Web design for small businesses - our services
The Website Design Studio specialises in creating websites for small businesses of all kinds. Our client base is diverse including carpet cleaners, garden design, yoga teachers, bouncing castle businesses and jewellery makers (to name just a few).
Every business needs a website
These days, a website is absolutely essential for any business. Increasingly, people use the internet to find details of businesses offering the products and services they need. It's highly likely that your competitors have websites and if you don't, you are at a huge disadvantage. Some businesses need a simple 'brochure' site giving information on products and services and essential contact information. Other businesses need larger sites which may include online selling facilities or ordering systems.
Creating a good impression
Your website might be the first encounter a potential customer has with you or your business. It's therefore very important that your website presents a good first impression. Think of it as a shop front. If a shop looks shabby and unwelcoming, you will be unlikely to want to go in and browse. If a shop looks smart and professional, you are much more likely to want to go in and buy. The same applies to website. A well designed website can increase your sales as customers are more likely to stay and browse your site.
Getting your business noticed on the internet
The Website Design Studio will make sure that your site is search engine friendly so that it stands the best possible chance of being found by searches on Google and other search engines. We will give you advice on which keywords you should be targeting and how to write good content that is both visitor friendly and search engine friendly. This is known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
What pages do I need for my website?
Each business is different so there's no set formula for what pages you will need on your website. However, the following pages are a good start:
1. A home page – includes a text introduction to the website.
2. About – information about you and your business.
3. Products or Services – details of the products or services that you offer.
4. Prices – details about your fee structure.
5. Contact – perhaps one of the most important pages which includes details of how to find you.
How much does a website cost?
We can design website to suit all budgets. For example, you might be starting up a small business and need a very simple 'starter' site to get your business online. Or you might have an ambitious business plan which includes the need for a high quality website to promote or sell your products or services.
To give you some idea of how much a website for an author can cost, here are some typical prices:
► The starting price for a brochure website can be as low as £100 for a one page site.
► A typical five page site, based on a template, usually costs in the region of £150 - £250.
► A simple five-page bespoke website, where we create a unique graphic design, costs £300 plus, depending on your needs.
► Simple PayPal shops (which are ideal if you are selling up to about twenty products) start at £300.
► More complex online shops which sell many products can be set up for as little as £300.
These prices are intended to give you a broad idea of our pricing. Every website is different. We never design a site without giving you a full written estimate first. The price of your site will depend on the level of graphic design needed, the functionality of your site and the number of pages.
Ongoing costs
You also need to take into account on-going costs which are hosting from year 2 (currently £39.99), domain name renewal (approximately £20 to £30 every two years, depending on the domain name). If your site is likely to use a lot of bandwidth (if you are selling downloadable digital products for example) you may need to upgrade the hosting to one of our 'silver' or 'gold' packages. We will give you hosting advice when we discussed your needs with you.
Template based websites
One way of keeping costs down is to opt for a ‘template based’ site. Here, the layout is pre-defined – the only input that a client can have is the colours used on the site. Any existing artwork such as logos can be incorporated into these sites – and they can still look very unique – no two template based sites will look the same.
Bespoke web design
If your business needs to look very stylish, you may want to commission a bespoke website. Bespoke websites have a unique graphic design and are build exactly to your specifications. They include a design phase where we design a selection of layouts an ask you to choose one to work up as a blueprint for the rest of the website. We ask for your feedback and only build the site once you are happy with the layout and look and feel of your site.
Optional extras
You can also consider many optional add-ons to your website such as statistics (details of how many visitors look at your site, where they come from, how often they visit etc.), newsletter subscription forms, contact forms, and Content Management Systems.
Maintaining your website
From time to time, you may want to update your website. Updates are charged on an ad hoc basis of £35.00 per hour. So the cost depends on how much needs changing (images, text and so on).
Very minor text changes can be implemented free of charge throughout the year.
Content Management Systems (CMS)
If you feel confident in your computer skills, we can link your site to a CMS where you can edit text and images yourself.
Other pages that may be of interest
If you are the owner of a small business and your are considering a website, you may find the following pages helpful (click on a link):
► Website design for small business: issues to consider
THE NEXT STEPS - CONTACT US NOW FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
Send us an email outlining your requirements
studiowebsites@googlemail.com
Tel: 01903 879362
Or fill out our online enquiry form
