Web Design Studio based in Norwich UK
Introduction.
You've decided that you want a new website, you've googled "web designers norwich" and you get a bewildering array of hits. So how do
you decide who to choose?
Recently there has been an explosion in the number of organizations and individuals offering web design services. Be aware they do not all provide the same service.
A web page can be likened to the cover of a book. Many people can design a great looking cover .... essential if you want to attract people to buy your book.
However not many people can write good content. Web sites are similar. There are loads of young web designers offering flashy web pages at relatively low cost. But scratch the
surface and you will find little functionality. To build truly functional web sites, essential for those that require more than just a "business card" site, requires a
solid understanding of database construction and the ability to write clean, logical code. These skills take years of experience to achieve and the number of web designers
offering this level of service is more restricted.
Another very important thing to consider is, does your chosen designer have a good understanding of business? After all you probably don't want to spend your valuable time
teaching your web designer the basics!
To help you make your choice we have compiled a brief summary of terms that you will find in most web design sites with a brief, and hopefully understandable,
explanation.
Cutting through "web design" jargon.
Templates: These are "off the shelf" designs easily available from the web and are often free. If your designer is using a template for your site then it is not a bespoke design for you or your organization in addition it will often be difficult to make changes to the designs after completion.
Packages: Often a designer will add functionality to your site by incorporating a external package into your web pages. These packages might include shopping cart, forum, blog, CMS (content managed system) etc. Providing the package does everything that you require there is nothing wrong with a package solution. It will usually provide a cheaper solution to having the facility designed specifically to your needs however they come with restrictions. You won't be able to tailor it to your specific needs. Ask your web designer if your site will include packages and if they are able to provide a bespoke solution if required.
CMS: Content Managed System. These pages allow the owner of a website to change selected text and images themselves without the need for the web designer to make changes. They tend to be more expensive to be built but are useful for pages where data changes frequently.
S.E.O: Search Engine Optimization. I have seen many designers making outrageous claims guaranteeing top spot in Google. If you are
marketing garden gates the chances of reaching top spot with "garden gates" keyword is remote. There are currently over 10 million hits on Google for this keyword. However
if your website targets specific areas then the chances of reaching a higher ranking is very much improved.
Ensure that your chosen web designer understands how to create and optimize search engine friendly web pages ..... but don't expect to reach number 1 in the rankings.
PHP and ASP: These are programming languages that allow your web developer to apply logic to your pages and interrogate databases that contain your data.
MySQL and MS SQL: These are database management systems that will be used to store your data.
Flash: Flash is a program distributed by Adobe which can provide multimedia websites. It is sometimes used for creating complete websites that require a
smooth, animated feel to the navigation much loved by designers. Whilst websites written in Flash can provide a satisfying user experience they are not search engine friendly which
can result in disappointing visitor numbers.
To take advantage of the animated possibilities of flash many designers include flash banners and insets into a conventional web page providing visitors with an
enjoyable experience whilst maintaining a search engine friendly web page.
HTML: The nuts and bolts of web design. All web pages (except flash) are constructed using HTML.
CSS: Cascading Style Sheets. This is the preferred method of formatting your web pages. Your chosen designer should be fluent in using CSS.
Javascript: Is a scripting language used by web developers to provide an interactive link between the visitor of your website and their computer. In other words it requires no contact with your web server to provide this interaction.
Domain Names and Hosting.
Domain Names: This is the address of your site. www.webdesignnorwichnorfolk.com is the domain name for this site. Your designer
should be happy to take care of the domain registration for you. Note once registered you do not own the domain name forever. They are registered for a minimum period of
1 year and need to be renewed regularly to avoid losing it.
If your designer is registering your domain name ensure that he puts your details in the "registrant details". This is the registered owner of the domain and
is the only way you can gain control of your domain name should your designer go missing or you enter into a dispute. The renewal notification for your domain will
normally be sent to the admin contact, probably your designer. If you want total control over your chosen domain names ask your designer if they are willing to talk
you through registering the domain yourself.
Hosting: All websites need to be uploaded to a web server to enable them to be available on the internet. Any good designer will offer to host it for you or help you to buy a suitable hosting package. When choosing a hosting package you will usually be given limits on disk space and bandwidth. Bandwidth measures the amount of traffic generated by your site on the server. Every time your web pages are downloaded it generates traffic. If your site receives lots of visitors you will use up more bandwidth. Your designer will advise what is suitable for your site. Be wary of hosting companies that provide "unlimited" disk space and bandwidth. It is impossible to provide unlimited resources (a computer has a finite resource) and is often a sign that the hosting company is overselling the number of sites hosted on their shared server which may result in slow performance on your site.
This article was produced by HogIT.com, we hope you have found the above information useful
and we wish you well in your search for a web designer.
Should you wish to talk to us about your requirements please feel free to visit our website where you can find our contact details.