Archive for the ‘Website Design & Development’ Category

Everyone starting a brand new business / venture is going to be nervous, unsure about everything and anxious about the business and the website they need get created to enhance / promote and compliment their new business, here is a conversation I had at a trade fair then on the phone and then on Facebook chat that demonstrates a normal client’s worries about having a website built for them.

[new website owner] thinking about starting a new business and as such would need your company to create us a website and promote it in Google.

[website design company] do you still need us to do you website, you mentioned it previously?

[new website owner] I’m not sure a website would help. I used to have a website for my parties and I didn’t get my business directly from it. All my business was recommendations. I like the name of the website you recommended.

[website design company] websites are long term things and possibly your website wasnt promoted / created correctly / optimised before, we are expert at doing that.

[new website owner] Thing is thoe with my goods I don’t post them I deliver to the client or they collect them. Its only small at the moment. I’m doing a craft fair in 2 weeks time to guage people’s expecations.

[new website owner] def looking into getting a website done soon. A friend has said they will do it for me but I want it done so it can be found up high on search thats what you do isnt it? I dont get it all really, seems very complicated.

[website design company] yes thats exactly what we do – anyone can create a website but you need it to be found in Google to thrive in the business world you are entering.

[new website owner] and how do you do that is it hard?

[website design company] yeah of course its hard but we have ways to make you a success. For an example of our previous good seo work, in google search for ‘essex builders’ and we have three clients in the top ten – thats a real competitive term.

[new website owner] Ok so if I provided all writing and photos how much we looking at?

[website design company] We need to know lots of things before giving you a cost – I could say it cost £x but that would be silly – you need to tell me exactly what you want and I can tell you the cost – things we need to know include:

How many pages on your website / do you have company colours / do you have a logo? / what menu sections do you want? / what sites do like? / do you you want to use then as a ‘guide’ for the design of your site? / do you want to update the text yourself / do you want a news section (blog) ? / do you want us to promote it actively for 1 week, 1 month or more perhaps 3 months? / how many photos will you provide? / have you any images can you provide? / how many galleries do you want? etc etc…….
We have a normal process (website project design) questionnaire for this or you can just come for a meeting.

[new website owner] going ask my sister if she can do some wording for me and put a rough draft of how id like it to look. so do you think £425 would get me a basic sight like what i showed you?

[website design company] yes – dont worry this is all ‘simple and easy’ for us but its really important you get what you want and also its created to earn you money by being ‘search friendly’ – also if you have a strict budget then can build you something that fits exactly to that budget (obviously you get a facebook friend discount).

[new website owner] Oh god its confusing isn’t it lol. I don’t no really what I want I shall look at other peoples to get an idea I think

[website design company] yes its a good idea to find sites you like the look of.

[new website owner] ok well will have to be in a couple of months as have no money left but defo want one as think it could help. may be something not to involved. simple but gets the point across

[website design company] can easily start now with a small site:
4 pages with one contact page / one gallery / one about us / home page and one services page with potential to create more pages / more galleries / add a blog at a later date

You will get the webstie name (domain) / hosting / email / site design / logo creation / 6 pages with you supplying all text and photos included in the website cost. We have a developer becoming free next Wednesday that I could put on this. Your new website will be SEO friendly / W3C compliant and would be much better / nicer / easier to use that the guide site you showed us earlier.

[new website owner] I am starting to see why I was recommended to me, after speaking to you on the phone you really have make this should easy and have put my mind at rest about your ability to make me something that looks and works great and will earn us a living eventually.

[website design company] yes but for you there would be lots of SEO love thrown in, if you didnt know seo = search engine optimisation = make it rank highly as quick as possible, as I said previously its great that you can provide some good webcopy, the more unique content you can provide the better

[new website owner] well my sis is good at that but she has been really busy with work. im terrible so would need her. my sis got the brains lol. yeah will roughly draw somthing up. Do you think it would get me business. Iv looked into doing wedding fairs and tables are £300 I can advertise in mags i no, would this SEO do you have to keep this up then.

[website design company] you can advertise online in directories / review sites / forums etc for free. We can also set you up with a free £50 google advertising voucher if you start a Google PPC campaign, your site would be built with good SEO (SEO love) and will give you some tips to help yourself if you dont want to pay us for any more SEO work.

