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What type of web site can I have? |
There are several varieties of web site we can offer.
Static pagesMost
small businesses start off their web presence with a few basic web
pages and a logo. This approach is initially the cheapest way to go.
m4webdesign will offer this service and in some cases it really is all that is needed.
We
feel though that the disadvantages of this approach need to be made
clear. If you want to update this sort of site, you will either need to
learn some technical details yourself, or give your designers the
details of the changes to be made. Beyond a certain number of changes,
this means you will be being charged to update your own web site.
A
site based on static pages is also very limited in what it can do. You
could not for example run a forum or run a product catalogue in a
professional fashion.
The advantage though of a static site if you
are not planning to update it much, or are prepared to learn how to
update the site, is that you should pay the web designers only a
minimal maintenance charge. It is not unreasonable to expect
ongoing costs including naming and hosting to be no more than £10 a
month for which you would also have access to email facilities.
Static
pages attract minimum maintenance costs, because they are far less
liable to security breaches. Once you move beyond static pages you must
be prepared to pay more for someone to proactively keep your site safe
from hacking.
oscommerce - online shopping catalogue
We
can set up an ecommerce site using the oscommerce offering a full
catalogue of goods for sale. This is suitable for sites that are
primarily about selling a range of goods. oscommerce is a free to use
solution that will operate with a wide range of payment gateways
allowing you to make automatic, secure credit card sales using your
internet merchant account.
oscommerce also allows you to add content to your site.
We
charge a fraction of what we have heard quoted for setting up a full
ecommerce site, but there is a level of training that you will need
and you may need additional help with transferring your existing goods
catalogue to your new web shop front.
mambo server - content management system
If
you have no major need for automatic online ordering. Mambo is the free
solution used on this site, that allows you to add content to your site
without having to have much technical knowledge. A menu driven
administration system allows you to easily modify your site at will.
Mambo has a wide range of optional free add ons, including Events calendars, guest books and forums.
Mambo is an easy route to a professional looking web site that you can manage and extend yourself.
Since
Mambo needs to be installed, designed, and requires a small amount of
maintenance, it is initially a little dearer than static pages would be.
mambo server + mambo-phpshop
If
you have a site with a lot of content, but you also want an online
catalogue and automatic credit card purchasing, then this may be the
combination for you. It is a sophisicated solution with the only
drawback being the limited number of payment gateways supported.
Like any other ecommerce solutions, you will need a level of training and help in getting your catalogue of goods installed.
Site forumIf
you want your web site to have a forum, then we can add a forum to your
site for an additional charge. Forums should not be undertaken lightly
though. They can need a frequent presence to prevent them being abused
and it can be hard to create an active community.
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Beginners guides