Web design

It can be daunting to create your own web site, yet with a little advice and guidance you can be up and running in less time than you might think. I have included some information below to get you started.

Note: I don’t charge for advice on small web sites or those small non-profit groups that offer help to others.

Getting online:

Straight forward information in plain English to take the mystery out of creating the components of your web site.

There are 3 simple tasks to building your website (think of them as the foundations for your site and the content as the building that sits on them):

1. Choosing a web address: Your web address is called your domain name (i.e. www.mydomain.com). The domain name is typed into a web browser as a search request which the web then uses to return the matching domain web pages so that the user can click on its links and menu’s to navigate around. The simplest approach here is to follow conventions that other sites are using. It is ‘usual’ for your website to have address to closely resemble the name you will be using that also an ending that reflects your location (e.g. mydomain.com for an American business, mydomain.co.uk for a UK business, mydomain.org for an organisation, and mydomain.gov.uk for UK government departments). After you have chosen a name for your site – go to one of the domain name registrars to see if its available. Many names will already be taken but be persistent and creative with your ideas until you settle on a choice and make your purchase (typically around £10 for a year). Many of these registrars now provide complete solutions to easily build your site but you do not HAVE to be ‘tied in’ to their monthly costs if you simply wish to purchase a domain name.
2. Selecting a web host: Once you have a domain name you will need somewhere to base the files that make up the pages of your new website. This is where the web will be directed to when someone types your domain name into a web browser. Many of the hosting companies also provide complete solutions for building a complete web site but yet again you do not need to purchase any more than the space required to host your web files (around £20 per year).
3. Deciding on the layout of your web pages: You will want to create a design that is particular to you but has a familiar ‘feel’ to it. The easiest way to do this is to have look at other websites that are similar to what you do and then adapt their common themes to suit the look and feel you are looking for. You can have things as simple or as complicated as you wish but do remember that the more complicated it is the more cost and work is involved in maintaining it. The simplest form of layout is little more than a glorified business card (that tells your visitors what it is that you do and how they should contact you). If you want to have a few products and services then this need not be onerous but if you want an online shop with many products or a website with a complex structure then you will need to enlist the help of a web designer to help create the site and then help you with any problems that may arise when its up and running.

Logos and Graphics:

Advice and services on how to create graphical and logo designs for your web site.

Take a look around this site and you will see examples of a logo (at the head of each page), photos, and some simple graphics that fit in with the overall design and help to make the layout aesthetically pleasing to use.

If you have an artistic flare it maybe worth you purchasing and learning how to use one the many ‘Vector Graphics’ software applications. It does take some commitment yet the time taken is well worth the effort if you are interested in creating your own artwork.

Most people are busy and really don’t have the additional time to create their own graphics Instead they browse through online catalogues of existing graphics to purchase what they need or simply ask like us to help create the bespoke designs that are needed.

Managing your website:

In this section I take you through how to manage the various components that make up your website.

Once you are up and running you will need to maintain the content of your web site and set yourself some reminders to renew the domain name registration and the hosting package.

The layout of your site will change very little over time but you may want to edit the content of the pages to keep them relevant. You can do this yourself with one of the many web designing tools (often with a monthly fee) or we can show you how to use free software that will allow you to get ‘under the bonnet’ and change things quite easily for yourself.

If the fear of breaking something fills you with dread, or (again) you simply don’t have the time available; then we can do the updates for you at a nominal price.