Does my business need a website?
Ask yourself, "Does my business need 24-hour exposure 7 days a week, 365 days a year?" The answer is obvious. What other medium allows you to expose all the benefits of your small business to your target market at their convenience and provide a source of direct correspondence from them to you? The benefits of a website are innumerable.
What is a page?
Generally what fits on the viewable area of a web browser (a computer monitor) in terms of width. The length of your web pages is also important. It is best to try to keep pages under 3 page lengths long and if necessary split the page into 2 or more pages. In terms of content, a balance of animation, graphical elements, photographs and text is required in order to convey the right message to your customers and prospects and ensure that the website is easy to use and performs well. There are no hard and fast rules, but by providing us with a list (if possible) of websites that you like and believe are close to what you are trying to achieve, makes it a straight forward process for us to understand your requirements in more detail.
Alternatively, if there is nothing that you have come across yet that you like, or is close but not quite there, then our web designers have the experience to close this gap to your satisfaction.
How many pages do I need?
This all depends on how much content you have. Every business website should have an 'About Us' page (or something similarly titled) to tell your visitors about your business. After that, it depends on what type of business you have. A good rule of thumb is to not overwhelm your audience with too much information on each page. Disperse the information and break it up into digestible pages and paragraphs. Long pages of text tend to overwhelm the reader. Break content up to truly get your audience's attention.
How long will it take for my web site to be designed?
The timescale of a website design project is generally dictated by the client. If you have a deadline in mind we will endeavour to meet it for you. The most common delay in the creation of a site is waiting for content (text/images) to be sent to us by the client.
Once my website design is completed - what after sales service do you offer?
We fully support any website we design and are always available should you encounter any problems or require any enhancements. Furthermore we can also host your website with the provision of email, website statistics and domain name registration, thus keeping the whole solution under one roof and simplifying the entire process for you.
Will my website design be "Search Engine" friendly?
All our websites are created with search engines in mind and the website design is compliant with search engine guidelines. It is a good idea for your website to be re-evaluated in time as over a period of time the search engines do alter their rules and algorithms and you will want to be certain that your website is kept up to date and complies with new rules etc.
I hear that there are hidden costs associated with web design services. Is this true?
No. We discuss with you your website requirements and then price accordingly and once you have placed an order for your website design with us, that price is strictly adhered to unless you wish to change the specification before /during or after the design process and / or add other components not requested in the initial quotation. If so we will simply ensure that these questions are answered and where possible, to keep the costs down at all times. We never increase a cost without first asking for your written approval and as such there are never any hidden surprises
Do I need a database on my website?
This will depend upon the amount of information you wish to be displayed on your website. If you have many products/services, then it may be advantageous to have a database incorporated into your website design. We will discuss this in detail with you and if a database is advised we will explain in detail exactly how this will work. We can tailor your website design to suit your specific requirements.
Do you use Flash animation?
Yes we do use flash as and when required. It is important to note that there are times when flash animations can be an asset but it would be unwise to use "flash" to create an entire website or even entire pages of your website as search engines are not able to read the content of flash and therefore any words used in animations will not be indexed by the search engines.
Generally it is best to use flash for smaller banners, advertisements or demonstrations and incorporate the flash animation into a web page which also includes some written text in html. This way the search engines will be able to index your information.
What is a Web host and does my small business website need one?
A Web host is a company that connects your small business website to the World Wide Web 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Design Master can provide this service for a very reasonable yearly charges
Can Design Master build a website to sell my products?
Yes, we've built many e-commerce solutions for our clients. We'll give you many different options – from very affordable to highly functional, database-driven online stores.
When can I update my content?
If the website we have designed for you includes a Content Management System then you can access your administration areas from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection and make updates instantly as frequently as you wish. To know more about this product Please visit the Content Management Section of our website.
If your website is a smaller website and was designed without using this type of system and you don't have any HTML. Skills, then we can update the website for you. Our charges are very reasonable.
Do you redesign existing websites?
Yes we do. We can redesign, retaining your company corporate style or we can redesign to give you a complete new image. Is your website up to date. We can redesign your website to take advantage of the latest web technologies.
Should I pay for Search Engine Optimization?
Every website Design Master builds is submitted to the top 5 search engines. However, simply submitting doesn't mean that your site will rank at the top of a search engine when a user searches for content related to your site. A lot of work and research goes into getting your website ranked high. Design Master strategists are experienced and have had proven success in Search Engine Optimization.
Can I get e-mail with my web site?
Yes! Design Master can supply pop e-mail for use with Outlook® and other pop mail programs. E-mail forwarding and even ONLINE mail so that you can access your email from anywhere in the world, you can get more details on this on our Web Hosting section of the website
What is a Content Management System (CMS) ?
"A CMS is web based tool that enables a variety of technical and non technical staff to create, edit, manage and finally publish (in a number of formats) a variety of content (such as text, graphics, video, documents etc) on the website without the need of any additional software.