Taking the Plunge

So you’ve decided to take the plunge and have your new business website created. Finding a web development company that you can trust to take your business vision and turn it into an effective online presence is not that easy to do. There are so many choices. We’d like to think there are perhaps three key considerations you need to make when selecting a partner:

• Sustainability – Is the company going to be around for the long haul, will they support you in the future as your online requirements change, will they offer on going support when needed.
  • BW Design is a subsidiary of Koda Web, while BW targets the entry level customer seeking their initial web presence, behind the team is the power and expertise of the Koda Web team, developers experienced in the delivery of large multi-function enterprise level websites – the support is there when you need it!
• Design – Do they have a design team capable of delivering me a unique, absolutely current design for my new website
  • BW Design has a dedicated graphic design team, skilled in designing amazing websites that take advantage of latest technology and best practice.
• Price – While you appreciate that good things cost, you need to be reassured that the price you are paying is “fair” for the effort involved
  • At BW Design we leverage our expertise in web development to deliver new websites for our customers that offer outstanding functionality, as our team is experienced we understand fully how to configure and enhance out of the box content management systems better than most.

Having deliberated over choices and chosen Business Website Design to develop and design your first or latest website we’d like to outline the process.

So what are the next steps for you?

Well, firstly we’ve simplified the process as much we can. We kept getting feedback that either business owners didn’t have the time or the understanding of web to get too involved.  We achieve this in 3 easy steps:

• By allowing you to select a package that suits your individual needs, it makes it more tailored to your requirements without the lengthy negotiation process.
• Once selected, it is just a matter of providing with some general business information, which we will then use to develop your initial design concepts.
• Once approved we build the site ready for content

Content – Copy Writing

One of the biggest headaches we see our customers face is copy writing, producing the initial words to be used on the new website. For some this is easy, for the majority it is difficult. Again we have tried to assist here, we offer a simple copy writing service that will allow the initial content for your website to be written by our experienced content writer who can ensure that all the appropriate information relating to your business is displayed on your website. Of course we will also make sure you can easily add your own content afterwards but the bulk of work will be done by us! Copy writing is an additional service we offer, we keep our cost to a minimum, and as we do this a lot, we are fast. All that is needed is a 30 minute session with you to gain some background to you and your business, and then we are under-way.

Delivery

After a few quick and easy review and feedback sessions with you, we will go into the final development stage and your new website will be built within 10 working days. Also, to make sure your mind is at ease, we are so confident in our work that if you’re not satisfied in the website we’ve produced, we will give you 100% of your money back, every time. Yes, I know I sound like an infomercial but our team really has what it takes to create the website you are looking for. Here at BW Design we want to make sure all of our customers are able to get a new custom designed, high quality website that is more affordable and attainable than ever before.

Apple has just announced the release of the new Apple iPhone 6 range and if we look at what happened last iPhone launch, there will be another increase in mobile device usage on the web once they are released in late September. As the number of Smart devices used to browse and purchase product on the internet is continually rising, there has been an increase in the need for responsive themes to tailor content for the web. Web design and development companies are having to continually evolve their approach to enhance the user experience on Smart devices.

Design for Screen resolution

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus is a great example of the consideration that needs to be given to the screen resolution of the smart device that needs to be taken into account when designing the responsive theme. Both new Apple devices have screen resolutions considerably bigger than their predecessor the iPhone 5s, (However, it is still only comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S5).

What does this mean?

A responsive theme can be tailored based on the device being used, where we have more screen accessibility available we are able to adjust the layout accordingly:

• Rather than stacking columns, we can display two columns side by side
• It may allow us to include a detailed graphic that previously was unreadable on a smaller device

Device detection allows us to apply the appropriate responsive design themes based on the resolution of the device being used.

Responsive Design

Part of the design process for any new website will be allocated to the layout and navigation associated with the responsive design theme. Long gone are the days where it is good enough to say “we include a responsive theme with your website design”, the responsive design needs to be thoroughly thought through and the user experience considered by a team that have plenty of past experience in creating responsive designs.

Sometimes content that is available on your laptop or desktop does not display correctly on your smart device, which is most often the product specification and detailed information, but our design team will ensure that all content that our clients wish for will be displayed on any device.

What does it mean?

As the technology begins to improve we will see a shift from consumers using these smart devices as their preferred device to access the internet. Here at BW Design even our most affordable package ensures that your website has a responsive theme.

Staying on top of the new technology and offering insight to existing and prospective customers on what technology is potentially game changing is part of what we do here at BW Design.

The design team at BW Design are determined to deliver a user experience that is maximised for all devices and screen resolutions, please contact us for more details, or check out our package offerings

In-case you are unaware Net Neutrality is the name used to the describe the fact that the Internet does not differentiate users based on size capitalisation, location or any other determining parameter. On the internet all websites are created equal, well almost. Of course website owners that invest in a well designed and built website with a certain focus on enhancing search engine optimisation (SEO) will have an advantage over a competitor that doesn’t, the fact remains that the field on which they play is level.

Killing Net Neutrality

The move to “Kill Net Neutrality” refers to the controlling of website access speeds based on the access paln a website owner has in place with their hosting ISP.

Allowing access speeds to websites to be controlled based on financial agreements cuts to the heart on which the internet was formed. The world wide web has always been a semi level playing field, an environment where a small website operator can compete with a large corporate, This is especially true for the start up business seeking to establish themselves on the internet.

A recent agreement made between Netflix and AT&T in which Netflix has agreed to pay a premium to their ISP and broadband provider to guarantee the fast delivery of their video content (movies and TV shows) can be seen as one of the first moves to break down Net Neutrality.

Impact

For larger company’s on the internet, paying to ensure fast access to their website will probably be a manageable cost. The real loser if this is to happen will be the business seeking to establish an online brand, the small home based company that relies on a web presence to generate sales rather than invest in a physical shop.

There are flow on effects, if the ability for a small business to establish themselves on the web is constrained, their ability and the likelihood that they will in the future hire employees also diminishes.

Speed Matters

Since 2010 Google has been factoring website load speeds into its search index algorithm – it is important!  Whether you are selling product or delivering a service, speed counts.

As the move to Kill Net Neutrality gains momentum, keep informed about developments and when you have the opportunity, offer your support to the movement to keep Net Neutrality a feature of the internet that remains for many years to come.

Remember the real losers if this happens will be the small websites and business’s yet to establish an online presence, it could be you!