The document discusses the benefits of developing a website for a business. It outlines several key benefits, such as always being open for potential customers, reaching a worldwide audience, communicating easily with large groups of people, and providing regular updates. It also discusses important considerations for developing a website, such as defining objectives, target markets, and content needs. The document provides an overview of the website development process, including elements like design, hosting, applications, domain registration, and search engine optimization.

1. Developing a Website

6. 12 Questions we will ask It is beneficial to answer the following questions before you undertake the development of your web site. They are issues you will need to consider before anyone does anything. A sentence for each question is generally sufficient. So grab a cup of coffee and put on your thinking cap, you've got some work to do...

8. Web Solution Services Web site design for the creation of the web site you've always wanted. Web site Hosting services to ensure your site is available 24-7. Communication options for easy information exchange with your visitors. Web Applications for data collection and processing through your web site. Domain Name Registration for the professional touch. Search Engine Optimisation so your web site will always be found. We offer a comprehensive range of website design services: from concept to deployment. The following sections detail what you will need for a quality online presence.

9. Web Site Design – ‘First Impression’ The design of a web site needs to be controlled and focused. Clear goals need to be established and a path to these goals developed. This will ensure your goals are achieved on time and to budget. Once design is complete the site may require a regular maintenance to ensure it retains its relevance to the outside world. The design of the website is the first impression many will have of your business or organization, and it’s the way you may be judged.

10. Successful Web Design A web site is a number of elements combined as a cohesive whole. A site can take a number of forms, depending on the purpose, but every quality site follows these rules:  Content needs to be compelling yet concise.  Design must compliment existing branding.  Navigation must be very clear; site architecture must be efficient.  Technically robust , as visitors will not tolerate technical issues. If these rules are followed the likelihood of your site gaining your visitors' trust is dramatically increased. Trust is the single most important ingredient in your relationship with your customers. A poorly designed site can ruin this trust.

11. Web Site Hosting Dependable web hosting is essential to a quality web site. Web sites hosted with evoloop enjoy outstanding web hosting performance and security. Our web hosting offers flexibility and a comprehensive range of services for a truly first-rate service that you and your visitors can trust. Web hosting and Web Servers A powerful computer called a web server performs web hosting . A web server is connected to the Internet twenty-four hours a day. It stores your web site files and serves it to people when they visit your site. It also performs other tasks such as email service and data processing.

12. Web Site Communication Communication is one of the primary concerns of every web site. A site is often the point of first-contact so it is paramount your communication systems are streamlined and efficient. Evoloop offers several features that you can add to your site to create avenues of communication between you and your web site visitors and creating an online community - thus generating an active web site with returning visitors.

13. Communicating with your Visitors Email Forwarding Email forwarding is a technique used to allow you to use your domain name in your email addresses. You are able to set-up 'catch-all' addresses and unique addresses for each department or staff member. Web Forums A popular way of creating a community around your web site is to include a forum. This increases repeat visitors and allows free information exchange. Web Forms A web form allows your visitors to provide you with information. This data can then be validated and stored or emailed directly to you. This can be done through a secure server if security is important. Even though your communication is centred around your site, there are many options for communicating with your visitors.

14. Communicating with your Visitors Newsletter mailing lists Offering a regular email newsletter is an excellent way to create an ongoing relationship with your visitors. We offer a superb system to automate the subscription and the sending of large numbers of emails. Guest Books A popular addition to web sites is a guest book so your visitors can add a comment. This helps to create an online community around your web site. News Feeds feeds permit subscription to regular updates, delivered automatically via a web portal, news reader, or in some cases good old email.

15. Web Applications A web application is a web site that performs a task, often performing a very specific task. Web Applications tend to be larger and more complex than conventional brochure web sites but their returns are greater.

16. Example of Web Applications By their very nature a web application is unique as it is tailored to suit your requirements. Some example of web applications include;  Online Recruitment System  Online Product Catalogue  Hotel Booking systems  Bespoke Tailoring System  Content Management Systems  Information Collection  Online Customer Resource Management  Online Ads Management System There are many options and the emphasis is on what it is that you want. This is best discussed in a consultation where we can sit down and discuss your options.

17. The Benefits of a Web Application A web application is a highly efficient system. Data is taken from a web form and can then be manipulated in a variety of ways incorporating other internal and external systems - such as email, database storage and access, credit card processing. Data can be processed to ensure that it conforms to your requirements. Credit card numbers can be checked against the card type, email addresses can be checked to ensure they are valid, rooms can be checked for availability. A system can be a collection of modules each performing a separate task. For instance, for your online booking system you will want a public front end so that visitors can place an order through your web site. You will also need a private back end (with restricted access) to administer the site. An ordering system would require a system to alert you of a booking. This may be an email alert or a part of the site you log in to clear your bookings.

18. Domain Names A domain name is very important part of your web site. It is the name of your site and is used in your web address and your emails. People can type your domain name into the location bar of their browser to find you. GOOD AND BAD DOMAIN NAMES The best domain names use the name of your business or the product you want to promote. Good names are memorable, descriptive, uncomplicated and short. People are more likely to remember these addresses. Search engines will also give you better results for words included in your domain name. Domains are case insensitive , can only contain alpha-numeric characters (a,b,c 1,2,3) and dashes (-) and cannot include spaces.

19. Search Engine Optimization Once your web site is complete it will need visitors - visitors who are genuinely interested in your site and who will take the next step and contact you or purchase your product or service. Let evoloop generate the traffic you need by optimising your web site for the search engines and directories.

20. The Search Engine Optimisation Process The process of optimising a web site for the Search Engines can be broken into three constituent parts. It involves 'cleaning' a site to ensure the site can read by the engines. Keyword (search term) research is then conducted to fine-tune the search engine terms you are wanting to rank for. The site is then optimised and submitted to the search engines. Ongoing maintenance is also paramount to ensuring your site is keeping abreast of your competition. This involves continual research into your ranking and keywords. Properly Coded Web Pages Your site will have to be 'readable' by the Search Engines. Poorly coded web pages and incompetent optimisation can easily hamper results. evoloop can go through your code line by line to ensure your web site is properly structured. This will often result in quicker page load times and greater cross-platform compatibility.

21. The Search Engine Optimization Process Keywords and Search Terms Refining the terms you should on your web pages is paramount to successful results. We can create a list of terms real people are using and insert them into your site. Search Engine and Directory Submission Once your site is optimised we will submit your site to the appropriate search engines and directories. All of our sites are created in such a way that they will be immediately readable by the search engines. Search Engine Optimisation is the process of ensuring the site will gain traffic to your site that will yield results.

22. The evoloop Web Design Process A four-stage process used as a base for all projects. Each project is unique - having different exact requirements, but all projects share common systems and require a common process to preserve best practice . Planning A Statement of Intent is generated from initial scoping and brainstorming. Specification A Specification is drawn up, detailing work that is to be undertaken, roles, timelines, budget etc.

23. The evoloop Web Design Process Development The generation of prototypes, content, systems and ultimately, the web site. Deployment The site is tested and hosted online, user training is completed and the project is brought to a close How you stand to benefit This process is crucial to an effective online presence. It streamlines the development cycle, it provides focus and it ensures quality. This benefits you directly as you know that you are making the most of the opportunities the web presents. This applies whether your web site is 30 or 3000 pages as the process is scalable to suit your specific needs.

24. Your web site is not a toy! We know how it goes: your nephew is computer literate, perhaps with a few clicks he can create a web site that looks smart and seems OK. But is it going to achieve your online goals? Before your nephew fires up his 'trial' version of Dreamweaver, you should be aware of the following components to every single web site :

27. Portfolio