At Chapel Street my personal preference is to design new WordPress websites using clean, fast-loading and user-friendly layouts . I do not believe in making things more complicated than they need to be. Websites that are too busy-busy and gimmicky do not help viewers find the information they are looking for quickly. Furthermore they won’t help your budget. Also, if the quality of your images do not support a full screen homepage feature image, make it too slow or do not add value I will advise you. I then enjoy coming up with some alternative ideas and solutions for you to consider that will work within your budget.
The general verdict is that the average time somebody will take to look at a webpage and decide whether to stay on your page is between 3-10 seconds.
Domain & Hosting
To keep everything simple so that my clients retain full control over their websites I do not sell space on a private server or re-sell on behalf of a hosting company. I can recommend a UK hosting provider based on my current market knowledge: covering price, customer service, security, extra functionality and server speed. What I do to help my customers and keep things as straightforward as possible is buy the domain and hosting for you – passing on the fees at cost.
Bespoke Website
A common term used by some web designers is ‘custom built’. My interpretation is that this relates to a website that has been built from scratch with all the coding that goes with it. In practice, however, these days the term is also used to describe a template that has been modified. At Chapel Street every website I put together for a client is bespoke – I do not stick to one template or look – each website is tailored to my client’s needs.
Price for New WordPress Website
Although each website is individual and priced accordingly but to help you and give you an idea for your budget my prices start from £500. For this, you would get a homepage (with up to 3 sections and 3 images plus a footer), a second page which you could use to provide details of your services with up to 3 images and, finally a third page for your ‘contact us’. Each page can have up to 300 words each and I can also add links your social media accounts. I also carry out some basic Search Engine Optimisation.
How it Works
Step 1
We chat through your requirement, provide advice, give you quote and a predicted timeframe. To help you and give you an idea of what sort of information is discussed at this stage:
Description of your business
What, if anything, is unique about your business and what gives it a competitive edge against your competitors
Who your competitors are
What specifically you want your website to do
Who will use the website and why
What your current and future customer base is like
What websites you have seen that you like and dislike
What images you may already have that you want used or you may need
Any ideas of the overall style you would like to achieve in the website ie formal, informal etc
How much time you want or can realistically spend post launch on maintaining your website or adding new content ie news page.
Any social media accounts you want linked
If you need an email address (normally provided as part of your hosting package)
Step 2
Once you’ve agreed my quote, T&C and a 50% desposit is made you will firstly need to provide me with the basic content based on the site structure agreed ie homepage, about us page, services, contact page etc. To give you an idea the below are some of the details that are normally included:
Logo and any existing images you want to use (with any confirmation of copyright/release)
Details about you and/or your business
What your business aims to deliver
What, if any, staff work in the business or to leave it open by saying what key skills any staff hold who you employ.
Facilities
Services
Prices (if you want to include)
Any terms of conditions or contract template you want included
Any business partners you would like to mention (with relevant permission).
Full contact details
Please note that this exercise is easy if you’ve had to put together a Business Plan but, if you haven’t, I’m aware some customers find this bit tricky. For this reason I am to provide support to help tease out the details. I can only start building your website once I have this basic content.
Step 3
At this stage your website is not public. So I will give you access to a first draft for you to review: check wording, accuracy, layout. Then I will make these edits for you to then complete your final checks. Once you’ve given the green light final payment is due. I’ll then make your website ‘live’ and viewable by all.
Step 4
Depending on what was agreed WordPress training can be delivered either before or after your website goes ‘live’. We can do this face-to-face, video call or via telephone. I do tend to find that it is better to break it down to modules rather than one big clump. I can also signpost customers to some useful online guides for easy reference going forward.
Step 5
From our previous discussions you should be aware of what, if any, ongoing support you will need in terms of your sites content, security and maintenance needs. However, this can always be tailored to your needs at any point. I’m always at the end of the phone if my clients need a reminder of how to do something on WordPress or there is a glitch.