Professional Web Design and Web Designers in Bath Separating the Professionals from the Amateurs

What distinguishes a professional web designer and therefore a professional web design, from the amateur web designer and therefore an amateur web design?

As with all walks of life there are those who can and those who try to

In this context those who can mean professionally trained and qualified people who have spent years developing and refining their skills. Those who try to, are people who have good intentions, but lack the knowledge and intellectual design capacity to come up with little more than a reasonable attempt at the real thing.

Separating the Professionals from the Amateurs

Its a bit like those times when you have gone into the home of someone who is a keen DIY enthusiast.

On the surface what they have built looks good. You are initially impressed with their efforts and even congratulate them on such an amazing achievement.

Not only that, but they tell you they have spent half what it would have cost if they had got a professional.

Then you look a little closer. The finish of the build is a bit shabby. The doors don’t quite fit and the drawers stick somewhat.

There are gaps here and there and you can’t help noticing that the work surface, well it looks like its sloping to the left. Not quite the professional and high spec finish you would like for your home. Maybe it will be worth spending that extra money to ensure it looks right and everything works as it should. Not so impressed now, are you?

Well with professional web design it is even more important to get it right. As its about your business, your profits, your living, your way of life. There is so much more riding on the fact that it needs to work. I guess there lies the difference with the DIY homemaker. At the end of the day it is only he who has to see it and use it. With a website thousands, if not millions of people have the chance to scrutinise it. That’s if they can find it in the first place.

Professional Web Design - Bath Business Web

What do you need to know about professional web designers?

Remember, I am not talking about your sixteen year old son who has impressed you with his latest computer technology project at school.

Just because you were born in the dark ages before the rise of the world wide web it doesn’t mean your sons efforts, as good as they are, warrants you taking the risk with your business.

Getting back to my point about professional web designers. Professional web designers are going to need to now a lot more than you may think. Below is just some of what they need to know and do to build you a fit for purpose professional website.

Initial planning stage of the professional web design process - a crucial element if you are going to get a professionally built website in Bath

This is the beginning. Getting the ideas flowing and starting to get an idea of design. All that knowledge, all that skill and all that design knowhow and flare will come to the fore with a professional web designer. As soon as you start talking to them about your business and what you want it to achieve will kick start their web design mind into gear.

This stage is crucial as it is the planning stage and you need to get an idea of the structure of your website. How many navigational pages it will contain and what will these pages be called?  Will there be any pages contained within the main pages of the site? Ideas for links to other sites. What type of information is needed for pages and how much content will they need?

This conceptualisation of the project will ultimately help the organisation and structure layout of the build. It will determine the usability of the website and determine the volume of content required.

Mainstream Search Engines

During this stage the web designer will also be creating an initial draft of the first page of the website, the home page, for you to look over to make any adjustments to the design or layout.

There are many aspects to a website which need consideration, such as do you have a logo and where will it go on the site? Where will the content sit in relation to any pictures or images? Will you have a contact page for customers to email you directly via the website?

The professional web designer will know all this and map out all the things you want, you require and which are necessary to ensure your website works well for your business.

What you’re looking for is a clean, well-organised, user friendly layout. You will need text which captures the essence of your business and at the same time talks to the search engines to make them sit up and listen, so they place your website high up in their rankings.

 

Some of what's needed for a professional website build

Once satisfied that they have the required content and images for the site, a professional website designer will then begin the construction using the following methods:
 

Create a site map and graphical user interface

Wireframe pages and assign a domain name

Set up customer email and create email setting information sheet

Write or edit copy for pages and write SEO meta date

Add focus keywords and activate plugins

Create child theme and design favicon

Set up header and footer information

Add layout template

Getting the idea why people train and become professionals in the field of web design? And there's more:

Header CSS styling, footer styling and home page styles

Typography, background images and mobile/tablet styles

Create sliders and add graphic and buttons

Optimise pages and activate mobile menu

Create social media account and email account

Build in social media links and activate google places

Add cookie warning notice, site counter and customer login

Still not there yet as we haven’t taken into account any cross browser testing or carried out a website visibility test. Then of course there are those other little jobs such as assign a domain name, park domain cpanel/gridhost, map domain WP multisite, check site-map.xml works or test & submit site-map.xml.

