Replacing a website - questions and answers
Click on a question to reveal the answer.
DOES MY EXISTING WEBSITE STAY "LIVE" UNTIL MY REPLACEMENT IS READY?
Yes - only when you are totally satisfied with your new website design do I "flick the switch" to replace your old website with your new one. Anyone being directed to your old website will then see the new one instead.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO REPLACE MY EXISTING WEBSITE?
The process normally takes a matter of days. The two things that affect the time-scale the most are the size of the website and how quickly you are able to provide us with the details of your requirements and approve changes.
CAN I KEEP MY CURRENT WEBSITE ADDRESS OR CAN I HAVE A NEW ONE?
The choice is yours. I will initially develop your new website at a temporary website address (for your eyes only). When you decide it is ready to replace your existing website I do the technical stuff so that your new website replaces your old one seamlessly.
You can also take the opportunity to have a brand new website address if you wish. I normally then set things up so that any traffic going to your old website address is automatically diverted to your new one.
You can also take the opportunity to have a brand new website address if you wish. I normally then set things up so that any traffic going to your old website address is automatically diverted to your new one.
CAN I USE ALL OR SOME OF MY EXISTING CONTENT ON THE REPLACEMENT WEBSITE?
Yes. I can re-use any text, images and graphics that you wish to transfer over into a brand new design. I can also source new images and re-write your existing copy if required. Or, of course, I can just start completely from scratch.
CAN I KEEP MY EXISTING EMAIL ADDRESS / ADDRESSES?
Yes, if you want to. I will advise you on best practice with regards to email addresses. If you decide to change to a brand new website address then I can advise on the best plan with regards to handling old and new email addresses.
ONCE COMPLETED, WILL I BE ABLE TO UPDATE MY REPLACEMENT WEBSITE MYSELF?
Yes. I will use a simple but powerful online website builder or CMS (Content Management System) to create your replacement website. This means that you will be able to edit and update your website yourself instantly at any time, using any computer, tablet or mobile phone with internet access. I can provide training should it be required.
I can also update your website for you at a very economical cost. I charge £20 per hour for this service. An update that took 15 minutes for example would cost just £5. I supply a detailed time-log of time spent (to the minute), and I provide this very affordable service to many existing customers.
I can also update your website for you at a very economical cost. I charge £20 per hour for this service. An update that took 15 minutes for example would cost just £5. I supply a detailed time-log of time spent (to the minute), and I provide this very affordable service to many existing customers.
WILL MY NEW WEBSITE IMPROVE MY SEARCH RANKING ON GOOGLE?
Most likely. All my websites are optimised as standard for search engines. If your current website is not mobile-friendly then it is almost certainly being penalised by Google in terms of its search rankings. Your new website will be mobile-friendly and meet modern standards.
WILL I GET ACCESS TO DETAILED SITE VISITOR STATISTICS?
Yes. A free Google Analytics account will be integrated into your replacement website and you will be provided with simple instructions on how to access your detailed site visitor statistics, including number of visits, web pages visited, how long was spent on each page, geographical location of site visitors, how people found your website and much more!
CAN I LINK MY NEW WEBSITE TO MY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS?
Yes. I can incorporate links to any social media sites that you have such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. It is also possible to incorporate "feeds" from your social accounts so that content from them is automatically shown on your site.
I’VE LOST TOUCH WITH MY PREVIOUS DESIGNER - IS THIS A PROBLEM?
Normally not. I can check the status of your existing domain and associated services and make sure that everything is correctly registered in your name. I am well used to dealing with this fairly common scenario.
WHEN AND HOW DO I PAY?
I start by putting together a totally free, no obligation mock-up of a replacement website, with a detailed quote. If you then decide to proceed I request 25% of the development cost and the initial hosting/CMS cost. The 75% balance becomes payable when your new website is ready to go live. You can pay by cash, cheque, bank transfer, PayPal and also by debit or credit card.
CAN YOU PROVIDE REFERENCES?
Yes, I will provide contact details upon request. I regard providing a consistently high level of customer service as a vital part of building long-term relationships with all my customers, supporting them whenever required.
I'M interested - HOW DO WE GET STARTED?
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
This varies of course. There are four cost areas associated with all websites, as follows:
1. Website creation costs
This is a one-off cost for the work involved in creating the replacement website. The most significant factor affecting this price is usually the overall size of the website to be replaced, whether you wish to re-use any existing content and what special features may be needed.
