Answers to common questions and enquiries received by Delicious Webdesign
Frequently Ask Questions
How long will my website take to build?
If you want it done yesterday then we will do everything in our power and bend over backwards to get it done for you but normally we can agree on a schedule that takes into account your requirements and our resources. If there is a live date that we must meet then we will do everything in our power to meet it for you, in our experience the client can speed up the process by ensuring they give concise instructions on how they want their site and provide as much text and photo content at the beginning.
Ok I want you to do my site, but what's the procedure?
If it’s been decided that you will go forward with one of our website packages then we will go through your requirements and recommendations via a meeting or email communication, very briefly we will advise you on a Domain name if you don’t have one already, ask you what you want to achieve and what look ⁄ feel you have in mind for your new site. Then agree if the site will be one of our standard ones (Starter, Business or Premium) or will it need extra functionality or include a content management system, or possibly be a dynamic site with a database and eCommerce. Most of our websites are now fully content managed (you can update them) and are fully responsive (mobile / touch-friendly designs and functions). Additionally, we will also want to know if you want photo galleries, new sections, videos created and embedded within your website. If you haven’t a logo we will discuss creating one for you. We secure your website name (Domain name ⁄ URL) as well as the most appropriate hosting for your site, then going forward we begin the website build procedure based on our previous meetings and ideas from yourself, this will be shown to you at the earliest opportunity for you to approve. Changes are agreed upon and processed until you are happy with your initial design/theme, including the navigation and ‘feel’ of your new website. Your site will have an analytics package added to it (so you can keep track of who is going on it) and it will be submitted to the Search Engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing). Shortly after adding a contact us page to your site, you will receive detailed instructions on how to setup your email client and start receiving email from your customers.We will sent you an account document with all your details to access your website and setup your email accounts with how to get your email clients setup (we generally recommend using Windows Live Mail and Microsoft Outlook or iMail on the Mac)
What's the approximate cost?
Costs for your website range quite a lot and are dependent on the style, standard, specific requirements, SEO and complexity of the website you need. Our Standard Business Brochure Websites will cost in a range of £899 to £1899 depending on your requirements, an Ecommerce site will cost £2500 upwards, a Bespoke Database driven website anything from £5000 upwards. Every requirement and site is different but these are guide figures, for a more competitive quote then please get in touch with us for a comprehensive website project quote on your new website.
What's included?
Our website designs are built after our initial consultation. All of the sites we build using best practices and designed from the bottom up with Search Engine Optimisation (websites are attractive and ‘easily indexed by the search engines) and Flexibility with room for growth built-in. We ensure our clients get affordable great looking websites. It’s possible to find cheaper solutions and it’s possible to find very expensive website quotes, but you can see from our testimonials that our clients are very pleased with their sites The following comes included (not an extra) with your website:
- Customised Individual Website Design
- Responsive Design (mobile/tablet friendly)
- Search Engine Optimised web pages
- Search Analytics Package (monthly reports)
- Website Name ⁄ Domain plus first-year hosting
- Content Management System
- Optimised images/graphics
- Unlimited Content updates*
- Browser Compatibility (IE ⁄ Firefox ⁄ Safari ⁄ Opera)
- Site Flexibility (naturally your site will grow ⁄ change)
- Ongoing Support
- IT and Internet Advice
*We will endeavour to update your site within 1 day of notification
Is a deposit required?
Afraid so, we will need a 50% initial deposit for our standard sites and for more complex / longer projects we will need milestone payments.
Do you offer any discounts?
Yes, for Charities, Good Causes and Schools.
Must we get together for a meeting?
We find we get to the bottom of your requirements quicker face to face and like to see your reaction to our site suggestions, but normally a meeting isn’t really something we ‘need’ to have and something like 40% of our sites are completed without a face to face meeting where we can communicate by email and phone.
Who typically needs a website?
Anyone can have a website for businesses, individuals, clubs, churches, schools. charities, and non-profit making societies. Websites have a wide range of functions, from providing information on events and activities, contact details, and selling products and services. A website can also provide a way for employees or volunteers to keep in touch with what is going on with their organisation.
How is billing handled on domains and hosting?
