Black Pen Press Website Design

If you aren't sure what you need then one of these three types of web site is more than likely the solution. Very briefly a brochure site is exactly as it sounds, an online brochure which sits on the web and simply tells people about you, this is a cheap and effective solution but it can be expensive to update the information.

A CMS site or Content Management System allows you to log in and edit the text using a simple Windows Word style interface. This is initially a little more expensive but will save you a lot in the long run. This is the kind of site I would recommend to most clients.

An Online Shop allows you to select and organise products, accept payment online and reach a wide audience. It is usually combined with a CMS.

The most important things to account for are domain name (the address of the site, for example www.sample.com), and hosting (where the site is stored so that people can access it). Domain names are around £10 for a year. Hosting will vary depending upon the size and popularity of your web site but will start at about £60 for a year.

You can greatly enhance your web site by adding extra functionality, clients have found the following particularly useful.

Contact Form (allow visitors to quickly enter a question on the site) mailing list subscription (visitors can sign up for a news letter)
Event Calendar (keep your visitors up to date)
Gallery (display and manage photos)
Blog (write articles which can connect to news feed readers)

Your web site is just like any part of your marketing resource, it needs to strongly display your company identity, but it also needs to take into account the huge limitations of the web, where people use old computers and web standards are a legal requirement. Get in touch to find out how I can help you make the best impression possible. If you don't already have a company identity I provide a full range of print design services to get you up to speed.

There's more to think about but now you know the basics, get in touch for a no obligation quote.

Thanks for reading - Tom Blaker