Web Design, Hosting and Multimedia in Croydon - Web Design in Croydon

Once you have decided on the function, it's time to think about the design.

Website design is not just about whether or not the site is pretty.

It is also about how easy it is for your users to navigate and how 'visible' your site is to search engines...
Looks

For sure there is no excuse for an ugly site and one that is a pain on the eyes may well turn away potential customers.

A site's design needs to reflect the ethos of your organisation and integrate existing designs and logos that you may already have and want to use.

Therefore we, at tonygillham.com will consult with you on what websites you like the look of and feel have elements that you would like to see in your own site. We will take examples of existing material, such as business cards, catalogues, letterhead etc. and integrate that design into the website.

If your business or organisation is new and does not yet have a log etc. then we can provide the design of such things for you. This is relatively cheaply done, starting at £100 for basic letterhead and logo design.  

The customised visual theme and headers of the site - its 'template' is provided by us as part of the cost of the first webpage (or of the CMS if you choose to go that route).

Content 

Please bear in mind that all content  - pictures and text - needs to come from somewhere. So, be prepared to provide or purchase such material. We will provide guidance on what is good to use for your website but, in the end, it is you who know best how to promote your own particular business.

All written material will be thoroughly proofread to the highest standards by our staff for free before adding it to the site. We will also provide guidance on the best ways to get photographs and other visual material suitable for your site's needs. often, all this involves is scanning in a few pages of a brichure or using (with permission) a supplier's own images.  

Ease of Use

There are many sites out there which have too many 'bells and whistles' crammed onto one page.

A very good rule we always use at tonygillham.com is KISS or 'Keep It Simple Stupid'. A user needs to be able to understand how everything works at a single glance or he may not give your site a second look.
If you want to give detailed information then the front page is probably not the place to do it.

A balance needs to be struck between level of detail, users' attention spans and your budget. We will help you to achieve that balance.

'Visibility to Search Engines'

Basically we are talking about google ranking here. Top ranking in searches is not something that comes overnight. It takes a while to develop and needs to be part of an internet marketing strategy. We discuss Search Engine Optimisation in another section and it is usually something that we visit with our clients afetr their website has been up for a month or so.

There are, however, a few basic design 'tricks' which can give you a head start in the area of Search Engine Optimisation. These things (such as careful selection of keywords, Search Engine Friendly addresses, avoiding using tables in webpages) are all standrad and are included in our normal webpage prices.

There are also trade-offs you need to consider in the design process. For example, Flash websites look great and are perfect for companies offering, for example, interior design or fashion design. However, Search Engines, such as Google, hate them and you need to put in a lot of extra work to overcome that disadvantage. They are also rather pricey and often require a lot of good photographic material to pull off.

We will happily talk you through all the design pro's and cons of various types of sites in a free consultation.