To give you some idea about other clients and how much work some businesses put into their standard business brochure websites and their website marketing – Some website owners / clients spend over £5,000 on a website and then £1000 per month on SEO and PPC advertising

[new website owner] That’s a lot of money, how much if wanted you to keep doing what you do to keep near the top. is it monthly?

[website design company] can work to your budget – if you pay £100 per month you will get £100 of work (actually you would get more ) You really need to sort your designs / ideas out then come and meet me at the office here to let me show you whats possible. You will be impressed with our previous successes.

[new website owner] £100! id need to be selling a lot of trees! lol i dont really get it tbh. basically if i got you to do a website then if I didnt get you to keep doing what you do you wouldnt see my website in search is that what your saying?

[website design company] not at all, the more you put into it the better its ‘starting position’ in the google rankings and its ‘visitor numbers’ will be but there is always room to improve – you cant create a new site and expect business to flood in without lots of work and effortif your budget is limited I would recommend you following my list of website promotion activities to make it work, dont forget you get business not only from Google but from review sites / directories / facebook / twitter etc

[new website owner] yeah i know that I wont get loads of business just like that just want to know whether once site is done how much per month is needed to put in as its all about the money and whether its worth me doing it or not. My previous website didnt do anything. I got all my work through advertising in mags and people who had my parties would tell people.

[website design company] only a few clients with big budgets pay us to do SEO work on a monthly basis – you can do some of the SEO work yourself but the site will be ‘polished’ and ready for action and good rankings straight after its launched.

[new website owner] ah ok that sounds ok. is it hard doing it yourself thoe asa i dont have a clue.

[website design company] I would say even the smallest site enhances your normal advertising – much better to look at someones previous work on a website and makes you seem genuine and a ‘real’ business

[new website owner] yes true. everyone at the craft fair asked whether i had a website. I need a website obviously. One last question can i be called sweetcreations as think someone else already called it as my bussiness cards have will have sweet creations on

One of the initial things we like to do with a client is to record exactly what they want the initial document we use for this varies on the website required but for ‘generic’ or general websites we have a new project planning – requirements capture document, this enables us to capture quickly the vital business information from the business owner to allow us to know the direction we need to go in and the further questions we need to ask when we have a meeting to discuss the client’s requirements.

Sometimes we  get sent a website design request from an Essex based business like a Billericay business that includes some conversations from other website designers, this is always interesting to read the other website designers comments and have included them put together here with some of our normal sarcastic comments

Website Designers – We’re getting there. Not something that you can just produce quickly from a visual as there are so many web browsers out there you have to make sure the site works in all of them. We don’t want to launch a site that only works in Internet Explorer. And we know the money is there when its launched so its not as if we are not working on it as hard as we can. There is no design left to do, it is all the development now. We are allowing you to edit every section with ease so wont be an overnight job. Was a bit busy last week so should be able to make a giant step this week as I haven’t got as much on.

Essex Website Design Client – Excellent, I realise that there is a lot more to web design than i probably realise, do you think you could let me know an ETA? I have only seen one picture of the website design so far and  i must say i was very impressed. Thinking about the photo gallery I have attached some more pics that i took of some of my recent work, may be a bit better than some of the current pics you have. [Delicious Webdesign - we try not to start a project until all webcopy and photos are received from the client as it duplicates a lot of work if photos are received throughout the project development]

Want to be able to work as a Website Designer for this Essex web design company? You could do a lot worse than to get yourself into the position of a recent trainee who send us the information below:

I am an Internet professional who is creatively minded and has the ability to resolve problems and issues quickly and effectively.  I have 2 years’ experience working with content management systems, and eCommerce. Am expert with HTML and CSS and my experience includes coding Photoshop designs, sites for small business. I keep up to date with the current trends in SEO and WC3 web standards.  I am now seeking a new role where I can use my expertise and knowledge to produce and maintain valid websites.

