Web Design - Frequently Asked Questions

Our 123 Simples web design packages offer some great services, and on this page is a list of our most frequently asked questions when it comes to having a site designed by us. If your question is not answered, then all you have to do is ask us, and we will be able to give you an answer.

Looking for a web designer? Need a website designed? Web Design questions and questions about web design are probably one of the most searched topics on the internet. On this page are some of the frequently asked questions we receive about our web design services.

On this page we have tried to answer those web design questions as best as we can, but because we don't wish to bore people with lots and lots of questions and answers, if your question is not answered below, why not just contact us so we can help you further.

What should we choose 123 Simples to design our site?

Choosing us means you will be choosing a company that cares - a company that values loyalty and trust and has a caring attitude about its clients and its business dealings. We have put together many sites and webpages over the years, and those sites have set out what they were designed to do. Creating websites is a great challenge for us, and we love that challenge. We always aim to do our best to get your site up and running as quickly as possible, and we pride ourselves on our accomplishments. If you would like to view a selection of our customer feedback comments, then you can see why it makes sense to trust us with your site project.

How do you define a webpage?

To us a webpage is a page that generally will viewable in your monitor. However, that does not necessarily mean that it cannot be longer, and include scrollbars to the right hand side. Unless you have a television size screen, it would be pretty impossible to create a page that never needed scrolling (unless of course you wanted just a logo). So a webpage to us is the content that is aimed for that page. An example is this page. It will have scrollbars undoubtedly, but why spread it over "several" pages just so I don't need to use my mouse-wheel!

How long does it take to design a website?

The timescale will depend on many factors, such as how much work are we currently covering, do we need to keep reviewing and altering page designs, and other factors that may crop up. Generally speaking, if the client has a clear idea of what they want, and we receive the necessary additional images and information from them, that they would like to appear on their site, we can probably turn it around in a week or two. Sometimes however, a site may be more complex, and it might take longer, but generally speaking it can be done within 28 days.

Will I need to meet you to discuss anything?

In the majority of cases, there is no need for you to do this. Most of the work (especially if we are creating sites for people who are not local to us) is undertaken by means of email communications, perhaps phone calls, or even using Skype or MSN. Yes we have been visited by clients, or visited them, and held discussions face-to-face, but this is not a necessity, unless of course you want to pay for our travelling costs in which case we would gratefully accept.

Once my site is designed, what happens next?

Once your website is up and running we can offer you a full support package designed to help maintain and update as required certain elements of your website. Basically we can act as "agents" for your site, taking care of further updates, additional modifications if required, and report back to you on page rankings, visitors and the like. If we are taking care of your hosting for you, it makes the support even easier.

Do I have to keep my site with you forever?

Once we have designed, and uploaded your website to either our servers, or a hosting company, one of your choosing, we of course would love you to stay with us. Having continuity with one person can be really beneficial (providing of course you are happy with our services), and if there are changes that need to be made at a later date, it's easier if you and us are familiar with what is going on. However, you may wish to decide to move away from us, in which case this is acceptable, but we will not be able to obviously offer further support, email or hosting benefits that you may have previously enjoyed. Also, we cannot guarantee that all hosts offer and can deal with different "background" coding, especially how they work on Contact Forms and the such. Although you will own the completed site though, we will still retain the copyright on our design, or any images supplied by us, or any software incorporated on the site.

Will you place ads on my site?

We will NOT place ads on your site unless you specifically request us to do so (this may have been something that you asked us to do as part of your web design stipulation, or you specifically asked us to do this for you).

In which format would I have to supply images to you for my site (example my own photographs)?

It is preferable to have images supplied in JPEG format, GIF or BMP. We find that if people can email us their images (image sizes are better off bigger - they can always be reduced in size rather than increased). Most digital cameras will produce adequate resolution images (the higher the resolution the better the image quality) and these images can be sent to us by electronic methods, or by post on a CD if there are lots of images. If you get stuck we can always help you with images, and we have a graphic design team available to do so.

Will my website be Search Engine Friendly?

When we create websites, we always aim to keep them search engine friendly. We take time to include many background details that will help the search engines locate your site as quickly as possible, and we also add your site to search engines to generate as much coverage as possible. Do not be fooled into paying large sums for so-called "guaranteed" search engine listings. Most search engines work is done by "bots", in other words, non-humans. So it takes a bit of time (about 4 to 8 weeks on average) but we have always found our sites show up very quickly on the most popular search engines.

I want my site to promote my online business in a professional manner to new customers, and existing ones. Can you do this for me?

We run businesses too, so we realise that it is really important to present yourself to the best of your ability. We can setup most sites (if we can't, we will be up front and suggest who can), and we can provide a professional looking site that befits your organisation. We believe in clarity of websites - I know lots of sites that are totally cluttered with so much information and banners, links, images, etc - that straight away I get put off. What you need is a functional and practical website that does not take forever to navigate.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept payment by cheque, BAC's, Google Checkout and PayPal. All payments are dealt with by recognised and secure payment gateways. If at any time you should be approached by someone pertending to be selling services on our behalf, then please report this to us so we may fully investigate the matter further. If paying by cheque, BAC's or non automated services, then web design services will not be started until the payment has cleared.

When will I have to pay you?

When we have agreed and understood what it is you are hoping to achieve, you will have to pay at least a 50% deposit payment for the website to be designed. We have to do this as sadly there have been times when with the best will in the world, some people have had work done, but then not paid for it. There are no exceptions to this, and most web design companies will charge a similar fee before they would do any work too.

Is tax included with my web design price?

Yes, tax is currently included within the price.

Can I pay monthly?

No, unfortunately not. There are too many added costs involved in paying monthly, and so to keep your prices as low as we can, we have opted for annual payments only, on both web design and hosting services.

Where can I view an example of your web design contract?

You can view an example of our standard web design contract by clicking here.