If you own a business then in today’s world you really should have a website. Having a website for your business gives you the opportunity to make a great first impression. Showcasing your brand to prospective customers should be priority for any business. A website for your business can help attract new customers and make it more credible. It is also a great tool for displaying reviews of your business.
So if you need a website for your business feel free to contact me today. If you choose I can provide you with a fully content managed website. This means that you have the option to be in control and update the content of your website by yourself wherever you are and on any given day.
The short answer is you don’t have to.
Feel free to contact a web agency or another freelancer or you could create your own website ‘easily’ like they say you can on the tv adverts. The truth is you have to know a little bit about what you are doing in order to get that presence you need for the world to see. So now that you are here why not read on a bit more and see for yourself if you would like to make contact. In order to be transparent with costs the easiest way is for me to work on your website with a chosen template from below. This way you already know exactly what you will be getting and at a fixed price.
As a freelancer I will be your single point of contact offering the best support that I can. This will streamline all forms of communication, helping any edits to move forward quickly. In comparison, when working with an agency, phone calls and emails will likely consist of talking to several different people. I will keep you upto date with all stages of progress throughout your project until it is completed.
My process is fairly simple. Please take a look below for a more detailed description but essentially you will:
1) Choose a domain name that is available and relative to your business.
2) Hosting and other installations need to be set up for you.
3) You then choose a template below that you like.
4) I start developing the website with the appropriate assets such as text, imagery and colour schemes.
5) Once you are happy with the website I will publish it so that it is live on the internet. Then Hey Presto you are done. Obviously there may be things that need to be done after your site is published such as maintenance but we can discuss this at the time.
First things first you need to choose a domain name that is available for your business.
It is very unlikely that apple, tesla and adidas are going to be available but ‘Carols Beauty Treatment”
or ‘Darren the decorator’ may be.
Whatever your business is registered as you need to find a domain name that is as close to it as possible.
For a small extra admin fee I can help you pursue this.
To keep your costs to a minimum and to keep things simple, I work with the Enfold theme from Kreisi.
In my opinion Enfold is probably one of the best if not the best theme out there on the market place.
I can customize the theme to suit your branding by amending the colours and fonts.
Your website can also be adapted as you may want a stretched layout, boxed layout or fixed frame layout all of which will be responsive.
In other words it will look good and function on all devices.
FITNESS THEME
Suitable for fitness instructors
and sports coaches
BUILDERS THEME
Suitable for builders, electricians, plumbers,
plasters, decorators
HEALTHY AND BEAUTY THEME
Suitable for Health and Beauty Therapists,
Nail Technicians and Hairdressers
CONSULTING THEME
Suitable for consultants and
project managers
PHOTOGRAPHER THEME
Suitable for photographers,
professional or amateur
FREELANCER THEME
Suitable for freelancers
and bloggers
BAND THEME
Suitable for musicians, bands,
singers and DJ’s
CAFE/RESTAURANT THEME
Suitable for restaurants
and cafes
BUSINESS THEME
Suitable small businesses
in general
LAW THEME
Suitable for solicitors
and accountants
Your choice of colours for your website and your brand will set the mood of brand expression.
Emotions are powerful and they have the ability to drive people to make their decisions.
You need your website to nurture strong emotional connections with your customers and this can’t be done with just your business logo;. Colours are needed to cultivate these emotions. For example it is highly unlikely that a law firm will use a red coloured website. The Colour red conveys danger so would not be ideal for a law firm. Red is one of the most visible colours in the colour spectrum, it also signals urgency and passion, it attracts attention, making it an ideal choice for sectors like fitness, emergency services, food and hospitality.
You may have some questions which you may find the answers to here.
If you can’t find them then please feel free to contact me.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is a unique name that identifies a website address on the internet. It’s a human-readable address that’s easier to remember than the actual IP address (ie a load of numbers!) So for example my domain name is mrwebdesigner.co.uk.
How much does a domain name cost?
Domain name prices vary depending on the popularity of the actual words, but they can be very cheap at around £10 per year.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is a service that stores and maintains files for websites and applications online. It’s a critical part of creating an online presence for your business. In order to have a website on the internet, you need hosting. It is the same principal as you receiving gas or electric into your home in that if you don’t pay your energy bills you will get cut off and not be able to use your oven, tv etc. If you do not pay for hosting then nobody can see your website.
How much does hosting cost?
Hosting costs can vary as it will depend on what package you purchase but you will easily pay on average around £20 a month.
Can I use any template?
Yes of course you can. There are no rules and regulations on what theme you choose. Browse through them all and pick the one that suits you most and I will tailor it to achieve what you want.
How long will my website take?
This is really an open question as it can depend on many things. Firstly I need to get all of the assets (images and text for your website) from you. Once I have everything it depends on how many pages your website is.
As a rule of thumb though small websites should be turned around in between 3 – 6 weeks.
Can I edit my own website?
If you want a content managed website then for the extra fee I will have to set you up as an administrator. You will need to familiarise yourself with the wordpress platform (training given by me) in order to edit the text and images on your website. Once you are set up you will be able to log in from wherever you are to edit your site.
Can I get links to my social media sites?
Yes you can. I get set up icon links to your social sites such as facebook and linkedin.
Owner of Gerraidh Hosta Cottage
Firstly can I just say what a pleasure it was working with Paul. Having contemplated doing my own website I quickly realised after discussion with Paul that I was better leaving it to someone with proper website design experience and an understanding of the issues and pitfalls to consider. Within the space of a couple of weeks Paul quickly grasped what I required and with his own innovative ideas turned my thoughts and ideas into a thoroughly modern and visually pleasing website. I was kept informed at all stages of the website design process and encouraged to amend and change where necessary. As Paul says it’s very much about knowing your own customer base and how to attract and focus on the relevant market sector. All in all we’re delighted with the outcome along with the personal and professional level of service we received.
BNR DEVELOPMENTS
I would highly recommend Paul if you are looking to build a website from scratch for your company. I really didn’t know where to start but Paul walked me through his recommendations in terms of layout, content and categories. I then just had to come up with some text and photographs. He is very patient and understanding and I am delighted with the end result of our business website. I was initially recommended Paul from two family members who used him for their own professional websites so I knew his end result would be great but it’s still very exciting to see your own website come to life.
Owners of Eastend Cottage
Paul constructed a website for our holiday cottage. We are delighted with the work he has done which has met our expectations entirely. He has been in regular contact and guided us through the process from concept to completion with great patience and obvious expertise. He has suggested improvements at various stages in the evolution of the website and accommodated all our requests. I would not hesitate to use his services for website design again and recommend him to anyone wishing help in creating a professional and attractive website.
*Above prices do not include your domain name, hosting package and Enfold Theme.
I can design for e.g Brochures, Adverts, Posters, Leaflets, Logos, Stationery, Exhibition Banners, Annual Reports, Invitations, Flyers and more. If you require digital graphic design for your online projects such as adverts, banners, pop ups and hero designs then contact me today.