Seriously though are you telling me that your sixteen year old knows about all this? How to do it, when to do it, how much of it to do, what links with what and the relationship between all the different aspects of the build? Well if they do they should contact Bath Business Web because we may well be able to offer them a position within the Company. The chances are they will have knowledge of some of the things I have listed.

However, the professional web designer in Bath Business Web will have knowledge of all these things and more. And I have left out some of the good bits. The internal bits of a website which really get that site up the rankings of Google, Firefox and other mainstream search engines.


Professional Web Design in Bath and the South West

Ensuring to follow a well-structured and planned website design process is the mark of the professional. To follow this process will mean your website will be well organised, easy to navigate and have all the relevant parts. It will work efficiently and effectively and be very user friendly.

As the customer you will want and require a ‘high quality design’. Remember the DIY handyman. Not that. We are talking a professional web designer in Bath Business Web. Our web designers in Bath Business Web will follow a number of simple rules within the conceptualisation of your website to achieve this:

• They will create balance. This means the equal distribution of the heavy and light elements on each individual page
• They ensure unity. This refers to the way they keep all of the similar elements in a website alike and those that are diverse further apart, thus pulling everything into one integrated whole
• They craft emphasis. This emphasis involves all of the main points where the eye of the viewer is drawn into the design (also now as the focal points)
• They use design flare for contrast. That is the contract of colour, contrasting shapes, sizes, textures and typography
• They build in rhythm. Otherwise known as repetition. Rhythm brings an internal consistency into the web design

The professional web designers at Bath Business Web know of these elements and use them each time they design and build a website. They also know that getting the balance of content and imagery is crucial, not just for the look of the design, but for the everyday functionality of the website itself.

Cramming too much information or text into a website can lessen its chances of being found, or totally baffle and confuse the viewer. Sometimes less is definitely more.

A website needs to be clean and easy on the eye. For years in marketing and advertising they have talked about ‘white space’. That is literally the space around text or images which is all part and parcel of the overall design. White space is crucial when creating a professional layout for your website.

Professional web designers know how to manipulate the white space and make it work to your advantage and make it a key element in each and every design.

Bath Business Web - Websites

One of the most difficult and time consuming aspects of professional website design is making sure the website is standards compliant.

In other words if you want your website to be considered as a professional one, then it must look and function the same in all major browsers.

Professionally designed websites need solid SEO (search engine optimisation) friendly foundations.

Attention to detail is crucial. It will be the detail in the design which will make your website designed by a professional website designer at Bath Business Web stand out from the competition.

People get bored with the same old designs being pumped out into the internet.



The general public are not fools and want something different, unique and appealing to look at. They will recognise a website which has a strong identity and image and will go back to it time and time again.

The success of any website is usability

Basically the usability of a website refers to how well viewers learn to navigate it to achieve their goals and how satisfied they are with that. This means doing so swiftly and easily to accomplish and fulfil their online needs. If a website is not built to the necessary standards, then the viewer (a potential customer for your business), can easily become frustrated and move away from your website.

 

The web designers at Bath Business Web place a great deal of importance on positive and productive website usability. They do this knowing that if they do it will lead to a website of professional quality and design. It is this, which often highlights the difference between the amateur and the professional built websites. Everything that has been done previously with the design and build of the website is totally wasted if the finished product does not achieve usability. This one element is by far the most crucial aspect of a professionally designed website.

What separates people like the professional web design company of Bath Business Web, from non-professional people, is whether or not the web designer or the web design company takes into account all of the above, whilst constructing a customer’s website.

