Websites
At Wild Wave Websites we Design, Build and Host websites.
On this page we explain all the steps required to establish a fully functional website.
Website Design
Websites do not just happen. They need to be carefully planned and implemented so that the right message gets to those visiting your site.
At Wild Wave, we work with you to understand your business objectives and any web ideas you might have, to put together a striking and cost effective website to enhance your business. But we don’t stop there, we will arrange a Domain Name if necessary and the hosting of your site. Because we use WordPress it means that you can easily update the information on your website….OR we will update and maintain your website for you. All up, Wild Wave gives you a complete turn-key solution.
At Wild Wave, we know that the essential steps in getting your website up and working correctly are :-
Websites must be simple, easy to use and catch the attention of the visitor to the site. After all, you want the visitor to gain information and hopefully use your business, not click off and go elsewhere.
At Wild Wave, we pride ourselves in offering website design that meets all the above criteria. Check out some of the sites we have already designed, including testimonials, under Links.
Remember the golden rule – ‘Keep it simple’. Do not be persuaded by web designers that you need a website with complex graphics, video or sound. These websites take a long time to load and it is well known that website visitors often turn off such websites before they have finished loading.
For more information on website design, click on the bullet point steps above.
Scope Agreement
Should you decide to use Wild Wave Websites to build your website, we will document exactly what Wild Wave will provide for you. This safeguards you as our valued client because you then know exactly what you will get. And whilst there is some flexability in building the website, the Scope Agreement also safeguards Wild Wave against unrealistic requests. (Such requests can usually be accommodated by a separate quotation)
Planning phase
Planning is the most critical of all stages in getting your website up and running. It is here that you need to consider such things as
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We will discuss each of the above steps with you. We will make suggestions and help you all the way, however it is your site and we will build it as you instruct.
Design/Build phase
Once the planning phase is completed, we will design and build the site. We install any hyperlinks required for the site to function successfully, plus we will embed any photographs you require on the site
All along the way, we will give you access to completed pages of the website – which you will be able to access from your computer. It will be just as if you are accessing the real website on the internet, only that you will be the only one with the address to access it. We can then discuss each page via phone or email and make changes BEFORE the site goes ‘live’.
Obtaining a Domain name
Choosing a domain name is an important part of the overall marketing process. If you make sure your domain name represents your company, product and image, you’ll be setting a great foundation for future sales.
Domain names can only use letters, numbers, and dashes. Spaces and symbols are not allowed. Also, domain names are not case sensitive
There are three levels to consider for a domain name:
.(name).(extension). (country)
A domain name is basically a Web site address. For example, “theage.com.au” is the address of the Melbourne Age site; it’s also the site’s domain name.
Note: The entire Web address, i.e., http://www.theage.com.au, is known as the URL (Uniform Resource Locator).
Name :
It is a good idea if the name incorporates either the business name or an indication of the type of business. You really need to put yourself in others shoes and think about what you would type into a web address to reach your business website.
Extension:
There are a number of extensions you can consider, some of which have specific functions.
A domain name “extension” is called a “top-level domain (TLD).” These are divided into three different categories: generic top-level domains (gTLD), country code top-level domains (ccTLD) and infrastructure top-level domains.
Generic top-level domains are the ones most frequently seen on the Web – some of which are in the following table:
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.com
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Usually used for commercial organizations
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.net
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originally intended for use by non-profit organizations but is available to anyone
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.org
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Non profit organisations, clubs, charaties
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.gov
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Used by government organisations
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.biz
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A recent extension, available for businesses
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.edu
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Used by educational institutions
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.mil
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Used by military
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.int
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reserved for international organizations established by treaty. i.e. the European Union: http://europa.eu.int
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.aero
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Used by members of the air transport industry
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.coop
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Used by cooperative associations
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.museum
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Used by museums
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.name
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Used by individuals
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.pro
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being developed for professionals and related entities
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Country:
Country code top-level domains are two letter codes representing a country. And are an optional extension. For example:-
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.au .uk .nz |
Australia United Kingdom New Zealand |
Select a country code if you wish to be identified as being in that country. (NOTE: In Australia you will require an ABN for a business or organisation registration number for an organisation in order to get an .au extension). If your business is such that it can operate irrespective of country, and you want to do business outside your country, then it is best not to include the country code
We would be happy to discuss this further with you and to obtain your domain name for you. As a guide, prices as at 2010 are around $13.00 per year for a .com. .net and .org. Prices for domain names which include the country code are slightly more expensive for usually a 2 year minimum period)
One last important point. Make sure the domain name is registered to you and not to a hosting company. Don’t sign for a hosting package unless you have control of your domain name. This is essential if, at a later stage, you want to change your web host.
Selecting Hosting platform
Again, hosting is something that Wild Wve can help with. You need a web host who has a good track record, provides excellent 24/7 service and who has very little, if any, downtime. There are many companies offering hosting services but remember, cheaper is not always better. At Wild Wave we also host websites. Our hosting servers are reliable with guarenteed 99.9% uptime
Uploading files to Web Host
All necessary files including any images will be uploaded to the hosting platform as required.
Testing
We test each page as it is completed. We carry out thorough testing on the total site to make sure all the pages and links work as planned. We will test the site using a variety of web browsers, including mobiles devices ( Smart phones and tablest) so that you can be confident that those who access your website, will be able to see it as you intended.
Submitting site to Search Engines
When all the above have been completed, we will submit your site to a number of search engines, in order to get your website listed.
Ongoing maintenance
It is essential to keep a website up to date – everything from services, prices, dates, news, phone numbers etc. Because we use WordPress, you can do the updates yourself – just like using a word processor, or we at Wild Wave can do it for you. You can have confidence that if you request us to make alterations to your site – that it will be done and done quickly. That is our promise to you.
You will find us to be fast and reliable…….after all, we want happy clients and we want you to recommend us to others.
Melbourne