Website design frequently asked questions
If you have a question that is not covered below please do not hesitate to get in touch
Q: How much does a website cost?
Q: Do I need to send a deposit for the work?
Q: How can I pay you?
Q: What information do you need from me?
Q: Will we need to have a meeting?
Q: Can I add more pages after my website goes live?
Q: Can I make changes to the website myself?
Q: Can I make changes to my master page layout once I’ve approved it?
Q: How should I supply text and images to you?
Q: How long does it take for a website to be completed?
Q: What is a domain name?
Q: Do I need to buy a domain name and hosting?
Q: Can I host my website elsewhere?
Q: What is FTP?
Q: I’ve already got a domain name – can I use it?
Q: Do I have to have a .co.uk domain?
Q: How do I get listed in Google?
Q: Can you guarantee I’ll be number one in Google?
Q: What is optimisation?
Q: How can I find out about the number of visitors to my website?
Q: I want to sell my products online but I don't want an e-commerce solution. Can you help?
Q: How much does a website cost?
A: The cost of a website varies, depending upon the type of site you require. The cost will vary from site to site so please contact us with your requirements and we will provide you with a tailored no-obligation quotation. You can also see some guide prices here.
Q: Do I need to send a deposit for the work?
A: We request a 15% deposit prior to commencing new projects. The balance is due on completion of the project unless otherwise agreed.
A: Our preferred method of payment is direct bank transfer (BACS) but we also accept cheques. Payment details are included on our invoices.
Q: What information do you need from me?
A: We would need (ideally) a colour scheme that you like or examples of websites that you like that are of a similar nature to the one you would like, the text to go on the site and any existing logo or images that you already have. We can source royalty free stock images for use on the site if required.
Q: Will we need to have a meeting?
A: In the majority of cases a meeting isn't necessary. If you are in the Greater London / South-East England area then we can arrange to meet with you, although 99% of our sites are completed entirely via email and telephone- this allows us to offer a faster turnaround time to you as we can spend more time in the office designing and coding and less time travelling. This also helps to keep our costs low.
Q: Can I add more pages after my website goes live?
A: Of course, just contact us with the details and we can arrange to quote for the work.
Q: Can I make changes to the website myself?
A: We can provide you with the FTP details so you will have access to the website source files and can make changes if you are confident with HTML. Alternatively, if you purchase a Content Management System from us then you will be able to make changes to the text and images on the website yourself using a simple rich text editor and without the need for any specialist knowledge.
Q: Can I make changes to my master page layout once I’ve approved it?
A: We only start the coding process once you are happy with and have agreed the initial layout. If you want to make changes to the layout at a later stage then there will be some additional charges and delays.
Q: How should I supply text and images to you?
A: We prefer the content to be sent via email. Text can be sent to us in the body of the email or attached as a Word document. If you are sending a lot of images and they are very large then we would recommend zipping the files or using a file sending website such as You Send It. Images, particularly photos should be in JPEG or JPG format although we can accept other formats such as GIF and PNG. If you're not sure of the format just ask us for advice.
Q: How long does it take for a website to be completed?
A: The timescale varies depending on the complexity of the project. A proposed deadline is agreed prior to the project and if you have a deadline in mind we will endeavour to meet it. For a basic website the design and build can be completed in under a week, although it all depends on you! The most common delay in the creation of a website is waiting for feedback or content (text/images) from the client.
A: A domain name is the address that people type into their web browser to get to your site, for example www.domainname.co.uk.
Q: Do I need to buy a domain name and hosting?
A: You will need a domain name and hosting in place in order to upload your website. Hosting relates to the setting up of web space and any other services required on a server, thus enabling people around the world to see your website once that has been created. Our servers can host your email and we also offer webmail - a really handy facility where you can check your email from any internet connected computer. We can arrange to purchase a domain name on your behalf and if you host the site with us we will also take care of the domain renewals so you don't need to worry about a thing. The domain will be registered in your name so you will be the legal owner.
Q: Can I host my website elsewhere?
A: Yes, you are free to host your site elsewhere. If you choose to host your site elsewhere then you will need to make sure that the hosting package includes the minimum requirements to run your site and you will be responsible for your domain renewals. We will also need the FTP details in order to upload the website files to your hosts server.
A: FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and it is a method of transferring files e.g. web pages from your local PC to your web server. There are a variety of free ftp software programs, such as Filezilla, available on the Internet and they enable you to update your website pages at any given time. Your web host should be able to provide you with your FTP details. These consist of the host name, User ID and password. If you are hosting your site with us we can provide you with the details upon completion of the website and receipt of payment for any work carried out.
Q: I’ve already got a domain name – can I use it?
A: Of course. We can still host your site for you or you can host it elsewhere if you prefer. Get in touch to discuss your options.
Q: Do I have to have a .co.uk domain?
A: As part of our design and hosting packages your website comes with either a .co.uk or .com address. You can have an alternative suffix such as .org but this will incur an additional cost. Depending on the availability of the domain name you choose it may be necessary to suggest alternative domain name options.
Q: How do I get listed in Google?
A: We register all of our clients websites with the major search engines, including Google. Please note that it can take up to 6 weeks for the site to be picked up and ranked so it won't be listed immediately.
Q: Can you guarantee I’ll be number one in Google?
A: There is a lot of competition for the number one spot on Google so we cannot guarantee that your site will be number one. Some companies will lead you to believe that they can get your site to number one but their methods may be questionable and could end up costing you a lot of money or in the worst case scenario your site could be banned. Whilst we cannot guarantee the number one spot we aim to get your site listed as high up as possible for popular search terms related to your site and we use modern search engine approved methods to do so.
A: All web pages should be 'optimised' to ensure they are picked up by the search engines. This basically means that the site should be coded to current web standards and include META tags in the header code. The META tags include keywords and titles that are used by the search engines when they visit and rank your site. We ensure that all the sites we code include META tags and that the keywords and titles are analysed to ensure they contain appropriate search terms and that these match the content on the page. For more on optimisation click here.
Q: How can I find out about the number of visitors to my website?
A: If you host your site with us we can provide you with access to your control panel and visitor statistics. Alternatively, we can also set up Google Analytics on your site and this will allow you to login to your Google account and see the stats for your site, including details about keywords used to find the site and where the visitors are from etc.
Q: I want to sell my products online but I don't want an e-commerce solution. Can you help?
A: If you’ve only got a small range of products or services and you don't need an online shopping cart system then we can set up PayPal buttons on your site so that you can receive secure payment via a PayPal account. Please contact us for more details.
If you are interested in a custom website design or have any other questions, please ask us for a quick no obligation website design quote.
