Web Designers VS Web Templates

With so many do-it-yourself web development tools available on the internet, people often ponder about the necessity of hiring a web designer to build their website. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider using a Web Designer instead of Web Templates...

1) Unlimited Customisation Capabilities

Website templates are designed by professional web designers. Though they look very attractive they are very limited when it comes to customisation, meaning you can't really have the website look and function, exactly the way you would have liked.

2) Exclusivity

Because templates are not exclusive to a specific client means that there can literally be thousands of people making use of the same template as yours. Prospective clients will notice if they have seen a website just like yours, which can raise eyebrows and drive away business.

3) SEO Compatibility

Most ready made website templates are not SEO compatible, meaning people will struggle to find your company when looking for it on search engines. Good web masters can optimise the code and content of your website to ensure that it ranks well in search engine results.

4) Brand Identity

Because web designers build websites from scratch, means they can design it to reflect your brand exactly the way you want it.

5) Credibility

At the end of the day website templates, however good they may look, are just generic and if you want something unique, professional and representative of your brands identity you should rather consider using a web designer.

For more informations, visit our website at; Affordable Websites.

Are websites still relevant in 2014?

As social media sites have become increasingly popular during recent years one has to wonder about the relevancy of the good old personal website.

In my opinion websites have become even more relevant and I will share my views on why I say this;

1)Your website is what defines you (your company) on the internet.

Any one can pop onto a social media site and within minutes create a page just like yours. A website on the other hand carries way more substance and can be seen as your brands ID on the internet. A true reflection of what it is you have to offer.

2) Quality websites closes deals.

As mentioned above, it is very easy to pop onto a social media platform and create a page that looks just like the other 100million. Though I am not arguing against the importance of social media, I am merely advocating that people who are really interested in doing business with you will always look for your personal website to value the quality of you business. It gives prospective clients a sense of trust.

3) Your website is the centre piece.

There are so many social media sites around and more entering the arena each month that you will get lost in the sea of quick fix “companies”. Your website should be the centre piece that links all of your social media sites together. Think of your website as the queen bee, safely guarded, sending out her social media soldiers to generate business.

4) Gets your brands message across.

Because your website is your juristic property, you have complete control over what content you would like to ad, how much you’d like to ad and where you want to ad it. There are virtually no limits, meaning you can get your brands message across to prospective clients, the exact way you want it. Also, there is no competition on your website, meaning your brand has their full attention 100% of the time. No distracting ads and pop ups!

In summary...

I fully understand the importance of having a good social media strategy to generate leads for your business, but the most important platform for online marketing still is the classic website. Not convinced? Apple still uses its website as one of its most critical online marketing tools, announcing their latest product releases etc. Its like things aren't really considered official until a statement is released on a website.

So, if one of the world leaders in tech innovation still believes in the relevancy of websites, shouldn’t you?

To find out more on how we can help your brand build a strong online precence, 

visit us at; Affordable Websites

13 "KISS" factors for Small Business Websites

Your website is the face of your company to the masses who roam the internet. Get it right and you will see many new customers knocking on your door, generating sales without you having to put in too much effort. First impressions are important, as you would want to build a loyal following of customers, returning to your website regularly. 

Here are a 13 "KISS" (Keep It Simple Stupid) factors to consider;

1) Who are you? What do you offer?

Within 5 seconds of opening your site the customer must know who you are and what it is you do. Your landing page is the first impression customers will have of your site and thus your company, so take extra care when planning your opening statement.

2) Choose a simple domain name

A domain name doesn’t necessarily have to be catchy, it just needs to be something that people will easily remember. If your business operates locally, it would make more sense to opt for a (.co.za) domain, as people feel more at ease doing business with a locally registered company.

3) User friendly layout

Make sure your site is well laid out with links that are highly visible and easy to navigate. A user friendly layout is of utmost importance and goes a long way to ensure returning customers.

4) Up to date Contact info

If people can’t get hold of you, you won’t be doing business. Make sure to always keep your contact details up to date and check your email links regularly.

5) Testimonials

Show new customers that you know how to get the job done by requesting testimonials from previous clients and posting it on you website.

6) Get your Main message across

See to it that customers know exactly what it is you offer, not just on the landing page, but throughout your entire website.

7) Learn some basic SEO

Reading up on some basic Search Engine Optimisation guidelines will ensure that your website is SEO friendly and gets a higher rating with search engines. (I will soon be publishing an article on SEO guidelines)

8) Quality content

Quality content is what brings value to your website. Add insightful written content and quality pictures, Youtube videos etc.

9)Trusted hosting provider

There's not much use in going online if you’re going to be off line half the time. Don’t just choose the cheapest hosting provider, but rather an affordable, reliable one.

10) Mobile optimised 

In a recent study done  by InMobi it was reported that more than 60% of people access the internet via smartphones, so make sure that your website caters for the rising mobile market.

11) Social Integration

Connect your social media sites like Google+, Facebook and Twitter to your website. Your website must channel to your social media sites and vice versa.

12) What makes your business unique?

Every business has a unique selling point that differentiates it from competitors. It is very important that your clients understand the reason they should choose to do business with you, above other companies.

13) Special Offers

Offer customers a discount or free trial period of your services. This is specially important when launching a new website. 

For more info on our Small Business Website offerings, visit us at Affordable Websites

Affordable Websites vs Cheap Websites

Affordable, Cheap...  Tomato, TomAto... Right? What's the difference?

Trying to get the best value for your hard earned cash has been part of human culture for ages and so to the challenge of finding the balance between affordable and cheap.

Being a web designer myself, it is a question I ponder about regularly.

I remember a few years back, signing up to a "do-it-yourself" automated WYSIWYG web provider. Once the payment was made, I was left to fend for myself. Having to figure out how the system operates was quite frustrating at the time -and response from their support team was very poor.

So for me the answer to the affordable vs cheap question is quite simple,
quality customer service.

Knowing that the person on the other side is committed to your cause is what builds trust.
It shows the clients that they are getting value for their money, which makes the service worth the price and thus affordable. Even the most expensive options, littered with poor customer support can be classified as cheap.

The difficult part though, is how to go about offering your services at a low price, without it being labeled as cheap? How do you instil a sense of trust before doing business?

Having learned a lesson from my previous experience with the above mentioned web provider, we created a model where we only accept payment from our clients, once they are 100% satisfied with the test site we provide. We create the website, send the clients links where they can view the progress and only when they give the go ahead, do we launch the website and accept remuneration.

Our products are mainly aimed at the small to medium enterprise -and sole proprietor market.
For a small businesses, scraping together R5000 - R10 000 to create a website is not always easy and that money could rather have been invested in stock, advertising etc.

What makes our product unique is the fact that there are no setup fees involved and because we know that the life span of small businesses are not always set in stone, we provide an easy exit strategy, giving them the option to cancel their contract at any time with a 30day written notice.

If you would like an affordable website or would like to find out more about our product offering, feel free to visit our website at; Affordable Websites