Things to consider
Your website: What you need to think about
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Domain name.
Your address on the web. Three letter abbreviations are all gone. Most dictionary words are gone. Most combinations of two, or even 3 dictionary words are gone. If you are geographically based, might want to consider making your locality a part of your domain name: e.g. berkshirewaffles.co.uk. If you are a UK based business, it may be better to have .co.uk than .com or a global address. Remember that the domain name will also be part of your email address: Jenny.Little@FlowersForOxford.com looks more professional than flowergirl47@yahoo.co.uk -
Content.
What your site should include. If you already have a brochure for your organisation, then it would make a good starting point. If you are a business: where are you? what are you selling? what makes you special? what are your products or services? how do customers order? what are your prices? how do they compare to your competitors? Do you want to sell items directly through the site? Do you need pictures of your staff, premises or products? Can you get them photographed to a professional standard? -
Design.
What your site should look like. Have a look at the websites of your competitors - or those you aspire to compete with. What websites do you use regularly and admire? What's good about them? What annoys you about some sites? What colours and fonts best reflect your ethos? Do you want your website to make you look fun / serious / business-like / traditional / safe / adventurous / intriguing / creative / technical / knowledgeable (pick your own adjectives) -
Build or Buy.
How computer literate are you? These days, you can create a website without learning HTML, CSS, programming languages and a whole heap of technical jargon, but you still need some skills. Do you know how to make a site accessible to users with disabilities? Are you creative? Do you enjoy messing about with words and pictures? How much time will you have? Are you a quick learner or do you quickly get frustrated with new technology? How quickly do you need to get your website live? -
Updating.
How often will your website need updating? Do you have the time, skills and patience to do it yourself? Will you have a salaried employee to look after the website? What is the most cost effective approach for you?
What we need from you
We will ask you for:
- a list of pages (e.g. Home, About Us, Products, Services, Contact Us)
- some text and any photos you want included
- your logo (if you have one)
- your preferred domain name
- up to 5 email addresses you would like at the domain name
If you already have a brochure you should send it to us and we will work from what you already have.
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