16 November 2009
SMEs have budget restraints and in times of economic crisis it's even more important to get value for money. So paying extortionate prices for a web site is not an option for most at the moment but you recognise that without a web site you are not competing as you should be in this digital age. So why not look at Web Packages, which are a good value solution of basic web design and customisation. Read more...

If you are a small business, then chances are your budget is limited and you are careful on any investment. So when it comes to commissioning your first website you will be mindful of the cost. Also you'll want a professional looking and effective website to compete in your industry sector.

There are plenty of well priced, web packages to suit most pockets of the small or medium business. And many custom web packages are a professional starting point or easy solution to help you get on-line as soon as possible, with the minimum of fuss at a price you can afford.

Prices can start from about £300 (2009) upwards for a basic 5 or 6 page web site which should include everything you need to get started on the Web such as a UK domain name, basic web hosting and enough e-mail accounts for the first year. The more features you require though, the more it will cost. E.G. a logo, automated forms, animation, a database, media (video / audio)... etc.

Also, we would suggest that the site designer, designs in your corporate colours. Include your logo in the header. This outline template can then be used to add multiple pages to a web site.

Ask the designer to install a free visitor counter (Statcounter.com is a good start) so you can measure the human traffic (visitors) that come to your web site.

Future Proof

As you business grows you should be able to add more advanced features and more pages as you need them making the your web site more future proof. By that we mean, your website can evolve as your business changes or becomes more successful.

You can use WWDC (read the testimonials here) to find a suitable web design company who provide a professional service and code web sites to world-class standards. Your site should be independently tested to ensure it is error free and works on all modern day browsers on both Windows and Apple Macs (at least) before the site goes "live".

Search Engines

A good web design company will also optimise your website for the search engines so it stands a good chance of being listed in Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. This is extremely important as without a listing in search engines is unlikely your website will receive human traffic. Most design companies don't tell you that ! SO ASK THEM !

If possible you should check the design company's portfolio of work and read their testimonials from our clients about their service and expertise in web design. And finally when you approach them make sure they speak your language NOT tech-speak or jargon... you want it in layman's terms so if you don't understand ASK THEM ! A good company will not have a problem explaining these terms to you.