So, you want to have a website...

The message is more important than the pretty wrapping that it comes in. That's not to say your website shouldn't also look good, it just shouldn't be weighed down with bells and whistles that distract from your message.

Your website should be accessible to as many people as possible

You want your site to load at least as quickly as your competitors. A potential customer on a slow connection may not wait while downloading large unoptimised graphics or old bloated code. I hand-code sites where possible to minimise bloat and make sure it's valid markup.

As well as loading faster, validly coded websites are more search engine friendly, and more likely to make sense on screen readers and smartphones.

Can I have fancy flash animations?

Only if you want to lose customers. People who find your website are after answers, not animations.

Flash animations can be fun and cool. Flash video clips can sometimes be useful. Flash can also crash your site or make it slow to load. Use it sparingly or not at all.

What should your website say?

You might think this is obvious but it can be more difficult than you think, especially when it comes to your own business, organsations or special interest.

Every website is different but the three key messages should be:

• Who you are and where you are
• What you do and what makes you different from your competitors
• Contact details, pricing and hours of business

You can of course say more but don't go overboard and confuse your visitors.

How much will all this cost?

Hopefully less than you think. Please see my pricing page for further details.