Whatever your requirements, I will give you a fixed price quote for this before anything else so that you can quickly decide if it fits your budget. If you have a specific budget to work to then let us know so I can advise accordingly.
2. Hosting costs
You are almost probably already paying regular hosting costs for your existing website and in the majority of cases your replacement website will incur similar costs. However, the hosting cost for your replacement website may well be lower than what you are already paying as this will be supplied to you at cost price. A typical cost is about £9 a month which includes the cost for the web-based CMS (Content Management System) that enables you to edit the website yourself using any computer, tablet or mobile phone that has internet access. Some website features might increase the hosting costs (such as including videos for example). E-commerce and shopping cart facilities will certainly increase hosting costs.
3. Domain and Email Costs
Domain costs are all to do with your domain or website address. Your domain has to be renewed every year (or two years) and typically you may be paying £5 - £10 per year for this. If you are paying more than this I might recommend transferring your domain to another registrar.
Another related cost might be for any email addresses that are used with your domain. Typically these might range from £2 - £5 per month depending upon the nature of the email facilities used. These costs are likely to remain very similar after your website has been replaced but could lead to savings if you are currently paying excessive amounts. As part of the process I will advise on the best way forward with relation to your domain management.
4. Future website updates
If you want to change your website content regularly the web-based CMS (Content Management System) enables you to update the website yourself. I can provide training if it is required.
I can also update your website for you at a very economical cost. I charge £20 per hour for this service. An update that took 15 minutes for example would cost just £5. I supply a detailed time-log of time spent (to the minute), and I provide this very affordable service to many existing customers.
1. Website creation costs
This is a one-off cost for the work involved in creating the replacement website. The most significant factor affecting this price is usually the overall size of the website to be replaced, whether you wish to re-use any existing content and what special features may be needed.
Whatever your requirements, I will give you a fixed price quote for this before anything else so that you can quickly decide if it fits your budget. If you have a specific budget to work to then let us know so I can advise accordingly.
2. Hosting costs
You are almost probably already paying regular hosting costs for your existing website and in the majority of cases your replacement website will incur similar costs. However, the hosting cost for your replacement website may well be lower than what you are already paying as this will be supplied to you at cost price. A typical cost is about £9 a month which includes the cost for the web-based CMS (Content Management System) that enables you to edit the website yourself using any computer, tablet or mobile phone that has internet access. Some website features might increase the hosting costs (such as including videos for example). E-commerce and shopping cart facilities will certainly increase hosting costs.
3. Domain and Email Costs
Domain costs are all to do with your domain or website address. Your domain has to be renewed every year (or two years) and typically you may be paying £5 - £10 per year for this. If you are paying more than this I might recommend transferring your domain to another registrar.
Another related cost might be for any email addresses that are used with your domain. Typically these might range from £2 - £5 per month depending upon the nature of the email facilities used. These costs are likely to remain very similar after your website has been replaced but could lead to savings if you are currently paying excessive amounts. As part of the process I will advise on the best way forward with relation to your domain management.
4. Future website updates
If you want to change your website content regularly the web-based CMS (Content Management System) enables you to update the website yourself. I can provide training if it is required.
I can also update your website for you at a very economical cost. I charge £20 per hour for this service. An update that took 15 minutes for example would cost just £5. I supply a detailed time-log of time spent (to the minute), and I provide this very affordable service to many existing customers.
AM I TIED INTO ANY LONG TERM COMMITMENTS?
No. You will have full control and possession of your website when complete so that you will be able to cancel any domain registrations, email services and hosting directly with suppliers (or I can do that for you on your behalf). Remember, I buy and set these up at cost for you and everything is registered directly in your name. An exception may be where you have paid in advance for certain services in order to secure a discounted price. Service renewal dates will be detailed in the handover documention I supply.
WILL MY WEBSITE HAVE SSL SECURITY?
Yes, your website will be hosted on a secure server with an SSL certificate. This is included for free.
IS THERE ANY LIMIT TO HOW LARGE MY WEBSITE CAN GROW?
No - you will be able to add unlimited pages, images and products etc.
WILL MY WEBSITE DISPLAY CORRECTLY ACROSS ALL DEVICES?
Yes. Your website will have a Google approved "Responsive Design", which means that the layout will automatically adjust to suit the device that is being used to view it.