So what should your next new web design company be like? 12th September 2012 5:31 PM
“@indizine - it's you who's taken this to the SEO world ... again focusing on the technical rather than the issue, which is what I was focusing on. The issue being that customers should be making their decisions based on BUSINESS rather than on technical factoids.
Like any other purchase, one should look at the benefits to the business, and make a decision based on the track record, and pick a company who's proved that spending
Like any other purchase, one should look at the benefits to the business, and make a decision based on the track record, and pick a company who's proved that spending
So what should your next new web design company be like? 12th September 2012 10:01 AM
As above, just talking about finding a web design company to build a website that isn't a cowboy, conman or just totally unethical, like some we have come across.
So what should your next new web design company be like? 12th September 2012 9:57 AM
Yes but if you read my OP I am talking about the build of a website, how to make sure that you find a company that can complete the website who doesn't let you down by not doing it at all, not doing it properly as agreed, not finishing it or taking forever to finish, and also what is included so you are clear what the contract includes and does not.
SEO is a separate activity (apart from the onsite SEO) and therefore other criteria applies when you need someone to do that for you.
Not saying you don't have a point but don't come here insulting people saying we make mistakes when you haven't grasped what the thread is actually about.
SEO is a separate activity (apart from the onsite SEO) and therefore other criteria applies when you need someone to do that for you.
Not saying you don't have a point but don't come here insulting people saying we make mistakes when you haven't grasped what the thread is actually about.
So what should your next new web design company be like? 12th September 2012 9:45 AM
“You have made the typical web designer mistake.
Focusing on the technical is simply pointless. A good company should have all those things taken care of.
Instead of employing a web designer who works in their boxer shorts in their kitchen who tells you that design is everything and promising the world....go to a web designer and ask the questions that are really important...
1. Name 3 companies you created a website for 12 months ago - What is the increase in Traffic, Conversion and Revenue during the last year.
2. In the past 3 months, can you demonstrate how many SHORT tail keywords have progressed up the ranks in Google.
3. What do you anticipate the return on my investment will be in the next 12 months?
When you're buying a website, you're buying an online presence, reputation and shop window....trust a professional: someone who understands business over design.”
Focusing on the technical is simply pointless. A good company should have all those things taken care of.
Instead of employing a web designer who works in their boxer shorts in their kitchen who tells you that design is everything and promising the world....go to a web designer and ask the questions that are really important...
1. Name 3 companies you created a website for 12 months ago - What is the increase in Traffic, Conversion and Revenue during the last year.
2. In the past 3 months, can you demonstrate how many SHORT tail keywords have progressed up the ranks in Google.
3. What do you anticipate the return on my investment will be in the next 12 months?
When you're buying a website, you're buying an online presence, reputation and shop window....trust a professional: someone who understands business over design.”
Well if we were talking about choosing a SEO company, your post would be useful....
Clever marketing or genuine brand defence? 6th September 2012 6:36 PM
I'm gonna invent the deep fried website then! 
How Do I Monitor My Website Progress? 6th September 2012 6:34 PM
AWStats shows loads of info including unique visitors. I have always used these figures and not Google analytics.
I am not aware of any proof existing that GA is superior over anything else, apart from hearsay but anyway, 99% of the hosting population, the actual website owners ARE RARELY GIVEN THEIR WEB HOSTING LOGIN......NOW ARE THEY??!! so they would think GA is the beez kneez simply because that's usually the only easily accessible one to average Joe, and the web designers shove that on their website so they surely then have no reason to give them hosting login access.
PS I've been ignoring the word 'hits' for years! The word makes me cringe when people say they'd have 10,000 hits this week!
I am not aware of any proof existing that GA is superior over anything else, apart from hearsay but anyway, 99% of the hosting population, the actual website owners ARE RARELY GIVEN THEIR WEB HOSTING LOGIN......NOW ARE THEY??!!
so they would think GA is the beez kneez simply because that's usually the only easily accessible one to average Joe, and the web designers shove that on their website so they surely then have no reason to give them hosting login access. PS I've been ignoring the word 'hits' for years! The word makes me cringe when people say they'd have 10,000 hits this week!
How to Lock Your Car and Why 6th September 2012 12:13 PM
MY door wing mirrors automatically fold in when I lock my doors with the remote so that's my way of knowing it has locked. Someone locking it would mean i'd not only hear the loud door unlock noise, i'd also hear the wing mirrors unfolding back out.
So what should your next new web design company be like? 4th September 2012 1:19 PM
Okay folks so on the back of a recent thread which got me giving my opinion on what a client should expect from their new web design company (or maybe their old/existing one as well) thought i'd ask the non-webby members that exact question.