Typically, both your domain and hosting will have a two-year billing cycle but you can pay in advance for more years, which could have a positive effect on your website’s ranking (SEO). Paying less than 1 year or monthly isn’t an option for your domain and hosting account but the first year’s of domain registration and hosting is included in your initial website project cost.
Will my website will achieve a top ranking?
While we will always do our best to make certain that your website is built correctly and in a search engine friendly way and completely optimised for the search engine and for your placement within your specific sector or industry, we cannot guarantee that it will rank meaningfully quickly, indeed there is no guarantee that it will ever reach the number one position for its key search terms. We encourage you not to focus too much on single search term placements as there are several other variables that need to be taken into account such as your proactive approach to marketing, how often you wish to update any content and how many affiliated pages (such as social media links) are currently active.
Does my website needs optimising?
One of the tools that we are happy to provide is a website evaluation report. We will take a look at factors like inbound links, your hosting server speed and location, keyword placement, and your existing presence within large engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing. Please note that this is included within our intermediate and advanced packages while it can also be purchased as a standalone analysis. If you decide you want us to act on the report to fix and improve it will also perform advanced analysis to make certain that your website is functioning at tip-top shape.
Are your websites expensive?
If you really want to use our website design / graphic design or SEO services and you are on a strict budget. You will be pleased to know you have options. One of the great aspects of Delicious Webdesign is the fact that we offer flexible pricing options. The most economical choice is known as our Starter package. Please take a look at some examples of finished builds here to get an idea of what we have to offer. We also offer interest-free monthly payments if you purchase the Premium or Premium Plus website package.
What is a CMS website?
Most people looking into website design have seen the phrase CMS or ‘content management system’ used frequently and like most people, you probably want to know what does this mean. Content management systems (CMS) are simply centralised means to keep all of the information on your website (text, graphics, pictures, videos and coding) manageable so you can keep them up to date and relevant yourself without resorting to a website designer updating the site for you on your behalf. This saves you time and money.
How much does a website cost?
We at Delicious Webdesign, love this question. This is by far our number one question. Unlike other companies, we have no hidden charges or charge you more than quoted. We show prices for a lot of the most common web design, web development and online marketing build. We have nothing to hide as our prices are fair, cost-effective and affordable. Please check our prices by clicking here or get a custom quote on your project.
Is a meeting necessary to discuss the website design?
Most of the time, a meeting isn’t necessary. The work will be completed by us with only discussions over phone and email and online meetings. We will design your website and keep it private if you require that during the build process. We then work with you to discuss your site and review changes. The site isn’t made available to the public until it looks and works exactly as per your requirements.
I hear a lot about Databases, do I need to know about these?
Most of our Content Management Systems use a Database but you don’t need to concern yourself with this, consider this the ‘engine’ to your car and consider us the mechanics that will avoid you looking for the engine release catch. If your website is an eCommerce system and has various products and services, then it will be standard to have a database built into your design. Delicious Webdesign experts discuss this with you in detail when you hand over the project to us. If a database is advised, we will explain exactly how it will work. We will customize your website design to suit your specific requirements.
Do you provide Domain and Hosting services as well as SEO and Website design?
Yes, Delicious Webdesign is a one-stop-shop for all your website needs from designing to hosting, we offer it all. You do not have to worry about who to call if you have problems. Our experts can take care of everything from registering your domain name, setting up email addresses and helping you configure your email on your PCs / Laptops / Tablets and Smartphones as well as designing your website to building it and maintaining it for years to come.
Do you use Flash animation in your website designs?
Previously we did but we shy away from it now. Flash animations previously looked ‘nice’ and had their place on some websites where they could be a positive asset in some situations, but there are other times when it is not. For instance, we never use Flash to create an entire website or even the pages. This is because some browsers cant display it correctly and search engines are not able to read the content of Flash completely and, as a result, words used in animations are not indexed. Flash was previously best used for small banners or advertisements but now its rarely used, Indeed we have no flash animations on any of our websites now.
Can I See My Website While It's In Progress?
Yes, you can. We build your website on our server and provide you with a username and password so that you can log in and monitor the progress of your site. During this phase, we would like you to give your feedback if something isn’t quite the way you envisioned so that it can be revised.
What's SEO - Search Engine Optimisation?
