Websites that work
I will make you a site tailored to your exact design and budget. Not only that, but it will be a fully updateable (content-managed) site, putting you in the driving seat. Once we have agreed on the overall design of the site the words and images that appear on your pages are entirely up to you. Not only that, but you can change them instantly, from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Below is a list of the main features of my custom built, content-managed websites:
Unlimited Pages
I'm going to give away a secret: In any good website each page is based on the same standard template, which means that designing 10 pages takes no more time than designing one page. That's why I don't charge you based on the number of pages your site needs.
Your bespoke website can have as many 'standard' pages as you like. A standard page consists of text, pictures, links and even music or video downloads. This will cover almost all of the types of page you may require on your site, from an overview page to a list of prices for your products.
You might like some of these
If you need more than this, I can provide any of the following extensions for your site. All fully content-managed of course:
- News Page with optional RSS feed
- Make sure your fans or clients can keep up to date with your most recent activities. An RSS feed means that anyone who is interested in keeping up to date with you can receive updates to straight to their email inbox or favorite RSS reader whenever you release a new article. This means they don't have to visit your site every day just to keep up with your activities!
- Calendar
- Display a calendar of what's going on. This can be laid out to your specification and is fully updateable. You can lay out your upcoming events by week, month, or all upcoming events on one page.
- Photo Galleries
- If you are a band, artist or photographer, your site just wont seem complete without a photo gallery. Galleries will be made bespoke to your specifications, with optional photo captions and gallery descriptions. In general the galleries that I make utilise the Lightbox javascript library, but if you would prefer something else this is no problem at all. As with everything else on my sites, galleries are fully updateable and bespoke to your requirements.
- Mailing List
- Offer customers and fans alike to sign up to receive periodical updates from you. To send these updates, simply sign in to your secure admin area and compose an email. This will be sent to everyone who has signed up. Alternatively you can download your list and import it into your email system of choice.
- Contact Page
- A contact page can be provided that allows people to email you whilst you keep your email address hidden from spammers. This is particularly useful if you don't want your site visitors to know your personal email address.
- Music player
- As a band or solo artist, you may well want a music player. The player can optionally allow a user to download the tracks, and it is possible to enable the player to play the songs uninterrupted throughout their time on your site.
- Twitter Feed
- Twitter is the new social thing taken the social networking market by storm. Want to display your recent tweets on your website? No problem, it can be arranged! Want to make tweets from your site, or to allow other admins on your site to post tweets to a single twitter account? It can be arranged!
- Blog
- Wordpress is a good blog tool. But if you'd prefer something a bit more personalised, I can create it for you. If not, I can ensure that your identity and site design remains consistent between your blog and your website.
- Site Map
- For larger more complicated sites, a site map can be an invaluable aid. It lays out links to all pages on your site in a structured, easy to read manner. Highly recommended for larger sites, especially shops.
- Forums
- Want your own forum? No problem. You can choose to make people register to use the forums, or allow anyone to post. This adds a need for moderation to your site, as you will no longer have full control over the content of your site.
- Guestbook
- Guestbooks don't get used so much these days, but if you want one, you can have it! This is like a one-way version of a forum, ideal for giving customers a place to leave feedback on your products.
I am more than happy to quote for more complex custom applications including shopping carts and other e-commerce facilities, social networking sites and large scale internal company intranets.
Keep your site current
Every single one of my sites includes a secure admin area. By logging in you can edit the text, pictures and links on all your pages. You can also upload files (such as music, documents or videos) for your visitors to download.
If you are going to need more than one person updating your site, you can add extra user accounts and control what content they can edit. For example you might want to keep control over the creation of pages and the overall site map yourself, but delegate responsibility for a photo gallery or calendar to other users.
Not only do you have full control over your content, changing it couldn't be easier. If you've used a word processor before, you will be able to update and format your sites text using an intuitive, familiar interface. Adding pictures and links is simple too, all via your administration area.
Bespoke Design
The way your site looks is going to be almost as important as how easy it is for both you and your visitors to use. If you already have a logo and desired style I will base my design on them. If you already have a website, and you just want to give it a facelift, I can base your new site on that. Of course, if you have no idea at all of what you would like, I will create an initial design to get the ball rolling, or if you want something more extravagant we can bring in either my choice of graphic designer or one chosen by you.
All my designs conform to the accessibility guidelines laid out by the W3C meaning that your site will be easy to use for people with disabilities.
Everything Handled
I will provide you with your site fully configured and ready to go, including hosting and a domain name (e.g. www.mysite.co.uk), all you need to do is start pointing people at it. I will put all the initial content into your pages for you, so you wont have to sit there typing in reams of information before people can start to use your site effectively.
If you already have a domain then I can usually arrange for it to be forwarded to your new website. Alternatively I will happily arrange for the registration and renewal of a new domain if you would rather.
