Dzined Media ::

Your Website Project

posted on 22nd Apr 2008

So you would like a new website to promote your new/existing business? Perhaps you are looking for a way to sell your products to a wider audience. You call up web design companies and after a series of jargon filled conversations you have probably just been quoted over the odds for your project. You have been offered lots of wonderful features and tools and you don't really know what they are for. Let us help simplify the process and help you understand the questions you need to ask and the answers you should be hearing. With any website the main points to look at are:

Domain names and hosting
Design and Content Management
Logistics
Reputation

To continue from the previous page, let us discuss the important areas to consider when looking for a new web site.

1. Domain names and Hosting

Domain Names

You will require a domain name for your website. A domain name is the equivalent to your postal address. If someone sends you a letter, they pop your address on an envelope and put it in the post, the sorting office then determines where that address is and the relevant postal depot delivers your letter. This is pretty much the same for your website. However it is done completely electronically. When you purchase a domain name i.e. mygreengrocer.com or myclothesshop.co.uk this becomes part of the address people use to find your website on the Internet. Domain name costs start from only £2.59 a year and vary depending on the length of time you choose to register the domain name for and also what type of domain name ending you choose i.e. .com, .co.uk, .org, .net, etc.

We always recommend when purchasing a domain to register it for at least two years. You can purchase domain names within minutes by visiting a domain name registrant such as http://www.123-reg.co.uk/ . If you need help choosing a domain name, we are always more than willing to help you through the process and even register the domain on your behalf.

Hosting

Great! You''ve just bought your domain name. Now what? If you type your domain name in the address bar of your browser you will probably see a message from the people you bought the domain from. If you purchased magicbeans.co.uk type in http://www.magicbeans.co.uk/into your address bar and click Go or select Enter.

Although you have bought your domain name you still need to get some hosting for it. Hosting is the equivalent of the Postal Depot. When someone types in your web address a series of computers all over the world decide where the user gets taken and this is where your site will be hosted. A web host like ourselves will set aside a space on our system where you can put files to make up a website, that space needs to be linked to your domain name via a series of settings called DNS. A web host will charge you a monthly/annual fee for this space and will usually provide a horde of features and tools to use in conjunction with your website.

Choosing a host is quite simple and all you really need to do is choose the most appropriate package to suit your needs. For any hosting packages we provide we ensure your domain is linked to your hosting package completely FREE of charge.

2.Design and Content Management

Web design and the design process

Finding the right company to design your website can be just as tricky as finding the right person to babysit your children or finding a reputable builder to do work on your property. The common mistake is to choose someone purely based on designs in their portfolio. It is important to look at the whole package. Will they be able to incorporate e-commerce into your site? Will they be able to support the programming that went into the site or will it be outsourced and more importantly will they be writing the web pages as professionally as possible?

There are so many developments in methods of web design and programming it is nearly impossible to check the standard just by looking at a web page of a site. How good is your site? Does it use valid code? Is it accessible? Is it secure? Did you know about the W3 which can found at http://www.w3.org/ ? It is an organisation that sets the standards that designers should follow in order make sure that the Internet is of the highest quality. They set out guidelines for accessibility which basically helps designers to write their code in a way that is accessible to as wide an audience as possible including those with disabilities such as visual impairment.

We always follow the latest developments and adhere to guidelines at all times to ensure that your site is as good as it could possibly be.

Once you have chosen a company/designer to design your site there is a general process that takes place, however it may vary from supplier to supplier.

Below is an outline of how we work:

Stage 1: Discuss your requirements and examine suggested sites similar to what you are looking for.
Stage 2: Provide you with an accurate quote from start to finish
Stage 3: Provide you with a draft of the front page of the site.
Stage 4: Make any alterations you would like us to do.
Stage 5: Work on any programming specific to your site, like E-commerce, Customer databases, etc.
Stage 6: Completely style the entire site to use your chosen design
Stage 7: Provide you with a finished link ready to go live.

Obviously there will be changes along the way so we make sure we stay in good contact throughout the design and build of your site to iron out any problems that may occur.

Content Management

Once your site has been built you will more than likely want to keep it up to date and this is normally done by using a CMS (Content Management System). This will sometimes also be called an Admin section or Back-end section. A CMS should provide you with the functionality to easily update information on your site without the need to pay for special software or the need to go on a college course! A CMS is normally operated via a standard web browser like the one you are using to read this page!

3.Logistics

This is the most important part of your project. Have you thought about when you want the site to be finished? Is there a deadline? Are you just searching around for information for future reference? We are always happy to talk to anyone about their project even if you are not going to start it until the following year. This is important for the design company to know, so we can plan well ahead and make sure we allocate the right amount of time to your project so that it is not rushed and just as important, not late. All you need to do is make sure the designers know when you are looking to have your site built. You may find this also stops irritating callers chasing you up to see if you are ready. Whenever we speak to a prospective client we always ask if we can contact you again and set a date, so we know we are not hassling you and you don''t feel like your being hassled.

4.Reputation

Are the people you are going to use a bonafide operation? Can they provide you with references? Do they have examples of their work? For your peace of mind, we are a UK registered Company which you can check on the http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/website by searching on the name D-Zined Ltd. We are also VAT registered so if you are too, you will be able to claim back VAT on any services we provide you with. We are also more than happy to provide you with references from our clients.