Frequently Asked Questions
How much is it going to cost?
Setting up a website does not cost as much as you might
expect. My low overhead costs are passed on to you
in the form of one of the lowest hourly development rates in the industry.
You will benefit from receiving a first class design at a very competitive
overall cost. The price of having a presence on the web can be split
into two main areas. Firstly the actual cost of making or developing
the site and then once it is made, it's annual hosting costs.
1. The cost of developing the site.
This can very wildly depending on the number of pages you require, whether you want the site to be static or be dynamic in that it might link to an up-dateable database to present changing information. You may wish to have Flash elements (animated graphics such as the fly in text on the home page for example) in your site to really capture the viewers attention. This and other add-ons would naturally affect the overall price. The following will give you an idea of what your project might cost but please bear in mind that every site is different and as such, I would need to assess your needs before I could come to a definitive costing.
A Standard Website
A 5 page custom designed static website, i.e. one that does not need any additional programming requirements, incorporating a contact form should cost around £150
Database Driven Website
For a 9 page site that makes use of a basic database connection, you might expect to pay between £300 and £500
Ecommerce Website
The very nature of these sites makes it difficult to provide a figure - so much depends on the size of the site, add on's such as credit card taking facilities and database connections. However as an indication, our Ecommerce sites start at around £950
Custom Company Logo Design
I would normally use your own branding to head up your site. However, if you do not have branding or want a fresh identity, I can design a logo for your site, which can also be used for your letterheads etc. A two colour design could cost as little as £40, and would be available to you in a number of formats so it could be used for your office stationery needs.
Images For Your Site
Please be aware that the above prices do not include image costs. If you are able to provide your own photographs to adorn the site, you will save on copyright image costs.
2. Web Hosting Costs
To have your site published on the internet you will need a domain name, (sometimes referred to as a URL) These are the www. addresses you see quoted everywhere. In effect, you buy a license to use a vacant address for periods of 2 years at a time. The address stays yours for as long as you keep paying the "license fee". These fees vary depending on whether you choose a co.uk, .com or some other ending. Expect to to pay between £10 to £15 per year depending on the ending. To see what domain names are available to use, click the button below.
You will also need to pay to have your site hosted - placed on an internet server which stores your site waiting for it to be called upon by a visitor. Again, this cost varies depending on the size of your site, any extra functionality it might have such as database connections etc and the number of visitors you might expect in any one day. However, the cost for to host most sites would be between £50 and £100 per annum. There is also a method of having your site hosted free of charge. We will discuss this with you when coming to an overall cost.
How Long Will It Take To Design My Site?
You can be on-line to the world within 2 weeks from receiving your brief for a basic site needing little extra programming. Design time will obviously vary dependant on the complexity of the project. I will of course always give you an indication of the design period when providing a quotation.
Will I Need Any Special Knowledge.
No special knowledge is required. I will guide you through the whole process without using jargon and hopefully gently educate you to the peculiarities of the internet so you can make informed decisions for the future of your website.
Why Is A Links Page Important
One of the methods by which Google, the search engine market leader assesses the importance and therefore the ranking of your site is by the number of links into it from other similar sites. The more links you have from other sites of standing, the more important it considers your site is and that it should be listed towards the top of it's natural listings. It is therefore beneficial to have links into your site from appropriate suppliers or organisations which are already have an established internet presence. It is accepted practice that you reciprocate by adding a link from your page to these sites.
What Is Website Optimisation
Once published, everyone worldwide with an internet connection will be able to view your site if they know your domain name and type it into their browser's (Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator for example) address bar. But what if they do not know your domain name, how will they find you then? To see your site, a viewer would use a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or MSN.com to locate you. If you were a supplier of beds in London, the viewer might enter "bed shops in London" into Google for example. However, there are likely to be many bed shops in London which Google will find. You might be many pages away down the list. To be seen, your site needs to be optimised for what the search engines look for. We include basic optimisation in our costs, including Keyword (words or phrases that describe your site which might be typed in by the searcher) Title and Description header content, together with the appropriate use of your keywords throughout the first few paragraphs of your home page. These techniques all help to lift your rating in the search engines.
What Is Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-Per-Click is an advertising method available through the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN etc. You may be finding it difficult getting your site displayed on the first page of the natural listings due to the sheer number of competing sites in your category. One means of being seen is by employing Pay-Per-Click, which is employed on the major search engine sites such as Google, Yahoo, MSN etc. You bid a price you are prepared to pay to have your site displayed on the first page (or subsequent pages if you wish) of the search. If the bid is high enough, your site will appear in the sponsored listings at the top or side of the first page of results following a search. If this medium appeals to you, please ask me for more details of our Pay-Per-Click Campaigns.
