In addition to the low cost website hosting package, I offer a full range of services relating to existing websites and larger web projects.
quality website builder
I have worked on many corporate, large, or design intensive projects, individually or as part of a team and can adapt my services to the individual project. In particular, I have often worked with third-party designers, turning their graphic work into high quality web sites using technology to make rich, interactive services.
content management systems
I can take an existing website and turn it into a fully content-managed solution, where the client can make changes to their site via a secure admin. I can create blogs for clients to create fresh engaging content keeping in touch with their customers.
e-commerce and shopping carts
An online sales ability may be a central part of a client's business, or it may be something that they would like to add after a period of time. I can plug in the facility to all sites using paypal or a completely integrated payment gateway solution.
database and customer relationship management
Managing a membership database, or list of customers online is a great way of keeping touch with your contacts. I can create a full system for managing databases online, and tools such as HTML-based newsletter mailing lists.
search engine promotion and optimisation
There's little point in having a website if no-one uses it. Websites require skill in the initial planning and build to help them perform well in search listings, but there can be an ongoing need to optimise and promote a website as a site matures.
Contact me now! with your ideas and I'll be happy to help and advise, freely, and with no obligation.
portfolio
Here is a sample list of sites that I have built. Some were built for lanetech, and some were developed in collaboration with a designer:
what's new?
I've been using jQuery a lot, all of a sudden. For those who don't know, jQuery is a library of javascript functions, meaning we don't have to re-invent the wheel when it comes to writing code to do many common web tasks. Javascript runs on your browser rather than at the server, which makes it fast and responsive because the website doesn't have to do a round trip across the internet to manipulate information. Traditionally, client-side code was pretty limited though, as you often still need to communicate with databases and suchlike on the server and connecting the two halves was tricky. Now, jQuery, with other technology such as Ajax, makes it much much easier. Add to Cart buttons, or contact form submissions can be done without having to refresh the page, they happen in the background.
Javascript was also useful for moving things around on a page, and jQuery has taken this to a new level - we can drag and drop list items, fade messages in and out, rotate images and slide menus up and down. Most of that is eye candy, but it can make for a slick user interface - the bit you interact with. Much of that animated stuff was once the preserve of Flash, produced by Macromedia and now by Adobe. Designers love the movy, slidy style you can produce with Flash, but there are significant problems with it. Generally speaking, a website that is based on flash will perform poorly in search engines, because there is no indexable content, it's all just a closed object. Flash isn't supported on Apple handheld devices, so the site won't work on iPod, iPhone or iPad - whether you see that as significant is your shout, but as open source and industry standards handle animated interfaces and embedded video, you have to wonder what role flash will play in the future.
I've been busy working with robotransfer.com building sites for design agencies on the US west coast - and I have been enjoying building sites like indidesign.com, kicklabs.com, gloto.com and the dealer locator app for espguitars.com - working with designers again has been fun and takes some of the stress out as I'm primarily a developer, not a designer. Ken O'Neil at robotransfer is a good project manager and long may the association continue - we make a crack team!