Anyone used a website designer for a small business website?

[Rob_H]

I've designed a website myself for my small business using iWeb on a Mac but I've no idea how to get it ranked on Google so it appears in searches. I might be better using a website designer but I still want to be able to add to the website myself as my stock changes. Has anyone used one recently or have any idea of pricing? I need a professional looking website - was going to include a link to mine for feedback but don't want to be seen as advertising on here.

Any advice?

 

[matt]

Google will just eventually find your site, however, where it actually ranks is another question. Google provide lots of info. Try here for starters: http://www.google.com/support/webmaster ... swer=70897

Also... get your business on Google Maps.

 

[wizer]

If you want a good web developer then PM me. I'm cheap.

WRT to google. I've had a few enquiries lately and all of them thought a web designer could instantly put them at the top of the google ranks. That's not possible. One guy told me I was trying to con him and that he could use a service where he paid 'just' £80 to put him at the top. I refrained from replying after that. Getting good google results is all about having your site coded well, having other sites link to you and ultimately, traffic. It's a chicken egg situation. You need traffic to generate traffic. Basically if the site looks good and more importantly works well, you'll eventually work your way up the ranks. There's no short cut.

 

[big soft moose]

If you want a web designer then PM me. I'm cheap.
.

you need to work on your sales pitch tom - i think you meant to say " I'm really good, and I cost a lot less than the competition for the same standard" - cheap implies a lack of quality - i mean would you buy a power tool from power pro just because it was cheap ??? :lol:

 

[wizer]

How about this... "I'm cheap and F***ing good?" :lol:

 

[big soft moose]

How about this... "I'm cheap and F***ing good?" :lol:

sound like an ideal date....

 

[Steve Maskery]

Tom
There are two P's in Flipping.
S

 

[RogerS]

Rob

You don't need a web designer nor do you need to shell out ££££ to be Search Optimised. I also used iWeb.

1) iWeb is great for creating a my family website. It is not great for a business since there are none of the meta-tags that Google partially looks at. Things like keyowrds although a lot of people will say that they are not the be-all and end-all and they'd be right.

So you can use iWeb SEO tool which allows you to add meta-tags etc. But that is only part of the story. If you are talking getting ranked highly in Google then that is a black art although many people will try and sell/tell you otherwise.

That's about as far as I can advise.

You might like to look at findtheneedle as a marketing tool.

Also it depends what you are selling. I'm not convinced of the web as a sales tool for doing something like woodworking.

A web designer is good at that...designing pretty web pages.

I also think that it pays to be hosted with a site with good download performance. Don't go for a cheapie hosting service. And avoid Demon. I use lchosts. Very good. Very fast. Economical.

One line you say is that 'you want to update items as they become available'. Without knowing what your site is/your business does then yes you might be better getting someone in who knows ecommerce and not a web designer per se.

 

[wizer]

you might be better getting someone in who knows ecommerce and not a web designer per se.

 

[matt]

I disagree about Google ranking being a "Black Art". It's dead simple provided you focus on what you want to be ranked highly for and approach developing your site with your goal in mind. However, it's important to remember that a high ranking is not the same as advertising in many markets. There are other, often more effective, ways to drive up your USEFUL hit rate - especially if you trade in a localised market.

Roger's appraisal of web designers is not wholly fair IMO - it's a reflection of an industry where there is a wide range of talent but an unfortunate glut at the low calibre end of the scale. It's not beyond many people to produce a web page and call themselves a web designer. Producing an effective online presence that is fit for purpose for a commensurate level of initial and ongoing investment requires so much more. There are lots of people who call themselves web designers and do really understand the medium and have the necessary skills to cover all the bases or, more to the point, know when to advise their client to invest in additional services. Unfortunately there's a whole load of "web designers" too who, despite the best of intentions, lack a sufficiently comprehensive skillset (often without realising).

It's a tricky market. All I can suggest is that you think carefully about operating costs and return on investment - the latter often focussing the mind on what you are realistically expecting to get out of a web presence in terms of additional profit.

 

[big soft moose]

Unfortunately there's a whole load of "web designers" too who, despite the best of intentions, lack a sufficiently comprehensive skillset (often without realising).
.

too right - owning a web design package (even if its dream weaver) makes you a web designer to the same degree that owning a guitar makes you a musician !

 

[BradNaylor]

You don't need a web designer nor do you need to shell out ££££ to be Search Optimised.

Also it depends what you are selling.

True.

If you are selling a specialised product or service in a specific geographical area then getting a high Google ranking is very easy - simply because there is not likely to be a lot of competition.

If you are trying to sell a mainstream product across the whole country then you will be up against some big players with deep pockets, and getting noticed will be a lot more difficult.

I'm not convinced of the web as a sales tool for doing something like woodworking.

Our experience is different. Our websites bring in the lion's share of new enquiries for our businesses. It has enabled us to reduce our entire annual advertising budget to less than £100!

It may have something to do with being of the edge of a big metropolitan sprawl with a million potential customers within half an hour, rather than being in the back of beyond!

 

[RogerS]

Fair points made by everyone.

......

It may have something to do with being of the edge of a big metropolitan sprawl with a million potential customers within half an hour, rather than being in the back of beyond!

:mrgreen:

 

[Mr T]

Hi

We have recently had a quote of over £2000 to produce a site for the gallery (Designer Makers ). The site would be created using Wordpress and be integrated with various social networking facilities. The designer also emphasises SEO, but as has been commented, I'm not sure how much they can guarantee. The designer was Aube Design http://aubecreative.co.uk/

As a matter of interest has anyone tried using social networking for marketting (should this be a new thread?). I am dipping my toe in the water (Twitter and blogging) but don't really understand how it works.

Chris

 

[DaveL]

There was a 'space' at the at of the link, before the [

I have seen this before and it makes the forum software misdisplay the message, I have fixed the post.

 

[BradNaylor]

Two grand seems awfully expensive Chris, and to be honest I don't like the look of any of the websites that designer has done. I prefer your existing one!

I must look into the social network thing myself. I know nowt about it!

 

[petermillard]

I'm not convinced of the web as a sales tool for doing something like woodworking.

Our experience is different...

Have to agree with Brad on this one. I think just about every enquiry I've had in the last five years has been from someone who's already visited the website (and presumably liked what they've seen ) and in an increasingly media-aware world I don't see this reducing in any way at all.

I've always advertised in the traditional ways, especially when I first started up, but stopped this a few of years back and instead spend far smaller sums on promotional items that don't appear to be any less effective.

Cheers, Pete.

 

[RogerS]

I'm not convinced of the web as a sales tool for doing something like woodworking.

Our experience is different...

Have to agree with Brad on this one. I think just about every enquiry I've had in the last five years has been from someone who's already visited the website (and presumably liked what they've seen ) and in an increasingly media-aware world I don't see this reducing in any way at all.

I've always advertised in the traditional ways, especially when I first started up, but stopped this a few of years back and instead spend far smaller sums on promotional items that don't appear to be any less effective.

Cheers, Pete.

I think that Brad hit the nail on the head. It all depends on your location ie potential number of customers.

 

[matt]

I think that Brad hit the nail on the head. It all depends on your location ie potential number of customers.

And competitors.

 

[wizer]

Chris is absolutely correct about the social networking thing. It's just as essential as your website.