Affordable Web Design
for Small Business
I favour building websites that are clean and simple in design and that get the message across with the minimum of fuss.
A modern website should be quick to load and adhere to the latest web standards for compatibility and accessibility with a clear and intuitive navigation structure.
I think a website needs to fulfil these basic criteria:
Have an attractive design; easy to navigate
Deliver the information the visitor is seeking
Be Consistent with existing branding
Work on all browsers and devices
My Services Compared
Here is how I match up to some of the most popular competitors:
|
Mortimedia |
Yell |
Wix |
Squarespace |
GoDaddy |
| Domain name included.co.uk or .com |
Yes |
Yes |
1st Year |
1st Year |
1st Year |
| Custom email addresseseg. you@yoursite.co.uk |
Unlimited |
One |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Page design included |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| SEO optimizedBe found in search engines |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
NOTES
Yell standard package including up to 5 pages designed. Ongoing £30 monthly fee.
Wix combo package, build your own site from supplied templates.
Squarespace Personal package, build your own site from supplied templates.
GoDaddy Basic package, build your own site from supplied templates.
In addition, all my websites have the following features:
- Website security - HTTPS / SSL 'padlock'
- Initial web pages designed and created for you
- You can easily manage and edit site content yourself as required (or I can do it for you for an extra charge, on a regular or adhoc basis)
More Information
Here are some important points about websites in general that you need to be aware of:
'Brochure' or eCommerce Site?
A 'brochure site' is used to describe a normal website that gives information about your business using text, images and video.
An eCommerce site adds shopping facilities like a shopping cart and checkout or simple "Buy Now" buttons, for users to purchase your products or services.
You can always start with a brochure site and add eCommerce facilities later if you wish.
Domain Names & Hosting
In addition to your website's code and content, you also need a domain name and hosting in order to be visible on the web.
A domain name is your unique identifier, e.g. www.yourcompany.co.uk. Popular extensions include .co.uk and .com; others are available, including .london and .agency but the jury is still out their performance in search engines. Domain names are rented annually but can be prepaid for several in advance.
Hosting is the space on a secure web server where your site content and code will sit and be publicly available. You usually rent hosting on an annual basis.
Wordpress
Wordpress is a Content Management System (or CMS) that allows you to easily add and edit content on your site. It's popular - over 60 million installs worldwide, and free.
The look and feel of a Wordpress site is achieved through Wordpress themes. You can buy themes off-the-shelf that might have some of the features you are looking for, but you will have to layout the page content yourself.
My service, which uses my own custom template specifically designed for small businesses, does this for you. Of course, you have full control over the content and can edit text and images as you wish.
SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (or SEO) is the process of structuring content on your website to ensures your site is near the top of the search results when users type their searches in Google, Bing or other search engines.
Read more about SEO and Google here
Mobile Friendly?
More than half of all internet users are browsing the web and making purchases on mobile devices such as phones and tablets. It is therefore vital that your website performs well on such devices.
Being mobile friendly means employing 'responsive' design where the layout and style will dynamically format itself to respond to the available screen space to present the content in the best way.
Did you know that Google now considers this so important that if your site is not mobile friendly it will be shown lower down in the search results? Don't let your competitors get ahead of you, make sure your website is mobile friendly!
Visitor Stats
Part of the regular admin you need to perform on your website is knowing your visitors. Where do they come from, how long do they spend on your site, what are their favourite pages?
All of our hosting packages come with a basic overview of the above, and for much more detailed 'analytics' you can use a product called 'Google Analytics'. This is free and can provide valuable information about visitor behaviour and alert you to issues or improvements that need to be dealt with.
Another useful Google product is 'Search Console' (formerly called 'Webmaster Tools') that is more concerned with the technical side of your site such as pages that Google has indexed, other sites that have linked to you and alerting you to broken links.
Get Me to the Top of Google!
If only it were that simple! Sorry to disappoint, but buying a new website will probably bring in no new business for you at the start, and certainly won't immediately position you at the top of Google.
Read more about Google and SEO here