 I would like to apply for any web designer/developer vacancies you currently have and think my experience with content management systems and Adobe software will make me an enthusiastic and knowledgeable member of your team.  In my previous role at an Essex Web Solutions company I implemented forum designs for charities and maintained these sites. Also in the same role I designed e-commerce stores for their clients. These ranged from builders, plumbers, pet care products to fashion and health food stores. Other web design work includes bespoke template designs for WordPress, designed in Photoshop, and affiliate marketing. At work I ensure that all of my duties have been carried out to an efficient and high standard.  I am able to work well under pressure, within in team or on my own, and to tight deadlines and have been complimented on the ease with which I complete tasks in a calm manner.

 Please give me a call if you have any questions or would like to meet me in person. I am available to come down to see you in person at Delicious Webdesign in Essex and am also willing to complete a work trial in order to show you my suitability for this role.

Previous roles have included these responsibilities:

Have been the head web designer and website author. Work included forums, small business and local trade. Working in a team of three people I designed websites and implemated new approaches to design work.

Created dynamic and static web site design. My portfolio includes small business and entertainment clients. My previous work includes static html websites. Recently I have produced a site dedicated to affiliate advertising. The client will earn commission from each product purchased by customers who follow the links on the website.  

If you think you have what it takes to be a ‘complete’ website designer then please forward us your information in a similar manner to that above. You could then be making websites for our Billericay clients.

We love helping local Essex based companies to promote their website and have loads of examples of real life successes where companies have trusted us to improve their website to make it rank higher in Google and to increase their visitor numbers, recently sent this to a client after we investigated their website.

We had chance to get the admin details from  your previous website designers in Billericay and spent time investigating your site. Looked at the website code and setup including your WordPress Blog and its setup.

I believe we can improve the site and can increase the sites visibility in the search engines which will improve your site inquries and as such your business. If you are interested in promoting your website, we would be happy to take on that project.  We talked about your website and how we can promote it in the search engines for you, I also mentioned that the site could do with some updates including new text, images and we will need new content (webcopy / text) to ensure your site gets more visibility and listed in all the search engines and ranked accordingly.

There is plenty to do on it to improve your sites ‘search friendliness’. Its search positioning currently does not represent the quality of the site and as such would think big gains in your visitor numbers and search positions could be made.

During the seo project we will identify 10 target search terms and agree them with you before we optimise the site

These type of websites are commonly called CMS websites, here is a recent proposal for a CMS website.

Please find below the proposal we have put together for the development and integration of a custom CMS for your website. We hope that we have covered every aspect of what you require from the site and if we have missed anything
out, please let us know and we can look to rectify the error.

Content Management System
Full Content Managed System with Custom Design and Database integration.
The CMS will include the following pages and functions:
All page content will be editable and updatable via the CMS system.
From the Content Management System, users will be able to do the following:

• Ability to add, remove & edit page content (static pages)
• Ability to create new pages
• Ability to add, remove & edit mailing campaigns (contact requests will be stored in a database, so that you can create a new mailing campaign and send to all contacts at a click of a button).

Whats Included:
6 months technical support (renewable)

Terms & Conditions
Costs quoted are subject to review at any time. This quote is valid for a period of 30 days from the date of this letter.
Payment terms: 50% deposit required on confirmation of project and balance due on completion. Full payment in advance for all orders under £50.00.
Cancellations: Once an order has been placed either verbally or in writing you will be liable for the cost of any work already carried out if you subsequently cancel your order. All goods remain the property of Smartscript Solutions until
paid for in full.

I hope that everything suits your needs and if you would like to discuss this quotation further, please feel free to contact me.

Do You Want To Generate More Sales From Your Website?

ONLINE MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

There is little doubt that online marketing is the best form of marketing available to business owners today. Unlike more traditional offline activity every facet of the online marketing sales funnel can be tracked, analysed and improved in order to ensure you get maximum return for your marketing spend.

If you go back even twelve months many business owners were still deciding if online marketing was for them? Today the decision is who do we get to help us and when can we start. People are realising that it is not just the vanity of additional hits or visitors that matter but a comprehensive end to end solution that delivers quality leads and sales.

If you are a small business you need results NOW and on a budget, you need to find a partner that specialises in small business online marketing.

