Where to begin?

So you are about to get your first website built. Or maybe you are getting your old website redesigned. With the technology changing at the pace that it does, even for us sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everything.

But the more time you spend researching and speaking to various designers and developers – the more complicated everything seems to become. This is what this page is for. We’ve summarised some of the most common questions and mistakes people do and ask, so you get the most out of your project.

Take your time, read the below and please – send us your questions, we are more than happy to answer them for you.

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Does your website developer tick all these boxes?

  • Is the company reputable and experienced?
You can check how long they have been in business, thoroughly go through their portfolio and read customers' reviews on various media.
  • Do they have a dedicated graphic designer and web developer?
Depending on how wild your imagination is, you may often hear replies such as "this can't be done". The fact is, it probably can, just depends on the skills of the designer/developer or what alternative solution is suggested instead.
  • Is your email hosting separate from website hosting?
The last thing you want is to miss an email from a client. Website hosting is not the same as email. We host websites on a website dedicated server and emails on Gsuite.
  • Are you given the ability to easily update and/or edit your website yourself?
You can pay someone each time, or you can get access and perform small changes on your own. Training provided.
  • Do you have access to all of your equity, such as domain name, website hosting and email hosting?
When someone buys the domain name on your behalf, one thing you must make sure is that the domain name is registered under your name and you have access to it. You may not need access to your hosting, but you surely want to know where to find information in case you do.
  • Have you been given tracking and analytics access to monitor your website?
After your website is live, it helps to know how much traffic you are actually getting. Setting up something as simple as Google Analytics will do that.
  • Do they have an SEO team?
You may not want to do SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) today, but building a website correctly today can save you a lot of time and money in the future.
  • Are the hosting servers located in Australia? Are they shared?
Nobody liked to wait. You know first hand that if a website loads too slow, you just go to another one. Hosting located outside of Australia, or Australian hosting on a shared server can be frustratingly slow, especially during peak hours.
  • Is there a support team in case things go wrong or you get hacked?
What happens if something on your website breaks? Who updates your Wordpress installs? Who manages your content and backups?
  • Is your website custom designed and coded?
Unless you are told upfront that your website is built on a template / theme, it must be custom designed and coded for you. "Recycling" websites is a common practice to cut costs.
  • Are there content writers to make sure your content is done for Google search?
Getting a professional content writer is important. But what's even more important, is to make sure the content written doesn't just sound good, but also helps with your SEO. Using very technical language, for example, may make you sound like an expert, but nobody would be searching for those keywords on Google.
  • Is your point of contact based in Australia, understands the Australian copyright laws and how businesses in Australia operate? 
You need to have easy access to your developers/designers. You also need to have the trust that they will do the right thing for your business and you won't get unpleasant calls about copyright infringements found on your website.

Stop searching for the unicorn!

Remember there is no such thing as an expert in everything, but in order to build a good website that is worth your investment, you will need an expert at every step. Even though you’ll only be dealing with 1 person on the duration of the project, there will be a team of us working on every stage of your website.

You’ll always be tempted to go for the cheapest option, especially when one company quotes you $3,000 and another $300, for what seems to be the same website. But before you rush into the decision — do your homework, ask questions, find out what differentiates one company from the other. You’ll often learn that it’s the small details on the websites that you may not notice at first, is what will drive traffic to your website, or away from it. If something sounds too good to be true — it’s probably is.

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Things to look out for

  • "Custom built websites" that are actually a rework of another one.
You might as well buy a theme, which at least will come with support.
  • A one-man team that is an expert in design, code and SEO.
As rare as a unicorn (you're still looking for one?).
  • Unlicenced themes or plugins.
Can be easily hacked or break your website.
  • Shared hosting.
Your website will work fine only in off-peak, say after 10pm.
  • Free themes.
Often injected with malicious code.
  • Domain names purchased on your behalf, but not under your name.
May not legally be yours. When it comes to renewing them, you may be forced to pay a high price.
  • SEO companies promising to get you on the first page of Google, without doing a full audit.
We see these all the time.
  • Images obtained illegally from Google search or other websites.
We always purchase photos and they start from only $12/each. There are also free photo options for commercial and noncommercial purposes.
  • Hosting that is not located in Australia.
Will slow down your website immensely.
  • Hosting with both email and website hosted by the same company
Unreliable email that is difficult to set up.
  • Contracts or "deals" where you are locked in to pay a fee for a year or more.
Could be costly to get out of.

Treat your investment seriously.

If a website is just a cost to you, then by all means, go for the cheapest option.

But for most businesses, a website is just like any other investment. Gambling with your investment isn’t always a wise decision. Do a quick calculation of you ROI. How much business can your website potentially bring to you? Now, look at the cost of building one. Is it worth paying the extra money and getting something quality? Or would it make more financial sense to get these done cheaply and often?

Nobody knows your business better than you. And at the end of the day – it is your decision.

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