Our design and your content management.

So you want a new web site? or pehaps you have a site? You don't think your getting any business from your website and not sure why. You want to manage it yourself? well you have come to the right place.

There are numerous ways to get a web site built; some being advertised on TV and everyone knows a friend, a family member or work collegue who will do the web site because they enjoy it, and it won't cost a dime? An interesting concept! what about the lost sales, the company brand, the copywriting, the customer experience, the mixed message, the quality of graphics?

How is the site going to be managed, who is going to sort out hosting issues, what is the correct platform? What about email?

The questions go on and on, so what about the experienced advice, the help with creativity? the guidence on Brand? From here we can easily see that the free web site is potentially a very heavy financial burden to carry. It doesn't have to be that way!

Harlequin Creative offer a number of web design and development solutions and will offer a solution which we will match to customer requirement and business need. One such solution is Joomla!

Joomla! is an award-winning content management system (CMS), which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online applications. Many aspects, including its ease-of-use and extensibility, have made Joomla the most popular Web site software available. Best of all, Joomla is an open source solution that is freely available to everyone.
 
What's a content management system (CMS)?

A content management system is software that keeps track of every piece of content on your Web site, much like your local public library keeps track of books and stores them. Content can be simple text, photos, music, video, documents, or just about anything you can think of. A major advantage of using a CMS is that it requires minimal technical skill or knowledge to manage. Since the CMS manages all your content, you don't have to.
 
What are some real world examples of what Joomla! can do?

Joomla is used all over the world to power Web sites of all shapes and sizes. For example:

    Corporate Web sites or portals
    Corporate intranets and extranets
    Online magazines, newspapers, and publications
    E-commerce and online reservations, web shops
    Government applications
    Small business Web sites
    Non-profit and organizational Web sites
    Community-based portals
    School and church Web sites
    Personal or family homepages

Joomla can be downloaded and used for free and a site built by the business or individual, but, as suggested above there is more to a good web site than bolting it together and being able to view it on the internet! There can be a significant learning curve to building the web site, and a question must be asked is this the best use of your time? will the web site be found once its built? Who do I trust to host the site? what is hosting? Will the site be compliant (GDPR, Cookies etc) Will the site be mobile friendly.

When the site is complete and running the email for the company should preferably be running on the same domain name eg: you@yourdomain.co.uk

How do I get my email to work, another question that is simple enough but can take a bit of time to solve, particularly for the non-technical amongst us, you will find that the domain, email, and the web site are best held on the same servers for easiest management, yes we can provide that service for our clients.

So if your looking for a extensible web site that won't break the bank but will allow you to update it from anywhere with internet access than give us a call and discuss the requirements.

Do you require a bespoke eNews template?
Perhaps you need help managing content or the system?

There are many ways to get an email newsletter or e-shot out to your mailing list, just do a Google search and the options are endless. But why not let us take the slog out of doing this and create a bespoke news shot for you? Not everyone is creative and we can advise on copy and images for the perfect response.

It's straight forward, effective, and probably the quickest way to keep your customers informed and engaged, it will ensure your business name is at the front of the que when services and products are required.
 

Html Css websites. Solid basic website design without content management.

So you want a new web site? or pehaps you have a site? You don't think your getting any business from your website and not sure why. Don't have the time or the skill to manage it yourself? well you have come to the right place.There are many companies out there that will offer to give you a website for a low fixed cost. Ask youself seriously "how can they do that" unless the site is planned out and you know what you are getting and it fits your needs then how can the amount of work be gauged and ultimately payed for. The most likleyhood is that this will lead to frustration and or higher cost to achieve expectation.

Maybe you have a family member who has offered to build your website for you and its not going to cost anything... or is it? Think of the potential revenue from a well designed and thought out professional website. Even if you don't sell from your website the first thing a potential client is going to do is look to check that first step of credibility for you and your business.

So where does that leave you? With a lot of questions and with out doubt a reasonable amount of work to ensure that the material required is available for the website when it's built.

So where to start? A good place would be to download our questionaire and guide to owning your own website. (coming soon)

A bit of soul searching is required as to how much time you or your company will invest in the website on an ongoing basis. We hear over and over again customers who wish to have a content managed website and do the updates themselves, only to review the site a few months later to find a lot of the hard work has been broken. Reason? well they didn't have the time to learn how to use the software properly or didn't understand about formating or image sizes. It is a commitment that for many running a small business is one step too far. Content managed websites are a good option, we all know of Joomla, Wordpress or Drupal, but these still require maintenace, software updates, styling and design.

We do offer these sites and recommend Joomla! "open source" content managed solutions for our clients. Joomla! websites are not difficult but for many the learning curve can be steep. The reward? A sophisticated highly functional quality site which is highly extensible and mobile friendly.

But what about the other options. An excellent option in many cases is a bespoke web site designed specifically for the clients needs, changes and updates can be  carried out by us and the site is kept running smoothly, less hassle, more support, more suggestions on moving forward. Clean looking, functional and to the point. These should not be considered as second pole as the results can be exeptional if carried out correctly.

Next Question. How do you get the website? You have probably heard this scenario:

Customer: I'd like a web site.
Supplier: Great, what did you have in mind?
Customer:Something that looks good.
What do you want on it?
Customer:Picture and information.
What about contact info
Customer:Yes
What about articles
Customer:????
What images do you have.
Customer:???? Can't you supply them from the internet?

Well this goes on and on. We can help every step of the way from copywriting to finding stock images, we can help plan your site, help solve the layout and functionality issue, but again if the site is to be a good one the planning is key and the customer should expect to be involved and contribute.

The planning stage is critical for all to understand the options, outcomes and expectations of all involved. Once the primary discussions have been completed and we move forward a documented plan will be given and agreed to get to the site as required.

Don't be fooled, a cheap web site could be a VERY expensive choice for you and your business, choose your partners carefully (whoever you choose) do your homework first, understand what you want and or need as far as you can. Be prepared to do a lot of work and write the content and choose the images. Your chosen web professional should be able to help and advise along the way.

Social media for busines

There are a lot of myths and false statements along with the now regular term, fake news, this also applies to the product offering we are all bombarded with.

But one fact that can't be ignored about social media is the massive growth and the need for a business to take notice. Social media matters. Just look for a business in your sector to see how they are using the facilities and options that this media offers.

Like much on the internet, they come with a health warning, understand what your posting and why your posting it. Understand what your customers want, not just what you want. Make sure you check the terms and conditions and set your security preferences. Social media sites are no more risky than any other web site, use them inteligently and the rewards can be massive.