What I do.
It's hard, if not impossible, to be an expert in all areas so I don't try to be. Instead I know about stuff I need to know about and then rely on the experience and expertise of others to pick up on the rest.
I can write websites that are completely static (they don't change) and I can write ones that change - either automatically by including content from other sources or by you logging in and changing it yourself.
Did that sound a bit scary....logging in and changing content?
Content Management Systems (CMS)
The techy boys got to the name which is why it sends most people into sleep mode when the words management and systems are put together but it's an industry standard term and most websites have this ability but you probably wouldn't be able to tell.
There are CMS systems available where the whole site is updateable from colour and fonts to content and content position. In my experience this is a great way for web companies to show off their abilities with products that look really cool but are actually a pain to use and then you get stung with having to pay them extorniate rates to operate it.
On the other side of the coin I would write you a website where you can update the bits you need to update, in a nice simple way using a style and wording that actually means something to you. More and more businesses are going down this route and being more successfull at it too.
Consultancy
So many small businesses are not in a position to employ a full time webmaster, or they are writing one themselves and just need that extra bit of help and support.
There are courses you can go on, there are books you can read and videos to watch as well as the internet itself. But nothing ever works as well as a human being dropping by and giving relevant practical advice.
I can offer full or part day on-site support in the following areas:
- Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimisation....there is a big difference
- Website Design using Dreamweaver
- Website Accessibility and Standards Compliance
Standard Website Design
This sort of site is different to a CMS system in that I develop the website without the restrictions imposed by those systems. These sites are usually much quicker to write because I use the industry leading development tools to create them. They are designed for IT Professional like me to whizz through and do our stuff. When you need changes, you contact me and I can easily and quickly make alterations.
Quite often this sort of system is more cost effective if you don't change your site very often.
Flash
You've seen the stuff on the internet that is animated and probably quite interactive? That is done using something called Flash and 99% of computers can play Flash. Many banner adverts on websites are done in Flash and You tube videos are all done through Flash.
The sort of stuff I can do in flash is primarily scripting although I have done a fair few animations and things for TV adverts for pubs and stuff.
E-Commerce
Actually just having an email address is ecommerce but if you mean selling stuff online then yes I can do that. I have written sites using a payment gateway like SecPay or more often now with PayPal, which is becoming more and more popular. There are simple ways to integrate these for you to administer accounts with options from simple buy now buttons to databases with instant payment notification so you can tell instantly if a payment has been accepted.
Shopping Carts
There are various options for shopping carts and depending on your business some a more suitable than others. Some folks know what shopping cart they want, others will want one writing from scratch. That's the web, it's becoming very "plug and play".
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