Bath Business Web - Professional Website Design Company
 

Web design companies such as Bath Business Web do cost more than the amateurs or less qualified professionals. And there’s a reason for that. Because you then get a much superior product, which will make you money not waste it. After all with a professional web design company you’re getting more than a website, you’re getting the total package of web design professionalism. That professionalism will show itself more easily to the untrained eye, by the nature of the website which they construct that will have all the necessary features that ensures its usability for you and your customers.

All the best,                          

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd
Your local Internet Marketing Specialist, Business Directory and Website Design Company

Bath Business Web Ltd - Bringing your Business to Life 

Call for a free consultation and find out more about how you can help your business grow

 

01225 920 503

Bath Business Web has high performing Directories for Tradespeople, Company's, Sole Traders, Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Business People of Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire - Bringing the South West of England together and suppoting local Business to thrive

Many a business in the South West are starting to slowly but surely come through the worst of the recession. Therefore, it's time to build and improve on business marketing and advertising online.

There are many towns throughout the region which have suffered because of the challenging economic climate. In such places such as Bath and Bristol there has always been a very vibrant retail sector. However, it has not been easy. Some of the bigger names have disappeared altogether. Many of the smallest shops have battled on and have kept going throughout. The South West is home for many other businesses too. Many of which are unique to this area.

So how does one find these businesses? After all the retail sector has a high street presence, which other business don't have. What if I am looking for something a bit more out the ordinary? Or a business that would not have a shop front to advertise itself, such as a stone mason, a Georgian sash window repairer, a hypnotherapist or a lighting specialist? Well, the answer is easy. Because in the South West covering Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire there is the rising star of the Online Business Directory type.

A directory which you can access online via your mobile phone, tablet or PC. A directory which will be found at the top spot of all the search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, Firefox, Google Chrome etc. At Bath Business Web Ltd they know all there is to know about website directories and how you and your business can get the most from the internet. They recognised many years ago the trend in the steady growth of website business advertising and marketing.


Bath & Bristol Business Web Ltd

An online directory which will point you in the right direction for all manner of businesses in the South West of England.

There are traders, retailers, market traders, professionals in the building trade including plasterers, electricians, plumbers, roofers, scaffolder’s, architects and surveyor’s.

Finding sports trainers, martial arts experts, hypnotherapists, accountants, hairdressers, beauty therapists just couldn’t be any easier.



Bristol Business Web Ltd - Online Directory


You can find these trades, businesses and professional services in Bath and Bristol Business Web of course. Not only that but there are Business Web Directories specifically targeted toward the trades and services in Trowbridge, Chippenham, Calne, Warminster, Frome and surrounding towns and villages in each local area.
 

You must have gathered by now that the online directories in Bath and the South West have taken over from the more traditional ways to market or advertise a local business.

The online directory is favourable because it is specific to online users and the websites they seek out. Have you discovered  how an online directory can help your business with its online presence? If not, don't you think it's time to catch up with the competition. Give Bath Business Web Ltd a call for some free help and guidance on how to get the best for your business.


Bath Business Web Ltd - Website Build & SEO

Even now so many local trades or business owners do not have a website, or a website that does justice to their marketing needs. And until they do, they will not appreciate the benefits it can bring to the profits for the business they own.

Listing your business on an online directory will help the search engine optimisation (SEO) of your website.

 

That is a search engines ability (search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Firefox etc.), to match your website to the keywords a potential new customer would be typing when they search the internet.

 

Testimonials at Bath Business Web Ltd

 
When a potential customer goes on a search they are gong to see our seven local  directories at the top of many pages on all the various search engines.

These local directories such as bathbusinessweb.co.uk not only reinforce the keywords being used, they also help create 'links' or ‘backlinks’ to the website on the director.

Basically it is how you link to another site or how another site links back to your site. A business directory will link to these because the nature of directories is such that it has many websites already, which in turn gives strength and presence to the directory you are using. This in turn improves and strengthens the ability of a local business advertising on the directory to advertise and market their website online.