What would YOU expect from a web design/development company?
Be honest....now don't say you want them to be honest...but yet if they told you something would cost extra because it really is a new added item over and above what you ordered, you get annoyed with them!
As well, you should compare quotes and don't say "well let's go with them because they're cheaper" it instead needs to be "let's go with them because we get great value for money on a similar cost to the others". Rarely are two quotes like-for-like. Even if you give them a specification to work to, what they provide you in their costs may vary on quantity, quality, service, etc.
Ask what is included and what costs extra such as:
logo design
professional images (library stock or bespoke photography even)
web hosting
SSL certificate
onsite SEO
offsite SEO
Content Management System (CMS) e.g. Joomla, Wordpress
Shopping Cart software - is there a renewable annual license fee?
domain name - registration and renewal
Ask about:
service levels - response rates, ways to contact them, confidentiality, copyright of your designs, web hosting login access, ftp access, mysql access (if you have a database), CMS admin login (if you have a CMS this is and should be a god-given right).
Ask about maintenance, fixes, upgrades and general or specific support - yes this will be chargeable as its additional work, or you may be offered a maintenance contract that includes some or all of this, which may also include the hosting as well.
Ask about backups. Yes most hosting companies do server backups, but as their terms and they will tell you, they are not to be relied upon as a contingency. You should be given the access to do you own backups depending on how often you update your website to need to do a backup after those updates, if you feel it necessary.
I give my clients cPanel access to their own account and show them how to do a backup, manage email accounts, check server stats, and so on. Just the easy basics. They are not shown anything else and are advised (warned even) not to fiddle with anything.
When you buy a website, you are buying so much more. That does not become obvious until further down the line when you decide to get more involved in it.
Please feel free to add your 2 cents!
What would YOU expect from a web design/development company?
Be honest....now don't say you want them to be honest...but yet if they told you something would cost extra because it really is a new added item over and above what you ordered, you get annoyed with them!
As well, you should compare quotes and don't say "well let's go with them because they're cheaper" it instead needs to be "let's go with them because we get great value for money on a similar cost to the others". Rarely are two quotes like-for-like. Even if you give them a specification to work to, what they provide you in their costs may vary on quantity, quality, service, etc.
Ask what is included and what costs extra such as:
logo design
professional images (library stock or bespoke photography even)
web hosting
SSL certificate
onsite SEO
offsite SEO
Content Management System (CMS) e.g. Joomla, Wordpress
Shopping Cart software - is there a renewable annual license fee?
domain name - registration and renewal
Ask about:
service levels - response rates, ways to contact them, confidentiality, copyright of your designs, web hosting login access, ftp access, mysql access (if you have a database), CMS admin login (if you have a CMS this is and should be a god-given right).
Ask about maintenance, fixes, upgrades and general or specific support - yes this will be chargeable as its additional work, or you may be offered a maintenance contract that includes some or all of this, which may also include the hosting as well.
Ask about backups. Yes most hosting companies do server backups, but as their terms and they will tell you, they are not to be relied upon as a contingency. You should be given the access to do you own backups depending on how often you update your website to need to do a backup after those updates, if you feel it necessary.
I give my clients cPanel access to their own account and show them how to do a backup, manage email accounts, check server stats, and so on. Just the easy basics. They are not shown anything else and are advised (warned even) not to fiddle with anything.
When you buy a website, you are buying so much more. That does not become obvious until further down the line when you decide to get more involved in it.
Please feel free to add your 2 cents!
what type of promotional products help us.? 4th September 2012 10:54 AM
The question is too broad. Different businesses need different promo products to get best results. What works for one may not for another.
What works for me: local business networking and distributing my business cards and occasional printed media, online activity/social media such as forums, Facebook, etc. I am getting some polo shirts and car signwriting done soon. Getting the latter done for free via a client, got a supplier for the shirts already; oh and getting new pop up stands as well. It's having a mix of things that collectively, all helps create, strengthen and build your business profile/image.
What works for me: local business networking and distributing my business cards and occasional printed media, online activity/social media such as forums, Facebook, etc. I am getting some polo shirts and car signwriting done soon. Getting the latter done for free via a client, got a supplier for the shirts already; oh and getting new pop up stands as well. It's having a mix of things that collectively, all helps create, strengthen and build your business profile/image.
How do we recover after Penguin Updates? 31st August 2012 9:42 AM
Not getting at the OP here, but why do so many people come into forums asking how to recover from these updates instead of simply preventing what they threaten to do?
Perhaps people just sit tight and hope for the best, and so do nothing and think "well if I get hit then i'll do something about it".
Perhaps people just sit tight and hope for the best, and so do nothing and think "well if I get hit then i'll do something about it".