Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Domain Name and do I need one?

A Domain Name is the same thing as a web site name or web address. There are many types of Domain Name such as .com, .co.uk, .biz, .net the list is always expanding. If you want your web site to appear on the Internet then yes, you need a Domain Name.

How much does it cost to buy a Domain Name?

This depends on where you buy it. There are a lot of Companies out there selling Domain Names and these companies vary in price and quality. One company I've had a good experience with is the domain name provider UK Reg . I recommend them for several reasons: firstly, they currently have a good reputation – there are a great many companies out there that do not. Secondly: they are cheap – they often have special offers and at the time of writing .co.uk domain names are £2.95 per annum while .com domain names are £8.89 per annum.

My Web Host sells Domain Names, can I buy one from them?

Of course you can, but please make sure that the costs are reasonable. Also worth bearing in mind is that should you ever become dissatisfied with your Web Host and want to move your site, they effectively have control over your Domain Name and can sometimes be awkward about moving it and/or charge you for doing so.

Do I own the Domain Name?

No you only rent it for a period of up to 2 years. Most companies selling Domain Names will charge an annual fee but require that you pay up front for the 2 years when you buy the name. There are also some companies that offer much longer periods of "ownership" for the Domain Name. You should be clear about what you're buying, under current rules you would still only own the name for 2 years and at the end of period the company from whom you purchased the name re-applies on your behalf. This is fine except that there have been cases where the company concerned have forgotten to re-apply, you might only find this out when your site goes off-line.

Can I host my Web Site on my ISP's free space?

All ISPs offer a certain amount of free web space and if you want to up-load your site there then that's no problem. It is worth bearing in mind however that the web address is likely to be long and un-professional looking. Also many ISPs have banner advertising that appears at the top of the page which may spoil the look of your site. If you are creating a business site I'd say it was worth paying the extra money for a professionally hosted site and a decent Domain Name.

How can I get good placement in Search Engines results?

Different search engines use different techniques for looking at and then listing your web site. To make life difficult for everyone, these techniques are changed fairly often which can also change where your site is ranked. When we build your site we will ensure that it's as "search engine friendly" as we can to help ensure that your site is listed as high as possible, however we can't make any promises as to where your site will appear in the results page. Also be aware that there are companies that will make you promises regarding getting high placement and they will charge you a hefty amount to do this. Whether their services produce what they promise is doubtful. The only way of ensuring top position in a search engine such as Google is to pay for it - as you can imagine, this can work out very expensive and needs to be judged carefully.

Do you use Flash?

As a general rule, no I don't. Flash is a very powerful and frequently misused piece of software that is frankly not necessary for most small business web sites. Flash comes into its own when used for sites concentrating on Design and Graphics such as those of Graphic Artists or Software companies. I take the view that simple is beautiful, my sites are designed so that they are simple to update and can be viewed by as many people as possible - Flash has had accessibility problems for those such as the visually impaired using text-only browsers. If you already have a Flash animation that you would like incorporated into a rebuilt site then I can do this and ensure that the page retains is "valid" status.

What is Accessibility?

My aim is to enable as many people as possible to view your website, whether they use a normal visual browser, a text browser or an aural browser – in other words I try to make the site as Accessible as possible. Designing an accessible website is not just about ensuring access for the disabled, it is also about aiding access for Search Engines such as Google, who read the page in much the same way a text browser does.

More information about Accessibility can be found at the Guild of Accessible Web Designers' Site

Why do W3C standards matter?

In the words of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) it's mission is "To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web." To achieve this it lays down standards and guidelines to help ensure that the basic tools of the web such as your web browser and a website are compatible with one another.

Unfortunately there are some browsers which don't adhere to these guidelines and therefore do not function properly. An example of such a browser is Internet Explorer which does not meet the required standards. This means that much time, effort and money is spent by Web Designers and their Clients to enable a website to function on this browser.

Visit the World Wide Web Consortium

What is Firefox?

Firefox is free Internet Browser which allows you to browse the web faster and more safely than with browsers such as Internet Explorer. Currently over 160 million people have made the switch to Firefox and the number is growing daily. Firefox has many features to enrich the browsing experience such as tabbed browsing and pop–up blocking. It's very light and highly customisable and will import your favourites from other browsers if you decide to move.

We recommend that all our customers make the switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox if they're using a PC. If they're using a Mac then we recommend either Camino or Safari.
The Camino Browser site
The Firefox Browser site

How long does it take for you to make a website?

That often depends on how quickly the Client can get all the relevant information, text and graphics to me and how long they take to check and sign off the work as we go along. For a standard 5 page web site the average time taken from start to finish is probably 2–4 weeks.

What is the process like?

When we first meet we will talk through exactly what you want and need from your website. You will need to provide me with the text and graphics that you want to appear on your site as early in the process as possible. I will then provide you with several possible designs for your site from which you can pick and choose elements that you like or dislike. Once you have decided on a design I will ask you to confirm in writing that you are happy to go ahead with the process and approve of the particular design.

I will provide you with a private mini–site on my own website where you can see the developing site and also keep track of what I'm doing and or if I'm waiting for anything from you.

Once you are happy with the final site I will ask you to sign a site sign–off form confirming you are happy and also that you understand the terms of my maintenance agreement. I will issue my invoice and then upload your site to your webspace. Once uploaded I will submit your site to the major search engines.

How do I know how popular my site is?

Many web hosts provide a control panel called CPanel which will be able to provide you with access to a powerful Statistics tool which produces charts showing how many people visit your site on any given day, week, month and where they come from.

Can I update the site myself?

If you would like to be able to add, edit and delete pages from your website then I offer a basic Content Management System for a minimal extra charge which will allow you to do just that with ease.

Will you update the site for me?

During the first year after your site goes on–line I will carry out non–structural changes e.g. small amounts of text or photos for free. Outside of that initial year period or should you require any structural changes to the site e.g. layouts, colours, logos etc. or regular updates like a news page then I will charge my Design rate of £20 per hour.

Are you a member of any Trade Associations?

I am a member of several respected Web Design Associations including the Guild of Accessible Web Designers, The UK Web Designers Association, the British Web Design and Marketing Association and the Independent Web Developers' Portal.

Guild of Accessible Web Designers UK Web Designers Association British Web Design and Marketing Association Independent Web Designers' Portal

Membership of these organisations is not automatic, would–be members must apply and provide examples of previous work to ensure that they meet the standard of the relevant organisation.

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Client Questionnaire

This questionnaire will hopefully help you establish exactly what you need from a website.

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