- What should we look for in a Website Development firm?
- A lot of people have Web design skills now. Why shouldn't we use a graduate who has these skills?
- How long does it take to build a website?
- What are 'Google AdWords'?
- What are the demographics of people using the Internet?
- What is a 'host'?
Got a question that's not on here? Please get in touch using the contact page.
What should we look for in a Website Development firm?
One of the major frustrations for clients occurs when they receive wildly varying quotes for Web design projects. One of the best ways to avoid this, and ensure the work is completed to the highest standards, is to specify accurately all aspects of the work to be completed.
The old cliche of comparing apples to apples rings true. Note down the
exact specifications for the project, how many pages you require, how
many forms, etc. Only by doing that will you ensure that everyone is
quoting the same and only then can you really see who is the best value
- without compromising on quality.
Having said that, we usually only establish the exact needs of our clients after several meetings and discussions. It can be very difficult for people inexperienced with the Internet to know exactly what can be done to serve best your specific needs. Beyond this, you need to consider various other factors.
These may include:
Experience of the team.
Expertise of the team.
Past projects completed.
Success of previous projects.
References and testimonials.
Equipment - does the designer have all the equipment necessary to complete all aspects of your project? This could include digital cameras, scanners and software.
Specialist skills (i.e. Search Engine placement skills, 'Flash' programming experience).
A lot of people have Web design skills now. Why shouldn't we use a graduate who has these skills?
We do find that this is one of the most common scenarios we are presented with. Our answer is that design skills are only a very small part of Website development. It is no good having an attractive site if it does not attract visitors.
The process we go through in designing a site is exhaustive. Firstly, there are a series of meetings with clients to establish exactly what they want and need the site to do. Once the objectives of the site are clearly fixed, we research the target market and assess their requirements for such a site.
In close consultation with our clients, we then move on to complete the look and 'feel' of the site.
The wording of the site is developed in
association with the client to ensure that the site will place as high as possible in Search Engines, if this is relevant, and to ensure its relevancy. Privacy commitments are then included into the site (again, research shows that privacy is the biggest concerns for Internet users).
Once the site passes a series of strict criteria, ranging from security issues, to navigational issues, to marketing issues, then the site is passed for hosting.
Clients are involved in the development of the site as much as possible, to ensure it meets the objectives set earlier and is a site of the highest standard.
How long does it take to build a website?
We like to say a site can be built in 3 weeks but it very much depends on the scale of the project and the requirements of the client. Obviously the more work involved the longer the project will take.
What are ‘Google AdWords’?
This is pay-per-click advertising set up by Google to be used in conjunction with their market leading search engine. In some cases we can provide a free £25 starter voucher with your hosting option. You can specify the cost of each click and when a user clicks on your link that cost will be deducted from your credit total. Additional funds can easily be added.
You can specify what keywords should bring up your advert in the Google search engine results, on what days and when during the day you would like your advert to be appearing.
What are the demographics of people using the Internet?
This varies greatly depending on what research you happen to review.
Some data on Internet users:
57% of the UK’s population (13.9 million households) have access to the internet (April 2006)
70% of users are male
Average age: 35
84% of all internet use was searching for information about goods or services.
65% of adult males (15 million) and 55% of females (13 million) accessed the Internet in the three months leading to April 2006
The business community has the fastest uptake of the Internet of any group.
What is a 'host'?
Hosting is where your website lives and specifically the computer that stores your web pages making them available to the public.
The price of hosting varies depending on the needs of the website being created. Please contact us or see our hosting page for more information.