How much does a website cost?

The cost of a website can vary significantly. It depends on the type of site (simple static site, eCommerce online store, etc), how long it takes to design and build, and what domain & web hosting you choose. Because there are so many factors involved, it is impossible to give a fixed price on such a thing. However, by getting in touch with me and explaining your ideas and goals, I can put together a tailored estimate for the proposed project and get the ball rolling.

How long does it take to build a website?

Again, it depends on the type of site in question. For a simple 'brochure' style website you could be looking at 1-2 weeks, however, a more dynamic site such as an online store could have you waiting 3-4 weeks or more. If you need the website completed by a particular date, inform me in the early stages so I can see it done.

What is a Domain Name?

A Domain Name is the website address you type in to the search bar at the top of the browser. For example, www.google.com is the domain name for Google.

What is Web Hosting?

To have your website viewable from other's on the internet, the files that make up the website have to be publicly accessible from a computer (or server). It takes a powerful setup to host the files, so that's why we use a dedicated 'web host'.

Although I myself do not host, one place I would highly recommend is Digital Pacific.

What is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the use of various techniques to improve a website's ranking in search engines such as Google. The better the ranking, the easier it is for visitors to find your site.

SEO is extremely important and there are agencies who specialise in just this. If you're serious about your website, I would strongly encourage you to seek out a professional SEO consultant after the website is built to continue the improvement of your website's ability to generate traffic and potential customers.

What is a CMS?

Think of a CMS (Content Management System) as the foundation of a website. If you build a website on a CMS, it will allow further maintenance of the website to be passed over to you (the owner). You will be able to make minor updates to content yourself and eliminate the need of hiring a professional every time you want something simple changed.

What is involved in getting a website?

Once you've decided to go ahead, you'll probably find yourself asking 'ok, where do I start?'.

Well there are six core steps that need to be taken to make sure the project goes smoothly:

1. Gathering all content and information you want on the website (text, images etc). Content is the single most important factor for a website, and the more you have, the better.
2. Planning the design, layout and structure of the website. A well organised website will show!
3. Designing the website and providing a visual of what it will look like.
4. After the design has been approved, it will be coded and built into a functional website.
5. Once the website is finished, it will be tested thoroughly before finally uploading it to your chosen web server.
6. Although the website is completed, you may want to maintain it. Changing things around on the website and updating content is important to keep your website fresh and to entice repeat visitors. Depending on the type of website, you may be able to do this yourself. Otherwise, you can commision me to make alterations for you.

Designer or Developer, what's the difference?

Web Designers focus on creating an engaging design. They handle the layout, the colour scheme, the userbility, essentially the way the website is viewed by the visitors.

Developers on the hand comes in two flavours - Front End Development and Back End Development. A Front End Developer build's the website with code, based off the design. Creating any links, online forms or any other sort of user-interation on the website. The Back End Developer gets into the real nitty gritty of the website and is usually only required if the website is of large scale and demands databases of user-accounts, information etc.

However, it's not uncommon to find a hybrid like myself that is a Web Designer / Front End Developer. Together these make a good recipe to see most small business projects done by one person.

Web Designer vs free template

A good Web Designer will offer you far more than just a template. They can also offer you invaluable advise on content, search engines, site promotion and more.

At the end of the day, when you pay for a template you get something that was built generically without your specific business in mind. When you hire a web designer, you get a website that should more accurately reflect your business and your needs.