Before you start to plan and create your website it is essential that you define why do you want a website.

• The most common reasons include
• Because my competitors have one
• Because my customers use the internet
• To raise the profile of my business
• To open on on-line shop

All of the above are great reasons for having a website, I would also add that a website gives you the opportunity to publish positive news about your business, the quality of your work and some great references.

Planning

Start with the easy questions.

• How much budget have you got?
• How much time have you got?
• Do you have some basic computer and writing skills?  

If you are short of budget, time and not sure about your skills then you need to find a friendly web site designer who can help you.  Be wary of using relatives and mates from the pub, you need to set a deadline and agree on what you want and when.

To plan your site

You should have a couple of basic pages on your site

• a home page
• about you
• references
• a contact page

What would your customers expect to see on your web site.  Always think like a customer and make sure that there is something for your customer to see.

Three elements of a website

• Design:  keep it easy to read, and avoid too much bling
• Functionality: what do you want people to do on your web site. sign up for a newsletter, buy something?
• Content is king. When did you last read a web page, I mean really read it?  my guess is that you mostly scan them and only read something that catches your eye.  Remember, search engines read your website too so make sure you put any key words at the top of the page, so you catch the eye of all your visitors, including Mr Google.

Types of websites

There are many different types of websites available to meet all pockets.  The cost of a site is likely to reflect the complexity of the design and functionality of the site.

CMS professional - we use Drupal CMS prices start at around £2,000

CMS is Content Managed System - a fully tailored solution that integrates well with social media.  You can change and manage the content,  there is no limit on the number of pages etc.

You can have full e-commerce solutions built for you and these sites are use by the largest of business corporations.

Brochure sites - from around £230

A brochure site is when you build an electronic brochure for your business and put it on-line.  They tend not to be interactive, though I would suggest that you include a contact form.  They are designed to be fairly static in their content but gives you an inexpensive website to focus your on-line presence.

Business card sites - from around £230

Similar to the Brochure site, except it is more personal.  If you are working in a high profile position or you want to add more to your CV then having a business card site can help you make sure that when people search for you, they find something better than your FaceBook page and the pictures of the last party you went to.

Sites for small businesses and organisations

When you are running a small business it is not always easy to find the time to devote to all of the areas that require your attention.  Having a managed website, where you pay someone to maintain and refresh your site, monitor its performance and keep it interesting is well worth considering.

WebJam Social media sites

This is an example of a WebJam site.  The site has the attributes of a traditional site plus you can register and join the site and share your thoughts on the wall.  The cost of a site like this is very inexpensive at just £100 a year but you may want some training.  Did I mention we offer training