Getting Started

Web Design Projects

Below you will find a few useful tips to help you get started on your web design project.

Remember, even if you decide not to use ROI Designs to build your website we are here to offer free advice and guidance.


Domain Names

Choosing a good domain name is probably one of the most key aspects of getting started. Just because you didn’t find a website on you chosen domain name doesn’t mean someone hasn’t bought it.

  1. To check to see if your domain name is available please click here.
  2. It is best to try and secure a .co.uk domain name if you trade predominately in the the United Kingdom. All the big players have dedicated local sites eg. google.co.uk, ebay.co.uk
  3. It would be good also to buy the .com & .uk extensions to secure your brand.
  4. Try and avoid hyphens and numbers as these can be difficult to verbally pass on to people.
  5. Try and avoid domain names that are too long thus reducing the chance of typos
  6. Avoid trademark infringements
  7. Keep it memorable & pronounceable
  8. Avoid Exact Match Domain names (EMD) eg quailtycarsales.com after Google released the Exact Match Domain Update.


Type of website

Websites really fall into 5 different categories:

  1. Static brochure website that your web designer will update
  2. Content Management driven site (CMS) such as WordPress that is updated via an online editor.
  3. eCommerce – Online shops that you can sell goods and recieve payments from
  4. Community / membership sites – eg Dating websites
  5. Blogs & Forums


Website Hosting

  1. Know your hosting needs and requirements – we supply unlimited space and unlimited email addresses
  2. Investigate on host reliability and uptime guarantees. – we are up 99.99%
  3. Study web host upgrading options – we supply unlimited space
  4. Check all hosting features (such as number of addon sub-domains allowed) based on your needs – as many as you want
  5. Check prices on both sign up and renewal – Same for both if we have designed you a new website the 1st years hosting is free.
  6. Check hosting control panel – yes you have access to your own Control Panel
  7. Read hosting company’s ToS to find out more about account suspension and server usage policy.
  8. Other supporting features (ie. site backup, environmental friendliness, etc) – Take as many backups as you want via the Control Panel


Business Email Address

  1. Watch out for spam ! Avoid having / using info@….. Every spammer will try this first.
  2. Try something different like hello@….. eat@……
  3. Avoid using complicated names especially if your first and last names are difficult to spell


Logo Design

  1. Make it eye-catching
  2. Avoid tiny font that is difficult to read
  3. Choose colours carefully as they will most likely be used in the design of your website


High-Quality Images for Website

  1. Take or purchase some high quality images – Google stock images to visit the various libraries.
  2. Don’t buy them before consulting your designer as it might be best to place a watermarked copy into the site to see how it fits.
  3. Make sure they are in large format so that they can be cut and cropped to suit web design
  4. Supply both landscape and portrait images


Supply reference websites

  1. Supply some reference websites that you like the look of.
  2. Say which bits you like eg Layout, Colours etc


Type face

  1. Choose a font that will be used throughout the website
  2. Make sure it a web font – just because you have it installed on your computer doesn’t mean that everyone else will. Google Fonts has a huge choice that can be embedded into any website.
  3. Choose any additional fonts for Headings
  4. Make sure they look good together

Content

  1. List your key pages
  2. List any sub-pages to the relevant key page
  3. Start writing content that includes key phrases that a visitor might use to find your service / company
  4. List which image(s) are to be used on the page


Contact Information

  1. Supply full address including postcode.
  2. Opening times.
  3. What you require on any contact forms eg. Name, Phone, Email etc and also which email address this is to be sent to.
  4. Company registration number.