Website design: frequently asked questions
What is responsive website design?
A responsive website is one that can be viewed and navigated easily via a mobile device (such as a smartphone or tablet) as well as a desktop. This type of site is built differently so that it adapts its appearance to the size of the user's screen, improving the visitor's experience. Mobile friendly websites are important for search engine optimisation too, as Google loves mobile!
Read moreWhy is it important to have a responsive website?
If your website was developed more than 6 or 7 years ago, there's a fair chance that it isn't responsive. If your potential customers look at your site using a mobile phone, they may find the experience too frustrating and because your site isn't mobile friendly, they give up... which means that you're missing out on their potential business.
Will my responsive website automatically work on new smartphones and tablets?
Yes. Any newly-released smartphone or tablet device will be able to view your responsive website without problems.
My current CMS is hard work – how will yours be different?
Our CMS has been developed with users in mind, which means many other content management systems don't include the same usability features as ours. Examples of what you can do include uploading multiple images at once using ‘drag 'n' drop’ Asset Manager; linking related content; reordering content on a page just by dragging and dropping; translating content into a foreign language using Google Translate integration; and previewing changes before they are published to check for errors.
I'm not particularly technical; will I be able to use your CMS?
Our content management system is used by a wide variety of clients, all of whom received on-site training when their website was first set up and continued support ever since. The CMS was originally developed for non-technical users and many clients tell us how simple and logical it is. Even if you only have basic IT skills, you'll be fine!
Why is good quality code important to search engine success?
Google, like all search engines, needs to understand your website content as this increases the chances of it ranking your site highly in its search results.
Websites with poorly constructed HTML code will struggle to achieve a good ranking in Google because the search engine can't read the site properly. This is often the unforeseen consequence of using an online site building tool or a CMS with off-the-shelf templates.
We write each line of the HTML code on our websites by hand. As we have more refined control over the way your site appears to Google, we're better able to help you achieve the search engine prominence that you're after.
Do I need debit / credit card facilities to have an eCommerce website?
No. If you have an account with a payment service provider already, we can build your website to use that. Even if you don't, we can advise on the steps you need to take to get one set up.
Will my business need to become PCI compliant if I have an eCommerce website?
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) applies to any business that accepts credit card payments.
However, even if you run an eCommerce website, you (probably) won't process your customers' credit card details because many eCommerce websites use a payment service provider to do this for them. Therefore, the important thing is that you use a PCI-compliant payment service provider. This third party supplier provides the secure page for your customer to enter their card details when they pay you online.