Features within the site include an e-commerce bed shop and on-line cost calculator as well as NECSES Webdesign’s inclusive Content Management System, full search engine optimisation of the website and W3C compliant XHTML.

Testimonial

“NECSES Webdesign understood our needs straight away, and came up with a design that completely reflects our vision of Floors2You at a much lower cost than a previous designer was offering us. Also, the fact we can add new products and manage our own SEO means we are saving money, excellent.”

Chris Lambe, Managing Director, Floors2You.

Testimonial

“I’m very impressed by the speed and lack of fuss everything’s been done, even without my help. Amazing to be able to edit the site as well.”

Pros of Template Websites

Template websites are a less expensive method of making websites. Template websites are a lot easier and take less time to create than custom websites which is what the site cost should reflect. While template websites should be cheaper than custom websites, that is not always the case. Many website design companies say they build custom websites but in reality they build template websites and charge clients for a custom website.

So how can you avoid paying too much for a template website? Get a quote from a custom website design company and compare it to the price of a template website company. Since template websites require a lot less work than custom websites, the price of a template website should be significantly lower than that of a custom website. If the custom website is close or lower in price than a template website than just go for the custom website.

Template websites are usually simple designs that take less time to build than custom websites. Template websites are less complex and have less functionality than custom websites thus taking less time to build and get running. Companies that are looking to get an online presence up immediately may decide to go with a template website.

It seems as though there are many more website design companies that offer template websites than custom websites. That being said, it could be easier for a business to find a template website company than a custom website company. More availability could make it that much quicker to find a website design company to build a template website than a custom website.

Cons of Template Websites

While template websites usually offer simple and clean designs, they can be very limiting. With a template you get what you see. Template websites are very limited in the changes that can be made to the design and functionalities that can be added. For many companies paying less money for a website is not worth the limitations offered by template websites. Companies should not build websites around a template but websites should be built around a company. Custom websites properly reflect who a company is and what they do, while template websites most of the time do not properly reflect this.

The simplicity of template websites does not let companies stand apart from others. Custom websites stand out from template sites because many template websites look similar and don’t offer much distinction. While template websites are very similar and plain, you can design custom websites any way you want allowing businesses to have a more professional unique appearance.

Most template websites are not search engine optimized. If a website is not search engine optimized it is likely to not be found in search results. What good is a website if it cannot be found? One of the reasons NECSES Webdesign builds custom websites is so that they are search engine optimized. If you want a website to show up higher in search engines then a template website is not the way to go.

Many smaller companies may be fine with having a limited amount of website functionality but larger companies especially require more functionality than template websites offer. Template websites are premade so they are not built to suit any particular company. Larger companies should choose a custom website design company to work with rather than a template company so that the website will be built around all of their needs.

Template websites are quick and easy to build because they work from a pre-made design and structure. Premade designs work for some companies, but they limit what can be done to the site. As a business grows their website should grow with them. Template websites cannot be built scalable so as a business grows and changes their website will not work for them.

With all of the cons associated with template websites, why would any company use a template site? Template websites may save companies money initially, but will cost more money and cause problems in the long run. Custom websites are the perfect solution for nearly every business. Contact NECSES Webdesign to discuss how a custom search engine optimized website can help your business.

The site includes a content management system, and includes e-commerce leading to a Paypal online payment facility. Two slideshows show visitors to the site before and after photographs outlining the services that photogenes offer to their customers.

As with all of NECSES Webdesign’s websites, the CMS facility allows the business owners to update their website themselves, quickly and efficiently.

Both of these statements are valid. Word of mouth advertising is still one of the best forms of advertising that there is, whilst not over-stretching your resources is sensible.

However, there are four key points about having a website that negates both these arguments.

Firstly, with word of mouth advertising a business has little control on the message that is given out or over who the message is given out to and, indeed, when it is given out. It could be a long time before word of mouth advertising starts to give any sort of return. With search engine optimisation of a web site, a good, clear message, and eye catching design a web site can do the ‘word of mouth’ advertsing to a much larger audience, delivering the message that you want to broadcast.

Secondly,  according to InternetRetailing.com 97% of the UK’s internet users shop online and with almost 16 million households with internet access according to National Statistics Online that is a lot of potential customers these businesses could be missing out on. Even if you don’t sell products online, people expect to be able to look up a company’s products and services online before making a decision to purchase.

Nowadays, people use a website address much the same as a phone number (and some would argue web addresses are much easier to remember) and so, if a business has their website on their vehicles or signs for instance, it provides a much more memorable reference for passing motorists or pedestrians.

Thirdly, having a website can reduce a business’s work load. A well thought out website will  have applications that reduce the amount of time spent on the telephone, for instance. Orders can be processed online and payment taken without any involvement from staff. When I pressed one business owner as to how they communicate with their clients, they answered that they send a monthly newsletter by post! This could be carried out with much less time and effort (and cost) using e-mailing software integrated in to a website.

Finally, having a website can enhance a business’s client experience. If a new piece of legislation is published for an accountant’s clients for instance, this can then be published online and a newsletter sent out to their clients to update them.

Now, these benefits of having a website may seem obvious to most people. If they do, please do some word of mouth advertising, and point the unconverted in our direction.

During an economic slowdown it’s essential that businesses maximise their sales and marketing potential as well as ensuring that expenditure is monitored closely.  Usually in a recession one of the first budgets to be cut is the marketing budget when, theoretically, that should be one of the budgets that is maintained or increased. The real question is, are your marketing tools effective?

