Web Design Information

Domain Name

You should register your company name as soon as possible with the web authorities, known as a domain naming. For a very small cost it secures your Internet identity by preventing anyone else from registering it. It should look like www.yourcompany.com or www.yourcompany.co.uk . These are the two most common extensions and it is up to you, which one you select.

• .com extension approximately £8.99 per year
• .co.uk from only £1.99 per year

Real Options can assist you with this if required.

Domain Host

Now that you’ve chosen a domain name, your website has to be stored on a computer somewhere. This could be your own computer but there is a downside to this in that your computer would need to be left switched on 24/7. Normally you will host the site on a computer run by a web hosting company. The costs vary but you should expect to pay approximately £5.00 per month for a basic business website.

Again, Real Options can assist if required.

Website Considerations

When deciding details about your website, the important question you should be asking is, what is the purpose of my site?

• To provide information
• To display your services and/or products
• To be a full on-line shopping site with credit card payments etc

Check out the websites of your competitors or similar companies. Are there any sites out there that you like the look of?

Think about the following points:

• Colours you want to display.
• The content of the site.
• Do you have the technical skills to design your own?

Some web hosting companies advertise the fact that you can build a site yourself. This is true but it isn’t as easy as you may think.

Call us for advice even if you wish to have a go at the development yourself. Our advice is FREE even for non-customers.