For local business in Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire they recognise the need to be in as many places online as they can financially afford. These for the most part cost very little compared to any paper advertising or marketing.

Even the construction, maintenance and hosting costs of a website are incredibly good value for money when you spread that cost over a small amount of time. Your premier online directory such as bathbusinessweb.co.uk or bristolbusinessweb.co.uk are very reasonable considering the benefits your website receives from the many hundreds of backlinks that these directories and all their associated directories offer.

It is vital to know that the prime search engine Google, recognises the difference between good and bad links. What you don’t want to do is place your website details on a poor quality directory with poor or bad backlinks which would be detrimental to your websites SEO. Google has systems in place to search out the strong or any poor links. It will then respond accordingly and if they are poor, that website will sink so low in the search engine rankings, so mush so, that it may as well not have been built in the first place.

Bath & Bristol Business Web - Online Directories for the South West

Strong links are vital to a business website. Links are a necessary part of the online marketing strategy to get a website highly visible on search engine rankings. So a good business owner will get good, sound professional advice and support from the likes of Bath Business Web Ltd.

Very recently a local paper directory was delivered to Bingham Mansion. I think it lasted three days before it then went off with the rest of the recycling paper. I have kept them in the past, but in our house they sit on a shelf getting in the way and getting dusty. I cannot remember the last time I ever used one to get information on a local trade or business.

I total appreciate that there must be people who do use paper directories to search for a local business. Otherwise companies such as Thompson or Yellow Pages wouldn’t have them printed.

Online directories, unlike a paper directories will not sit on a shelf and get dusty. They are accessible and updated 24hrs a day and 365 days a year. They can be found in your pocket or bag.  Because it’s all in a mobile phone or tablet these days and who hasn’t got one of those?


Bath Business Web Ltd - No. 7 Pierrepont Street Bath

In the 21st Century we have online directories which help you go straight to what you need and when you need it.  These directories display information fast and efficiently.  With a couple of words and very little effort on your part, they take you straight to the business you need. So why not give your local online  business directory a go and see how it works for your business.

Bye for now,

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd
Your local Internet Marketing Specialist, Business Directory and Website Design Company

Bath Business Web Ltd - Bringing your Business to Life 

Call for a free consultation and find out more about how you can help your business grow

 

01225 920 503

Taking a closer look at Business Website Design for Local Tradespeople, Businesses and Company's in Bath, Bristol and Wiltshire

Ever wonder what's involved in the Art of Business Website Design and Construction?

There are a number of skills needed, as well as a great deal of technical knowledge and know how which goes into the construction and on-going maintenance of a website. A good website is one which is very visible on the internet, high ranking in its position on search engines, very functional, attractive to potential customers and fit for purpose.

Click on here to see some of the designs of Bath Business Web Ltd

Website design in essence, is the planning and construction of websites which meets the needs and requirements of both the customer and the designer, as the web designer will be maintaining the website and ensuring it maximises its visibility and functionality on the internet.

The construction or build of a website is determined by the web designer skills and abilities to merge an aesthetically pleasing design, with a user friendly interface, embedding standardised code and proprietary software. The web designer then needs to ensure that the website is optimised accordingly with the most efficient and active wording, links, alt tags, and so on and so forth. All the while taking into account the needs and desires of a customer who may want something on the website which potentially could clash with the functioning of the site. This is where the web designers knowledge and people skills comes into play to help the customer come up with an alternative concept, while maintaining the wants and needs of the customer overall vision.


Bath Business Web Ltd - Website Design

The web designer needs to have a flare for design, as the website needs to be visible and appealing in its look and layout. They also need an understanding for the purpose of the website and its use.

So at Bath Business Web Ltd all our web designers have a good understanding of the needs of local business and local tradespeople. This helps them design a website fit for purpose for each individual customer.

A web designer is not only a wizard with graphics. They need to know their stuff when it comes to the internal workings of websites which are held together and function through codes, electronic messaging systems and algorithms.

