Website Design - Frequently Asked Questions
info@dmusic.co.uk
Tel:01926 431535
- Why should I have a website?
- How much do you charge for a website?
- How much more will I have to pay after the website has been finished?
- I'm miles away from Leamington Spa where you're based, does that matter?
- How long does it take to design a website?
- When will my website be on Google?
- Will my website be on Google's first page?
- What does hosting mean? Can you do it for me?
- I've already got a website - can you update it for me?
- I've already got a website but I don't like it any more - can you change it?
- What do I need to include on my site?
- Why should I ask D Music & Design Services to design my website?
Why should I have a website?
People use the internet more readily than they use the yellow pages. If they want to buy a particular product, or find a certain type of service, they'll use an internet search engine to see what's available. If you're not there, you're out of the running.
You can use your website to enhance traditional advertising. An advert in a local newspaper will arrive on people's doormats and can attract their attention to your business, but it can be even more effective if it points to your website, where there's a whole lot more information waiting for them.
How much do you charge for a website?
We don't charge for your initial discussions with us. We'll give you a price when we've agreed with you what the exact job is going to be and you've agreed that we're going to create the site for you.
The price is determined by the complexity of the site. There is an initial set up cost of £100 plus £25 per page. The set up cost covers the basic design work and one ftp upload (in other words, putting your site onto the internet once). This gives you an absolute minimum price of £125 for a single page at an existing domain name. If you want a new domain name we can help you to find it, and will happily register it on your behalf, but there will be an additional cost for it (typically between £5 and £20 for two years). Additional pages, Flash files (animations or videos, scrolling selections of images, playable music samples etc), graphics you want us to create for you, forms for your clients to send you specific information, more complex content (changes on mouse rollover, trailing images etc) will all add to the cost.
All prices are individually worked out, but some typical costs might be:
£195 for a 3-page site (home and news page, reviews and testimonials page, contact details page) at a new domain name, using your own images.
£365 for a 5-page site at new .com and .co.uk domain names, with a Flash music or video file, and a year's contract to update news and some images every other month.
How much more will I have to pay after the website has been finished?
You might not have to pay anything more than the initial price we agree on. There are two types of ongoing costs. We will let you know whether you are likely to need these and their potential price to you, when we agree the original price for the job. If your website has a lot of large files and so needs a lot of space on the server (the computer that stores all the files, and allows people to use them over the internet) you'll have to pay an annual hosting charge - anything from £10 to about £50 a year, depending on the space needed. About half of our clients have not had to pay for hosting. If you want frequent or regular updates to your site, you can choose to pay for these on a yearly contract, as a monthly fixed price, or at our hourly rate as you need them.
I'm miles away from Leamington Spa where you're based, does that matter?
Although we do often have at least one meeting with our clients, we don't need to meet face-to-face in order to create your website, so you could be based anywhere. We do most of our communication using e-mail, with the lengthiest discussions taking place over the phone.
How long does it take to design a website?
Most sites can be created within a week or two from the start date. Obviously this depends on the size and complexity of the site, but most website designers will tell you that the biggest delays are often caused by the client not having their information or other content ready when the designers need it.
When will my website be on Google?
Unfortunately no one can answer that question properly. We will build the site to include the features that various search engines like to find. Once your site goes live, we'll include a link from this site. If you want us to, we'll submit the site to a variety of directories and search engines. Search engines can only find your site if there are links to it. The more links you can create (getting fellow professionals to link to your site, registering with directories of local businesses like yours, or setting up a MySpace or other social networking site that points to your site) the more likely it is that search engines will find you. But even so, most people reckon on about 6 to 8 weeks before Google finds your website. Our quickest 'find' was four days, but this was exceptional.
Will my website be on Google's first page?
The only way to guarantee being on the first page is to pay for it, using Google Adwords. But you need to be careful that the cost isn't more than the benefit.
There are lots of ways to improve your placement - it's called Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and there are lots of companies who offer SEO advice free or at low cost. Google and other companies are continually changing their criteria but there are a variety of strategies that we can use to help push you up the rankings, most of which rely to some extent on either links (see above) or 'keywords' - you need to work out what sorts of words people would enter into a search engine to find a business / musician / artist like you. Try using some words to find your rivals, and note down which words you use. Then get your friends and family to do the same, and note down their words. These are the words we need to build into your site in all sorts of ways. Even so, we can't guarantee you first page placement. No one can.
What does hosting mean? Can you do it for me?
In order for your website to be seen on the internet, all the files (the pages, the images and so on) need to be stored on a server computer, permanently connected to the internet. This is the host computer and it will be hosting your website. We usually arrange hosting when we arrange domain names. We have some hosting space ourselves which we can sell on to you as well, for example if you have a large website or if you want to move a site from an existing host.
I've already got a website - can you update it for me?
This will depend on the website, where it's hosted and how it's been created. It also depends on who owns the copyright to the site and what this allows you to do. We will gladly have a look at the site to see what's possible. In order to make any changes, we would need access to the server the website is hosted on, using your ftp address and password - whoever created and uploaded the site in the first place will know these.
I've already got a website but I don't like it any more - can you change it?
Sometimes it's easier to change a website completely than to update an existing one. If you want us to upload the new site to the same host as your old site, we will need your ftp address and password, but otherwise there are no problems with this.
What do I need to include on my site?
There's certain information that companies in the UK must include on their websites and in their emails. The minimum information needed is: name, postal and registered office address (if different), email address, company registration number, VAT number, membership details of any trade or professional organisation (wherever each of these is applicable). "All of this applies regardless of whether the site sells on-line. In addition, any commercial communication – that is any email or even SMS text message – used in providing an "Information Society Service" must display this information (source - out-law.com)." If you're running an e-commerce website, prices must be unambiguous, and it must clearly state whether VAT and delivery charges are included. You can find the UK's distance selling regulations at http://www.out-law.com/page-424.
Beyond the legal stuff you need to bear in mind the purpose of your site. What do you want it to achieve for your business? Who do want to visit your site and what will they be hoping to find? Think about your site as if you were a visitor to it - what would you be looking for, and what would disappoint you if you couldn't find it? More importantly, what would make you visit the site again, and what would make you take up the offers on that site (hiring the musician, buying the album, commissioning the artist, visiting the shop...)?
Why should I ask D Music & Design Services to design my website?
We specialise in brochure sites and small retail sites, particularly but not exclusively for the arts. We are a small company offering a friendly service. We will treat you as individuals and work to your brief rather then trying to adapt your ideas to fit pre-designed templates. We will not recommend something you don't need, and if you want something we can't do, we'll be honest and let you know. No job is too small and no job is insignificant. They all receive the same level of care and attention to detail. Although we require a deposit, we do not expect full payment until your site is live and you are completely satisified with it. Within the original brief that we agree with you, we will carry out any number of amendments until the website is right.
Contact us for more information or for a chat about your requirements.