The Search Engine Optimisation, SEO for short, is definitely not just about optimising the search engines, as it’s also about optimising the websites for these search engines. Well, SEO is the one that could help your website rank better in search engines, both major and minor. There are, basically, a good number of ways and even methods of SEO, and some of them are legitimate enough, while the others are limited and considered as the blackhat technique. Keep in mind that these search engines do not really like blackhat SEO, not to mention that the effect of its usage could be somehow disastrous for the website.
Every page of your new site will be coded to be search engine friendly and optimised’. This ensures your website gets the best possible start in the SERP (Search Engine Results Pages) compared with other non optimised sites. We use Google approved good/white hat techniques so you can ensure your site will not be penalised for using sneaky techniques to get onto Google and the others. Go here for extra information on search engine optimisation.
How can I get on the search engines like Google?
We will get your website added to the main search engines are as part of your package. As standard, all sites are submitted to the main search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo on your behalf. You will also be pleased to know we create a Google Local listing for you also so your website appears on the map listing when someone searches for you in your geographic location.
Why do you need SEO?
Whether you own a small scale or a larger scale business website, you still need your website to feature in the search engines for relevant search terms. The higher you rank for these relevant search terms the more website visitors/enquiries and sales you will achieve. For this reason, SEO can help you promote your business, all around the world. Our websites are created to be search engine optimised (SEO) as part of the build so you can be assured your website will appear highly for its key search terms.
Can you do it yourself?
You certainly can if you know how SEO should be completed or perhaps you have some experience in SEO then this would be ideal. However, not everyone has knowledge of onsite and offsite SEO, there are some website owners that have had bad experiences when they attempted to find 3rd party SEO professionals who claimed to be able to help them with making their website more attractive to the search engines, you will be pleased to know that we can offer the full range of SEO services and have a great track record to show that we know how to produce results for you. We are website design and SEO professionals who would delight in promoting your website so all you need to do is to sit back, relax and enjoy the benefits that you’re getting from our hard work. We will always encourage you to work with us during any SEO project and will provide you with easy to follow guidelines to give your own website a ranking boost.
What are the basic concepts that you should know?
In general, you should be aware of all the Google Webmaster Guidelines when creating and promoting websites, we operate a content-first strategy for our SEO programs to ensure you have a valuable ‘resource’ that offers unique/relevant and interesting content for people needing to find you for information or your services.
Are 'black hat' SEO techniques bad?
So-called “black hat” techniques represent methods that are frowned upon by Google. Keyword stuffing, spamming, blind links and invisible text all fall into this category. Delicious Webdesign avoids such procedures; guaranteeing that your site meets all current Google Webmaster best practice guidelines.
Will SEO strategies change?
It is likely that Google will continue to create updates in regards to search queries and website rankings. However, Delicious Webdesign aims to keep on top of these changes and to implement them within your site as they become necessary.
Is pay-per-click advertising worth it?
Pay-per-click strategies will not enable your site to rank higher than would be possible with organic search listings, but they will give you visibility at the top and to the side of the ‘natural’ or ‘organic search results. It will help you control your search engine visibility where you can control where and when you appear (depending on your budget) potentially allowing you to appear at the top of the search results page; a key to increasing sales and conversion rates.
What can I expect in terms of SEO in the future?
The mobile-friendliness / responsiveness of a site will become more important as a ranking factor. We believe that the content strategy will move away from targeted keywords towards topics so it will not be as simple as adding a single key search term or a long search term (sometimes referred to as long-tail keywords) to a page but you will have to write unique and with some authority about your topic. Additionally, it is likely that Google will become stricter in regards to the weeding out of websites with unnatural links, un-naturally inflated social signals and useless or ‘thin’ content.
Do you keep current with Google?
If you are wondering how we keep our knowledge current and relevant in regards to search engine updates you will be pleased to know that when choosing our team is that these professionals are well aware of how these requirements tend to evolve over time. Also, Delicious Webdesign makes it a point to keep abreast of all of the latest news before changes will affect the status of your site. We can show you some local, national and internationally highly ranked websites that prove that we know what we are talking about so you can see websites which, over time, we have helped to increase their search engine visibility, you will also be pleased to see just how flexible our approaches can be.
Will I be on the first Page of Google?