They also need to have knowledge of the various platforms the website sits on. What is a platform I hear you ask? Well a generalised description is the underlying structure software or back end which is used by the web designer to build the individual website pages on. These are such as Sitemaker, Joomla, custom html or Word Press.

Fact: By the end of this financial year it is expected that the sale of tablets in this country will outstrip that of the conventional desktop computer. Our trusty friend the mobile phone, will also go forth and eventually outstrip sales of both these altogether. Last year over 30 million phones were sold in the UK. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to work out, that is a huge number of potential customers surfing the Internet, looking for websites 24/7.

The simple way to look at a website platform, is if you ever create anything in Microsoft Word, then Word would be like the platform you write on. One would open up Word and get a blank page. Then start writing paragraphs, add a text box, add a picture or diagram etc. Basically one is building up all this information and graphics on a Word platform. Get it?



Bristol Business Web Online Directory

At Bath Business Web Ltd we are website designers at top of our game and only use website platforms which are compatible with today’s needs. Because things constantly change in the website build and construction game.

There was a time when we would use platforms such as Sitemaker, as it meant our customers could easily self-edit text on their business websites.

This is great if you’re selling a product where you need to regularly put out special offers or want to run a marketing campaign for a particular time of year. These platforms were very easy to make changes to and meant customers had a certain amount of editorial freedom.


However, times moved on and mobile phones with internet connection came about followed by tablets and very small computers. This meant we had to consider how  websites performed with devices having smaller screens.

Bath Business Web Ltd being a progressive and forward thinking team of professionals saw this coming and now we use Word Press. Why I hear you ask? Simple, because when you look at a website on a mobile device the picture is much smaller. Therefore, the website platform needs to be one which can change from large (for your desktop PC with a wide flat screen, to very small (such as a tablet or a mobile phone). And that's exactly what WordPress can do, switch the website size to fit the screen size. Clever hey!

Fact: WordPress is the name for what we call in the trade ‘an open source content management application powered by PHP and MySQL. It can be used to create a website with high definition graphics and is easy to keep updated with its text editor. This application can also integrate blogs into the website, which as you can see by the fact you are reading one, a  very useful tool for website design.
 
There are also other things which we now offer at Bath Business Web Ltd Website Design Company, which we didn’t offer some years ago. These are Google Places (what used to be called Google Maps), Ad Word Marketing, and Social Media Marketing and Blog pages. None of these things were heard of in the realms of business websites when we started the business. See how things progress at a rapid rate. I mean after all here I am writing a blog.



Bath Business Web Ltd on Google Places

Why do we do all these things I hear you ask? Well, because it’s new content for our website. It is mentioning our company name, it connects (what we call ‘links’) our websites or other business or trade websites. It reinforces strategic keywords which we know people will use to look things up on the internet. And the blog is also very informative, as you can tell by reading this one (I had to say that now didn't I). All of these things, and more, go toward strengthening the position of our websites on the internet and making them more likely to be found by potential customers looking online.

Fact: Did you know what we know as tablets, Kindle type devices etc. have only been with us for 3 years. Strange huh! Seems like they have been around forever.

A highly functioning and aesthetically designed website is what all good business need if they are going to attract the widest customer base possible. Because a well thought out website helps the customer find information about the business, its products and services quickly and easily.




Bath Business Ltd on Ad Words

Therefore, web design needs to cover the look and feel of a website for that individual customer.

The customer can then make sense of where things are, where to go  on the site to find out more.

Once deciding they are looking at the right business for them, they will also want to easily make contact  with that business or even make a purchase online.



A web designer at Bath Business Web Ltd in the website design studio will plan carefully for customer interaction with the site. Designers consider the different ways in which customers interact with a website, whether the site is advertising a product, service or trade.

The web designers aim is the same as the business owners at the end of the day. To create an advertising and marketing platform which will promote the business, advertise its products, inform consumers how it fits with their needs and set I motion the process toward making a sale.

After taking personalised information, images, photos, logo, potential links etc. from the business commissioning the site, the web designer will then consider how best to show this information as it appears on screen.