• Free detailed Web Site report and Demo (worth £100) – Analysing in detail each page of your web site and making recommendations as to how to reach the first page of Google
• Free White Paper (worth £49.95) – 10 page document on how small to medium sized business owners can compete and get the most out of online marketing during these difficult trading times

We offer a Complete end to end solution on a monthly budget to suit every pocket. Our package includes -Search Engine Optimisation, web site build or improvements, unique data capture and lead generation, lead management and email marketing software and hosting if required

Situated within 15  minutes drive from Billericay we are perfectly placed to offer website design services to companies from there. We can offer our best of web services, in case you have any web projects in line for us at the moment. We can help you to enhance your site or any web related concerns as well as promoting your site over the internet. We can happily take care of your complete website projects  in case you want to outsource them to a reliable company with quality work and affordable rates. We will be able to create you a website design / SEO package which I’m confident will interest you. You’ll be surprised at what we can do for you!

We are an established Essex based website design company that has lots of existing clients in Billericay and we are specialising in Web Design and Development, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), WordPress, and Customer Support.

Once we consider your website request we will ensure that your website design requests for our creative services are in line with our web solutions. Then we would like to be allowed to offer you a cost effective and professionally managed website design / SEO services at very competitive rates,, we have been providing for these services in diverse businesses selling products and services.

WEB DESIGNERS
Mainstream brochure, CMS, Ecommerce  and Flash websites, Photo Correction, Print Design (Ads, Brochures, Letterheads, Business Cards), HTML/CSS Coding, , Newsletter, Landing Pages, WordPress Themes, Logo, Banners, Jquery/Flash header, Vector Design.

PPC MANAGEMENT AND SEO
Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, PPC Management, Content Development, Article Writing,

PROGRAMMER SKILLS
CMS (WordPress, Drupal, Custom), ECommerce Solutions, Prestashop, Photocart, Zencart, OSCommerce, WordPress, PHP / MySQL Development

WEB STAFF
Project Managers, Team Leaders, Programmers, Admin, Customer Support Representative

CMS Websites are websites that you control, meaning you can update the text and sometimes the menus / page structure.

Detailed below of a typical CMS System that we can provide you:

1 We design and build up to a 10 page fully adaptable custom CMS system website.
2 The site will be brand consistent, clean and clear and easy to navigate.
3 It will be easy on the eye with a professional finish.
4 Your site will be built correctly with basic optimisation to achieve positive results within search criteria as specified
5 With a brief training session backed up with some easy to follow instructions you will be able to update your website.

The cost will include, hosting and setting up e mails. The cost will include, hosting and setting up e mails.

There are other options if you do not want the CMS, you could have a brochure website, which is ideal if you dont update your website often but then of course you will be  paying every time that you are wanting to change anything on your website, therefor I would suggest the CMS website if you intend updating your website more than 3-4 times a year. We can also simply allow you to update single pages on your website, this maybe a good option if you have a prices page that you want to control and update regularly but keep the rest of the website text the same. If you are in the Essex area from Brentwood to Billericay then drop in to Delicious Webdesign in Stanford-le-Hope for a demo of the latest CMS options.

We are a  company that specialises in helping organisations / companies maximize their potential on the web, – and also to help you to pitch quantitative usability fixes/plans to your customers during tender processes.We believe in Testing user effectiveness, efficiency & satisfaction then acting on the results.

Once you engage our services we spend a few days reviewing your website and your clients and then normally ask you if you have you ever considered what visitors/users actually think about?- why do they leave, how do they feel about the website or your brand and is the proposition clear?

With our simple, cost effective and recognized testing approach we know that we can help you to discover the real reasons why users leave a site, (or stay) and as part of our usability testing review we can provide you with a comprehensive usability study based upon the analysis of your, or your potential customers websites using industry standard user testing methodologies.

We provide  a detailed report that would outline your website (or similar) and would be available with a lead time of 3-5 days. It’s also priced reasonably, with no hidden surprises.

So to recap – As part of the package Testing Users would:

• Test your website with 150 users on usability, brand, functionality & content.
• Run a comparative usability test with your website and another website of your choice.
• Have one of our usability experts review your website and provide feedback as part of of the report using our 117 point survey and review questionnaire.
• Provide you with a graphical report outlining all the statistics and recommendations for improving your website proposition (analysis using over 180 questions).