This is a common question and the short answer is ‘possibly’ but nothing happens overnight and nothing is guaranteed or promised, it’s more important to rank well for a wide variety of search terms that builds your visitor numbers and turns website visitors into enquiries (email and phone) which turn into clients or customers and sales. Expecting your website to be on the ‘First Page of Google’ for any competitive search term within a short time of the website is created or SEO projects being started is not realistic. That being said we have built and promoted hundreds of websites that have reached the first page of Google for a variety of search terms that are relevant and competitive. This can only happen over years with a Responsive / Search Engine Friendly website that is updated/improved regularly.
Website Content - What Do I Put On My Site?
Generally the more useful and relevant content you can put on your site the better for your visitors and your search engine placement, but it depends on the goals of your website. If you run a business website you would include as much information about your products or services that your customers would need to purchase from you. If you are a Photo Gallery perhaps you want your photos to do the talking.
Should my website be optimised for mobile devices?
100% yes, especially as 60% or more of your visitors will be coming from a smartphone or tablet. You will be pleased to know that responsive website design is included as a standard part of our service and for good reason. A growing number of users are accessing the Internet via tablets and smartphones. The ability for your pages to display correctly is critical if you hope to enjoy continual exposure and high search engine rankings as Google loves mobile optimised sites.
Can you help me decide what my website should look like?
Yes and this is a very common request, we can give you help and advice on what the website should look like and should contain depending on your requirements, business and your goals for the website.
Can you update my website pages for me?
All new sites are built on a Content Management System so you can update them yourself but of course, we are pleased to offer this flexible service to update your website for you. Once you have agreed to one of our packages, you are free to request new updates whenever you deem them relevant. These will normally be completed within a few business days of your initial enquiry.
Do you create new logos designs?
Yes and this is done for the majority of our new website clients. We are proud to have a team of professional graphic design specialists. They are more than capable of addressing the unique requirements of branding and logo design. To appreciate what we are able to accomplish, please browse through the examples of previously finished logos that can be found on the site (build > graphic design > logos)
In your contact form, what details do you need?
For new websites, we would like an initial idea/outline of what you want to achieve with some example sites that you like the look and function of. We then endeavour to investigate and contact you if there are any other questions, this leaves us to send you an approximate quotation price and time frame for your website.
You will receive a no-obligation quote and we will be delighted for you to contact us to ask anything you want to ensure you are happy before committing to your new website design project.
After the site is live what happens?
At the end of a website build, we don’t desert you and encourage you to give us feedback about your site and discuss its Search Engine positioning with you. Any minor amendments or content changes/updates are carried out to the site free of charge as part of our agreement. We believe that we stand out in this aspect as most companies charge for updates after the first few months.
Do I have to create my own content?
We can do it, either way, you can create your content and we use it to put on your new website pages or we can agree what pages and topics need web-copy (text content for your website) and we have people who specialise in that part of website-development. We will go away and create a draft document for your inspection then after you proofread and agree to it we will put this on your site.
It’s important to state that this process has proved to be very popular and having unique, relevant and interesting content that has a high Flesch ranking grade will go a long way to help your website rank highly in its specific sector for important keywords/search terms.
Why is having a website a good means of advertising?
Once the website has been build and put live it should attract more links and rise in the search engine rankings naturally over the years, therefore it’s going to be an asset of your business that will continue to deliver ‘free’ advertising. After the first year, you will only pay a hosting fee (approximately £3 per month) to keep your website live, compare this with the advertising rates in Yellow pages and the Phone book where half-page adverts cost £2000 or £3000. Sure you will agree this sounds like an attractive advertising proposition.
Do I have to choose a design for my website design?
We will always ask you for website examples you like and while we are happy to be able to offer a number of standard packages, there is also the possibility to select a more dynamic framework based upon your discrete needs. The best way to determine if this is the case is to speak with us during your initial website meeting with an experienced website design Project Manager.
Why is it important to include images within my site?
Apart from making your site more attractive to they are great ways to keep the attention of the visitor as opposed to text alone. If setup correctly images and photos with the correct attributes can be recognised by Google and the other search engines. This search engine friendly technique will enable the site to be more easily recognised; particularly when someone performs an image search within this search engine.
Do you add new features to your design packages?
We like to think of ourselves as a constantly evolving website design company. So, we always incorporate new tools and features as they become available. This can help to keep you ahead of the ever-progressing digital marketing curve.
Shall I get my own hosting website name (domain)?
