Website design frequently asked questions

I have set the price as cheaply as possible to allow small and new businesses to have access to a professionl looking website without the high cost usually associated with website design and hosting. Also I use the WIX platform to create each site so it is less time consuming and that saves you money. When I started out, I simply couldn't afford to pay the going rate, so taught myself and now produce websites for others with high spec and low costs.

That's ok as I understand that everyone needs slightly different features. I am happy to create what I can for a budget you set. We can sit down and discuss what you need and see what can be done with the budget you have. There is no obligation whatsoever to go ahead.

When creating your website, I create the main desktop site and also a mobile version of the site. The price you pay gives you both versions at no extra cost.

Mobile sites are VERY important. More and more people have smart phones or tablets and their usage for visiting websites is growing at a phenominal rate. Up to 80% of website visitors, view the site on a mobile device. If your site is not optimised for this, your customers will simply view another site that is! This number is only set to grow so it is crucial that a fully optimised mobile site is available. The trend for purchasing on mobile sites is also rapidly increasing so all mobile sites allow for payment online via PayPal.

This depends on what level of site you choose and the amount of features and information to be added. It also depends heavily on how quickly you can get all the content to me for inclusion on your site e.g. Pictures, Paragraphs of text, Video, Documents, Colour preferences etc. I aim to complete it as quickly as possible and can have it up an running in approx one week for a basic site if everything required is in place.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. Simply put, it is the creation of information in a specific format for search engines such as GOOGLE. It allows them to understand what your website is, and what you are about. The website we see looks pretty with pictures and backgrounds etc, but google does not see this unless we tell it what it is. For example a picture of the latest BMX bike is clear to you and I, but Google can't see this, so we add a meta description telling google what the picture is e.g. Red BMX 16 inch Frame. This is IMPORTANT because if Google can't tell what your site is about, it won't display it in the search results. SEO also relates to the text you have witihin your website such as descriptions of your products and services etc. There are many factors to consider such as KEYWORDS (See FAQ about this), how unique your content is, when it was updated/how often etc. Also page titles need to be TAGGED for Google to understand what each page is about. This is a very brief explanation to give you an idea of SEO and what it is.

This is personal choice. Most would argue you need it done in order to rank high on search results, however even with the best SEO you may still rank low if your site does not attract enough visitors. This is down to good marketing and PR. You may also simply want the website as a focal point for current clients to contact you or join a members area and simply use it for this purpose. Also if you are just using your site for a hobby or club, then you may not require it to appear highly on searches. My personal experience shows that equally important/if not more important is to activley and consistantly promote your website via social media to generate leads and enquiries.

In order for Google to know your site even exists, you have to register your site and have it indexed by google. This simply means letting Google know bout your site. Google will then 'CRAWL' your site and basically take a snapshot of it. (Crawling is simply the term given when Google visits your site and makes a note of its existence) If your site is not indexed, then no one will be able to find it easily. All websites I create are submitted for indexing by Google.

This is where SEO becomes critical. A website with no SEO will end up on the lowest pages as Google has no idea what it is. A website with good SEO will rank much higher and appear higher up the list on search results. AS you can imagine the competition to appear at the top of the first page is extremely high as people tend to select their choice from this page. This can be a very difficult task as many businesses spend thousands of pounds on advertising and dedicated staff constantly pushing their website and SEO. It can also take time for a new website to rank highly on Google as the formula Google uses to decide who it places first is highly complex using data such as how many visits the site gets, how new the information is, how fresh the information on the site is, how long people stay on the website, how unique the information on the site is....plus many more things. Also the KEYWORDS used for the website play a big role. KEYWORDS are simple words or short phrases people use to search google, such as 'Hardware stores in Norwich' or 'Local Dentists'. The more popular the keywords, the more the competition there is. So good SEO needs to be in place in order to compete. Also regularly updating your website and keeping it fresh helps place it higher in results. Listing your website on local directories will help boost your site as well as running a Blog with regular posts. Google also change the paramters of their formula so it is an ever evolving task.

The KEYWORDS used for the website play a big role. KEYWORDS are simple words or short phrases people use to search google, such as 'Hardware stores in Norwich' or 'Local Dentists'. The more popular the keywords, the more the competition is. So good SEO needs to be in place in order to compete. Also regularly updating your website and keeping it fresh helps place it higher in results. Up to five 'keywords' are used and reference to these should be made in the page content on your site e.g 'We are a family run hardware store in Norwich who pride ouselves on great customer service' (Keywords here bieng 'hardware store in Norwich'). However you need to add the right number as simply saturating your content with keywords will actually penalise your ranking. Don't worry though as I will advise how many is best.

Yes, absolutuely you can. A really simple site can be made for free, however it carries WIX advertising which you may not want. Also if you are new to website building, it can be extremely time consuming and very frustrating, especially if you are not technically minded. The main reason for choosing me is that I can create a high spec website for you that looks beautiful and is fully functional. You get a beautiful website without all the stress and time it would take normally.

You can pay via BACS, Online banking or cash.

I always discuss fully with you, the requirements of your website and involve you all the way with previews and test sites so you can see the website well in advance of it going live before any payment is taken. This is to ensure we have a clear understanding of your needs and confirm what can or can't be done within your budget/design quote. In the very unlikely event that you decide to cancel after payment has been taken the following refunds will be offered: 1. Cancellation within 24 hours of payment being taken - 25% refund. 2. Cancellation after 24 hours of payment being taken - No refund.

Minor updates may include changing the wording or some paragraphs, Pricing changes on services or adding a new service... etc. Cosmetic adjustments would include changing or updating new pictures, minor alterations of the layout on pages to accomodate new pictures or text, changing background images or scrolling effects etc. I am happy to discuss your personal requirements as some businesses may need minimal changes, whereas others may require regular updates.

A domain name is simply your website address e.g. www.blackcatwebsitedesigns.co.uk

The small domain name connection fee, covers the cost of the connecting your website domain name to the actual site. This is typically around £3 for a basic connection. It depends on the monthly plan type you decide to use: Basic covers connection but has WIX ads visible on your site. Next level up removes WIX ads and cost approx £5 per month. If you choose an e-commerce plan to sell products in an online shop then its included in the e-commerce plan. These start from approx £16 per month. NB - You can save money by purchasing an ANNUAL connection plan if preferred. There are many different plans to choose from so the best one that fits your requirements would be selected and clearly stated and agreed before any work commences.

I can arrange for the purchase of your website domain name (Subject to availability)

This price varies depending on what you want and the type of domain you choose. Some names may already be taken or highly sought after, just like a private number plate for a car. The type of domain you buy also effects the price. For example a domain ending in .co.uk is usually cheap compared to a domain ending with .org or .tv etc. Typically a domain ending with www.abcwindows.co.uk would cost approx £12 for one year, compared to www.abcwindows.org which may cost anything from £15 - £65 or higher per year. NB - You can save money by purchasing two or three years in advance.