Fact: 1991 the world’s first website. 1993 the first publicly accessible web browser. 1994 the first search engine. 1998  the birth of Google.


A visit from Bath Business Web Ltd

All our customers, that’s the 300+ trades and businesses’ we currently work with, have been through that exact same process.

A process where they have been involved each step of the way in the build and construction of their website.

It all starts at the point of sale when a customer’s needs and requirements are discussed and recorded. Then an in depth analysis is taken of the type of business they are involved in and what they want to achieve from their website.

After all each business is unique and each owner or proprietor of a business has their own way they want their business to interact with the public.

When considering the design of a Website at Bath Business Web Ltd our team of qualified and professional designers also help our customers take into account the finer design aspects. Such as how the website will reflect the branding of the business, the colours used and do they reflect the colours of a company logo, vehicles or clothing etc. Which style of font to use and what letter or type sizes would match the individual pages. Is there a need to link with Facebook or Twitter and are they going to keep an updated blog page. Deciding what images or photographs taken by a customer will promote the business to its full advantage. Looking at what other websites would the customer want to link to or do they have an existing website which will compliment and reinforce the new websites visibility on the internet.

Fact: A mobile phone has been developed by Cambridge University, in which a virtual assistant (human looking in every way), interacts with the user. Bit like talking to a personal advisor or personal shopper (android style), who in the future could be advertising your business or products.

So you can see there is a great deal to consider when constructing a website and much to take into account to ensure a business gets its message across and markets its products or services in the best possible light. Which brings us on to the issue of visibility. After all, potential customers out there have different ways to find things on the internet. They have desktop PC’s, laptops, tablets, notebooks, mobile phones and other technological wonders to view the many websites there are. These individual devices will have their own way to browse the internet. The formats of these various viewing platforms will be different. The shape of the monitor, alternative display settings, the size of the screen etc.

As you probably know, even two of the same make of personal computer there will be different web browsers (such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome) and each handles websites according to their functionality. Therefore, the web designers at Bath Business Web Ltd take this into account and all efforts are made to ensure the websites we build are seen by all the people all of the time.


Video presentations require more complex language

Then we have the more technical details within the structure and construction of the website.

As mentioned before there are internal codes and electronic messaging systems. This is the language of the computer if you like. A language which copes with all the variables that a website need to have to work well.

The basic language of computers is HTML (hypertext mark-up language) and our web designers enter this language and others like it to create the many websites you see at Bath Business Web Ltd.


There are also more advanced language based systems which are used for very complex websites with a great deal of content or sites which require an amount of movement and interactivity.

At Bath Business Web Ltd we cater for all types of company or trade. We aim to give you the website that you feel best represents your business and it is constructed to take into account the needs of your customers. We pride ourselves at being one of the best website design studios in Bath, Bristol and Wiltshire. Our promise to you is that we will go all out to ensure your website reaches the strongest possible ranking in all the various browsers and search engines.

Fact: Bath Business Web Ltd is unique in the field of website design. Nowhere else will you fins a website design company which has its very own online directory to advertise your business and its website. In fact we have seven local online directories and the all interlink and give a great deal of strength to the ability of our websites to be found by surfers on the net.

Bath Business Web Ltd is also a family firm. At the helm are business owners Jackie and Duncan Short. So if you're looking for a relaxed, friendly, informative, knowledgeable, skilled and trusted company for website design, then you cant go far wrong with these guys. We have a website studio who are waiting and eager to take on the challenge of building you the best money can buy. So look no further and just give our Sales Director Duncan a call to set up that all important meeting to discuss your needs and take the step to a brighter and more prosperous future.

Looking forward to seeing you business website in our portfolio very soon......

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd
Your local Internet Marketing Specialist, Business Directory and Website Design Company

Bath Business Web Ltd - Bringing your Business to Life 

Call for a free consultation and find out more about how you can help your business grow

 

01225 920 503