We don’t normally recommend this as It’s part of our service for us to take care of that for you. Along with it being part of the service the packages include the domain and hosting (for the first year) by default. We look after your domain / website / hosting / email and manage them for you.
What is a domain name?
Most people simply refer to the domain as the ‘website’ so www.delicious-webdesign.com is our domain name. A Domain name is a series of characters that is used to identify one or more IP addresses. They provide convenient alternatives to IP addresses, which are complex and would be difficult to remember. They work pretty much like street addresses. A domain name may refer to a specific business, organization, person, idea or anything else. It directs people to the website, which will help you make a lasting impression of your business/brand on the Internet.
What is an IP Address?
An IP Address is the actual address of an individual computer, server, or network on the internet. It is a difficult-to-remember string of numbers such as 95.128.131.18, IP address takes you to a specific point on the internet. Domain names can be mapped to IP addresses so you will never need to remember your IP Address but only your Domain name / Website name.
How do domains work?
Once you enter a domain name in the browser address bar, the browser requests the nameservers to identify the IP address associated with the domain name. Then, you will be taken to the IP address, where the website for the domain name is located.
What are nameservers?
Nameservers are record-keepers. They keep records of all the domain names and their associated IP addresses. They help your visitors come to your website by typing easy-to-remember domain names, rather than complex IP addresses.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is an essential service for website owners that allows you to publish your website for the world to see. Your webhost is where you upload all your website’s data (code, documents, images and databases) such as html, css, documents, and so on, so that your visitors can access them from anywhere in the world. Hosting invokes a fee and is normally charged along with the domain renewal on a 1 or 2 yearly basis.
Is it difficult to set up web hosting?
Normally we take care of this aspect of the website design / development process for you. Our control panel makes it very easy to set up your website. Using the login and FTP details that we create for you its possible that we can set up the website (install database / code for a holding page) in as little as 15-20 minutes. If you need any help, our support team will always be ready to help you with the process.
Do I need to worry about hosting?
People often ask us ‘How do I choose a hosting plan?’ and ‘Will the hosting be adequate?’ Our standard hosting plans come as part of our packages and are sufficient for 98% of standard business websites, we have the capacity and are flexible enough to be able to offer you as much speed / bandwidth / space as you need. To determine what you need we need a clear idea of what you want to do with your website. Do you have a large website, or will upload lots of images and documents? Then you need a hosting plan with a large disk space. If you expect a large number of visitors, then you need a hosting plan with higher bandwidth. It is always better if you keep room for growth, whether it is in terms of web traffic or space requirements.
Windows Hosting or Linux Hosting?
This is something you don’t need to worry about, unless you have an existing website written specifically for Windows Server we will generally host your website on a Fast Linux Server. Web hosting servers generally run on either Windows or Linux operating system. Your choice of OS for web hosting should not depend on your choice of OS for your computer. When it comes to web hosting, both OS have vastly different features and characteristics. Understand what your website requirements are, check which OS supports them, and buy that hosting service. We have multiple hosting options on Windows and Linux Servers to enable us great flexibility.
Can I host multiple websites?
Of course. Our hosting is flexible and we will give you the best advice about this if you have more than one domain. If you want more than one on the same account, this could be limiting for future development so we generally have one domain per hosting account. While some hosting plans do support more than 1 website, it is quite normal for hosting plans to support only 1 website. If your hosting plan does not support more websites, then you have to buy a different hosting plan for each website.
Can I upload files to my server?
Typically you will have access to a Content Management System that gives you a dashboard or control panel that you will be able to use to upload media like documents and images to your webspace on your server as your own hosting account It’s possible to give you code that allows you to do this manually (but unusual) so you can do this manually within your hosting control panel where you will find a File Manager with an upload function. Alternatively, you can also upload your files using an FTP client such as FileZilla or SmartFTP. Some people are concerned about how long it takes to upload their website files to a hosting server? As we have a fast server it’s normally fast but depending on the size of your website files and your own connection speed it can take between a few seconds and a couple of hours. For most website file transfers for images files it takes less than 5 seconds.
Why is choosing the correct domain name important?
A domain name is the electronic “calling card” for your business. Depending upon how it is set up, it can dramatically increase brand recognition and the performance of your site. Delicious Webdesign will help to find and register for you the most relevant name for your business.
