I've never had a web site before; is it complicated?
Do I need a .com or a .co.uk?
Are there other options for domains?
What if someone else has the name I want?
Is it easy to buy a domain?
What technical stuff do I need to know?
Do you handle the web hosting yourself?
Can I have lots of different email addresses such as me@, bob@, john@, sales@, info@ and so on?
I have a logo and brochure; can we use them?
I don't have logo or brochure; can you help?
I've already got a web site. There are bits I like, but it needs a lot of work; can you help?
My site will need regular updates; can you help?
I'd like to do the updates myself once the site is finished; is this OK?
How can I get my site onto the search engines, like Google?
I've never had a web site before; is it complicated?
Yes, there's lots of technical detail and can be very complicated. However, that's our problem, not yours. At PC's Design, it's down to us, not you, to handle the technology and get the job done.
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Do I need a .com or a .co.uk?
Buying a domain name is one of the cheapest elements of getting your web site established. The costs aren't high for either (around £25 for a .com and £8 for a .co.uk), so if you can afford it, it's often wise to get both. And if you do, they can both point to the same web site.
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Are there other options for domains?
There are domains for individual countries (.co.uk for the UK, .fr for France, .it for Italy, and so on) and domains which are international (.com for companies, .gov for government, .org for charities, etc). To see the full list of domains, click here.
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What if someone else has the name I want?
This can be a problem and you risk paying over the odds to get "your" domain name back. Some companies buy up lots of domains in the hope of forcing companies to buy them back, and sometimes real companies with similar names get there first. You can go to law and the courts will usually find in your favour, but it can be an expensive process.
If you find yourself in this situation, give PC's Design a call and we'll talk through your options.
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Is it easy to buy a domain?
Buying a domain can take just a few minutes, but designing a professional-looking website takes a lot longer. Getting your web site online can take as little as a week or so, but it's one of those "how long is a piece of string?" questions. If you have a clear idea of how much information you want on your site, then I can give you a fairly good idea of timescales.
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What technical stuff do I need to know?
There are a couple of elements that you should be aware of when you set out to get your organisation online for the first time.
• Your domain name (such as www.yourname.com) needs to be registered with a domain hosting company.
• The web site files need to be located with a web hosting company, often the same as the domain hosting company. The amount you'll pay for the web hosting will depend on the size of the site and the amount of traffic it'll generate (the number of visitors).
• Your email (me@yourname.com) needs to be organised so you can collect your mail on your own machine.
Your web designer should be able to advise you on the best options for each of these elements, and you should expect them to handle them for you.
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Do you handle the web hosting yourself?
No, we use one of the largest commercial web hosting companies around - Pipex. They can provide the price, fast access, high availability and resilience that a smaller organisation couldn't possibly compete with.
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Can I have lots of different email addresses such as me@, bob@, john@, sales@, info@ and so on?
Yes! PC's Design will organise this as part of the project. If you already have a list of the email addresses you want, let us know and we'll make sure it's handled as part of the project.
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I have a logo and brochure; can we use them?
If you've already invested in design and branding, let's use that identity online as well. PC's Design can work with your design company to get it just right, or if you have the files yourself, we can use those.
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I don't have logo or brochure; can you help me?
A brand identity is extremely important. PC's Design often works alongside marketing teams to create a logo which best reflects you and your organisation.
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I've already got a web site, but it's not that great. There are bits I like, but it needs a lot of work. Can you help?
Yes! PC's Design can retain the elements you like and bring a site's design up-to-date, add to it, re-edit the content and bring in new imagery. The extent of the re-design is entirely up to you - we can make subtle changes to bring in new elements, or completely revamp the whole design.
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My site will need regular updates; can you help?
PC's Design already looks after a number of corporate clients on an ongoing basis, adding updates, news stories and product changes when required. If you'd like to make use of this service, let us know and we'll make sure to include it in the design proposal.
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I'd like to do the updates myself once the site is finished; is this OK?
Of course. Once the site is completed, we'll give you a CD of the complete site - all the files and all the working documents. If you want to do any additional work yourself, everything you'll need is on that CD. There are some programs which make this easier for you, and PC's Design can arrange to install them and train your team in using them.
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How can I get my site onto the search engines, like Google?
It's something of a challenge, as search engines like Google don't publish the criteria they use for ranking a web site. However, there are a combinations of strategies which PC's Design can advise you on, including Search Engine Optimisation, key words and site submissions.
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