A few questions you may have.....
Why should I have a website?
Consumers are increasingly becoming more aware of the choice and opportunities afforded to them by the internet and use it as a directory to look up services and products in their areas. It has been proven to increase sales and draw in new business, and is readily available source of cheap advertising to existing and new customers.
Ok, I want a website. What do I do now?
Contact Stu's Disco either via E-Mail, or by Telephone on 0700 593 1061
What will happen?
We will arrange a time to discuss what you want on your website, or to explain what you could have.
If you are based in or around the central belt of Scotland then we can visit you, including Saturdays and Sundays if that is preferable. If you are based outside this region for reasons of time it may be better to discuss your requirements via email or telephone. Either way don't worry; the initial consultation is free.
To give you the best possible service we need to understand how you see your business and where you want to go in the future, that way we can build a design that suits you, and deliver a site that you are proud to show customers.
How can I prepare?
You can layout what you want to see on the screen, the number of pages you want on your site etc. on a sheet of paper. It's that simple! Any ideas you have that can be in any way communicated we can help you develop.
You may also wish to find font names for lettering and original artwork for company logos, letterheads, decals etc. that you wish to be included on your site.
I have no ideas and I don't know what I want!
Don't worry. We do. Or at least we will once we've talked to you.
We can help in layout, design, and branding, and even identify your customer base and company values to help you aim your website at your market, or even the market you don't have yet!
Can I get my-company-name.com email?
Yes. If you have the domain name (that's the my-company-name.com part) then you can get your own email if your site hosting company offers this as part of their web server space package. The packages offered by us include email accounts.
One tip we would offer is not to fall into the 'cheap trap'. Cheap web space from bulk providers and free accounts from Yahoo, Microsoft etc. normally do not offer email with your domain name, or indeed much control over your site. i.e Your website is my-company-name.com, but your email address will be my-name@yahoo.co.uk.
Amongst web-aware consumers this marks you out as not managing your online presence well, and may lead to a negative perception among these potential customers. It also lessens your chance of tailoring your email to specific areas or people, such as information@my-company-name.com, judy.smith@my-company-name.com etc.
What will it cost?
There are fixed costs associated with owning and running a website. These are the domain registration costs (typically for two years) and the actual web server space (sometimes just called webspace) which is normally contracted yearly.
At the time of writing a complete package comprising 1 years hosting, 5 email accounts, 2 years domain registration and a straightforward* two page web site will cost £200, with a minimum lead time of 7 days** from confirmation of order. Email can be either client based (i.e Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird) or web mail (may be suitable for travelling sales staff), or a combination of both.
Don't worry about setting this up if you're not sure, as set up and test of your email is included.***
I already have a website made by someone else but I don't like it. Can you change it?
Normally, yes. As long as you know where the site is located (your current webhost/service provider or the person who made it will know this) and the various usernames and passwords to allow access to the files that make up the site we can rebuild or remodel your site.
I want special features like a message board to allow my customers to discuss my products/services and downloadable catalogues
We can do that. Message boards are normally server side (which means all the programming, user lists etc. are done on the server, not on the web space itself) therefore you must ensure your hosting package will allow a message board to be set up. As you may already have guessed our service has allowance for message boards, but remember this will increase your 'monthly transfer' and increase the hosting costs.
But if it gets people talking about you and your products it may well be worth it!
I have a small business and we don't have computers or email or anything!
Grants are available for small businesses from the government's broadband initiative program to fund broadband internet connections so that you have an 'always on' service to send and receive email. We cannot advise you on the program, but we can advise you on what you need, how to connect etc. if you wish to install a computer on your premises.
I like your artwork/graphic style, not for a website, but for a display/exhibition/advert etc. Could you do that?
Of course! We have worked on a number of art projects that aren't web related and are happy to discuss non-web projects and develop marketing material such as point of sale displays, adverts or even Album covers.
Hopefully the above answers your initial questions, but if you have any specific questions, or would like to go ahead and discuss a website please E-Mail or phone 0700 593 1061
Click here to return to the Stu's Disco front page, and please feel free to browse the various sections of the main site.
The small print
*straightforward implies a simple layout scheme and minimal new logo/branding design and animation. Supplied logos/trademarks can normally be easily included in site designs and colour schemes.
**Subject to sickness, holidays and terms and conditions, and subject to site design freeze.
***This does not apply to businesses with dedicated I.T. or computing departments/technicians, who would be expected to configure email services themselves.
Other terms and conditions are dependent on the nature of the site features, such as large/complex animations, message boards, and can be discussed at the creation stage.