In this digital age your website should be seen as the major advertising tool at your company’s disposal and ensuring your website works for your business is critical to the overall success and well being of the business. You should be asking yourself the following questions:

• Are customers finding our website? – If your website is not search engine optimised then potential customers may never find you. It’s no good thinking that because you have a website that you will come top of the search engine rankings – you have to make it easy for the search engines to find you and help you up the rankings
• Is our website putting people off buying our products or services? – It is important that your website’s information is up to date and it’s design is user-friendly.  If you have an outdated website, potential customers may be put off from doing business with you, as this is seen as a reflection of your company. A site that leads users down blind alleys can also be taking your customers away or leaving them frustrated. For these reasons, and others, it is best to keep your content fresh, check that your site is helping to sell your products and services and updated  at least every 2-3 years to ensure it stays modern looking
• Are we missing sales opportunities through our website? – An e-commerce site means that customers can buy your products 24/7 – not just during your opening hours – potentially increasing your sales with no extra drain on resources. Also, you could be missing out on advertising opportunities for companies you supply to, for instance. This could be a crucial revenue generator
• Am I spending excessive money on website maintenance? – In these tough times every penny counts. Having a built-in Content Management System on your website means you can update your site to reflect the current issues within your company – making it more relevant to your customers as well as being a cost saving
• Do we provide new services that aren’t detailed on our website? - It’s surprising how businesses change; new skills sets within the business, new business services and products provided, a change in focus of the company: all things that should be shown on your website. But not only for potential customers to read, for the search engines too, so your search engine optimisation needs to reflect these changes

At NECSES Webdesign we have solutions to all these questions, including content management systems that allow you to update the content of your website yourself, search engine optimisation services, web development services and unique web designs that reflect your company in the best possible light. So, give us a call at let us analyse your website and see where we can help make your business more profitable.

The demand for good web design is increasing, revealed a recent Webcopyplus online poll. Almost 25% of web users indicated “poor visual presentation” as the number one element that drives them away from websites. Only 6.6% of web users who participated in a similar 2007 online poll indicated “poor visual presentation” as the main reason to abandon a website. That equates to a 267% increase during the two-year period.

Our web content specialists believe the increased desire for quality design comes from the fact that Internet users have become increasingly sophisticated. Consequently, more of today’s Internet users understand that a well designed website makes it possible to achieve more, with less time and effort.

A total of 318 web users were asked what’s most likely to drive them away from a website.

• 50.9% indicated “slow load times”
• 24.8% noted “weak web copy”
• 24.2% specified “poor visual presentation”

In the 2007 poll, 51.2% of 258 participants indicated “slow load times” and 42.2% noted “weak web copy” as their biggest turn-offs.

True Beauty Comes From Within

Informed web designers and business owners alike know that design is vital to a successful website, and its beauty must go far beyond looks. While design needs to support a company’s brand positioning, it must also effectively inform, communicate and provide positive experiences.

A winning website is one that delivers useful, relevant content that allows people to accomplish their goals quickly and easily. In today’s hectic society, that’s what makes a great and lasting impression on the Web.

Good design achieves simplicity through a range of elements — from a single point of focus to intuitive information flow to plain, familiar menu names. And as more people flock to the Web for everything from casual encounters to green homes, more businesses will likely lean on web specialists who can contribute to effective design.

Moving marketing online makes more sense than ever. Something’s off when typical consumers might spend 25% of their media time on the Web and a company is investing only 5% or so of its marketing budgets on websites and other online promotions.

With almost 75% of global consumers using the Web frequently (Internet World Stats), a £10,000 investment in a website will get almost any business a better return on investment than an ad in a newspaper, magazine or print telephone directory. A website can provide greater reach and superior exposure, and it works for a business 24/7 for multiple years.

Web Copy Carries Punch

With 24.8% of web poll participants indicating weak web copy would most likely prompt them to abandon a website, businesses should continue to take their web writing seriously.

While there appears to be increasing awareness surrounding web writing in general, many businesses continue to fail to recognize what a professional web writer can bring to a website and a business’s bottom line.

Web writers, website content writers, SEO copy writers — call them what you will — these web copy specialists are often not even being considered a part of the equation when it comes to building or overhauling a website.

A well-versed web writer can help a business with everything from attaining traffic via search engines, to differentiating a business from competitors and conveying key benefits effectively, to achieving higher conversion rates.

An increase in writers who specialize in the Web will help decrease the ineffective, error-laden, self-centred copy that is so common on the Web.

Need for Speed

More than 50% of poll participants noted that getting their information promptly on the Web is a top concern. Make them wait, and they are likely to hit a competitor’s site.

Good web designers and developers respond by optimizing images, streamlining HTML and avoiding dated gimmicks like Flash intros. But some designers and business owners alike continue to fall into such traps.

A designer recently told me about an architecture company that just spent tens of thousands of pounds on a Flash intro. Unfortunately, web designers and business owners sometimes let their egos get in the way. They fail to acknowledge that when a prospect visits a website looking for information or to complete a task, that Flash intro will only get in the way, and potentially frustrate visitors.

Flash intros were tolerated in the ’90s when the Web was a novelty. People were excited about this new thing called the World Wide Web, and we spent countless hours surfing it. Today, however, most people want to get information and complete tasks in as little time and with as few clicks as possible, so they can get on with their busy lives.

Give Users What They Want

Internet professionals would better serve Internet users by collaborating and delivering simple, fast, useful and convenient websites.

Give Internet users what they want and everyone wins: web users benefit from ease of use and efficiency; businesses enjoy increased leads and sales; and the web professionals maximize income and fill their portfolios with winning websites.

Testimonial

“NECSES Webdesign were very helpful, with a nothing too much trouble attitude, even as far as taking my photographs for the website. The built in content management system is excellent, and allows so much flexibility in terms of allowing me to respond to changes within my business as well as setting keywords for search engines. I would definitely recommend them 100%.”