Frequently Asked Questions
Josh.biz creates websites for businesses of all sizes and we specialise in helping getting businesses online (from ideas to completion) with a minimum of fuss.
Below, you’ll see a list of frequently asked questions we’ve put together to answer the most common questions which arise. If you have any other questions about website design, email or anything we might help with, please call us on 01263 862610.
- What can a website do for you?
- What’s a Domain Name?
- What’s Web Hosting?
- Do you need a Content Management System (CMS)?
- What do I need to supply for you to build a website?
- How long does it take to build a website?
- How much does a website cost?
What can a website do for you?
A website can reach out to new markets or it can help retain your current customers. It can act as a multi page advertisement or it can be an online business that generates its own income. It can act as a meeting place, a resource centre or even entertain. If you need to advertise, inform, sell, communicate or entertain then a website can be built to fit the bill.
An advantage of the web compared to traditional media is availability. The web is available 24 hours a day to a global audience. This creates an opportunity to provide valuable information for your customers. A professionally designed website can:
- act as a multi page advertisement
- display the products and services you provide
- enable customers to purchase goods or services
- allow reservations to be made online
- convey branding identity and promote trust
- develop customer loyalty through the provision of services
- provide contact information or direct contact through email
What’s a domain name?
Your domain name is the address where internet users can find you on the web, for example, www.yourbusiness.co.uk. It will also be used in your email addresses (e.g. you@yourbusiness.co.uk).
It is increasingly difficult to register a catchy domain name so a little imagination is sometimes required.
There are certain rules regarding who can register certain types of domain. For example, ‘.gov.uk’ domains are reserved strictly for UK government use only.
Other domains such as ‘.org’ are intended for non-profit making organisations but in reality can be registered by anyone. Please ask for further guidance on this subject if required.
Here are some other useful facts and tips to bear in mind when choosing an appropriate domain name.
- A well-chosen domain name can help customer recognition. By including important keywords you wish to be found under, this can significantly improve your search engine ranking (placing you higher up the search engine results pages).
- Since your domain name will be included in all email addresses, there is sometimes an interest in selecting a short domain name.
We advise all our clients to speak to us first to obtain advice before registering. Your choice of domain name is usually a critical factor to the success of your website.
How to register a domain name
UK Reg and 123-Reg are 2 popular domain name Registrars. Use their websites to check domain name availability. Names cost as little as £2.95 per year to register. Don’t forget to renew your domain names when required.
What’s web hosting?
All the files which make up your website will be stored on one or more computers called web servers. These are continuously connected to the internet allowing surfers to access your website day and night. The server computer is also referred to as the host for your website. These computers serve up your web pages to your visitors and ensure it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The web hosting requirements for any website vary according to the technology used to create it. The standard of the service can vary greatly from one company to the next. The speed and reliability of service are crucial as is the level of customer support provided. The provision of email account services is also usually provided as part of the hosting service.
Josh.biz works with a number of carefully selected web hosting companies to ensure that all our customers receive a reliable and professional hosting service. In most cases we insist upon hosting all websites which we manage (for technical & logistical reasons).
We also offer complimentary support and advice to clients who host their website with us – something which our small business clients (usually with limited IT resources) value very highly.
Do you need a Content Management System (CMS)?
Yes, if you want to update your web pages yourself or you require a blog/news page.
Right now, content managed websites are extremely popular. It’s a ‘no-brainer’ to realise that Google loves websites which update frequently, with lots of good quality content.
But be warned, this type of website isn’t for everyone. Not every website needs to be updated frequently and if you can’t find the time to update it yourself, owning a CMS website could be uncalled for. In these circumstances, Josh.biz can update your website for you, providing a far more reliable and cost-effective solution.
For example, some of our clients own small websites advertising holiday cottages. These usually get updated with new prices or photos every year or so. For this scenario, the cost of building a CMS website and learning the necessary skills is unwarranted.
But where a CMS website is appropriate, the rewards can be very high. Plus, no more waiting for your web designer to update pages for you (or the associated costs).
CMS websites are a more complex type of website to set up and therefore, the design costs are higher. They also require more maintenance to upkeep, as it’s essential that your CMS is kept up to date to safeguard against security issues and to provide new features. Josh.biz provides a maintenance service which caters for this (costing £120 annually).
Josh.biz is a specialist in the design of the WordPress content management system, now the most popular choice across the globe. If you’d like to know more about WordPress, read our WordPress Websites page for more information.
What do I need to supply for you to build a website?
Because you know your business and market best, your input is valuable to designing an effective website. Generally we supply you with a list of necessary items but we leave the amount of control in the design process up to you.
It will save you time and money if you have any of the following items:
- Branding (logos, colours and guidelines)
- Text content
- Photography and imagery
- Ideas and inspiration
- Any other printed examples of branding and advertising
If your business does not have the time or the resources, we can take care of all the content for you. This can include arranging copywriting and photography.
Your branding (visual identity) should be in place before designing your website (or producing any other media). This is best dealt with by a professional graphic designer, whom we can recommend.
Depending on your requirements and budget, we will recommend the use of our partnered professionals who include graphic designers, photographers, copywriters, developers, programmers, search engine optimisation specialists and online marketing professionals.
How long does it take to build a website?
Every website varies enormously in requirements and complexity. Each website project is carefully appraised to calculate the estimated hours required to complete the project. We also take into account client deadlines and existing commitments.
An average brochure style multi-page website takes between 3-6 weeks to complete. Larger projects, particularly those requiring databse driven content can take longer.
Since every project is implemented in close partnership with our clients, the role of our client in the project is often a dictating factor.
How much does a website cost?
1. Web design and development
A typical multi-page design project costs is in the region of £1,000 upwards or £1,500 upwards for WordPress powered websites (including training).
When asked ‘how much will a website cost’, we normally explain that this is much like asking a builder ‘how much does it cost to have a house built’. It really depends on your expectations, requirements and ultimately, your budget. Your budget will determine whether you build a typically sized house or a mansion. Your budget will be the key determining factor.
Websites vary considerably in size and complexity and so does the time and, therefore, the cost to build them. In a nutshell, you are paying for the time involved in building the website and the level of expertise required to make it work. Options to achieve your website objectives can be discussed by telephone to provide you with a guide price.
After your project is fully appraised (usually by meeting with you), a more accurate cost can be supplied. A project proposal document is drafted for most projects, defining objectives and costs.
2. Web hosting
(See What is Web Hosting? above for an explanation of this service)
- £95 per year for multi-page websites
- £75 per year for one page websites
Most website hosting requirements are charged at our standard price of £95 per year. Prices only increase when size, level of traffic and technology dictates a higher level of hosting support. Typically, higher level hosting packages are required for busier websites such as e-commerce websites.
A web statistics package is automatically provided as an important means of monitoring the success of your website.
3. Keeping your website content up to date
The Internet is a dynamic environment and stale websites just get passed over. Your website needs to change regularly to keep visitors coming back. Three options are:
- We perform occasional updates (upon your notification) based on an hourly rate.
- Update the website yourself with the right software and a little training. We can recommend suitable software and training.
- We build a database driven website where you can edit your own content using a web based friendly interface – technically known as a Content Management System (CMS). This option is best where content is likely to change very frequently. Read about WordPress websites for more information.
4. Database/WordPress Maintenance Services
Our Database/WordPress Maintenance Service is an obligatory service when operating a ‘dynamic’ website with content driven from a database. This includes all ecommerce and content managed websites. This requires an additional fee of £120 per year.
These updates provide additional security and protection. They also bring new functionality and features. They are essential updates which website owners must deploy.