Unique Websites: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Website Domain Name?

Each website has a unique domain name or URL - for example, www.uniquewebsites.co.uk - that is its unique internet address. No other website on the internet has this website address.

What is Website Hosting?

Once your website has been designed and approved by yourself, it needs to be hosted on a server (a large computer that is connected to the internet) so that the website can be accessed by other internet users 24/7.

What is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)?

If you want to find a website giving details of a carpenter in Ipswich, the chances are that you will key the words carpenter and Ipswich into a search engine such as Google or Yahoo. This search engine will then show you numerous pages of possible website descriptions.

If your website has been effectively search engine optimised, then it will appear high up in the list of website descriptions.

What is Webmail?

Webmail allows you to access your email inbox from any computer in the world that is connected to the internet.

Unique Websites offer our customers a webmail service if required.

Company Email Addresses and Website Domain Name

If your domain name is www.wxyzhotel.co.uk, Unique Websites can offer up to five company email addresses. For example, sally@wxyzhotel.co.uk, joe@wxyzhotel.co.uk and enquiries@wxyzhotel.co.uk.

Website Design, Web Site Design or Web Design - Which is Correct?

When searching for a website design company in Ipswich on a search engine such as Google, people could type website design Ipswich, web site design Ipswich or web design Ipswich. Therefore, we use all three terms within this website so that our web site is accessible to people no matter which term they type.

How Long Will I Have to Wait for a Website?

This usually depends upon yourself: how long it takes you to write your draft words and gather your photographs for the website. (At Unique Websites, we can offer help with website wording and photography - see next two questions.)

As far as we are concerned, we will normally be able to show you several different website designs for discussion within a couple of days.

Once we have agreed a website design and you have given us your draft website words and photos, we will generally - for a smallish, simple website - be able to show you a finished website for your inspection within a few days. Once we have your feedback, we can then make any changes you require and do all the "technical bits" (final website checking, search engine registration, domain name registration etc) within a day or so.

For content management systems and ecommerce, there will be an additional delay whilst the website database is constructed and checked.

I Am Not Good with Written English - Do I Need to Write the Website Text?

Yes and no. You are the person who has the most detailed knowledge of your company and so you must supply us with this knowledge before we can design your website. This information can be supplied in a written or verbal format.

Unlike many website designers, Unique Websites are happy to rewrite, restructure and/or proof-read your website text if required. We are also happy to make our own notes from verbal information given to us. We can restructure the information you supply us in such a way that it will help with search engine optimisation. 

Alternatively, if you prefer, we will keep your website words just as you wrote them.

I Do Not Have Any Suitable Photographs For My Web Site - Can You Help?

Sometimes.

If you are a local small business (if your business is within the Hadleigh - Sproughton - Ipswich - Manningtree - Colchester - Dedham - East Bergholt - Sudbury - Lavenham or Bury St Edmunds areas), we would be happy to take digital photographs of your restaurant, shop, guest house etc. Note, however, that, whilst we will take a range of photographs and use only the best ones for your website, we do not claim to be professional photographers - this is just a free service that we offer to small businesses.

If, however, your business is outside these areas or if you are a builder, garden designer etc who needs to have photos of work in different locations on your website, then you must supply us with these photographs.

Do I Have to Have a Photograph of Myself on My Website?

No. It is your website and we will design it according to your wishes. If required, we can look through on-line libraries to find one or more stock photographs to add visual interest to your website design.

Note, however, that customers often like to "see what they are getting". For example, for an alternative medicine practitioner, a photo of yourself and your establishment on your website will help customers to imagine being treated by you.

Do I Need a Face-to-Face Meeting? What Happens if My Small Business is Outside the Bury St Edmunds - Ipswich - Hadleigh -  Sudbury - Manningtree Areas?

A face-to-face meeting is NOT necessary. Some clients will prefer one or more meetings regarding their website design, and this is fine. We CAN, however, provide a high-quality website design that meets the needs of your small business without actually meeting you.

We are happy to receive your information and photos via email and to clarify your requirements over the telephone. At each state of the website design process, we will display your website on a private corner of the internet so that you can study the website design at your leisure and discuss any design changes you might require.

Are There Any Hidden Website Design Costs?

Not unless your requirements change.

I Have Heard that Different Computers Display the Same Website in Different Ways. Is This True?

Yes. The way that your website will be displayed to individual people depends upon a number of different variables - their computer's default text size setting (smallest, smaller, medium, larger or largest), the internet browser that they use to access the internet (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera etc), the way in which their computer interprets colour, their screen size and their screen resolution.

At Unique Websites, we are aware of this and we check each website design using different default text sizes, different internet browsers and  different computers. We design our websites for a minimum screen resolution of 800 pixels width, but ensure that the websites still look good at higher resolutions.

Do I Need to Install or Register My Website?

No. Once you are happy with the finished website, we will register your website domain name, install the website upon our server and register your website with the major search engines.

If I Require Changes to My Website, How Long Will It Take for These Changes to Appear?

We can generally make small changes within a couple of hours; bigger changes may take longer.

How Good Is the After-Sales Service?

Unique Websites can be contacted by telephone or email during working hours and will  deal with any problems or queries ASAP. Unlike some website designers who take your money and then lose interest, we at Unique Websites want our customers to be proud of their websites and happy with the service we provide. We ourselves take pride in the fact that our customers recommend us to others.

Can I See How Many Visitors My Website Has?

Yes. If required, we will provide you with detailed website visitor statistics.