thousands of them) – and so it is usually possible to find an extension that is available with the front name that is required – BUT not always. Prices vary considerably – but are rarely more than about €25.
We will do this for the client if they do not already have one and arrange for the forwarding of names to the web host site.

CONTENT

This is the explanation of the product or service that is being offered. This is what the clients ACTUALLY see when they get to the web site.

HOST SERVER

This is the central server (in fact just a bigger and faster computer that is kept somewhere else!) on which the site is placed – and which “serves” up the files requested by a potential client when they dial into the domain name. In theory – this could be the clients own computer – but the problems would overtake the costs!

MARKETING

This is VERY important!!!
Clearly it is no use having a book – if nobody ever hears about it!
The process of Marketing comes in many forms but includes;

SEO – Site submission to the major search engines (Google/Yahoo/AOL/MSN) – this is a time consuming job that in some cases can take months before a Search Engine will list the site. It has to be repeated regularly – but not so often that the search engine says “STOP IT!”
The site itself has to be “Search Engine Optimised” for best results, and this can be a specialist task.
The title of this process is shortened to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) – and is included within the annual cost.

Advertising in Local papers etc (relatively expensive!!)
Public Relations exercises
Local Publicity exercises
These three above are for the client to carry out at his own expense.

WHY DO I NEED A WEB SITE?

 Because the General Public EXPECT it these days – just as they expected a Telex and telephone and Fax when they first were introduced. It is a part of the moving business atmosphere.
 Because it is a good way of telling people what you offer.
 It gives the business credibility and it shows that you care about the product and the client.
 It is part of the total professional image (“Well – ok – if he has a proper web site then he must be serious about his product or Service”)
 Place the web address and an email on your Business Cards – and you start to look like a complete and serious company.
 You can update your information - on an hourly basis if necessary (though this would costs a little extra!!!).

What should it look like?

This is up to the client – but it should be agreed that the business has a certain “style”. For example colour, images.
We believe that the sites should not be complicated (which also only makes them very much more expensive!!!), eg with a sun rolling in from the left and then the moon from the right – and then fireworks all over the place! By which time the client has gone onto a competitor – or to bed!!
A web site should be no more than an information book and that is easy to link from one page to another – as most visitors can find sites difficult to “Navigate”. A client is at your site to find out about something – and that is all!

So – design and easy navigation are the most important factors – plus host server reliability so that the site is always up and available.

We can provide all that in the quoted price.

There is no reason why this cannot be set up within a day if all the information is made immediately available.

Please note that while submission to the Search Engines can be immediate – the inclusion on their listings can sometimes take several months.